Burning (hot) feet syndrome - Erythromelalgia (EM) - cause of insomnia

For many years I have barely slept due to burning hot hands and feet.  It wasn't that I couldn't sleep but that I could not STAY ASLEEP  due to discomfort, however exhausted I was.   I discussed my symptoms with several doctors but none was interested in finding out the cause only in giving me sleeping pills!  I believe they thought it was due to hypochondria, other than my current doctor who suggested allergies.   Functioning properly without enough sleep for years is almost impossible and soon it became a chronic condition, sometimes even happening if I lay down during the day, although my symptoms normally only occur at night. At first they would get hot in the early hours of the morning but as the years went by they began earlier and earlier, sometimes even within an hour of going to bed.  Sometimes it would just be hot feet, sometimes just hot hands.  Other nights both would be hot, with varying degrees of severity. Your body loses heat after you go to sleep and the heat is supposed to exit your body through your extremities but in my case the heat just collected there !  Then one evening in late March this year (2016) I noticed a new development  - the skin around my big toe on one foot was bright red.   I thought at first this was due to wearing new shoes, but the following night when I checked again it seemed to be worse.

In the morning I googled this new symptom and came up with an article written by Jay S. Cohen, M.D., entitled "Erythromelalgia".  I read it with interest as it described my symptoms, although in my case I am fortunate to have no pain, just an unpleasant tingling sensation. Dr. Cohen suffered from this extremely rare disorder himself and spent many years researching it and giving advice to sufferers.  Apparently treatments that relieve the symptoms are similar to those that help with migraine. It is a form of neuropathy and more common in women than men.  Even though I had no pain I decided to follow some of his advice and the same day went to the health food store to buy Willow Bark Extract and Feverfew.  I also researched to find which foods I should avoid:  those that cause dilation of the veins (vasodilation)   A lot of the things I had been eating in my attempts to boost my immune system were entirely wrong.   One of the worst is garlic and I had recently begun to swallow chopped garlic with milk !    I was also eating a lot of leafy green vegetables.  No wonder I had been getting worse !  Dr. Oz recommends eating GOMBS (G: greens O: onions M: mushrooms B: berries and S: seeds) ) for good health, so I had been following that advice and the first three items are vasodilators.   Of course, foods that cause dilation of the veins are good for your heart and circulation but not for me !  

Starting with lunch, I modified my diet and that night my hands and feet were much cooler.   Since then I've improved each night, except for one evening when I came home late and hungry and ate something that caused a relapse.   Now, two weeks later I seem to be almost symptom free, though I am still experimenting with what I eat.

It is so scary when you don't know what is causing your body to rebel, and  are afraid not only of eating but being unable to sleep.  Every night I'd hope that I'd be alright, only to wake a short while later in extreme discomfort. Even now that I've improved, after so many years of insomnia I am still having trouble sleeping through the night. When I think how many years I have suffered with this, it brings tears to my eyes.    It has impacted my life in so many ways.  For instance I never schedule an appointment in the early morning for fear I have a bad night and want to sleep in.    I also rarely do anything in the evening other than stay home, so that I'll be really relaxed at bedtime.   In addition I have been nervous of eating, especially in the evening, as there seemed to be no apparent rhyme or reason to my reactions.   Every now and then my symptoms would ease and then would come roaring back.   The hot hand nights were always a disaster with only pills (causing various side effects and fragmented sleep) which helped for about 2 hours, though they did seem to cool me off, or alcohol, which caused depression in the morning.    I have a large envelope containing tips for getting to sleep.  One thing of interest I learned is that most alcoholics start drinking due to insomnia. 

Here is a list of items that seem to make my problem worse, although I am still experimenting.   You can also look at Dr. Cohen's site to find his tried and true suggestions.   Thank goodness a doctor developed this disorder, otherwise we might still be in the dark, if the attitude of my doctors is anything to go by !

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Massage and essential oils ! (surprise !!)

