The New Year begins allowing us to re-set. Re-set? Yes, on January 1st we have 356 unknown days ahead of us. Sure, some are predetermined such as holidays, birthdays, vacations, and such, but the actual content of those days is not yet set in stone. When we were kids the passing of time seemed so […]
Category Archives: Happiness
Valentine’s Day in a Chocolate Nutshell
How did Valentine’s Day become connected to February 14th? Several resources point to ancient church leaders replacing the Roman festival that celebrated spring and fertility with the feast day to remember the martyrdom of one or possibly two men named Valetinus. People would travel from all over to the churches holding their bones looking for […]
Top Scariest Blog Articles
It is getting chilly. It is getting dark early. It must be October! Happy Halloween!!! Here are my top picks of the scariest Maplewood Press Blog Articles; Number One: Field Guide to Early American Gravestones in New England. There is nothing spookier than taking a stroll through a very old graveyard late in the day […]
Nancy Drew: Then and Now
CHAPTER ONE: The Mystery of Nancy Drew and the Dusty Old Books When I was a kid, I never read a Nancy Drew mystery. It was not because I didn’t have the books available – an older cousin had the books. I was just never interested in them. While de-cluttering an old bookcase, I came […]
Artist Artifacts 4: Hartung’s 1940s Vacationing Cats
While sorting through the family historical items that have been entrusted to me, I have come across many interesting items. Yesterday it was a small pile of postcards. Its summer, time for vacations, and back in the day you purchased postcards in the city or places you visited. I wonder where these were bought? They […]
Maple Tree Adoration Part Two: Beautiful Leaves, Delicious Syrup
There is no secret why I named my blog Maplewood Press: I adore maple trees. Even as a young child I was fascinated by these magical trees. Why do I think Maple Trees are magical? Beautiful Leaves: When you conjure up the perfect romantic vision of New England, it usually includes hillsides or back roads […]
Self-Help for Insomnia
Having trouble falling asleep? Too much on your mind? Before you reach for a sleep medication that may have side effects, please try my techniques that I have used for years and have taught to many people. When a baby has trouble falling asleep, what does the mother do? She cuddles […]
A New Englander’s Take on the Big Easy’s Mardi Gras
Normally trees don’t bloom in February. In New Orleans, Louisiana they do. They bloom with colorful strands of beads that remain there for weeks, possibly months! Or… the beads were tossed from creatively decorated floats by masked and costumed people to exuberant and loud spectators and they were caught instead by the trees. Most people […]
Happy Birthday Maplewood Press : My Top Five Favorite Articles
Two years ago I decided to start this website. I had been collecting artifacts and ideas for many years and felt the need to research them, write about them, and share those findings. I hope you learned something new, or I inspired you, or at least made you smile on a dreary day! Here are […]
Amateur Radio Dad
Silent Keys When I was young, my Dad woke me up late at night and whispered, “Shh, come listen.” Mother would have never approved of me being up so late, but Dad was the kind who tended to break rules if there was an adventure to be had. And I was always ready to be his side-kick in […]