"One day, when it is time to stand before my God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left and that I could say... 'I used everything you gave me.'" ~ Erma Bombeck
For a number of years I have always wondered why the West-front windows of Mount Vernon were off-set. I found a “Ask Mount Vernon” link atGeorge Washington’s Mount Vernon
I sent the following note:
I’ve wondered, for several years, why the windows on the right side of the Western entrance are off-set. During the phases of remodeling was the staircase relocated to its present location thus forcing a shift in the window placements?
Thank you for your time in response!
Darin Haas
Kettering, OH
This morning I received the following note:
“Ask Mount Vernon”
Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens
Dear Darin,
Thank you for contacting us with your question re: the irregular spacing of the windows on the west front of the Mansion.
You have accurately deduced the reason why the windows to the south of the front door are off-set. The windows originally aligned with those in the basement when the house was built in 1735. When George Washington raised the building from 1.5 to 2.5 stories in 1758-59, he also changed out and enlarged the staircase in the hall. That meant that the window there was captured entirely within the stair landing — not a very good situation. So Washington elected to shift both first floor windows so that they would be within the Small Dining Room — and aligned the new second floor windows to match. The resulting assymetry became a more significant concern later on when Washington expanded the house again in 1774-1776, when he added the cupola and roof pediment partly in an attempt to distract the eye from the messy details down below. If you are interested in learning more about the architecture/building of the house, the best book on the topic is Geroge Washington’s Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America, by R. and L. Dalzell, Oxford, 1998.
I hope that this is the information that you were looking for, and thanks again for your interest in Mount Vernon.
Sincerely,
Dennis Pogue
Vice President for Preservation
I so appreciate the countless individuals, and organizations that help to keep history alive!
Last week I had lunch, or conversations with several teacher-friends who were expressing their weariness as teachers. They are utterly exhausted. One friend works 70+ hours a week. The friends indicate their administrators are stressed, fatigued, and now micro-managing everything in the school.
(CNN) – This summer, I met a principal who was recently named as the administrator of the year in her state. She was loved and adored by all, but she told me she was leaving the profession.
I screamed, “You can’t leave us,” and she quite bluntly replied, “Look, if I get an offer to lead a school system of orphans, I will be all over it, but I just can’t deal with parents anymore; they are killing us.”
Unfortunately, this sentiment seems to be becoming more and more prevalent. Today, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list “issues with parents” as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel. Word is spreading, and the more negativity teachers receive from parents, the harder it becomes to recruit the best and the brightest out of colleges.
So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?
For starters, we are educators, not nannies. We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don’t fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don’t want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you’re willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.
Trust us. At times when I tell parents that their child has been a behavior problem, I can almost see the hairs rise on their backs. They are ready to fight and defend their child, and it is exhausting. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I tell a mom something her son did and she turns, looks at him and asks, “Is that true?” Well, of course it’s true. I just told you. And please don’t ask whether a classmate can confirm what happened or whether another teacher might have been present. It only demeans teachers and weakens the partnership between teacher and parent.
Please quit with all the excuses
“The truth is, a lot of times it’s the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone.” - Ron Clark
And if you really want to help your children be successful, stop making excuses for them. I was talking with a parent and her son about his summer reading assignments. He told me he hadn’t started, and I let him know I was extremely disappointed because school starts in two weeks.
His mother chimed in and told me that it had been a horrible summer for them because of family issues they’d been through in July. I said I was so sorry, but I couldn’t help but point out that the assignments were given in May. She quickly added that she was allowing her child some “fun time” during the summer before getting back to work in July and that it wasn’t his fault the work wasn’t complete.
Can you feel my pain?
Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don’t want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren’t succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions.
Parents, be a partner instead of a prosecutor
And parents, you know, it’s OK for your child to get in trouble sometimes. It builds character and teaches life lessons. As teachers, we are vexed by those parents who stand in the way of those lessons; we call them helicopter parents because they want to swoop in and save their child every time something goes wrong. If we give a child a 79 on a project, then that is what the child deserves. Don’t set up a time to meet with me to negotiate extra credit for an 80. It’s a 79, regardless of whether you think it should be a B+.
This one may be hard to accept, but you shouldn’t assume that because your child makes straight A’s that he/she is getting a good education. The truth is, a lot of times it’s the bad teachers who give the easiest grades, because they know by giving good grades everyone will leave them alone. Parents will say, “My child has a great teacher! He made all A’s this year!”
Wow. Come on now. In all honesty, it’s usually the best teachers who are giving the lowest grades, because they are raising expectations. Yet, when your children receive low scores you want to complain and head to the principal’s office.
Please, take a step back and get a good look at the landscape. Before you challenge those low grades you feel the teacher has “given” your child, you might need to realize your child “earned” those grades and that the teacher you are complaining about is actually the one that is providing the best education.
And please, be a partner instead of a prosecutor. I had a child cheat on a test, and his parents threatened to call a lawyer because I was labeling him a criminal. I know that sounds crazy, but principals all across the country are telling me that more and more lawyers are accompanying parents for school meetings dealing with their children.
Teachers walking on eggshells
I feel so sorry for administrators and teachers these days whose hands are completely tied. In many ways, we live in fear of what will happen next. We walk on eggshells in a watered-down education system where teachers lack the courage to be honest and speak their minds. If they make a slight mistake, it can become a major disaster.
My mom just told me a child at a local school wrote on his face with a permanent marker. The teacher tried to get it off with a wash cloth, and it left a red mark on the side of his face. The parent called the media, and the teacher lost her job. My mom, my very own mother, said, “Can you believe that woman did that?”
I felt hit in the gut. I honestly would have probably tried to get the mark off as well. To think that we might lose our jobs over something so minor is scary. Why would anyone want to enter our profession? If our teachers continue to feel threatened and scared, you will rob our schools of our best and handcuff our efforts to recruit tomorrow’s outstanding educators.
Finally, deal with negative situations in a professional manner.
If your child said something happened in the classroom that concerns you, ask to meet with the teacher and approach the situation by saying, “I wanted to let you know something my child said took place in your class, because I know that children can exaggerate and that there are always two sides to every story. I was hoping you could shed some light for me.” If you aren’t happy with the result, then take your concerns to the principal, but above all else, never talk negatively about a teacher in front of your child. If he knows you don’t respect her, he won’t either, and that will lead to a whole host of new problems.
We know you love your children. We love them, too. We just ask — and beg of you — to trust us, support us and work with the system, not against it. We need you to have our backs, and we need you to give us the respect we deserve. Lift us up and make us feel appreciated, and we will work even harder to give your child the best education possible.
MEDIA RELEASE
For more information and interview requests please contact:
Leigh Allan, Marketing Director
leigh@humanracetheatre.org
(937) 461-3823 ext. 3112
Or Kevin Moore, Producing Artistic Director
kevin@humanracetheatre.org ext. 3115
Human Race logo attached
THE HUMAN RACE THEATRE
ANNOUNCES ITS 2012-2013 SEASON
The Beginning of A Second Quarter Century of Great Theatre
The Human Race, Dayton’s own professional theatre company, will begin its second 25 years with a season with something for everyone, and whole lot for theatre fans.
The subscription series includes a beloved musical, a notorious musical with beloved puppets, the latest from one of America’s foremost contemporary playwrights, a merry (and horny) widow, and even a little football.
And for those who think the mix needs a serial killer, there’s a Loft Season Extra.
The five shows of the 2012-2013 Eichelberger Loft Season of The Human Race are (more information on each and the dates of each run at the end of the release):
MANAGING MAXINE – a new comedy of septuagenarian sexiness and matronly merriment, as a widow hits the dating scene
OLIVER – consider yourself in for fun, glorious fun as the classic musical gets sized just right for The Loft
LOMBARDI – a winning drama about the legendary Packers coach isn’t everything, it’s the only thing
RACE – when David Mamet fights the law, the law doesn’t necessarily win
AVENUE Q – Mama never told you a puppet musical would be like this
Each of the regular season shows is scheduled to run three weeks, with the same special events in each run at The Loft Theatre, downtown: a Thursday night preview, preceded by the Inside Track discussion with the director in the Loft lobby; Friday Opening Night followed by a party with the cast; a Tuesday night Lite Fare at The Loft; a While We’re on the Subject talkback after a Sunday matinee; and a Saturday signed and audio-described performance opportunity.
Subscriptions are available in 3-, 4-, and 5-show packages as well as in Flex plans. Both renewing and new subscribers may place their order at https://www.ticketcenterstage.com/hrtc/subs , or by calling Ticket Center Stage at (937) 228-3630 or visiting the Schuster Center Box Office. New subscribers will not get seats assigned until after the April 23 deadline for renewing subscribers to have their seats guaranteed.
The Loft Season Extra, part of The Human Race’s effort in development of new plays begun under its 25th Anniversary project, unveils the dark side of noted children’s playwright and author Michael Slade.
FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE 2012-2013 LOFT SHOWS
MANAGING MAXINE
By Janice Shaffer
September 6-23, 2012
Actually, nobody has the slightest chance of managing Maxine. She’s a 71-year old widow, hot on the dating trail for the first time in 45 years and ready for love, or at least lust. The former teacher and writer finds a retired judge to her liking, and they find fireworks with offspring and friends that their coupling ignites. The Human Race production is the Midwest Premiere of this southern belle who is managing just fine, thank you.
OLIVER By Lionel Bart
November 29 – December 16, 2012
The musical version of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist has been a major hit around the world since it took the London stage in 1960 and captured Broadway in 1963, garnering 10 Tony nominations. The tale of the orphan being led down the pickpocketing path has been redesigned with a Twist that makes it perfect for the intimacy of The Loft, but rest assured the music, from the rollicking “Food, Glorious Food” to the soulful “As Long As He Needs Me,” is as stirring as ever, and a terrific holiday treat.
LOMBARDI By Eric Simonson
February 7 – 24, 2013
There aren’t many coaches in any sport who gain such fame they’re instantly recognizable by last name alone, and Vince Lombardi is definitely a member of that select group. The legendary leader of the dominating Packers of the 1960s bullies and cajoles a cub reporter through weeks of interviews, and on the way the audience comes to grips with Lombardi’s struggles, his passion for winning, his home life, and his relationship with players like Paul Hornung, Jim Taylor and Dave Robinson. Oh, and a little football, too.
RACE By David Mamet
April 4 – 21, 2013
David Mamet skewered American business and businessmen in such earlier masterpieces as Glengarry Glen Ross and American Buffalo. This time he takes off after both the practice of law and race relations, led by a black-and-white lawyer team that puts the sin back in cynical. The two are hired by a wealthy and powerful white man accused of raping a young black woman, and they and their new African-American female associate cross and re-cross all sorts of ethical and racial lines in inimitable Mamet style.
AVENUE Q By Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx, and Jeff Whitty
June 6 – 23, 2013
Oh, my, did this show ever turn the idea of a puppet musical on its head. AVENUE Q swept the Tony Triple Crown of Best Musical, Best Score and Best Lyrics in 2003, captured Broadway for six years, and is still going strong off-Broadway. With drinking and sex and songs like “It Sucks to Be You” and “Everyone’s A Little Bit Racist,” it’s not for the little ones or the faint of heart, but it’s an incredible night of fun, presented in collaboration with the puppetmasters at Dayton’s Zoot Theatre.
LOFT EXTRA
UNDER A RED MOON
By Michael Slade
October 18 -28, 2011
It’s 1949. John George Haigh, Britain’s infamous Acid Bath Killer, has been arrested after six years of homicide and somewhere from six to nine murders. He has confessed to the killings, but a big question remains – is he sane or insane? One means hanging, the other life in a psychiatric ward. A female psychiatrist comes to examine Haigh and the tension mounts as he twists and turns her thoughts and you begin to wonder just who is examining whom.
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The Human Race Theatre Company was founded in 1986 and moved into the Metropolitan Arts Center in 1991, taking up residence at the 219-seat Loft Theatre. In addition to the Eichelberger Loft Season, The Human Race produces for the Victoria Theatre’s Broadway Series, the Musical Theatre Workshop series, and special event programming. The Human Race, under the direction of Producing Artistic Director Kevin Moore, also maintains education and outreach programs for children, teens and adults, as well as artist residencies in area schools, The Muse Machine In-School Tour, and summer youth programs. Human Race organizational support is provided by Culture Works, Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District, Shubert Foundation, the Erma R. Catterton Trust Fund and the Ohio Arts Council. The Ohio Arts Council helped fund this organization with state tax dollars to encourage economic growth, educational excellence and cultural enrichment for all Ohioans. The Human Race’s 25th Anniversary Season is sponsored by the Miriam Rosenthal Memorial Trust Fund.
I’ve never had the opportunity to see this musical, but have always been fascinated with it. The music is incredible, and the arrangements for the musical are invigorating!
Go see it! Enjoy it! (For you, Mr. S___ with great thanks!)
The story dramatizes the forming, rise and eventual break-up of the original four members of The Four Seasons. The musical is separated into four “seasons”, each narrated by a different member of the band. Act 1 comprises Spring (Tommy DeVito) & Summer (Bob Gaudio); Act 2 comprises Fall (Nick Massi) & Winter (Frankie Valli); each member has a different perspective on the band and his contribution to it.
Act I
Spring
The show opens with a performance of “Ces soirées-là“, a modern pop-rap song that was released in 2000. Tommy DeVito then enters the stage, introducing himself and explaining how the song is a cover of The Four Seasons’ “December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)“. He offers to tell the story of the band, explaining how he started out with the group “The Variety Band” with his brother Nick DeVito and friend Nick Massi, eventually discovering teenager Frankie Castelluccio and taking him under his wing, teaching him everything he knows. (“The Early Years: A Scrapbook”) During these early years Nick Massi helped train Frankie to sing, Tommy went in and out of prison, Frankie changed his last name to Valli, Tommy and Frankie developed a good relationship with mob boss Gyp DeCarlo, and Frankie fell in love with and married Mary DelGado. Musically, the band was still struggling and kept changing their name and sound but without any dramatic success. One day friend and fellow Jersey boy Joe Pesci comes up to Tommy and says that he knows a singer-songwriter who’d make the perfect fourth for their band: Bob Gaudio.
Summer
Bob Gaudio takes over the narration, starting by telling the audience that no matter what Tommy says, he wasn’t plucked from obscurity by him, since he already had a hit single with “Short Shorts“. Bob goes with Joe Pesci to see the band perform, and is immediately impressed by Frankie’s voice. Bob performs a song he’d just written: “Cry for Me” on piano, which Frankie, Nick Massi and then Tommy joining in with vocals, bass and guitar respectively. They negotiate an agreement, though Tommy is at first skeptical that Bobby (then still a teenager) will be good for the band. The band eventually gets a contract with producer Bob Crewe but only to sing back-up (“Backup Sessions”). Crewe insists that the band has an “identity crisis” and needs to make a firm decision on a name and a sound. The band name themselves after The Four Seasons bowling alley, and Bobby writes them three songs that finally propel them to stardom: “Sherry“, “Big Girls Don’t Cry” and “Walk Like a Man“. In the wake of their success, Bob also chalks up a personal first by losing his virginity. (“December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)“) The band’s success means that they tour a lot more, along the way discovering the girl band The Angels (“My Boyfriend’s Back“). Unfortunately, the constant touring strains Frankie’s marriage to Mary, and they eventually divorce (“My Eyes Adored You“). The band continues to enjoy chart successes (“Dawn (Go Away)“) until after a concert the band is approached by a loan shark out to claim money owed by Tommy (“Walk Like a Man (reprise)”).
Act II
Fall
The second act opens with “Big Man in Town“. Nick Massi explains that Bob was so focused on the band’s musical success and future that he couldn’t see that the band had been in trouble for some time. Tommy’s been racking up debts, and a forgotten bill during a previous tour lands the band in jail over the weekend, which strains things between Tommy and Bob. Nick observes that Tommy became jealous of Frankie’s success and closeness with Bobby, and attempted to seduce Frankie’s new girlfriend Lorraine. The two never confronted each other about it, but the old friendship was not what it used to be. When the loan shark approaches the band for the $150,000 owed by Tommy, Frankie approaches Gyp DeCarlo for help despite Tommy’s insistence that he doesn’t need it. (“Beggin’“) The band, Gyp, and the loan shark come to agreement: Tommy is to be “sequestered” in Las Vegas where the mob can keep an eye on him, and the band will willingly cover all of Tommy’s debts. The band continues for a while as a trio until Nick declares that he wants out. (“Stay/Let’s Hang On!“)
Winter
Frankie takes over narration, explaining that though he owes Tommy a great deal, he’s aware that their relationship wasn’t ideal, and he never understood why Nick decided to leave. Frankie and Bob find replacements to keep the band a quartet (“Opus 17 (Don’t You Worry ‘Bout Me)“) until Bobby announces that he’s never been comfortable in the spotlight and that Frankie should be a single, i.e. Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. In his personal life, Frankie’s relationship with his daughter Francine is strained and he breaks up with girlfriend Lorraine. (“Bye, Bye, Baby (Baby, Goodbye)“) Frankie continues to have success thanks to Bobby’s songs, and hits jackpot with (“C’mon Marianne“) and the almost-never-released (“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You“) which Bobby fights to get airplay for. Along with the success of “Working My Way Back to You“, Frankie and Bobby finally finish paying off Tommy’s debts, and Frankie’s life is good until his daughter Francine dies from a drug overdose. (“Fallen Angel”)
Finale
The final scene is The Four Seasons’ 1990 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, announced by Bob Crewe and reuniting the original four members on stage one last time. (“Rag Doll“) Each member takes a moment to address the audience one by one, explaining their pride of being with the band and what they did after. (“Who Loves You“)
We are excited to announce that we will be holding our first
online matching event on January 26th at 11am pst.
