The Tour Bus Will Wait: Across Ireland in an 8-Passenger Van
This first appeared as a guest blog on Rosemary Adkins’ great website, www.ExtraordinaryIreland.com. Since Noelle is going to Ireland this month, it seemed appropriate to re-post it here. When we...
View ArticleRobert Burns Immortal Memory
Every year, Scots and those who like things Scottish gather on or about January 25th to honor Scotland’s unofficial national poet, and enjoy a fine dinner and copious drink (hopefully single-malt...
View ArticleGround Hog Day . . . Or Is It Imbolc?
Punxsutawney Phil has spoken: it will be an early spring in 2013. Of course, few people take Punxsutawney Phil Sowerby, the groundhog from Punxsutawney, PA, as an actual weather guru, even though he...
View ArticleMardi Gras, Pancakes and Lent
Everyone knows about Mardi Gras, right? Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a big party that consumes the city of New Orleans as well as many other metropoles across the nation and around the world. Rio’s...
View ArticleMassacred St. Valentine’s Day
Okay, I’m a romantic. Casablanca is one of my favorite movies. I’ve even watched a few “chick flicks” and liked one or two. Don’t get me wrong, Lifetime and Hallmark are channels I religiously avoid....
View ArticleAnti-Academy Awards Party
I am not anti-movies. I love many of the old ones. Bogart is my favorite actor. I even love some movies made after 1968, like Bladerunner, Lion in Winter and The Man Who Would Be King. Movies like...
View ArticleOscars Wild in 2013
Well, there there were a few risque gowns, but from what I’ve seen online, there were also some stunning ones. Probably that had to do with women like Halle Berry wearing them. I mean, women like...
View ArticleThe Decline and Fall of the English Language
“Would you like any more coffee?” you ask. “I’m good,” is the response. And no one blinks an eye. Adjectives and adverbs are becoming interchangeable. Or maybe indistinguishable. “You promised to be...
View ArticleSt. Patrick’s Day, Green Beer and Blue Mead
St. Patrick’s Day, originally a feast day of the Catholic church, has become a major American drunken celebration. Before I get into the down and dirty, let me assure you that St. Patrick never drank...
View ArticleAccuracy in Guns or Gunning for Accuracy
While it may not currently be politically correct to talk about guns, my characters carry them. Morg is a P.I. in Christmas Cracker and Vince is a Chicago PD detective in the soon-to-be-released Foul...
View ArticleIrish Whiskey and Just a Wee Dram of Scotch Whisky
Some more observant readers will notice “Irish whiskey” and “Scotch whisky.” This was no typo. Irish and Americans distill whiskey, but the Scots distill whisky. Since both words come from the...
View ArticleMay Day or Beltane
In the ancient Celtic world there were four fire festivals: Samhain (the Celtic new year on October 31-November 1 that gave birth to Halloween) , Imbolc (the beginning of Celtic spring on January...
View ArticleHappy Mother’s Day, Mom. Or is it Mum?
It’s downright un-American not to love your mother. Mom, apple pie and Chevrolet, for you old enough to remember the motto. Even rough-tough professional football players mug for the TV camera,...
View ArticleOff to the TT Races
While Americans are preparing for Memorial Day remembrances and cook-outs, something else is happening on the Isle of Man this weekend. Saturday, the 25th of May is the first practice day this year...
View ArticleEulogy for The Dog
Today, June 3, 2013, I killed a true and loyal companion. No, I did not shoot her or actually commit the act myself, but I commissioned it. I had my vet give a lethal injection to a kind and gentle …...
View ArticleManx Classic Car Club
When I moved to the Isle of Man in 1994, I bought a copy of The Official Isle of Man Year Book. This is not like my high school yearbooks with photos of everyone there, but more of an … Continue...
View ArticleThat Ol’ Time Fourth of July
I grew up in Southern California suburbia. As kids, my sisters and I had a box of “safe and sane” fireworks (not the big one, but what we could afford) that we would set off on Independence Day....
View ArticleHappy 4th of July, But Now On To Tynwald Day!
After doing my bit for God, country and the Celtic Society by marching in the Independence Day parade in Grass Valley this morning (thankfully finishing before the heat hit in force), I am enjoying the...
View ArticleManx Flower Festival
This July, the Isle of Man held it’s annual Flower Festival. For an idea of what one is like, click here. Although it is a nice event, I was never a part of the decorating of the churches for the …...
View ArticleDancing at Lughnasa
If you’re looking for a commentary on the Meryl Streep and Michael Gambon movie, sorry. This is about the Gaelic fire festival, Lughnasa. Notice it is Gaelic, not Celtic. Although the Gaels are...
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