Time for more origins of those bizarre phrases we utter. These are some unique phrases from the history of our friends across the pond. A Square Meal The saying “having a square meal” comes from the English Royal Navy during the time of Nelson. In order to stop the plates/ dishes slipping around on the… CONTINUE READING…
Way back when I started blogging on a regular basis I frequently posted about the origins of interesting words I came across. I called those serial posts “Vocabulary Rocks!” Unfortunately many of those posts were lost due to transferring web servers, and I didn’t continue the series on a regular basis. It was tremendous fun,… CONTINUE READING…
Are you planning a Thanksgiving party or family gathering? If so, it may help pass the hours while waiting for the turkey to bake if there are plenty of fun activities and games. Here are a few suggestions, some from the present and others from the past. High Energy Games Corn Gobbling Contest: Prepare a… CONTINUE READING…
Want to impress your guests on Thanksgiving? Or, maybe a brain twisting trivia game to pass the hours while the bird cooks is on the planned entertainment agenda. Here are random bits of holiday-related minutia to help ya out. Sarah Josepha Hale (1788-1879), who tirelessly worked to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday, also was… CONTINUE READING…
Last week I highlighted novels mashing together Jane Austen with monsters of one sort or another, adding a bit of fun with two titles fabricated by me. Hehe…. That post is here: Austen Monster Mash and the fake titles & authors were #3 The Haunting of Pemberley by Elizabeth Drummant and #12 Anne Elliot: Vampire Hunter by Sam Morrison.… CONTINUE READING…
Love ’em or hate ’em, Jane Austen mash-ups are everywhere! By definition, a “mash-up” is a derivative work consisting of two pieces of media conjoined together. In the Austen world this was originally attributed to movies like Clueless and Bridget Jones’ Diary where Austen characters and plotlines were set into modern situations. Lately the term has… CONTINUE READING…
Time for more movie trivia and little know facts. Yeah! Last time I covered Star Wars tidbits — that post is HERE if missed — and continuing on the trend of my geekdom, here are some fun and perhaps little-known facts from the first Lord of the Rings movie, The Fellowship of the Ring. … CONTINUE READING…
I have a confession: After all this time I forget which of my novels a particular event happened in. Shhh…. Don’t tell anyone I told you! Perhaps you can answer these questions off the top of your head, but I’ll never know if you cheat and open the books. Heck, I had to. A. Mr. and Mrs.… CONTINUE READING…
I am an avowed, proud Star Wars geek. Yes, I was one of those who stood in line on opening night, gasped in shock at “I am your father!”, and was blindsided by the Luke and Leia sibling reveal. I have read most of the fan fiction novels, and while I didn’t love the newer… CONTINUE READING…
Another new addition to my Novel and Movie Image Gallery: the Darcy Saga Characters. Once again turning to Google and especially Pinterest for the wealth of copyright-free portrait paintings of people from the past, I have carefully chosen someone for each character in my novels. Based on my internal vision, I searched until discovering the… CONTINUE READING…
Another ‘just for fun’ quiz. These are off the top of my head, so should be easily known. I did thrown in a few toughies just to see who else is a pathetic P&P geek like me! 1. What actors portrayed Mr. and Mrs. Bennet? 2. Who directed the movie? 3. How old was Keira… CONTINUE READING…
I am an unabashed fan of the 2005 Joe Wright movie version of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. This movie was my introduction to Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, and all the others, so without a doubt this colors my opinion. I have seen several of the other adaptations, enjoying them to varying degrees and appreciating… CONTINUE READING…
This is the final day of Armchair BEA. Bummer. The days ahead will contain numerous wrap up posts and announcement of giveaway winners on the Armchair BEA Headquarters blog, as well as the participating bloggers–all who are linked to and noted per topic–so the event isn’t precisely over. But, as for new topics of book discussion,… CONTINUE READING…
Book Expo America is THE largest event in North America for the publishing industry. Held in New York City, it is a week of packed events for anyone involved with books in any way, including readers. Most of the action occurs on-site in NYC. However, there are many ways to be involved in the event, connect… CONTINUE READING…
Last Friday I posted a blog giving updated info about the pages and content on my website. As those who have been visiting me for a while know that I am constantly re-organizing and re-vamping my website, all for the express purpose of giving more for my readers to enjoy in an easier, faster way.… CONTINUE READING…
