The Battle of Culloden was the final confrontation of the Jacobite rising of 1745. On this date, 16 April 1746, the Jacobite army of Charles Edward Stuart was decisively defeated by a British government force …
National Barbershop Quartet Day is observed annually on April 11. Barbershop quartets have a way making the heart flutter. Very often they transport us back to a simpler time or at the least make it …
We were in NYC April 6, 2019 for our daughter-in-law’s birthday and the Tartan Day Parade. Look who the Grand Marshall was! I am so sorry we missed 2015 when Sean Connery was Grand Marshall …
I spent many years helping the school librarian in my son’s elementary school. They do fantastic things! April 4th is National School Librarian Day. It is set aside to honor all school librarians. School …
Q: How many critics does it take to change a light bulb? A: Critics can’t change a light bulb. But they’ll watch you do it and tell you a hundred ways you could have done it …
Our wonderful daughter-in-law is Chinese, so we are celebrating, too.
This is the Year of the Pig.
The Pig (豬) is the twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.
According to the myths, the Pig was the last to arrive when the Jade Emperor called for the great meeting. Other sources said that Buddha called for a great meeting when he was about to leave the Earth. The Pig came in last.
Legend has it that just as the emperor was about to call it a day, an oink and squeal was heard from a little Pig. The term “lazy Pig” is due here as the Pig got hungry during the race, promptly stopped for a feast then fell asleep. After the nap, the Pig continued the race and was named the 12th and last animal of the zodiac cycle.]
Other sources say that given his very stout form, he was just too slow a swimmer, and thus he could not do anything against the other animals.
This video just came up on my Facebook feed this morning but I hadn’t seen it before. Even though Washington is misspelled, this is still a fantastic performance for Sean Connery in 1999.
Sean Connery was honored at the Kennedy Center for lifetime achievements. The music consists of the Washington Pipe Band, Alasdair Fraser, Davidson School of Scottish Dance, Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis.
Groundhog Day is observed on February 2nd, each year in the United States and Canada.
For a nice welcomed break during the winter, on this day the groundhog awakens from his nap and goes outside to see if he can see his shadow. It is believed by many that if the groundhog sees his shadow that there will then be six more weeks of winter. If this is so, he then heads back into his den and goes back to sleep. If he is not able to see his shadow, the groundhog remains outside and, supposedly, spring is just around the corner.
Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania has been chosen as the site for the annual Groundhog day event. Thousands of people come to the town of Punxsutawney on Groundhog Day for this day of celebration.
Although already a well known day, Groundhog Day received widespread attention as a result of the 1993 film Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney, PA.
Another anniversary rolls around, the 46th, to be exact.
I always like to check out this picture of our wedding expenses. We have it framed and sitting on our mantle.
Tom paid $50.26 (blood tests and wedding ring!) and my costs (I made my own dress) were $29.25.
We were lucky. My dad was the minister at the Barre (MA) Congregational Church so he didn’t charge us to perform the service. The women of the church provided the reception in the parsonage. My mom chipped in the flowers.
Well worth the cost!
Barre Congregational Church
Our honeymoon was in upstate New York so Tom could look for a job. My only memories of that trip were the snow coming in under the door of our motel and Tom not getting a job.
After that, we drove back to Boston where we rented the bottom floor of my mother-in-law’s house. In Dorchester, many of the homes were triple deckers and families could have one, two or three floors.
This isn’t where we lived, but a very similar look to her house.
We got all moved in and painted everything (we decided to paint my sewing room a cheery yellow. The walls just sucked in the yellow paint and we had to use many, many coats). So, Tom got a job in Washington, DC.
So, we packed up and found a small apartment in Alexandria, VA.
That apartment was so small…when my parents came to visit, they slept on cots in the living room with their feet under my newly-acquired piano.
Then we moved to Holmes Run Parkway (also in Alexandria), Silver Spring, MD, Wilmington, DE, and finally settled in Fairfax, VA.
Today is a great day for this since we have a snow day.
The second Monday of January each year recognizes National Clean Off Your Desk Day.
