A to Z Challenge Reveal: Norse Mythology

[Caption for above: The god Thor wades through a river while the Æsir ride across the bridge Bifröst in an illustration by Lorenz Frølich (1895)] This year I am once again taking part in the April A to Z Blogging Challenge. And today is my Reveal for 2018: Norse Mythology. My reason for taking on the topic for this year’s challenge isContinue reading “A to Z Challenge Reveal: Norse Mythology”

Zarathustra aka Zoroaster

Last week I attended a lecture at OASIS in San Diego on Zoroastrianism. I worried that there might not be enough interest in the topic for the lecture to be held. I hadn’t preregistered because I am on call for jury duty this month so I couldn’t commit to attending. When I arrived, I wasContinue reading “Zarathustra aka Zoroaster”

Mărțișor, My Romanian Valentine’s Day

Alexandru Ioan Cuza University in Iași, Romania, served as my home for the 1977-1978 academic year. Life in Romania was simpler than life had been in Iran the two years before. Whenever I heard one of my American colleagues complain about something uncomfortable in Romania, such as having to wait in so many long lines,Continue reading “Mărțișor, My Romanian Valentine’s Day”

Barbados and the Mongoose

We had a cold snap this week in San Diego, so my thoughts turned to one of the countries I lived in that was never cold: Barbados. The temperature in Barbados was always warm, between 70 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The average daily high temperature is 86 degrees. In fact, I suffered from a seriousContinue reading “Barbados and the Mongoose”

A Twist on Valentine’s Day

Every year February 14 is Valentine’s Day, a Hallmark holiday that traditionally includes cards, chocolates, flowers, and often dinner out and perhaps a new bauble or other token of affection. This year February 14 is also Ash Wednesday, a Christian holiday that marks the beginning of 40 days of fasting in preparation for Easter, theContinue reading “A Twist on Valentine’s Day”

Transnistria: Just One More Little Country You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

This week I posted a video about Transnistria, a country in limbo at the edge of Europe, on Facebook. The reaction made me realize I haven’t done enough to tell my personal story about living next door to Transnistria. Here is my story, Traveling Through Transnistria, as published in the Third Edition of The Guilded Pen,Continue reading “Transnistria: Just One More Little Country You Probably Haven’t Heard Of”

February’s Here

It’s February. A new month. Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, Presidents’ Day. February is just full of reasons to celebrate. When I lived in Minnesota half a lifetime ago, I used to look forward to February 1st because it always seemed to be 20 degrees warmer than the day before. That didn’t mean it was warm;Continue reading “February’s Here”

Buttontapper Challenge: Day 31

31. Lessons Learned – Tell us what you learned this month, from examining your goals, dreams and behavior. What will you do differently next month? First lesson: The only way I got as many posts done as I did was that I started ahead of time and scheduled posts into the future. The reason: I received aContinue reading “Buttontapper Challenge: Day 31”

Buttontapper Challenge: Day 20

20. Notable Quotable – Share a quote that inspires you! The quotes that most inspire me come from women–no big surprise there. They come from women of color, though I am not one. But that should be no surprise either since inspiration comes from those who have overcome the biggest challenges. And I come fromContinue reading “Buttontapper Challenge: Day 20”