Did You Know?
Did You Know “Bubble and Squeak” Doesn’t Refer to Bath Time?
Food Names What Thanksgiving leftovers are you now enjoying? Turkey? Green bean casserole? Sweet potatoes? Pecan pie? The names of these foods make sense. They tell you exactly what you’re eating. Other dishes have names that not only don’t provide a clue as to what...
Did You Know You Don’t Have To Be A Professional Writer To Love Writing?
Write Day? Did you know writing has a national day? Just recently I learned that November 15 was National I Love To Write Day. (How did I not know this?) It started 21 years ago, created by non-fiction and self-help Delaware-based author John Riddle. His goal was to...
Did You Know Diamonds Can’t Burn, But They Can Walk Away?
As I’ve mentioned before, I believe every family has at least one mystery in their family tree. One of mine happened 120 years ago this month. Setting the Scene In the late 1800s, beauty pageants weren’t as we know them today. Back then, “contestants” submitted...
Did You Know November is NaNoWriMo?
November is a special month for authors, both because of NaNoWriMo and because of National Author’s Day. NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It started in 1999 as a challenge: Write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days—writing only,...
Did You Know You Can Celebrate This Holiday With Chicken Feed?
Another Halloween is almost upon us. History Halloween began more than 2,000 years ago as a pre-Christian Celtic festival called “Samhain” (pronounced "sow-in" and meaning summer’s end). It marked the changing seasons and the final day of the harvest. While it...
Did You Know The “Montgomery Miracle” Wasn’t a Sports Play?
Summer has finally given way to Fall here in Southeast Texas. I must admit that weeks ago I began longing for Tennessee’s crisp autumn days and fall colors, as well as the many Living History and Heritage Day Festivals and cemetery walks scheduled each September and...
Did You Know Yawning Cools Down Your Brain?
Your strongest muscle and worst enemy is your mind. Train it well. – Anonymous Your Brain Your brain isn’t really a muscle, but it’s more important and more powerful than your strongest muscle. It controls every function of your body—both physical and mental....
Did You Know You Can Be In Two Places At The Same Time?
I love to travel. (Though after years of doing so for work, any traveling I do now is strictly for fun.) But travel’s not always practical or feasible, especially if you’re talking about far-off places. Travel In the past, if you wanted to see a specific place...
Did You Know Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster Doesn’t Really Eat Cookies?
October 1 is National Homemade Cookies Day. Who doesn’t love fresh-from-the-oven homemade cookies? The Cookie According to Dictionary.com a cookie is a small, usually round and flat cake, the size of an individual portion, made from stiff, sweetened dough, and...
Did You Know Doctors Once Used Frogs to Cure Coughs?
It’s time for another foray into the past to answer the question: Why do we say the things we say? Phrases When you use certain phrases, you know what they mean, but if you stop and consider the actual words, they often don’t make sense . . . not unless you...