kcpaull

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/3951826419/

This is growing in Fort Mill, SC. It has red stems, lavender blooms, opposite leaves that look similar to mint but have little or no smell. It's about 3 feet tall and grows in partial to full sun.

I found this recipe for cookies:

To make Fine Cakes.- Take fine flowre and good Damaske water you must have no other liqeur but that, then take sweet butter, two or three yolkes of eggs and a good quantity of Suger, and a few cloves, and mace, as your Cookes mouth shall serve him, and a lyttle saffron, and a little Gods good about a spoonful if you put in too much they shall arise, cutte them in squares lyke unto trenchers, and pricke them well, and let your oven be well swept and lay them uppon papers and so set them into the oven. Do not burne them if they be three or foure days olde they bee the better.

I can figure out what they are talking about except for "Gods good". I know that "good" is a powder but I'm not sure what it is. From the context of the recipe I'm assuming it is some sort of levening agent. Anyone out there have any ideas?

Here is a series of photos including leaves, flowers and shape of plant:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/sets/72157619...

It smells like catnip only much stronger, but my cats ignore it completely, plus it doesn't look at all like catnip. The flowers are different to any mint I've seen, but bees love it.

When I was growing up, if someone got upset and was yelling and stomping around they were said to be pitching a dido. I was wondering if anyone else here has heard that phrase and if it has anything to do with Queen Dido of Carthage throwing herself into a funeral pyre instead of marrying some one she didn't want to marry.

We have this marriage certificate from Scotland 1870 and we've sussed out all but the Registrar's name. It's located in the far right hand column of the document and any help would be deeply appreciated. Thanks. Here's the link and you'll probably have to download it to enlarge it enough to read it.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/1415179106/

This little bird killed itself by flying into my son's window this morning. I've never seen on like this before here in Lancaster County, SC and when I looked in my bird book, it seemed similar to the hermit thrush or veery, but it has dark lines on it's head and none of those birds do. I've posted a photo on my flikr site, but I must warn anyone who is squeamish that these are photos of a dead bird, not gruesome, just sad.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/1391855559/

I don't live any where near any marshy land, but my cat brought this poor bird in the house and I rescued it before the cat could hurt it. When I took a good look at the bird, I realized it wasn't the usual sort of bird we get around here. It had a thick yellow beak almost like a chicken, short tail (white underneath) and really long toes and it's legs and feet were green. The closest thing I could find in my bird book was a Sora, although I think this was a young bird as it was darker than the discription and lacked the facial markings. My son and I took it to the only marshland we know of which is near Union, SC and let it go. It seemed quite happy to fly off into the marsh and we were glad we'd driven for 90 minutes to get it there.

I think the bird had come into my yard because I have a large dish of water for my cats out there and it must have been desparate for water as it is so dry here. I'll have to keep my eyes open for any of it's siblings that may show up.

I'm not even sure this isn't just a weed. It's about 3 feet tall, has deeply lobed leaves that grow right out of the stem, with slim single leaves further up the stalk. It looks like it's about to bloom tiny little blooms. It has an herb-like smell when you crush a leaf, something like mild rosemary. If you'll notice in the second photo, the leaves at the bottom of the plant are different than the ones further up the stem. It came up in some mulch I put around my lily collection last summer and I wasn't sure what it was, so I left it. I live in upper central South Carolina. This plant didn't die back even in the coldest part of the winter.

Blooms:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/1338816688/

Plant:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kcpaull/1337930153/in...

We used to live in Brechin, Angus, Scotland and we used to go to an Indian restaurant in Montrose, Scotland and order Lamb Biryani. It was a rice pilaf served with a lamb and vegetable currry that came in a separate dish and then we put it over our rice pilaf. It was very juicy and delicious and sometimes there were different vegetables in the curry, but it was all great. Then we moved to the US and when we went to Indian restaurants over here, the Lamb Biryani here is just a rice and meat dish that is quite dry and has no other sauce with it. Does anyone have any idea what we were really being served in the Montrose restaurant? I have checked all sorts Indian recipes and none of them even come close. Anyone have any ideas?

For example: Why would a 30 watt tube amp be louder than a 30 watt solid state amp at maximum volume?

As a person who lives a good way from the coast of South Carolina, I just wonder what will happen to all those who live in the areas of the world that may be flooded by rising sea levels if nothing is done about global warming. We in the US have places that are not heavily populated where some people could live, but what about whole nations that will be totally flooded? Will there be more horrible wars as countries fight over land or will we work together as a species to find a way to adapt to changes and live differently?

I just got a pair of earrings that have a hallmark that is too small to read and the number 373 stamped on the studs. They are gold with a square diamond-like stone under a white gold bow. I say "diamond-like" as I don't for a moment believe they are real diamonds. They are from Fraser Hart jewellers in England. Any help would be appreciated.

This is assuming that the person being strangled does not die.

When I was in school last century, we were taught how mullosks make their shells by mixing carbon dioxide with the calcium in the sea water. Ok, I'm no chemist, but it seems to me that if they could lock the carbon dioxide into a solid form at normal temperatures, it would stay that way longer than trying to store it under the ocean as a potentially deadly present for future generations. Heck, they can put men on the moon, so locking CO2 up with calcium should be a no brainer.

I get the feeling he thinks we are all deaf and stupid! He' worse than the used car dealership commercials which seem to be the same all over the US. The accents may change but the format doesn't. When someone yells something in a commercial I automatically assume they are lying and refuse to use their business or product.