Weird Things Happen on Friday

Whee! It's Friday, the doorway to the weekend. Isn't it amazing how people lust after Fridays? Like the song says, "Just working for the weekend."

I was reading an article about Friday the 13th, the historical event involving the Knights Templar, and decided to see how many weird things happen on Fridays.

To my surprise, I found a treasure trove of trivia. Let's get started with the Knights Templar. Read on and be amazed.

1. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip IV of France had hundreds of the powerful Knights Templar arrested. That event is often cited as the origin of the Friday the 13th superstition.

2.  Security data shows companies are disproportionately hacked or hit with phishing scams on Fridays because that's when IT staffs, like all the other employees, leave for the weekend.

3. Seafarers have long believed it was bad luck to start a new voyage on a Friday.

4. In the USA, TGIF means "Thank God It's Friday" whereas in Australia and the UK, Friday is known as POETS Day, "Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday."

5, In the USA, the crazy mad rush in stores on the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday because the first such event actually resulted in the death of a retail employee in 2008 in Valley Stream, New York.

He was crushed to death in the stampede of 2,000+ shoppers when the doors opened at midnight.

6. The expression “Man Friday” comes from the character Friday in the novel Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. The phrase is used to describe a particularly loyal and/or competent male personal assistant.

7. The restaurant chain TGI Friday opened in 1965 to capitalize on the popular TGIF phrase.

8. The popular saying “Friday on my mind” was popularized by the 1966 hit song of the same name by The Easybeats.

9. Friday is the most common payday in the United States.

10. Given that Friday is usually payday and that people are working for the weekend, it's no surprise that studies show worker productivity decreases on Fridays compared to other work days.

11. Friday is the only day of the week named after a Norse goddess, Frigg, who was the equivalent of Venus.

12. More bank robberies happen on a Friday than any other day of the week.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

TGIF! Let's have fun today and get ready for the weekend.

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Friday Freaky Facts

I love trivia and often save bits and pieces of weird information. I mean, you may never know when the opportunity presents itself to drop a tidbit into a conversation.

For example, you're at a cocktail party and talking with a bunch of women and men about mundane chores around the house.

Isn't that the time to say, "I too hate vacuuming the carpet and have often wished British engineer Hubert Cecil Booth, who is widely credited with inventing the first motorized, suction-based vacuum cleaner in 1901, had chosen to invent something else."

Now that's a stunner that will make everyone's jaw drop. Right?

With that thought in mind, allow me to share a few equally tasty tidbits of trivia because History is full of quirky little facts. How unfortunate that too many people think History is a bore. It's not. History is the adventurous exploits of the famous and infamous.

Here are a few things I've learned as I research various subjects. Enjoy!

In  1439, Kissing was officially banned in England in an effort to stop disease from spreading. (I imagine the country became a nation of lawbreakers.)

In 1912, a Paris orphanage held a raffle to raise money and gave away live babies as prizes!

John F. Kennedy, Anthony Burgess, Aldous Huxley, and C.S. Lewis all died on the same day.

Once upon a time, Karl Marx was a correspondent for the New York Daily Tribune.

Ronald Reagan was a lifeguard during high school and saved 77 people from drowning.

In 1487 in the Aztec dedication of the temple at Tenochtitlan, 20,000 people were sacrificed.

Romans used human urine as mouthwash.

A 19th century popular medicine for kids was Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup which had morphine as an ingredient.

In early Rome, a father could legally kill anyone in his family.

Attila the Hun bled to death from a nosebleed on his wedding night.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

There is no known civilization that did not tax. Even the very first known civilization, the Sumerians, recorded their tax history on clay cones.

In colonial America, pregnant women were not given anything to relieve the pain of childbirth because pain was considered God’s punishment for Eve’s eating the forbidden fruit. (That had to be the Puritans.)

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Next time your kid bemoans history, throw a few fun facts at them. Maybe it will interest them in the underlying drama that is history.

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Author Advice - Why Write Every Day

Writing success is built one day at a time.

A universal truth is: "If you want to be a writer, then write."

To be a "professional" writer, one must write. Not once in a while, but every day. If not every day, then on some kind of consistent basis.

