Our Arkansas Arts Center scored a coup by getting an exhibit of unique ancient Egyptian artifiacts that span the entire 3000 year history of the kingdom. I went to see it yesterday, and was very impressed. If you are in the Little Rock area, it is definitely worth your time.

The exhibit included items that predated the Two Kingdoms- paleolithic items and early pottery. Then, an explosion of art and culture swept the Nile valley, catapulting them into prominence. Men ruled the households, but women had more rights than any other ancient civilization- including titles, property, and the right to divorce. They loved jewelry, had an elaborate system of writing and a huge pantheon of assorted gods and goddesses. Their lives were so wonderful that their burial culture was hinged upon taking that life with them to the other side.

I enjoyed looking at the progress of the art as the kingdom grew, flourished, peaked, then subsided into Greek and Roman dominance. The last item in the exhibit was a carved stone cross from Greece- from Constantine's time, demonstrating the swath that Christianity cut over the kingdom.

Still, the creators of the exhibit wanted to be true to and honor the people whose art, artifacts, and even bodies (there were two mummies) were on display. Upon exiting, there was a small paragraph about how they believed that as long as their names were remembered, they would never die, and the suggestion that a small prayer be said to them. It was a prayer offering milk, beer, barley, bread, and other things in gratitude to the people named in the exhibit- a lovely gesture.

I stood there reading it- carefully going over the individual names in the list- hearing them in my mind- probably not pronounced correctly, but 'speaking' them nonetheless. It was a small, but meaningful gesture. I am, after all, a modern being built from their components- their memories, their small steps to improve the lot of man, their technology, science, and philosophy. Even their religion- since some folks think that the early Israelites got the idea of monotheism from a pharaoh that was later considered a heretic for his beliefs. Not that I am monotheistic today- that is rather heretical- but the germ kernel is plain to see in the Psalm 104 as compared to the "Hymn to the Sun". Here

It was cool to be within less than 3" to an ancient figure of Sekhmet. Or to see original amulets and scarabs and the carved and painted stones of that ancient time. I wonder what they would think of us now- our attempt to reconstruct their religion, our digital culture. I overheard a docent showing a necklace to a visitor, and saying how it would not be out of place in a shop today. The lovely work of carnelian and lapis lazuli was striking- and would have been something even I would wear. And I am not a wearer of jewelery. The silliness of some 21st Century though did invade my mind at one point. I was looking at a basalt sarcophagus lid, all round and sleek, and thinking that the oversized head and face on the curves of the body made it look like an Egyptian chibi figure. Shame on me.

I got a t-shirt, pretty mug and a papyrus of Aketaten worshiping the sun at the gift shop. It was a gratifying afternoon.

The sound is half the fun on this one!

The first word I ever learned to read was "Sony". It was embossed upon the portable reel-to-reel tape recorder my dad had. I also learned "RCA" and "Curtis-Mathis"- which were on the console hi-fi and the TV, respectively. I was surrounded by entertainment technology even as a kid.

I've had my mitts on nearly every sort of entertainment technology from the automatic player piano and hand-cranked grammophone to the latest digital music player. My grandparents had the old records and the antique player piano scrolls. Today, you'll find a tiny little Zune player in my bag, ready for me to load tunes into it.

Nicholas Negroponte made the point a decade ago that digital data does not have a physical size- and my tiny little pinky-nail sized 8GB microSD card is a testimony to that. Digitized music is immensely portable. I can put my entire collection onto a thumb drive. I can also lose it between my couch cushions or in the bottom of my handbag.

I had a 'Close and Play' portable phonograph that we would play stacks of 45s on. That morphed into a cassette radio, a boom-box, then a Walkman, then a Discman. CDs radically changed the whole scene- music played with a laser beam- how cool was that?

Movies moved from the theater and late night television onto VHS and Beta cassettes during my early adulthood. I spent $800 on my first VCR- a huge monster with a pop-up cassette bay. Today, I could spend that much get an LCD flat panel TV AND a Blu-ray player. DVDs were wonderful- but on-demand downloads are even more so.