Foods/supplements with nitric oxide, niacin, nicotinic acid. 

Principally - garlic, but I am avoiding most of the onion family for a while.

Leafy green vegetables (in my case I seem to be worse with broccoli and Swiss chard), beets, celery, sprouts

Melons

Tomato sauce (okay with fresh tomato)

omega 3 (salmon!)

Sugary foods and alcohol

hawthorn, dark chocolate

 Foods with L Arginine - red meat, chicken, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, almonds, walnuts and cashews

I am not cutting all these out completely except garlic - just less of them

I take a tspn of powdered magnesium and drink a little tumeric tea (which I make) most days.

Also taking feverfew and willow bark (but will stop every now and then for about a week as they have blood thinning properties).  There is also Phosphatidylcholine that Dr. Cohen recommended that I might get soon.

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Even before finding out about erythromelalgia I had figured out it was caused by diet.   I had hot feet for years but my hot hands (much worse) began after I came back from a trip about 7 years ago and found my peach tree covered in fruit.   I was eating several a day when my hands began to bother me.  My first thought was that it was a carbohydrate/sugar problem so I changed my eating habits.   Over the years I had also noticed that broccoli, onions and salmon caused symptoms, but not every time.  Alcohol definitely makes my hands much worse.    Two swallows and I'm a disaster !! 

Some of the More Interesting of the Family Letters (when people actually wrote real ones !!)

1)   Oliver Family - letter to my mother from my grandmother dated May 24 1946. She was living in Bexhill, Sussex at this time.  Unfortunately I never got to know this grandmother and only recall meeting her once -  I spent a day at her house when I was about 5 or 6 years old.   My mother was annoyed as I returned home with my hair cut short.    I also remember getting some lovely new dresses !

"Dear Lesley

I am indeed grieved to hear that all has gone wrong again.   I did so hope and pray that you and John would find happiness together once more - but I suppose it was not to be.   He and I had words about it some days ago.   I felt that something was wrong - because of John coming over here but could get nothing out of him.   It was only when I received your letter that I knew the true facts of the case.   In view of what you wrote I think you are taking the best way out.   I've told John what I think of the whole incident. 

I do hope you won't let all this unpleasantness interfere with my friendship with you and my affection and interest in the children, and perhaps later on - you and they will come over and see me.   I am none too well and these things don't help me.

My love and kisses for the children,

Yours affectionately.   G.G. Agar

As the result of what I said to John, he left here very early Wed. morning."

2)   Letter from Pamela Barnard (undated)

"How I wish you and I could have an afternoon - or even day - together quite alone without any interruptions and sit down at a large firm table and spread out all the letters, photos, notebooks and pictures.  You could ask me questions and we would discuss everything.  So impossible to do it by letter and there are so many things I could tell you that I'm sure would interest you.  You know our ancestors came from Wiltshire and Berkshire.  There are still any amount of Neates in that part of the world.  My grandmother lived in the village f Froxfield near Hungerford, Berkshire when she was a child."

She had sent me a family tree and had this to say about it:

"I got the original from a woman who had married on of the Wilsons and who was living in a flat in Worthing.  She had met him when working in a draper's shop in Crouch End, North London, belonging to the Wilsons* and I always meant to get in touch with them as they knew so much about the family but I hear they have given the shop up and it's being pulled down, which was quite a shock.  I would very much like to contact them and ask them to let me copy anything interesting.  The James' used to come and see my Grandmother, Hilda, Howard** etc.   They had and very likely still have, a leather business in the City of London.  They made handbags, suitcases and various things and used to give my Grandmother Christmas presents made of leather."

*One called Jane Wilson after her grandmother.

** Howard - unknown to me.

Those Were The Days !

Arthur Alison Barnard's wedding to Hilda Stopford

Arthur was a barrister at law, a cricket blue at Cambridge and a well known amateur boxer.   There is a quotation from an autobiography, below, which mentions him.

