Virtual Brush Box

Awareness of the outside world. Lawyers, Guns, Money: American Revolutions Lecture Series. Livestream available with registration.

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Merchants’ Coffeehouse
American Village
Montevallo, AL USA
14 September 2026

Merchants’ Coffeehouse is a place to get drinks and snacks at American Village, an historical reenactment complex near Birmingham, Alabama.

“The inspiration for its design came from The City Tavern, a popular Pennsylvanian drinking establishment circa 1773,” Stoves said. “It was eventually also known as Merchants’ Coffeehouse when they started serving coffee in 1785.” Shelby County Reporter: Freshly brewed: American Village opens new coffee shop, Domescik 2025.

“City Tavern was a popular gathering spot for residents and visitors alike in the late 1700s. Some members of the Second Continental Congress dined regularly here, and weekly balls took place on the second floor. John Adams described the place as ‘the most genteel tavern in America.’ ” Philadelphia Visitor Center: City Tavern

Last time I posted about American Village, I made snarky and condescending remarks about not being impressed with the reproduction when you’ve seen the original. [Spotted at American Village]

I will admit that I did not know about City Tavern. I probably never would have found out about it without the American Village version. Score one for reenactment over historical snobbery.

Too hot to walk around that day. I enjoyed my hot chocolate in the air conditioning, soaked up the colonial era color scheme, and went home.

Books

I have not read nor seen either of these books. Included to demonstrate the impact of City Tavern, judging by the titles.

City Tavern, The Founding Table—Colonial Dining, Revolutionary History, and the Restaurant at the Center of It All, by Becky Libourel Diamond, Westholme 2026.

The City Tavern Papers: Philadelphia and the Conversations That Forged a Nation (Back Rooms That Shaped America #2), by Scott Hamele, Schuyler 2026.

Links

American Village Citizenship Trust

National Park Service: Visiting City Tavern

Historic Philadelphia: The Garden at City Tavern

Onwards!
Katherine

Photography of the outside world. World Food Awards: Finalists Gallery 2026.

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Pistachio Bonbon
Elizabeth Moore Chocolates
September 2026

Pistacia vera in the scientific name for the pistachio tree. In related news, Pistacia Vera is the name of a pastry restaurant in Columbus Ohio that has excellent pistachio-centric food photography on its website. PV: Home & PV: Menu

“Pistachio trees have grown in the Middle East for thousands of years. Pistachios have always been a desired delicacy in this region. Pistachios are mentioned in the Old Testament (Genesis 43:11).” American Pistachio Growers: History

“Then their father Israel said to them, ‘If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice fruits of the land in your bags, and carry down to the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds.” Bible Gateway, All English Translations: RSV. Some versions do not specify the type of nut. Yes, only one quotation mark. The quote is closed several verses later.

Onwards!
Katherine

Horses of the outside world. Horse & Hound: Unsung heroes: the role of ‘friendly horses’ at the Paris Paralympics, Williams 2024.

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Lesson One, Greg & Rocky

Greg, aka husband, aka Other Barn Minion. Watching is way harder than doing. Worn me out. [Taking The Reins]

Lesson Two, Katherine & Boogie

My last drive was the beginning of July. [The New and The Old]

Got in the cart feeling tentative. Boogie jollied me out of it. I asked him to put some zip in his step and then told him he was great. He preferred when I told him he was pretty. I shall make a note.

Boogie is 50% convincing him that you are serious, 50% reminding him that he is wonderful.

I’m not into fancy cars, but I could see the appeal of putting a fancy horse to cart for a spin around the neighborhood.

No driving plan for either of us, at the moment. Get out, do things, stay in practice, and so on.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. In The Saddle: Adventures on a Sheep Round Up in Iceland, 2023. Iceland Life: Réttir: a unique Icelandic tradition and quite a party!, 2024. The non-riding part.

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In addition to teaching, Coach Deana is a horse show judge. Recently, she had a visitor to the judge’s stand.

A Frog?

It’s a cute frog.

Also, no hunter/jumper lesson last week. I hope to get back to a regular schedule soon.

Meanwhile, enjoy the horse show frog.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. “The original Mine Kafon Ball is a large wind-powered device, heavy enough to detonate landmines as it rolls across the ground.”

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{Backstory. Each morning, people & horses go on team walk: one-mile, unmounted, & off-lead. Route is back and forth five times along one side of the pasture. Theoretically.}

Philosophy is where you find it.

Trimmed the pasture path over the weekend.

Thorns are a great defense for plants. Until they annoy a human with a set of hedge clippers.

Non-thorny plants were trimmed as well, but only the parts at that were directly in the way. The rest of the plant was ignored. Plants capable of drawing blood were met with as much prejudice as I could manage.

Got me wondering it we do the same thing. Our small defenses work until they become self-defeating.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. Did you see the disheartening news in the article I posted linked last week? “After 35 years in Boston, the annual prize ceremony will take place in Zurich, Switzerland, this year and will continue to be held in a European city for the foreseeable future. The reason: concerns about the safety of international travelers, who are increasingly reluctant to travel to the US to participate.” Ars Technica: Meet the 2026 Ig Nobel Prize winners, Ouellette, Sep 3, 2026.

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I continue to be amazed how at good the floor of the run-in area looks and how quickly it turned around with the addition of barn lime. [Floor Maintenance]

We have been on this property for over 30 years. (!?!) The floor had never looked like that. What happened? I have a theory.

Food.

Specifically, hay.

At the end of 2022, Milton had colic surgery. The vet recommended taking him off coastal hay. As a result, we switched both horses to timothy & alfalfa. If one horse couldn’t have it, we didn’t want it in the barn. [Rodney’s Hay Roster]

If the input changed, why shouldn’t the output?

Of course we cleaned the floor of poop. But a) you never get it all, outside of sanitizing stalls at a vet clinic & b) while it is lying on the ground waiting to be picked up, there would be leakage.

More importantly, at least by volume, is piddle. Milton goes out of the barn to pee. Rodney does not. He prefers to pee in the stall, but will use the run-in area in a pinch. (Insert eyeroll.) [Barn Remodel]

The theory is that the different hay made the urine more acidic. Then, over several years – January 2023 to August 2026 – the change gradually accumulated. The massive amount of rain this spring can’t have helped. The chemistry of the dirt got out of whack. Barn lime restored it to the dirt behavior we are used to.

Could be.

I have run this post past the ship’s science officer for confirmation.

Addendum. Exterior mud hole was better but not dry. We dropped another bag of lime. The interesting bit is that the floor of the run-in is looking even better. As the outside area dries it draws moisture from the inside? Fascinating.

Onwards!
Katherine

Awareness of the outside world. PCA: Pens for Kids(R)

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I hath ventured into the subscription arena once more. What can I say, I like fun things showing up at my door. [Pens, Pencils, Notebooks]

Some boxes didn’t work for me. [SketchBox Fail]

Some boxes did work for me, but were discontinued. [A Plethora of Purple]

Notebooks I have. [There’s Life In Them There Posts]

I decided to try another pen subscription box. I’m picky about markers and such, so that didn’t appeal. Finally, I chose three months of a fountain pen box. The price was enough to give me twinges of overconsumption. I could argue that it costs less than a fancy dinner for two and lasts longer. I could also argue that you can buy marking implements in bulk for small bills.

However.

I am amazed.

I am not a precise person. I’m likely to declare, ‘Close enough. Moving on.’ Yet with the pen from the first box, I was able to draw lines that were straighter and closer together. Plus it handles beautifully.

Good tools. Who knew?

Onwards!
Katherine