Marlene Wagman-Geller

"As far back as I can remember, it was always on my bucket list, even before the term bucket list was coined,
to be a writer. It was a natural progression to want to go from reading books to writing one."
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Of Their Number

Of Their Number
Jan 04, 2024 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

  

“Afflictions are the steps to heaven.”

–Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton   

 

The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton (opened 1965)

Emmitsburg, Maryland

                 

A Negro spiritual, popularized by Louis Armstrong, begins with the lyrics, “Oh, when the saints go marching in, oh, when the saints go marching in…” To learn about the woman who traversed the road from socialite to saint, head to Emmitsburg, Maryland, the site of the National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton.

           

Iron Butterfly

Iron Butterfly
Dec 30, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“The people need a role model…especially in the dark of night.”

–Imelda Marcos

 

Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum (opened 1979)

Tacloban, Philippines

                

If a Grimm’s brother princess possessed the ability to write, her message would read, “A new pair of shoes can change your life-Cinderella.” A former First Lady of the Philippines would have wholeheartedly agreed. To partake of a dwelling of fairy tale proportions, enter the estate of the Santo Niño Shrine and Heritage Museum.

Bid Time Return

Bid Time Return
Dec 24, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

 

“Surely for everything you love, you have to pay some price.”

–Agatha Christie

 

Greenway House (opened 2009)

Devon, England

 

As a rule of thumb, people are not salivating to visit an isolated manor whose hostess’ specialty is poison, where random bodies turn up. While the latter scenario is the case in Agatha Christie’s novels, the author’s retreat, Greenway House, is a pastoral estate to which fans flock.

Coded Diary

Coded Diary
Dec 22, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“The more spontaneous the pleasure, the more happy the result.” – Beatrix Potter 

Hill Top (opened 1946)

Near Sawrey, Lake District, England

 

            For over a century, children have delighted in the adventures of Peter Rabbit, the bunny who dressed in blue coat with brass buttons. To enter the whimsical world of his creator, Beatrix Potter, hop on over to the Lake District’s Hill Top.

Quiet Earth

Quiet Earth
Dec 19, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“My home is humble and unattractive to strangers, but to me it contains what I shall find nowhere else in the world-the affection which brothers and. Sisters feel for each other.”

–Charlotte Brontë   

 

Brontë Parsonage Museum (opened 1928)

Yorkshire, England

            Historic houses reverberate with secrets, and one is how an isolated parsonage on a windswept moor produced the passion that birthed two immortal love stories. To enter the confessional of the original weird sisters-Emily Jane, Charlotte, and Anne-one can journey to the Brontë Parsonage Museum, a British literary shrine second only to Stratford-on-Avon.

No Regrets

No Regrets
Dec 19, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

 

“Every damn thing you do in this life, you have to pay for.” – Édith Piaf

 

The Musée Édith Piaf (opened 1977)

Paris, France

            The blind poet, John Milton, illustrated insight into the human condition with his statement, “The anguish of the singer makes the sweetness of the strain.” A chanteuse who proved his words was an alchemist whose songs dwelled on the permanence of love, the impermanence of lovers. To step into her world- whose dragon at the gate is a break-the-mold docent- enter the Musée Édith Piaf.

I Did What I Could (1985)

I Did What I Could (1985)
Dec 14, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
   Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Geronimo. The names conjure the legendary Native Americans of yesteryear, the era when the buffalo and the teepee dotted the landscape. In 1985, Wilma Mankiller joined the trio as the first principal female chief of the Cherokee Nation.

Rainbow (1860)

Rainbow (1860)
Dec 13, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
  Whether Ms. Moses found the sobriquet “Grandma” a term of endearment or an unwelcome reminder of the onslaught of time is a matter of conjecture, but it is a name with which she was inextricably bound. Her life, one supposed to be exempt from Warhol’s 15 minutes of fame, was as fanciful as her canvasses. Her biography serves as a testament that one can receive a late-night knock at the door from the hand of fate.  

Loved By Others

Loved By Others
Nov 28, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“I believe in the idea of the rainbow. And I’ve spent my entire life trying to get over it.” 

Judy Garland Museum (opened 1996)

Grand Rapids, Minnesota

      In Frank L. Baum’s novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dorothy told the Scarecrow, “There is no place like home.” For Judy Garland, the star of the book’s movie adaptation, home was in the picturesquely named city of Grand Rapids. To pay tribute to the actress and to the childhood classic, one can follow the yellow brick road to the Judy Garland Museum.

Mariposas

Mariposas
Nov 25, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.” Minerva Mirabal

Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabal (opened 1994)

Tenares, The Dominican Republic

     A Hans Christian Anderson story proved prescient in the lives of the Mirabal sisters. In his fairy tale a butterfly stated, “Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower.” The sibling’s childhood home, the Casa Museo Hermanas Mirabel, resonates their courage. 