His marriage to Hilda was featured in a society magazine called "Madame", dated August 11, 1900 under the title "Fashionable Weddings".  (The advertisements in the magazine are amazing:   Landaus and other carriages, belted corsets, "a natty frock of foulard").   

The first wedding featured on that same page was of Lady Randolph Churchill, the widow of Winston Churchill to her second husband, Mr. George Cornwallis West, only son of Colonel. W. Cornwallis West of  Ruthin Castle.  Even though there is no connection, I will quote the details of their wedding, just for historical interest:   "The church was beautifully decorated with palms and crimson gladioli and there was a beautiful musical service....   The bride, who was given away by the Duke of Marlborough, looked exceedingly well in her wedding gown of pale blue chiffon over blue glace silk.   The skirt was ornamented with innumerable tucks and insertions of string coloured Cluny lace and round the hem there was a deep flounce of the same lace headed by a band of insertion.   The bodice was of tucked blue chiffon with a bolero of Cluny lace and a vest of white chiffon crossed by draperies of pale blue silk, fastened with a handsome turquoise and diamond ornament.   With this charming gown the bride wore a toque of tucked blue chiffon, the brim veiled with ecru Brussels point applique lace and finished on the left side with a cluster of white roses.   A soft plume of blue and white marabout completed the trimming of this pretty toque.  Lady Randolph Churchill carried a prayer book bound in white vellum and a loose bunch of white roses.  ... After the ceremony a wedding breakfast was served at the residence of the bride's sister...the bride and bridegroom leaving early in the afternoon for Broughton Castle lent for the occasion by Lord and Lady Algernon Gordon-Lennox.   The bride's travelling dress was of blue French silk canvas, the skirt ornamented with long lines of hem stitching and the front of the bodice arranged with a very beautiful piece of antique rose point lace, which was included among her wedding presents.   With this she wore a toque of blue chiffon, trimmed with mauve and blue shaded convolvulus...."

 

Hilda and Arthur's wedding was celebrated at St. Andrew’s Church, West Kensington on August 2, 1900.   The bride was living at 38 Castletown Road at the time.   "The church was prettily decorated with palms and white flowers and the service was fully choral.   The Rev. John Colyer, assisted by the Rev. William Bate, officiated.   The bride was given away by her cousin, Capt. Walter J. Stopford, C.F.  She wore a dress of ivory duchesse satin, draped with some beautiful old lace.  The bodice was arranged with a picturesque fiche of mousseline de soie, whilst the sleeves and yoke were of chiffon, embroidered in silver.   Mr. H. W. Barnard (Walter), brother of the bridegroom was best man, and the bridesmaids were Miss Hendy (Nellie-half sister), sister of the bride, Miss Barnard (Lillian), sister of the bridegroom, Miss. F. W. Hendy (Florence Winifred who later married George Barnard), cousin of the bride, and two little girls, Miss Honor and Miss Irene Rawlinson.  The elder bridesmaids had dresses of white satin voile over silk, trimmed with duchesse lace insertion and chiffon.  They had black chiffon picture hats trimmed with roses.   The little girls were dressed in white muslin and lace over pale blue silk, blue sashes and white picture hats.   There was no reception after the ceremony and the bride and bridegroom left early in the afternoon for Sussex.  The bride's going away dress was of pale blue cashmere, trimmed with white silk and ecru lace and worn with a watteau coat to correspond.   Her toque of black chiffon was trimmed with sequia net and pale pink roses."

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From the autobiography "Leaves From My Unwritten Diary" of Sir Harry Preston.

