Phone booths are so 20th century, but when coin-operated telephones appeared in 1889, they represented a technological breakthrough as amazing as a modern smart phone. At the time, telephones weren’t uncommon, but there were no public venues. It was possible to find an agent operating a telephone pay station. For a fee, the customer could
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We All Scream for Ice Cream*
Ice cream and its cousins can be had all year round, but during these Dog Days of Summer when the temperature climbs, frozen deserts are especially welcome. Considering reliable freezers are a 20th century invention, it’s surprising how long frozen desserts have been around. In China during the Tang Dynasty, ice men produced a concoction
Summer Reads: Prominent Women Lost in Shadow
This installment of Summer Reads is a bit on the serious side, because early in the summer I’m still picking through my history reading pile. The first book is historical fiction; the second, narrative non-fiction that is partly biography, and partly a great deal of information on Elizabethan building techniques. Taken in chronological order, let’s
Cultural Japan: Matsue Castle & the Village of Shirakawa-go
Matsue Castle is one of 12 original castles in Japan. I, of course, had to visit it. The castle is, more accurately, the castle keep, a structure built for fighting rather than luxurious living. That took place in a palace, now long gone. Like castles everywhere, Matsue Castle is built at a high elevation. The
Japanese Culture: Land of Geishas
One of the many delightful features of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Kyoto is a nightly dance performance by a maiko, or apprentice geisha. Chikasaya in her light green kimono and impeccable make-up performed nightly. Maiko like Chikasaya begin their training at about age fifteen, after completing their manadatory education. Students have many choices to
Japanese Culture: Gardens & Bonsai
A Japanese garden such as Ritsurin Park provides viewers with an idealized view of nature that contains six basic elements: extensive space; a sense of seclusion; water features; natural views; traditional elegance, and human artistry. The gardens in this blog are in the kaiyushiki [strolling] style, so that visitors can easily wander the paths around
Japanese Culture: Buddhist Temples & Shinto Shrines
Although it’s possible to visit Japan without visiting a temple, I think its improbable since shrines can be found everywhere you look. The Torii Gate, one of the most famous symbols of Japan, is part of the Itsukushima-jinja Shinto shrine on the Island of Miyajima. Approaching by sea at high tide, the gate is an
Japanese Culture: Taiko, Kabuki, & Bunraku
I’ve been traveling again, and today’s blog is the first of a series about my visit to Japan. Japan brings many images to mind, from theserenity of a Zen garden to the frenetic pace of traffic in Tokyo. I traveled mostly by ship, beginning my journey in Kyoto and continuing up the western coast of
Luggage Luxury
Packing for a well-deserved holiday can be stressful, depending on the length of the trip and the expected activities. If all you need is a couple swimsuits, shorts, T-shirts, and maybe a long skirt for evening, there’s no problem fitting everything into a carry-on bag. But if the journey requires business casual as well as
Summer Reads: 3 Novels by Lindsay Jayne Ashford
I always associate summer with time for leisure reading, whether it’s a day at the beach, a Saturday afternoon in a hammock under a shady tree, or on an airplane. [Sidebar: I do hope these young women remembered to Slip-Slop-Slap, as well as Wrap their eyes in sun glasses. But I digress.] Today’s blog begins
It’s Adopt a Cat Month
Like many writers, I have a feline writing buddy. And what better time to talk about feline attributes than in Adopt a Cat Month. The American Humane Association adopted the slogan in 1975 as a response to the many kittens dropped off in animal shelters in the spring and summer months. Cats didn’t always have
Nostalgia for “Good Old Summer Time”
It’s Memorial Day Weekend. Are you ready to dive into summer? Every summer is magical, but no summer is matches my kid-size memories. Take this swimmer diving into a lake. It takes me back to high school summers on the lakeshore. We basted ourselves with cocoa butter — something I now deeply regret — and
A Lamb’s Tale
Once upon a time on a blustery March morning in 1816, Mary Sawyer and her father got up early to feed the cows, and then made their way to the sheep pen. There were two new lambs, one of which the mother rejected. It was nearly dead when Mary saw it. Mary took the lamb
Nylon Stockings: Why or Why Not?
In 2009 journalist Gail Collins wrote a Letter to Young American Women, advising them that if they had come of age in 1960 they would feel more restricted, “if only because you were doomed to spend you days in a skirt, nylon stockings and girdle. (Everybody wore a girdle back then, even Barbie, the individual
Backyard Grilling
May with its promise of summer is the time of year when the local home improvement store features rows and rows of shiny barbecue grills. There’s the simple, basic grill; the ubiquitous Weber grill, and upscale gas grills with temperature control. People have been cooking over an open flame since the discovery of fire. Grilling
May Day Maypoles
On Wednesday, May 1, the Northern Hemisphere celebrates May Day. In recent times the celebrations take the form of school sports days, many featuring maypole dancing. But in the distant past, May Day marked the change from darkness to light as days became longer and green sprouts returned to the earth. Ancient Celts celebrated with