I never really thought about middle names until I recently learned that having a middle name dates back to ancient Rome. Many Romans had three names: A praenomen was a personal name, or what we call first names today; a nomen, which was a family name, and lives where middle names currently sit; and the …
Do You Know Why You Have a Middle Name? Read More »
Mae Clair, whom I’ve called MC since I can’t remember when, has a new book out called The Keeping Place. She’s doing a book tour this month and I’m delighted to have snagged her in her travels for a brunch at Guglhupf (pronounced Googlehof by the locals) in Durham, a restaurant where local and seasonal …
BRUNCH WITH ONE OF MY FAVORITE AUTHORS, MAE CLAIR, WHO STOPS BY ON HER BLOG TOUR Read More »
Although there were several Saint Valentines, the common biography (hagiography – I learned a new word!) describes Saint Valentine as either a priest of Rome or the Bishop of Terni, a town in central Italy. There are many legends ascribed to Saint Valentine. In one, dated from the 3rd century AD, Valentine defied the order …
HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY – BUT WHO WAS SAINT VALENTINE? Read More »
I remember learning the difference in spelling the homonyms principle and principal: the principal is your pal. One principal in particular – Mr. Lawrence Bongiovanni – made an indelible impression on me, and I’d like to thank him, belatedly, for his contributions to my life in high school. Perhaps because I was one of several …
The Principal and I Read More »
The Harbor Pointe Series is a collection of eight novellas by Story Empire authors. Each story takes place at the Harbor Pointe Inn in a fictional California town. See my reviews for the previous books in the series on this blog. I am sad that the Harbor Pointe series has ended but very excited about …
The Harbor Pointe Series is a collection of eight novellas by Story Empire authors. Each story takes place at the Harbor Pointe Inn in a fictional California town. See my reviews for the previous books in the series on this blog. As with the previous six books in this series, the story did not disappoint. …
Book Review: Death at the Inn by Joan Hall (Harbor Point book series 7)@JoanHallWrites) Read More »
This is the second in some stories about growing up in Plymouth in the 1950s. Growing up, I recognized that my father had a keen sense of proprietorship concerning our house and its land. Several times a year on a Saturday morning, he would announce from the pulpit of the breakfast table: “Today we’re clearing …
MY DAD LOVED KEROSENE Read More »
It’s Garfield. ‘Nuff said. 3 0
When I was twelve years old, I dared to launch what I like to call The Great Spinach Rebellion, one of the few times I truly confronted my parents. My mother had a habit of serving boiled spinach. No butter, salt or seasonings, just a great lump of shriveled greens sitting in a bowl bathed …
The Great Spinach Rebellion Read More »