I don’t know anyone who thinks about Edinburgh without envisioning the castle that looms over the entire city, both Old Town and New Town, so I think it only fair to begin the saga of my Edinburgh sojourn with a bit of background on this iconic sight. Though visible from throughout the
Articles Categorized History
TEDDY BEAR PICNICS
“If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise If you go down in the woods today, you’d better go in disguise For every bear that ever there was will gather there for certain Because today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic.” Well, technically, the teddy
Our Ongoing Accomplishment
Not everyone agreed the North American colonies should separate from Great Britain. The debate among delegates to the Second Continental Congress took place on July 1, 1776. Delegates met on a hot and steamy morning. At 10:00 the doors to the debating hall were closed. Richard Henry Lee’s motion that the colonies should declare their
Summer Solstice Stories
Tuesdays are getting noticed this year. Last week Tuesday was Flag Day. This week, June 21st marks Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. As this diagram illustrates, Solstice is the moment when the sun reaches its most northerly point on the celestial sphere. In other words, it’s the longest day of the year. The next
MEMORIAL DAY – A Time to Remember
It’s an awesome sight – row upon row of uniform white gravestones, each with a small American flag. The grass is verdantly green. The trees majestic. Far from the horror that brought many of the permanent residents to Arlington National Cemetary. There are 147 national cemeteries across the United States. In addition the American Battle
25 YEARS OF WOMEN’S STUDIES
March is National Women’s History Month – Today it’s a time to celebrate women’s achievements, but in March of 1978 women were virtually invisible. The most public position women held was as wives and mothers. Professionally women were teachers, nurses, and secretaries – at least until marriage took them away from all that drudgery. The
International Women’s Day: We Can Do It
The “We Can Do It” poster was first produced in 1943 by Westinghouse Electric to boost worker morale. It was part of a series of posters displayed by the company. The phrase “we can do it” wasn’t about female war workers in particular. It meant Westinghouse employees could war reach production goals by working
JANUS & THE FIRST NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS
The image of Father Time handing his hourglass and sickle over to Young New Year is long embedded in western culture. In this postcard from 1910, Father Time looks happy and energetic as he advises his protégé on the year ahead. A fresh new year offers everyone the endless possibilities of positive change and new
The Poppies are Free
I hadn’t seen one in years. People used to wear red poppy pins near Veterans’ Day and Memorial Day to commemorate the men and women in the military who died in American service. Last week as I was going into the grocery store, an older gentleman came up to me. He was holding out a
“HARVEST” Season
Autumn officially began with the Equinox on September 23, when the hours of darkness and light were almost equal. As we move forward in the northern hemisphere, the days become shorter and the nights, longer. It is a time of gloom and the early stages of Seasonal Affective Disorder. The word Autumn is a French
Hot Chocolate for a Rainy Day
Watching the rain from Tropical Storm Niala splattering on my windows brings the coziness of curling up with a good book and hot chocolate to my mind. Hot chocolate is more than a satisfying warm drink filled with legal antioxidants and illegal sugar. It conjures up exotic origins, leisurely indulgence, and beautiful serving utensils. The
ART & MINERALS AT LYMAN HOUSE
Do you ever see an announcement of an upcoming exhibit or event and think, ‘I’d like to see that?’ Last April, I saw an article about Nā Kuana`ike Pāheana o Hawai`i: Artistic Perspectives of Hawai`i. It’s on display at Lyman House Museum until September. Hmmm…I’d like to see that…sometime. I promptly forgot all about it
ABRAHAM CLARK’S ‘SACRED HONOR’
Before we bid farewell to the 2015 celebrations of Independence Day, I draw your attention to the Declaration of Independence and and the life of Abraham Clark, a member of the New Jersey delegation to the Second Continental Congress. What might the Declaration’s closing phrase have meant to a man neither wealthy nor prominent outside
MAGNA CARTA – A STILL LIVING DOCUMENT
At the close of last week’s episode in the story of Magna Carta, King John had managed to alienate almost everyone in England, as well as the French and the Pope – an impressive array of enemies. Nevertheless, John remained king. And in medieval England, the king was God’s anointed representative on earth. Many of John’s
Happy Birthday, Magna Carta!
Last Monday, June 15th, the Magna Carta was 800 years old. Yeah, I know. It’s not a date on the tip of your tongue. But, without the Magna Carta there wouldn’t have been a Declaration of Independence, and without the Declaration we wouldn’t celebrate the 4th of July. And without the 4th of July,
Naughty Nellie and the Honest Cop
In 1900 Aberdeen was known as the Hellhole of the Pacific and more ominously The Port of Missing Men, a reference to the high murder rate. Aberdeen was a boomtown fueled by the timber industry and home to a wide-open social life for the two thousand or so loggers and sailors who came into town