"I remember Count Vivian Hollander, the well known boxing and wrestling referee had a bull terrier called "Standish Hero", which he left behind when he went off to the war.   One evening there was an air raid and the family ran down to the billiard room. But not so the dog; he stopped behind to fetch the dressing gown belonging to his absent master.  "Standish Hero" died during the war.   He was left behind at Farnborough, and one day he fell ill.  He dragged his master's tunic from his room, lay down on the tunic and simply passed away.  Hollander wrote to tell his friend, Mr. A.A. Barnard, who was then in the West Indies, the sad story.  Barnard, a barrister, and a well known amateur boxer, replied telling Hollander a story about the dog, which was new to its owner.  Barnard had met a reformed criminal, who had told him of the various burglaries he had committed, and how he was one of the gang who had robbed Sir Claude Champion De Crespigny outside the National Sporting Club. 

"We was going to burgle Hollander's house after that", said the crook, "But we didn't - we had been watching the house and found he was away every Monday night." (Hollander was on the Committee of the National Sporting Club then, and Monday night was our fight night).  "One day outside we saw that ruddy big white dawg of his 'ave a scrap, and after that we didn't fancy the job"

(Sir Harry Preston was proprietor of the Royal Albion Hotel in Brighton, England and owned the Royal York, which is the original of "The Royal Sussex" in Arnold Bennett's novel "Clayhanger".  The housekeeper in that book is Miss Beatrice Collins, Preston's sister in law and the pageboy, Preston's valet.)
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The above is taken from a letter written to me by Pamela Barnard, daughter of Arthur and Hilda Barnard.

 

Transcripts of various deeds

(Handwritten Deed – yellowed paper which is beginning to fall apart)

(5 shillings in St. Lucia stamps)

8^th May 1893

Deed of Exchange between S. Barnard & V.S. Gouldsbury Administrator of the Government

 Of certain portions of land in the Quarter of Castries.   1^st Office Copy delivered to Mr S. Barnard 10/5/93

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Know all men by these presents that before the undersigned Peter Joseph Kinnier-Ferguson, Notary Royal in and for the Island of Saint Lucia, residing in Castries.

Personally appeared Samuel Barnard, of Castries, merchant and landed proprietor, of the one part,
And his Honner (sic) Valerius Skipton Gouldsbury, Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, Administrator of the Government of the Island of Saint Lucia, acting on behalf of the said Government, of the other part
Who have made the following exchange:-

The said Samuel Barnard has ceded and conveyed, and does hereby cede and convey, with legal warranty, unto the Government of Saint Lucia, accepting by the said Valerius Skipton Gouldsbury, Administrator of the Goverment as aforesaid. A portion of land containing one rood and  thirty four perches, situate in the Quarter of Castries in this Island, and lying and being between the Darling Road and the Rosiere Estate and bounded as follows, that is to say, North and West by the said Darling Road East by the said Rosiere Estate and the Botanical Garden lands, and South by the said Botanical Garden lands – the said portion of land being coloured blue and marked B in the Diagram by Henry Reeve, Director of Surveys hereinafter referred to.

And in counter exchange the said Valerius Skipton Gouldsbury, acting on behalf of the said Government of Saint Lucia, has ceded and conveyed and does hereby cede and convey, with legal warranty unto the said Samuel Barnard, accepting for himself, his heirs, successors and assigns, A portion of land containing one rood and fourteen perches situate in the said quarter of Castries at the Junction of the said Darling Road and the High Road from Castries to Gros Islet and bounded as follows, that is to say, North by Madame Alexandre St. Martin, South and East by the said Darling Road and the High Road to Gros Islet and West by the Sans Souci Estate – the said portion of land being coloured pink and marked A in the Diagram by  Henry Reeve, Director of Surveys hereinafter referred to,

As the said respective portions of land are and extend and with the rights, members and appurtenances thereto belonging, according to a Plan or Diagram by Henry Reeve, Director of Surveys, dated the fourteenth April one thousand eight hundred and ninety one in the possession of the parties hereto.

To have hold and enjoy the said portions of land hereinbefore Described and hereby deeded and conveyed by way of Exchange, with all their rights, members and appurtenances unto the said Government of Saint Lucia and Samuel Barnard, as property to them lawfully appertaining and belonging respectively.

