An ounce of gold is about the size of a quarter. But if you can pull it lengthwise (as with chewing gum) it can be stretched out to a wire 50 MILES (80 km) long. It has been used as thread and woven into cloth for the very rich. Though why anyone would want to run around in gold pants I can’t imagine.

Why would an upper class woman refuse to marry unless she could find a man who could outwrestle her? Well…

Devoted husband that I am I sometimes offer suggestions to my wife of ways she could make her household work easier. Her reply is always the same: “Forget it.” Why? Well, let me explain:

I just discovered I have some ancestors who did some rather nasty things.

Elinor Florence, an author friend of ours, lives in BC. Recently she went to  northeastern Scotland. There she searched and was able to find information on a relative, Donald McKay. In the 19th century he had a croft--a small rented farm. In 1821 he was forced off his croft by the landlord.

She set two places on the little table, poured wine, turned out the lights, lit the candles and  sat,  smiling and waiting. He came in, blinked, walked over, sat, leaned toward his wife and, in a hushed voice, said,  “What the hell--you forget to pay the power bill?”