Border Collies, a New Library Pod, Stroopwafels, Santa History & More: Endnotes 26 November

Border Collies, a New Library Pod, Stroopwafels, Santa History & More: Endnotes 26 November

Friday, 26 November, 2021

Every Friday, we celebrate the weekend — and all the reading and relaxing and daydreaming time ahead — with Melissa's favorite book- and travel-related links of the week. Why work when you can read fun stuff?!

This post is part of our Endnotes series.

rule

What’s even better than whipped cream on top of pumpkin pie? Watching the National Dog Show and eating pie with whipped cream! The annual competition of adorableness has been held each year since 1879 (minut an interruption for the Great Depression from ‘28 to ‘32). The 2021 show was filled with as much cuteness as you could hope for with 4-year-old Scottish wolfhound named Claire taking the coveted Best in Show title for the second consecutive year. But really, they’re all good dogs. That cutie above is a border collie, also from Scotland.

image of an owl made from flowers
Photo from Raku Inoue.
  • Getty shows us what’s found on the back of paintings. ‘These histories contained in an object give us a snapshot of the past… By tracing an object as it passed between hands from its maker up until the present, we can see how it was valued over time and how it came to be known to us today.’

  • This love letter to stroopwafels, a sweet treat from the Netherlands, is a delight. ‘It’s a deceptively simple creation that doesn’t look all that appetizing: no colorful glaze or appealing sprinkle of sugar or nuts, just a plain brown disc. But then you take a bite, and you realize that the stroopwafel doesn’t need flashy looks, because its substance is a buttery dream of two wafer-like parts that hold a rich layer of syrup, each bite perfectly proportioned and satisfying.’

  • Merriam-Webster challenges you to Name that Emotion.

  • Obvs: Life’s too short to finish books you don’t like.

  • Here’s a very helpful Covid-risk calculator.

  • This short story on Twitter tugged at my heartstrings.

  • A fascinating look at the changing face of Santa Claus.

vintage postcard of santa claus

 

Stay safe out there, friends.

Top image courtesy of Marie Hein/Shutterstock.

Want to keep up with our book-related adventures? Sign up for our newsletter!

keep reading

Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got foodie manga, armchair vs. IRL travel, bots reading audiobooks, the tasty history of baklava, Simon Le Bon on travel, and more.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got short stories about a 6-foot baguette, a fall reading horoscope, new UNESCO gastronomy cities, amazing street art, and more.
Every Friday, we share our favorite book- and travel-related links. This week, we've got Goodreads Best Books voting, the history of small talk, Christmas murder mysteries, behind-the-scenes at a museum, and more.

sharing is caring!

Can you help us? If you like this article, share it your friends!

our mission

Strong Sense of Place is a website and podcast dedicated to literary travel and books we love. Reading good books increases empathy. Empathy is good for all of us and the amazing world we inhabit.

our patreon

Strong Sense of Place is a listener-supported podcast. If you like the work we do, you can help make it happen by joining our Patreon! That'll unlock bonus content for you, too — including Mel's secret book reviews and Dave's behind-the-scenes notes for the latest Two Truths and a Lie.

get our newsletter

Join our Substack to get our FREE newsletter with podcast updates and behind-the-scenes info — and join in fun chats about books and travel with other lovely readers.

no spoilers. ever.

We'll share enough detail to help you decide if a book is for you, but we'll never ruin plot twists or give away the ending.

super-cool reading fun
reading atlas

This 30-page Reading Atlas takes you around the world with dozens of excellent books and gorgeous travel photos. Get your free copy when you subscribe to our newsletter.

get our newsletter
Sign up for our free Substack!
follow us

Content on this site is ©2024 by Smudge Publishing, unless otherwise noted. Peace be with you, person who reads the small type.