Born in Long Island, Walt Whitman (May 31, 1819 – March 26, 1892) was an influential American poet and one of the first poets to write in free verse. His work evoked controversy at the time because of its casual references to the physical body and sexual appetites. Whitman used first person and spoke as a… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Walt Whitman
Category: Vintage Friday
Vintage recipes, culture, and images.
Vintage Friday: You Can Speak Old English
One of my favorite college linguistics classes included the study of Old English and Middle English. We all know that many influences went into creating the modern English language we speak in the United States, including Anglo-Saxon, Norman French, Latin, Scandinavian, Native American, etc. Words originating in Old English, though, are just too wonderful to… Continue reading Vintage Friday: You Can Speak Old English
Vintage Friday: Peanut Butter Cookies with Pizzazz
These are from a time of “hurry up” but inventive and delicious sweets. In the 1980s microwaves became common and helped save time and keep the kidlings content. The recipes have a certain amount of whimsy, which I love. KISS ME KATE Ingredients: 1 large egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup crunchy peanut butter, about… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Peanut Butter Cookies with Pizzazz
Vintage Friday: Joanna Lumley
JOANNA LUMLEY One of my entertainment goals this week is to see the movie Absolutely Fabulous. The television show was hilarious and outrageous, and being with Patsy (Joanna Lumley) and Eddy (Jennifer Saunders) again will be a treat. I also fondly remember Joanna Lumley in her pre-Patsy Stone days as Purdey in The New Avengers.… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Joanna Lumley
Vintage Friday: Olivia de Havilland
Iconic actress Olivia de Havilland turned 100 this month. Amazing. She was born the same year as my mother and starred in one of my mother’s all-time favorite movies, Gone with the Wind. In that classic film she played Melanie Hamilton, a gracious, compassionate southern woman beloved of Ashley Wilkes and also gifted with eliciting… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Olivia de Havilland
Vintage Friday: Summertime 1936
A few highlights from the year 1936: The Brown Derby’s Robert Cobb unveiled the Cobb Salad The Volkswagen appeared on the scene (Interesting side note: last night I dreamed I was driving one) The Phantom comic strip began in newspapers In the USA people suffered through a major heatwave, and many did not make it… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Summertime 1936
Vintage Friday: Beach Time! 1960
It’s beach time, with summer only a hop and skip away. Do you recall the first time you went to the beach? My first trip was to Daytona Beach as a child, and I loved it. The sea and sky like a giant dome above. The feel of ocean spray. Toes in the sand. Towels… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Beach Time! 1960
Vintage Friday: Robert Kennedy Reads Aeschylus 1968
What a year of loss. On April 4, 1968 Robert Kennedy used these moving words by the Greek dramatist Aeschylus to mark the horrific and untimely of the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King. On June 5 of that same year, Robert Kennedy was himself assassinated, and Aeschylus’ words are inscribed on his tomb.… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Robert Kennedy Reads Aeschylus 1968
Vintage Friday: 13 Odd Facts of 1916
1916 How have things changed since 1916? Here’s a snapshot. • The French and Germans fought in the Battle of Verdun, a major conflict in WWI lasting from February until mid-December. Over 700,000 people lost their lives. • The six day Easter Rising occurred in Ireland, resulting in nearly 500 deaths and a loss of… Continue reading Vintage Friday: 13 Odd Facts of 1916
Vintage Friday: Bonnie & Clyde – 15 Obscure Facts
Bonnie & Clyde The notorious Depression era gangsters Bonnie and Clyde met their end over eighty years ago on May 23, 1934. An even more bizarre time warp (to me) is that the Warren Beatty / Faye Dunaway movie is almost fifty years old. Stories and productions romanticize Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, and their… Continue reading Vintage Friday: Bonnie & Clyde – 15 Obscure Facts