The portion of land hereby ceded and conveyed by the said Samuel Barnard to the said Government, forms part of the Sans Souci Estate, purchased by the said Samuel Barnard at a Judicial Sale before the Royal Court of this Island on the eleventh day of February One thousand eight hundred and eighty one.

And the portion of land hereby ceded and conveyed by the said Valerius Skipton Gouldsbury on behalf of the said Government to the said Samuel Barnard is Government property.

And in consideration of the foregoing exchange, it is hereby further agreed between the parties hereto, that the boundary line between the Sans Souci Estate, belonging to the said Samuel Barnard, and the lands called the Reclamation, belonging to the Government, shall be as indicated and described in the hereinbefore mentioned Plan or Diagram by Henry Reeve, Director of Surveys of the fourteenth April one thousand eight hundred and ninety one, that is to say, that all the land coloured pink and marked C in the said Plan or Diagram, and lying between the Darling Road and the Rubble Embankment shall be deemed and taken as the property of the said Samuel Barnard;  Provided that the Government shall have a right of access to a strip of land of twelve feet in width within the boundary line of the said Samuel Barnard and along the Rubble Embankment, the said strip of land also indicated in the aforesaid Plan or Diagram, for the purpose of effecting any repairs or improvements, which the Government may consider necessary to be made to the said Embankment and Provided also that the said Samuel Barnard shall not build on any part of the said strip of land, to which the right of access is reserved by the Government as aforesaid.

Done and passed at Castries Island of Saint Lucia on record at the office of the undersigned Peter Joseph Kinnier Ferguson, Notary Royal No. 14 Bridge Street, the eighth day of May, One thousand eight hundred and ninety three and these presents having been read to the parties have been signed by them and by the Notary.

Signed on the Original:  Samuel Barnard.  V. Skipton Gouldsbury, PIK Ferguson, Notary Royal

Compared with the Original and certified to be a true copy thereof
PIK Ferguson, Notary Royal (Notary Seal)

 Saint Lucia Office of Deeds and Mortgages   Recorded eleventh day of May 1893   Vol 49 No. 19133 @ 10 a.m.
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Bill of Sale  No. 79
Official Number 40598   Name of Ship Aid     No. Date and Port or Registry One of 1891 Castries, St. Lucia.

British Build Steam – Screw Built at Bristol 1870

One Deck                                            Head None
One Mast                                            Framework Iron
Sloop Rigged
Stern Round
Build Curved
Galleries None
Length 55 feet  Mainbreadth to outside of Plank    12.3 feet
                                 Depth in Hold from Tonnage Deck to Ceiling at Midships 6.6 feet

Engine  One   Speed of ship Fifteen

No. of Tons                                    26.14

Deductions as per Contra           12.50    Space Required for Propelling Power No. of tons    12.50
Registered Tonnage                     13.64

We The Saint Lucia Steam Conveyance Company (Limited) by Henry Leburieux Balmar of the Town of Castries in the Island of Saint Lucia, Managing Director, in consideration of the Sum of Twenty one pounds ten shillings, paid to us by The Honourable Samuel Barnard, Walter Herbert Barnard and Frank Barnard of the town and Island aforesaid, Merchants, the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, transfer Sixty four shares in the Ship above particularly described, and in her boats, gun=, ammunition, small arms and appurtenances, to the said Honourable Samuel Barnard. Walter Herbert Barnard and Frank Barnard.   Further, We the said Saint Lucia Steam Conveyance Company (Limited) for ourselves and our heirs covenant with the said Samuel Barnard, Walter Herbert Barnard and Frank Barnard and their assigns that we have power to transfer in manner aforesaid the premises herein-before expressed to be transferred and that the same are free from encumbrances.

In witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names and affixed our seal this seventeenth day of March One thousand eight hundred and ninety four by and through the hands of Henry Leburieux Balmar, Managing Director as aforesaid.   Executed by the above name Saint Lucia Steam Conveyance Company Limited in the present of D. G. Glencote, Registrar of the Port of Castries St. Lucia.   

