I love discovering the history and origins behind most common nursery rhymes that bring added details on the life and times of real people and events. Children may … [Read more...]
Funny Things Happen on our way to Written English – “Though the written word may stay you, the spoken word can slay you.”
If the above words aren’t already a famous quotation, they should be, since correct word pronunciation often trips us up. I remember being a dreamy sixth grader who … [Read more...]
Southern Exposure
Today I finish three months of great Southern living 860 miles south of Minnesota where when temperatures dropped to -26 northern Mississippi dipped to 23 above but … [Read more...]
It’s Almost Valentine’s Day – Finding A Perfect Life Mate, Part 2
For Part 2 of finding a perfect life mate, I’ll introduce you to my Uncle Johnny. As a kid, I found him fascinating. He collected all kinds and shapes of polished … [Read more...]
It’s Almost Valentine’s Day – Finding A Perfect Life Mate, Part 1
With Valentine’s Day soon here, it’s time for practical advice on love and romance. In our day when TV reality shows like The Bachelor earn top ratings, and library … [Read more...]
Garde lieu—or vocabulary building can be dangerous.
The most fun college class I’ve created and taught so far was when students including my oldest son asked me to put together a college vocabulary class so their … [Read more...]
Merry Christmas leads to Easter
That first Christmas at His wondrous birth in Bethlehem angels sang, “Peace on earth, good will to men.” More than ever this year I see that His birth and Galilee … [Read more...]
Please tell me where that name came from again (Part 2)
I love the historic origins behind many dining, fashion, and cultural statements. Crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 800 AD, Charlemagne, King of France, established a … [Read more...]
Tell me where that name came from (Part I)
Researching and now writing historic novels, I love learning stories behind the words, rhymes, etc., that are now part of our everyday world. For example, the tongue … [Read more...]
History lives just down the street and around the corner
I grew up in the town around Fort Vancouver, Washington, the end of the Oregon Trail, and that connection to history had impact. Built in 1825, the fort also has the … [Read more...]
