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 …
Tag: Scotland
Jan 06
It’s National Shortbread Day!
Shortbread is a classic Scottish dessert traditionally made with: 1 part white sugar (I use powdered) 2 parts butter 3 parts flour (I usually use rice flour) And a bit of salt Shortbread is so named because of its crumbly texture which is caused by its high-fat content, provided by the butter. “Shortening” is …
Dec 31
The First Foot
In Scottish folklore, the first-foot is the first person to enter the home of a household on New Year’s Day and a bringer of good fortune for the coming year. Although it is acceptable in many places for the first-footer to be a resident of the house, they must not be in the house at …
Dec 31
Hogmanay Fireballs…Again!
Hogmanay is the Scots word for the last day of the year and is synonymous with the celebration of the New Year (Gregorian calendar) in the Scottish manner. It is normally followed by further celebration on the morning of New Year’s Day (1 January) or, in some cases, 2 January—a Scottish bank holiday. The …
Nov 11
Giving Thanks on Veterans: November 11, 2019
Giving thanks to our Veterans today I’m not sure how Veterans Day turned into a Monday holiday and a day to sell stuff, but then, most every holiday has turned into a day for stores to run “sales”. Possibly, the original intent was to give our veterans a break but it has sure morphed away …
Aug 19
It’s World Photo Day Again
Today is another of those “Who Knew” holidays. I was recently talking to someone about our last trip to Scotland and she reminded me to take lots of pictures. Then, she said to be sure to print them out so she could see them. Um, no way! I haven’t printed out pictures since probably …
Aug 05
Scotland’s Summer Bank Holiday
Last year we’re in Scotland on August 28, so wen’t were affected by the August Bank Holiday. This year’s holiday is on Monday, August 5. The August Bank Holiday was instituted by the Bank Holidays Act of 1871 to give bankers a day off so they could participate in cricket matches. Since then, however, its …
Apr 06
5 Things You Didn’t Know About Scotland on Tartan Day
I have my Black Watch tartan ready to go to wear to the parade in New York this year. Don’t be surprised if you see people decked out in tartan this weekend. Today, April 6, the United States is celebrating National Tartan Day. The day is intended to recognize the contributions of Scottish Americans to …
Apr 06
National Tartan Day
April 6 is National Tartan Day. This is an official national holiday which kicks off Tartan Week. National Tartan Day honors all the Scottish heritage that flows through this nation. From its earliest beginnings, Americans with Scottish ancestry endeavored for that freedom as much as any American. It was in their blood. It was …
Music
- 🚀 Revenge of the 5th TodayMay the Fourth might be “Star Wars Day,” but don’t forget the Revenge of the Fifth! Join us for a geeky good time and make a pool-noodle light sabre for fun!
- 📟 One-on-One Technology Help TodayOur volunteers can answer questions and help with basic issues, such as setting up email accounts, creating word documents, help with phones etc.
- 📆 O'Connor Music Studio CalendarUpdated daily with music and Northern Virginia events.
- 🎶 Learn to Play the Ukulele, May 7Celebrate Hawaiian culture during Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month & learn to play the ukulele.
- 👩🏽🍳 Let ‘em Cook: Teen Cooking May 6Learn the basics of preparing a meal for dinner at home and leave the delivery behind. Becky will be covering stove top, sous vide, and instant pot cooking for a wide variety of kitchen skills that you can use at home.
- 🥁 Fun with Music for Preschoolers, MondaysStep 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 […]
- 🎁 Mother’s Day Gift Making Grade School Program May 7Children, tweens, and teens are invited to join us for this DIY event. All soapmaking, balt salts, and Mother’s Day card supplies will be provided by the library and you will take the finished product home.
- 🔍 Mystery Book Club, May 7Whether you like your detectives hard- or soft-boiled, professional or amateur, join us each month as we delve into a different mystery novel.
- 😎 Vacation Bible School (VBS) Registration is OpenHere, 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 […]
- 🧶 Fairfax Knitting, TuesdaysNovice or pro, join others who love to knit.
Little Free Library
- Dying To Date: Love, betrayal, murder—a great first dateBy 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 Poisoned PeerThe 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 ManorMURDER 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 […]
- Murder on a Midnight ClearA 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 […]
- Discerning GraceAs 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 […]
- The Thursday Murder Club: A Novel (A Thursday Murder Club Mystery Book 1)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 […]
- Body on Baker Street (A Sherlock Holmes Bookshop Mystery Book 2)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 […]
- The Devil and the Dark Water (A Locked-Room Historical Mystery)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 […]
- Too Many WomenAh, 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 […]
- Christmas Cupcake MurderAs 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 […]