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In Dickens' famous A Christmas Carol , Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. With the loss of my Dad this past June 1st, I suppose it is only natural that the Ghost of Christmas Past has been lingering at my home these past couple of weeks.   Growing up, my parents didn't buy us much throughout the year. Of course we got school clothes and basic necessities, but my folks just didn't have the extra cash to buy toys or other superfluous items. My Dad was always fiscally frugal, however, that seemed to go out the window at Christmastime.  I don't remember Christmases without my Dad. The first one I can recollect is the Christmas of 1972 - the year before  he and my mom married. We spent it at my Gram and Grandpa's house in Sunbury where the Boyer clan introduced me to what my Christmases would now be like. Me, getting a first look at what Santa had left (1972) We gathered early in the morning in my grandparent's living room. O

Madame de Pompadour at her Dressing Table , François Boucher (1758) I recently taught the Age of Enlightenment, and spent some time discussing the extraordinary Madame de Pompadour. As I was regaling a series of interesting tales about the marquise to my eager students, I thought, "This would make for an excellent blog!" Donc...voilà! Jeanne Antoinette Poisson was born into a middle class family on 29 December 1721. The story goes that as a nine-year-old girl, the future Marquise de Pompadour and her mother visited a fortune teller who predicted that Jeanne would be the  maîtresse-en-titre , or official mistress, of the king.  From that point on, her mother groomed her to be a king's mistress, even dubbing her daughter  Reinette  (little queen). Reinette was well-educated, beautiful, a talented singer and performer, and refined - all of which made her the perfect candidate for mistress. Portrait of Madame de Pompadour , François Boucher (1756) In 1741, Rei

Le Château de Versailles I will never forget the first time I saw Versailles. I was simultaneously awed and overwhelmed by its grandeur. It began in 1631 as a royal hunting lodge but King Louis XIV - in his quest for distance from the people of Paris - turned it into the palace we know today.  The Chapel at the Château He was initially advised against using this land as it was predominately a swamp. True to his absolutist form, he ignored his architects and advisors and commanded otherwise. In 1682, the Sun King forced the aristocracy to live at Versailles for part of the year, many complained about the swamp's stench. In an attempt to combat the foul odor, giant urns were distributed over the grounds and filled with flower petals and orange peels (from Versailles' gardens and orangerie ).  Potpourri Urns (photo by Jennifer Boyer-Switala) View of Le Château de Versailles from the Gardens ( photo by Jennifer Boyer-Switala) Inside, you can rent an audio g

"Germany Wins on All Fronts" - the Eiffel Tower (Getty Images) It is no great secret that some French collaborated during the Nazi Occupation of France. Some did it for less than admirable reasons, such as political gain, anti-Semitism, or true fascist ideology. Other people were frightened and saw no end to the Occupation, while some were motivated simply by the desire to survive.  Many women who collaborated fall into the latter category. French women and German soldiers enjoying lunch at a café (Unidentified Photo Source) Food, clothes, and fuel (among other items) were scarce during the Occupation. Nearly everything needed to sustain life was rationed, and much of France's food and other  necessary  commodities were shipped to Germany. One way to ensure warmth and a full belly was by making nice with a German soldier.  A French woman chats with a German soldier in front of the Eiffel Tower during the Occupation In a desperate attempt to survive,