by Paula Johnson My farmer and I got to take separate vacations last week. His friend, Greg Companion, took him for a two-day fishing trip in Lake Erie, and my cousin, Sue, came from Illinois to visit me for a few days. The juxtaposition … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: German Chocolate Fudge Pie
Bits & Pieces: Beautiful or Ugly
by Paula Johnson Many years ago, Curt treated me to a cruise anywhere I wanted to go. At the time, I was less traveled than I am today. I had often been intrigued with the area around the Baltic Sea. Holland American had a wonderful … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Beautiful or Ugly
Bits & Pieces: August Trivia
by Paula Johnson Time to test our August mettle. I am sure you will know or nearly know some of these. Or maybe even correctly guess. Questions:1. How long was the workday for a typical Roman in ancient times?2. What in the … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: August Trivia
Bits & Pieces: Is Latin Really Dead?
by Paula Johnson Latin! Some have thought it a dead language, yet it lives. Some words we use often: like agenda and facsimile. The English word agenda comes directly from the Latin word agenda literally meaning “things to … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Is Latin Really Dead?
Bits & Pieces: Weddings & Funerals
by Paula Johnson Cultures around the world not only have different traditions for holidays or even different holidays altogether, but colors also play a very important part in observing similar traditions. … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Weddings & Funerals
Bits & Pieces: Coconut Cream Pie Bars
by Paula Johnson Do you love coconut cream pie, but just don’t want to fuss over it right now? Well, my farmer has been whining for a while about wanting coconut cream pie. I have several very good recipes, but a pie for gluten free … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Coconut Cream Pie Bars
Bits & Pieces: July Trivia
by Paula Johnson Before July scoots by, my trivia quiz needs to appear. The quiz is short answer rather than multiple choice or true/false. However, I give the short answer its moment of glory by explaining it a bit. Have some … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: July Trivia
Bits& Pieces: Smithson and Franklin
by Paula John Occasionally, I receive information about people we know by fame but not always in our face daily. If you have ever been to our nation’s capital or wished you had, you have heard about the complex of buildings … [Read more...] about Bits& Pieces: Smithson and Franklin
Bit & Pieces: Buffalo Bill Cody
William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody , 1846 – 1917, American soldier, bison hunter, and showman by Paula Johnson Most people of fame never knew how famous they were to become. In the TV show about Bat Masterson, the … [Read more...] about Bit & Pieces: Buffalo Bill Cody
Bits & Pieces: June Trivia
A budget-friendly alarm clock: the knocker-upper by Paula Johnson Questions:1. Who was Billy the Kid?2. When someone sneezes, what does the common German reply, “Gesundheit,” mean?3. What is a kerfuffle?4. What is the name of the … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: June Trivia
Bits & Pieces: Achievement, Stunts or Crazy
by Paula Johnson Most every generation is sure that theirs is the most daring or most misunderstood or most unconventional, etc. To that point, I would tell some of my more daring classes of students that there was likely little or … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Achievement, Stunts or Crazy
Bits & Pieces: May and June are good months for Firgun
by Paula Johnson Do you envy people who seem to have a giant command of the English language, and most often come up with just the right word to describe something? Or do you wish that we had a common word to describe a … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: May and June are good months for Firgun