Paula Johnson

by Paula Johnson Vocabulary words are a favorite with me. During high school years, I used the family’s Roget’s Thesaurus almost to the point of a third appendage.     The 1946 edition that we had, not only was “the … [Read more...] about Bit & Pieces: Words

by Paula Johnson Call me an eternal optimist, but I think spring is in the air.    Spring is many things to many people, but by and large it means getting outside, opening the windows, and letting the outside … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Presidential Exercise

by Paula Johnson  We all know what a trial my farmer has had over the past 2+ years, and he is coming along exceptionally well. After his time at Cleveland Clinic with radiation to kill the tumor pushing on his brain stem, he seemed … [Read more...] about Bit & Pieces: Gulf of Mexico Cruise 2025

by Paula Johnson The Ides of March are upon us – “Et tu Brute?” Julius Caesar met his fate; yet I hope you have much success with this month’s trivia. Questions1. How did we get the expression “paint the town red” to mean a lively and … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: March Trivia

by Paula Johnson A headline caught my eye a few weeks ago. It was referring to the price of a movie ticket in the 1950s. I used to love movies. I even enjoyed theater on TV, which in the 60s might translate to a movie. There were … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Movie Theater

by Paula Johnson I seldom watch TV, but I have found a commercial that I love. I hope the company will create a new one for the next Super Bowl keeping the same animal. It would certainly stand a chance of being better than any this … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: The Owl

by Paula Johnson Maybe we should be grateful for Latin roots of words. Pennsylvania is a good example.    As children in school maybe you remember learning that William Penn had a charter to establish a colony in the New … [Read more...] about Bit & Pieces: Tidbits

by Paula Johnson I read an article the other day about bumper stickers. Remember them? We don’t see much of them today, but there was a time that car bumpers almost needed to be replaced when a car was sold. I found it interesting … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Bumper Stickers and Grammar

by Paula Johnson Questions1. How did Twinkies get its name?2. What popular food snack was almost discontinued during WWII?3. What is sometimes recognized as the function of yawing?4. What farm animal is considered a descendent to the … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: February Trivia

Iron Lung Ward c. 1955 - Some people with polio whose breathing muscles were paralyzed were placed in large machines called iron lungs. These machines helped them breathe and may have helped them live longer. by Paula Johnson … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Childhood Diseases

by Paula Johnson One of my greatest pleasures is enjoying a good book.     In some books, especially fiction, I meet new friends and go on new adventures. Often, when I finish the book, I am sad because “our time” is … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Dead Wake

by Paula Johnson I can remember putting my name and date at the top of each paper in school. The year 2000 seemed unattainable. I couldn’t even imagine that year. Now we enter the last year of the first quarter of that century. Here is a … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: January Trivia