Not only did Leonardo da Vinci write with a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself, he also mirrored his writing, starting at the right side of the page and moving to the left.  Only when he was writing something intended for other people did he write in the normal direction.  The purpose of his mirror writing is unknown, but one idea is that it may have kept his hands clean.  People who were contemporaries of Leonardo left records that they saw him write and paint left handed.  He also made sketches showing his own left hand at work.  As a lefty, this mirrored writing style would have prevented him from smudging his ink as he wrote.  https://www.mos.org/leonardo/activities/mirror-writing   

Caster, or castor, sugar is a type of fine granulated sugar that's widely available in the United Kingdom.  It's not quite as common in the United States, though you can find it in some baking aisles under the name "superfine sugar." I ts texture is somewhere between regular granulated sugar and confectioners' sugar.  What's with the name?  Years ago, this type of sugar was often found in a shaker (called a caster) and sprinkled on fresh fruits.   Granulated sugar will usually work just fine as a caster sugar alternative.  Corey Williams  https://www.allrecipes.com/article/what-is-caster-sugar/   

The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States.  The term Ivy League is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools as a group of elite colleges with connotations of academic excellence, selectivity in admissions, and social elitism.  Its members are Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University.  While the term was in use as early as 1933, it became official only after the formation of the athletic conference in 1954.  All of the "Ivies" except Cornell were founded during the colonial period; they thus account for seven of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.  The other two colonial colleges, Rutgers University and the College of William & Mary, became public institutions.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_League  See also https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/questions-answers/ivy-leagues-called-ivy-leagues/ 

Toledo, Ohio’s first city park, Walbridge, sits on 60 acres along the Maumee River on Broadway St. near the Toledo Zoo.  A wide, paved pathway weaves through trees near the shelter house, bandstand, and playground, continuing past a terraced hillside with benches offering views of the glistening river.  Don’t miss the spectacular Ginkgo tree on the east side of the park, nearly seven feet in diameter and at least 80 feet tall.  Alison Wood-Osmun  July 15, 2014  https://toledocitypaper.com/the-city/city-havens/ 

HOW TO HARVEST GINKGO NUTS  Wait until the fruit (technically, fleshy cones) falls to the ground in autumn, then, wearing latex gloves, pick up the fruit and squeeze the seed into a plastic bag, leaving the smelly flesh behind.  Wash away any fleshy remnants clinging to the seeds.  The seeds can then be frozen, in their shells for later use.  Ginkgo nuts should only be eaten cooked, not raw.  Bake the cleaned ginkgo seeds at 350°F for about fifteen minutes, then shell them.  Ginkgo nut shells aren’t super tough, like black walnuts or pignuts, so you can crack them with a hammer or rubber mallet.  Place them between layers of dish towels to avoid smashing the nut meats and having the shells fly all over the room.  Then, rub off any papery skins that cling to the nut meats.  Cooked nuts turn green, adding both visual interest and flavor to soups, rice, and noodle dishes.  To fully appreciate the unadulterated taste and unique (dense and velvety) texture of ginkgo nuts, fry them briefly in oil and sprinkle with salt.  These make an excellent snack with beer, sake, or wine.  Ginkgo nuts are also used in traditional Asian desserts.  For sweet recipes, boil shelled nuts, then add them to puddings, cakes, and sweet soups.  Ellen  https://backyardforager.com/ginkgo-nuts-2/    

The Eurovision Song Contest 2023 was the 67th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest.  It took place in Liverpool, United Kingdom, after Ukraine, winner of the 2022 contest with the song "Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, was unable to meet the demands of hosting the event due to security concerns caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  Organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on behalf of the Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC), the contest was held at the Liverpool Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May, and a final on 13 May 2023.  The three live shows were presented by British singer Alesha Dixon, British actress Hannah Waddingham and Ukrainian singer Julia Sanina, with Irish television presenter Graham Norton joining for the final.  Thirty-seven countries participated in the contest, with Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia ceasing their participation, mainly due to the economic impact of the 2021–2023 global energy crisis.  The winner was Sweden with the song "Tattoo", performed by Loreen and written by Loreen along with Jimmy "Joker" Thörnfeldt, Jimmy Jansson, Moa Carlebecker, Peter Boström and Thomas G:son.  Finland's Käärijä finished in second place with the song "Cha Cha Cha" and topped the public vote, with Israel, Italy and Norway rounding out the top five.  Loreen became the second performer to win the contest twice after Johnny Logan, while Sweden also tied Ireland's record for the most wins at seven.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurovision_Song_Contest_2023   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2670  May 15, 2023