A Family For Every Child has partnered with the state of Washington to help foster children find permanent placements.
During this online webinar event you will have private access to 10 special children, where you can view photos and/or video.
Caseworkers will be on hand to answer your questions and give families feedback and information about the type of families that would be the best match for these children.
In order for you to attend this special event
you will need to to fill out the online sign up form
and insure that you have uploaded
your homestudy with us.
Only Adoption workers and Families with completed homestudies will be approved to attend
to this event due to the personal and detailed
information that will be provided about
the children during the event.
We will be featuring 9 special children who are waiting for their forever families!
Joe
12 years old Joe Likes to be active and enjoys basketball and being outdoors.
Randy
14 years old
Randy helps with chores which include cleaning his room, making his bed, and vacuuming.
Katherin 15 years old
Katherin has many talents and interests, some that include colorling, crossword puzzles, and helping others.
Cody 14 years old
Cody likes swimming and enjoys warm weather.
Skyler 15 years old
Skyler is an avid baseball player, who also enjoysriding his bike and skateboarding.
Tatianna 11 years old
Tatianna is an expressive and curious young lady who is extremely bright.
Jonathan 11 years
old
Jonathan loves everything about nature including fishing and camping.
Jordan 11 years old
Jordan likes food, especially eggs and bacon over creal.
Wesley 14 years old
Wesley likes to play video games and spend time with the people most important to him
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about attending or registering for this event Linzy Munger – Linzy
The weekend was a delightful world-wind of activity, all centered around music and friends!
Friday evening after teaching, Quintin and I headed for Beavercreek High School where I served as a judge for the show choir’s invitational. Friday was middle school show choir night. Five competing show choirs and two exhibition show choirs from Beavercreek.
Saturday morning at 8:30am I was heading back to Beavercreek High School where I spent sixteen hours judging soloists, judging show choirs, eating a delicious lunch and supper, and catching up with colleagues, fellow judges, show choir parents, and friends. I always enjoy Beavercreek’s weekend, but this seemed to be an exceptionally fun year.
Sunday morning was filled with house-activity of playing catch-up with items. At 12:10pm we were out the door to UNO’s pizza downtown before heading next door to The Victoria Theatre to see Muse Machine’s production, THE WIZARD OF OZ.
I was seated next to three adorable elderly sisters who could easily have been USO girls during The War Between The States – they had me howling! As I nestled into my seat I looked at my neighbor, and said, “I can tell you are gonna be trouble the whole time.” She slapped her knee, and said to her companions, “He’s already got my number!” The one sister had brought her fellow octogenarians to see her granddaughter perform, and each time the young performer was located in the mass of young folks on stage, they pointed, and without whispering, loudly exclaimed, and explained to one another where the girl was. At one point, the lady next to me (who was slightly deaf) asked, “Are you enjoying this?” I smiled, nodded. She responded to my silent response with, “I am, too. I saw the movie as a girl.” She then turned to her sisters, and loudly said, “He likes the show, too,” accompanied by more verbal interaction.
Normally, I am usually irritated by loud talking during a show, but these ladies were so adorable that I did not mind.
After the show, we burst through the crowd to hurry home for three evening lessons – just making it in time.
Quintin and I closed out the weekend with a meal at Taco Bell, and spent a good 45 minutes chatting about life.
Back at home, I finished up some items and was sound asleep by 10:00pm.
Welcome to 2012.We at Wells Institute are excited about presenting new research opportunities in the area of Type 2 Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Post Shingle Pain and more.If you are unemployed or without medical insurance, Wells Institute may be an option to help offset the costs of your medical expenses.
If you think you may qualify for one of our studies you may be eligible for No Cost medical care.
The following is a list of our currently enrolling research studies:
Type 2 Diabetes – taking Oral Medication, or are on Insulin.
Type 2 Diabetes – with High Blood Pressure and taking blood pressure medication.
Type 2 Diabetes – taking Insulin and have a Cardiac History.
Post Shingle Pain – pain 3-6 months after a Shingles outbreak.
Upcoming Studies:
Diabetic Neuropathy (February 2012)
Cat Allergies (September 2012)
Other Services by appointment (cash only):
Physicals $45.00 each
Immunizations (TB Tests, Tetnus Shots, MMR, Hepatitis B series) Please call for prices.
If you would like more information on any of the above studies to see if you qualify or to schedule an appointment please call :
Wells Institute at 937-293-2157 or 866-293-2157 – toll free
Wells Institute has partnered with the following local companies:
Pilates Plus Movement Studio – they offer classes in Pilates, Yoga, Zumba and more. For more information call Susan Honer at 540-521-1860 or on the web at www.pilatesplusmovementstudio.com
Licensed Massage Therapist – Lyn Harris – 937-671-2953 – Lyn is located at 6143 Farr Hills Ave in Centerville. She performs Relaxation &,Theraputic Massage and Hot Stone Massage.
L2 Marketing Research LTD. – a consumer market research company located in Moraine, OH. For more information call Lou Es Green or Libby Webster at 937-435-5067 or on the web at www.L2MR.com.
Shop 4 U – Shopping and Delivery service – Shop4U is a Personal shopping service. For more information call 937-424-0011 or on the web at www.2shop4u.biz
Last night I learned the tragic news of Rev. Greg King’s death. He and his wife, Patti, were involved in a car wreck in South Dakota where they’d recently moved for a new parish. Greg died at the scene, and Patti was in critical condition.
Their son, Greg, was one of my piano and voice students, and portrayed a very stalkerish, creepy “Jud” in OKLAHOMA! Their youngest child, daughter Kristen, was in marching band and good friends with my older son.
One of my favorite moments for senior night at the football games was seeing all the other parents bundled up in winter coats, and seeing Greg & Patti escorting their senior band child across the field wearing crowns and red royal robes/capes! What a fun family!
The King family is terribly close, and has always served as a wonderful family-model. They deeply love one another, and always seem to radiate the joy they share as a family.
The King Family - Jim & Patti, back row, surrounded by their children
I woke this morning, not remembering the news I’d heard less than twelve hours before. When I was reminded, the dull ache from Wednesday night returned, flooding my mind, and soul.
When horrible things happen, we always tend to ask, “Why?”
Why do terrible things happen to good people? When we truly analyze this question, we recognize that terrible things happen to good, and bad, alike. There is no clear-cut answer as to why terrible things happen. This is simply one of the items that accompanies us on our journeys.
Four grieving children are making their way to South Dakota. My heart is heavy knowing these four vibrant, beautiful souls are making such a hideous journey. All that awaits them is their mother, resting in critical condition, and now a widow.
Still, I know there is great beauty in this day. Through the strength of the King family, and their solid vitality, humor, and joy in living, many of us will surely be touched beyond measure, beyond belief. Though their hearts will deeply ache, I am confident their joy will conquer this moment, reminding us that life, despite its darkest night, will always be bright, and beautiful.
Since childhood I have always sensed energizing, protective, and unseen guiding presences in my life. For several years a lovely lady visited me regularly during my sleep – or at least, what I thought was my sleep. Today, at age forty-seven, I can still vividly recall this kindly woman’s moments shared with me from the age of four years until I was nearing junior high. Often, these meetings included singing without any concern for waking my parents. Other times, stories were told, Bible stories about the heroes were read, poems recited, or general small talk shared. It was a year or so into junior high school that I realized the sweet lady had not paid a visit. It seemed, however, she had been replaced by other motivators in my life, mainly music.
One day, perhaps around my sophomore or junior year of high school, my grandmother pulled out old family photos. Many, many Sundays were spent going through the treasure trove of our family’s history told through photographs, but this particular Sunday, there was a different box, one I didn’t recognize. Grandma Donna handed me some photos and after thumbing through several I recognized the sweet lady who visited me as a child. It was my great-grandmother, Thelma Daugherty Barmes.
Sadly, seven years before my birth, Grandma Thelma was involved in a fatal automobile-train accident, expiring the following evening, January 16th, 1957, at 5:05pm.
Grandma Thelma was a wonderful musician; a pianist and vocalist. One of my first vocal lessons came from my Grandpa Leroy as he relayed watching his mother teach a voice lesson when he was a small boy – Grandma Thelma instructed the student to keep the tongue down, and to sing towards the teeth.
In college, I became fascinated with the possibility of angels. Several professor friends recounted personal anecdotes related to angelic activities in their own lives, prompting me to wonder if the visits from great-grandmother were – well, angelic visitations.
There are so many arenas dedicated to the study of angels. I’ve scoured the topics, the varying beliefs, and the Biblical history of angelic beings, and I finally decided that since there will never be one consistent consensus on the topic, it would be my choice to accept the fact angels exist, knowing they had personally appeared throughout my life. Today, I still believe I have an angel team that assists me in a variety of activities throughout my life-journey. I have no idea who they are, or whether or not the same ones continually accompany me. Quite simply, I do not doubt their presence, and I trust them.
Over the past twenty years, or so, I have also come to recognize that fellow humans also serve a similar purpose just as the unseen-beings on my “angel team.” I have countless experiences of brief encounters where someone, or some unexplained incident, has briefly, even momentarily, appeared alongside me on my life-journey to offer guidance, encouragement, or specific information I needed at that moment.
Coincidence? Perhaps.
God acting anonymously? Perhaps.
I do believe these positive beings are off-shoots, working on behalf of The Great Spirit.
Regardless who they are, what they are, from where they came, whether they are winged or wear halos, they simply exist in my life. And how damned lucky I am for these special moments!
Last summer I was terribly ill, and it took me through mid-Autumn to fully recover my strength, and stamina. My spirits sagged because I just did not have the mind-effort to write on the Wright Brothers musical. I would open the file. I would look at the words that suddenly appeared foreign and click shut the file. It seemed as though my great-passion for this particular craft had died a sudden, unexplainable death. I began searching for answers to the questions I proposed:
Does this musical suck? (Considering the combined talents of my wonderful, patient co-writers, Gail & Leslie, I knew the lyrics and music elevated my work)
Am I suppose to even be doing this?
Is something trying to tell me I should do something else?
It was a frustrating Autumn, and early Winter. The most infuriating thing is that I have the ideal life as a writer, something not often afforded my friends and acquaintances who have been published, or produced. I have my mornings and early afternoons free, and teach private lessons from approximately 3:00pm until 8:00pm. One day a week I am at a middle school. Since my sons have always been involved in extra-curricular music activities that often keeps them busy on Saturdays – another full, free day of writing.
My life is ideally set to fully, and passionately embrace this craft. However, from the end of July, before I discovered my illness, to early winter, I felt absolutely dead inside. I coasted through the holidays, and my post-Christmas vacation still found me emotionally uninvested, and dealing with the same illness, again.
This past Saturday morning I was reminded by my calendar text that there was a Writing Workshop set for Sunday at 2:30pm. The workshop was geared for middle grade/young adult audiences, nothing actually to do with playwrighting. I dismissed it.
Sunday morning something caught my eye while scrolling down Facebook. A terrific author, and inspiring personality, Katrina Kittle posted:
“Dayton Area Writers – TODAY (Sunday) at Books & Co from 2-3:30pm, hosting a free mini-writers’ workshop, taught by myself and the lovely Kristina McBride. The topic: Writing for Middle Grade and Young Adult Audiences.”
Meh.
I sort of dismissed it.
The sun, despite doing its thing on the opposite side of my house, was filling my bed/sitting room with a glowing radiance. It seemed to beckon me for a hike with my teenage son and the three dogs. For several days I’d been dealing with a nasty situation involving an individual who felt compelled to self-appoint a mythical reign over a project for which I was serving as coordinator. That morning, after two nights of minimal sleep, pulsating pressure in the head, and the inability to fix the situation, I stepped back and handed over the reins.
Freedom.
A renewed energy quickly flooded my brain, my entire being.
Katrina Kittle’s reminder of the writer’s workshop reappeared on a later Facebook scroll. For the first time in over six months I actually felt life creeping back into my soul. I remember how invigorated I was when I heard Katrina speak about her novel, THE KINDNESS OF STRANGERS, during one of our ACTION Adoption Service training sessions. I had also attended several theatrical performances where Katrina played a psychologist assisting a patient through the horrors experienced both during the London Blitz of WWII, and years later on 9/11. Katrina’s voice is captivating, and her spirit is invigorating, and infectious.
At this point I knew that my angel team was kicking in a God-wink. Quintin and I discovered a movie he wanted to see (I did not) was at the same time, so we killed two birds with one stone. He hit the cinema, and I hit Books & Company.
As I grabbed my keys, preparing to leave the house, a song – one of my favorite songs – on Spotify began playing. I sat down, and absorbed the message.
When a thing is wick, it has a life about it. Now, maybe not a life like you and me. But somewhere there’s a single streak of green inside it. Come, and let me show you what I mean.
When a think is wick, it has a light around it. Maybe not a light that you can see. But hiding down below a spark’s asleep inside it, Waiting for the right time to be seen.
You clear away the dead parts, So the tender buds can form, Loosen up the earth and Let the roots get warm, Let the roots get warm.
~ ~ ~
And all through the darkest nighttime, It’s waiting for the right time. When a thing is wick, it will grow!
The words to “Wick,” from THE SECRET GARDEN, was another God-wink for the day.
The workshop, led by Katrina Kittle and Kristina McBride, was my final remedy. Within minutes of the workshop beginning, I realized the dead parts encasing my spirit were breaking through the earth. That spark, as lyricist Marsha Norman explained in THE SECRET GARDEN, had been hiding down below, sleeping within… It was the right time.
After a meeting with a good friend I respect and admire, and another fun dinner with Quintin, I quickly returned home with the joy of the workshop’s reassurance beating within. I opened my laptop, clicked on the file titled THE BIRD LET LOOSE, and opened the script. Everything was familiar once again. There seemed to be a chorus of voices calling out from the pages, thrilled that I had returned. A reunion began.
It seems my angel team had led me, at the right time, to Sunday, January 8th, 2012. Were Katrina and Kristina serving as angels?
Who can say.
For whatever reason, these two lovely ladies, as countless others throughout my life, were a piece of the puzzle that has continually courted me on this wonderful journey. Perhaps some people, much like my family and teachers have always been, are the golden bricks that pave my own personal yellow bricked-road.
The passion is restored. I am acknowledging, appreciating, and adoring my apprenticeship once again.
Can I say life is wonderful, and that I am so blessed?
The March on Washington, August 28, 1963, was the largest civil rights demonstration the nation had ever witnessed. Its speakers included A. Philip Randolph, John Lewis, James Farmer, Walter Reuther, and Martin Luther King, Jr., whose “I Have a Dream” speech invoked the hopes of all Americans seeking racial justice.
The Museum is grateful to the following members who recently joined the Council or renewed their membership:
• James K. Asselstine and Bette J. Davis
• Candice Bennett and William Hewitt
• Harry L. Crisp III
• Robert and Marilyn Haroutunian
• Lee and Carol Orr
• Mr. and Mrs. Albert H. Small
You can become a part of this special group. Find out more.
The Museum’s collections include 200 experimental sound recordings made by Bell’s Volta Laboratory. Previously unplayable, a new technique developed by Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and the Library of Congress lets us listen to the recordings for the first time in over 100 years.
The Museum must move the kitchen to prepare for upcoming renovations to its west exhibition wing. The Museum will reopen the kitchen within a new exhibition focusing on food and wine in America, scheduled to open in late summer 2012.
“The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will.” – Vince Lombardi
Well, in 45 minutes the curtain will come down on 2011 and promptly raise on 2012.
2011 was an interesting year. I read so many Facebook posts stating, “I’m so glad 2011 is almost over” or “2011 was such a bad year.” And on they go.
I honestly cannot say one year is any worse than another. It is what it is. It’s a year. It’s all about living, all about attitude, all about choices, and all about loving. I don’t see 2011 with any regrets. There were choices made based on facts presented, and actions taken. Life moved on through various scenarios, and the results were pretty much as calculated.
I kept busy as a dad, as a teacher, as a pet-dad, as a band parent, as a gardener and landscaper, as a musician, and as a person. It was a full year, and one on which I can look back upon with pride.
Several family members and friends passed on, and though saddened by their passing, I celebrate the time spent with them during my life’s journey. One particular departure saddened me greatly… my darling little Logan, my cat of 17.5 years. I miscalculated how deeply I would feel her passing, and miss her greatly.
