They even have better mud than we do.

I've posted a few blogs about the British finding great stuff in their attics while I only have mothballs in mine. Now, to add insult to injury, even their mud yields better stuff than any of the mud I live near.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1210855/Mud-glorious-mud-From-hoards-silver-prisoners-ball-chain--scavengers-finding-treasures-riverbanks.html

The most I've ever uncovered in the mud is an arrowhead and I felt darn lucky to find it. Of course the arrowhead yielding mud was in Virginia and I live in California. If I lived back east in an old city like Boston, I'd probably have some artifact-worthy mud. Out here in the west, the mud is just too new. There isn't even any gold left in it. Some people have all the luck.

They'll never forget the name William Weston!

Then again, maybe not. It appears not everyone who sailed to the New World gained prominent mention in the history books. Instead, some of them got lost in the National Archives.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1209470/Revealed-Letter-Henry-VII-prove-Englishman-sailed-North-America-1499.html

Can you imagine being lost in obscurity all because of a clerical mistake? OK, so it isn't just some alphabetically challenged clerk's fault. Had William actually found something, he might have gained Christopher Columbus fame. Then again maybe he did, only everyone is looking in the wrong file.

Speaking of travellers, I'm reading a great book on lady travellers titled No Place for a Lady: Tales of Adventurous Women Travelers by Barbara Hodgson. The book profiles courageous women adventurers who travelled to some pretty inhospitable parts of the globe back when women didn't travel to inhospitable parts of the globe. It's a great read, especially for those looking for story ideas.

Breaking news on Robin Hood

Besides Queen Victoria's knickers, it's amazing what historians find stashed away in old closets and libraries.  Unfortunately, I know all the old horrors residing in my closet and all the familiar tomes decorating my bookshelf. As a result, I have to amuse myself with the fascinating finds in other peoples' libraries and closets. The most recent find comes from a manuscript in Eton's library with a little tidbit about every one's favorite outlaw, Robin Hood. 

Check it out.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1161809/Discovered-The-13th-Century-manuscript-shows-Robin-Hood-Merry-Men-werent-popular-all.html

He was really a big teddy bear.

A recently released letter from Henry VIII to Anne Boleyn reveals the softer side of the king. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1145429/Henry-VIII-reveals-softer-seen-gushing-love-letter-Anne-Boleyn.html

Perhaps he was simply a misunderstood monarch looking for love and affection in all the wrong places. Or maybe he had bad taste in women, advisers, dukes and assorted other hangers-on. More than likely he was just your run of the mill, spoiled monarch. Whatever it was that made him tick, you can't deny he is still a fascinating character who gave rise to an interesting and tumultuous era. However, as much as I love to read about the Tudors, I'm glad I didn't live back then.

I recently read Alison Weir's The Children of Henry VIII. It's a great book but what I found

 most fascinating was the portrait of Lady Jane Grey. This poor young girl, more than anyone else, makes me very glad I did not live in Tudor times. Here was an intelligent, well-educated young woman who wanted nothing more than to live a simple life. However, her parents threw her under the cart not once but twice in their bid to gain power and the throne of England. By the time Jane's execution day arrived, she was eager to move onto a better world.

With parents like Jane's, who needs enemies?

Let them eat raisins.

The Daily Mail UK ran an interesting article on Lord Nelson today. In addition to providing a brief look into Lord Nelson's command strategy, the article offers a few tidbits of historical research for all history writers.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1089269/Lovingly-restored-Lord-Admiral-Nelsons-letter-reveals-raisins-helped-win-Battle-Trafalgar.html

Who knew raisins were so important to history.

A great place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

I love history.  However, I'm very glad I live in the age of modern medicine and dentistry. Check out this Daily Mail article about Thomas Berdmore's treatise on dentistry from 1770. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1087032/Youll-need-strong-pair-crooked-pliers-The-18th-century-dentists-guide-brilliant-smile.html

Eeeewwwww.

ENYA

I am a rabid Enya fan, so you can imagine my excitement at the release of her new CD And Winter Came.  

I had the good fortune to meet her once seven years ago. It was after her appearance on the Larry King Live show. I happened to work in the CNN building and the alley between the building and the parking structure was where the autograph hounds always hung out. Most nights I ignored them and went to my car. On this particular night, I happened to ask who they were waiting for. When they said "Enya" I almost came unglued with excitement. For fear of missing her, I didn't dare run to my car and get my CD for her to sign. Instead I waited, a blank page in my Dayrunner ready. Out she came and for the first time in my life I was so star struck, I could barely put a sentence together. 

The framed autograph still hangs in my office at home.