When I first encountered this 1907 Thanksgiving postcard, I thought it was a fanciful parade of turkeys. But the drawing is rooted in the reality of bringing turkeys to market. My lack of knowledge about food sourcing was not and still is not that unusual. Growing up, the closest I came to any understanding of
YOU CAN’T STOP TIME, BUT YOU CAN CHANGE IT
Once again, Americans have turned back time. By the time this blog officially launches on November 3, 2025, it will all be over. Americans will have changed time at 2:00 a.m. local time Sunday, November 2. Wait — What? You mean you didn’t know we could control time? Benjamin Franklin suggested the concept in 1784
Halloween Stories
Halloween, once called Samhain, is nigh. In two weeks costumed children, as well as adults, will pass through neighborhoods or decorated trunk-or-treat parking lots with dulcet cries of “Trick or Treat.” Halloween is the modern iteration of Samhain [pronounced SOW-wen] a Celtic festival that begins at sundown October 31 and continues into November 1. As
Bobbing for Apples, An Autumn Tradition
Fall officially began last month, but October is the month I always associate with the changing of the seasons from summer activities to those that announce Fall and the Harvest Season has arrived. Deciduous trees paint the horizon in warm colors before swirling to the ground. Halloween preparations are underway, and black cats are understandably
Chapter House Grotesques at York Minster
The so-called Green Man motif, like the one on the left, is often found in medieval grotesques. An ancient symbol of rebirth, the Green Man is linked to spring, and earlier gods of the forest. Most generally, the Green Man is surrounded by leaves or branches. This Green Man lives in York Minster, beneath the
York Minster Grotesques & Other Carvings
Over the years, I have visited York Minster many times. And I always see something unexpected, like this chap on the left. It seems uniquely appropriate that a creature such as this should be restrained by fencing in the Stonemasons’ Yard. The wide-eyed creature with pointed ears clutches his head while a frog crawls out
17th Century Female Artists at the Rijksmuseum
Today Judith Leyster (1609-1660) is one of the best known Dutch female painters of the 17th century. But it was not always so. After her death, Leyster’s work fell into obscurity, often attributed to Franz Hals. But, Leyster signed her work with a distinctive monogram of herself with a start shooting towards the right. It’s
Women’s Portraits in the Rijksmuseum
The Gallery of Honor in the Rijksmuseum leads the visitor so unerringly to Rembrandt’s Night Watch that the paintings displayed in its alcoves are easily overlooked, if not for guides who point out the paintings she or he finds most worthy of notice. Paintings by Johannes Vemeer, for example, have many more viewers pressing towards
Rembrandt, The Night Watch, & Me
When I was in middle school, every student had to take a semester of music and a semester of art before they could take any other electives unless they kept to either music or art for their entire middle school career. I didn’t know if I would like music, but I knew I wouldn’t like
Tulips & Windmills
I’m fresh back from two weeks in Holland, the land of tulips & windmills. We often don’t think much about tulips when they show up in the floral section of the local grocery store every spring, but they have a more dramatic history than some other flowers. Tulips originated in 10th century Persia. Over time
Administrative Professionals Day – Celebrate Support Staff
Next week, April 20-26, 2025 is Administrative Professionals Week. It’s an annual event the last week in April, with Administrative Professionals Day in the middle. This year it falls on Wednesday, April 23. Official celebrations for office warriors began in 1942 when the National Secretaries Association was founded. The nation was gearing up for World
“Your Library is Your Paradise” – Erasmus
I remember getting my first library card. I was six years old, and had to stretch to reach the check-out counter. My mother brought me to the library every week so we could check out books. But I wanted to be a big girl and do it myself. There was, however, an obstacle. The librarian
St. Gertrude’s Cats
Monday, March 17 is the annual celebration of St. Patrick, usually accompanied by leprechaun illustrations and green beer. In recent years, a meme depicting St. Gertrude of Neville stroking a cat she holds in her arms appears about the same time. Caption: “It happens every year: Patrick this and Patrick that. No one remembers me
Riding Pillion
Pillion is a new word in my vocabulary. According to Merriam-Webster, a pillion is a light saddle for women consisting chiefly of a cushion, OR a pad or cushion put on behind a man’s saddle, chiefly for a woman to ride on, OR a motorcycle or bicycle saddle for a passenger. The word pillion seems
Tooth Fairy-Tales
After the candied frenzy of Valentine’s Day, perhaps it’s only logical that National Tooth Fairy Day is February 28th. There’s a companion day six months later on August 22nd. Katie Davis created the first official day in 2003 when she wrote Mabel the Tooth Fairy and How She Got Her Job. Turns out, Mabel hated
Year of the Snake & Legend of the White Snake
The Great Animal Race Lunar New Year celebrations this year welcome the Year of the Snake, so named because the snake was a the sixth animal to finish in the Great Animal Race organized by the Jade Emperor when he created the 12-year cycle of the Chinese Zodiac. He hoped the zodiac would help people