Some new folks merged onto the Haasienda Highway this year, and I have thoroughly enjoyed their presence. Primarily, Navi and Chief, who joined us February 20th. Though exasperating as they travel merrily through puppyhood, they have already proved to be devoted, fun companions, as Flyer continues to remain.
Some folks elected to move on to other paths which I believe to be standard patterns in life… not everyone is meant to remain with us. A few left prematurely, perhaps, but I respect their choices. And then there were some I disconnected their journey from mine, and I have no regrets. Some folks just need to be on a different path, just as I need to be on my own path. The ones I removed I celebrate as a blessing upon my path as I discovered they were poison leaking onto my path, just as they poisoned the journey of others. I made the correct choice.
“We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
All in all, life is beautiful. The journey continues in this, my 48th year, and I am making plans for new ways to make the coming year(s) more exciting, turning the journey into an even more thrilling course.
Fifteen minutes remain of 2011. I am grateful for this past year of learning, living, and loving, and for all the many blessings rolled into many facts of life.
It was a very good year.
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 53,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 20 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
This long, very long week is only standing at Tuesday. It feels like two weeks have been crammed into these past few days, but it is Tuesday… just Tuesday.
For the past several weeks I have endured a flare-up of chronic pancreatitis which has confined me to bed most of my non-teaching hours. Although it is better it has left me very fatigued.
Saturday afternoon, I received a telephone call from Mother relating the news that my four year old nephew, and Godson, Freddie, was at the emergency room in Lafayette (IN) due to severe burns. He stepped into a crock pot of boiling soup which was on the floor of the family van. Before long, more messages began arriving that Freddie was being taken to the burn unit at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. On a scale of 1-10, Freddie’s injuries were a 15.
The past few days have been incredibly tense, yet the Caring Bridge journal entries written by my sister-in-law, Stacia, have been incredibly uplifting, and informative. Wednesday at 11:30am, Freddie will go into surgery.
Tonight while teaching my last few lessons, I learned my aunt, Sue Richardson, had died.
Despite the strain of illness, the sickening worry over my nephew, and the sadness at the departure of a family member, I am still happy, content with life, and grateful for the many blessings I’ve been afforded. The past few days, the support from friends, students and their families has been extraordinary! Thank you!
Tonight, Quintin, Casey and I celebrated GOTCHA DAY – Quintin’s one year anniversary – with a dinner, and tons of laughter – which of course, Casey contributes so much.
Tomorrow is another day, and one to which I will look forward rather than dread.
You probably don’t want to admit it but you love distractions. In fact, just like monkeys, you get a shot of dopamine every time something pulls you in another direction. Why do you think you check your email so much?
Want to be more productive and get your focus back? There are no secret tricks here… do one thing at a time. Stop multitasking—it’s just another form of distraction.
Easier said than done, I know.
Recently I sat down with Tony Wong, a project management blackbelt whose client list includes Toyota, Honda, and Disney, to name a few. He’s an expert in keeping people on task, so I thought he’d be a good person to ask.
Here are his tips for staying productive:
Work backwards from goals to milestones to tasks. Writing “launch company website” at the top of your to-do list is a sure way to make sure you never get it done. Break down the work into smaller and smaller chunks until you have specific tasks that can be accomplished in a few hours or less: Sketch a wireframe, outline an introduction for the homepage video, etc. That’s how you set goals and actually succeed in crossing them off your list.
Stop multi-tasking. No, seriously—stop. Switching from task to task quickly does not work. In fact, changing tasks more than 10 times in a day makes you dumber than being stoned. When you’re stoned, your IQ drops by five points. When you multitask, it drops by an average of 10 points, 15 for men, five for women (yes, men are three times as bad at multitasking than women).
Be militant about eliminating distractions. Lock your door, put a sign up, turn off your phone, texts, email, and instant messaging. In fact, if you know you may sneak a peek at your email, set it to offline mode, or even turn off your Internet connection. Go to a quiet area and focus on completing one task.
Schedule your email. Pick two or three times during the day when you’re going to use your email. Checking your email constantly throughout the day creates a ton of noise and kills your productivity.
Use the phone. Email isn’t meant for conversations. Don’t reply more than twice to an email. Pick up the phone instead.
Work on your own agenda. Don’t let something else set your day. Most people go right to their emails and start freaking out. You will end up at inbox-zero, but accomplish nothing. After you wake up, drink water so you rehydrate, eat a good breakfast to replenish your glucose, then set prioritized goals for the rest of your day.
Work in 60 to 90 minute intervals. Your brain uses up more glucose than any other bodily activity. Typically you will have spent most of it after 60-90 minutes. (That’s why you feel so burned out after super long meetings.) So take a break: Get up, go for a walk, have a snack, do something completely different to recharge. And yes, that means you need an extra hour for breaks, not including lunch, so if you’re required to get eight hours of work done each day, plan to be there for 9.5-10 hours.
More good food for the “wordstruck…” PARAPROSDOKIANS:
(Winston Churchill loved them!)
I had to look up “paraprosdokian”. Here is the definition:
“Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation.” “Where there’s a will, I want to be in it,” is a type of paraprosdokian.
1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it’s still on my list.
3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right – only who is left..
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. Evening news is where they begin with ‘Good Evening,’ and then proceed to tell you why it isn’t.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, ‘In case of emergency, notify:’ I put ‘DOCTOR.’
13. I didn’t say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
18. Money can’t buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
19. There’s a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can’t get away.
20. I used to be indecisive. Now I’m not so sure.
21. You’re never too old to learn something stupid.
22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
23. Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be.
24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
25. Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
My personal favorite is: Pardon me for talking while you were interrupting.
Life Lessons in the Arts
We have all heard of art for arts sake, but are there life lessons to be learned from a study of the arts?
According to Elliot Eisner, professor of education and art at Stanford University, there are several. In his article, “10 Lessons the Arts Teach” in youngARTS magazine he discusses what else you can learn from living an artists life.
1 The arts emphasize the importance of how things interact with each other rather than what is right or wrong.
2 The arts teach that problems can have several solutions that are equally valid.
3 The arts promote having multiple perspectives.
4 The arts reveal that goals and purposes are seldom final, but rather they change and develop over time.
5 The arts prove that certain emotions transcend language and words.
6 The arts teach the importance of small details.
7 The arts teach how to create within parameters.
8 The arts teach expression without saying anything.
9 The arts allow us to explore things we could not otherwise do.
10 An arts education shows the importance of art in our society.
Carillon Park… The Miami Valley’s own version of Greenfield Village & Henry Ford Museum!
December 17 | 9:00 am – 11:30 amat Carillon Historical Park
Visit Carillon Park for a Morning with Santa! Open House is from 9:00 am to 11:30 am.
Ride the Carousel of Dayton Innovation
Tour the new Heritage Center
Listen to holiday stories
Bring your camera for pictures with Santa
Crafts and holiday music playing
Continental breakfast
$12 per person, children under 2 are free. To make reservations, email cshumaker@daytonhistory.org, or call 937-293-2841 ext. 106
Connect a Million Minds Program December 13 | 3:30 pm
Harmuth Printing 101 – Visit the only fully operating 1930s letterpress printing shop in a museum anywhere in the United States! Students will enjoy the chance to learn the printing trade firsthand by completing tasks such as setting type, preparing printing surfaces, composing, editing and printing an original line of type and more. Along the way, students will learn of Dayton’s role as a leader of the nation’s printing industry during the 1930s.
For more information on this free program please call 937-293-2841, or visit www.daytonhistory.org
Presented by:
Holiday Shopping at the Museum Store
A holiday shopping destination! Looking for a special gift this season? The Carillon Historical Park Museum Store offers a variety of quality items at a wide range of prices. Choose from books, historical toys, ornaments, sterling silver jewelry and so much more.
Visit the Museum Store during regular park hours Monday – Saturday, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm Sunday, 12:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Books From the Museum Store
Make Perfect Gifts!
Stop by our gift shop and see all of the exciting inventory we have to celebrate Dayton. Make sure you don’t miss the two new books we now carry exclusively, that are perfect for holiday giving.
“Gem City Jewels II” is a sequel to the successful “Gem City Jewels” introduced in the Fall of 2009. Full of interesting and unique facts this book is written by Curt Dalton. He has spent numerous hours researching the wonderful history of Dayton and this book showcases many amazing true stories from our past.
“Cooking the Wright Way” written by Melba Hunt and first published in 1998. Out of print for over a decade we are freshly stocked with new copies for sale. This book provides a unique profile of the Wright family from the aspect of food. Filled with family history, photos and wonderful recipes that were prepared in their home. This book is a treasure!
For more information, please visit the Museum Store or call 937-293-2841
2011 Commemorative Ornament
Artist Melanie Haislip has painted three unique versions of the Carousel of Dayton Innovation, Dayton History’s 2011 Commemorative Ornament. You will be impressed by her attention to details, color, and realism. Ornaments are available for purchase in the Museum Store for $40 each.
The Lincoln Society of Dayton announces the postponement of the December 4th program at the Patterson Homestead to January 8th, 2012. You are invited to come at 2:00 pm on January 8th to enjoy another DVD series presented by Professor Allan Guelzo. This will be followed by comments by Bob Johnson on the topic of Lincoln’s Triumph. Start the New Year with a resolution not to miss a single program presented by the Lincoln Society of Dayton!! For more information
please call Maribeth
Graham at 434-7414
Dayton History 2012 Calendar
The Dayton History 2012 calendar is now available! Be up to date with this beautiful calendar containing historic photos of Dayton and the famous people who made Dayton. Also learn about some of Dayton’s most important events and the date they took place. Get your Calendar in the Dayton History Museum Store today!
Dayton Triangles T-Shirts & Hats
The Dayton Triangles – one of the initial 11 teams in the NFL – played the league’s first ever game at Triangle Park in 1920. A new line of T-shirts and ball caps commemorating the team is available in the Museum Store at Carillon Park!
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This morning I happened to view Matt Lauer’s TODAY SHOW interview/reunion with the actors portraying the family from THE WALTONS. It was refreshing and uplifting to see these familiar, albeit, older faces. I found myself smiling throughout the interview as though the seven children and Mama Walton were seated right before me.
What a wonderful gift they offered this morning.
As I strolled through my well-rehearsed morning events of letting dogs out to potty, feeding dogs, giving a dog an insulin shot, pouring my coffee, reading my emails, etc., I kept thinking about THE WALTONS. When I was a child there were two to three television programs on every night that I could not wait to see. Forty years later, I generally find myself eager to watch ONCE UPON A TIME on Sunday evenings, and THE MIDDLE and MODERN FAMILY on Wednesdays. That is it. Nothing else really appeals to me. Grant it, that allows more time to spend with my son doing homework, or other time-quality items, but I am still a little sad that my son cannot enjoy television the way I did in my youth.
What is more, we watched these television programs as a family. This is how we do it in The Haasienda, as well. As noted this morning by Matt Lauer to the WALTONS actors, “You sat down to dinner together.” And yes, we sit down to dinner together in this house.
My mother did it that way, as did her parents.
Ma & Pa Ingalls did it that way.
Mama & Daddy Walton did it that way.
Mom & Dad Brady did it that way (but, damned if they didn’t have a maid serving their dinners!)
What was good enough for Mother, the Ingalls, the Waltons, the Bradys and countless other TV families is good enough for my family!
The families of the 1970′s had their own share of dysfunction, but it was all about the way they minimaliszed their dysfunction rather than highlighting it. Grant it, there were those wonderful sitcoms, ALL IN THE FAMILY and THE JEFFERSONS, along with others, that highlighted their dysfunction, but in the end, their values always surfaced. They also primed their dysfunction to be the comedic focus for each episode. With the hideous reality programs, which I deplore, there is little resolution but plenty of notification that more sophomoric drama is to come.
I feel blessed to have grown up in an era where television was more value-centered, and less dysfunction-driven. Those episodes, scenes, characters and theme songs are still with me today.
Why else would I take the time to blog about them when I should be cleaning the bathroom, doing laundry, mopping puppy-tracked floors, etc.?
From Fairmont High School’s Band Director, Michael Berning…
Remember – if you buy a mattress, use Quintin’s name as a reference. The proceeds will go toward his 2012 Marching Band account ($540) and his current winter percussion account ($490).
Feel free to spread the word with your friends and family! I did!
Flyer was so easy to train, and was fantastic at remembering everything. As a senior, blind pooch, all the training has paid off. Even when she had her sight, I could walk her without her leash attached, and she did a fantastic job. Never once did she cause me alarm.
The past several nights I have been allowing each dog to accompany me over to the high school school lawn without their leash. Flyer, as always, is magnificent, and knows the area well enough that she does not have to feel her way around. Since she was trained to respond to my snaps, this has been a great aide for her as she moves about without her sight.
For the past two nights, Chief and Navi, on their individual walks, have been outstanding. Chief, my more rambunctious pup, has been the king of good behavior – staying with me, getting his few dashes around the high school’s front lawn without running off, and heading right into the house after hiking his leg on everything imaginable.
Navi, who is more skittish than Chief, has been a little star. When she hears, “To the front door,” she dashes up the steps, and prances around the front porch awaiting my hugs and compliments. It is really cute.
These late-night jaunts have worked well for me when it comes to training, and it gives us some one-on-one time that the day-time group walks do not afford us.
Tomorrow we have a 2.5 hour drive to Indiana. Saturday, we will drive 1.5 hours to my brother’s home near West Lafayette, and then our return home trip will be 3 hours. While at my brother’s farm, the pups will have their first experience of true freedom. Flyer, in her healthier days, loved romping in the more open space, and playing with anyone who offered some time.
I am confident the three dogs will do well on this big adventure.
The Fairmont High School Band will be sponsoring their secondannual
mattress sale on Saturday,December 3 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, December 4 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Name brand (Restonic and Southerland) mattress sets 30% – 50% off
retail. Brand new, top quality mattress sets with full manufacturer
warranties. All sizes, price ranges.
Delivery
and free layaway will be available.
We will be taking orders on both December 3rd
and 4th, and everything will be ready for pick up or delivery
within 1 to 2 weeks.
For additional information or if
you need a new mattress before this sale, feel free to contact Debbie Harbin of
Ultimate Fundraising Solutions at dharbin65
Proceeds directly benefit the Fairmont High School Band Program!!
$50 off purchase of $500 with this e-mail
Please
help support our band by sending this e-mail to family
and friends!!
Student Referral: Quintin Jolliffe-Haas
Michael T. Berning
Coordinator of Music
Director of Bands
Kettering City Schools
3301 Shroyer Rd.
Kettering, Ohio 45429
(937)499-2647
(937)499-1648 Fax
Michael.Berning@Ketteringschools.org
Dear Friends,
Abraham Lincoln’s momentous leadership during the tumultuous Civil War and his tragic death elevated him to incredible heights in our national memory. At President Lincoln’s Cottage, the beloved home where he lived during much of the Civil War, visitors get to know the whole man, his private expressions of grief and frustration, his trial and error, his formative ideas on emancipation, and his greatest impact.
NEW Exhibit: Seat of War The Civil War had arguably the greatest impact on Washington, D.C. of any single event in American history. Almost overnight, the seat of our nation’s government was transformed from a sleepy, southern town to the hub of the northern war effort, and was often referred to as the Seat of War. Join us as we illuminate President Lincoln’s Civil War Washington through historic prints from our collection. This exhibit will be on view from December 7, 2011 – January 15, 2012.
2012 Modern Slavery Exhibit This special exhibit will challenge perceptions of slavery in America today and raise awareness of a growing humanitarian crisis. By posing the question, “Can you walk away?” this exhibit will inspire people to engage with the modern abolitionist movement and to see that slavery is an ongoing issue that requires big thinking and direct action, just as it did in Lincoln’s time. Opens February 2012.
2012 Ornament Now Available This ornament, commemorating Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, is available online and in our Museum Store at the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center. Supplies limited – order today!
Lincoln’s Other Proclamation It was cold, wet, and rainy in Washington, and the President was ill. A week earlier, Abraham Lincoln had given the Gettysburg Address, sitting outside in the cold as he listened to Edward Everett orate, before giving his short speech. Now, in the last week of November 1863, Lincoln was “quite unwell,” suffering from a mild form of smallpox called varioloid……The timing of the President’s illness was unfortunate. That Thursday, the fourth Thursday in the month of November, marked the day that Lincoln had set aside for the first official national Thanksgiving Day. FULL ARTICLE.
President Lincoln’s Cottage | Upshur Street at Rock Creek Church Road, NW | Washington | DC | 20011
Happy fall from Hershey, Pennsylvania! We’re writing to you from the wonderful land of theme parks and chocolate bars with some exciting P&P updates.
Highlights in this newsletter from Benj & Justin include the upcoming national tour of A Christmas Story: The Musical!, the long-delayed sheet music release of our song “Do You Remember?” and news of an exciting ASCAP Songwriter’s Fellowship Award we recently received.
