I recently read a Pickles cartoon strip that was eerily appropriate for this time of year. The Pickles Opal, the grandmother, looking at herself in front of a full-length mirror, declared to Earl, her husband, something to the effect that in the new year she was going to eat less, exercise more, lose weight, and generally be more health conscious. Earl said, "That sounds hard!" Opal replied, "My motto for the year is 'I can do hard things.'" Earl walked away muttering, "My mo

I remember that when I was a kid, Nannie Summers, my maternal grandmother, often told me that as one gets older, time flies. I never understood that. My Nannie Summers It seemed to me that the months in school were interminable. I enjoyed school, but the days seemed to creep by. The summers working with my brick-mason father, mixing mortar and carrying bricks and rodding joints in the heat and dust, seemed even longer. And it seemed that Christmas would never get here. Now, d

During the debates surrounding the writing and ratification of the U.S. Constitution, two factions developed among the delegates, each representing different political philosophies. Those factions became known as the Federalists, who wanted a strong central government with broad, far-reaching powers, and the Anti-Federalists, who wanted the state governments to have greater powers and distinct and specific limitations on the federal government. The Bill of Rights Alexander Ha

Two days from today will mark a milestone anniversary of cold-weather exploration. On December 14, 1911, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen and four companions became the first men to reach the South Pole. (I've often wondered why none of those four other men is given credit for being the first.) Roald Amundsen Amundsen was born July 16, 1872, and, coming from a farming and seafaring family, he was early an enthusiast of cold-weather exploration. Being the first man to reach

As the Christmas season fast approaches, I hope you're not like me. I start thinking of next Christmas shortly after the current one, even before all the torn wrapping paper has been cleaned up. And I tell myself that I'll not wait until the last minute to finish my shopping the next time. I even begin making occasional purchases of those gifts (and hoping I remember where I put them when Christmas does arrive). Invariably, however, I wait too long to get some gifts and end u

It isn't often that all three of the Peterson siblings get together. More often, two of us will travel to see each other, but it's rare when all three can arrange to meet. After all, we're each in a different state, miles and hours of travel separating us. But last week we were able to get together for the first time in--well, I can't recall the last time we were together. Probably for a funeral somewhere. Knowing that we should get together since all of us are aging and we n

Birthdays in our family when I was a kid growing up were no big deal. Mother might bake us a cake. Nannie and Paw Summers, my maternal grandparents, always sent us a card with a dollar bill slipped into it. (On their limited Social Security checks, that was a great sacrifice because they did the same for each of their grandkids, and that added up.) But that was all we came to expect. There were no gifts, no parties. Well, we were promised two parties--one when we were six yea

Sometimes short, pithy quotations make one pause and think. That often leads to self-examination. And self-examination sometimes leads to...

It was 11:00 a.m. on November 11, 1918. At that precise day and hour, the guns that had raged and thundered across the fronts in the...

On this final day of October, we have at least two historic events we can celebrate, and both of them feature people who showed great...

"I've got an old mule and her name is Sal. Fifteen years on the Erie Canal.... "Low bridge, e'vrybody down. Low bridge. We must be...

The last half of October marks the anniversary of what has been called "the last great fleet action" and the "greatest naval engagement...

In today's post, I'd like to focus on two historical events that occurred in the coming week. One was a discovery. The other was a...

I can't decide which I prefer, libraries or bookstores. They both have their advantages and disadvantages, some of them unique but others...

October 1 holds deep meaning for our family. It is a day etched by both sorrow and joy. It is a day that reminds us of the immense cost...

Today is National Love Notes Day . It's "celebrated" annually on the same date. This year, it happens to fall on Friday. It set me to...

Today is Gold Star Mother's Day, a day to commemorate and honor all the mothers who paid the nation the highest honor of giving their...

I took this date in history as an occasion to read in its entirety George Washington's "Farewell Address," which was published in the...

This coming Wednesday, September 17, is Constitution Day , commemorating the day that document was signed in 1787. A major problem is...

As you well know if you've read this blog for any length of time, I'm a strong proponent of books, reading, libraries, and literacy....