 Why?

Two reasons.

(1) It builds the habit of producing words on a consistent basis. If you write 2,000 words each day, Monday through Friday, it's easy to sit down on Monday and do that.

It's not so easy if there are many days since the last time you wrote. You end up wasting time trying to motivate yourself to write. 

(2) A novel is a massive cluster of ideas. If you write every day, you have the universe of the story in your head. You don't waste time looking at notes to refresh your memory.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Here's another universal truth about writing. Writers write. Those who want to write, but don't, make excuses.

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Difference Between Art and Craft of Writing

What is the difference between the Art of Writing and the Craft of Writing?

THE ART OF WRITING

What is this? It's the creative process of translating emotions, abstract thoughts, and ideas into words that convey meaning to the reader and helps the reader connect with the written text. 

I think this could conceivably be viewed in part as the author's voice. How one author conveys an idea is different from other authors. Maybe that certain something some authors seem born with that enables them to easily master the art of writing is akin to being born with artistic talent.

THE CRAFT OF WRITING

This is much easier to define. It's the grammar rules of punctuation, spelling, choosing the correct word, sentence structure, plotting, scene development, dialogue, characterization, and mastering the narrative elements of writing, just to name a few, in order to properly create text that connects with your readers.

Good writing requires both Art and Craft. Learn your Craft and then use what you learned to write 1000s upon 1000s of words. Why? Because Craft can be learned from outside oneself, but Art can only be learned within by writing.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Want to be a great writer? Learn everything you can and then write, write, write.

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All About Image Copyright

If you publish images online, you probably know that you must possess the RIGHT to use an image in the way you used it.

By possess, I mean one of these situations:

(1) you own the image,

(2) you paid the creator for the right to use the image and received permission for that use,

(3) the image was free and a license was posted saying you could use it without charge for a specific purpose.

Unless you meet those parameters, you risk everything by using an unlicensed image.

AN ASIDE TO TODAY'S SUBJECT

I'd also like to tell you that if you meet the parameters for using an image and you receive an email from a supposed law firm that alleges you violated copyright by using that specific image, that you're dealing with a scammer. 

These scammers use legitimate law firm names and addresses, but their email addresses never link to the legitimate law firm. 

The email may sound similar, but it's not the same you'll discover if you do some basic research on the law firm and the usual form their email addresses take.

COPYRIGHT ENFORCEMENT

Copyright violation has escalated with the rise of social media. As a result copyright enforcement firms are doing a booming business—especially when it comes to copyright image enforcement by firms like PicRights and its lawyers.

If you get a letter from them, it is probably legit. PicRights represents small potatoes and the big boys like the Associated Press. When they find an unauthorized image on a website, they send a letter to the website owner informing them of the copyright violation along with a demand for compensation.

You do NOT want to receive a letter like that. If you don't resolve the issue by paying a fee that is usually 4 figures, their lawyers follow up. 

If you still do not respond promptly, you'll receive a demand letter from the lawyers. The ante goes up, and the end result is that you'll pay a little or a whole lot.

I've got to admit, I wish there were a copyright enforcement firm for authors because my books have been pirated all over the planet! What recourse do independent authors have? Sigh. Not much. 

MAKE YOUR WEBSITE, BLOG, NL, MARKETING BULLETPROOF

Always get permission from the copyright owner before using any image unless the image is in public domain or it comes with a clear notice of permission. This is true for so-called "free" stock images too.

 A website that offers free images always has a Content License posted. For instance on Pixabay, in the top right of a download page, you'll see this: "Free for use under the Pixabay Content License" and the link takes you to a page that tells you what you can do with the image and what you can NOT do with it.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Protect yourself and make sure you know what to do before posting an image.

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Friday Facts - 5 Things That Make Me Crazy

It's Friday, and I've had a frustrating week. Rather than scream or pound my desk until my hands hurt, I thought I'd vent here.

In no particular order or subject matter....

5 THINGS THAT MAKE ME CRAZY

1. People who go door to door to ask you to vote for their candidates. I hate this. At this time of the year, they're worse than the ____________ who want to talk to you about your soul's salvation. (I didn't fill in the blank because there are more than 1 religious groups that do this.)

