Looking through my E-Reader, I notice I haven’t been doing much leisure reading lately, a situation I hope to change this summer. Today’s blog is the first in my annual series of Summer Reads, a sampling of escapist leisure reading I’ve enjoyed over the past several months. Upstairs at the White House: My Life With
“Would You Like to Ride in my Beautiful Balloon?”
In 1967 The 5th Dimension [remember them?] invited listeners to join them in “my beautiful balloon.” At the time, it seemed an unrealistic invitation. Did they mean the balloons we used for decorations? Obviously not. However, there was a new mode of transportation in the air, one that Ed Yost made possible in 1960. That
Flowers Bring Happiness
In Gilbert and Sullivan’s Mikado, Nanki-Poo sings about flowers, because he’s happy about his upcoming marriage to the lovely Yum-Yum, which for him was as wonderful as the flowers that bloom in the spring. The flowers that bloom in the spring, Tra la, Breathe promise of merry sunshine – As we merrily dance and we sing, Tra
Leftovers: Once Virtuous, Now Annoying
Except for point number 5 advising less wheat and meat products, this 1917 poster for about the acquisition, preparation, and consumption of food is similar to advice we receive today. Number 6, “use what is left” is tricky, because it refers to the dreaded food category of “leftovers.” One 1948 cook book observed, the word
Jumping Frogs In Calaveras County
This is a story about jumping frogs, a mining camp, and an unknown American writer later known as Mark Twain. During the winter of 1864-1865 Twain accepted an invitation from the Gillis brothers to stay with them at their cabin at the top of Jackass Hill in Tuttletown, a mining town in Calaveras County. Jackass
Hamburgers + Car Hops = Fast Food
At its most basic version, a hamburger is a sandwich featuring one or more patties of ground meat served inside a bread roll. From here variations begin. Besides meat, hamburgers come with other ingredients inside the bun from lettuce to pickles; tomatoes to onions, and then there’s the sauce. Mustard, ketchup, mayo, or the so-called
May Day Celebrations
The Celts believed that the time we define as May Day was midway between the Winter and Summer Solstice when darkness turned to light. They celebrated the return of fertility to the world with a festival called Beltane. Rituals protected sprouting crops and livestock returning to summer pastures. As customs changed, May celebrations turned into
It’s Administrative Professionals Week: From Secretary to Administrative Professional
In 1957, Time Magazine observed a national shortage of secretaries. With over 21 million women in the workforce, only 2 million were employed as secretaries which meant that every day there were 250,000 unfilled secretarial positions. To make matters worse, employers were caught in a dilemma. Women over age 35 were considered to set in
Pecans: An American Nut
Pecans (carya illinoisensis) are an edible nut most often associated with desserts, particularly pecan pie, an extraganza of added sweetness. [Recipe Below] Pecans are also found in praline candy, cakes, cookies, and candied nuts. But this is misleading association, because, in fact, raw pecans are loaded with healthy monounsaturated fat and fiber, as well as
Walking: A Beneficial Activity
In Jane Austin’s Pride & Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet decides to visit her sister who fell ill while calling on the Bingleys. When Elizabeth’s father reluctantly offers her the use of a horse, Elizabeth declines.“I do not wish to avoid the walk,” she says. “The distance is nothing when one has a motive: only three miles.
White House Easter Egg Rolls from Yesteryear
There are several ways to roll eggs. This Russian postcard shows children placing individual eggs, possibly hard-boiled, on an incline to see which would roll the furthest. In another custom, children roll hardboiled, decorated eggs down grassy hills in a competition to see whose egg rolls the farthest without breaking. The latter competition usually took
Pysanky aka Ukrainian Easter Eggs
Easter is on April 4, just under two weeks away. Will this be the year you attempt to create pysanky? Pysanky refers to eggs inscribed by an artist using a stylus that imparts the design in beeswax. The eggs may be chicken, duck, goose, or even ostritch. Some artists leave the egg intact with the
First Ladies Move into a Post-War World
When Franklin Delano Roosevelt took the oath of office on March 4, 1933, unemployment was 25 percent; homes and farms were lost to foreclosure, and people were hungry. Hobos rode the rails looking for work. Farmers from the Great Plains migrated to California, a journey described by John Steinbeck in the Grapes of Wrath. Incumbent
First Ladies in the “Roaring Twenties”
For various reasons, we are more aware of some First Ladies than others. Last week, I skipped over Edith Roosevelt and Helen Taft in favor of closing the blog with Edith Wilson. This week, I intended to begin with Lou Hoover, but I started thinking about 1920 as a pivotal year. The United States had
First Ladies in Unusual Circumstances
After the civil war, American First Ladies were women with direct experience in the social movements of their time. As young women, none had any expectation of the office they would hold, but their role as presidential spouses continued to bring change to the White House. The Election of 1876 After eight years in the
First Ladies: Expanding the Role
During the course of the nineteenth century, First Ladies emerged from behind their husband’s careers to become separate personalities. Though these women were still identified most broadly as wives and mothers, social expectations changed. This second installment in my series about First Ladies profiles a selection of nineteenth century First Ladies who caught my interest: