Sharon's Blog

Patriotic American Quotes to Inspire

“I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit.”  ~President Theodore Roosevelt “Duty, honor, country. Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you...

States of the Union #10

Finally at the end of my ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America. What a fun journey it has been! I learned a ton, and hope all my readers, whether from the US or abroad, have enjoyed the education about...

Existing Georgian Era Hermitages: Part 2

On Tuesday I posted a blog giving a brief history on the HERMITAGE, a Georgian Era type of garden folly. As I noted, few known hermitages from the 18th century still exist. Of those, most have been reconstructed or renovated to some degree. Drawings and documentation of hermitages long reclaimed by...

States of the Union #9

My ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America is almost complete! Here we are at #9, and there is only one more to go! I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive weeks each...

Existing Georgian Era Hermitages: Part 1

Two days ago I gave a brief history on the HERMITAGE, a Georgian Era type of garden folly. As I noted, few known hermitages from the 18th century still exist. Of those, most have been reconstructed or renovated to some degree. Drawings and documentation of hermitages long reclaimed by nature or...

The Hermitage: Oddest of the English Garden Follies

I am forever fascinated by the unusual structures designed and erected to add atmosphere to a Georgian Era landscape garden. I’ve written several blogs on the subject —which are listed with links in the Pemberley Library under “Landscape & Garden”— and will be writing more in the future. For this...

States of the Union #8

Continuing the ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America, here we are at #8. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There...

The Charing Cross Pillory

The pillory was an ancient punishment and as early as the 13th century it was used for traders who had swindled the public. After 1637 it became the recognized punishment for those who published books without a license or libeled the government. Once locked into the mechanism, the prisoner would be...

States of the Union #7

Continuing the ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America, here we are at #7. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There...

Vocabulary ROCKS! N is for. . .

Continuing the quest to cover the alphabet! That may prove impossible due to the vast number of words in the English language, but I can try to find a few fascinating examples. For a list of all my archived posts covering the topic: VOCABULARY Niggardly Contrary to the similarity in...

The “Roguish, Bawdy, & Lewd” book that SHOCKED Samuel Pepys!

In this day and age I suspect most of us are numb to the concept of pornographic or highly erotic written material. Some may clutch their pearls and reach for the smelling salts, but I’d wager that is 99% theatrics! For good or ill, such material is so commonplace that...

Table Crumber

Surely you didn’t think a butler or diner would brush fallen bread crumbs off the bleached white tablecloth onto the floor? Perish the thought! Instead, some clever person invented the table crumber, or simply, the crumber. The crumber came in many forms: a small brush and pan, a tiny brush on...

States of the Union #6

Today I am continuing what will be a ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random)....

Henry Brougham

Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux(September 19, 1778 – May 7, 1868) Henry Brougham was born in Edinburgh, the son of a modest landowner without title but of an influential family in the Cumberland area for centuries. Young Henry was educated by the public school system in Edinburgh...

States of the Union #5

Day #5 of what will be a ten-part series covering all of the fifty States of the Union comprising the United States of America. I am a proud American, particularly regarding our remarkable history, so for ten consecutive Wednesdays each blog post will spotlight FIVE States (chosen at random). There...

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