Sorry for not blogging yesterday. This sinus infection really kicked my butt yesterday. I’m feeling somewhat better today. I think….

Perugia, Italy is the capital of the Umbria region. It was an artistic center. It’s chockfull of great old buildings.

Today hi history:

• 1923 – The Hollywood Sign was officially dedicated in the hills above Hollywood, Los Angeles. It originally read “Hollywoodland” (see my very own banner above) but the four last letters were dropped after renovation in 1949. (You didn’t think I’d let this day slide by, did you? *g*)

There’s a new show on SyFy (and you have no idea how much it pains me to type it that way) tonight that looks fun. Legend Quest.

Reading: I’m going to keep reading Trixie Belden until I finish them all. Unless the B&N gift card I got for my birthday starts burning a hole in my pocket.

Though the name makes me think Africa, Denali National Park is actually in Alaska. Denali is, in fact, Mount McKinley (the highest mountain in North America). The park covers a whopping 6 million acres! There are forests, tundra, and glaciers in the park. It’s home to grizzly bears, black bears, caribou, Dall sheep, moose, gray wolves, marmots, ground squirrels, beavers, foxes, martens, lynxes and wolverines. You can also find a myriad of birds and fish.

Today in history:

• 1892 – Actor/screenwriter Thomas Mitchell was born.

• 1895 – The Lumière brothers demonstrated their film technology to scientists.

• 1910 – Actress Irene Hervey was born.

• 1914 – Babe Ruth made his debut in Major league baseball.

• 1920 – Actor Yul Brynner was born.

• 1922 – The Hollywood Bowl opened for the first time (hey, my Hollywood murder mystery characters can visit it!).

Tonight on TV: the season premieres of Eureka, Warehouse 13 and Rizzoli & Isles. Plus the series debut of Alphas which looks interesting.

Reading: And I’m still reading Trixie Belden books.

Today we’re jetting off to the frosty land of Finland to visit the town of Savonlinna. The town covers three islands in Lake Saimaa. The castle there was built in 1475. The city hosts an annual opera festival. It also hosts the annual Mobile Phone Throwing World Championships.

Today in history:

• 1891 – Actress Virginia Rappe was born. She’s most famous for Fatty Arbuckle being charged with her murder/manslaughter.

• 1899 – Director George Cukor was born.

• 1928 – Sliced bread was sold for the first time by the Chillicothe Baking Company of Chillicothe, Missouri. (I wonder what they considered the greatest thing prior to sliced bread? *g*)

• 1930 – Industrialist Henry J. Kaiser began construction of the Boulder Dam (now known as Hoover Dam).

• 1946 – Howard Hughes nearly died when his XF-11 spy plane prototype crashed in Beverly Hills.

• 1954 – Elvis Presley made his radio debut when WHBQ Memphis played his first recording for Sun Records, “That’s All Right.”

Tonight on TV, it’s baseball, Wipeout, and Burn Notice.

Reading: I’m still in the mood for Trixie Belden.

Once again we’re off to Ireland! This time to the town of Dingle in County Kerry. It’s main industries are agriculture, tourism and fishing. It’s a very picturesque little town.

Today in history:

• 1919 – The British dirigible R34 landed in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.

• 1933 – The first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Chicago’s Comiskey Park. The American League defeated the National League 4–2.

• 1942 – Anne Frank and her family went into hiding above her father’s office in an Amsterdam warehouse.

• 1944 – The Hartford Circus Fire, one of America’s worst fire disasters, killed approximately 168 people and injured over 700 in Hartford, Connecticut.

• 1957 – Althea Gibson won at Wimbledon, becoming the first black athlete to do so.

Tonight all I’ll be watching is baseball.

Reading: Still reading Trixie Belden books.

And now we’re off to one of the most scenic spots in Italy, the Amalfi Coast. It’s a very beautiful locale and I don’t know why there are so few pictures on the Wikipedia page. You’ll find a few more pictures on the municipalities pages.

