Posts Categorized: Non-Fiction

Love and Death…

On this Valentines Day, I thought that it would be interesting to look at the origins of our annual celebration of love.  I was surprised to learn that it was not just a made-up “Hallmark Holiday” (although it has certainly been commercially appropriated).  Like many of our contemporary celebrations, Valentine’s Day has ancient origins. I found the following story on the NPR website.  It encompasses many of the theories surrounding  Valentine’s Day’s.  To avoid re-inventing the wheel, I thought I would share… Read more »

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Love’s Labour’s Lost

They’ve been conspicuous for weeks now. Along the greeting card aisles, in the floral displays at grocery stores and markets – valentines!  Like almost every holiday, Valentine’s Day is a mess of commercialism.  A meal in a restaurant that costs a certain amount every other day of the year, suddenly is priced double. Bottles of champagne, chocolates and long-stemmed red roses are thrust front and center of every grocery store display, forcing you to reckon whether your sweetie is worth the splurge (the answer,… Read more »

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Ghosts of Childhood Past…

A few weeks ago, while helping my eldest daughter with her ancestor project, I re-discovered an old photo album.  The album had belonged to my mom, and contained photos of my parents and paternal grandparents during the late 1960’s and early 70’s. Also inside, much to my daughter’s delight,  we discovered a few of my baby pictures! For reasons that are too complicated to explain here, (but would make an excellent Lifetime Movie), I have very few keepsakes or photos from… Read more »

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Olden Times and Ancient Rhymes…

Perhaps more than any other holiday, Christmas is a time of tradition. The lights, trees, gifts and food – not to mention a portly gentleman in a red suit – make it a special time of the year. But, have you ever wondered why we decorate trees and kiss under the mistletoe? Why do we hang stockings over the fireplace? Who is this Santa guy anyway?  I thought that I would look into the origins of some festive traditions and discover why evergreen trees and… Read more »

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Candid Christmas…

Candid Christmas… “It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” Here we are again. As we approach the end of 2015 and peer into the swirling mists of the future, I thought that it might be fun to reminisce of Christmases Past. I have amassed quite a collection of vintage photos on Pinterest and thought that I would share some of my favorites for you to peruse while warming yourself with a hot cup of cocoa (maybe with a little something… Read more »

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