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Thursday, August 31, 2017

Enchanted Objects

Let's begin this post with a public service announcement. It's early evening, August 31st, and the pumphouse thermometer looks like this:


The city suggests:
▪ Check on your elderly neighbors.
▪ Never leave children or pets in cars.
▪ Drink plenty of water and avoid very cold drinks.
▪ Take cool showers to lower your body temperature.
▪ Limit your exposure to the sun – stay indoors where it is air-conditioned or go a public place that is air conditioned.
Because of  heat warnings, the city is extending hours at the Downtown Library from Thursday through Monday to serve as a cooling center. The Downtown Library will be open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. those days. Other cooling centers can be found by calling 211, a health and human service referral hotline. 

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/news/weather/article170462717.html#storylink=cpy

What with wildfires in Butte County and Nevada City, it doesn't look like the valley smoke, inversion layer and intense heat will abate anytime soon. California is burning down spectacularly this year.  Norma even stretched a crew-sock around our back doorknob because it's so hot to touch. My intention is to stay indoors and come up with a cool topic. Enchanted objects are cool, so is the voice of Edith Piaf. This is one of my favorite childhood --and adulthood-- animations

If you wish to see the whole cartoon and lyric sung by the incomparable Piaf (and yes it is she, not the Andrews Sisters --who also did a fine job), I recommend the video below. If you are enchanted enough to see the abbreviated toon and hear it in English, sung by the excellent Michael Feinstein, please click on the link below the clip.

Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet. (Michael Feinstein)

My own contribution to this theme is to recommend heat-sufferers find enchanted objects in their own homes. I did, right here in the kitchen. Next two Normaphotos are of a curvaceous coffee grinder who lived in my Grampa's general store from the 1890s 'til 1914. and an Art Deco ice shaver from the '20s. They now occupy the top of the refrigerator and Coffee is on a pedestal I built for her because she's hot stuff. Ice shaver does pretty much the same job on ice, which is cool. They are enchanted objects of similar mechanism and are now holding hands:
This makes Ice Shaver very happy, so he flips his lid in joy. Unfortunately he has a very crazy smile...
but then, when we are in love, who doesn't?
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***To those valued email subscribers, here is the link to the longer Piaf version, which somehow got attributed to the Andrews Sisters and subtitled in Spanish.

28 comments:

  1. How I love your whimsy.
    And hope that cooler, fireless days and clean air come your way.

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    1. Whimsy loves you in return, EC. Thanks. I sure hope people are cautious with matches --at least until the grass is green again.

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  2. We've been fortunate the temperature is more moderate on this side of the Santa Lucias. It was 115 in Paso Robles, over the grade, this week. When I began my drive home from a Writers Group in Atascadero this evening it was 90 at Brent's ranch. It was 59 when I arrived home in Cambria.
    Your cool objects are certainly that. The cartoon animation and music is wonderful. I think I laughed so loudly at the Ice Shaver's crazy smile I almost woke up my slumbering granddaughter down the hall from my study. Tomorrow I will share the video and the Normaphotos with her.
    Stay cool--as you can.

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    1. Dear Tom, I have learned the greater part of being cool is looking like wherever you are is THE PLACE TO BE. But 59F? THAT'S the place to be! Even San Francisco wasn't that cool today. I hope your taxes don't go up because of it. By no means wake your granddaughter --now that the night has cooled, I too will be snoozing. Since this reply is going out at midnight, you may deduce my bedtime.

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  3. All our summer this year must have gone south to join your summer. We've been waiting since May for a summer that never came. Last night they mentined on the news that low lying areas here could..potentially...(you know, weather speak) see frost. Ah well...the planet is in an uproar. Hopefully it will all turn out as well as it did for those two hats.

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    1. Dear Delores, I hope we only got part of your summer added to ours --or today's temperature would be closer to 200 degrees here than only 110. As you say, the planet's weather is in uproar and I share your compassionate wish that all will turn out well.

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  4. I have been watching the fires on TV...really shocking, and I really worry for all those in their path.
    I can't imagine the discomfort of such intense heat...we are struggling to reach 25C here!
    Haha...love your ice shaver too...brilliant!!!

    Have a Fabulous Weekend! :))

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    1. Cal-Fire is doing an heroic job of containing the wildfires and saving homes and lives. We'll persevere. Main concern to our electrical power grid now is over-consumption in intense heat. I do think we should leave off Fahrenheit scale for UK measurement. Here I am 67 years old but that's only about 19 Celsius. You have a good weekend too!