2. Bananas that are perfectly yellow and nice when you buy them. Get them home and brown spots magically appear. You better eat them fast because 3 days later they're destined for the compost pile.

3. WiFi signal from AT&T that never delivers the upload and download speed advertized. I would change providers in an instant if there were any better ones, but I haven't found any. They all seem to have their problems.

4. While we're on the subject of AT&T and other similar companies, I hate it when you've been a loyal, long-term customer, but they never honor that with reduced rates or anything like that. They offer new subscribers rock-bottom prices for the first year, but never do anything but increase the fees for long-term customers. 

5. AI. I hate the intrusion of AI into every website I frequently use. It's everywhere, and it's as annoying as hell. Maybe it's great for someone who doesn't know how to navigate the internet and use various websites, but for me, it sucks!!! It takes me twice as long to do anything because of constantly having to say NO to the AI wanting to help. They're also a prime reason everyone's computer is running slower than molasses in a Minnesota winter.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I had to stop with number 5 because I could go on and on about all the reasons I hate AI bots. I'm going to get my Main Man to make me a cappucciono so I can calm down. If youhave any pet hates, feel free to vent in a Comment.

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Friday Facts About SlingWords

On April 12, 2005, I wrote and published the first post on SlingWords. It was a Japanese Proverb I learned when I lived in Japan.

Yes, I've been blogging for 21 years on SlingWords. Since that date 21 years ago, I've written and published 4,562 posts.

Wow! That even impresses me.

Once I blogged every day, but my life became so busy these last few years that I no longer had that luxury.

When I do blog, I put my best effort into the process. I do my own research, verify facts, select graphics to accompany each post, and try to make sure it's error-free.

Normally, I post this "birthday" blog on the anniversary date. This year, I've been inundated with too many projects which is why it's 2 weeks late.

Many people say blogs are dead, but I don't find that to be true. Blogging is alive and well and will continue to be so as far as I can see.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

I'll keep writing and publishing SlingWords until it's no longer satisfying. That's always been my plan. Hopefully, all of you who read SlingWords will continue to do so. To me, that sounds like a win-win..

I literally wrote the book on blogging. Get BLOG OPS today on

Amazon or read on Kindle Unlimited

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All About Azaleas

At last, my azaleas are blooming! I was afraid the sudden cold snap we had a couple of weeks ago destroyed the buds.

In case you didn't know, Houston is famous for its azaleas. Every year, thousands of people flock to the Azalea Trail. This yera it runs from March 6–8.

Organized by the River Oaks Garden Club, it  features tours of private gardens in the River Oaks/Tanglewood areas and the historic Bayou Bend and Rienzi gardens.

ARE AZALEAS RHODODENDRONS?

Azaleas are not Rhododendrons, but they are part of that genus that has over 10,000 varieties.

These gorgeous shrubs thrive in acidic, well-drained soil with dappled shade, and they're known for spring blooms. They can be evergreen or deciduous. Amazingly, they've been around for 50 million years. They symbolize femininity, passion, fragility, and temperance and are native to Asia, Europe, and North America.

You should know that all parts of the azalea plant are poisonous to humans and pets because they contain grayanotoxins. They can grow from small dwarf shrubs to large bushes reaching 8–10 feet in height and are often called "royalty of the garden."

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Most of my azaleas are the Formosa variety shown above—large shrubs covered with blooms. I have some medium height azaleas that bloom red.

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Ordinary Marvels - Navel Oranges

I slept late today because I stayed up late watching Olympic highlights. Amazing athletes doing amazing things.

Like many, I particularly love the ice skating events. Maybe that's because I've never ice skated before, and I'm in awe of those who do.

TODAY'S TOPIC

I'm not here to talk about the Olympics. I want to talke about things that are ordianry yet amazing.

Like the navel orange I peeled for breakfast. I was stripping away the rind from the orangish-pink flesh when I started wondering how the navel orange came into being. I was pretty sure that it had to be have been created by some kind of hybrid technique so I looked up the history.

Yes, it was a hybrid—created by Mother Nature. Surprise!

