The French Factrice: 2009

Thank You Librivox!

I found a fabulous free audiobook resource! Volunteers over at Librivox.org read and record books books that are in the public domain. The selection is endless and also includes foreign language texts. Books in French, Urdu, Ancient Greek, Church Slavonic, and Tagalog (I've never even heard of that one) are all up for grabs in MP3 form.

I'm currently reading, listening, and bumbling through 'La Femme de Trente Ans' by Balzac. It's a big help to hear the pronunciation of each and every word. I'm hoping that some of the vocabulary will get stuck in my wee brain:) Have fun!

librivox.org

That Old Chestnut

This little lady from the Limousin region of France is busily cracking open chestnuts. I often make bread with chestnut flour. It's naturally sweet and doesn't grow stale as quickly as a baguette. Chestnuts are also surprising bursting with vitamin C!

Chestnuts used to be a common food staple in the United States until the chestnut blight fungus of 1904 devasted the population. 4 billion American chestnut trees died within 40 years. That makes me want to plant a chestnut tree in my backyard!

The History of Tinsel

Tinsel in its modern form was invented in Higham Ferrers England in 1843, and was originally made of shredded silver.

According to the Concise Oxford Dictionary the word is from the Old French word "estincele", meaning sparkle.

Back To the Salt Mines

The word 'salary' actually comes from the word salt. The Roman historian Pliny the Elder stated as an aside in his Natural History's discussion of sea water, that "[I]n Rome. . .the soldier's pay was originally salt and the word salary derives from it. . ."

Having a Snapping Good Time in Florida - Postcard Friday #46

Fossils from 3 brand new crocodile species were recently found in the ancient Sahara wetlands! The Rat Croc (silly name, eh?) was a rather smallish reptile. This 3 footer ate roots and grubs that he dug up with his bucktoothed lower jaw. These crocodiles walked on two legs rather than flat on the ground like their modern snappy cousins! Click here to read about the pancake, duck, and boar crocs! The full article is amazing.

Editor: This postcard features a large and in charge ALLIGATOR.

Marie: Picky! Picky!

Welcome to this weeks Postcard Friendship Friday! If you're visiting and would like to join in the fun we would be thrilled;) It's easy! All you need to do is:

1. Have a blast with this mail theme! Examples include: any type of postcard, a photo of a mailbox, mailman, a stamp image, postcard altered art, or simply a photo of something that you find 'Postcard Perfect' etc etc etc!
2. Link in with Mr.Linky at the bottom of this post
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what a blog party is all about!
4. Link back to the party from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is talking about today! Please grab the badge if you'd like to add a bit of PFF colour to your post:)

Silver Shed Romance

Here's a bit of jelly to complement the peanut butter post! Silver Shred would be an odd J to add to your PB though. It's a finely cut lemon jelly marmalade. It's apparently good for your complexion and scrummy by the spoonful too. Isn't this a darling card? vintage postcard

Peanut Ointment and Jelly Sandwich

O Canada! Peanut butter was invented by Mr. Marcellus Gilmore Edson of Montreal, Quebec! He described his new product as having '' a consistency like that of butter, lard, or ointment.'' A peanut lard and jelly sandwich doesn't have quite the same appetizing ring to it. This food pioneer might get a kick out of knowing that the average American will have eaten 1,500 of the sandwiches before graduating from high school!

Phantom Metro Stations of Paris

This grainy vintage postcard is a rare find. The mustached gentleman is making his way down to what is now called a phantom metro (subway) station in Paris. The stop Saint-Martin was officially closed on September 2, 1939.

The phantom station was recently spiffed up by the Salvation Army of Paris, France. The homeless are sheltered in this antique setting during the bitter winter months. The station still has beautiful porcelain tile advertisements on the walls.

Hopefully warm soup and a bit of old world charm can bring a smile to their face!

Going Bananas for Stamps!

tongo banana stamp

Tonga was the first country to issue peel and stick stamps in 1969! They took the squareness out of stamp collecting by printing this banana shaped franking option. There is no lack of this elongated fruit on the islands or on their letters.

Tonga is the only surviving monarchy among the island nations of the Pacific Ocean. The late king (Tupou IV) was also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the heaviest monarch in the world. He must have eaten a few too many bananas!

A Flying Vintage Blacksmith

Here is a darling vintage winged blacksmith for you! The term 'smith' originates from the word 'smite', which means 'to hit'. The black color comes from fire scale, a layer of oxides that forms on the surface of the metal during heating. This anvil isn't made out of iron though. It looks like it's been sculpted from white chalky stone! french vintage postcards

The Catacombs of Paris - Postcard Friday #43

Ghastly, gruesome, ghoulish, grim, grisly.... These adjectives effectively describe this 'Catacombs of Paris' vintage postcard Yes, those walls are made out of stacked skulls! The labyrinth of Roman gypsum quarries lurking under the city of lights was turned into an ossuary for the simple reason that there was no room left for the newly dead in the small medieval cemetaries within the city. Mass open graves filled with rotting corpses had been the only solution for years. (blerkkkkkkk) The problem obviously needed a solution. The skeletons of six million Parisians, the combined dead of 400 years, were transferred by horse and cart to the underground boneyard at night for two years. Is this topic Halloweeny enough for you? Halloween vintage postcard

Coventry True Blue

The expression 'true blue' derives from the blue cloth that was made at Coventry, England in the late middle ages. The town's dyers had a reputation for producing cloth that didn't fade with washing. The color remained fast and true!

