Braille Letter "W'

I'm learning braille and noticed the the letter 'w' doesn't have a logical dot position in relation to the other letters. Apparently the letter was added later in 1914 by Americans. Louis Braille didn't encode the letter when devising his ingenious tangible alphabet in 1821 because the letter didn't exist yet in French dictionaries!

Canary Island HIstory

Twittering little canary birds are obviously named after the Canary Islands. But the island's name came from the Latin canariae insulae which means 'islands of dogs.' Apparently the island's inhabitants all owned ginormous tail - waggers! It was originally an island famous for being full of fidos and not birds!

The Cat's Out of the Bag

 

  

In medieval England, piglets were sold in the open marketplace. The seller usually kept the pig in a bag, so it would be easier for the buyer to take it home. But shady sellers often tried to trick their buyers by putting a large cat in the bag. If a shrewd shopper looked in the bag - then the cat was literally out of the bag. That is where the expression came from!

Dog Tired

 

  

Dog tired is an old English phrase. It derives from an old tale of Alfred the Great who used to send his sons out with his extensive kennels of hunting dogs. Whichever of his sons, be it Athelbrod or Edwin, were able to catch more of the hounds would gain their father's right hand side at the dinner table that evening. These chases would leave them 'dog-tired' yet merry at their victory!

Jour des Crêpes

The Catholic holiday of Candlemas, on 2 February, is a feast to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of baby Jesus. In France, this holiday is called la Chandeleur, Fête de la Lumière, or jour des crêpes.

Not only do the French eat a lot of crêpes on Chandeleur, but they also do a bit of fortune telling while making them. It is traditional to hold a coin in your writing hand and a crêpe pan in the other, and flip the crêpe into the air. If you manage to catch the crêpe in the pan, your family will be prosperous for the rest of the year!
french vintage postcard

A Bouquet of Lily of the Valley for the Ozark Madieval Fortress

I just can't stop tooting The Ozark Medieval Fortress' horn! I blogged about the ingenious project here. The stone stronghold of the past is set to open on May 1st! Here's an illustrated aerial view of this momentous undertaking.

 

I stumbled upon the little beut of a vintage postcard at an open market in Toucy, France. Isn't it just perfect for announcing the starting date of the unique medieval construction site? The scented lily of the valley is considered to bring luck! Here in France we give small bouquets of the delicate blossom to friends and family on May Day. Bonne Chance to you Ozark Medieval Fortress!

Be sure to visit the official Ozark Medieval Fortress Site at:

http://ozarkmedievalfortress.com/

ozark medieval fortress

Rainbows, Arkansas, and the Ozark Medieval Fortress

The etymology of the word 'Ozarks' is a subject of speculation. It has been suggested that it's a linguistic corruption of the French "aux arcs-en-ciel," which means "toward the rainbows" Apparently the spotting of Roy G. Biv* is quite common in the mountainous regions of Arkansas. I'll surely see one when I visit the Ozark Medieval Fortress!  

* Roy G. Biv - This stands for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. That's how I was taught to memorize the order of the colors of the rainbow in school:)

Be sure to visit the official Ozark Medieval Fortress Site at:

http://ozarkmedievalfortress.com/

french vintage postcard rainbow