(Signed) H Leburieux Balmar, Manager, St. Lucia Steam Conveyance Co. (Ltd.)

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There was a one penny stamp of the St. Lucia Steam Conveyance Company Limited, c. 1872, (second printing)

This company carried mail by sea from Castries to the coastal villages of St. Lucia. Stamps were issued from around 1871 to 1872  when the company went out of business. A possibly provisional stamp is illustrated in the book by Hurt and Williams which was followed by the issue of several values depicting a steamship in an oval frame. There are a number of different printings of the stamps which may be distinguished by paper and gum variations.

 

 

2014 A Labor Day Weekend Barbecue

 Introduction

 I have 13 grandchildren and 3 stepgrandchildren.   This is mostly about my 7th grandchild who I will call S - just a few small incidents in a series of many greater ones.  Ancient wisdom says the 7th child is special and he is special, as in special needs !   When he was small we were very close, but now I keep my distance from him.  Actually I am afraid of him.   A recent incident involved my calling the police.  Writing this brings to mind the saying about 'walking a mile in another man's shoes' as one usually has little idea of what goes on in other people's lives!!

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I am in Costco the Friday before Labor Day and they have a Road Show with various seafood, including cockles, mussels and some wild salmon.   In a moment of weakness I buy a whole salmon (sans head) at the incredible price of $4.99 a pound.    The man slips it into two long plastic bags with ice between to keep it fresh on the way home.

I am limping, as the previous day while walking in wet grass I got stung twice by a wasp and my left foot is swollen, hot and sore. This sting leads me to read about wasps, initially how to treat the sting but then to find out about them.   Apparently there are 3 different kinds in California and the ones around my house are paper wasps.   They are social wasps and build their nests of chewed wood pulp.   They rarely sting and are not aggressive like yellow jackets.    Their nests can contain between 12 and 100 workers.   The adults feed on nectar while the larvae are fed pre chewed caterpillars by the adults.  Wasps are quite good pollinators.  During November each year, the adults and the old queen die and after mating, a new young queen burrows into the ground to hibernate until spring.   The nest is not used again so when she emerges she builds a small one of her own.   She raises the first generation herself but once workers emerge they collect food and the queen does nothing but lay eggs.

I keep the salmon in the fridge for the next couple of days but by Sunday I begin to worry about how fresh it is, so decide to have the barbecue that day.   My daughter and her 3 children are invited for 6 p.m. and after elevating and resting my foot for a while I begin cooking at 4.    I am hoping for some help from my daughter but she's taken the children to the park and for a bike ride, so is not available though she's supposed to bring the vegetables and also dessert if she wishes.    I fetch the barbecue coals from the garage and get the barbecue ready to light.    It hasn't been used for some months, since my son was here for a visit in early summer.   Walking is painful.  Then I begin cooking for potato salad.    I have a great recipe which is always a big hit with the children.    Earlier I found a recipe and instructions online for cooking a whole salmon, so I wash the fish and prepare it with slices of lemon and chopped dill.      I wrap the entire thing in heavy duty foil and it's ready to go.  

I hear a knock at my back door and turning round I see my 16 year old grandson at the French door.    My heart sinks.   He is young for his age and also has childhood onset bipolar disorder, which is very severe.   Childhood onset bipolar is much worse than anything that develops later in life and makes him extremely difficult and stressful to deal with.   He is on various medications which keep being adjusted, so far without much effect.   I had no idea he hadn't gone to the park.   I go to the door, which is almost always kept locked so he can't barge in on me, causing havoc, but he promises to behave.   I suggest he helps me light the barbecue which he enjoys.  

