Plumage

1. (plum-aj), n., (Agr.) The age of a fruit. Commonly used to describe days since being picked; occasionally used by the trade to describe days in the ripening process.
   
2. (pl&601;-maj), n., (Cul.) An adept at making fruit sculpture (with or without magic) ( Orig. "plummage").
   
3. (ploo-maj), n., (Mag.) A wizard who can vary time (See pluperfect.) or iron (Orig. "plumbmage").
   
4. (ploom-aj), n., (Obs.) The age of a feather after plucking, for use in hats or as quills.

No, I don't know why nor where it came from.

Stuff with links

Upcoming: The Three Apples Storytelling Festival is September 30-October 1, in Harvard, MA. They've changed the format so Shabbat is all storytelling, and Sunday is classes, so it doesn't work for my schedule. However, to drum up interest in the festival, there's a series of storytellings at local libraries this month and next, some of which I might get to.

I got a glossy newsletter from Nishmat. There's lots of change going on there, with a new campus, new programs, more students, etc. My memories are of such a different place; it's strange to think that I know pretty much nothing of what it's like to be there now. (Plus, there's lots more web presence, including online yoatzot*, a new tutorial for brides, and a resource for Jewish women's health issues.

* Women trained to be able to answer questions of Jewish law on the topic of family purity (it can be easier talking with a woman than a man about personal things).

Pico review: I tried VerMints in peppermint and "gingermint" (which is to say, ginger, no mint, but I guess it sounded cute to some marketing person); I like mints, and it's rare to find them certified kosher when it's not a specifically kosher brand. Both are yummy (the ginger feeling more intense than the peppermint), and have surprisingly reasonable ingredients, much of it organic. I may try their other three flavors (chai, cafe express, and wintermint). Available locally at Harvest.

I know, they're just logic puzzles that many find trivial, but I'm still pleased: I solved an evil Sudoku in 4 minutes 54 seconds.

Farm share, week 11

Lots of volume, though of fewer varieties.

• ten potatoes (I got what look like Yukon Golds, not the red-skinned ones.)
  
• an eggplant (I stuck with one of the regular sorts.)
  
• two heads of fennel (with feathery tops; anyone have fennel uses?)
  
• two leeks (young, ie narrow)
  
• twelve tomatoes (mostly just regular, though there were some yellow not-plum tomatoes, too)
  
• a melon (I chose a watermelon over a cantaloupe, though I'm not sure whether it's yellow or not; there were two skin types, one mostly dark green, the other striped dark and light green.)
  
• nine ears of corn
  
• two peppers (I got green Italian ones; the rest were green bell peppers.)
  
• a stalk of broccoli
  
  
• fruit share: a small (half-pint) punnet of blueberries
  
• four peaches

( and the other produce )