Baking and Books

According to early Mesoamerican lore, humans were made out of corn by the gods.
- Factoid courtesy of Alton Brown

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Rating: Unrated out of 5 stars

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In Brief

Ariela (Ari). 27 yrs old. Grad student. Teacher. Loves: coffee, cooking, baking, traveling, running, books & music... more?

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- What are your plans for the long weekend? We're going to visit the local farm for early cider, apple butter and strudel. ;) 5 hrs ago
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Nike+ Stats

Total runs: 46
Total distance: 118.05mi
Total time: 25hr 44min 4sec
Total calories: 11,764

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Recent Reviews

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In 1666 the small village of Eyam was beset by the plague when an infected bolt of cloth brought the deadly disease from London. As the disease spread from house to house the villagers didn't want to believe that the plague had fallen at their door, but eventually they recognized the peril of their situation and decided to voluntarily quarantine themselves. For more than a year they didn't leave the boundaries of their town, relying on supplies delivered from the outside for survival. When the plague finally abated 16 months later only 83 villagers survived out of a population of 350. "Year of Wonders" is based on this real-life story. (Read the rest of this review...)

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In Roman mythology Lavinia was the daughter of Latinus and Amata. Her hand was promised to a regional king named Turnus, but when Aeneas arrived following the battle of Troy her father decided to marry Lavinia to Aeneas instead. A great battle between Turnus and Aeneas resulted, which is described in the last chapter of Virgil's Aeneid. Although Aeneas' eventual marriage to Lavinia founded the Roman race, not much is said about her in Virgil's story, and this oversight inspired author Ursula K. Le Guin to write a book about Lavinia's life. "Like Spartan Helen, I caused a war," the character Lavinia writes, "She caused hers by letting men who wanted her take her. I caused mine because I wouldn't be taken, but chose my man and my fate." (Read the rest of this review...)