When we were at the Canadian Museum of History recently, Eleanor and I pored over the Canadian stamp collection. One… Read more Who Was Joseph Montferrand?
Category: Origins
What Is Stoicism?
Last month when I read Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations, it reminded me of a series of pep talks and sometimes it… Read more What Is Stoicism?
An Abbreviated History of Montreal
Earlier in July we spent two days in Montreal, which was a great little vacation in another world only 2.5… Read more An Abbreviated History of Montreal
Ladybird, Ladybird
I knew I’d written a post about the origins of nursery rhymes, but I didn’t realize it was over nine… Read more Ladybird, Ladybird
Manuscript of Repurposed Shakespearean Sonnet Discovered
Do you remember the poem Marianne recites in Sense and Sensibility? “Let me not to the marriage of true minds… Read more Manuscript of Repurposed Shakespearean Sonnet Discovered
Timeline of Pizza in Canada
1948 – The first pizzeria opened in Canada in Montreal’s Little Italy. Pizzeria Napoletana is still operating today, though it… Read more Timeline of Pizza in Canada
Who Was the First Restaurant Critic?
Answer: Alexandre Balthazar Laurent Grimod de La Reynière Andrew and I often listen to an audiobook at night and our… Read more Who Was the First Restaurant Critic?
Sequoyah and His Syllabary
I think I’ve mentioned before that the kids and I are doing a two-year survey of the United States. For… Read more Sequoyah and His Syllabary
Chopsticks vs. Forks
When my brother-in-law and his family vacationed in Japan earlier this fall they brought us back some fun souvenirs. Besides… Read more Chopsticks vs. Forks
Who Was Edward J. Noble?
(Presumably) inspired by my post on the Hepburn Libraries, my father-in-law sent me a link about another influential local —… Read more Who Was Edward J. Noble?
In Which I Learn About Dulcimers
Do you remember the poem “Kublai Khan” by Coleridge? “In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure dome decree…”… Read more In Which I Learn About Dulcimers
Did You Know? 18th Century Mechanical Tables
Have you heard of a mechanical table that allows food to appear from the floor below? To ensure privacy, these… Read more Did You Know? 18th Century Mechanical Tables
Paintings of Novgorod
Novgorod is one of the names mentioned in the bardcore version of “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” Here it is… Read more Paintings of Novgorod