Benjamin Franklin Documentary on PBS Tonight

I am definitely excited about the first two-hour segment tonight @8pm and the final two hours tomorrow night. Benjamin Franklin has been fascinating to me. Be sure to set your DVR, stream on PBS Video, or watch live tonight on PBS. 

More viewing information here.

Well Done - Quote

Yes.

Well Done is Better!

via

Benjamin Franklin Quote about Happiness

Fun with Quotes. I made this one here.

Benjamin Franklin :: Secret Quote

Benjamin Franklin continues to amuse me. I scanned this image from one of my favorite books. I love the wood engraving showing fashion, interior design, and antiques of the period.

Happy Friday. Have a great weekend.

Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Happy New Year | Antique Fonts

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and may each New Year find you a better man." Benjamin Franklin

I designed this greeting for you by scanning a whole alphabet from one of my antiquarian books and cutting out each letter with Photoshop to spell HAPPY NEW YEAR. Isn't it nice? It took a while to do and there was no letter W. I had to play around and stitch two Vs together and it worked. It's my present to you for the New Year. I hope yours is filled with health and happiness. Rosemary




Click orange square to subscribe via feed reader or email.

Maira Kalman picture story about Benjamin Franklin . . .

How Benjamin Franklin turned America into the land of invention.



I love Benjamin Franklin and I love all of the picture stories about our founding fathers by Maira Kalman. This could possibly be my favorite to date. In case you missed this article in the New York Times, read all about it here. Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by the cottage today. ♥Rosemary

Set your clocks AHEAD tonight for Daylight Savings Time . . .

Spring forward, fall back. I always have to say this to myself when adjusting the time before I go to bed when daylight savings time begins or ends. It officially begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning when most of us will be fast asleep. Luckily all of our electronic devices such as computers, cable boxes and DVRs will reset themselves automatically. We'll have to do our clocks and watches manually.

Did you know we have Benjamin Franklin to thank for this unnatural thing? It all happened while he was living in Paris.

Ben Franklin couldn’t abide wastefulness. Les Parisiens, he complained, stayed up late into the night and awoke at noon, wasting 96 million pounds of wax and tallow each year because they squandered daylight.

He proposed a mandatory awakening at 4 a.m. from mid-spring to mid-fall, an idea that laid the groundwork for our twice-a year time change. He even suggested posting guards outside shops to prevent people from buying candles.

“Every morning, as soon as the sun rises, let all the bells in every church be set ringing,” he proposed in 1784. “And if that is not sufficient, let a cannon be fired in every street to wake the sluggards effectually.”

So, if you wake up groggy Sunday, just remember that it could be worse. Cannon fire could have roused you.

I think it's too early this year so I am not a fan! What about you?

Happy New Year from Benjamin Franklin | Illustrated Quote . . .

Benjamin Franklin Money and Lending Quote . . .

If Benjamin Franklin were alive today, he would definitely be blogging about the financial crisis and the credit crunch!

This quote is from Poor Richard's Almanack. Very timely, isn't it?