Category Archive

Have a kleenx ready before you watch this one.  Kristian has been battling cancer for a while, and this video was a gift to his wife for her love and support.

Please keep Kristian in your prayers.

I think most parents would rather face an IRS audit than discuss sex with their teenaged kids.  I always admired the way my husband told my step-daughters what was on the minds of most teen-aged boys, but I think that sort of frankness is rare.  I’ll probably blog about that someday, as Bill’s perspective certainly hits on all the angles of love, lust, infatuation, and what boys will try to get away with if given an opportunity.  Not that teen-aged boys don’t have crushes or care for girls… but if a girl leaves a door open, most boys are going to dash through it.

I think this is a cute video that promotes abstinence without sounding prudish:

I adore watching people who overcome great challenges to produce something of amazing beauty.  Both these dancers qualify.

Watch this baby experience the miracle of his mother’s voice for the first time.  Baby Jonathan had his cochlear implants turned on at eight months of age.

This one requires no explanation. You know who you are!

I wonder what those monks would have made of this great invention?

I have always been intrigued by the decades surrounding the turn of the 20th century, and I generally use it for my historical novels. This was a time of such transition. The difference between how people in lived in urban and rural environments was staggering. Towns were being wired for electricity and telephones, the cities were being plumbed for running water and flush toilets. Kitchens could support refrigeration and modern stoves. The city streets were sound enough to support new-fangled automobiles and streetcars, but just a few miles outside town, all these amenities were scarce.

Much like we now struggle to establish proper etiquette for cell phone usage in movie theaters or in business meetings, people at the turn of the century were learning the same thing. The video above is a fascinating example of emerging technologies clashing with the old. These people don’t seem to realize that in the battle between a bicycle and a streetcar, the streetcar always wins! As you watch the video, see how many forms of transportation you can spot. Or how many different uniforms worn by the passers-by. Or watch how people respond to the camera.

Incidentally, this video was shot in San Francisco, just a few weeks before the catastrophic earthquake and fire that caused the death of more than three thousand people and left half the population homeless. When I watch this video, I wonder what happened to all those lively people captured in this brief glimpse into their world.