"In the 1800s, there was a popular saying in New England that when you broke up with someone, you “gave them the mitt.”... someone would hold the hand of someone they were interested in. But if they pulled their hand away, out of lack of interest, all you would be left with was their mitten. This evolved into individuals sending miniature mittens to officially break off their relationships."

From this "weird stuff at Vermont Museums" post.

https://happyvermont.com/2026/06/27/weird-and-everyday-items-at-vermont-museums/

#vermont

Dear quilting/library community, please enjoy this bookshelf quilt made as a fundraiser for the new library (in Belleville ONT). The books are all named after local people and organizations.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cabhc/55366630415/

I did not write this (mostly) @nprofile1q... did, but for those who are really interested in taxonomy, metadata and the historical record of same might enjoy this little article about preserving interpretive metadata in the sciences.

https://arxiv.org/abs/2606.27271

Friday afternoon reminder to not empty your inbox at the expense of someone else's. It's officially summer time and my thoughts turn to hazy daydreaming and since I write all my emails myself, this means you get what you get. Hope you like poetry. Have a good weekend.

Image credit: National Archives of Estonia, on Flickr Commons
https://www.flickr.com/photos/national_archives_of_estonia/9025066124/