He asks for some barbecue tongs but I tell him I will find them in a moment.   Without my noticing he then takes my wood toaster tongs and when I check on him a few minutes later I find the end on fire !   Unfortunately as soon as he's left alone again he tests the metal grille with the tip of his finger, burning off a piece of skin.    He rushes in and we put the finger in cold water and then find neosporin and a bandaid.    Almost as soon as the bandaid is on he rips it off while I caution about pain and infection.    He then wants to use my Wii.    I make the excuse that I'm not sure where the remote is and am too busy to look for it.    I keep my remotes hidden because of his behavior.    Last time he tried to hack into the system and caused a lot of stress.  Then he asks for the Roku, to listen to music.   Unfortunately this turns out to be rap with nasty lyrics, not only 4 letter words but graphic violence, at full blast.    I am getting stressed and unhappy, having difficulty concentrating and regretting my decision to have a barbecue.   I never discipline him nowadays, as he is my height and much stronger and becomes violent fast with certain triggers, usually to do with electronics or something he wishes to either buy or sell.

Shortly the rest of the family return and younger brother, comes to the door.     He is 8 years old, a dear little boy and nicely behaved, as is their sister, who is 12.   I rush out and summon my daughter to help turn down the rap noise.   This entails a big argument and threats to his mother, even the beginning of some violence.    Fortunately he calms down and after the music is turned off they all go to Trader Joe to get some dessert.   S is a massively talented singer and earned $50 singing recently, so is happy to go to the store with money in his pocket.  He excels in all areas of his extremely narrow interests, so it's sad that he cannot function well in the day to day world.  

After they return with a large bag of various goodies, Julian finds one of his favorite DVD's, Lord of the Rings and puts it on, without asking and rather loud, but none of us say anything.   My mother used to say 'choose your battles' and this is definitely good advice where he is concerned.  I continue with my preparations for dinner - putting the salmon on the barbecue and finishing the potato salad, getting out plates and utensils, cleaning off the patio table, turning the fish periodically.  The younger children are disappointed that the salmon's head with eyes, has been removed !

With all the chaos the meal is later than I planned.   Just as we are about to eat S opens both my French doors and turns the TV towards the patio.  He refuses to turn it off and neither Jenny nor I feels like another argument.  My heart sinks, there goes my nice peaceful evening with conversation, enjoying the meal.   We eat to the sound of the music that accompanies movie battles.    Fortunately the fish is delicious and all the food turns out well.    Everyone eats lots.   S has bought an enormous bar of chocolate, a great deal of which he snatches before his mother can stop him.   

 

I learn the following day that he was awake until 2 a.m. with the caffeine high.   My daughter is exhausted but S is his usual exuberant self! 

 

Writing Class

I am taking a writing class. It is supposed to be autobiographical but not everyone writes what I would consider an autobiography. Some of the aspiring authors write about something that has happened in their life recently. We each read our most recent attempt and the size of the class varies from about 12 to 20 people. We meet twice a month.

It's fascinating to listen to the myriad experiences that have happened to virtual strangers. We are all so different and have had such a lot of things happen to us. One lady was born in Hawaii to a comfortably well off family and recently told us about her teenage and college years, which included how she met her husband and acted in school plays.

Another woman is a nurse, born in Germany and has written in detail about her training. Naturally some of my classmates write more interestingly than others. There are a couple that are so boring you hate to listen ! I usually deliberately turn my mind to other thoughts when it's their turn to read.

Our teacher is great ! He is very spiritual and kind. He has psychic abilities and worked at one point as a water dowser. He also helped various law enforcement agencies find missing persons. He did my horoscope for me recently, and it'is different to any I've seen before as he likes to use the Chinese data.

