From Party Drug to Medical Miracle
Persons of a certain age who had surgery as children may remember the anesthesiologist placing a gauze covered wire cage over their noses and mouths. With the cage firmly in place, the… Continue reading
Category Archive: history
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The Swamp Fox: Hero of the Revolution
One of my writing passions is taking those tantalizing footnotes of history and weaving stories around them. Celebrating Independence Day got me thinking about heroes and reminded me that there are some who… Continue reading
War and Remembrance: the Origins of Memorial Day
At the end of America’s bloodiest conflict, there was scarcely a household North or South that had not suffered loss. Estimates of the dead due to combat, accidents, starvation, and disease range from… Continue reading
Cinco de Mayo: It’s a Texas Thing
Last Sunday was Cinco de Mayo and we Texans celebrated it like we are all of Hispanic heritage. Many people hold the mistaken notion that Cinco de Mayo celebrates Mexico’s independence from Spain,… Continue reading
Party with Your Boots On!!
I am going to break into my series on American castles to share a taste of true Texas heritage and tradition. As the saying goes, I was not born in Texas, but I got… Continue reading
The Bishop’s Palace: the American Castle that Survived a Killer
At 1402 Broadway on Texas’s Galveston Island sits a castle that the American Institute of Architects has cited as among America’s 100 most important buildings. In addition to its ornate Victorian exterior replete… Continue reading
The First Christmas Card
Love them or hate them, it’s time to send and receive Christmas cards. Which makes me wonder–how did this practice ever come about anyway? The postal service was not used by ordinary folks… Continue reading
Bacon’s Castle: America’s Oldest Brick Residence and the Ghosts that Haunt It
What a difference a few decades can make. When colonists arrived at the site that would become Jamestown, Virginia, they encountered a pristine wilderness. By 1665, the colony would boast its own castle.… Continue reading
Thanksgiving Without the Pilgrims
November moves along and it is time for tall black hats, turkey, and indigenous peoples in highly incorrect head dresses. In the United States we all know the drill: the Pilgrim Fathers of… Continue reading
The Year Of The STEM Candidate
A total of 24 men and women with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ran for Congress this year in the United States mid-term elections, of which an unparalleled seven women won… Continue reading