Thin cutting boards are used in Germany as a plate, especially for breakfast, or as a small serving dish. This board fits a sandwich perfectly, with just enough room for a bit of mayonnaise, ketchup or mustard on the side. It’s also great if you want to cut your sandwich, fruit or other food into bite-size pieces. Cutting into wood instead of a porcelain is much easier on the knife (and the ears).
I found this whisk broom at a flea market a couple of years ago. It’s made in the 1920s and I’m still using today. For something with no other purpose that to sweep away dirt, I’m amazed at the craftsmanship that went into it — it’s durable, with sturdy bristles that don’t snap or fray, that are bound so neatly and tightly with twine and metal wire.
Whisk Broom Circa 1920, flea market find.
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Light Bulbs
Picture your favorite place to sit. It is likely next to a sun-filled window or in a cozy spot next to a lamp. Think about the lamps in your living room or the antique glow of a city café. Now think about places that are unpleasant: Safeway, hospital waiting rooms, the DMV. The reason we like the sun, candlelight, and fireplaces is the same reason we like incandescent lighting. The reason we feel uneasy with institutional lighting is the same reason we resist putting compact fluorescent lights in our bedrooms and living rooms. We’ve all been inundated with “proof” that incandescent bulbs are bad for the earth, and that switching is so worth the energy and cost savings that our love of incandescence is just nostalgia-laden selfishness. But never is it that simple.
Chicken Processing Plant, China, 2005, image by Edward Burtynsky
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