Today in history:

• 1904 – Actor Milburn Stone was born. He’s best known as the doctor on Gunsmoke.

• 1937 – Hormel introduced their luncheon meat, Spam, for the first time.

• 1954 – The BBC broadcasted its first television news bulletin.

Tonight on TV: baseball, Memphis Beat and White Collar.

Reading: I’ve been reading old Trixie Belden books lately.

Today, on the 235th birthday of this great nation, we travel to Boston, Massachusetts and the Beacon Hill area. Beacon Hill is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boston with lovely Federal-style townhouses, narrow cobblestone, gaslit streets, and brick sidewalks. Beacon Hill was designated a National Historic Landmark on December 19, 1962.

On this date, 235 years ago, the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, essentially kicking Great Britain to the curb. Well done, gentlemen! Well done, indeed!

Also on this day in history:

• 1882 – Movie producer Louis B. Mayer was born.

• 1898 – Actress Gertrude Lawrence was born.

• 1903 – Dorothy Levitt was reported as the first woman in the world to compete in a ‘motor race’.

• 1910 – Actress Gloria Stuart was born.

• 1939 – Lou Gehrig, diagnosed with ALS, told a crowd at Yankee Stadium that he considered himself “The luckiest man on the face of the earth” as he announced his retirement from major league baseball. He died less than two years later.

The only thing on tonight is baseball. Or recorded shows. Something patriotic, perhaps?

Reading: I’ve been re-reading Gina Robinson‘s spy romances the last few days. Fun stuff and she has a new spy romance series debuting in November! Woohoo!!!

Good grief. It seems like life is determined to not let me blog! One thing after another keeps getting in the way.

Today, I’m going to quickly cover the various palatial estates belonging to the DuPont family.

• Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania

• Nemours Mansion and Gardens in Wilmington, Delaware

• Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware

• Winterthur Museum in Winterthur, Delaware

I don’t know about where you are but it’s miserably hot and humid here.

Tonight on TV, baseball, and new episodes of Wipeout and Burn Notice.

Reading: I read a really cute book over the last couple of days. My Favorite Witch by Lisa Plumley.

Sorry for the lack of posts last week. Between having no brain and updating all my software (you update one thing and it sets off a chain reaction ), I’ve turned into a total slacker.

Today we’re heading back to Ireland. Dromoland Castle lies in County Clare. Built originally in the late 15/early 16th Century, the current castle was added in 1835. Dromoland is now a hotel and one I’d love to stay in some day! Visit their official site, too.

Not much on tonight except a new episode of Off Limits, so I’ll be catching up with recorded shows.

Reading: I’m not sure what I’ll be reading tonight. I tried to download a book in the wee small hours last night and B&N had a problem with my credit card. Not sure what that’s about and neither does my bank.

Today we’re off to Norway! The Lofoten Islands lie within the Arctic Circle. But don’t let that scare you away from visiting. Even in winter the average temperature is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes I know that sounds cold and I’d complain about it being cold myself but that’s balmy for the Arctic Circle in winter! The average summer temp is 56 degrees. Go check out the gorgeous mountain pictures!

Tonight on TV, we have the summer premiere of Wipeout and the season premiere of Burn Notice

Finally got back to reading through one of my stories.

Reading: Now I’m reading Hexes and Hemlines by Juliet Blackwell. It’s the third book in her Witchcraft Mystery series.

I can’t believe I forgot to blog yesterday! I’ll blame my new cell phone which I’ve been playing with. *g*

Today we’re heading to the world-famous island of Martha’s Vineyard. It’s a favorite vacation spot of presidents. It’s only accessible by boat and air. Do you remember the TV show Wings? It was set on Martha’s Vineyard.

Not much on tonight. Just baseball which will be depressing if it goes as badly as last night’s game.

Reading: Finished reading Classified as Murder by Miranda James last night. Tonight? Not sure yet.