As always, if you’d like to reply to us after reading our update, please send a message to our email address, info (you cannot reply directly to this email). Still–we’d love to hear from you, so just shoot us a note! And if you’re overloaded and aren’t interested in hearing updates from us, click “unsubscribe” at the end of this message to opt out.
Thanks for reading and hope to see you on the road!
-Benj & Justin
a
A CHRISTMAS STORY: THE MUSICAL! TOUR INFO
We’re so excited to announce that for the 2011 holiday season, A Christmas Story: The Musical! will be embarking on a five-city National Tour culminating with a three-week run at the legendary Chicago Theatre.
If ACS is touring through your (or a nearby) town, we’d be honored if you’d come and check out the show! After a very successful run last year at Seattle’s 5th Ave Theatre, we’ve made some tweaks and can’t wait to get the show on the road. The production features a stunning 30-member cast, a 16-piece orchestra, and all of your favorite iconic moments from its cinematic namesake.
We are particularly jazzed that the show will be making a two-week stop in Detroit, just a stone’s throw away from Ann Arbor where we spent 4 years at the University of Michigan. We look forward to seeing some old friends as we meet up with the tour for some exciting events in Ann Arbor. GO BLUE!
Peter Billingsley (a.k.a. Ralphie from the original movie and producer of hit films including Iron Man) will continue on as a producer for A Christmas Story: The Musical! The show is helmed by Tony Award-winning director John Rando (Urinetown) and choreographed by Warren Carlyle (Follies, Hugh Jackman: Back on Broadway). It boasts a fantastic cast of Broadway talents including Gene Weygandt (Wicked), John Bolton (Spamalot), Rachel Bay Jones (Hair), Karen Mason (Mamma Mia) and more!
THE BEACON - Fairmont Firebird 2011 Marching Band Show
One of my favorite weekends is returning to Indianapolis for the BOA (Bands of America) Super Regionals held at Lucas Oil Stadium. For the past four years, Kettering Fairmont High School’s Marching Band has competed in this competition, and it is always a nice opportunity for Mother, even my brother, and his family, to attend this event.
Returning to Indianapolis is always special for me. From the time I was small, traveling thirty miles South to Indy was always a big treat, and an experience. Even at 47 I am excited to visit this beautiful city, especially the familiar sites along Meridian Street.
I decided to forgo getting up too early to meet up with several Ball State University friends, and left Kettering by 9:00am. I drove Westward on OH-725, which turns into IN-44, enjoying, and taking in all the fall colors along the highway. Of course, there is even more pleasure passing through the wonderful little communities of Germantown, Camden, Liberty and Rushville.
Just outside Rushville, I stopped to pay my respects, and snap some photos of Wendell L. Willkie’s grave site. Mr. Willkie was born, and grew up in my hometown of Elwood, Indiana where both his parents served as attorneys. Mr. Willkie later moved to Rushville, and was nominated by the Republican Party to compete against President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1940. Willkie returned to Elwood in August 1940 to officially accept the nomination.
Despite missing IN-52 that would have taken me directly to downtown Indy, I managed to pulled into the parking lot of Shapiro’s Deli, immediately behind Mother, who had been delayed due to a marathon on the Northside.
Shapiro’s Deli is one of my favorite eateries. It has become our traditional lunch-site each BOA Saturday. While eating, we ran into Dr. Joe & Mavis Barnett from Elwood, as well as several tables filled with parents from our fine neighbors from Centerville High School.
At Lucas Oil Stadium we had an hour before Fairmont’s scheduled performance. I am glad we got to see Center Grove High School’s marching band. My cousins, Kari Hallett Miller, and Eric Hallett, are alums of this outstanding band program. Kari & Eric’s parents, Judy & Jerry, also taught at Center Grove for many years. The entire Hallett family would have been proud of their marching band! Outstanding performance.
Fairmont Firebirds took the field with what was, perhaps, their best performance of the season. The process of evolving into the complete BOA-concept can be rather tedious, but Fairmont is making strong steady gains each year. Breaking into the BOA album of yearly competitors is tough.
Quintin spent some time with Mother and I as we watched Avon High School Marching Band – always a treat – and our guest collegiate band in exhibition, The Purdue University Marching Band. What a spectacular performance by 360 non-music majors.
The preliminary competition ended, and I drove Mother through most of the downtown Indy congestion to the Indiana War Memorial. There I bid Mother a safe trip home, and then strolled down Meridian Street with my camera snapping away. The sun was just preparing its final descent on the day, and what a nice touch nature added to the photographs.
With this annual visit to Indianapolis the marching band season officially comes to a close. I am glad that we move on from the season, but I am always so grateful, and thrilled, that my sons experience one of the greatest highlights as did I when I was in high school.
Did you know that when the Pilgrims arrived in New England in 1620 they did not actually land at Plymouth Rock? The story of the Pilgrims coming ashore at Plymouth Rock is not mentioned in accounts of the landing until 1771. Even though the legend was created a century after the landing, the rock has achieved the status of national icon. The Museum’s Political History Collection holds two pieces of the famous rock.
Since 1919, Americans have observed Nov. 11 as a day to honor the sacrifices of those who have fought for freedom. This Veterans Day, make a donation in honor of your loved one. Your tax-deductible gift will help to preserve and display the most treasured objects from America’s past. If you make your gift by November 19, the Museum will list the name of the veteran you honor in our December e-newsletter.
This video brings you behind-the-scenes into our photographic history collections to examine personal relationships with photography during a national crisis.
This display focuses on a remarkable 19th-century document that the Museum has recently meticulously conserved. Thomas Jefferson assembled a private text in 1820, using excerpts from the Four Gospels of the New Testament in Greek, Latin, French, and English. His aim was to tell a chronological version of Jesus’ life and distill his moral philosophy. Starting November 11 you will also be able to explore every page of the artifact online in high resolution.
The new exhibition explores the unofficial but important position of first lady and the ways that different women have shaped the role to make their own contributions to the presidential administrations and the nation. More than two dozen gowns will be on view, including those worn by Frances Cleveland, Lou Hoover, Jacqueline Kennedy, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama. Note: No First Ladies gowns will be on view Tuesday, November 1, through Friday, November 18.
Grammy Award-winning vocalist and musician Esperanza Spalding donated the dress she wore during her performance at the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring President Barack Obama.
“Want to help the people in your life heal, grow, be happier and more content? Then pay attention to your own journey. Not only will you be paving the way for the people you love, you’ll be showing them that it’s not only OK to take care of yourself, it’s essential.”
I wanted Begin with Yes newsletter subscribers be the first to know that Begin Within: A Begin with Yes Guided Meditation is now available on Amazon. If you purchase the CD and leave a review on Amazon send me a note and I will send the library of your choice a copy of my book Begin with Yes. Thanks for being on this amazing journey with me. All good vibes from New Hampshire!
Editorial Reviews
Paul Boynton’s “Begin with Yes” principles which have helped thousands achieve their goals are now incorporated in this beautiful and relaxing guided imagery recording to help you align your subconscious thoughts with your actions as you continue to create the life you have always wanted and the life you so truly deserve.
Begin Within is read by Paul Boynton, based on the principles in his book “Begin with Yes” and was scripted by Sharon M. O’Connor, RN, CHT, who practices guided imagery and hypnotherapy in the New Hampshire Seacoast.
Begin Within is dedicated to the thousands of Begin with Yes Facebook fans from around the world. Together we have created a community of hopeful, optimistic people who are facing challenges and obstacles with tremendous grace and who are moving forward towards dreams with determination, enthusiasm and hope.
“This beautiful meditation will gently guide you to a calmer place where challenges are faced more effectively and goals and dreams begin to unfold easily and peacefully.”
I am enjoying a lunch of corn soup, a grilled turkey & cheese sandwich, and cucumber slices, while absorbing “Modern Marvels: Future Tech” on HISTORY CHANNEL. I enjoy most episodes on “Modern Marvels,” but this particular episode has captivated me.
All sorts of exciting things:
paper-thin television
hydrogen-fueled vehicle
brain-computer interface
robotic soldiers
commercialization of space
Mars base-station
walls that can change color by pressing a button
framed screens that are computerized and can pull up photos much like your computer
telekinetic energy powers
In my life of forty-seven years I have seen tremendous advancements in technology. What an exciting world it has become with so many technological inventions. And I know there will be even more, and more to come.
My great-grandfather, John William Garrett Clary, was born in 1898. When he was five years old the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane. By the time he was ten years old the automobile was becoming as popular as a horse drawn vehicle, and the telephone was moving into most homes. Grandpa Garrett saw the advent of radio, motion picture, and eventually, television.
When I was five years old, I was seated next to Grandpa Garrett on his Davenport in his home on North 9th Street in Elwood, Indiana. One July day we watched Neil Armstrong walk on the moon. Naturally, at age five I did not consider what this must have meant to my great-grandfather, but as I grew older I realized just how much his world changed over 99 years. What an exciting world he knew that seemed to grow, technologically, by leaps and bounds.
I can remember the excitement of my grandparents getting their first color-television, and microwave. They seemed pretty hip to be accepting of newfangled appliances! My Uncle Ron bought me my first calculator in 1974, and I thought I was so cool by owning a little device that could add, subtract, multiply and divide! My uncle also gave me my first 8-track tape player, and later, a cassette player. Life became even more exciting in 6th grade when I got “Pong” for Christmas. As a child, there was always this incredible feverish thrill when the JCPenney and Sears’ Christmas catalogs arrived. I can remember spending hours looking through the toy section, marveling at the plethora of new toys, many considered technological advancements.
What an exciting world we have known, continue to know, and prepare to embrace. God bless all the minds who bring us these newfangled innovations!
“Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”
opening for STAR TREK
NEW Exhibit! Abraham Lincoln: A Man of His Time, A Man for All Times
This exhibit invites visitors to look beyond the myth. We hope that presenting Lincoln’s own words in speeches, letters & proclamations, will encourage a deeper understanding of the life, accomplishments and legacy of the nation’s 16th president.
On loan from the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this exhibit will be open October 19 – November 14, 2011.
Last Chance
for October’s Cottage Conversation!
October 27, 2011
Cottage Conversation with David Blight
Mr. Blight will discuss his most recent book, “American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era” (Sept 2011)
Reception – 6:00pm ~ $10
Lecture – 6:30pm ~ $10
(202) 829-0436 x31232 or sahand_miraminy
PRE-ORDERAmerican Oracle and pick it up at the event!
The 2011-2012 Cottage Conversation Series is made possible through the generosity of
There seems to be an even greater wave of unrest sweeping our country, and the world. To be honest, I’ve not followed Occupy Wall Street, and what I did follow initially did not necessarily ring with any clarity of the mission. Even as the televised news programs invite guests to discuss the rallies, I am still somewhat distant.
I remember my first trip to Washington, DC in 1968, during the height of an earlier crusade by the people. There was a massive march on Washington that August, and I remember the vibrantly colored signs, and clothing, and hearing the chants. The expanse of The Mall near the Lincoln Memorial was overgrown with masses, and masses of bodies crowding every bit of free space. My parents kept me shielded from the protesters, but I was greatly impressed, and intrigued by the sea of faces that stretched out from the reflecting pool.
Forty-plus years later, we find our country racked, once again, with the parades of protesters. One of my friends, Jeffrey Carter, having returned from New York City, commented that he was glad that we lived in a country where the freedom of speech, the freedom of public gatherings is possible. So many countries do not have these rights.
My one question that I have asked through the years, especially when looking back on the late 1960′s and early 1970′s – do these demonstrations accomplish what the protesters hope? I honestly do not know the answer to this question, and have not researched it. Nonetheless, I am curious. I remember the sit-ins, walk-outs, and protests when I was quite young, but all I recall is the disastrous outcome at Kent State. I hope these current protesters, and the authorities assigned to watch over them keep good sense and do not allow anything to get out of hand.
It does seem, as Winston Churchill once remarked, “There is a gathering storm.” I fear it will be with the economy, or even our own government exploding in some capacity.
Friday morning Quintin and I went on a major hike through Dayton’s Woodland Cemetery next to University of Dayton’s campus. Thursday night was a bit on the rough side with the loss of Logan, but Friday morning’s hike through the wooded groves of the onset of the Autumn spectacle, accompanied by gorgeous weather, seemed to initiate grief’s healing process.
I underestimated the loss of Logan, my fuzzy-faced companion of 17 years. I’ve always considered myself to be a dog-person, despite having loved Logan for so long. An amazing cat, who was more like a well-trained dog, and an even more amazing companion who loved, and certainly knew she was loved.
I cannot say enough THANK YOU’s to all who sent words of comfort, and the many kindnesses shown me last week. Everyone from family to friends to students to former students to distant friends and not-so-familiar friends was wonderfully kind, and so supportive during those last two days.
Several folks have asked me if I’ve ever had a pet die. Yes, I have; however, my first dog, an American Eskimo, died when I was about two or three years old, and my second dog, Pokey, died my senior year of high school. It was winter, and Grandpa took care of burying Pokey, so there was no official, ‘good bye.’
In September 1970, I was walking home from Washington Elementary School and stopped to look in the large plate glass window at Burger’s Dairy Mart (Linders or Taylors to the younger Elwood folks). I noticed a little puppy standing on the step of the store. It had no collar, and seemed excited to see me – a typical puppy trait I was to ignore forty years later when I first met Navi and Chief. I waited a few minutes to see if anyone would claim him. Mary, the stout, authoritarian who worked behind the counter stepped out with a dish of water. Mary’s burly frame, dressed in a white work dress that resembled a nurse’s uniform, bent down to give the dog some water. Her chestnut hair, bunned up tightly, reminding me of the Burl Ives Snowman in RUDOLPH, never moved an inch as she bent over and rose again.
“He’s been out here all afternoon. Probably a stray.” She watched the pup lapping up the water, seeming to speak to herself more than to me.
Once Mary returned inside the store, I picked up the puppy and walked the remaining block and a half to 825 Main Street – the tall white house on the corner, and on one of the largest hills in Elwood. Once I got to Dick & Betsy’s hedge that separate our yard from the Herndon’s yard, I set the dog down, and coaxed him to the steps. Since he could barely make the ten steps that cut into the hill, he quickly figured out he could just run up the hill.
I do recall walking through the front door with the dog, and greeting Mother. I know, according to Mother, that I elected to go with the story that the puppy had followed me home.
Mother said she could tell he was a stray, and placed an advertisement in The Elwood Call-Leader. If no one claimed the dog within two weeks, he could stay with us.
Two weeks passed, and the Alpo eating pup became a fixture at the Jolliff home.
In honor of my good kindergarten friend, Debbie Poynter, who lived one block over between the Mangas and LaPierre families, I named the dog, Pokey, which was Debbie’s nickname. Now, the older Poynter sisters claimed the nickname was prompted by Debbie’s slow nursing habits. Naming my new pup after Debbie, who was jokingly nicknamed ‘John’ by my grandfather, was a compliment to my childhood friend.
Pokey was a young boy’s true pal. He slept with me, went on walks with me, protected me, went nuts if I got a spanking, and was always at my side, much like Flyer, Navi, Chief, and Logan have been. Whenever we’d leave the house for an extended amount of time, we’d return to find Pokey sleeping on my footie pajamas he’d pulled from beneath my pillow. Of course, we would also return to find chewed up gloves, shoes, gnawed table legs, and other articles we’d not planned to abandon so soon. One particular item was a young member of my Johnny West action figures who lost his feet to Pokey’s boredom. From that point on, Jeff West was simply known as “Crip.”
After about two years, a neighbor’s huge German shepherd, Lance, began coming into our yard and attacking Pokey, once biting into his neck. Poor Pokey, when going on walks, was terrified. After those attacks, Pokey was afraid of all strangers, and nipped at the mailman. Grandpa hated seeing Pokey chained up in the yard, and offered to keep him out at their home in the country.
Off Pokey went to live two miles north of Lapel. And there he remained for the next ten years. Since we spent so much time with Grandpa and Grandma, Pokey was not missed.
My senior year of high school I could not return to the country as often due to marching band. By this time, Pokey had become quite aged, and he could barely walk. Grandpa built him a deluxe dog house with so much insulation you could feel the warmth in the coldest weather. By Thanksgiving 1982, Grandpa or Grandma had to lift Pokey off the porch so he could go potty.
When I arrived to Grandpa and Grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner, Pokey spied me getting out of the car at the end of the drive. With great energy, and determination, Pokey rose to his feet, and carefully walked down the steps, and out to the car to greet me. I will never forget that moment of dedication shown me by a beloved pet. It was the truest affection, and devotion.
Later, it was time for my senior musical, OKLAHOMA!. I returned home for opening night to grab a bite to eat before returning to the high school for make-up and to get my hair curled. As we sat down to the table, my 8 year old brother, Destin, and I got into a quibble. Without dropping a beat, Destin said, “Your dog’s dead.” Mother, to this day, claims she will never forget the look on my face as I turned to her for confirmation. “Grandma found him in the garage this morning. He was dead.”