But physical media is rapidly vanishing from shops. As a youngster, I remember spending hours browsing the aisles and racks of record shops for music- and later, movies. In Europe, they kept the empty cases on the racks, the clerk would get out the disk to audition before I bought it. I bought tons of music that way. I bought at least 6 albums or more a month. I loved coming home with my stack of new music, unwrapping it, plugging them into the 6-disc cartridges, and reading the liner notes while they played on the fine stereo system I scrimped and saved to purchase (and still have!).

Today, I can go online and download what I want- either music or movies. If I dig around enough, I'll find artists offering free samples of their work to listen to. I can play music on my telephone and beam it anywhere.

I was recently in Best Buy, and stopped in my tracks at the sight of actual vinyl records- and turntables for sale. I hope someday I'll pop for a turntable, drag out my old vinyl, go through the cleaning ritual- and digitize it onto my computer. Then I'll load it onto my tiny player, don my earbuds and go work out without worrying about the music skipping.

Funny how things come back around!

New Hymn for Sunday
ttto "Immortal, Invisible"

Immoral, impossible, God only knows
How tenors and basses, sopranos, altos
At service on Sunday are rarely the same
As those who on Wednesday to choir practice came!

Unready, unable to sight-read the notes,
Nor counting, nor blending, they tighten their throats,
The descant so piercing is soaring above
The melody only a mother could love.

They have a director, but no one knows why.
No one in the choir deigns to turn her an eye.
It's clear by her waving; she wants them to look,
But each of them stands with his nose in the book!

Despite the offenses, the music rings out.
The folks in the pews are enraptured, no doubt!
Their faces are blissful; their thoughts are so deep,
But it is no wonder, for they are asleep!

(Kudos to msminlr for the find!)

That's an interesting and provocative question, because it tends to hit me square in the middle this time of year.

I'm a solitary person by nature. I do have friends- very good ones- even ones who call or come looking for me if I go 'off-grid' unexpectedly. But for the most part, I am content with my own company. With the exception of said friends, this puts me squarely into 'oddball' territory.

I have relatives who simply do not understand this. They believe that there is something 'wrong' with me because I have chosen to remain single, and not have children. It saddens me that they feel this way, and we have rarely spoken because of that.

I realize that I live in a coupled-up world, and that I am more an exception than a rule. Both my father and my sister have new sweethearts, and they both gabble on and on about them at length. I get bored and walk away, or even leave if I'm not in my home. I haven't even met these people yet. My sister wants to 'set me up'. She thinks that the 'right guy' will fix my problems. Thing is, I don't perceive that I have a 'problem' at all.

I've seen many more bad relationships than good ones. My parents had a rocky marriage. My sister was divorced. I've watched colleagues get entangled, then distangled from bad relationships. And sadly, I'm zero for two in that field as well. I even did the 'runaway bride' thing- at least I was perceptive enough to see the trap before it was sprung.

As for kids, 6.9 billion 'little miracles' are quite enough. I do not need to have offspring, because I don't have or want to leave a legacy. Or a mess. I am not here to have kids. And I knew that from the time I was a kid.

The holidays can be difficult because it seems like kids and intimate relationships are the major emphasis. I keep the TV off most of the time, and stay out of the stores unless I actually need something. I do go to gatherings, and even host them. But I am sharply aware that this is a 'family' time of year, and my 'family' consists of me and my two cats. But I don't have to deal with the pressure of gift giving and family dynamics- those things that made the holidays a nightmare when I was a kid. I don't have to decorate, I don't have to be artificially cheerful, and I don't have to work my butt off making the holidays 'merry' for unappreciative relatives who judge my every move.

I get told that I haven't met the 'right' person yet. I am sure that there are plenty of 'right' people, but as I get older, I feel less and less like looking. Perhaps 'right' is really a myth. I know that there is no 'perfect' partner, but I won't settle, either. And being older means that the shine wears off quickly- if it is even there in the first place. I'm not as bamboozable as I was 20 or 30 years ago. I'm a 'self-rescuing princess'. I have tools.

