Psst! There’s a video, too: And if you’d rather take this info in through a video, check out my YouTube channel below. Please like and comment while you’re there: 8 Strange Facts about The 4th of July How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you’re American, chances are you’ll join family and friends for a backyard barbecue and a firework display. But how much do you really know about this annual summer celebration? I do a lot of newspaper research for the books I write. Not only is it a great way to separate Urban Legends from actual…
Tag: travel
Round-the-World Cruise Packing Challenges Packing for my upcoming Round-the-World Cruise has brought some unique challenges. Not only will we be visiting hot and cold climates, but there are other considerations. For one thing, trekking through 22 different countries means we will be trekking through 22 different cultures. Offensive clothing varies The challenge is to dress comfortably without offending the locals. Every culture defines “offensive clothing” differently, so I’m doing careful research. In some places, this means that even if it’s 100 degrees out, I’d better make sure my arms, décolletage, and knees are covered – especially before entering places of…
A new type of travel journal When I travel, I often pack a glue stick and scissors so I can make a scrapbook journal using maps, tickets, brochures, etc. For my upcoming round-the-world trip, however, I’m trying something new (at least to me!) I’m going to create a digital travel scrapbook! Best of both worlds? I’m really excited about this! I usually end up with a paper scrapbook, a printed photo book, and a written journal for each trip. A digital scrapbook means I can easily incorporate my photos and travel ephemera directly into my written journal. Easy to share…
Understanding Cemetery Symbols by Tui Snider [The following is an adapted excerpt from my book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols. I hope you enjoy it! Also, full disclosure: that’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy my book after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you.] Lotus flower: an Ancient Egyptian symbol The lotus flower, also known as the water lily, is an important ancient Egyptian symbol.Since the lotus blooms during the day but closes at night, it symbolized the cycle of life and death. Egyptian columns are often topped with a lotus leaf, as you can…
Understanding Cemetery Symbols by Tui Snider [The following is an adapted excerpt from my book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols. I hope you enjoy it! Also, full disclosure: that’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy my book after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you.] Scraped Graveyards used to be common Lush green lawns are such a common feature of today’s burial grounds that if you could travel back in time to the 1800’s for a graveyard tour through the rural South, you might be in for a shock. Back then, many graveyards were kept free of…
Understanding Cemetery Symbols by Tui Snider [The following is an adapted excerpt from my book, Understanding Cemetery Symbols. I hope you enjoy it! Also, full disclosure: that’s an Amazon affiliate link. If you buy my book after clicking it, I make a few pennies at no additional cost to you.] What does RIP stand for? In Christian cemeteries, it’s fairly common to see the acronym “RIP” on headstones. Although we tend to think of that as meaning “rest in peace,” it actually stands for “requiescat in pace.” Since that is Latin for “may h/she rest in peace,” it all works out! Do Jewish headstones…