This day is an opportunity to begin your new year with a clean and organized workspace. Whether your desk is in a private or shared office, cubicle, home or a make-shift desk on the counter, having your workspace uncluttered, organized, refreshed and clean will help you work more efficiently and give you a sense of serenity.
When we were in Scotland a couple years ago, we walked to Edinburgh Castle and back from hotel a couple times.
I had never heard of Greyfriar’s Bobby until our bus tour the second day although we had walked by the statue 3 times already!
On our 4th pass-by, we saw several people taking pictures of the statue. I guess they knew.
Bobby was a Skye Terrier who became known in 19th-century Edinburgh for supposedly spending 14 years guarding the grave of his owner until he died himself on 14 January 1872.
The story continues to be well known in Scotland, through several books and films, and a prominent commemorative statue and nearby graves act as a tourist attraction.
Each year on the 14th of January there is an event in Greyfriars Church Yard honoring the loyalty of Greyfriars Bobby. The inscription on his memorial reads ” Let his loyalty and devotion be a lesson to us all”. He had faithfully guarded the grave of his master John Gray for 14 years after he passed away. The minister of Greyfriars and the Lord Provost of Edinburgh were the key speakers.
According to a 1973 Sesame Street calendar, Rubber Duckie’s Birthday is January 13 so around the country it’s National Rubber Ducky Day! A friend of Ernie and Big Bird, Duckie made his debut in a February 1970 episode.
The rubber ducky (also spelled duckie) has come a long way from his first concept as a chew toy for children. While the origin of the first rubber ducky is uncertain, many rubber molded toys from dolls to those in various animal shapes came about when rubber manufacturing developed in the late 1800s.
During World Wars I and II, rubber was a valuable commodity which was rationed, and by the 1940s with the advent of plastic, the rubber ducky began being produced in vinyl and plastic.
The earliest patent for a rubber duck toy was patented in 1928 by Landon Smart Lawrence. His design was for a bath toy which was weighted and when tipped would return to its upright position. The sketch included with the patent was that of a duck.
Russian Sculptor Peter Ganine sculpted many animal figures. One, a duck, he later designed and patented it into a floating toy which closely resembles the rubber ducky we have become familiar with today.
Sales of the iconic yellow rubber ducky we’ve come to know today soared in Britain in 2001. Why? A British Tabloid, The Sun, reported Queen Elizabeth II had a rubber duck in her bathroom that wore an inflatable crown.
The rubber ducky became a Toy Hall of Fame inductee in 2013. Founded in 1998, the Hall of Fame has only inducted 52 other toys.
The now world famous giant rubber duck, by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, has sailed into the Port of Los Angeles. The six-storey-tall bath toy has made its west coast debut to take part in their Tall Ships Festival parade. The duck has also appeared in Australia, Belgium, Japan, New Zealand and Brazil. Earlier this year, versions of the massive inflatable duck were in Asia, including Beijing’s harbour and Taiwan, where the duck actually exploded and fell apart while on display. Report by Sarah Kerr.
Did you know that the City of Fairfax Regional Library has a Rubber Ducky collection?
Go on a scavenger hunt to discover more than 200 ducks hiding throughout the building and are on display. The Rubber Ducky is the library’s mascot.
During the workshop, you will play theatre games, take a tour of our auditorium including the lights and sound booth, props, and costumes, learn and perform a piece of choreography from the show, and have a Q&A with members of our cast and crew!
Lamb Lanza Lehar Lennon Lerner Lerner and Loewe Lewis Liadov Liberace - 3 videos added 2/4/24 Ligeti Lipatti - video added 3/19/24 Liszt - video added 2/14/24 Lloyd Webber - video added 3/23/24 Locatelli Loewe - video added 2/14/24 Lully - video added 3/23/24 Lunceford - video added 4/26/24 Lutoslawski Find the list at https://oconnormusicstudio.com/composers-2/composers-l/
Here, in this vibrant hub of heroism, young and old heroes alike answer the call of duty, joining forces to lend their extraordinary talents to Hero Teams across the globe. Whether it’s solving perplexing puzzles, battling dastardly villains, or rescuing those in peril, these superheroes are always ready to save the day with a dash […]
- 11th Annual Kite Festival - Cub Run Stream Valley (Flint Lee Road) – Watershed Cleanup 2024 - Fairy Festival - Mosaic Festival - Festival Of Colors 2024 Holi DC - Seedling Tray Planting & Plant Swap - Brookfield Family Movie Night!
