Twelve Things You'll Want to Know About Sake Part Two of My Dive into Japanese Culture I love a tasty cocktail from time to time and a cold beer on a hot day, but sake? I think I sampled it once and never went back.  But after my recent trip to Japan, I’ve realized my knowledge is sorely lacking about this unusual alcoholic beverage.  So here are a dozen questions I set out to answer: 1. Why is Sake Japan's Signature drink? Around 300 BCE, when the two cultures were ... VIEW POST

Sumo, Sake and Kintsugi: A Triple Dip into Japanese Culture - Part One Sumo: More than Big Guys in Little Pants Let’s be honest: to most Westerners, sumo wrestlers  are larger-than-life cartoons: gargantuan men wearing something resembling thong bikinis who do nothing but swagger and push each other around. But a recent trip to Japan has taught me that there’s much more to this iconic Japanese sport. It is a highly competitive, full-contact wrestling match in which a rikishi attempts to force ... VIEW POST

Get it Together: A Short History of How We Stay Fastened (Part Two) Last month I gave a brief history of the ways we humans kept our clothing together until roughly the end of the nineteenth century. Today's foray will cover those innovations that my characters (who lived during the early part of the twentieth century) likely wouldn't have used - in some cases, because they hadn't been invented yet! Snaps.  Those little interlocking disks (originally called "spring button ... VIEW POST

Get it Together: A Short History of How We Stay Fastened (Part One)​From food and housing to transportation and entertainment, every historical period has details that distinguish it. Since my mysteries take place in turn of the twentieth century America, I have to dress my characters a certain way: Men, depending on their social status, usually wore vests and bowler hats; women most often suffered through cinched waists and long skirts (not to mention the unmentionables underneath).  But how ... VIEW POST