As you are reading this blog post I am on my way to Bowling Green, Kentucky for the 16th annual Southern Kentucky Book Festival. Affectionately dubbed SOKY, the yearly event is one of Kentucky’s largest literary events and is presented by WKU Libraries, Warren County Public Library, and Barnes and Noble...
On Tuesday I, like the many other chosen authors for World Book Night US 2014, launched the event by appearing at a local bookstore. To my tremendous delight, I was hosted by the incredible folks at Joseph-Beth Bookseller in Lexington, Kentucky. I honestly cannot express how marvelous everyone was! As...
Tomorrow is the BIG World Book Night US event when some 800,000 books will be given away freely by thousands of volunteers in a national charity for the cause of literacy and love-of-reading. I am honored to have my novel Miss Darcy Falls in Love chosen as one of the...
This Monday and next I’ll continue the wedding history trend of the past five weeks with addendum posts, as it were. Next week I’ll relate the origins of wedding cake traditions. Today I am covering engagement and wedding ring symbolism. Because I had so many images to share and wanted...
Now let the heavens be joyful, Let earth her song begin: Let the round world keep triumph, And all that is therein; Invisible and visible, Their notes let all things blend, For Christ the Lord is risen Our joy that hath no end. Q: How do bunnies stay healthy?...
Say “Easter Egg” and the first vision that pops into one’s mind is brightly colored shells with pretty designs. A few times in my life I tried to get really creative with decorating eggs, but never had much success. Too bad I never visited Martha Stewart’s website because she has...
Today is Good Friday and a traditional favorite in England is Hot Cross Buns. These are a spicy currant or raisin studded yeast bun, topped with a “Cross” of lemon flavored icing. While Christians have adopted the cake and the symbolism of the cross, it wasn’t always so. To Pagans...
Today is Maundy Thursday, also referred to as Holy Thursday or Covenant Thursday or Great Thursday. The term “Maundy” comes from the Latin mandatum which means “command” and refers to the command Jesus issued on the last Thursday of His life, which was to “love one another as I have loved...
EASTER is the top-selling confectionery holiday in the west, second only to Halloween. Each year witnesses the making of nearly 90 million chocolate bunnies. Statistically, 76% of people bite off the chocolate bunny ears first, while 5% bite the feet first and 4% eat the tail first. I wonder who...
Peeps are marshmallow candies, sold in the United States and Canada, that are shaped into chicks, bunnies, and other animals. There are also different shapes used for various holidays. Peeps are used primarily to fill Easter baskets, though recent ad campaigns tout the candy as “Peeps – Always in Season”....
We come to the fifth and final portion of my series about marriage during the Georgian and Regency periods. Here are the links to all FIVE parts of the series — Part 1 – The LegalitiesPart 2 – Banns and LicensesPart 3 – The Ceremony PrepPart 4 – The GarmentsPart 5...
Where does the name ‘Easter’ come from? Pagan traditions give us the English word Easter which comes from the word Eostre. According to Bede, the English monastic historian, the Anglo-Saxon word for April was “Eostre-monath” (the month of openings). It is important to note that Christians celebrated the resurrection of Christ...
With Easter approaching I thought it would be apropos to make note of themed movies. Naturally a majority are of a religious nature, but not all. There is something for everyone! Easter Parade Starring Fred Astaire and Judy Garland. The beloved Irving Berlin musical about a dancer who tries to...
These are characters in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen describing themselves in their own words. See how well you can do! My father is a knighted gentleman of modest means. Unfortunately his wealth is not huge enough to provide me with a large dowry and because I am rather...
Here are the links to all FIVE parts of the series — Part 1 – The LegalitiesPart 2 – Banns and LicensesPart 3 – The Ceremony PrepPart 4 – The GarmentsPart 5 – The Vows & The Celebration Presuming most of you reading this are women, we are naturally curious about...
