Merry Christmas Everyone! Most years I share live performance videos which are my favorites. Topping the list in the contemporary recording artist list is the acapella group Pentatonix. Personally, I think they are phenomenally talented and their harmonizing never fails to elicit goosebumps and send chills up my spine. My favorite Pentatonix performance is Mary,… Continue Reading
According to history, in Roquemaure, a small town in southern France, at the end of the year 1843, the parish church organ had been renovated. To celebrate the event, the priest asked town wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau to write a Christmas poem, even though the latter never showed an interest in religion. Cappeau obliged, titling… Continue Reading
In 1988 the movie Die Hard starring Bruce Willis and the late great Alan Rickman was released. Surprisingly, considering the later hoopla, it was NOT released over the Christmas holiday but rather on July 15. Being fans of action flicks, we saw the movie in the theater and loved it. So much so that we… Continue Reading
In the decades since folks in Hollywood began making movies, a certain number have been specific for the Christmas season. Up until the recent two or three decades, defining a “Christmas” movie was relatively straight forward. It had to be set during the holiday season, of course, usually involved some sort of magic (ie-Santa), was… Continue Reading
In 1741 George Frideric Handel wrote Messiah, his greatest musical creation, at the age of 56 in a single wild writing jag lasting 24 days. According to Newman Flower’s George Frideric Handel: His Personality and His Times: “He (Handel) completed the first part in seven days, the second part in nine days, the third part… Continue Reading
The insertion of an X into the word CHRISTMAS (in place of the word “Christ”) has long been a controversial topic. Most folks presume that the change is a sacrilegious gesture, the common saying “taking Christ out of Christmas” familiar to all of us. Until my own research into historical facts, I assumed this was the… Continue Reading
“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me One who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” ~Micah 5:2 Phillip Brooks (1835-1893) was a preacher of excellence within the Episcopal Church. He held a Doctorate of… Continue Reading
Howdy y’all! I have greatly ignored my poor blog these past several months and can honestly offer no excuse. Many other distractions have taken over my life, including my sweet puppy Olivia Marjo, who was the subject of my last blog post. In January! Yikes!! Indeed, we have had a marvelous time with our wee… Continue Reading
Between Christmas celebrating and surprises, and an eventful 2018 so far, I have ignored my blog. My apologies! Allow me to share who has kept me occupied and I am sure the reason for my distraction will be understood. On December 20th (the same day I last posted a blog, as it turned out) I… Continue Reading
I am often asked about the portraits chosen by Sourcebooks as Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy on the covers of the Darcy Saga Sequel Series. Who are they really? Who painted them? A while back I uncovered the secret identities of the gorgeous woman and handsome man who represented Mr. and Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy. I’ve decided… Continue Reading
This Regency woman of influence first intrigued me years ago and those of you who have read my novels know that I worked her into the pages a couple of times. Before I get into a dissertation about her, let me just say that one aspect of the fun in writing a literary piece set… Continue Reading
Automaton (plural: automata or automatons) is a self-operating machine, or a machine or control mechanism designed to automatically follow a predetermined sequence of operations, or respond to predetermined instructions. Some automata, such as bellstrikers in mechanical clocks, are designed to give the illusion to the casual observer that they are operating under their own power. The history of automata is vast and complex.… Continue Reading
Lakes and rivers are plentiful in Kentucky, thanks to the plentiful rain. I don’t think the moving van was out of sight before my husband announced his desire to buy a fishing boat. I suspect I rolled my eyes, as I did the subsequent two or three dozen times he broached the topic. Unlike me,… Continue Reading
Here it is, the final installment in my series on Georgian and Regency Era servants. The first six posts covered, in detail, the men and women who maintained the interior domains of an estate manor house. Now, with this post today, I will finish the blogs covering the duties of those men and women who… Continue Reading
On the week’s topic of gamekeepers, a fascinating extra tidbit is that these men were directly responsible for the creation of many breeds of dogs. Breeding and care of the dogs used to aid in the hunt and to guard the estate were a major portion of the gamekeepers’ duties. The following list of dog… Continue Reading