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  5. I knew a software engineer in Colorado that had a similar coffee grinder and used it daily; swore it turned out better grounds than the standard electric.
    It's 8am here, though during the day it'll get into the low 80's, it's 41 on the front porch.
    Cheers
    Mike

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    1. Those are good old coffee grinders, Mike, but some were made of pig-iron so it's best not to tighten anything down too much on them. The one on our fridge has lost a piece or two but is still functional if held down by hand while grinding. It does, as your source reports, produce excellent grounds --conveniently accessible from the little ivory-handled drawer at the base. Enjoy the pleasant weather --front porch sounds perfect for a morning cup of coffee.

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  6. I am going to search for enchanted objects in my house. I know they're here... I can hear them breathing.

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    1. Happy hunting, dear Emma! Follow their songs too.

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  7. I so loved the video, Geo. Thanks for posting the English link as I do not speak ... Spanish? Italian? I am ashamed to say I do not know which it is. What an imagination the author had, to be able to picture how to animate hats!

    I did not realize California was burning up although I've been quite aware that British Columbia is ... I hope for rain for you soon, and an easing of the choke hold of heat and smoke.

    And may your coffee grinder and ice shaver live happily ever after.

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    1. O_Jenny, thanks for your generous comment! Edith Piaf was singing in French but staying very close to the Spanish subtitles. The transition from English to French is sometimes easier when run though Spanish. Those wonderful stylists, especially the chanteuse under discussion, were polyglots. The cartoon, I may be incorrect, was released by Disney in the late 1940s and managed to charm the entire --and somewhat divided and struggling-- world. Today is 1st Sept. and has not exceeded 110 degrees F., so perhaps it is not so bad after all.

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  8. That video is adorable. Thanks for sharing it.

    I hope the temperatures plunge into the double digits for you reeeeal soon. (You'll probably need a sweater if it goes all the way down to 80...) It's a good thing you and Norma are such a cool dude and dudette. Otherwise, that heat would be unbearable.

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    1. Dudette and dude appreciate your vote of confidence, Susan. Thanks! This was a migraine day for me and that usually prefigures a change in air-pressure in advance of wind. It may blow in a lot of nothing but at least things will cool off here. Autumn can't hold off forever!

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  9. I love Edith Piaf's singing, tremolo and all. The weather world seems to have been turned upside down this year. Triple digit temperatures in California and Oregon while it's hovering in the 80's here in Arizona. What's a guy to think?

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    1. By golly, I don't know what to think, Catalyst. Son called this morning from San Francisco and said it was 110F. in Twin Peaks. SF has always been at least 20 degrees cooler than the Sacramento valley. Mark Twain once said the coldest winter he ever spent was summer in San Francisco. This is something new to all of us.

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  10. Heatwaves are so dangerous, and it only makes the fires fiercer. I imagine heat and smoke are making it difficult for some people to breathe. The non-stop media coverage of Harvey has overwhelmed the news of the heatwave and fires in California. I'm sorry for you and Norma, and everyone else suffering through such high heat. It's only 95º here, and I've been whining. I enjoyed the videos very much. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with the first one ~ I thought I was hearing French and reading Spanish, and then I realized I was! LOL So thanks for the English version ~ the cartoon was delightful. I hope it cools down soon for you. We're headed for Victoria shortly, and I'm looking forward to the cool September weather on Vancouver Island. Have a good one!

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    1. Thanks Louise! Yes the heat and haze have played havoc with sensitive groups --I keep indoors and use a nebulizer after I do have to go out. Awkward but endurable. And California does burn down pretty much every summer. However, this has been a very long summer. Yes, you were hearing French. When our daughter was very little, I'd ask her what music she'd like me to put on and she'd always answer "Edif!" --her favorite chanteuse. We still call Edith Piaf "Edif". Hope you&yours have a cool time on Vancouver Island.

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  11. Good grief! We had a frost here! Sending cool wind wishes your way.
    Delightful toon, And I hope the grinder and shaver hit it off, despite his crazy smile.
    x

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    1. Most kind and cool wishes appreciated, dear Laura. Grinder and Shaver have been together many years and still get along fine.

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  12. I love Piaf! And your coffee grinder - and your ice shaver - but the heat and fires might be a little excessive, even for my overbearing enthusiasm! Just been for a run in mild rain, will attempt to waft some over the atlantic for you :-) xx

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    1. Lisa, your wafting might be working: the heat has abated somewhat here. Thank you!I installed a new shower-head this summer that feels like rain, so we can cool off --but no running in the bathroom!

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  13. Geo:

    Thank you for visiting my site! I will be back to read more of your site as well. I enjoyed especially your owl story while meditating. I am also glad that you are a fan of pipes. Are there any of your posts related to the hobby? I will investigate that as well. Than you Again!

    PipeTobacco

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    1. Welcome! And thanks in return for your encouraging comment.

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  14. I'll have to take a closer look around my home to see what enchanted objects I may have. Love Edith Piaf!

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    1. Oh I'm sure you'll find some, Lori. It seems the longer we keep house, the more enchanted objects we have.

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