SURPRISE, SURPRISE

In 1820, in a Brazilian monestary garden, someone saw a mutated orange growing on a tree. This was a  seedless mutation, possibly derived from a Selecta orange tree.

The mutated tree produced a small "twin" fruit at the base of the fruit—something that looked like a human navel thus the origin of the name.

Horticulturists began grafting the mutated tree to other trees until there were enough for export. It took more than 50 years for the navel orange tree to be introduced in the U.S. 

When the newly-formed USDA received 12 cuttings from Brazil, someone there gave 2 cuttings to  Eliza Tibbets of Riverside, California. She planted them in 1873 which gave birth to a billion-dollar industry.

TREE TRIVIA

The mutation of the orange tree means its fruit is seedless and sterile so all navel orange trees are technically clones of that original 1820 tree,  continued through grafting.

The trees planted in California were named Washington Navel Oranges because they came from the USDA in Washington, D.C.

The trees planed in California thrived because the climate was perfect for the, and the citrus industry in the state simply boomed.

The "belly button" at the bottom is actually a conjoined twin fruit that aborted during development.

The original tree planted by Eliza Tibbets is now a California Historic Landmark.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Learning all this made the sweet navel orange I ate even more delicious and satisfying. Have you eaten an orange lately?

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Friday Facts About Poldark

Poldark Books on Amazon

Poldark, the BBC series that was recently added to Netflix, is a train-wreck of a series that I simply can't get enough of!

The latest TV series was created and written by Debbie Horsfield, based on the book series by Winston Graham.

This 2015 offering of Poldark is not to be confused with the earlier Masterpiece series in 1975 which starred Robin Ellis as Ross Poldark and Angharad Rees as Demelza.

That production covered the first 7 of Graham’s novels, and it was a huge success on Masterpiece Theatre in the U.S.

The Netflix offering debuted in March 2015 and ran until August 2019 and was offered on PBS in the U.S. Like the 1975 production, this new version of Poldark was a huge success from the beginning.

TEASER

Aidan Turner is Capt. Ross Poldark, a redcoat returning to Cornwall after the American Revolutionary War. He discovers that his father is dead, his estate is in ruins, and his true love is engaged to marry his cousin. The action-packed series is full of drama, passion, and romance.

Rent or Buy Episodes on Amazon

But, I didn't actually sit down to write a review of Poldark.

I wanted to tell you about the YouTube channel LIFE AT THE MANOR, created by James Lowsley-Williams, the proud inheritor of Chavenage Estate, the 500 year-old Elizabethan Manor where Poldark 2015 was filmed.

I found the channel last year when I was doing a bit of research on historic mansions and castles.

James and his wife Emma reside at Chavenage and film their restoration and enhancement of the house and grounds, a 2,000-acre Cotswold estate that’s been in James’s family for 6 generations. The history of Chavenage is evident in every room.

The paintings that adorn the walls are breathtaking even to their frames. A centuries-old organ still works.

If you're a Poldark fan, you'll recognize the house as the family home where Poldark's uncle and family lived. Since he was the son of a second son, he didn't inherit the manor. 

If you watch James's channel, you'll recognize Elizabeth's bedroom, the window from which she gazed longingly at Poldark, the drawing room where she eavesdropped on her husband's conversations.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Be warned, Poldark is totally binge-worthy. If you like the historical series, you should watch Life at the Manor.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

BLAME IT ON CHOCOLATE

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Friday Facts - Bridgerton - Netflix

Bridgerton Poster from Printerval.com

I'm having such fun watching the new Bridgerton series. This makes the 4th installment of the Regency series and is based on An Offer From a Gentlemen, Book 4, by Julia Quinn.

As always I try to connect movies and TV series with the actual historical backgound. I know that sounds a bit pedantic, but it gives an added depth to the story to know what is accurate and what is fiction—at least it does for me.

Now, I'm talking about Bridgerton, the TV series, NOT the book series by Julia Quinn  on which the series is based.

FRIDAY FACTS ABOUT BRIDGERTON

1. Bridgerton is not a documentary, but it is historically inspired. The series combines real elements of the Regency with fantasy.

2. The production smartly chooses to adhere to contemporary tastes in romance, music, and expectations. Thus, it has wide appeal for today's viewers.