God's in. His Heaven

God's in. His Heaven
Nov 14, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“I like imagining better than remembering.” L. M. Montgomery  

The Anne of Green Gables Museum (opened 1972 )

Prince Edward Island, Canada

    There must be something about a gabled house that sets the literary juices flowing. Nathaniel Hawthorne, inspired by one in Salem, Massachusetts, wrote The House of the Seven Gables, a residence haunted by the injustice of the witch trials. Lucy Maud Montgomery’s cherished residence in Maritime Canada gave birth to Anne of Green Gables, the tale of the triumphs and tribulations of an orphaned girl. For the legions who love the Montgomery series, The Anne of Green Gables Museum makes for an irresistible mecca.

Hell on Wheels (1908)

Hell on Wheels (1908)
Nov 05, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“Travel is compost for the mind.”

      A song by the Swedish pop group, ABBA, revolves around lovers; their time together made more poignant by the fight for freedom raging under a star-lit sky set against the roar of canons, the retorts of gunfire. The non-fictional “Fernando” was an eminent American journalist covering a civil war with the woman who shared his bottle and bed.

Do Not Pass Go (1904)

Do Not Pass Go (1904)
Nov 05, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
    Nostalgia comes to call with the opening of a box filled with silver trinkets, brightly colored cards, plastic pieces of real estate. It offers a flight of fancy where, for a time, one could be lord of many manors. If unlucky, we would end up behind bars; if savvy, we would become as wealthy as Rich Uncle Pennybags.

Mary Lincoln House

Mary Lincoln House
Nov 04, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

 Eternal

“I am bound to the earth with sorrow.” Mary Todd Lincoln after the assassination

Mary Todd Lincoln House (opened 1977)

Lexington, Kentucky

       Stephen Foster’s signature song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” expresses a slave’s longing to be reunited with his family in his far away blue grass state. Trapped in the eye of the Civil War storm, Mary Todd Lincoln also pined for her old Kentucky home. To walk the same halls as Mary and President Lincoln, one can tour the Mary Todd Lincoln House.

The Betsy Ross House

The Betsy Ross House
Nov 04, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

Chapter # 2: Minerva    D

The Betsy Ross House (opened 1937 )

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

“I am not certain if I can. At least I’ll gladly try.” Betsy Ross

 

       Within the stripes of the American flag lies a treasure trove of history, mystery, and controversy. “Old Glory” appears in fifty states and on the moon; thousands have died fighting for or against it. The Marines raised the Stars and Stripes to commemorate the victory in the Pacific; the draft-dodgers burned it in protest of the military in Southeast Asia. As the Twin Towers crumbled, three New York City firefighters rigged a makeshift flagpole and hoisted the symbol of resilience. Millions visit the Betsy Ross Home to pay homage to the universal icon.

   

“Quand Même”            (1844)

“Quand Même”            (1844)
Oct 22, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

“Slow down? Rest? With all eternity before me?”

     Used a letter holder named Sophie made from a human skull? Check. Accessorized with a stuffed bat? Check. Slept in a coffin? Check. And the woman who could answer in the affirmative to these questions was also the possessor of the honorific “Divine.”

     

Warmed the World (Val- Kil Cottage Museum opened in 1984)

Warmed    the World (Val- Kil Cottage Museum opened in 1984)
Oct 11, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
When the World’s First Lady-the honorific President Harry S. Truman bestowed upon Eleanor Roosevelt- needed a refuge “far from the maddening crowd” of Washington, D.C., she escaped to Val-Kill, her Hudson Valley hideaway. Of her beloved home she stated, “Val-Kill is where I used to find myself. At Val-Kill, I emerged as an individual.”

Hike! (1936)

Hike! (1936)
Oct 07, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

    The poet, A. E. Housman wrote, “In the spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.” In the world of football, a young man’s fancy turns to thoughts of the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious in college sports. But what even the most fanatic of fans may not know is the namesake of the award: Coach John Heisman, (nicknamed Doc.)
 

This Little Light of Mine (1917)

This Little Light of Mine (1917)
Oct 06, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller

    As Susan B. Anthony lay dying, she spoke to her fellow suffragettes, “With women such as you, failure is impossible.” A year after her passing, in 1920, women were allowed into the polling station, an act that had oncce led to Anthony’s arrest. However, in the Deep South, despite the 15th Amendment, Jim Crow prevented the disenfranchised from voting, determined to keep poor blacks in their place-the bottom of the social hierarchy.

Pick Up Your Feet (1955)

Pick Up Your Feet (1955)
Oct 02, 2023 by Marlene Wagman-Geller
    Geoffrey Chaucer’s 14th century The Canterbury Tales revolves around a motley crew of pilgrims who share salacious stories to pass the time on their pilgrimage. One of their number, the Wife of Bath, had outlived five husbands though she had managed to elude motherhood. Emma “Grandma” Gatewood served as her diametric opposite: the only commonality is that she was also a pilgrim on a journey that made her the first woman to conquer-unaccompanied- the Appalachian Trail.