Mother, while trying to offer sympathies to me, was also trying to shut up Destin who seemed to thrive in the one-upmanship of his 18 year old brother.
Grandma Donna had entered the garage that morning to find her dog, Duchess, cuddling Pokey’s warm body. Duchess was crying out as she wrapped her paws around the dog that had gotten grumpier with her the past year.
That moment in 1993, punctuated with “your dog’s dead,” has become a family staple in our cupboard of humorous, memorable family moments.
This afternoon, I prepare for the departure of another pet – or rather, a fury family member – my wonderful cat of seventeen years, Logan. The day has practically shut down with this tender, loving vigil of farewell, and I am so grateful to the many, many friends who are sharing in this moment, reminding me that they, too, think of their pets as members of the family.
Pokey saw me age six to eighteen, and Logan was with me from age twenty-nine to forty-seven. All together, I’ve had pets over half my years living, and I cannot think of a more wonderful companion, or gift.
Continue to rest in peace, dear Pokey. Thank you for being a boy’s best friend…
And thank you, Debbie Poynter, for graciously allowing me to borrow your childhood nickname!
As I write this while sitting up in bed at my hospital table used for working mostly late into the night, Logan snuggles next to me. This is a familiar sight, and the warmth of her fur next to me is even more comfortable. When I pet her, I faintly hear that familiar purr that has always been a comfort, much like listening to the ocean’s waves crashing against the shore. It’s been familiar for the past seventeen years.
In June 1994, I decided it was time to get a pet. Since I traveled a good deal between Dayton and New York City, a dog would not have been practical. So, June 19th, I went to the home of a Centerville marching band family and selected the most energetic little male cat. In honor of my beloved mentor, Joshua Logan, I named the kitten “Mister Logan.”
For the first two months, while I waited to see if he would survive better than my indoor/outdoor plants, I took him to the veterinarian who convinced me I should probably just call the kitten, “Logan.” Mister Logan, as it turned out, was a girl. He asked for her birth date, and all I could remember was that she was born mid-April. “Pick a date,” he encouraged. So, I selected April 13th – Thomas Jefferson’s birthday.
Several months later I rushed through the door of the vet’s office, carrying Logan wrapped in a towel. Something had fallen on her that morning; she was crying loudly, and dragging her backside. “There’s nothing we can do for her, Mr. Haas.” The tears began flowing down my cheek. When I asked if we should put her to sleep, the vet assistants, trying their best to stifle chuckles, assured me there was no need to put her down.
“Logan is fine. She’s in heat.”
I thanked the ladies, and then tucked Logan under my arm, walking out of the building with all the dignity I could muster.
Logan has always been popular with my students, and their families. When Benjamin Gross played the piano as a young 6 year old, Logan would lay across his lap, or stand to hug him. For some reason, Benjamin was Logan’s favorite. When anyone sits in the living room, their laps are generally filled, for Logan has always hated to see an empty lap. When I work in my study, Logan loves to lay on the side of the L-shaped desk to keep me company, and when writing in my bedroom/sitting room, Logan is always by my side.
This morning, it is different. Logan, after seventeen years, and one day short of six months, is slipping away. She is comfortable, but her breathing has become a little more shallow. I lifted Flyer, who has been blind nearly a year, onto the bed to say, “good bye.” Flyer sniffed at Logan without a hissed rebuttal, and laid down on the bed by Logan. Navi and Chief sniffed Logan and seem to comprehend something is different this morning. Even the extra-playful Navi is subdued this morning, curled at the foot of the bed keeping watch.
August 2010, I was a mess as we prepared to put down Flyer who was suffering with pancreatitis, and assured by the vet she would not survive. Fortunately, Flyer did survive. The outpouring of affection for this dog was incredible. This morning it seems to be the same for Logan. Many have experienced her personality and antics for years, thus making her quite the popular cat.
At Stubbs Park and The Fraze Pavilion, Logan was a familiar presence during concerts, basking in the attention, and gobbling up any food offered her. On airplane travels to and from NYC, Logan always rested comfortably in my backpack stored under the seat in front of me. While Mother sat on my back patio drinking her morning coffee, she solved the mystery of Logan’s escapes from the townhouse: Logan opened the sliding screen-door, and closed it herself! While walking through a festival with Logan on my shoulder – a typical perch in her younger years – I heard a lady let out a light scream. I turned to see Logan eating her elephant ear which she was holding up as she walked through the crowd.
I had to purchase voice mail when it first came out because Logan knew how to press the correct buttons on my answering machine, thus erasing new messages. A year later, I had to remove numbers from the novelty of speed dialing on my new phone because Logan would press the speaker button and then hit a speed dial button to carry on a conversation with whomever answered. Several students got to witness Logan’s phone conversations, especially the Nienaber family.
The fond, memorable stories of Logan are countless. For seventeen years, I have been blessed with an incredible, fuzzy-faced companion, who will always hold a special place in my heart. Through the course of this blog’s post, she has continued to snuggled closer. I am sure she knows she is loved, and that she has been loved dearly for many years, and by many folks.
It’s been a great life for Logan, and for me. We have had wonderful times together – times that have turned into beautiful memories.
As one friend wrote on my Facebook page, “They are not just pets, they are family.”
And very shortly, the Jolliffe-Haas family will bid farewell to one whom I’ve jokingly referred to as “my first child.”
Good bye, little Pal… my beloved little Fuzzy Face.
Hair Wraps – 2011-10-05 12:57:05.361649-04 With 3 girls at our house and a lot of hair, I am always looking for fun and creative hair ideas to play with! Today, I found a site called Kara’s Creative Place and she has made the cutest candy-corn Halloween hair wrap, and even has a great tutorial on Do It Yourself Hair Wraps! [...]
Hanging Pictures – 2011-10-07 02:53:17.05312-04 We have such fantastic readers and today’s idea comes to us from Darin L. Jolliffe-Haas. He writes…”Yesterday, I read the article on ‘How to Arrange Pictures,’ and wanted to share something I’ve used in my own home. I actually borrowed the idea from Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello. I am attaching a photo of Monticello’s parlor. [...]
Live Your Best Life,
Amy Allred
Just copy and paste the code below to your website! If you’ve got great ideas and would like more visitors to your website, click on the button below, submit your idea, and if it’s good, we’ll post it on our site!
As a young child growing up in the late 1960′s I was caught up with discovery and exploration. It was an exciting time to watch rockets lifting off, men walking on the moon or bouncing around in the moon-buggy, and even seeing a ship flying across the night sky over my hometown, Elwood, Indiana. For me, it was not necessarily about the scientific mission to the moon but more the excitement of going places.
In school, we celebrated another feat of exploration: Columbus Day.
We watched movies on Christopher Columbus, learned about the man, the countries of Italy and Spain, and sang songs about the Nina, Pinta and Santa Marie. We never heard the tales of genocide, slavery, and other barbarous accounts. In fact, it was not until 1992, the 500th anniversary of this poignant discovery that I even knew of any discontent, and protestations of the discoverer. I paid little heed to the opposition, and actually, did not participate in any celebration of Columbus Day that year except, perhaps, driving to the Dayton Mall for a JCPenney Columbus Day Sale.
Today, I am becoming acutely reminded by Facebook posts that we should not celebrate Columbus Day. Some Facebook friends have even taken offense (some more kindly than others) that I would dare post a link from Belief Net celebrating inspiring Columbus Day quotes about Self-Discovery & Exploration. Two ladies took me to task in private emails that I am
being inconsiderate of my Navajo son’s heritage. I only posted the You Tube video, PLEASE, MR. COLUMBUS: just to toss that canister of Morton’s their way.
Because I am not posting anti-Columbus Day rhetoric I am being insensitive to my Native American child? I believe that my Facebook posts – even before adopting my son – offered numerous items regarding my love for Native American culture, and heritage. Having adopted a Navajo son has made this interest all the more exciting to explore, and share.
One lady accused me of being weak-minded because I would not post anti-Columbus Day items to my Facebook page. “You are being cowardly and week [weak] minded when you do not stand up for something that injures your children.” I assured her that I was not being weak-minded, nor cowardly. but rather, electing which hills upon which I should take a stand. I also reminded both ladies that they had clearly stepped over a line with me, and one more note from them would result in me posting their letters in my blog for all to see. Both women consider themselves to be pillars of their churches, and vibrant school supporters, and their language applied towards me in their notes would have greatly embarrassed them.
For many years I have elected to be a visionary rather than an apologist. If I were to oppose Columbus Day, something for which I care very little in the first place, I would also feel the urge to oppose President’s Day: we had presidents who were slave owners, presidents under whose administrations Native Americans were treated brutally, and killed, presidents who ordered military action against countries who did not attack us first or offered no true threat to us (Vietnam, Afghanistan, etc.). And what about Christmas and Easter? How could we celebrate these particular Christian holiday when remembering The Crusades and other violations throughout it’s 2000 year history? As for now, I prefer to celebrate The Presidency and US History, and I love giving presents, and filling Easter egg baskets for my sons.
The only holiday that does bug me is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Why? Personally, I feel it should be Civil Rights Day to honor the two hundred-plus years of countless individuals who fought for Civil Rights throughout our country’s history. If there were organized committees who wished to over-turn the current title of this particular holiday, I doubt I would join the cause because to me, personally, it doesn’t matter that much.
Am I being weak-minded? Nope. There are other matters to which I would like to direct my interests, and my energy.
This particular Monday is not about me celebrating a man known to us as Christopher Columbus. It is about me celebrating the fact that I am very open to the continuity of self-discovery, self exploration. The voyage upon which I am embarked is one of great joy, enthusiasm, and so many other things. In many South American countries, today is called “Discovery Day.” I am still discovering, and delight in the fact that I still have the love for learning, and growing, that was so alive when I was five years old and watching man walk on the moon for the first time.
October 27, 2011
Join us on Thursday, October 27 for an enlightening evening with David Blight as he discusses his new book American Oracle: The Civil War in the Civil Rights Era (Sept 2011)
Reception: 6:00pm Lecture: 6:30pm
ADMISSION Reception – $10 Lecture - $10 *Members at $100+ receive free admission to both the reception and lecture.
The past several days I’ve enjoyed the fortunes of social network as I attempt to complete a multitude of tasks. With my cell phone in hand, I have a remarkable tool at my fingertips as I dart about my day running errands, or standing in the middle of Walmart trying to figure out what to do with some window coverings!
Quite often have I turned to Facebook to ask about recipes, installing ceiling fans, seeking tickets for shows, and needing information on all sorts of things. Earlier this week I needed to know where I could buy Sharpie pens for the marching band contest, and I texted the inquiry onto my Facebook page while standing in the middle of Kroger. By the time I left Kroger I had well over ten responses via Facebook and cell texts. Piece of cake.
Later that evening I was stressing over panels to hang beneath my own valance-creation in the living room, and since this is an area of complete mystery to me, I decided to take it to the masses. Since I have a large number of moms who sit in my living room each week, I took a photo of the swatch I’d brought with me, and sent it to thirty or moms. In less than a minute I began receiving texts with great suggestions. The window hangings are not completed, but at least I am armed with numerous ideas.
As a band parent I’ve especially enjoyed how we can communicate so quickly, and effectively from bus to bus, across the field, or from miles apart as we plan things.
This morning I drove to Mason to watch the preliminary competition for the Bands Of America regional competition. Rather than pay the expensive BOA ticket prices, I watched Fairmont’s performance from the side gate. Afterward, I tried to acquire internet access at the Mason Public Library but was unsuccessful.
How do you find a place with Wifi in Mason, Ohio?
Well, you post it on Facebook from your cell phone! And the responses quickly poured in. I knew Panera Bread had internet access, but did not realize so many other places did, as well. Right now, I am sitting in the McDonalds typing this post.
It is also neat to know that people do read my posts as I had responses from those who live in Arizona, California, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida!
Facebook is great for staying in touch with family, friends, high school and college classmates, current students, and former students. I have especially enjoyed connecting with so many cousins who live all across the country. We get to reunite, watch one another’s families grow, and share the beauty of sharing a past, not to mention a gene pool!
Thank you to all those who come to my aide through the wonderful world of social networking!
Hallow’s Eve at Patterson Homestead October 21 & 22, 2011
6:00 pm – 9:00 pm
Join us in an 1890s period-inspired Hallow’s Eve party at the historic Patterson Homestead, Friday October 21 and Saturday, October 22, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. each night.
This very fun two-night event will be the perfect setting for elementary aged children and their parents to kick off the Halloween season. Enjoy a horse-drawn hayride through the Patterson Family property. Watch an 1890s magician. Other fun activities include craft making, storytelling, games and fortune telling. Food to celebrate the fall season will be served.
Tickets are $6 per adult and $4 per child for Dayton History member and $8 per adult and $6 per child for non-member. Space is limited, so reservations are encouraged. For more information, or to make reservations, please call (937) 222-9724.
Lincoln Society of Dayton Patterson Homestead October 2
2:00 pm
The Lincoln Society of Dayton invites you to join them on Sunday, October 2 at 2:00 pm for another session in the series of DVD lectures by Dr. Allen Guelzo, Lincoln scholar and professor at Gettysburg College.
Following the presentation, we will welcome Gary Kersey, from Wilmington, who will share his thoughts on the subject of The Uncertain President, Lincoln’s early months in the White House.
The program takes place at the Patterson Homestead, 1815 Brown Street, a perfect setting for sharing America’s history.
The program is open to the public without charge and the afternoon will conclude with continuing conversation over light refreshments.
Autoberfest
At The Taj
November 4th
6:00 pm – 10 pm Price Includes
· Over 30 samples of craft beer
· Introducing varietal wine
· Tasting glass & event guide
· The “LandShark Girls”
· Fine Food
· Live music by “My Three Sons”
$40 Online
$50 Day of the event
Must be 21 to attend!
The Taj Ma Garaj is located at
300 South Perry Street
Dayton, OH 45402
All proceeds to benefit the Epilepsy Foundation Western Ohio and Dayton History!
Carillon Park
Rail & Steam Society
Train Run Schedule
The Carillon Park Rail and Steam Society will be operating their scale train rides (for an additional $1 fee) for the visiting public from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm, unless otherwise noted, on the following dates:
Saturday, October 1
Saturday, October 15
Saturday, November 26
Saturday, December 17
Carillon Concert Series
Fall Schedule
October 2 – 3:00 pm
October 10 – 12:00 pm
October 30 – 3:00 pm
November 11 – 11:00 pm
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Darin was born in Elwood,Indiana in 1964. Since he premiered the same night as the television sitcom, BEWITCHED, he has been a lifelong fan of the program. Darin Jolliffe (pronounced, “Jah-liff”) was adopted by his step-father in 1984, and added the name “Haas” (pronounced, “Hahz”) to his birth name. However, as a teacher he is known just as “Mr. Haas.”
At 47, Darin is a private teacher (voice, saxophone, piano), a playwright, a musical theatre director, a band booster, works with the Beavercreek High School show choir, and a volunteer with ACTION Adoption Agency where he often teaches classes, and served as president of the board for three years. He directed the 60th anniversary premiere of the musical SOUTH PACIFIC, and is completing a musical on the Wright Brothers, the Lincolns, Father Flanagan, and several projects on the back burner. Music is a major component of family life in the Haasienda!
Darin’s 3 loves…
Being a dad
Being an uncle
Being a teacher
Darin enjoys a wide variety of activities, especially when he and the boys are doing things together. They love going to historical sites, out for ice cream/coffee, to movies or local events, cheering family friends on in shows or sports, walking the dogs, hiking, going to Kings Island or Indiana Beach amusement parks, or spending time with family, and family friends. Darin can be found watching a Netflix documentary or History Channel documentary, or reading books on American history, presidents, the White House, or biographies.
…A Little About Jose…
Jose works in dining service at a posh retirement community across the street from their home. When not working, or at band practice you can find Jose playing Xbox 360 with Quintin, watching movies/TV with Dad & Quintin, spending time with friends and hanging out with Dad for all sorts of fun.Jose, now 19, was adopted in 2004 from Oregon, and adjusted wonderfully to adopted-life. He recently graduated from Fairmont High School. The biggest thrill for Jose was marching with the award winning Marching Firebirds where he was in the front-line percussion as a marimba player. He also performed with the regionally award winning Fairmont Percussion Ensemble.
In November 2010 Jose joined the Ohio National Guard, and has been attending monthly drills in Kettering. In June 2011 following graduation, Jose left for Fort Benning,Georgiato complete basic and advanced trainings. Jose willingly accompanies his dad to ACTION Adoption to assist with the younger children while their parents are in training or support group, and often joins his father when training prospective adoptive parents.
Jose is an outstanding, kind-hearted, and very loving young man. He is a great role model for his younger cousins, friends at school, and especially, to other adopted children he sees regularly at ACTION Adoption.
…A Little About Quintin…
Quintin, 16, arrived at the Haasienda in December 2010, and quickly transitioned from New Mexico to Ohio. Within a month of arriving in Ohio, Quintin auditioned on guitar for, and was selected for one of the area’s largest church’s youth band. His budding personality and quiet coolness quickly wins over hearts of teachers, friends, and anyone who meets him.
