The other day, my landlady showed up with a bucket of currants. Don’t get me wrong; I love currants. But what was I to do with a bucket load? I froze most of them in small batches in freezer bags by first spreading them out on a tray in the freezer for twenty minutes. But […]
Dreams really can come true, and recently one of mine did. Since taking part in the Pompeii Food and Drink Project, I have longed to join a hands-on dig. Twelve years later, working with many of those same people, I joined the Melite Civitas Romana Project, examining the ruins of a Roman Domus and its
When you look back at the past, do you think of a simpler life? Or do you consider it a more difficult time? That is a tricky question as it depends more on your circumstances than the basic elements of daily life. But I think it’s a bit of both. Sometimes, I think it would
Those were the days! Or were they? Read More »
When someone says “Black Forest,” what springs to mind? Black Forest cake? Cuckoo clocks? Well, you will find those in plenty and many quaint villages of half-timber houses. But Dave and I stumbled upon a living-air museum, and our plans for the day changed. We went to Colonial Williamsburg as often as possible when we
All-in-One Housing Read More »
I woke up this morning and completely changed my plan for this week’s post. Today is the first of Queen Elizabeth’s four-day Platinum Jubilee celebration. As an amateur historian, how could I not mark this day? At 70 years, she is the longest-reigning monarch in Britain and the first to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee. So,
Happy Jubilee to the Queen! Read More »
Dave and I love old houses; the older, the better. Our house in Germany was built in 1705. It began life as a single-story, and they added an upper floor in 1841. Over the centuries, it has been updated, but the original footprint and meter-thick walls are unchanged. It does have its quirks, which are
Half-timber Heaven Read More »
August 1431, a massive army assembles to defeat the rebel Bohemians. But blood and murder awaken a sleeping beast in a cave deep within the mountain. The dragon awakens from his centuries-long curse. The embodiment of evil, the fire-breathing fiend, cuts a swath through the peaceful countryside. There are only two ways to break the
Do you believe in dragons? Read More »
This is a little different from my usual topics, but it still involves history. I confess I am a football fan or soccer, as it is called in the U.S. The sport is not one I was familiar with growing up, as I lived in the Midwest, and it was not something anyone played back
Sunday was the first of May, and our village returned to its annual May-Day festival after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. Situated on the square as we are, it was practically in our front yard. These days, it is full of beer and bratwurst, but there was dancing around the maypole in the
May Day Celebrations Read More »
Well, to wrap up the Scottish this month, I decided to follow the pattern from last month and finish with well-known Scottish artists. As with the Irish, I sadly lack knowledge here. I almost changed the topic but decided I should learn something about them. Charles Rennie Mackintosh has always been a favorite of mine.
Mackintosh and More Read More »