Between traveling and mourning, I’ve taken some time off from blogging. Now, I’m having a hard time getting back into routine.
My Cool Tools are easy-peasy and free ways to improve your writing. Today’s tool is almost free, it cost me a quarter. In today’s day and age, a quarter is almost free, so I’m gunna’ show ya’ what I’m enjoying.
These gold-covered magazines that fill shelves at thrift store are my secret research weapon. In fact, some thrift stores won’t even take them anymore. Their loss. They’re one of my favorite ways to learn history. I get all the words and the pictures I need from a reliable source, all in one package somebody else didn’t want.
Of course, like the rest of the plugged-in world, I love the internet and can waste hours researching. Sometimes I end up researching things I didn’t even know existed, or things I didn’t know I needed to know, and things I didn’t know I was interested in until I got lost on a mouse-clicking bunny trail. I have been known to forget to look at what I intentionally started researching…
Anyhoo, my current WIP (work in progress) takes place in Rome, so I’ve been catching up on history. I had to make a special trip to the thrift store that has stacks of these golden beauties. YEA!
A beautiful marble bust of Augustus, with a succinct explanation of Pax Romana.
How can you describe where your characters are walking, shopping and bathing, unless you have an accurate map of the city and the buildings from that time period?
Of course, women’s fashion is always crucial to the story of any time period. Oh my, now I have to figure out how they made those Medusa like ringlet curls without an electric curling iron.
The December 1953 issues featured the archeology of Jericho, the oldest known city at the time of publication. It supplied some valuable information on how people lived during early Bible times, and although this timeline shows it was several hundred years before the founding of Rome and the eventual conquering by Rome, it still gave me a feel for the climate and the terrain. Bunny trails don’t happen only when researching online!
You know how you can’t always trust Internet sources? No need to research the resource, you know National Geographic is reliable.
Click on the page to read it fully. Paragraph 9 states:
“Our expedition hoped to illustrate the Bible’s account with confirmation of the town’s destruction by the Israelites. Literary evidence points to a date somewhere between 1400 and 1250 B.C. for the collapse of the wall before the Israelite assault.
You may click to enlarge the pic, but the text reads as follows:
“At least 35 centuries old when Joshua conquered Jericho, these sculptured heads were found beneath a Neolithic ruin in the oldest known walled town.”
Not if Joshua conquered Jericho, but when. They state it as a fact. This made me love my old National Geographics even more!
National Geographic has always been known for their talented photographers. Arab women at Elisha’s Fountain.
I especially love the old ads.
Who doesn’t love the old Coca-Cola Christmas ads from the back cover?
So, there ya’ go. National Geographic is today’s Cool Tool that will make your research golden.
We used to have so many of them and along with the World Book Encyclopedia our children read the National Geographic. Old ones, you know. Good post and it is great to see you back. I am so sorry for the loss of your long time friend. On another note, I could NOT believe how much your daughter greeewww!! Rebecca, right? She looks more like a young lady than a little girl.
Thanks for your kind encouragement, it has been hard getting back into our routine for many reasons. Looking forward to sharing another blogging year with you and your wonderful words of encouragement about our Savior!
I’m having the same struggle with blogging. Summer was just too unorganized and I blogged maybe 2 or 3 times. Very strange! I blame the Little-J’s who thought we should live in the back yard with me pushing them in their swings for 2-3 HOURS DAILY! Not kidding. Now that we’re back in school and life is trying to get more organized I feel drawn to blog but really can’t come up with good ideas to put into type. =/
I know with your love and drive to write that you’ll overcome soon and be back on track. I hope your days are getting easier and the mourning is less. There is joy in this journey… Jesus’ love never fails, it is new every morning. Love ya.
Your little girls are such dollies and such mischief! I love seeing pics and reading about them. Hoping we both get back into school/blogging routine soon. Love you, too!