3. The series depicts a racially-integrated high society that didn't exist historically, but I like the fact that it does this. Why shouldn't actors of any color or ethnicity have the chance to act in any story they wish?

4. The Queen in the series is Queen Charlotte who was the Queen during the Regency period, but her portrayal in the series is for entertainment value, not historically accurate.

Image by Calla Negra - Pixabay

5. Young unmarried women of the aristocracy were pressured to make good marriages for status, family connections and wealth, and had little choice but to comply. 

They had to strictly adhere to the protocols for young ladies of that era, and the list of restrictions was onerous.

6. Scandal sheets like Lady Whistledown's gossip sheet did exist.

7. The dresses the women wear in the series were inspired by the high empire waist of the Regency, but the colors and materials used are far from traditional.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Having said all that, it is obvious that something doesn't have to be historically accurate to be delightful and entertaining.

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

Ooh La La - The Croissant

Costco sells a huge container of Croissant, the delectable, buttery French rolls for a little over $5.00. (Is this statement true or false? Read on.) 

Sometimes my will power is weak, and I add these to my shopping cart. I try not to do this too often because they're too delicious and contain about a gazillion calories.

Yesterday, I had a good excuse for buying them—so I could celebrate Croissant Day today. (A perfect excuse to give into one of my food guilty pleasures. So, as I write this, I'm nibbling on a croissant and sipping a cup of tea.

DID YOU KNOW 

NOT Croissant!!

If you have read that the croissant was created at the request of Marie Antoinette, then you'll have to read on. She had nothing to do with it. The croissant did not originate in France.

Aha! My first sentence was deliberately misleading when I called it French. (The part about the price at Costco is true.)

THE FRENCH CONNECTION

The croissant began life as kipferl, a crescent-shaped bread roll, baked for centuries in Austria. The French connection was created around 1838 by August Zang, an Austrian artillery officer who introduced the pastry to Paris when he opened a Viennese bakery, Boulangerie Viennoise there.

Later, French bakers later changed the original dense dough into the flaky, buttery puff pastry we know today. They also changed the name to croissant which means, of course, crescent. 

By the 20th century, all French bakers had adopted the further refined technique that changed the dense dough to the laminated dough—layers of dough spread with butter, folded and rolled again and again.

I could watch those bakers on The Great British Baking Show make that delightful pastry for hours on end. Thankfully, it's SO much hard work that I've never had the inclination to make a croissant from scratch. Sometimes, laziness is its own reward. 

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Well, that's my food guilty pleasure confession for today. Do you have food guilty pleasures? Inquiring minds want to know so leave a comment.

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Friday Random Facts: Natural Disasters

Websites that list significant events in history are very popular. I subscribe to a couple of those. As an author, I never know what might strike a cord and inspire a story.

I find it's interesting to look at what happend on "this day in history."

It's odd how certain events like natural disasters can happen on the same day years apart. Here are a few such events.

1. 1556: Shaanxi Earthquake, deadliest on record, in Shaanxi Province, China, killed 830,000 people.

2. 1812: A 7.8 earthquake strucck New Madrid, Missouri, and it's still discussed today.

3. 1859: Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii begins an eruption that lasts 300 days.

4. 1973: Helgafell volcano on island of Heimaey Iceland erupts for first time in 7,000 years.

5. 1989: Hundreds feared dead after a powerful earthquake strikes the Soviet Central Asian republic of Tajikistan.

6. 2016: Category 5 blizzard dropped a record 3 feet of snow across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S., killing 55 people. The economic losses were estimated at $500 million to $3 billion.

7. 2017: Thunderstorms and tornadoes in Georgia and Mississippi killed at least 18 in the U.S.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

Looking back over this post, I see that it's a little macabre. Sorry about that. Maybe you can file this post under trivia.

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Friday Facts - Hallmark Christmas Movies

Believe it or not, Hallmark did not invent Christmas Movies—but they certainly popularized them.

It's rare to meet someone who has never seen a Hallmark Christmas movie—at least when it comes to the female population.

How many of you put a Christmas movie on while you decorate the home for Christmas? We do.

