Red Nose

Here's my grandmother's marriage certificate. It's not as fancypants as her father's certificate, but Gramma's wedding was 27 years after his, so maybe things were more streamlined in the 20th century. Anyway, the Washington Star published the following description of the wedding. The suburban home of Dr. and Mrs. Charles F. Whitney of Woodside, Md., was the scene of a pretty wedding Wednesday evening, when their daughter, Miss Mabel Whitney, was married to Mr. Jarrett... Read more →

Joe and I have been attending a historical dinner series at a local joint - the Black Powder Tavern. It's been very entertaining! First off, the tavern itself was built in 1746. During the encampment at Valley Forge, George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and General Von Steuben had strategy meetings there. Now we get dinner and a lecture on an American Revolution battle once a month! Here's what I have learned and eaten so... Read more →

I've been reading about how social media has given rise to new ways for a person to be a dick; for example, the phenomena known as "ghosting" and "zombie-ing." For you folks unaware of these behaviors, ghosting occurs when a person disappears from another's social media. Maybe you were in the beginning stages of dating, texting up a storm, friends on Facebook, blah blah blah. Suddenly the object of your attention is gone. They don't... Read more →

It seems wrong that tonight's full moon is called the Cold Moon when it's 59 degrees outside. (It's also called the Long Nights Moon; I wrote about that a long time ago.) It's also the Winter Solstice, when darkness falls at 4:39 in the afternoon and lasts until 7:19 tomorrow morning. A long, long night. So much dark. I have mixed feelings about the night. I'm scared of it, a legacy of another cold Winter... Read more →

Here's an interesting little piece of history from World War II - a War Ration book. It's only the cover, because Mom used the stamps to buy rationed goods, like sugar, meat, and canned goods. I'm guessing that each family member could get one, because this book is for John Wise, my older brother. (He died before I was born.) What I find fascinating are the instructions on the back, particularly the warning on the... Read more →

I've posted a couple of Holidailies entries featuring my childhood visits to Santa Claus, so why not another? Here I am, age 3, looking slightly starstruck - or maybe nervous? Maybe it was that voluminous beard! That's the most bearded Santa I've ever seen. I do like my sweet faux fur-trimmed hat and perfectly trimmed bangs though. Read more →

When I was 10 or so, Pop took my sister and me to a baseball game. Somewhere in the middle of the game, I had to go to the bathroom. When I came back out or the ladies room, I got turned around and went the wrong way, so instead of heading back to my seat, I found myself walking in a deserted part of the stadium. Out of nowhere, a gang of four or... Read more →

If you've seen a couple of my recent Facebook posts, you know that I went on a quest for a compass -- not the "where's north" type of compass, but the "draw a circle" type of compass. The reason I wanted one is to make drawing concentric circles easier. Compasses are very good for that. You could even say that circle drawing the raison d'etre of the compass. Concentric circles make a very nice framework... Read more →

Thirty-six years ago at just about this time, Father DiNardo said "I now pronounce you man and wife!" Wow -- 1980. The olden days! No PCs, no internet, no cell phones or tablets, nope! Just family, friends, good food, laughter, dancing, and champagne! We met in August, 1979. It was a whirlwind courtship! He said, "I love you" first, but I said it back right away. He proposed in December; I didn't even realize he... Read more →

Last Sunday, I had brunch with my second cousin Meg (I think I've got that relationship right). Until she read my post about my grandfather and sent me an email, I never knew she existed! It turns out that my grandfather and her grandfather were brothers! She and her husband came to town to visit their son, so we got together to exchange our various life stories and get to know one another. We had... Read more →