May 2011, Quintin joined the marching band’s percussion section where he is a part of the battery on cymbals. He is thoroughly enjoying his freshman year of high school for all the music and art opportunities that are available.
When not enjoying time with Dad, Jose, and Kelley from next door, Quintin skateboards, sketches pictures or composes new songs on the guitar.
…A Little About Flyer, Chief & Navi…
Flyer, nearly 10 years old, was adopted by Darin in 2001, and has been an absolute delight. She is trained to respond to her commands in English, German, and Sign Language. Flyer loves spending time with “the men” and especially loves going on trips to visit Grandma, and other family members inIndiana. August 2010 Flyer developed pancreatitis and nearly died; however, despite losing her sight, she rebounded beautifully.
Chief & Navi, born November 2010, arrived at the Haasienda in February 2011. They quickly became household fixtures, and are quite popular with all Darin’s students. Now almost fully grown, “the kids” are much larger, much more playful, much more trained, and still, much more a hand-full!
…A Little About Our Indiana Family…
GRANDMA
If any woman deserves Mother or Grandma of the Year, it would be this woman. Darin’s birth father left the family when Darin was 12. His mother did a wonderful job of raising her children as a single parent, and served as a wonderful role model as a parent. In 1981, Grandma joined the Elwood Police Department while still managing a busy home filled with children, and their many friends. Although her children are raised, they often turn to her for advice, and she is highly involved in all the grandchildren’s activities. Grandma frequently travels to Ohio to watch Quintin’s (and formerly, Jose’s) marching band contests or Darin’s theatre and music activities. The success of her two sons, and now their children, is easily traced to Grandma.
UNCLE DESTIN & AUNT STACIA
Darin’s brother & sister-in-law
Uncle Destin is Darin’s younger brother, and is married to Aunt Stacia. Uncle Destin is ending his career as a high school-middle school principal to become superintendent of schools. In 2010 Uncle Destin was one of Indiana’s 2010 Principals Of The Year. He has been nominated again for Indiana’s 2011 Principal of the Year. Destin is currently completing his doctorate in education while remaining extremely active with his family. Aunt Stacia, an educational therapist, is currently a stay-at-home mom, and keeps busy with their sons, Parker, 6, and Freddie, 4, and Carolyne, 1. Uncle Destin & Aunt Stacia are very involved with their school corporation, their community, and their church. They live on a beautiful farm that has been in Aunt Stacia’s family for over a century. It comes complete with barns, a pond, tractors, and a landscape dotted with wind turbines. Due to the very similar family values, and ideas on parenting, Destin & Stacia also are on our family Godparent Team.
…A Few Things About The Jolliffe-Haas Family…
Being in the Jolliffe-Haas family…
meansyou are very loved, accepted, and special…
means being part of a tight-knit family team that thrives on time spent together in a variety of activities…
means cheering one another in their events…
means being honest with one another, and ourselves…
means celebrating one another’s victories while being sensitive to one another’s moments of need…
means laughing – a lot…
means picking up after our selves, taking responsibility, and doing our best…
means learning about family, friendships, and most importantly, our selves…
means learning about the world around us and how we each fit in as individuals, and as a family team, and as a community…
means learning to be the very best we can be as individuals…
means most importantly – always knowing we are all loved.
…About the Godparent Team…
Darin decided that instead of having one family designated as godparents, an entire team would be assembled. In the unlikely event that something should happen to Darin, this group would come together to work on the best plan for his sons. Uncle Destin & Aunt Stacia would lead this team of dear family friends. The team is comprised of teachers, a college professor, youth leaders, coaches, writers, a college vice president, a social worker, a pharmacist, engineers, two retired military personnel, musicians, active church members, an educational therapist, and above all, wonderful people who would be certain Darin’s sons each received the same values, tools, and love for life.
Those serving on The Godparent Team with Uncle Destin & Aunt Stacia are:
Jeffrey Carter
Darin met Jeff in 2004 when he returned toBallStateUniversityfor the Ball State Singers’ 40th anniversary performance. Jeff and Darin became immediate friends, and Darin coached Jeff through his own adoption process. Jeff now lives inSt. Louis,MO, where he is the director of music for Webster University, and a nationally-renowned conductor.
Joyce & Rob Carter
Darin taught voice lessons to one of Joyce & Rob’s twin daughters, Amanda, and has directed Vanessa & Amanda in shows. Joyce is vice-president of The University of Dayton, and Rob is a pharmacist. The twins are now students at UD. The Haas & Carter families are all great friends, and roller coaster buddies!
Aaron Jacobs
Aaron Jacobs is the newest member of The Godparent Team. Aaron, an outstanding band director at a local middle school, also studies voice with Darin. Both Jose & Quintin look forward to seeing Aaron at lessons, or at the numerous music events. In the fall you can usually find Aaron playing and marching with the alumni band with The Ohio State Marching Band.
Brian & Joanie Pollock
Joanie & Brian Pollock have lived all over the United States, even Alaska, as an Air Force family. Now, they live inBeavercreek, Ohio, right next to Kettering. Brian’s career still keeps him at the base, and Joanie is a social worker for Catholic Social Services. Their eldest son, Tyler, is a student & soccer star at Butler University, and Zach, one of Darin’s students, is one of theMiamiValley’s strongest teen performers. Our families do a number of activities together, and enjoy the fun of teenage sons.
…Our other family…
~ A.C.T.I.O.N Adoption Services~
Mary Tarlano Patricia Hill (director) Angela Brosh
ACTION, Inc. is a private non-profit adoption agency licensed by the State of Ohio founded and operated by adoptive mothers/licensed social workers. ACTION provides a wonderful support group for both parent, and children, each Friday night, and hosts a wonderful Christmas Party for all their adoptive families each November during National Adoption Month.
A.C.T.I.O.N. believes that all children have the right to a loving, caring and supportive family to aid in their growth as moral, functional members of society. They value their commitment to aggressively recruit families for waiting children across theUnited Statesin order to create Forever Families. ACTION believes in educating perspective and adoptive families as well as the community on adoption.
Darin teaches pre-adoptive courses, and the boys often assist with the children’s program, or hang with other adopted teenagers.
Low-Carb Breakfast Ideas
Rise and shine! A great day begins with a great breakfast, and here are four delicious, nourishing ways to wake up your taste buds and cut carbs too.
There’s a bumper crop of apples this fall. And there’s no better way to enjoy them than this new Waldorf salad recipe that adds a pinch of spicy nutmeg to a perennial favorite.
We’ve added hundreds of delicious new diabetic recipes from the experts at EatingWell magazine! Each recipe is nutritionist tested and approved, so you know it can be a healthy part of your meal plan. Find great new ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack time, and dessert. Check them out now!
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This morning when I woke, I was greeted by another two dozen well-wishers. Facbook’s new format cannot be too difficult, or too hateful, as I received over 700 birthday greetings. I was so touched by the greetings, and some of the special comments that made the day all the more happy. I am humbled by the enormous wave of affection that greeted me on my birthday.
The mother of one of my former long-time piano, saxophone and drum-major students is pictured in her drum-major uniform, about the fourth photo below. Jill Cordonnier, who studied with me for twelve years, is currently attending college at Bowling Green State University.
Good times!
2011 Bands of America Championships are under way!
The 2011 Bands of America Championship season, presented by Yamaha, gets under way today, Saturday, September 24, with Regional Championships in Richmond, KY at Eastern Kentucky University and in North Huntingdon, PA at Norwin High School Stadium.
There are a myriad of ways to participate in the BOA Championships this fall, both live and in person and from wherever you might be:
BOA’s Podcast returns! Break Ranks! with Dan Potter
You may know Dan Potter’s voice from the Bands of America or DCI shows where he serves as announcer, or from his work as a newsman, talk show host and radio journalist. Now Dan guides you through the Bands of America season with the stories and people beyond and behind the performances with this free podcast. Check out the episodes already available, including interviews with MFA’s CEO Eric Martin as well as interviews with Avon High School, Indiana’s band director Jay Webb and BOA adjudicator and MFA’s orchestra programming coordinator Dean Westman.
There’s nothing like experiencing the BOA Championships in person, but no one can be there for them all! Subscribe to the MFA Fan Network to enjoy all the BOA Championship performances On Demand, post-event. Your best value is the Plus Subscription, which gives you all On Demand access, plus Live Webcasts of all four Super Regional Championships – St. Louis, Atlanta, San Antonio, Indianapolis – and the full Grand National Championships.
Show Your Support at Grand Nationals Through a Special Tribute Message
Place a special message to honor your student, band, director or booster program in the keepsake Grand Nationals program book.
• Congratulate a senior band member for his or her dedication.
• Tell someone how proud you are of him or her.
• Honor a band director or booster volunteer.
Would you like to be part of the Grand Nationals Finale?
Music for All is taking applications for Medallion Bearers during the 2011 Grand National Championships Finale, Saturday evening, November 12 in Indianapolis. We’re looking for compelling stories and a representation of years, geography and schools. Current high school students are not eligible.
Save with Student Group Ticket Discount to BOA Championships
Bring a student group and experience the excitement of Bands of America Championships this fall. Music for All is offering deep discounts on general admission tickets for student groups of 20 or more to all of the 2011 Regionals, Super Regionals and Grand National Championships. BOA Championships offer a memorable way to motivate and inspire students, giving them an opportunity to observe performances by high school band members.
BOA Championship Online Fan Guides: Now for Mobile
You can go to BOA Championship Fan Guides for each show from the Full Fall Schedule page. Click on the show link to see preliminary performance schedules (when published), link to GoogleMap stadium location and directions, download parking information, and more. We’re optimizing the fall show pages for Mobile devices, to make it even easier to get BOA information on the go.
You can still order your Grand National Finals Tickets
Several sections of Grand National Finals Super Tickets are sold out so order now for the best available seats. MFA Club Experience Finals seating offers significant refinements and improvements. MFA Club seats are prime (larger, more plush) Club seats (on the 300 and 400 levels, between the 30 yardlines) and include exclusive access to Lucas Oil Stadium Club Level amenities and services. Plus, when you choose to purchase MFA Club Experience seating, you will get the best seats in the house and be showing your support for Music for All, Bands of America and arts education. See more Grand Nationals Ticket Info
Program Sponsor Center X represented at BOA events
Congratulations to the Center X Productions marching bands performing this year at Bands of America Regional Championships and Grand National Championships. The bands include:
Canyon High School – CA, Centerville High School – OH, Castle High School – IN, Davis High School – UT, Ft. Osage High School – MO, Franklin High School – TN, Foothill High School – NV, Grant High School – MI, Greenwood High School – KY, Harbor Creek High School – PA, Harrison High School – GA, Highland High School – ID, Lebanon High School – OH, Liberty High School – CO, Limestone Community High School – IL, Mayfield High School – NM, McGuffey High School – PA, Monticello High School – IL, Montgomery County High School – KY, Walton High School – GA, Westlake High School – UT, Wheaton North High School – IL, Santa Fe High School – TX, and Simon Kenton High School – KY
Percussive Arts Society Marching Percussion Festival: November 11-12 in Indianapolis
Recognized as one of the premier marching percussion festivals in the country, the Percussive Arts Society Marching Percussion Festival is an excellent opportunity for high school and college individuals and ensembles to be critiqued by the leading percussion specialists in the field of marching percussion. This year’s festival includes a non-competitive, interactive clinic where two accomplished and experienced clinicians will evaluate the group performance and work with the students for up to 30 minutes. The Marching Percussion Festival is November 11 and 12 at the Indiana Convention Center, located in downtown Indianapolis, during Grand National Championships. Music for All is a proud Strategic Partner of PAS. Deadline to participate in the festival is October 8. More information and applications are available at www.pas.org/PASIC/marching.aspx.
Parent/Booster Award Deadline extended to October 1
We know that the first weeks of school are incredibly busy for high school band directors, boosters and students. In order to help make it possible for additional nominations to be submitted for the 2011 Patrick John Hughes Parent/Booster Award, we’ve extended the nomination deadline to October 1. Recognize the incredible, standout music parent/booster in your music program!
The time to start planning for the 2012 Music for All Summer Symposium is…now! Mark your calendars and join us June 25-30 at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana (add June 23-25 for the Leadership Weekend Experience). It’s America’s Camp, because it is a place for every student and band director who wants to grow – as a musician, performer, leader and person. Watch upcoming MFA eNewsletters for exciting new programs to make it even easier for you to attend.
I woke this morning to the sound of rain smacking the pavement outside my bedroom window. The sky was a cold grey, and having had a restless night of sleep, I was feeling the weight pull down my energy. However, since I have been feeling so much better these past several days, I was not about to have my eagerness to rejoin the familiar world yanked out from under me this day.
After being nudged from the warmth of the blankets into the dull chill of the room by three wet noses eager to potty and eat, I began the day with growing enthusiasm. Nothing special about the day itself, just wanting to be productive. Navi dove onto the deck, obviously delighted with the rain. After finishing her business in the back yard, she immediately began searching for worms to eat – one of her favorite past-times. Chief, on the other hand, is not a fan of rain, and stood in the open doorway of my study, hesitating what to do – potty, or wait out the rain. Flyer always waits to potty after eating her first meal.
Getting back to my writing on the musical has been a welcome reunion, and for the first time in several months I have actually felt well enough to sit up and concentrate. After ninety minutes of editing, I was slightly fatigued. I returned to my bedroom, searched things of interest on the internet, added things to Facebook, and listened to music.
By 1:30pm, the teaching day had begun. By 6:00pm it had concluded. The gentleman who worked on my mower called to let me know it was fixed. The Friday prior to Labor Day was the last I had mowed, and the recent rains had thickened it to the point I figured I would need a baler. Upon my return with the mower I began on the front yard. Several times the mower stopped due to thick clumps of wet grass. Within 45 minutes I had finished a 20 minute job. Trimming and blowing completed the process, and the yard was neat, and trim, once again!
A trip to Kroger finished off the bulk of the evening activities. Quintin is at an away game with the marching band, and I am sitting in my room listening to collected tunes on the new Facebook tune-thing, and simply relaxing. Tomorrow I will
assist Quintin with some morning yard work before he has to be at a 12:30pm marching band rehearsal
fix myself at my desk for more editing
prepare a lunch for the tailgate party at the stadium to watch the band’s final run-through of the show
hurry home to feed and potty the dogs
walk back to the high school to leave with the buses at 5:45pm for Grove City High School in Columbus for the evening band contest, returning around 1:30am
Sunday is my 47th birthday. I have no plans other than to chat with Mother for our Sunday ritual. I will probably wait to call her in the evening since she always calls me at 6:03pm – the time of my birth.
Other than that, the focal point of the weekend is marching band, as it shall be for the remaining six weeks.
Oscar Hammerstein’s original draft for “The Sound of Music” from THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
I hear the echo of a far off chime
As it flies from a church on a breeze.
I hear the clatter of a cloud of birds
As they rise from the lake to the trees.
Today the sky is filled with music,
The sound of music,
The summer music.
And when the sky is filled with music
My heart wants to hear every song that it hears.
A dog is barking and a brown bird calls
As he swings on the branch of a pine.
A brook is singing on the way to the sea
With a faith that I wish could be mine.
Today the earth is filled with music
The sound of music,
Unwritten music.
The sounds of summer on a hillside
Will still be the same in a thousand years.
I hear the silence at the end of the day
When the sun finds a hill and departs.
And in the silence you can hear a sound
Like the beat of a few million hearts.
And now the night is filled with music,
The sound of music,
Of starlight music.
And when the night is filled with music
My heart wants to sing,
My heart wants to sing,
My heart wants to sing every song it hears.
‘There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open… No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others.’”
Derek Clark shared with Family By Design his triumphant life through 13 years of foster care and being declared mentally challenged to living the life of his dreams. Derek now inspires and motivates foster youth, foster/adoptive parents, foster/adoption professionals, youth groups and business leaders all over the US.
I started watching GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER? at midnight. I logged on to Netflix to watch COMMANDER IN CHIEF for forty-three minutes but my eye caught “Movies We Recommend For You.” Netflix knows me!
The artistry of GUESS WHO’S COMING TO DINNER? is incredible.
Today is the 1st birthday of my beautiful little niece, Carolyne.
The morning arrived with the sound of cars driving on wet pavement. Rain is supposed to remain with us today.
Eager to write this morning – but first things first: dogs fed and pottied, power walk, meds, breakfast.
Arghh… for over a week I thought my blood sugar readings were excellent. Now, I am uncertain.
I purchased a new glucometer, FreeStyle Lite, and for over a week the blood sugar readings were fantastic. One night, my reading was 59, but I did not feel any of the general side effects. I pulled out my old glucometer, ReliOn Ultra, and checked my test against the FreeStyle Lite. The ReliOn read 149!
This morning while walking Chief around the school’s enormous campus, I saw a senior-sized couple exit Trent Arena’s recreational center. The little lady, looking especially classy in her white and pink running outfit walked up to a gold car, and waited. Her husband ambled on, not really paying notice to his wife waiting.
