I'm sorry I haven't had a chance to write much the past few days, but I've been busy helping Momma through one of life's unfortunate situations.
However, today she got some good news. I can't say more now, but hopefully I'll have some exciting news in the next few days.
In the meantime, please keep your fingers crossed....
Thursday, February 9
Tuesday, February 7
What the Dickens?
Happy 200th birthday, Charles Dickens!
Dickens, the British author who created unforgettable characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and David Copperfield, was born in Portsmouth, England, on Feb. 7, 1812.
Dickens first visited Philadelphia in 1842 and received a celebrity welcome, shaking hands with fans for hours in a hotel lobby. When he returned in 1868, people camped out for tickets to his readings and scalpers commanded high prices for the sold-out performances.
Dickens only visited Philadelphia twice but two local benefactors donated major Dickens collections to the Philadelphia public library, including 1,200 letters.
Among the items on view in the rare book department are first editions of his novels and original artwork for the tales; dozens of letters to colleagues; the desk where he left his unfinished 15th book, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"; and an 1846 manuscript of the "Children's New Testament" - Dickens' own version of the life of Jesus, which he read to his children each Christmas.
Also on display, safe in a terrarium, stands Grip, the pet raven that Dickens preserved through taxidermy. Grip appeared as a minor character in Dickens' book "Barnaby Rudge," which Edgar Allan Poe reviewed while living in Philadelphia. Poe criticized the bird's small role, and penned "The Raven" four years later.
Through another twist of fate, Clark Park in west Philadelphia ended up with a statue of the writer. The sculpture by Frank Edwin Elwell features a seated Dickens on a pedestal and one of his most beloved characters - Little Nell, from "The Old Curiosity Shop" - standing below.
Dickens had forbidden such memorials in his will, but one other full-sized statue stands in Sydney, Australia.
Dickens, the British author who created unforgettable characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and David Copperfield, was born in Portsmouth, England, on Feb. 7, 1812.Dickens first visited Philadelphia in 1842 and received a celebrity welcome, shaking hands with fans for hours in a hotel lobby. When he returned in 1868, people camped out for tickets to his readings and scalpers commanded high prices for the sold-out performances.
Dickens only visited Philadelphia twice but two local benefactors donated major Dickens collections to the Philadelphia public library, including 1,200 letters.
Among the items on view in the rare book department are first editions of his novels and original artwork for the tales; dozens of letters to colleagues; the desk where he left his unfinished 15th book, "The Mystery of Edwin Drood"; and an 1846 manuscript of the "Children's New Testament" - Dickens' own version of the life of Jesus, which he read to his children each Christmas.
Also on display, safe in a terrarium, stands Grip, the pet raven that Dickens preserved through taxidermy. Grip appeared as a minor character in Dickens' book "Barnaby Rudge," which Edgar Allan Poe reviewed while living in Philadelphia. Poe criticized the bird's small role, and penned "The Raven" four years later.
Through another twist of fate, Clark Park in west Philadelphia ended up with a statue of the writer. The sculpture by Frank Edwin Elwell features a seated Dickens on a pedestal and one of his most beloved characters - Little Nell, from "The Old Curiosity Shop" - standing below.
Dickens had forbidden such memorials in his will, but one other full-sized statue stands in Sydney, Australia.
Monday, February 6
Steam-pink Addie
I admit I am pleased to hear that a certain organization has reversed its earlier decision to not give Planned Parenthood money for breast cancer screenings.
I was so upset that I even put pink on in protest - and as most of you know I loathe pink. But even I shall wear pink if it raises breast cancer awareness.
But maybe some people need Planned Parenthood awareness, too.
Planned Parenthood dates to 1916 when Margaret Sanger, her sister and a friend opened the first birth control clinic in the United States in Brooklyn, N.Y. It resulted in her being jailed. By 1941, the organization was operating 222 centers and had served 49,000 clients.
Incidentally, Faye Wattleton was the first woman named president of Planned Parenthood in 1978 and served till 1992. She was also the first African-American to serve as president, and the youngest president in Planned Parenthood's history. During her term, Planned Parenthood grew to become the seventh largest charity in the country, providing services to four million clients each year through its 170 affiliates whose activities were spread across 50 states.
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