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...
“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...
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...
I’m not a camper, so the concept of doing more than roasting marshmallows over an open flame is too complicated for me to fathom. I am sure for many of my readers, rustic styles of cooking are not a mind-boggling challenge. Even so, could you bake a cake without the ability...
On Thursday I began this journey of reminiscence. Methodically, blog post by blog post, I looked into the past from the beginning days of my website/blogging and publishing adventures in 2007 to 2011. With over 700 individual blog posts and 2,500+ images documenting these ten-plus years, I could only touch...
I am unabashedly and unashamedly a diehard fan of the 2005 cinematic adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. As directed by Joe Wright, and starring Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy and Kiera Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet, I still to this day, twelve years later, believe it is the best version, EVER. At...
If you have read my first novel, Mr. & Mrs. Fitzwilliam Darcy, then you know that a duel with swords takes place toward the end. Naturally, in order to present a realistic duel, or simply have a duel at all, I needed to research the hows and whys as pertinent during the Regency...
I’ve so enjoyed listening to and sharing videos of my favorite Christmas carols this week! I love ALL Christmas carols, including those that are more “modern” or fun with Santa Claus as the theme, but I especially adore those carols with a strong message of Christ’s birth. For this Christmas...
Want your hot chocolate with a bit of kick to it? There are several ways to bring zing to an old standard. Variations for the over 21 crowd are myriad, essentially hot chocolate or hot cocoa cooked the desired way and then “spiked” with one’s preferred alcohol. Possibilities include: bourbon,...
French Hot Chocolate – called le Chocolat Chaud – is distinguished from traditional hot chocolate in that it is much richer and thicker, and less sweet. True French hot chocolate is always made from brick chocolate, the higher the cacao percentage the better, and never from cocoa powder. The texture is velvety...
Castle Howard is one of the most treasured homes in England, located in North Yorkshire. It has been the home to the Howard family for over 300 years, and is still a private residence for the current Howard family. While the house is not a real castle, it was given...
I admit to being a big fan of both Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. That isn’t to say I’ve loved every movie they have done, but the majority have been enjoyable to some degree with a number amongst my all-time favorites. Recently I watched the third movie the two acted...
I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Gene Wilder. Granted, he hasn’t been in anything recently, and indeed his wealth of classic movies will endure forever, yet it is always a shame when someone so supremely talented passes on. Rest in peace, Mr. Wilder, hopefully in the...
Hardwick Hall, which is located in Derbyshire, is the former home of Elizabeth Shrewsbury, also known as Bess of Hardwick. It was built between 1590 and 1597 and designed by architect Robert Smythson. Of humble origins, Bess of Hardwick married four times, gaining power and wealth with each marriage, and...
Today I am sharing two of my favorite happily-ever-after romance movies, both set in an indeterminate past with a Medieval flavor. One is clearly fantasy laced, while the other is a well-known fairytale given a rational explanation. Each have humor, fantastic supporting characters, a fair amount of suspense, and the oh-so-necessary...
