Dear Readers, February is the month when we celebrate Valentine’s Day and true love. We, of course, know that in real life as well as in literature, some of the most intriguing romances have a dark side, maybe even a tragic ending. This type of literature is called Dark Romanticism. Dark Romanticism falls within Gothic…
Dear Kids and All Readers, Friday, February 5, 2021, was National Wear Red for Heart Health Awareness Day. Coincidentally, one of my family members had major heart surgery that very day. (All is well! Problems repaired.) And here comes Valentine’s Day when we celebrate all that is heartfelt. These events have made me reflect on…
Dear Readers, As I write this blog, many of you are probably sinking in snowdrifts and sorry the groundhog has announced six more weeks of winter. How about an escape? –at least as an armchair traveler, for now! But first, I feel compelled to introduce to you the Italian word bramasole. It means “yearning for…
Hello, Kids and All Readers, While listening to President Biden’s Inaugural Address on January 20, I was inspired to see what other presidents had said on their Inauguration days. I purchased Collected Presidential Inaugural Addresses 1789-2017, by Eupator Classics Law and Liberty Library, 2020. It covers Presidents Washington through Trump. (I have added a copy…
Dear Kids and All Readers, During the January 20th Inauguration ceremony, I, along with others worldwide, were captivated by a twenty-two-year-old woman named Amanda Gorman when she gave a dramatic recitation of her poem, “The Hill We Climb.” It contains themes of grief, pain, labor, hope, healing, transcendence, and unity. Ms. Gorman is the first-ever…
January 14, 2021 Hello, Readers! Did you make some New Year’s resolutions for 2021? If yes, how are you and they progressing? According to Victoria Price, daughter of the late actor Vincent Price and author of Living Love: Twelve Heart-Centered Practices to Transform Your Life, “studies have shown [she doesn’t cite which] that although sixty percent…
Hello, Kids and All Readers– Happy New Year! Let’s get 2021 off to a great start with a little humor. The following was sent to me by a friend who got it from somewhere on Twitter. So, get a clue, Readers. I wish you a truly happy 2021! And please, pay it forward–whatever positive thought,…
Dear Readers, Perhaps 2020 can best be described as dichotomous. We can all enumerate the sacrifices we’ve made, but we are also invited to reflect on our many blessings. Despite what has happened to us and our loved ones this year, we are still here, with books to read, food to eat, and a healthier…
Dear Readers, Since it’s December, I’m figuring that about 75% of us have already experienced a “Pandemic Birthday”–a very different kind of birthday since last March when the lockdowns began, and our friends and favorite restaurants were closed to us. My birthday just occurred on December 7, and for many months prior to it, I’d…
Dear Kids and All Readers, On the first of each month, I find a treat in my email inbox. It’s the monthly “Now Playing” program guide from Turner Classic Movies (TCM). I have been a movie buff of Hollywood’s Golden Age films (uh, kids, that’s from the 1930s and ’40s) since I was a…
