Photo by Elliott B on Unsplash With Christmas a mere six days hence, wouldn’t it be entertaining to explore a few Regency Christmas trivia and traditions? I’m glad you agree with me! Here we go, in no special order: 1. Christmas Trees Were Not Yet Common The Christmas tree we know and love was not popular in the Regency era. It did not come to England until Queen Victoria’s reign, due to the fact that her husband, Prince Albert, brought the tradition with…
Image by G4889166 from Pixabay Aah, the joys of advancing age and receding memory. I knew I had a post due this week, but forget all about it until this morning! In keeping with December’s Christmas them, please enjoy an assortment of images to highlight the beauty of the Milky Way galaxy and the universe: Photo by NASA on Unsplash What, you might ask, does this have to do with the season? A lot, in my opinion. Image by Yol Gezer from Pixabay It is truly humbling and awe-inspiring…
https://www.themusicman.uk/voiceplay/I As I’ve said before, ad nauseum, I love music. With few exceptions, my interests vary, from fifties country to sixties pop and emerging heavy rock to classical masterpieces both old and new. A beautiful and harmonious blend of instruments, with or without voices, has been known to bring me to tears. A cappella, though, occupies another level of musical splendor. Many of us can carry a tune when we have a melody to follow, but few can do that…
Image by Pepper Mint from Pixabay As the last days of summer slip away one more time, I struggle with a mix of nostalgia and surprise. Wasn’t it just June? The long, sunny days passed in a seeming blur, leaving me to wonder, where did they go? Here’s a look back at summer’s highlights and the memories that keep me going as the season fades and winter seems impatient for its turn. 1. Chasing Long Days and Warm Nights Time Outdoors: Summer means…
Aah, the Olympics, the spectacle held every four years so countries can brag about their athletes’ prowess and look down on competitors’ countries. What a display! Forgive my cynicism but for me, the games lost their appeal years ago. From doping to propaganda to other, more reprehensible actions, my sense of wonder and appreciation for these contests went out the window. Nevertheless, I thought it would be fun to present a few bits of trivia regarding this athletic spectacle: Revival…
As I’ve said on numerous occasions, I’m currently working on a complete rewrite and expansion of my early novel, “Hidden Desires”. Progress has been excruciatingly slow, mostly due to my lethargy at tackling the work. That’s not to say I’ve abandoned the project. On the contrary, I am proud of the changes and improvements I am making to every facet of this story. To that end, I have another excerpt for your perusal and enjoyment. As a bit of background,…
Meet the newest member of my family, Daisy. She is a four-month-old German Shepherd, we adopted on Saturday as a playmate for my two-year-old Border Collie, Haley. I wanted to post a picture of her sitting, but couldn’t get her to stay still long enough. I happened to mention, totally in passing, that Haley needed someone to play with, because she was wearing me out. Don’t misunderstand, I love her, but she only has two speed- overdrive and off. Unfortunately,…
Today is Heritage Day here in sunny Alberta, Canada. Although this is not a national holiday, the first Monday in August is a provincial holiday in most of Canada’s ten provinces. The name of the day varies from one province to another, but the day off is a welcome diversion as we pass through the end of the dog days of summer. We had some hot days between 38 and 43 Celsius (100 to 110 Fahrenheit), but it’s cooler now….
Today was Victoria Day here in Canada, or as I and my high school friends always called it, May Two-Four. It was named in honor of England’s Queen Victoria and has been observed in this country since 1845, originally on her birthday, which was May 24, hence the nickname, although now it is always on the Monday immediately preceding May 25. The holiday is a federal statutory holiday, as well as a holiday in six of the country’s 10 provinces…
Much of Central Arkansas (and certain other parts of the state) is still reeling from a March 31, 2023, tornado outbreak that produced two EF3 tornadoes in Arkansas, among other tornadoes. The outbreak, which went across several states and continued through part of April 1, produced 132 tornadoes during a 24-hour period. The EF3 tornado in Central Arkansas (where I am) had peak winds of 165 mph – and to my understanding, it would have been rated as an EF4…