Kangaroos

Due to the fires burning in Australia, I’ve been thinking about animals indigenous to that island. So I did a little research about kangaroos. Before I give you any of that information, I want you to think about something. We’ve all seen kangaroos in...

Re-run: Don’t Hate the Fruitcake

My original plan for today was to write about traditional Christmas foods from various countries. As often happens, a little research showed me that my original idea wasn’t as brilliant as I thought it was, in this case because there are simply too many traditional...

What’s Your Favorite Christmas Song?

My favorite Christmas song is “Do They Know It’s Christmas” by Band Aid, the 1984 charity single created to raise money to alleviate the famine in Ethiopia. Maybe it’s the familiar voices of some of my favorite singers. Maybe it reminds of me of how I felt about life...

Highland Reindeer

It’s December and the thoughts of many are turning to the upcoming holidays and all they must do to prepare and celebrate. So I’ll just do a feel-good story to ease you into the month. Long, long ago, Scotland had reindeer. Those reindeer disappeared sometime between...

Shared War Letters

I am a big fan of collaborative history projects that involve the general public. People are more interested in things when they have played some part in the project, and when they are more interested they tend to spread the word. One of the podcasts I listen to...

That’s a Cashew?!?

A photo of a cashew growing on a tree caused a sensation on the internet a couple of months ago. I completely missed it, but someone mentioned it to me the other day. Not the viral photo, but that cashews grow funny. For anyone else who missed it, let’s talk about...

Wallpaper and History

I read a great article, The Great Wallpaper Rebellion: Defending Flamboyance in a World of White Walls, written by Ben Marks, that I wanted to share with you. While it includes the history of one wallpaper company, Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers, this article...

History Podcast: In the Past Lane

Last week I recommended Ben Franklin’s World, one of the history podcasts that I listen to regularly. This week I want to talk about another history podcast, In the Past Lane: The Podcast About History and Why It Matters. This podcast is hosted by Edward T. O’Donnell,...

History Podcast: Ben Franklin’s World

I listen wide variety of podcasts. I listen in the car and on walks, and since I don’t have a TV, I listen when I’m cooking, cleaning, or just hanging around the house. Podcasts are a great way to learn new stuff! One of the history podcasts that I listen to is Ben...