Today is February 14th, Valentine’s Day, and I wondered about the origin of this day that celebrates love and romance. I remember, as a child, we decorated shoe boxes at school and bought boxes of small Valentine’s cards to put inside. Everyone received a card from everyone else. And I remember those little candy hearts […]
Last month, Dave joked that he missed the book Off 13, which we used for weekend drives while we lived on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Route 13 runs down the spine of the peninsula, and it’s hard to get anywhere without being on part of it. If we had nothing going on, we’d grab
Determined to be a Villain Read More »
Since Dave was having minor surgery, we took our Christmas tree down on the 3rd of this year, which is early for us. Dave’s birthday is on the 5th, so his family left the decorations up through his birthday. When we got married, I adopted this tradition. And when our son came along on January
Maryland Leads the Way Read More »
Today is the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice, which, along with the summer solstice and the two equinoxes, mark the quarter points of the Earth’s journey around the sun. Ancient people recognized these and celebrated them. Many of their traditions can be found in the Christian celebration of Yule. This is a
What is your first thought when you hear the Boston Tea Party? Well, yes, it took place in Boston. But many believe this started the American Revolution. And while it did trigger the uprising, trouble had been brewing long before the tea was dumped into the harbor. And Saturday, December 16th, is the 250th anniversary
Trouble is Brewing Read More »
Learning about their culture and customs is one of the best parts of living in another country. As an American, I grew up with Santa Claus, referred to as Jolly Old Saint Nick. He is always portrayed as jovial and kind, bringing gifts to children who behave throughout the year. In Germany, they celebrate Saint
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Dave and I spent Thanksgiving weekend in the North Carolina mountains. First, we rode a steam train along the Tuckasegee River. On Saturday, we hiked up to Mingo Falls and then took a leisurely three-mile stroll along the Oconaluftee River in Cherokee. It seemed appropriate to wind up Native American Heritage Month in a native
On the path of the Cherokee Read More »
November is Native American Heritage Month. And since I am still unpacking boxes containing my research, it seems a good time to revisit some of it. When I began writing Death on the Line, I knew I needed to learn more about the native tribes in the area. I knew from Mason’s journal that the
Native American Heritage Month Read More »
Everyone’s heard the phrase, “Put your John Hancock on it.” Did you ever wonder where the phrase came from? John Hancock was one of the fifty-six delegates to the Continental Congress to sign the Declaration of Independence. In fact, Hancock was the first man to sign it, and he did so with a large, bold
Put Your John Hancock on it. Read More »
For the past week, the weather here in Maryland has been in the 80s. Having recently moved here, I’ve been told this is unusual for late October. And overnight, it plummeted. The high today was 50°, with it dropping further by sunset. It’s Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, Samhain, and I’m glad to feel a brisk