Happy Veterans’ Day, Mystery Style
Veterans’ Day has me thinking about mystery writers who have served in the military, and there are a fair number of big-time names! I thought I’d try my hand at creating an infographic on the subject....
View ArticleWhen Turkeys Strike Back
The star of the Thanksgiving meal, the turkey, is often maligned for its stupidity. However, the people trying to cook them aren’t always the sharpest knives in the carving block, either. Think of it...
View ArticleCyber Monday: a mystery-lover’s Christmas
Happy Cyber Monday, a time to shop in our jammies, double-check our gift lists, budget, and passwords. But what to get the mystery lover in your life? Let’s face it, Peace on Earth, and Goodwill to...
View ArticleA Santa Claus Mashup
You know I love a good mystery, and Santa Claus is the ultimate mystery man, don’t you think? In order to get you in the holiday spirit, here’s a mashup of some fun posts about Santa Claus that may...
View ArticleRomance can be murder: Valentine’s gifts for mystery lovers
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that Valentine’s Day is coming up. Yep, the holiday that keeps the greeting card, flower, and chocolate industries afloat until Mother’s Day. Usually...
View ArticleHappy “Donut Day”!
…or “Fasnacht” Day, an old Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. It’s celebrated the day before Ash Wednesday, on the same day as Fat Tuesday, aka Mardi Gras. A fasnacht is a pastry deep-fried in lard, similar...
View ArticleApril Fool’s 19th century style
Happy April Fool’s, everyone! In honor of the occasion, I thought I’d provide a little snippet of what Victorians in the U.S. liked to do on this day, as seen through the eyes of some New York...
View ArticleThings Moms Say
Mother’s Day is coming! (Why do I see a few shocked faces out there? Better get cracking). In honor of the occasion, I’ve created a little infographic of Top Ten Things Moms Say (translations...
View ArticleGrandparents’ Day!
Yesterday (the second Sunday of September) was National Grandparents’ Day, first celebrated officially in 1978, when the proclamation was signed by President Jimmy Carter. We’re a little late, but...
View ArticleFunny thing happened on the way to the autumnal equinox…
Happy Equinox, everyone! Today is the day when the angle of the sun is straight on the equator, and the amount of day and night are nearly equal. In the northern hemisphere, this makes it our autumnal...
View ArticleIt’s National Coffee Day!
Hurray, September 29th is National Coffee Day! I’d say the beverage was worthy of some recognition, don’t you? Fun facts about coffee: Coffee is said to have been first used by Sufi monasteries in...
View ArticleHalloween and National Cat Day
Happy Halloween, everyone! In our neck of the woods, the trees are getting really pretty, there’s a nip in the air, and I’m scouring Pinterest for decor ideas and recipes to enhance the Halloween fun...
View ArticleThanksgivings past
To all of my American friends, Happy Thanksgiving! Here’s a re-post from one I wrote a few years back, about the similar ways in which Thanksgiving was celebrated a hundred years ago. Food, football,...
View ArticleThe Spirit of Christmas
The more ad-weary among us have wondered if the spirit of Christmas is shopping, but after a few cleansing breaths we can see that it’s really about stepping outside ourselves to serve others in some...
View ArticleGifts for the avid reader, 19th century style
‘Tis the season for buying gifts, and books are among the best gifts out there! (So sayeth the book lover). If you go on Amazon (which got its start as an online bookseller back in 1994) and look for...
View ArticleGrandma under the mistletoe!
…and you thought folks were prudish in the 19th century. Ah, the magic of mistletoe. For the young, and the young at heart. Go, Grandma! Careful who you kiss under the mistletoe, however: Was he...
View ArticleAfter the good-bye
Hi everyone, I have missed you! If I had known my cicada post was going to stay up as my most recent offering for the past six weeks, I might have picked something else…. The reason for my silence is...
View ArticleHappy Thanksgiving! What’s on the Menu?
Happy Tuesday before Thanksgiving! We’re all pressed for time right now, so I’ll just share a brief montage of interesting historical menus as you plan yours…who knows? It may give you ideas. Another...
View ArticleMy funny Valentine
Hubby and I have been married a while now (27 years and counting), so we’ve seen a lot of Valentine’s Days come and go. For us, the occasion is usually marked by wine, chocolate, and me not cooking....
View ArticleAutumn already?
Happy Autumn Equinox, everyone! Today marks the “official” start of fall in the Northern hemisphere, with exactly 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of darkness, and it’s all downhill from there as far...
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