Do I feel ostracized? No. I choose not to feel that way. Why add to the misery of the cold and dark with that nonsense. My cats love me. And I am liked by my friends and family, as well. They might not understand if I choose to decline the ordeal of a holiday dinner with two smoochy-faced couples, but that's their problem, not mine.

I decided to try the satin pillowcase approach to my Epic Bed-Head problem. And Bargainia came through for me- there was a 'doorbuster' sale at JCP, and I got some satin pillowcases for $12. I almost got a set of sheets to go with them, then I remembered two things: 1. I do not care for the feel of satin against my bare skin, and 2. My cats have claws.

I left the sheets.

I'm going to try the new pillowcase tonight. We'll see how my hair fares.

ETA: My head stayed on the pillow case, alobar. My hair looks really good, too- no flips or clumps or any other of the usual unruliness. I slept well. There's one tiny cowlick that combed right out.

This will work. I like it already. I think I'll pack one to take with me on trips.

Satin pillowcase, y'all. Whooda thunk?

I went to my best friends' house last night for dinner. We had great food, and a wonderful visit. My friend showed me their new furniture, told me their Thanksgiving family visit war stories, and showed me the new TV they got.

It was a 46" Samsung LCD TV. It was a beauty, too- full 1080p, 120hz refresh rate, lovely swivel stand...

And it almost made me seasick watching it. The picture was too clear- it was almost like looking through a window, rather than watching a movie. Any wobbly-camera shots were amplified to incredible size. And things that we could have probably done without seeing were see-able. It has that HD soap-opera crispness that I still find disconcerting- even on a smaller analog screen.

It was uncanny, this giant thing. I wondered if I really needed to get one for myself. Suddenly, my perfectly good, slightly fuzzy analog CRT was like an old pair of jeans- familiar and comfortable.

But we're living in an HD world, whether we want to or not. We've got fat pipes now that can deliver a 15MB hi-res photo in less than a second, where it would have taken minutes- or even hours- not long ago. HD means that I can now see minute little details like dog-fur on a jacket, faded freckles, and a tiny chip in an incisor- things I would not have normally noticed, until they were placed before me in 22" HD glory in front of my face.

Now, instead of appreciating a good portrait, I click on the little "+" sign that almost always pops up, so I can look for little tiny details that HD is so good at revealing. Sweat. Tears. Toothmarks on lips. Chipped nail polish. Chewed nails. Gnarly toes. Improperly applied makeup. A fleck of pepper on a tooth. I've become an involuntary HD voyeur, and it's embarrassing, to be honest.

Is it telling that I sometimes wish I could somehow 'un-see' HD? That I can be content with a grainy normal photograph, or a fuzzy, but watchable analog TV picture? I will admit that I do like the larger LCD computer screens- the lack of flicker makes my eyes much happier. But I think I will stop clicking on the + signs - and maybe even stop clicking on the thumbnails to expand them. Perhaps HD is overkill.

Not that it matters- it's here to stay.

FILLING
1/3 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into pea-size pieces (4-1/2 ounces total)
1/4 pound ground pork, fattier kind preferred, coarsely chopped to loosen
1 scallion (white and green parts), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of black or white pepper
48 small square wonton skins
Canola or peanut oil, for deep-frying

1. To make the filling, combine the shrimp, pork, scallion, cornstarch, sugar, salt, and pepper in a bowl and use chopsticks or a fork to mix well. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes before using, or refrigerate for up to a day in advance. You should have about 1 cup.

2. Before assembling the wontons, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with cornstarch. Fill each wonton skin with about 1 teaspoon of the filling, creating triangles or nurse’s caps (see below). As you work, put the finished wontons on the prepared baking sheet. When all are made, loosely cover with a kitchen towel to prevent drying. The wontons also can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for several hours; let them sit at room temperature to remove the chill before frying.

