The average person looking at a wing cross-section would think it pushed down, not lifts up. Common sense would fail them there. And not wanting to be disagreeable, but I think common experience (emperical results), not common sense, guides most good gardening. We often don't know specifically why something works, at least in any rigorous sense, but we know what has worked reliably for others and ourselves. Reasonable, common sense solutions can sometimes lead us astray. Common sense might easily have all our pear pruning in the dormant season (as with most other deciduous fruits): practical experience shows that some summer pruning is often more effective. Common sense had us removing lawn clippings from the lawn ("leads to thatch buildup"): actualy experience (experiment) shows that leaving them is best apparently and has nothing to do with thatch. It is often hard to figure out when to defer to authority (whether university or neighbor) and when to go with the gut, with common sense. Fortunately in gardening, experimenting and failing occasionally has little risk.

India is such a huge country, with such a diversity of cultures, races, ethnic origins, available ingredients, outside influences, historical events...basically such a diversity of everything, that the term "Indian Cuisine" shouldn't even be used, except in the broadest sense. To know that the British held sway in India for as long as they did, one can't really credit that cream was not adapted as a culinary ingredient. Even if it had been completely unknown prior to that era, which can hardly be the case in any culture where milk is utilized, it surely would have worked it's way into usage by now. Yogurt is much more common (which isn't surprising, considering the lack of refrigeration in a primarily warm country)of course, but I have seen quite a few recipes calling for cream. And, though considering the antiquity represented by the cuisines of India, I am but the merest novice (I've only been playing with it for about 10 years), I think I can trust myself to recognize recipes that have been re-written for the non-Indian cook. Potatoes are quite the popular ingredient, used by many of the Indian peoples, both in meat dishes, vegetable dishes, and alone. In fact, one of the things I love about the use of the potato in India, is that with the creative and judicious use of spices, herbs and other vegetables, the potato as cooked by an Indian housewife can be the nutritious, healthy food that it so often isn't in Western cooking, by the time we lace it with butter, cream, or cheese as is so often our wont. Jessica, Indian cooking can be very healthy indeed! (Leaving out the tendency toward deep fried snack foods!) While many recipes call for ghee (a form of toasty, clarified butter), you needn't add it with a lavish hand as the flavor is quite rich and distinctive. In many recipes, you can substitute olive oil quite easily, if you prefer. The use of so many spices and herbs, and the various methods in which they are used lends such flavor to meats, vegetables and grains that the addition of copious amounts of fats or yet salt, becomes unnecessary. Naturally, there are those curries that include fatty coconut milk, but then, if you eat the way a person in India eats, you won't be eating a big bowl of it, but a small portion along with vegetables, legumes and grains. My love affair with the cuisines of India began with Dal. The lowly lentil, which was to my knowledge just something one made a pot of soup with sometimes, has been transformed into a magical food ingredient by the hands of Indian cooks. I have read that it is a rare meal in India that does not include some version of legume. What we classify as lentils, peas and beans are all, "dal." Dal can be served in soups, porridge, breads, crackers, chips, snack nibbles, fritters, used as a base for thick sauces, toasted into crunchy bits to add texture, as a base for curries and stews...gosh, I'm sure I've left some uses out. And they are so good for us! High in fiber, satisfyingly filling, cheap sources of protein, minerals and vitamins. Okay, enough of my raptures...:D Earlier in the thread, someone mentioned wanting a Southern Indian cook book? I've a wonderful book that introduced me to the Vegetarian cuisine of Southern India, a style of eating quite different from much of what we Westerners think of when we think Indian foods. The recipes are mostly excellent but I must caution that the use of hot chilies is quite lavish. I have been accused of having an "asbestos mouth" by friends, but still I cut back quite a bit on the number of green, hot chilies and dried peppers the recipes call for. I figure, I can always add some hot sauce at table if needs be. Here is a link that might be useful: Dakshin-vegetarian cuisine from south India

Apparently there are multiple kinds of "seedless" pomegranates. They appear to have the things we think of as seeds but the seeds don't have the hard part inside them that is probably the actual seed. I felt the way others here have mentioned about seedless watermelon previously, but we got a very flavorful one from our CSA a few weeks ago. Then my husband bought a couple at the supermarket and they were quite good. We get some great apples here. Arkansas black are a new one to us that taste really lovely. We live near an apple growing area in the Sierra foothills so that helps. It seems to me that the apples that aren't a bright even red often taste better. Perhaps some are breed more for the perfect red apple look than for taste. I wonder if like on camping trips, the activity level of some people's Europe trips enhanced the flavor of the food. I travel on business a lot and usually get to Europe at least once a year. I don't find the average quality of restaurant food better there than here or Canada. Some cities may average better than others (or perhaps we just lucked out on our choices), but not countries. France used to always have great food (like 20 years ago) but lately my experience there has been more mixed and more like other places. On the other hand, England's preparation of vegetables has improved quite noticeably over the years moving away from the over-cooked stereotype. I had the best Brussels sprouts ever on one visit to Bristol.

For me lately it has been less about an item of clothing and more of a color: brown! Despite the fact that i have a LOT of black, white and gray clothing that i really really like and looks good on me (i think!), I have been very attracted to browns, tans and creams. i have about twelve pairs of slacks in that color range, many turtlenecks, sweaters, and a vintage brown corduroy jacket piped in brown velvet (with a pleated back). It all just feels cozy and warm and safe and I guess I am looking for that right now. We are packing for a three day trip to California that could turn into ten days or even two weeks. We are each taking three bottoms and three tops, a sweater, two shoes and a light jacket along with underclothes and eletronics. One carryon each… mine will be filled with brown ❤️