As he moved a few paces beyond the car, she shouted, “Will you unlock my door, please?”
The tall gentleman, slightly bent with age, but still plodding along, did not turn, nor speak to acknowledge her request. He moved further away.
“Will you unlock the car? Are you deaf?” she demanded, with impatience, and growing aggravation. “Where are you going?”
“To our car, you blind bat.”
She gave a little huff, attempting to recapture some dignity, and move away from the twin car.
Growing up in the late 1960′s, I was surrounded with many familiar words, or terms…
DMZ (demilitarized zone)
KIA
MIA
Viet Cong
Cambodia
POW
Tet Offensive
Ho Chi Minh Trail
On the evening news there were television images of helicopters and jungles. I was glued to these images – not by a macabre force – but by the hope of seeing my uncle, Garry Jolliff, in those jungles or riding around in one of those nifty helicopters. I can remember the thrill of having Uncle Garry’s letters read to me allowed by my parents. I had a little rubber American GI doll that I called, ‘Uncle Garry.’ I watched the Bob Hope Specials, and sat close to the television set so I could search the crowds for Uncle Garry.
I was sure he would be there to see Bob Hope.
One night during one of the Bob Hope shows, I remember turning to Mother, who was standing behind the ironing board while the sweet smell of Spray Starch filled the air.
“Will I have to go to war?”
Since I was a very small boy, I am sure she was relieved to answer, “I hope not.” However, there was also an expression on her face that was seared into my mind, and still vivid forty-odd years later. I know that expression well. My nineteen year old son is finishing up basic training, and the possibility of going to battle for an uncertain purpose looms in the near future.
Now, it is my turn to say, “I hope not.”
This evening, my sixteen year old son and I sat in my sitting room to watch GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM. I knew most of the Vietnamese War jargon would be over his head, but I was certain he would enjoy Robin Williams’ portrayal of Adrian Cronauer. And he did. He asked how old I was when the movie came out… twenty-three years old. Did I like the movie when it came out? Most certainly! Robin Williams was a box office draw, and I returned to watch the movie several times while it was still in theaters.
Tonight, the movie was still hilarious, but I truly saw the movie for the first time. It cried out to me like the musical, MISS SAIGON: ‘those living reminders of all the good we failed to do.’
Sunday, the tenth anniversary of 9/11, I did not post anything on Facebook in regard to the modern day of infamy. The same rhetoric was appearing over, and over on status updates, and nothing really spoke to me. I am not saying I was not moved by the heart-breaking scenes that were linked across many of the television channels, I simply chose to remain silent.
Always remember…
Never forget…
Tonight, when I finished watching the movie I thought back to my early youth when Vietnam was nothing but a very long, drawn-out, agonizing form of 9/11. The dark foreboding of families fearing “the news” might be delivered seemed to linger, and in our own home, as well. The nightly news tallied the number of soldiers killed that day. Images of bombings, fires, tanks, helicopters, wounded soldiers blazed from the television set each night. News of distant family and friends losing a loved-one in combat stuck in the air like the repetitive-scratchy sound of a record player that has run its course in playing a record. There were scenes of destruction, scenes of a young spy being executed, scenes of Buddhist monks being engulfed in suicidal flames, scenes of… always, more scenes. The day of 9/11 I saw the scenes live – much like scenes broadcast during Vietnam. The days following 9/11, the scenes were repeated with numbness.
During 9/11, and especially this Sunday I heard about one hero after another. As a young child, I do not recall hearing about heroes of Vietnam. I remember Uncle Garry’s stories on the battlefield, and the story of the fellow soldier beside him on the helicopter who placed his own St. Christopher’s medal around my seriously wounded uncle’s neck – my uncle survived, but the soldier did not – but I cannot recall ever hearing anyone from that era referred to as a hero.
As I sit here in my study, typing out my thoughts of the movie, a National Geographic documentary on Henry Kissinger is rolling. That voice, coupled with so many photos and video clips of the Vietnam era seems to be a sign that I will be conducting more soul-searching, more research. For what purpose, I do not know. Too many God-winks all in one evening.
The scars of WWII and the Korean War have all but vanished. The scalding scars of Vietnam are healing, but will probably not be entirely extinguished in my life-time. Two other wars have occurred since Vietnam. But these wars talk openly about heroes. It seems as though the Vietnam war had its own ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy but obviously nothing to do with Gays in the military.
I knew one particular hero who served in the Vietnam War. He died nine years ago, physically crippled by wounds received in Vietnam, but a spirit that rose far beyond the jungles in which he fought. When completely crippled veterans were only receiving 10% disability funding, Uncle Garry embarked on a mission far greater, far nobler than the mission he was coerced to serve as a twenty-one year old young man. The veterans – those oft ignored heroes of ‘that’ war – now have full disability coverage. However, I am confident they still live with those scars. May God bless them, and aide them in their continued healing.
“And I think to my self, ‘what a wonderful world.’”
Tom Schedit, 63, one of the Miami Valley’s most popularly known performers, died Monday morning from injuries sustained in an accident. Tom was a popular bag piper, guitarist, vocalist and storyteller who brought to life many incredible characters, especially, MacGregor The Pirate, through Time Machine Productions and Fannigans Isle.
“Tom… may a shipload of rollicking, fun-filled, musical angel pirates sing thee to thy rest.”
Celtic Commandments
Give thou thine heart to the wild magic,
To the Lord and the Lady of Nature,
Beyond any consideration of this world.
Do not covet large or small,
Do not despise weakling or poor,
Semblance of evil allow not near thee,
Never give nor earn thou shame.
The Ancient Harmonies are given thee,
Understand them early and prove,
Be one with the power of the elements,
Put behind thee dishonour and lies.
Be loyal to the Lord of the Wild Wood,
Be true to the Lady of the Stars,
Be true to thine own self besides,
True to the magic of Nature above all else.
Do not thou curse anyone,
Lest thou threefold cursed shouldst be,
And shouldst thou travel ocean and earth,
Follow the very step of the ancient trackways.
–From the carmina gadelica, ancient celtic oral tradition Pagan Carmina Gadelica by Mike Nichols Original Carmina Gadelica in full
Deep Peace to You
Deep peace of the running wave to you.
Deep peace of the flowing air to you.
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you.
Deep peace of the shining stars to you.
Deep peace of the infinite peace to you. - Adapted from ancient Gaelic runes
The simplest and most obvious prayer is a request to God that the adversity end and that one be restored to health. Such prayers often involve “affirmations.” There is a considerable psychological literature on the healing power of affirmations, and many cancer patients use them. Here is a beautiful Navajo prayer that uses affirmation:
O you who dwell In the house made of the dawn,In the house made of the evening twilight . . .Where the dark mist curtains the doorway,The path to which is on the rainbow . . .I have made your sacrifice.I have prepared a smoke for you. My feet restore for me.My limbs restore for me.My body restore for me.My mind restore for me.My voice restore for me. Today, take away your spell from me.Away from me you have taken it.Far Off from me you have taken it. Happily I recover.Happily my interior becomes cool.Happily my eyes regain their power.Happily my head becomes cool.Happily my limbs regain their power.Happily I hear again.Happily for me the spell is taken Off. Happily I walk.Impervious to pain, I walk.Feeling light within, I walk . . .In beauty I walk.With beauty before me, I walk.With beauty behind me, I walk.With beauty below me, I walk.With beauty all around me, I walk. It is finished in beauty.It is finished in beauty.It is finished in beauty
By last Sunday night, my list for the pre-holiday week was set, and I was ready to tackle what is generally my annual fall cleaning as I prepare to welcome my family from Indiana. Due to some serious health issues that dropped in my lap Tuesday morning by the doctor, I had the wind knocked out of my sails. Without going into great detail, my diabetes had a major set-back, and this has contributed to several other fairly severe health issues.
However, in the words of Sir Winston Churchill: “Bugger on.”
Most of my list of house-cleaning chores fell by the wayside, and since Quintin had a full load of homework (and he is pulling all A’s at the moment), plus marching band, I did not pull him into a bulk of the work I would normally list.
Mother arrived Friday morning at 11am. We ran some errands, and by 6:45pm we had landed at the Fairmont Football Stadium for the game against Miamisburg. Mother got to feel the thundering vibrations of the band passing beneath the bleachers upon their entry. Destin, Stacia and their children arrived shortly before half-time, and this was a treat for them to see Fairmont’s “Pride of Kettering,” and especially, Quintin.
Once everyone was settled back at the Haasienda, Mother, Destin, Quintin and I sat on the deck until 1:00am. I love these moments best, perhaps.
Saturday morning was a breakfast of egg-wraps, fruit, and sausage. After showers we hit the Air Force Museum, returned to Kettering for Marion’s Pizza, and then moved on to Carillon Park where we spent two hours in the newest exhibit – Parker and Freddie had a blast!
Dinner on the deck consisted of Mother’s Sloppy Joe recipe, courtesy of my Latin teacher, Diana Garner, mac & cheese, fresh corn from Indiana, veggies/dip, and chips/salsa.
After the table was cleared we ventured on to Indian Riffle Park. While Quintin enjoyed time at the Skate Plaza, the kids played on the great playground equipment.
Until the rain ran us inside a short while ago, we enjoyed another several hours on the deck.
Tomorrow’s breakfast is still undetermined, but we will take in some of the Holiday At Home festivities before everyone heads West back to Hoosierland.
I so enjoy this particular weekend. Destin & Stacia kick off the start of summer with Parker’s birthday the first weekend of June, and my family closes summer with Labor Day. This weekend was more special since it was the first time I have seen Destin & Stacia, and their children, since Christmas… due to heavy career/family schedules, tires blowing out on the way to commencement, and other schedule conflicts, we have failed at every turn to get together.
This was a wonderful weekend! Tomorrow, and most of Monday I will rest, watch the parade, teach some lessons Monday afternoon/evening, and begin restructuring life as I now know it with these health concerns. It must be done, and by golly, I will do it!
Fairmont’s premier marching band competition, The Kettering Fall Classic, will be held on October 8, 2011.
The band boosters are inviting you and/or your business to consider becoming a patron for this event. Your support of the 2011 Marching Band Program impacts the lives of not just those participating in the Fall Classic but the nearly 400 students in the Fairmont Band programs. As a patron you can support the band programs by placing an advertisement in the Fall Classic Program.
If you happen to be a business owner you may promote your business at the Classic. This event attracts over 5000 performers and music enthusiasts, and you may gain valuable visibility and positive impressions by having your advertisements announced during the Fall Classic event and read in the event program.
You may also wish to send a “good luck” greeting to one of your Fairmont marching band members, publicize an organization to which you belong, or to highlight an upcoming event with your own organization. What a great way to get the word out!
The Fairmont Bands welcome your donation in any amount to help make this event and season a success. Please send it to the address noted on the Patron Drive Ad flyer. If your donation is received by Tuesday, September 13, 2011, we’ll include your name and advertisement in the Fall Classic Program.
Thank you for supporting music programs in the Kettering Fairmont High School Band Department.
If you have questions, please call Mike Wager @ 435-5974 (home), or 361-1369 (cell). Please return the Patron Drive Ad with your contribution by Tuesday, September 13, 2011.
(Adapted from patron drive letter sent by Mike Wager, 2011 Fall Classic & Patron Drive Chairperson)
I only attend football games for the marching band. Yes, I am now in my fifth year as a marching band parent so there is an incentive to get me to the games. For me, I am paying $7 for a ticket to watch pre-game and half-time. Later in the season, I will go to the game after half-time so I don’t have to pay $7 to watch the band’s post-game show.
I love baseball games and soccer games, but sadly, they generally do not have marching bands performing pre-game and half-time shows.
It’s not about the money. It’s about – what is for me, personally – a waste of time. I am one who likes to keep busy, and sitting through something that does not hold my attention is draining. When I go to medical appointments or any place where I might find my self waiting, I have a book to read, or something to work on. A football game is no different. However, during a football game I generally go over to sit on the steps of the nearby school corporation’s administrative building to read or work.
Last night was an interesting night of football.
After the normal pre-pregame festivities of Step-Off, Entering the Stadium, and… (I guess that was it) I settled into my blue seat with a back next to a lovely lady and her trio of well-behaved, very polite daughters. After a bit of chit-chat it was time for one of the most exciting (for me) parts of the evening.
The marching band took the field for pregame, and it was a special night because my son, Quintin, carrying two large cymbals, was marching for the first time.
My absolute favorite part of pregame is something that has become a tradition since it’s 2008 (I think) introduction: Script BIRDS. The marching band moves to the backfield (visitor’s side for football folks) and winds its way out of a tightly packed blocked to spell out B I R D S in script formation. This marching event was borrowed from The Ohio State University Marching Band’s Script OHIO and has become Fairmont’s crown jewel of the pregame excitement.
As I filmed the letters of BIRDS carefully connecting smoothly, out the corner of my eye I saw something that seemed to be caught somewhere between an impending disaster, and a video from America’s Funniest Videos: the Fairmont football team was plowing across the field at full force, heading directly toward the marching band just as it was completing the ‘D’ and preparing to move on to the ‘S’. You could feel the fear wrap through the stands as the charging teammates barreled across the field seemingly blind to 200+ band members blocking their way.
Fortunately, the football players stopped within feet (possibly inches) at the edge of the ‘D’, dancing in place as they tried to figure this new formation. The marching band continued moving through the team to form the ‘S’, and eventually, the football players realized they were in the way and moved to the sidelines while one player remained imprisoned by the forming ‘S’ (OK, that part was actually funny).
While this scene was playing out around the 30, over on the 50 the opposing team’s players had run onto the field but with a less crushing charge. They hovered in the middle of BIRDS, bringing out a nasty chorus of “Boos” from the Fairmont stands. Finally, the players were motioned off the field by zebra-striped officials.
Despite this game being the hottest competition of each opening season, the hottest topic was pregame’s near disaster.
For me, personally, the situation was over. Thankfully, no one was injured (later in the game there was a band injury). It was the first time since the band began doing Script BIRDS that there was ever an incident on the field – to my knowledge. However, there was widespread grumbling in the stands, and beneath the stands, and not just from current, and former band parents.
The pre-speculation was to blame the football team for “being so stupid.”
Now, anyone who is mildly acquainted with well-practiced athletic teams and marching bands know that someone had to give the order to move. I honestly could not see the team deliberately charging its own marching band. I am sure this happens in some schools, but from my vantage point, the Fairmont directors and coaches have always appeared to have a mutual respect for one another, and this has always seemed the case with the students in both organizations.
Then, the blame was being sourced out to the coaches of both teams – but mainly to our coach whose players could have caused the most harm.
All I cared about, up to half-time, was heading home to rest, and download my photos for my mother to see (she is always proud of her grandsons).
While getting my popcorn, more out of boredom than hunger, one former band parent asked what I thought caused the near-onslaught of our band members. My first reaction, kept to my self, was, “Why does my opinion even matter? This is just part of your drama-ensued nature, Lady.” (You’d have to know this lady!) Instead, I said that I was glad all was well, and turned to give my order – and thankfully, the parent followed my dismissal.
The next band parent, following me up the stadium ramp and stairs, asked, “What do you think caused the pregame incident?”
“Obama,” I tossed back over my shoulder. ”Everything seems to be his fault these days. I say it’s Obama’s fault our kids nearly got crushed.”
He laughed and went to his seat. I went to mine.
Later, on a Facebook post, the band director did note that it was the head official’s (ref) decision to send the football team in too soon.
The score board indicated the first quarter was not over… one more quarter and then it would be half-time.
A gentleman seated two rows behind me must have been the same guy who sits with a group of drunk pals at Elsa’s restaurant in Kettering whenever there is a game playing on the large screen. He is THAT guy that has the loudest, most penetrating voice, and is THAT guy who knows everything about the coach’s job. Most are referred to as “arm chair quarterbacks.” I simply refer to them as ‘loud-mouth, drunken asses.” The LMDA behind me did not sound intoxicated, but was certainly loud and obnoxious.
However, he did something that makes me want to turn, and create a Jerry Springer moment in public. He belittled players when they did not succeed with a play on the field. This bullying behavior from spectators is wrong in any venue, but I find it severely inappropriate behavior when teenagers, or younger, are playing the game. This kind of behavior should be always be removed from any game. Finally, one of the folks across the aisle rose to say something privately to the LMDA.
The cutest moment was listening to the elderly couple directly behind me.
The visiting team’s band was attempting to perform their half-time presentation, but were held up by technical difficulties (electricity to their keyboard). The couple suddenly became Howard Cosells with play-by-play commentary which cracked me up. The seriousness invested in their comments made it all the more rich.
“I’ve still got that extension cord in the truck. Should I go get it and offer it to them?”
“You mean the cord you used when you went to fix Helma’s porch light?”
“Hmm Hmm. She just needed a new light.”
“Why didn’t you bring it in?”
“I forgot.”
