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 | 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 | Nov 25, 2023 | Baking
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...
by B.L. Unkel | Nov 11, 2023 | History
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...
by B.L. Unkel | Oct 28, 2023 | Holidays
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...
