POTD: Grace

From 2018 08 19 Uglich

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Uglich, Russia. The church is the Church of the Transfiguration, which dates to the early 1700s, replacing an earlier church on the same site that dated to the 1400s. Uglich itself dates back a thousand years. History is rich here. In 1591, according to Advantour, the original church's "bell ringer announced the death of Tsarevich Dmitry to the Uglich people by a peal of bell. Later this ill-fated bell, which brought bad news, was given a flogging with a whip just like humans and, like a criminal, exiled to Siberia."

POTD: Church of Tsarevich Dimitri On the Blood

From 2018 08 19 Uglich

Today's photo-of-the-day is from Uglich, Russia. The church was built on the spot of the murder of Tsarevich Dmitry. According to Advantour, "On May 15, 1591, young Tsarevich Dmitry, the last heir of Ivan the Terrible, died in mysterious circumstances. The chronicles of the Time of Troubles are full of gloomy stories about the death of the tsarevich, but the real causes of death of the last Rurik has never been found out. However, the most popular version was a cold-blooded murder, allegedly plotted by Boris Godunov, the pretender to the throne. This version was so well known and argued, that later on it provided the basis for the famous historical play 'Boris Godunov' by Alexander Pushkin."

POTD: Sunset on the Volga

From 2018 08 18 Yaroslavl

Today's photo-of-the-day is from the Volga River near Yaroslavl, Russia. No history lesson today. It's just a pretty picture.

My First Car

The photo shows me being presented with the keys to my first car, a 1958 DeSoto Firemite. It's a 3/8 scale car with a polystyrene plastic body, whitewall tires, a gasoline engine, and battery-operated headlights, taillights and horn.

Yes, there's a story behind it. In 1958, Chrysler Corporation dealers were promoting their new cars. When my Uncle Floyd bought his 1958 DeSoto station wagon, Winnebagoland Motors held a "Family Days Car Jamboree" contest for new owners. Floyd entered the name of his six-year-old nephew, me. I was lucky enough to win a new car. I've never had quite that same smile on my face since.

Yesterday (2019)

Rotten Tomatoes

Yesterday (2019): Beatles music alone would be worth it, but the whole is a perfect blend of that with a sci-fi premise and a bittersweet love story, with each component leaving you wanting more, as it should be. Comic elements are a bonus. Maybe you have to be a Baby Boomer. A-