On our 2,400 mile journey along Route 66, Da Viking and I were intrigued by unique roadside attractions and curiosities. At St. Louis University we searched for “The Billiken.” As we strolled on campus we passed by their baseball field. We marveled at the baseball banner with this character’s face […]
Educational
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Have you ever spray painted graffiti? I never imagined I would, but near Amarillo, Texas there are ten Cadillacs buried, fin-up for anyone to leave their mark. This was just one of our stops along Route 66. As we drove on the highway from Chicago to Arizona we followed alongside […]
How did Mardi Gras become part of New Orleans culture? We were curious. Da Viking and I wanted to look behind the curtain to learn more. We started our New Orleans caper by visiting Blain Kern’s Mardi Gras World. This large studio houses year-round float construction. As we approached the […]
When we think of Voodoo our minds conjure up dolls and magical hex bags. This is all thanks to Wes Craven who created horror films for decades. (1975-2011) His films shaped our thinking and beliefs about Voodoo. But what’s the real story about Voodoo? Well, Da Viking and I went […]
I was honestly hesitant at the idea of seeing slithering alligators in the wild. I imagined the airboat ride would possibly be rough. ‘But, what the heck, we only live once.’ I gave myself a pep talk. ‘We would be safe in the boat and I had on my rain […]
We happened upon a small Leonardo di Vinci museum when we were in Rome. (Feb. 2020) It was under a church near the Piazza del Popolo. We were intrigued and found the most magnificent displays of Leonardo’s artwork and inventions. This replica of the Mona Lisa painting was captivating! There’s […]
I have marveled at this statue and the life of it’s inspiration, Leonardo di Vinci. Each year I would read, “Monday with a Mad Genius,” by Mary Pope Osborne to my students with the hope of sparking interest in past inventions and artwork. Leonardo di Vinci was an engineer, sculptor […]
We walked to the Piazza del Popolo in Rome, Italy last February 2020. We had wanted to investigate Basilica Parrocchiale Santa Maria del Popolo located at the piazza. After perusing the church, we made our way into the center of the plaza. With scaffolding rising near an entrance we nearly […]
When Chuck organized a private tour of the State Theatre in Kalamazoo, I was thrilled on many different levels. First, I hold fond memories of attending a Billy Bragg concert with Chuck, Martin and Brian in 1988 when we were college students at Western Michigan University. After the concert we […]
As a retired elementary teacher, I fancy anything to do with youngsters’ learning and school operations. Ever since I felt “the pure joy” of witnessing my little sister learn her ABC’s under my direction, I was hooked. I knew I wanted to be a teacher ever since I was four […]