Laurel A. Rockefeller Books

Welcome to “Summer in Scotland,” our month-long celebration of Scotland and in particular the Scotland known and loved by its most famous queen, Mary Stuart, better known simply as “Mary Queen of Scots.” Across Queen Mary’s forty-four years she lived in France, reigned in Scotland, and died in England. Though not all of the places she guested at, lived at, and/or worked from still exist (notably Fotheringhay Castle where she was executed in 1587), these six palaces and castle

I love to travel whenever I get the opportunity, especially if I can take my cockatiels with me (read that: shame on you United Airlines for still not allowing birds to travel in cargo as required for international flights). With my bags all settled this spring, it was time to test some of the products that are frequently on the lists from travel “experts.” I decided to start with dry shampoo, specifically Herbal Essences Dry Shampoo after receiving a free product coupon from

For weeks I thought so based on browsing dozens of financial websites and listening to some customer service representatives from varying banks in the UK.  That is until I talked to the right person at HSBC UK and learned that anyone with legal permission to live in the UK can open a basic checking and savings account with no or low minimums.  International banking accounts are not necessary at all.  Here are the steps the specialist at HSBC UK told me to follow: Apply for a

Many of you know I am relocating to the United Kingdom so I can do the work of historian-researcher better and offer you the best information possible in the Legendary Women of World History and Legendary Women of World History Dramas. This means flying international with my two precious cockatiels whom I absolutely ADORE. Arwen is ready to fly! But getting a bird from the USA to UK is an annoying challenge — and it has nothing to do with UK immigration law nor with the USDA’

If you follow this blog you know I move around a lot and I travel as often as I can to visit historical sites and sample delicious food I don’t get to eat regularly.  I travel by primarily by train and plane for most trips over 10 miles from home and use public transit for shorter distant trips.  I also use my luggage for shopping via public transit, a trick I learned after canned foods spilled out of my shopping wagon while crossing a busy Brooklyn street several years ago.

Place of Birth: Normandy Date of death:  2 August 1100 Spouse: none Issue: none Successor:  Henry I Openly homosexual and sceptical of the church in a time where questioning Church doctrine was almost unheard of, King William II was the favourite son of his father, William I (the Conqueror).  In 1087 William inherited the throne of England from his father; his elder brother Robert received Normandy while his younger brother Henry received money. A warrior like his father who

I move around a lot.  I also enjoy travelling (as long as my birds are well looked after).  I’m an old-school historian who prefers to physically be where history happened before I write about it.  This means I’ve packed a lot and have learned what works really well. The classic packing cube (there are now ultralights which have slightly different features) come in slim, small, medium, and large sizes.  These can be purchased as a single four piece set (see left) or in sets o

A typical American bed: mattress over a foundation. Bed bugs are everywhere.  Live for any length of time in an apartment building of any size (such as my sky rise where I’m on the 15th floor) and sooner or later you will encounter these vermin whose bites are extremely itchy and painful. For those blessed to have not encountered them yet bed bugs are tiny (less than 5mm) insects resembling ticks when they’ve gorged on your blood. Their bites look like red pin pricks and are 

The count down is on for my flight and the excitement is building.  I am making my food shopping list, checking it twice, and going to find out who is naughty and nice! (Couldn’t help the pun). You can’t bring the beef jerky into the UK nor bring UK origin beef jerky into the USA. The trail mix is fine going into the UK, but must be declared at customs returning to the USA. Time to really look at government websites and see what is and is not allowed.  Fortunately my post fro

Character name: Amanda Jane Ross Parents names: Don and Evelyn Ross Place of Birth: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Books appearing in: Amanda in Arabia-The Perfume Flask, Amanda in Spain-The Girl in the Painting, Amanda in England-The Missing Novel, Amanda in Alberta-The Writing on The Stone Profile:   Amanda is an average North American girl who dreams of travel and adventure. Her kind, caring and curious nature gets her into trouble as she can´t stop helping people in need. She d

One of the most enduring parts of my experience living in Brooklyn, New York for over four years is in food.  In that time, I was introduced to one of the most delicious beverages ever:  the egg cream. Chocolate and Vanilla Egg Crèmes: Brooklyn’s Best Kept Secret July, 2012 Go into a diner in Brooklyn and they are hard to miss! They are a Brooklyn tradition since the turn of the 20th century. They were a staple in drug store soda shops. What are they? Brooklyn’s best kept sec

May 23rd, 2012 One of the advantages of living in six states across my adult life is the amount of travel it’s allowed me to pursue. In total, I have traveled through, over, or in over 22 states and seen both the Atlantic Ocean (in New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts) and Pacific Ocean (in California). With my bachelors in psychology and history, I favor historical sites and tours and enjoy the exercise of walking tours in particular. Here are three of my favorite walking