from Sandy Dale  I am known for being a bit verbose and for gushing on and on about particular subjects.  One of my favorites is Florence.  I have now lived here for twenty years.  For a gypsy sort of person, that’s pretty amazing.  When I moved here I thought I was just passing through this cute little Victorian town.  I […]

 One of the first recorded instances of roses representing love comes from ancient Greek Mythology. Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, walked through a rose garden that had been shot with an arrow by Cupid. The roses had grown thorns thanks to Cupid’s arrow.  The rose continued its rise to stardom in Roman mythology. This time it was Venus (also a […]

By Robert Reed  Starting with George Washington and later with Abraham Lincoln, the memorabilia of presidents has provided a significant source of collecting. It doesn’t hurt either that President’s Day honoring them all is an annual holiday.  For the traditionalists it should be noted that the federal Office of Personnel Management still calls the third Monday in February simply Washington’s […]

By Robert Reed  One of the major ironies of the 19th century is how the lowly soda cracker came to be housed in the lovely and varied cracker jar.  Eventually cracker jars appeared in pottery, porcelain, wood, metal and the finest of art glass. Many bore elaborately decorated handles and bails, sometimes engraved and silver plated.  Distinguished cracker jars, of […]

 Recently, I was accused of being a Boomer due to my lack of knowledge about a current internet app. Of course, I had to correct my accusers and tell them that actually I am of the Silent Generation. Ugh! I’d rather be considered a ‘Boomer.” Off by only one year to put me into this (in my mind dynamic generation) […]