3. Put a wire rack on a baking sheet and place next to the stove. Pour oil to a depth of 1-1/2 inches into a wok, deep skillet, or 5-quart Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat to about 325°F on a deep-fry thermometer. (If you don't have a deep-fry thermometer, stick a dry bamboo chopstick into the oil; if it takes about 2 seconds for bubbles to rise and encircle the chopstick, the oil is ready.)

4. Working in batches of 4 to 6, slide the wontons into the hot oil and fry for about 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown. Use a skimmer to transfer to the rack to drain.

5. Arrange the wontons on a platter and serve hot as finger food along with the sauce for dipping.

To shape triangles: 1) Fill the skin and wet the edges with a chopstick. 2) Fold the skin into a triangle an dpress firmly with your fingers to seal.

To shape nurse's caps: 1) Bring the lower edge of the filled skin up to meet the upper edge, forming a rectangle. 2) Bring together the two corners of the folded edge, overlapping slightly, and press to seal.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 cup sugar or lightly packed light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon light (regular) soy sauce
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

1. Combine the sugar, salt, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a near boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Give the cornstarch a stir and then add it to the pan. Continue cooking, stirring, for about 15 seconds, or until the sauce comes to full boil and thickens.

2. Remove from the heat, transfer to a serving bowl, and set aside for 10 minutes to cool and concentrate in flavor. Taste and add extra salt, if needed. Serve warm or at room temperature. Feel free to prepare this sauce a day in advance.

Reprinted with permission from Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More by Andrea Nguyen

I'd really like to have a dumpling party someday. My kitchen, however is not conducive to multiple people making them, darn it...

Salt
2 - 3 ounces linguine
1 teaspoon butter
2 scallions, sliced fairly thin
A splash of vodka
2 or 3 slices smoked salmon
3 - 4 tablespoons heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed
A scattering of chopped fresh parsley

While the linguine is boiling, melt the butter in a small wok or a medium skillet. Toss in the scallions, and saute gently for 1 minute, stirring. Splash in the vodka and let it cook down a little.

Tear or cut the salmon into small bite-sized pieces, and stir them into the sauce. Pour in the cream and bring to a simmer. When the linguine is done al dente, scoop it up with a spider and tongs, letting the water drain off, and mix it in with the sauce. Grind pepper generously over the pasta and stir in the capers and parsley, then spoon it all up into a warm bowl.

From The Pleasures of Cooking for One by Judith Jones.

I want this cookbook, too. It's affordable.

1 pound large shrimp (40 count per pound)

Shrimp Coating:
2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg whites
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon mung bean starch
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch of white pepper

Sauce:
5 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 teaspoons white rice vinegar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 tablespoon peeled and minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1-1/4 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup 1/4-inch-dice shallots
1-1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine

1. Peel the shrimp, leaving the tail segments intact, then devein and clean them.

2. To make the shrimp coating: In a bowl, mix together all of the ingredients. Add the shrimp and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. To make the sauce: In a small bowl, mix together all of the ingredients and reserve.

4. Heat a wok over high heat for 30 seconds. Add the peanut oil and, using a spatula, coat the wok with the oil. When a wisp of white smoke appears, add the ginger and stir briefly. Add the garlic and stir briefly. Add the shallots, stir to mix, and lower the heat to medium. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shallots soften. Raise the heat to high, add the shrimp and their coating, and stir to mix. Spread the shrimp in a single layer and cook for 1 minute, or until the shrimp begin to turn pink. Turn the shrimp over and mix.

5. Drizzle in the wine, adding it along the edge of the wok, and mix well. Stir the sauce, pour it over the shrimp, and mix well. Stir-fry for about 1-1/2 minutes, or until the shrimp are well-coated and the sauce begins to bubble.

6. Turn off the heat, transfer to a heated dish, and serve.

From Mastering the Art of Chinese Cooking by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo.

I want this cookbook. And yes, I'll pay $50 for it.