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...]
How to (almost) guarantee that Queen Elizabeth II will visit with you?
This post could also be called be called, How to turn flaws into art, because that’s what my British friend Elfreda (Freda) Alexander did throughout her life. Her … [Read more...]
More “What’s in a name?”
Words perfectly-suited to life situations are coins for the realms we travel and do business in, just like we exchange currencies at international borders to … [Read more...]
What’s in a name?
Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name will smell as sweet.” But will it? Names are designating words by which we know and identify people, places, and … [Read more...]
