by B.L. Unkel | Dec 25, 2021 | Holidays
The first recorded mention of “Christmas” is in 1038. The word came from “Cristes Maesse,” meaning “mass of Christ.” The Bible doesn’t tell us Christ’s birthdate, but a Pope back in the mid-fourth century designated December 25 as the day to celebrate His birth....
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 11, 2021 | History
Most of us have heard someone say: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. In other words, when something bad happens, turn it into something good. The Halifax explosion mentioned in last week’s “Did You Know Anyone Can Be a Hero,” definitely qualifies as something...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 4, 2021 | History
At approximately 8:45, on the morning of December 6, 1917, two ships collided in the Canadian harbor of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The collision wasn’t bad, nothing more than a minor fender bender. But some of the barrels of highly flammable fuel, stored on the deck of the...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 20, 2021 | Writing
Almost every type of genre (mystery, romance, horror, etc.) has words or phrases that are particular to that specific genre. Authors of police procedurals use police jargon. Science Fiction novels are often set in a world created in the author’s imagination with...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 6, 2021 | Travel
Several years ago, a couple of friends and I visited the Biltmore Mansion in Ashville, N.C. It was mid-November, and we’d gone specifically to see Biltmore decorated for Christmas. (If you haven’t done that, I highly recommend it.) We toured the main house twice,...
