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
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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:
First Ladies: Creating the Role
As Jill Biden takes her place as the 43rd official “First Lady” of the United States, it’s a good time to look at how the role has evolved since Martha Washington inaugurated the position in 1789. At that time, with no precedent for her position, many referred to the President’s wife as Lady Washington. The
The Danish Art of Hygge
January is a month of new beginnings. In past years that meant making life-improving resolutions to exercise, or become more organized, or de-clutter. Any or all of these activities are tied to an overall concept of happiness, sometimes defined a the state of being happy. Similar to: contentment, pleasure, satisfaction, cheerfulness. Last year the guru
Christmas Star 2020
Solstice, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, happens on December 21. In addition to being the longest night, December 21, 2020 is also the date of the Great Conjunction when Jupiter and Saturn will be so closely aligned that, providing the night is clear, you can go outside and see a
Christmas Cards: From Convenient Greeting to Annual Burden
I grew up in a different America, one that had one black plastic rotary phone per household and one black & white family television powered by tubes. Yes, it was that long ago. Christmas trees were “live” with scraggly branches and decorated with strands of tinsel that had to be correctly placed, usually by a
SANTA, ELVES, & LIFE ON THE NORTH POLE
With the Thanksgiving holiday in the “rear-view” mirror, many Americans focus their attention on end of the year celebrations. And the most popular symbol of secular joy is Santa Claus. Many cultures celebrate a generous gift-giving spirit. In the United States, he goes by the name Santa Claus and is instantly recognizable in his red