by B.L. Unkel | Feb 3, 2024 | Writing
Popeye the Sailor debuted in the comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929. Here’s a look behind the scenes at one of the most loved and iconic cartoon characters of all time. The Creator As a youngster, Chester, IL native, Elzie Crisler Segar showed a...
by B.L. Unkel | Jan 20, 2024 | Everything Else
Winter brings the need to bundle up against the cold. Part of that process is donning a hat. Hat History Head coverings were invented for more than just protecting the wearer’s head. A hat can also indicate a person’s job, as well as their social status. They...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 23, 2023 | Holidays
Christmas customs and traditions are many and varied. One of the best-known, at least in the U.S., is the Christmas tree. Evergreens Evergreen trees, like mistletoe and other evergreen plants, have been used in pagan and Christian winter festivals for thousands...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 16, 2023 | Everything Else
What do Christmas, Druids, a Norse god, and bird droppings have in common? Mistletoe, of course! The Plant Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that grows in large spherical clumps on a wide variety of hosts—trees and shrubs. Some mistletoe clumps can get as...
by B.L. Unkel | Dec 9, 2023 | Baking
Christmas—my favorite time of the year. One of the many things associated with the Christmas season is gingerbread. What Is It Gingerbread covers a broad range of baked goods. From crisp cookies to moist cakes, gingerbread is any baked good, seasoned with...
