I was born and raised in the Chicago area. In the city of Chicago, St. Patrick’s Day is a big deal. The Chicago River is dyed green each year, which is quite something to see. Since tradition has it that everybody is Irish on March 17th, I thought it might be fun to share some fun … Continued

Who knew there are weird “holidays” associated with many dates throughout the year? I found a list for 2017 the other day and perused it for fun. National Chip and Dip Day sounds like a winner! Then there’s Submarine Day….Talk Like Shakespeare Day (appropriately, it falls on the Bard’s birthday)….Be Late for Something Day. Someone apparently … Continued

It’s fun to peruse lists of obscure “holidays” to see what wacky things are included. Take today, for example. Who knew that May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day? All I can say is……….yum! They’re up there at the top of the list of my favorite cookies. Here’s my tried and true recipe: 1 … Continued

At The Christian Gift we use only premium quality, archival materials to create our wall art. The inks, art paper and matboard are all designed to deliver an exceptional end product – one that will look great not just today, but for many years to come. Why do we do it? We think you deserve … Continued

Today marks the 400th anniversary of the first publishing of the King James Bible. Who was King James, anyway? King James VI of Scotland (crowned 1567) went on also to become King James I of England and Ireland (crowned 1603). He assumed the throne in Scotland at the tender age of 13 months after the … Continued

In much of the country, today is Arbor Day…a wonderful idea that originated in the great state of Nebraska. I love trees. Growing up in Illinois, we had 11 mature oaks in our yard, along with huge, stately spruce trees on three corners of the lot. At my current home, more than half of the property … Continued

The world’s oldest cog railway (and second-steepest) is located right here in New Hampshire…it climbs Mount Washington, traveling from an elevation of 2,700 feet to the 6,288 summit on a track more than three miles in length. How steep? The average grade is more than 25%. The train’s base station is located in beautiful Bretton Woods … Continued

As a landscape and nature photographer, probably my favorite time of year to shoot is autumn. My adopted home state of New Hampshire is amazingly beautiful during the season. While colors in many parts of the United States are lovely, in my book nothing comes close to what you’ll see here – mainly due to … Continued

Holy Week is nearly upon us…my favorite time during the church year. Christmas is great, but for me, this is better. And as a gardener – and photographer – I really enjoy and appreciate the masses of Easter Lilies used as decoration. Especially in big churches, where there may be scores of them adorning the … Continued

My favorite holiday, hands down, is and always has been Easter. It’s obviously special for what it means as the pinnacle of the church year – but the older I get, the notion that it hasn’t been commercialized to excess the way Christmas has only adds to its already wonderful appeal.   As I’m sure … Continued

Each year it’s interesting to get the background story on New York City’s Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree. Finding out something about the family who donated it and how it was selected is always interesting.   That prompted me to find out more about the National Christmas tree, which will be lit this year on Thursday … Continued

Friendship Day is fast approaching! The tradition of dedicating a day to honor friends began in the U.S. in 1935; now many countries worldwide mark the first Sunday in August as a time to celebrate that special bond. Robert Louis Stevenson is quoted as having said, “A friend is a present you give yourself.”  Turns … Continued