Pickles, Pickles, Everywhere Pickles

Early in May, a friend of mine posted on Facebook a link to an article he’d found: “People are losing it over Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwiches.” The concept didn’t just turn his stomach. It seemed to offend his sense of the very nature of the universe. I wasn’t bothered at all, because I knewContinue reading “Pickles, Pickles, Everywhere Pickles”

Making Cecil County Plans

The weather is looking good for the Fair Hill Scottish Games this weekend; Accuweather currently has a sunny and lightly breezy day with a high of 75 and a minuscule chance of late afternoon thunderstorms. When I was in Virginia a month ago, my mom asked me when I was going to a Celtic festivalContinue reading “Making Cecil County Plans”

Forty Random Questions

Over on Facebook about a week ago, several friends responded to a list of forty questions and who they are and what they liked. I bookmarked one such post, intending to get back to it, but work deadlines intervened and consumed all my time, which is how nearly two weeks go between posts, and IContinue reading “Forty Random Questions”

A New Colorization Project

Last week, the Ghosts of DC blog posted a picture I’d not seen before — a baseball game or practice, at Georgetown University circa 1900, outside of Healy Hall and Old North. The article had a link to the original photo in Georgetown’s archives. and after downloading the photo I decided I’d take a crackContinue reading “A New Colorization Project”

Exploring Cemeteries in Edgecombe County

In 2012, I took a vacation. A brief one, just two days. I went to New York City to see the Lewis Chessmen. (Due to some poor planning on my part, I did not see them then; I had to go back over the weekend. Story of my life.) That was, sadly, my last vacationContinue reading “Exploring Cemeteries in Edgecombe County”

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

The 2019 baseball season has begun. The hapless Orioles have a winning record for the first time in a year, the Nationals and Cubs stumbled out of the starting gate, and the defending National League East champion Atlanta Braves are winless. Baseball is a long grind, a team is never as good as they lookContinue reading “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”

The Problem of Susan

A few weeks ago, Dark Horse Comics published an adaptation by P. Craig Russell of Neil Gaiman’s Narnia short story, “The Problem of Susan.” While I’ve read Gaiman’s short story a half dozen times over the years, between work and life and the flu I didn’t have the opportunity to give the graphic novel aContinue reading “The Problem of Susan”

Barsoom Attacked!

Barsoom! The word — Edgar Rice Burroughs’ name for Mars in his John Carter novels — carries this magical, mystical feel. It conjures visions of floating cities and fantastical science, of barren deserts and the alien tribes that dwell there, of ancient civilizations and epic battles of might and magic, and through it all, theContinue reading “Barsoom Attacked!”

The Scarlet Rose

A few months ago, I wrote about The Dark Lady, the first book in Alesandro Gatti’s young adult mystery series, Sherlock, Lupin, and I, about the adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arsène Lupin, and Irene Adler when they were children. I enjoyed it — it was more fun and inspired than I expected — and IContinue reading “The Scarlet Rose”