What about Men? The movies aren't made for men. Some men watch these movies, but usually because they have no choice. LOL

 I do know a woman whose husband was a cop who watched Hallmark movies to unwind from his shift patroling the mean streets.

Yes, the movies are formulaic. Yes, the stories have become standardized so that the plots and elements are all too often the same. Still, there's something appealing about them that makes us tune in—again and again. Many of us have our favorites that we'll want to watch every Christmas no matter how many times we've seen them.

HALLMARK CHRISTMAS MOVIE FACTS

1. These Christmas movies are filmed in the summer—usually in Vancouver or Montreal, Canada for the tax breaks and lower expenses. This is done because it's less expensive to use ice trucks, fake snow, and dress actors in winter wear than film in winter.

2. Some productions use European castles as settings, i.e., all of those Prince and Princess Christmas movies.

3. The movies follow familiar plots, i.e. city woman meets small-town guy or vice versa and romance ensues. The main character is usually a single woman, and the story unfolds in 9 acts or major scenes.

4. The movies are filmed much faster than is usual for a production—mere weeks rather than months. Some wrap in no more than 20 days. Lacey Chabert, frequent female lead in many of these movies calls it "boot camp." 

5. Common plot elements include career-focused heroine, rediscovery of love and the Christmas spirit, picturesque small town settings, barriers to love, and a requisite happy ending.

Hallmark took note of the popularity of their early Christmas movies and scaled up their output so that dozens of new movies are now made each year.

They began streaming their own channel with these Christmas movies and mystery movies that are available year-round to subscribers.

The result is a fan base that has exploded. There are social media groups, Twitter hashtags for each premiere, and "Christmas Con" events that draw passionately devoted fans.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

What's not to love about pretty people in pretty small towns who learn some home truths and realize that love—of children / husband / wife / community—"is all there is" and that the Christmas spirit can be alive and well in all of us all year long?

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commision at no extra cost to you.

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Friday Facts - Decorated Christmas Trees

Image by Jim Cooper from Pixabay 

The popularity of Christmas trees have spread beyond Christian homes. 

It's not uncommon to see decorated trees in homes all over the world—regardless of one's cultural background or religious beliefs.

Christmas trees are beautiful, but this tradition that began in Germany several centuries ago didn't feature glitzy, sparkling decorations.

Prior to the 16th century, trees were decorated with nuts and apples and were designed to symbolize religious stories.

Beautiful ornamentation began in the 1800's when blown glass ornaments called baubles were created by glassblowers in Lauscha, Germany.

This tradition of glass ornaments became popular in Queen Victoria's reign in England because of the popularity of Queen Victoria's Christmas tree. 

Tree of Life Glass Ornament

As I said above, Germany was where decorated Christmas trees began, and the Queen's husband Albert—Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha—came from a German principality. 

When he married the Queen in 1840, he brought his German Christmas tradition with him.

Nearly 20 years later, an illustration of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert with their decorated tree was widely published and was a hit wither practically everyone in the English-speaking world.

The popularity of the royal family's Christmas tree spread to America, and American merchant F.W. Woolworth began importing German glass ornaments to sell in his stores.

Woolworth blazed the way, and other merchants followed which made the decorations available and affordable to most Americans.

Starry Night Glass Ornament

Glass ornaments aren't common in today's plastic world, but they are more beautiful than plastic.

They're also available in many different styles and shapes from round balls to snowflakes and miniature holiday scenes and cultural and religious themes. Even better, you can find them at many price points.

You can find ornaments with Christian, Buddhist, nature, music, and classic art themes, and so much more. Click the links in the caption and explore some exquisite glass ornaments.

TAKEAWAY TRUTH

When you begin placing ornaments on your tree, why not lift your eggnog in a toast to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in honor of this tradition? Happy decorating!

9 piece Glass Ball Set

Joan participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, affiliate advertising designed to help websites earn advertising fees by linking to products on Amazon. If you click an Amazon link in her post, she may receive a small commission but at no extra cost to you.

* * * * * * * * *

Have fun reading! NOBODY'S CINDERELLA, a spicy Christmas RomCom, on sale. Only 99¢.

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