The End of the World and Beyond by Avi ( Read more... )

Yesterday began so beautifully--actually it was great until mid afternoon. We drove down to Deerfield, which is full of houses from the 1700s, which you can tour. Oh, those floors! The implements and textiles and furnishings! So fascinating, these glimpses of lives in this spot, between these walls, centuries ago, before and during the political ( Read more... )

Over here I talk about a thoroughly enjoyable narrative overview of the American Revolution, that I think would be of interest to Hamilton fans, judging by the first comment. And everyone else, of course ( Read more... )

Today's post features excerpts from a book about Diana Sperling, who was an indefatigable painter of real life scenes during the Napoleonic era. She works in so many delightful details of her home, what people wore and did ( Read more... )

I was commenting to asakiyume about how I was watching film clips, as I often do when resting my hands. I guess I was drawn to such after hearing that the wannabe Putin is trying to take control of intelligence and data gathering, and it is so depressing to consider how few of my fellow Americans have a sense of history--or of consequences ( Read more... )

Just a few snips ( Read more... )

Yesterday afternoon my 98-year-old great-aunt stood in the old farmhouse where she'd been a child, her careful feet on the break between the newer part of the house and the old. Gazing down at the scrubbed floorboards covered with a modern rug, she said, "My father lay right there in his casket. I was five years old, and I had no idea what was ( Read more... )

Last year, at my favorite con, Sirens, I did a presentation on folding fans and fan language. Unfortunately, I can't reproduce here the fun part--the skits the participants put together. I had expected ten or twelve people at most, but the room was packed, so we ended up with five different teams, who came up with hilarious and inventive skits ( Read more... )

Heirlooms and lost arts.

Happy Purim to those who celebrate!

Somewhat related, a beautiful and poignant display of dioramas of Polish life in the 1930sIn other news, due to unfortunate circs, my mother had to leave her trailer park and she is about to move into a retirement facility. It's one she picked, and the window of her admittedly small room has a view of the ( Read more... )