The Library Ghost

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      CBS Sunday Morning. " The Endangered Species Act at 50 ." YouTube . December 31, 2023.     CrashCourse. " Conservation and Restoration Ecology: Crash Course Ecology #12 ." YouTube . January 21, 2013.      Friends of the Los Angeles River. " Notes from the Field - Understanding Indicator Species ." YouTube . July 13, 2020.      National Geographic. " Invasive Species 1...

    I've been pondering the nature of holy symbols in Dungeons & Dragons and similar fantasy tabletop RPGs.  They're instantly recognizable, with strong lines and bright colors, and can be hugely fun to sprinkle throughout a dungeon as clues or emblazon on a character's shield to show their allegiance.  Yet, there seems to be a distinct lack of real-world analogs for D&D-style holy symbols.  How did that happen?      Although D&D was created by a deeply Christian man, E. Gary Gygax seems to have neglected the real-world use of holy symbols in his own religion, much less outside of Christianity.  Let's look at how the cross is used as a Christian symbol.     The cross or crucifix is, essentially, the ancient Roman equivalent of the gallows.  As the instrument of Jesus' suffering* and death*, it is the quintessential Christian symbol.  It can appear with or without Jesus (or other hanged martyrs), and w...

    Conservation of wildlife, especially native pollinators, is critical for the future of our planet—including the future of humanity.  After all, no bees means no fruit, which makes up a huge proportion of the human diet.  Pollution, invasive species, deforestation, and climate change are all threats to our native species that must be combated, starting today.  We  can't rely only on individual action; we need to combine it with strong legal protection to save the environment before we lose it forever. General information      BBC Newsround. " Is Light Pollution Getting Worse? 🌃 | Newsround ." YouTube . March 6, 2023.      DwrCymruWelshWater. " Top 10 water saving tips ." YouTube . June 28, 2018.      Eco Sapien. " What is Citizen Science? " YouTube . March 30, 2015.     Natural Resources Wales / Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru . " What are invasive non-native species? " YouTube . July 26, 2023. ...

    The Victorian era in Britain and Ireland covers the reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901.  During that time, fashions changed dramatically as Britain became a global empire, with control of Egypt, India, Canada, Hong Kong, and parts of the Caribbean.  As immigration soared and London became the largest city in the world, anxiety about non-English "colonials" polluting English culture or bloodlines was at an all-time high.  Industry moved from small family businesses run out of the home to mass manufacturing in urban factories.  Handcrafts waned during the middle of Victoria's reign, only to return in romanticized "vintage" or "authentic" forms at the end of the century. General information      BBC Archive. " 1970: VICTORIAN TEENAGERS reminisce | Yesterday's Witness | Voice of the People | BBC Archive ." YouTube . Posted April 30, 2022.     HistoryExtra. " Child labour and BREADWINNERS | Ruth Goodman on family lif...

     I would like credit for limiting myself to *only* six cooking videos by Townsends.  It was very difficult and I deserve a sticker.  Also, for some reason the virtual tour of the Irish farm needs to be watched at 1.25x normal speed; all the others seem fine. General information     Fairfax Network - Fairfax County Public Schools. " Life of a Colonial Slave ." YouTube . Posted September 19, 2014.      Smarthistory. " The making of an American myth: Benjamin West, Penn's Treaty with the Indians ." YouTube . Posted February 9, 2020.     Townsend, Jon. " Lighting Then VS Now: Fire Before Electricity ." YouTube . Posted January 14, 2024.      Townsend, Jon. " Winters in Colonial America ." YouTube . Posted December 7, 2017. Architecture and engineering      Colonial Williamsburg. " 18th-Century Brickmaking ." YouTube . Posted January 28, 2026.     Colonial Williamsburg. " ...

    The 1500s in England saw Henry Tudor die; his second son take the throne as Henry VIII; and his daughter Margaret Tudor wed to James IV of Scotland.  Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, married Arthur, Prince of Wales; upon his death, she married then-prince Henry and bore his first daughter, Mary Tudor.  After Henry VIII established the Anglican Church and annulled his marriage to Catherine, he married Anne Boleyn, who bore the future Elizabeth I before being executed in 1536.  Henry would go on to have four more marriages, only one of which produced a son: Edward.      Henry oversaw the dissolution of the monasteries as part of his break with Rome, seizing church relics and treasures before turning the land over to his supporters.  After his death in 1547, a young Edward VI briefly became king, then died in 1553.  Mary took the throne and wed Phillip II of Spain in 1554, although Phillip took no part in ruling England and...

    My recollection is that I worked on lots of things, but finished very few.  We'll see by the end of the post whether that holds up!     I worked on knotting a string of pearls, which is really surprisingly difficult when it comes to getting the spacing right.  I stopped at the length of a choker because I do not have the patience to make one of those opera-length ropes!     I fixed a number of things in the mending pile, including the shoulder strap on my 1920s chemise (accidentally disconnected while struggling to remove a corset).  Remember to reinforce your attachment points, and use a buddy to help you out of a corset if you plan on tight-lacing!     The American Duchess post about an embroidered pocket from Colonial Williamsburg provided the initial inspiration for my blue pocket (the second of two so far); after dropping the project for about a year, I finally finished the embroidery and bound the piec...