Cultural information
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 »
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 »
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 »
Continuing with the Scottish theme this month, I am thrilled with this week’s topic; Scottish authors. Many of my beloved favorite writers are on the list. So, in chronological order, let’s dig in. William Dunbar (1459-1520) The oldest name I found, Dunbar was a poet working in the court of King James. His works were
Welcome to the next installment for Scottish Month. The Scots have long been known for their discoveries and innovations. I googled Scottish inventions, and when I copied the list from just one website, it was ten pages long… So, this week, I am injecting a bit of humor into my look at items invented by
You may have noticed I’ve been making a big deal of Tartan Day. Why? What is it? National Tartan Day was designated by proclamation to be held on April 6th each year to recognize the contributions of Americans of Scottish descent. The holiday originated in Nova Scotia, Canada, where it was proposed in March 1986.
Well, here it is, Week 5 of Irish month. Little did I know, when I decided to focus on the arts, how little I knew about Irish artists. As you may have seen in last week’s post, I am more familiar with authors and playwrights. So I suppose wrapping up Irish month with artists allows
How little I know… Read More »
One of my favorite things to do visiting Dublin is to go on a Literary Pub Crawl. I’ve done it twice and had so much fun. Though I learned the trick is to order a half-pint in each pub! So, with those fond memories, I dedicate this article in my Irish Month series to Irish