Ann Silverthorn

If you’re an American planning on traveling to Europe, you’re in for a treat. Such rich history! Such spectacular architecture! Such interesting people! So many surprises in store. Luckily for you, if you read this post, a dozen interesting aspects of European guest houses won’t take you off guard. Some of these also hold true…

What do you do when you want to serve a no-frills dish that’s easy to transport, serve, and consume, but you don’t want to just open a jar? You get creative! I was recently asked to make a main a dish for a gathering of fellow committee members from a World War I centennial project. My…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company closed in 2023, and the blog was shut down. Shoulder pads and three-piece suits. Multi-tasking and networking. Yuppies. Business people were trying desperately to get ahead in the 1980s, but the economy wasn’t cooperating. The decade had begun in the grips…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company closed in 2023, and the blog was shut down. Many Academy Awards in the 1980s went to movies that explored non-traditional subjects, indicating a move toward inclusiveness, as film makers began to explore dysfunction, disabilities, and cultural issues. Here are some…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. The 1970s were marked by turmoil, largely caused by gasoline shortages, a controversial war, and a presidential resignation. There was also the Watergate scandal,…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. The 1970s marked significant advances for female equality in America. Although the equal-rights amendment failed to ratify, federal law now outlawed discrimination in the…

Sometimes I’m disappointed with movie remakes, but that’s not the case with Fahrenheit 451. The theme of the first film, and the novel it was based on, is actually strengthened in the 2018 version. Both versions have just enough similarities and differences to make them both worth watching. I’d recommend reading the novel by Ray Bradbury…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company closed in 2023, and the blog was shut down. When thinking of the 1960s, many associate those years with free love, psychedelics, protests, integration, and war. For those living through those years, movie theaters provided respite from the disturbing images that…

This post originally appeared on the DVD Netflix blog “Inside the Envelope.” That company folded in 2023, and the blog was shut down, but you might find some good stuff here. The decade most-often associated with the Vietnam War is the 1960s, but during that time movie fans weren’t flocking to theaters in patriotic fashion…

Our local paper runs a column on history, and every morning, I like to review the notable events that happened on that date. Yesterday, I read that on April 21, 1977, Annie opened on Broadway, and its run totaled 2,377 performances. This started me on a path of Annie reminiscence, and it grew into this post. Annie in Poetry Many people…