November 2016

Yesterday, I worked as an election inspector. I experienced the election all day. I watched a steady stream of voters all day long. I gave them their ballot and a smile. I tried to be positive and friendly, so the voters would feel comfortable and ready to make their decision. In other words, I put […]

Synopsis of yesterday’s post:  Today and yesterday, I’ve been talking about taking a break from the election (feel free to vote if you are a registered voter in the United States). (If you don’t live in the United States, I am very sorry that this tedious spectacle was inflicted on you.)  This process has been

The election is tomorrow. At last. There is an end to this. Doesn’t it seem as if this process has been going on almost forever? If you’re as tired as I am of hearing and seeing Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, a distraction is definitely in order. Today and tomorrow, I will be offering suggestions

Synopsis of yesterday’s post:  Jim Pace and Brian Siebel of the Union Volunteers Fife and Drum Corps were the featured presenters at the Grand Island Historical Society’s November meeting. They shared the story of field musicians during the Civil War through story and music. They talked about their instruments (fife and drum) and they talked

Field musicians were an integral part of both the Union and the Confederate armies during the Civil War. The drums provided the soldiers with a steady beat when they were marching. The instruments were designed to be loud and to be heard from a great distance. In fact, they could be heard from as far

Note:  This month, I am doing a blogging challenge called “NaBloPoMo.” Well, that’s not going to trip off of the tongue because I’m not sure that I can pronounce it. But, anyway, I am doing it. The main requirement is to write a new blog post every day. To facilitate the daily blogging, the organizers

Today’s topic is “If you could be completely honest with no regrets, what would you say and to whom?” I would talk to owners of restaurants, people who run outdoor festivals, and people who drive cars that I can hear from my house. I would say that it really isn’t necessary to blast your music

“Facing your fears robs them of their power” — Rob Burnett Bravery: courageous behavior or character In 2011, when I was a volunteer at an organic reforestation project in El Limonel,Ecuador, I was weeding around trees when I was faced with an object of extreme terror. It was an army of fire ants, climbing up

It is the first of November. The sun rises later and sets earlier. The colorful leaves are falling from the trees, and, in the process, are turning brown and brittle. My part of the world is preparing itself for winter, a time of dormancy and of shadows. The time of vivid colors is nearly over.