John Ray wrote in the first edition of a Compleat Collection of English Proverbs in 1670:

"Coventry had formerly the reputation for dying of blues; insomuch that true blue became a Proverb to signifie one that was always the same and like himself."

Related Article: Madanno and True Blue Cumin Powder

Bewitching Mint Leaf Flavor

Here is yet another gummy tidbit. In June 1974, the first bar code scanning equipment was installed in a little grocery in Troy, Ohio.What was the first product to ever be scanned? It was a 10 pack of Wrigley's juicy fruit gum! The package is now on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History.

Here are a few more sticky posts!

Dubble Bubble Trubble
Meatloaf and Wrigley's
The Greatest Name in Goody Land

Wrigley's - The Greatest Name in Goody Land

The William Wrigley Jr. Company originally sold soap and baking powder. In 1892, the company offered a free pack of chewing gum with each can of dry chemical leavening agent. The chewy confection became more popular than the baking powder so Wrigley smartly reorientated the company. Wrigley's quickly became the greatest name in goody land!vintage retro ad

Bobbing for Halloween Vintage Postcards

The jolly game ducking or bobbing for apples originated in England during the reign of King Henry VII. Apples were symbols of love and fertility. The first one to catch an apple would be the next to get hitched! Who knew that a crunchy red delicious could foretell a romantic match? Halloween vintage postcards

Quiche on the Brain

The classic, flavorsome, and trèèèèès French quiche is actually a German invention! The recipe first popped up in the kitchens of the medieval kingdom of Lothringen. The word 'quiche' comes from the German word 'Kuchen' which means cake. I have quiche on the brain because I just made a killer leek and bacon one! Here's the recipe if you're up for a savory and satisfying country style delish dish!
french vintage postcards

A Nasty French King, Jews, and a Finger

The Frenchie bad boy king, Louis IX (1214 – 1270), had a nasty habit of kicking the Jews out of France and stealing their land when he was running low on gold. Crusades are expensive! He also burned about 12,000 manuscript copies of the Talmund. For all of this he was canonized (made a saint) and had a lot of nifty cities named after him. You can visit his finger at the Basilique Saint Denis right outside of Paris. The rest of his saintly bod disappeared during the French wars of religion. Now THAT is horrific history at it's finest. Zoinks!

Click here to read about the pickled heart of Louis VXII .

Diaper Changing Mailmen in 1913 - Postcard Friday #41

baby vintage postcard

At least two children were sent via the US Postal Service in 1913! General Postmaster Hitchcock finally poopooed the practice after being inundated with letters inquiring into how one ships bambinos via parcel post! Here's an actual example:

Postmaster General,

Washington D. C.—Sir: I have been corresponding with a party in Pa about getting a baby to rais (our home being without One.) May I ask you what specifications to use in wrapping so it (baby) would comply with regulations and be allowed shipment by parcel post as the express co are to rough in handling Yours

Welcome to this weeks Postcard Friendship Friday! If you're visiting and would like to join in the fun we would be thrilled;) It's easy! All you need to do is:

1. Have a blast with this mail theme! Examples include: any type of postcard, a photo of a mailbox, mailman, a stamp image, postcard altered art, or simply a photo of something that you find 'Postcard Perfect' etc etc etc!
2. Link in with Mr.Linky at the bottom of this post
3. Visit as many of the other participants as possible and leave comments! That’s what a blog party is all about!
4. Link back to the party from your post so that your readers can come and see what everyone else is talking about today! Please grab the badge if you'd like to add a bit of PFF colour to your post:)

Cyclops and Elephants

The scattered skulls of prehistoric pygmy elephants on Crete may have formed the belief in the existence of cyclops, the one - eyed giant featured in Homer's Odyssey! The ginormous single nasal cavity certainly would spark the imagination of any storyteller. These pint sized pachyderms were extinct by then so the locals wouldn't have recognized the skulls as being from an elephant. Isn't that fascinating?

Lucky Stork Vintage Postcards

vintage postcards

According to Alsatian tradition, children wanting a sibling can coax the baby bringing stork by leaving a sugar cube on the windowsill! A leggy stork would actually prefer a tasty toad, lizard, fish, or earthworm but it is certainly a sweet idea. I'm off to hide the sugar!french vintage postcards

Los Angeles Ostrich Farm Vintage Postcard

vintage postcards

Welcome to the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm! Pet and be pecked at by these great gawky birds. Would you like to take a ride in an ostrich pulled sulky? Hop aboard and smile for the camera!