It’s a small and beautiful world! If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere you wanted, where would you go? Come fly with us to some of our favorite places!
Step into a world of giggles and song with “Fun “with Music at Pender! This is not just any music class – it's a journey through sound and imagination designed especially for preschoolers and their favorite grown-ups. Since 2013, Jim and Roberta Pont have been creating a space where tiny toes tap, and little voices […]
Are you ready to lace up your sneakers for a cause that hits close to home? Join us for the Feed Fairfax 5k, a family-friendly event that’s more than just a race—it’s a chance to make a tangible difference in the lives of Fairfax County students facing food insecurity. Mark your calendars for Saturday, May […]
Ages 2-Adult. Watch sheep shearing and antique farm equipment demonstrations. See cow and goat milking demos and participate in hands-on farm activities.
By a good friend of mine! When dying to date Mr. Right leads to finding Mr. Wrong—it’s deadly. Relationship expert Kristina Truly has a proven track record of dating the wrong men. However, her highly publicized romantic failures don’t stop her fans from attending her Finding Mr. Right, Not Mr. Perfect seminars and reading her […]
The 99-year-old Earl of Middlemop has had his future cruelly snatched from him. Who could have poisoned the richest man in Wessex? The answer lies within the walls of Gripedown Hall where family secrets and bitter rivalries prevail. Senior sleuths Churchill and Pemberley investigate on the behest of their friend Tryphena Ridley-Balls. However, another friend […]
MURDER IN THE MANOR (A LACEY DOYLE COZY MYSTERY—BOOK 1) is the debut novel in a charming new cozy mystery series by Fiona Grace. Lacey Doyle, 39 years old and freshly divorced, needs a drastic change. She needs to quit her job, leave her horrendous boss and New York City, and walk away from the […]
A snowbound country mansion, a missing butler, and a Christmas case . . . Olive and Jasper have never been closer—except in one area. Jasper is still reticent about his frequent disappearances from polite society. With the holidays approaching and no paying client on the books, Olive decides to shadow Jasper when he’s unexpectedly called […]
As the first full-length novel in The White Sails Series, DISCERNING GRACE captures the spirit of an independent woman whose feminine lens blows the ordered patriarchal decks of a 19th century tall ship to smithereens. Wilful Grace Baxter, will not marry old Lord Silverton with his salivary incontinence and dead-mouse stink. Discovering she is a […]
A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment “Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining.” —Wall Street Journal “Don’t trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian sleuths in Osman’s own laugh-out-loud whodunit.” —Parade Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her […]
The amateur sleuths at the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop must call upon the powers of deduction in order to rid Baker Street of a ruthless killer Gemma Doyle and Jayne Wilson are busy managing the Sherlock Holmes Bookshop and Emporium on Baker Street and adjoining Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room in anticipation of the store’s upcoming book […]
A murder on the high seas. A remarkable detective duo. A demon who may or may not exist. It's 1634, and Samuel Pipps, the world's greatest detective, is being transported to Amsterdam to be executed for a crime he may, or may not, have committed. Traveling with him is his loyal bodyguard, Arent Hayes, who […]
Ah, sweet mystery, when Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin plunge into a case of murder brimming with luscious, lethal ladies. Who murdered Waldo Wilmot Moore? Well, there were five hundred female employees at the Wall Street firm where poor Waldo had worked. Any one of them might have done it. And there was also the […]
As December turns Lake Eden, Minnesota, into the North Pole, the heat is on in Hannah Swensen’s kitchen to honor two Christmas promises: baking irresistible holiday cupcakes and preventing an attempted murderer from succeeding the second time around! While Hannah speeds through a lengthy holiday checklist, drama in town grows like Santa’s waistline on Christmas […]