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Maplewood Press (an imprint of Archer Atwood Books) will bring together the best in original fiction

18/03/2024

Happy National Quilting Day

You will hear me say this often, I love the thought of touching something made by hand. I feel when I touch that item I am actually touching that person’s hand. And how amazing that the object is still around after many years, or even decades so we can reach across time and enjoy what they made…to feel their hand.

My Grandmother over time asked the local tailor if he would give her the wool scraps after he cut out a man’s suit or coat. She collected them all up and pieced them together into a fun “crazy quilt” which was a popular style in her time.

At first glance, you may only notice the muted tones of browns and greys. On closer inspection you see all the delightful details of embroidered delicate feminine flowers against all that masculinity.

I never knew about this beautiful piece of art till it was handed down to me decades after she passed away. Now each time I lay my hand on it, I can imagine hers there, creating those lovely stitches and feel her presence: reaching across the threads of time.

17/03/2024

La Fhéile Pádraig Shona Daoibh!!... Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!
When I think of honoring the Irish, I don’t think of the modern partying and wearing of the green. I think of a symbol of creative Irish history, the wonderfully illuminated medieval manuscript called “The Book of Kells” at Trinity College. It has been regarded as one of the most beautiful examples of Celtic artwork and has endured for centuries.

Why do I love this manuscript? Because the book is so richly decorated! At first glance of these detailed decorations and you might think who could come up with these designs? What were they tripping on? I adore all the fun animals in it. Often they have jobs as punctuation marks or to point to key elements in the text. I find them kind of like a story within the story. You could argue that they had religious symbolism, but I prefer to think the Monks were just having a little fun in painting them.

28/02/2024

Happy Leap Year!! An old tradition holds that this is the day women can do the asking for marriage. Not to be confused with "Sadie Hawkins Day" that happens in November. That tradition started in the 1930s based on a story in the popular comic book Ii'l Abner: The woman was shy and kept to herself, so her father created a race and invited all the eligible bachelors. If Sadie could catch one, he had to marry her. The story actually spawned "Sadie Hawkins" dances and activities on college campuses and in schools. The women/girls could ask the boys to dance..which if you remember your middle school dances, the boys are too shy to ask the girls, so that worked out. After the 1970s the need for such traditions weren't needed anymore, women were more comfortable being the one doing asking... :) Enjoy your extra day this year and I hope it includes a little romance!

06/02/2024

Hi Folks! Have you been watching "Masters of the Air"? It is great but I can only watch it in small bits because I keep thinking of my Dad's words, "Hours of boredom followed by minutes of sheer terror" and I continue to be amazed at how he managed to get through that. Such courage of all those young men, most just teenagers. The series is about the B17s over Europe, but we know the Patrol Bomber Squadrons in the Pacific theater had it just as rough. I am sorting through all my Dad's photos and those sent to me so i can write a new blog article and I came across this one. He looks like one of the pilots in the series. Sadly I don't know his real name, just "an Ohio boy" written on the back.

03/10/2023

Happy October! Its a perfect time to visit Salem, MA. After you visit all the "witch" focused sites, take a walk/drive around and see all the beautiful and interesting old houses. Many have small white signs on them telling you when they were built and who once lived there. Here is a sample of the ones I spotted last visit beginning with the “Hocus Pocus” house.

31/08/2023

The Full Blue Moon: A joy and a curse. A joy to all of us who are not in the path of the hurricane/tropical storm-so bright, so beautiful. For those in the storm, the full moon brings higher tides.

23/08/2023

I have been receiving some great comments and new information with regards to my "Blue Raiders" blog articles. This makes me very happy that we can keep their memory alive. At the end of the week I will be adding their info and photos. Stay tuned!

21/08/2023

Time to plan your fall trips! For my history loving family that includes hunting for old cemeteries to find 1600 and 1700s aged headstones. Yes, we are a strange family, but we do it together :) What are your plans?

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About Maplewood Press

I am a curious sort. Like everyone I love a good mystery, not so much because of the solution at the end of the story, but for the unexpected twists and turns. When I pick up an object I wonder about the original owner and why did they need it, and what in the world was it used for, and how did they make it? Or when I look at an interesting old building I ask who built it, or who lived there? In asking these questions a connection to someone or something else is made. A path is being created. A path that always leads me to fun and odd adventures. Through this page and my blog MaplewoodPress.com I hope to share those discoveries with you.

Ready to start? Please put on your virtual boots and gloves. Unique paths of past and present New England are about to be discovered and it might get a bit wild!

Atwood