Pyrotechnics

Pyrotechnics

July 4th, or Independence Day brings back many fond memories of fireworks day in England, which is celebrated on November 5th as Bonfire Day or Guy Fawkes Day.   This was originally known as Gunpowder Treason Day.   In the year 1605, a group of mostly Catholic conspirators were arrested for attempting to blow up parliament on November 5th, the day that King James I was scheduled to officially reopen the next parliamentary session.    Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators had hidden gunpowder in the basement and he had entered the building to ignite it when he was arrested.    Someone had alerted the authorities !     During the years prior to that attempt Catholics were discriminated against in numerous ways and the plotters hoped to start a rebellion after the explosion.  Unfortunately after most of the perpetrators were arrested, even more punitive and discriminatory laws were passed.   There is even a  nursery rhyme which begins: "Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, treason and plot..." (full words below)

My older brother, Richard, and I would save our money for weeks in advance to buy fireworks, which were kept in boxes under our beds.   Our collections were a source of huge excitement.   We were always strongly cautioned by our mother on the dangers, although I realize now that our bedrooms were not the best place to store them !   There were Catherine wheels, sparklers, fountains, squibs and rockets.   My mother always did the lighting, at least until my brother was in his teens.   

There was also the community bonfire.     This was an enormous pile of wood provided by various people in the neighborhood and piled in a large field near our house.     It could be 15 or more feet high.  On top of this someone would place an effigy of Guy Fawkes, which is somewhat like a scarecrow except that the clothes are stuffed with crumpled newspaper.   Children will often display these to passersby and ask for money to spend on fireworks, by saying "A penny for the guy ?", although we were not allowed to do this.    We didn't always go to see bonfire burn, as November in England is frequently cold and rainy, but once lit, the heat from the pile was tremendous.

While doing my research, I learned the following about fireworks:

They originated in the Far East, most likely in China, though possibly India, but were used as far back as 600 AD.    Apparently bamboo sticks placed on a fire often have air bubbles that explode when burned.    The noise must have been terrifying to the unitiated and soon they were being used to scare away evil spirits.    Later saltpeter, honey and arsenic disulfide were placed inside bamboo tubes and used to deter enemies, though it wasn't long before someone came up with the idea of using them as weapons. 

Fireworks ingredients today are of the exact same proportions as those used in the 11th century.   Marco Polo introduced fireworks to Italy in 1292 , from whence they became popular throughout Europe.    Kings used them at coronations, weddings and religious festivals.  Music was commissioned from famous composers to accompany the displays, which were grander than those of today.   By 1830 Florence, Italy had a factory that produced most of the fireworks in Europe. The Italians invented pyrotechnics, the art and science of fireworks, creating families of pyrotechnic artists almost like royalty and carrying the tradition for generations.

The first record of Europeans using rockets in warfare was in 1379 at the siege of Chioggia, Italy. The Italians used the term "rochetto", taking the name from yarn-making spools with a similar shape, but later, the British changed this to rocket.    In the 16th century a Romanian, Conrad Haas, conceived 2-stage rockets, as well as rockets designed to explode on impact.  He also came up with the concept of fins, instead of a stick, to balance the rockets.

Over the years it was found that trace amounts of metals caused special effects.  Titanium causes sparks, zinc: clouds, calcium deepens colors, blue from copper, gold from aluminum and magnesium, green: barium salts, red: strontium salts, yellow: sodium salts, and white: aluminum and magnesium.

Every year thousands of people are injured by fireworks both in the United States and England and each time there is a push to ban them.  Many cities have banned them due to the fire hazard, though they are usually still sold and legal in large cities where there is no dry and incendiary vegetation.   Even where they are banned and there are large public fireworks displays to watch there are usually a few brave souls who still light their own !
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Traditional English Rhyme - 17th Century)

Remember, remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot

Guy Fawkes, Guy Fawkes, 'twas his intent
To blow up the King and the Parliament
Three score barrels of powder below
Poor old England to overthrow
By God's providence he was catched
With a dark lantern and burning match
Holloa boys, holloa boys
God save the King!
Hip hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray!

A penny loaf to feed ol' Pope
A farthing cheese to choke him
A pint of beer to rinse it down
A faggot of sticks to burn him
Burn him in a tub of tar
Burn him like a blazing star
Burn his body from his head
Then we'll say ol' Pope is dead.
Hip hip hooray!
Hip hip hooray!