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
Bits & Pieces: February Trivia
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
Bits & Pieces: Childhood Diseases
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
Bits & Pieces: Dead Wake
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
Bits & Pieces: January Trivia
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
Bits & Pieces: Staying Current
by Paula Johnson If you’re getting older, you really don’t want to admit it. However, sometimes without realizing it – we shout it to the world. Remember when “cool, man!” and “groovy” were the “in” words that made us feel in the know … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Staying Current
Bits & Pieces: Interesting and Unusual
by Paula Johnson Sometimes as I read information that includes dates, I think about the date in relation to a member of my family (usually deceased at this point in my life). It gives me a sense of time and what things were like for … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Interesting and Unusual
Bits & Pieces: December Trivia
by Paula Johnson Good Grief, Charlie Brown, another year gone to memories. Really, that is what trivia is – memories: some remembered and some forgotten. Maybe some of these memories are still in your personal database or … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: December Trivia
Bits & Pieces: Idioms and Funny Words
"Now we're cooking with gas!" by Paula Johnson Have you ever made a remark out of the blue? Yep. Like that: “out of the blue.” It’s an idiom – a phrase or expression that has a different meaning than the actual … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Idioms and Funny Words
Bits & Pieces: Cleveland Clinic
Taussig Cancer Center - Cleveland Clinic by Paula Johnson Our affair with the Cleveland Clinic began when we were continually “stood up” by Detroit’s Henry Ford Hospital. After the third cancellation and very little cooperation, … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Cleveland Clinic
Bits & Pieces: Prohibitions
by Paula Johnson I have had a bit of stress lately, so a particular period in our nation’s history has been in the front of my mind: Prohibition. The concept of making alcohol illegal in this country is not … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Prohibitions
Bits & Pieces: Left-handedness
by Paula Johnson You likely have left-handed friends or may even be left-handed yourself. I have always thought that being left-handed was cool. I even have envied those who are left-handed. That is probably an odd thing for a … [Read more...] about Bits & Pieces: Left-handedness