This gem of a youtube video is from 1941:) It's short, sweet, and surprising!

Prost! Oktoberfest is here! - Postcard Friday #40

Oktoberfest actually started out as a horse race! Prince Ludwig of Bavaria wanted his people to share in the celebration of his marriage to the blushing bride Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. He invited all of Munich to the galloping festivities! A good time and apparently copious amounts of beer were had by all in that first year so it was turned into a yearly tradition:) Happy Postcard Friday!!

Melon & Aloe Vera Tea

I'm still searching for the holy grail of teas. This piping hot beverage quest has led me to try an odd Melon & Aloe Vera blend. By golly, it's rather good! I wonder what these vintage postcard cuties have in their tea cups? French vintage postcard

BBC Radio Archives - HRH Princess Elizabeth in 1940

The British Monarchy has an official youtube channel! I just listened to 14 year old princess Elizabeth's very first BBC radio broadcast in 1940. The charming future Queen sent out a message of understanding and hope to the children of the world during World War II. These 4 little minutes of archived audio are more powerful than any history book and brought tears to my eyes!

This image isn't officially a postcard:) One could certainly print it out, stamp it, and send it out as one though!

How To Properly Insult Your Friends!

It's quite an insult to call somebody a pear (poire) in French! It's equivalent to calling your target an imbecile. It's bizarre that such a neutral fruit can carry peary pejorative connotations!

The graphic satirist Honoré Daumier drew the 'citizen' King Louis - Philippe I with a fat and very pear shaped knoggin. The last French king didn't like his fruity face or reigning the hexagon shaped country either. Louis- Phillippe abdicated the throne and then fled to England using the name Mr. Smith!

Share a Pear

This basket is brimming with pears! Romans apparently didn't enjoy this pomaceous fruit raw. At least 3 dozen different types of pears were cultivated, according to Pliny's Naturalis Historia, yet they were always stewed before eaten.Chomp! I'd rather sink my teeth into a ripe and crunchy pear:) Si hoc comprehendere potes, gratias age magistro Latinae french vintage postcard

Bumbershoots on a Rainy Day

How do you like my bumbershoot? This quirky little Americanism means umbrella!

The first example of bumbershoot is in Professor Lighter’s Random House Historical Dictionary of the American Languages from 1896. There were some variations around in the early days, such as bumbersol (sol taken from parasol) and bumberell. By the first decade of the twentieth century it had all settled down to bumbershoot.

I wonder why we don't really use this word anymore. (except as the name of a music festival in Seattle) I'm going to start!
umbrella vintage postcard

Hat Envy, Stinky Cheese, and Postcard Friday!

La Normandie - En Promenade

Normandy, France is best known for camembert, calvados, C-Day, and coiffes (that lacy hat perched on Madame's head).French vintage postcard

Editor: Don't you mean D - Day dummy?

Marie: I know...... I just adore alliteration ! I was on a roll with those c's!

These are typical Norman walking costumes from the early 1900's. Did you notice the umbrella? Click here for another brolly vintage postcard gem:)

The Dreaded French Tarasque Dragon

Legend has it that this boxy (volvo shaped) six legged sort of dragon ravaged the landscape and peeps in Nerluc, Provence, France. This naughty monster had a lion's head, spiked tortoise shell and a tail that ended with a scorpion's sting. That siren St. Martha saved the day by luring this prickly pest into the nearby village with songs and prayers. The scared peasants exterminated the beast and then converted to Christianity. That was their way of saying thanks to Saint Martha for her help. There is a festival every June where the procession of the dreaded Tarasque dragon is celebrated! French vintage postcard

Pink Clouds and an Outraged Toothfairy

Cotton candy was originally called Fairy Floss. The toothfairy must have been seriously against this appellation. The pink cloud of sugar was first introduced to the world in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair. It was a hit! 68,655 boxes sold at 0.25 cents a pop. That was a pretty hefty price at the time!

Cotton candy and the circus are certainly synonymous sooo here's a vintage Barnum and Bailey postcard that is best enjoyed embiggened:)

More Cheese Please

White House historians assert that U.S.president Andrew Jackson held an open house party where a 1,400 lb (635 kg) block of Cheddar cheese was served as a refreshment. President Andy had a gut of steel! Pass the crackers.

I swoon for adverts from the 1940's. Take me back to the bygone days when illustrations were used instead of photos:)

The Great Fire of London

The very daft Tommy Farriner accidentally set fire to his bakery and then the rest of London in 1666. This all happened in the now infamous Pudding Lane. Pudding is apparently the medieval word for - wait for it - guts and entrails. The lane was thus named for the 'puddings' which would fall from the carts coming down the lane from the butchers in Eastcheap as they headed for the waste barges on the Thames.

Here's a jolly little English fire truck from 1934. (Yes, I'm trying to take your mind off the rather repugnant (yet interesting) etymology tidbit:) Cheers!