Decoding Ancient Secrets: A mini zine about Mary Stuart’s cryptic letters
The story was like something out of a historical romance novel: ancient epistles written in a secret code, and a hapless queen fated to be executed for getting mixed up in a plot to assassinate her cousin, Queen Elizabeth I.
June Days of Note and Other Calendrical Miscellanea
This month is named for the Roman goddess Juno, wife/partner of Jupiter; queen of the heavens; protector of women, childbirth, and marriage. Read on to learn about the Anglo Saxon name for the month (which begins today, May 28), China’s dragon boat festival, Greenland’s National Day, a week to celebrate pollinators, the story of Pride Month, and assorted other commemorations.
My Mother’s Compasses
My mother has two compasses in her car. One is securely affixed to the dashboard, and because the needle is a magnet and something under the dashboard contains steel, it always indicates that she’s traveling north. The second one clings to the windshield with a suction cup, and as such is usually reliable, except when it falls off.
Artist Trading Cards and an Irish Hare
I wanted to do something Celtic involving rabbits or hares, and remembered that I had come across some folklore of the British Isles assigning symbolic and magical qualities to hares.
Everything Is Suddenly Waking Up in the Garden
On May Day, as if on cue, our serviceberry exploded with white starry flowers, which is a reliable indicator that the mining bees are up.
May Holidays and Observations
May is named for Maia, Roman earth goddess. To the Anglo-Saxons, it was Thrimilce, meaning “three milks” or milkings, because cattle are well-fed on fresh green grass and can be milked three times a day.
Happy Saint George’s Day!
The patron saint of England, celebrated on the anniversary of his death in 303 CE, is most remembered for a single act of dragon-slaying.
Confessions of a Fussy Old Lady
I’m pretty sure I’ve been a fussy old lady all my life. For example, I much prefer to sip my coffee from a ceramic mug; and if I’m getting a cappuccino or latte at a cafe, it should be served in a roundish cup with a handle, on a saucer.
Making Easter Ornaments With Scrap Paper
Recently I got to thinking that it would be fun to decorate an “Easter tree.”
What’s All This Then? Why a Stand-Alone Website?
When I started my shop on Etsy in 2009, it was a very convenient and beginner-friendly way for a small-time-operator to sell things online.