Once you know a secret language exists...the cat's out of the bag; it's no longer very secretive. Or is it? What if hardly anyone else can speak or write that language? That might present an opportunity and a complication. In A Bride for Brynmor, my heroine, Lark (an Irish-Cree Métis singer and musican born in … Continue reading Cree Syllabics: Giving My Heroines a Secret Language
My Love for History
Feb 18: was it Presidents’ Day, Louis Riel Day, or Maud Lewis Day? Or all of these and more?
February 18th was a holiday for many people in North America, but depending on where you lived it was called something different and honored someone different. In at least one location, this difference is different EVERY year! Here are some of the differences... In the United States, it was PRESIDENTS' DAY. And in Canada, it … Continue reading Feb 18: was it Presidents’ Day, Louis Riel Day, or Maud Lewis Day? Or all of these and more?
Wild Women Gamblers of the West #CowboyKisses
Life is a gamble. No words more accurately described the WILD WEST where life's entertainments were as limited as the opportunities for a woman to earn a living. Click the link below and meet 2 real-life lady gamblers (who bet against the odds every day of their lives) on my monthly blog with Cowboy Kisses... … Continue reading Wild Women Gamblers of the West #CowboyKisses
Girl Guides & Scouts: Inspired by History & Cookies
Mmm, cookies. As I mentioned last Monday, after a chance encounter with some lovely salespeople on the street, I'm started pondering the history of Girl Guides. Their cookies were devoured quickly, but my curiosity about their history lingered and kept me asking... HOW DID GIRL GUIDING & SCOUTING BEGIN? In 1907 in England, Army General … Continue reading Girl Guides & Scouts: Inspired by History & Cookies
Thanksgiving: a celebration shaped by an English Privateer, the American Revolution & More
Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, one week late! Celebrating Thanksgiving last Monday (October 8) here in Canada got me wondering... What's the HISTORY behind Thanksgiving? Who are the PEOPLE who shaped it? 1. A Lost English Privateer & his Crew Some historians believe the first Thanksgiving celebration in North America occurred in 1578 during English privateer Martin Frobisher’s search … Continue reading Thanksgiving: a celebration shaped by an English Privateer, the American Revolution & More
Wild Women Rodeo Riders of the West #CowboyKisses
No different than today, most 19th-century city folk only saw the WILD WEST when a vaudeville show or a rodeo visited their community. Many intrepid souls dedicated their lives to performing the thrilling but dangerous acts. They toured the country and sometimes even the world, entertaining commoners and royalty. Click the link below and meet 3 … Continue reading Wild Women Rodeo Riders of the West #CowboyKisses
Roulette: a Deal with the Devil or a Search for a Perpetual-Motion Machine?
Last week, I pondered the popularity of the game of faro in the Old West, which lead to thinking about the history of the game of roulette. For me, this is a great way that interests can turn into inspiration and then story plots — in waves. From France to New France to New Orleans and … Continue reading Roulette: a Deal with the Devil or a Search for a Perpetual-Motion Machine?
Faro is it really “the Only Game in Town”?
While researching Wild West gamblers, the game of faro kept coming up. It seems that Westerners had a passion for the card game that was outlawed in France in the 17th-Century. Could that be part of the attraction? An outlawed game appealed to a land of outlaws and free spirits like these fellows... Scam artist Canada … Continue reading Faro is it really “the Only Game in Town”?
How Beer helped save the Clydesdale
The Clydesdale is a breed of draft horse (or draught horse in the UK and Commonwealth) named for and derived from the farm horses of Scotland's County of Clydesdale. Originally the Clydesdale was a compact draft horse smaller than the Shire, Percheron, and Belgian. In the 1940s, they were selectively bred to produce taller, more … Continue reading How Beer helped save the Clydesdale
How the Friesian Horse found a home with Knights, Farmers & the Circus
The FRIESIAN is a horse breed originating in the Netherlands' Friesland province. They resemble a light draft/draught horse but are graceful and nimble for their size. They may have been used as foundation stock for such breeds as Norway's Dole Gudbrandsdal, America's Morgan, and Britain's Shire draft horse, Fell pony, and Norfolk Trotter (ancestor of … Continue reading How the Friesian Horse found a home with Knights, Farmers & the Circus