Vintage Romantic Author
I was surprised to find I’ve never done a St. Patrick’s Day blog. So let’s share a wee bit ‘o history and decorations. St. Patrick was born in Roman Britain, kidnapped by Irish pirates and sold into slavery at age 16. He was forced to tend sheep for his master Milchu, an Irish pagan Druid …
Well, I can wish, can’t I? Here she is, the last of my arch-enemies for 2023. They say mosquitoes are especially bad in So Cal this year because of Hurricane Hillary. I don’t know if that’s true or not. Every year is a bad mosquito year for me. I’m like a mosquito magnet. I’m starting …
I’ve decided all this walking is like boot camp for old people. I may be flunking. But we started with a taxi ride today. As you can see by the license on this very patriotic bus, D.C. residents want more representation. We’re staying in a business district—FEMA is right next door; the Department of Education …
Some holiday traditions last, others don’t. Since Mother’s Day is coming up, let’s take a look at its history and its ties to carnations, a tradition that didn’t stand the test of time. I came across a newspaper article from 1914 about the first Mother’s Day—well, the first Mother’s Day celebrated as a national holiday. …
There are times when celebrating the seasons with decorations is more an obligation than a joy. Not so this Easter. Sparser than trimmings in other seasons of the year, I had a good time putting them up. We’ve undertaken two ginormous home improvement projects in 2023. First, it was installing new quartz countertops and tile …
Literally, the moment I finished wrapping my last present, The Hallelujah Chorus started playing from my music list! I actually enjoyed wrapping this year—no gift bags, all boxes with coordinated red and white paper and ribbons. It was the fact I was ready for Christmas with that last gift that made the music so appropriate. …
Who is Dudley, you might ask. It’s not a name you hear much anymore. I don’t know if this is a common problem with crafters, but I tend to start projects and abandon them. Such is the case with Dudley Butterball. One of the truly nice things about home renovation is that everything gets cleaned …
My family was not very “into” Halloween. When I would ask my mom about my costume, her yearly response was, “Go in the bin and find something to wear.” The bins were wooden window seats under the den windows with tops that flipped open. My toys were in one bin, old clothes and keepsakes occupied …
Before socialists, communists, anarchists, labor activitists and leftists took May 1 to commemorate their struggles, it was widely celebrated by the masses. In some regions, it was considered a public holiday that included dancing, singing and yum—cake. In an attempt to bring back the traditional May Day, if only on a small scale, I gathered …
Road trips have been all too rare lately, but my friend Betty and I took off for Carpinteria, a small beach town south of Santa Barbara. If I were rich, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a quaint little 1900s-era house blocks from the Pacific in Carpinteria. In my imagination, there would be nightly walks along …