The visiting band began their show, but directed it to their fans, and not to the Fairmont side.
“I’ve never seen a band march with the backs to the crowd.”
“Something new I suppose.”
“Why do they have lamp posts on the field?”
“Maybe some school football bleachers don’t have good lighting.”
“But they are not lit.”
“I should have gotten my extension cord. Could’ve lit at least one or two of their lamps.”
Finally, it was Fairmont’s turn to take the field. At the close of their presentation, the marching band moved towards the stands playing the fight song. The lady behind me, having apparently forgotten about the lighting situation from the previous band, says, “I don’t like it when those one horns slide up.”
“They’re slide trombones, for Christ’s sake.”
And with that chuckle, I slid down the steps to make my retreat home.
An eventful game, indeed.
This note to band parents just arrived from the band director:
A few items “for the record”
The Band did a great job – Congratulations!
The Head Referee told our football players they had to take the field, however his timing was not in alignment with the planned game schedule the FHS athletic dept had published
The Alter football team was instructed to NOT go to center field but to angle over to the sideline
Band Student name withheld, who was tackled during the drum line 3rd quarter was checked out by the EMT at the game and is OK. He is here for donation day today. This was an unfortunate accident and we will take measures to correct this for next week.
Thanks to all students, parents, and staff for a “memorable” first game!
If you have never been to a Fairmont High School football game, you are missing some pretty neat traditions.
The high school and football stadium, one of the nicest in the area, are several blocks apart. At first I thought this was logistically impractical; however, now I see it as one of the neatest, most exciting moments one can experience.
At 6:45pm, in front of the performing arts wing, the entire band lines up for what is called, Step Off. The band moves around the high school’s Southern campus inviting tailgaters and other fans to fall in behind the band. The Marching Firebirds and trailing fans wind through a picturesque neighborhood filled with more cheering fans enjoying barbecue parties, fans waiting from their parked cars to join the procession, and fans who simply stand on their front porches to watch the band go by.
I mean, how neat is that? Six Fridays each fall you have a 200+ marching band pass by your house.
While this is going on, there is a growing momentum at the stadium. This particular night, I hurried to the stadium to catch the band’s entrance – clearly a major moment for Firebird football/band fans.
The announcer brings stadium attention to the marching band as it rounds the corner from the neighborhood, and this is often accompanied with cheers. The band winds through the parking lot, through a gate, and then proceeds under the stadium seating which is heralded by the pounding of percussion. The stands vibrate and shake while the fans go nuts.
Last night, as the marching band moved beneath the stadium, the announcer referred to the band as “the Pride of Kettering.” Yes… it is!
It really is a neat tradition that rivals many college traditions, and if you live in The Miami Valley, it is worth the time to swing by and watch.
In fact, stay for the game and watch the pre-game production which offers another incredible moment when the marching band spells out a script “BIRDS.”
It was so cool this morning and this afternoon that I set a box fan just outside my study so it would push in some cool air.
Chief kept walking in front of the fan, nudging his nose in the air toward the fan when he would return to the deck where he snores away much of his outdoor time.
This afternoon I realized I was receiving no air from the box fan and discovered it was turned around.
I re-positioned it and Chief whined a little (now remember, this is the same big lug that threw himself on the floor with whimpers when he thought he was not getting a treat one evening).
I returned to my desk, and out the corner of my eye I see Chief rise, saunter over to the fan like he was Merv Griffin entering the studio, nudge it with his nose until he turned it back towards where he chose to lay.
I am still sitting here howling!
Chief is also aware that there is a ton of activity happening on the other side of the privacy fence now that school has resumed. He simply lifts him self onto the glass top table on the deck to sit and observe.
A year ago we were in the process of bidding farewell to Flyer… she’s had a semi-difficult year, but she’s still just as sweet, and full of love!
Did you know the saying “God willing and the Creeks don’t rise” was in reference to the Creek Indians and not a body of water?
It was written by Benjamin Hawkins in the late 18th century. He was a politician and Indian diplomat. While in the south, Hawkins was requested by the President of the U.S. to return to Washington. In his response, he was said to write, “God willing and the Creeks don’t rise.” Because he capitalized the word “Creeks” it is deduced that he was referring to the Creek Indian tribe and not a body of water.
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In George Washington’s days, there were no cameras. One’s image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are ‘limbs,’ therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, ‘Okay, but it’ll cost you an arm and a leg.’ (Artists know hands and arms are more difficult to paint)
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As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October). Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs made from wool. They couldn’t wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes. The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term ‘big wig.’ Today we often use the term ‘here comes the Big Wig’ because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
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In the late 1700′s, many houses consisted of a large room with only one chair. Commonly, a long wide board folded down from the wall, and was used for dining. The ‘head of the household’ always sat in the chair while everyone else ate sitting on the floor. Occasionally a guest, who was usually a man, would be invited to sit in this chair during a meal. To sit in the chair meant you were important and in charge. They called the one sitting in the chair the ‘chair man.’ Today in business, we use the expression or title ‘Chairman’ or ‘Chairman of the Board.’
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Personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee’s wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman’s face she was told, ‘mind your own bee’s wax.’ Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term ‘crack a smile’. In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt. Therefore, the expression ‘losing face.’
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Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in ‘straight laced’ wore a tightly tied lace.
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Common entertainment included playing cards. However, there was a tax levied when purchasing playing cards but only applicable to the ‘Ace of Spades.’ To avoid paying the tax, people would purchase 51 cards instead. Yet, since most games require 52 cards, these people were thought to be stupid or dumb because they weren’t ‘playing with a full deck.’
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Early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV’s or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to ‘go sip some Ale and listen to people’s conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. ‘You go sip here’ and ‘You go sip there.’ The two words ‘go sip’ were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term ‘gossip.’
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At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid’s job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in ‘pints’ and who was drinking in ‘quarts,’ hence the phrase ‘minding your ‘P’s and Q’s’.
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One more: bet you didn’t know this!
In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem…how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under
the others. The solution was a metal plate called a ‘Monkey’ with 16 round indentations. However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make ‘Brass Monkeys.’ Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey; Thus, it was quite literally, ‘Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey.’ (All this
time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn’t you.)
In less than 15 minutes, Quintin will return home from his first day of high school. The boy was so eager to begin this new chapter of his life, and I am so proud of his enthusiasm.
However, I will be buried under the usual heap of paperwork to read, fill-out, sign, copy, and make sure Quintin has his marching orders to return all the paperwork.
We will have a brief time at home to discuss his day, and grab a bite to eat before marching band practice. I will have the luxury of several hours of writing time before walking the one of the three dogs to the football stadium for the end of rehearsal. And this also marks Quintin’s first time on the stadium field for a marching band rehearsal – exiting.
I am enjoying my ALONE TIME. My business email is turned off and will not be opened again until Monday morning. If I do contribute anything to Facebook it will be purely social. And I may type an occasional blog. Unlike President Obama, I am going to be more selfish with my “week away” because I can. I only have an endocrinologist appointment tomorrow, and a special fun lunch scheduled for Friday. Saturday, while Quintin is engaged with the marching band’s donation day, I will write. We may go to Kings Island that evening, and Sunday we will do some more fire-pit work.
Monday will not only return me to my teaching schedule (with 49 students – and I have not even scheduled my middle school students, yet!), and preparations for my family’s visit for the Labor Day weekend.
Photos of Quintin before heading over to the high school…
So, this is really Navi and Chief’s first experience with the start of school. The end of this past school year there was no back fence to keep them in, and they could easily escape from the deck; therefore, they spent most of their time inside.
Well, at 6:30 this morning, while I was still deep in slumber, the deep roars of barking began from those two… the first teachers were arriving.
Flyer laid in her corner of my bedroom, content with this oft repeated ritual of teachers arriving (every day, actually).
All morning long The Kids have been greeting every blasted car door opening while I am trying to write. I either do not hear the offending car door, or I am too accustomed to the sound. Before their barking chorus commences each time, the sound of their claws and paws scrambling from their curled up positions directly behind me reverberates from the wood floors.
All summer long the only time a car door was heard in the parking lot was when a private student was arriving or leaving – The Kids got use to that routine.
Chief also stands on the deck table to see over the fence, and Navi prances and dances all around the table wishing she could climb up as easily as Chief.
I am wondering how long it will take them to connect the arrival/departure of school buses to the fact that most students, and Quintin, will be arriving within minutes. Flyer quickly figured this out, and even after nine years, still prepares her self for the start of her day’s responsibility as the official Haasienda Hostess.
On May 25, 1910 at Huffman Prairie, just outside Dayton, Orville Wright piloted two unique flights.
First, he took off on a six-minute flight with Wilbur as his passenger, the only time the Wright brothers ever flew together. They received permission from their father, Bishop Milton Wright, to make this flight. They had always promised their father that they would never fly together to avoid the chance of a double tragedy and to ensure one brother would remain to continue their experiments.
Next, Orville took his 82-year old father on a nearly seven-minute flight, the first and one of Milton Wright’s life. The
airplane rose to about 350 feet while the elderly Wright called to his son, “Higher, Orville… higher!”
And that’s how I felt today while being one of the first to ride the new carousel – the new gem of Dayton’s Carillon Park.
After lunch I rode with several Wright brothers enthusiasts to the site of the Wright family home on Hawthorn Street, just off Third Street in West Dayton. August 19th, 1871, Orville Wright was born in the front second floor bedroom. Three years later Katharine Wright was born on the same day, in the same room. We spent some time in the Wright brother’s bicycle shop on Williams Street, and then the aviation center across the plaza.
We stopped by Woodland Cemetery to pay our respects to the Wright family, and passed by Hawthorn Hill, the gorgeous mansion crowning a gigantic hill in Oakwood.
I retrieved Quintin from home so we could attend the Carillon Park/Dayton History annual meeting. I was slightly miserable from the heat and decided I would show Quintin the same things I visited earlier that afternoon. While at the cemetery, a couple from Oklahoma City approached and asked if I knew much about the Wright family.
It was nearing 5:00pm, and I knew I should be at the meeting. However, with a passion for history, I believe there is a duty as an ambassador to share Dayton’s history with others. By 5:20pm we were heading over to Carillon Park.
We stood in the back of the tent, catching the last 10 minutes or so of Brady Kress’ speech.
Brady Kress…
Dayton was so lucky to be blessed with the likes of Wilbur & Orville Wright, Charles Kettering, Col. Deeds, John Patterson, and countless others, but we are equally blessed with Brady Kress who is equal as a visionary to the Wrights, Kettering, Patterson, and Deeds combined! As local news media maestro, Jim Bucher, claimed, “Brady is Dayton’s own version of Walt Disney!”
Bucher is so right on target!
As Brady concluded the annual meeting, he encouraged everyone to check beneath the seats of their chairs. Thirty-three lucky people would find, taped to the bottom, a gold carousel coin honoring them with the first ride. I was a bit disappointed that I was not seated in one of the several open chairs and even considered making a mad dash for several.
As Quintin and I turned to head to the ribbon cutting ceremony, I saw Amy Kress, Brady’s wife, and her father coming towards us. Her father, Mr. Schwartz handed me the gold coin taped beneath his chair. He had already ridden the carousel during his granddaughter’s birthday party, and Amy said I would probably be thrilled to ride it. Of course, all week long Amy has endured my emails of childish glee – but she did start it several years ago when she first told me of the carousel’s unique design. Two of the special designs were to be Orville Wright’s Saint Bernard, Scipio, and Wilbur Wright’s dog, Flyer. I even loaned Brady one of my books that contained a photo of the original Flyer.
I know Mr. Schwartz was talking to me about something as we walked to the ribbon cutting, but honestly, I was not even close to earth as I held tightly to that gold coin. Being one of the lucky 33 ranked right up there with
getting to hold Mary Todd Lincoln’s gloves
holding the small portrait of Mary Todd Lincoln’s father, Robert Todd
thumbing through Bishop Wright’s family Bible and holding his spectacles (thanks to Melba Hunt)
holding Orville Wright’s white dinner jacket which he wore to a White House dinner in 1942 (again, thanks to Melba)
meeting Vice-President Gerald Ford in July 1974
singing “The National Anthem” as the first actual performance at The Schuster Center for the Hard Hat Concert
standing a few feet from John Glenn and Neil Armstrong during the closing ceremonies of the 2003 flight centennial
I am sure there have been other major highlights like these – and beyond the arrival of a new son, or the birth of one my brother’s children. Today was one of those exciting, magical moments for me.
After the ribbon cutting, Quintin and I joined the crowd of 450+ and strolled into the building. The exhibits were great, but to be truthful, I was aiming for the carousel. We can return any time to enjoy the wonderful new exhibits.
We entered the carousel pavilion, and I heard workers calling for folks with the golden coin. I barreled through the bodies with out causing casualty to anyone and presented my golden coin. Willy Wonka, here I come!
I got to Flyer before a kindly looking woman who was eyeing this ride. She just thought it was an ordinary dog displayed on the carousel. Poor thing got a quick history lesson right there, and then. When I told her my dog was named Flyer she backed off and found another ride. One friend asked, “What if Amanda Wright Lane [the great grandniece of the Wright brothers] had been the lady and had wanted to be the first to ride Flyer?” Well, there was a cute little bi-plane representing her uncles and it would have only been fitting for her squat her rights on it!
I am hoping to head to Carillon Park Sunday afternoon to take in the exhibits.
Dayton – thank you for supporting our community’s rich history, and thank you, even more, for entrusting it to Brady Kress.
“Believe and act as if it were impossible to fail.” Charles Kettering
Lincoln Society of Dayton Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social
August 21 · 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
The Lincoln Society of Dayton is having their Second Old Fashioned Ice Cream Social on the Great Lawn of the Patterson Homestead on Sunday afternoon, August 21 between 4:00 pm and 7:00 pm.
There will be games (played in the 1860s) for all ages, story time, Lincoln bingo, and even some prizes.
Free ice cream! Bring your own blanket and picnic! Special programs and surprises!!
Lincoln loved Ice Cream…we do, too…Come on the 21st so we can share with you!
Victorian Afternoon Tea’s
Sponsored by
The Wellington at Dayton
Come join us at the Patterson Homestead for a 19th century afternoon tea. You will enjoy tea service from costumed interpreters and a bread, sandwich and desert course all baked from authentic Victorian Era recipes. Each of our teas is from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and will highlight the history of the Patterson family, the time they lived in, and the historic Homestead itself.
August 21th – Etiquette Tea
In the Victorian Era, there was a proper way, and an improper way, to attend a tea. Learn how you would have visited friends and acquaintances, attended or hosted a tea, and even how to subtly communicate using your fan.
Reserve Your Spot Now!
Space is limited and prepaid reservations are required. The cost of each tea is $18.00 per Dayton History member and $20.00 per non-member. For additional information or to make reservations, please contact the Patterson Homestead at (937) 222-9724.
Carillon Park
Rail & Steam Society
Train Run Schedule
The Carillon Park Rail and Steam Society will be operating their scale train rides (for an additional $1 fee) for the visiting public from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm, unless otherwise noted, on the following dates:
Saturday, August 20
Saturday, September 10
Sunday, September 18
Saturday, October 1
Saturday, October 15
Saturday, November 26
Saturday, December 17
Carillon Concert Series
Summer Schedule
August 21 – 3:00 pm
August 27 – 1:00 pm
September 5 – 12:00 pm
September 11 – 3:00 pm
September 18 – 1:00 pm
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Keep up to date with everything that is happening at Dayton History by following us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
This afternoon Quintin returned from marching band practice and I could tell he was a tad agitated. As we went out for our fresh vegetables, he finally admitted why he was a bit grumpy.
“I get so pissed when band members talk bad about other sections or the guard and say mean things.” I nodded my agreement. “Like today, some of the band members were talking about how they hated the guard costumes. When they say bad things about the guard or anyone else they are talking bad about the entire band because we should all be one.”
It took me a moment to let that one absorb. That was pretty heavy stuff for a teenager, especially one who has never been involved in any corporate activity like marching band.
In fact, it was profound.
The night I attended the marching band camp parents’ show I was so excited to see Quintin marching. I had been spoiled by not needing to search for my child in the sea of marchers, as Jose played in the front-line percussion. After the show, Quintin could not stop talking as we headed to the dorm to retrieve his bags. The talking continued throughout the drive to the restaurant for dinner, and for a good hour following dinner as we sat to chat some more about band camp. Not once did he volunteer information about the “fun” things he did at camp: going to the pool, the water balloon toss, the bonfire, freshmen serving the seniors. I actually had to ask about those events. Quintin’s focus was on the marching, the music, what he was learning, how everyone worked together, the various sets in the marching, and particulars about marching.
What did he not like about camp? Band members talking as instructors were trying to teach.
Really?
Yip! “I just wish people would shut up so we can get more work done.”
And this has been his daily mantra since band camp ended three weeks ago.
Naturally, as a parent, and teacher, I am suspect to wonder if he does any of the talking. But, for some reason, I am led to believe he just might be extremely focused during rehearsal.
Today’s conversation was quite exciting because I know Quintin is on an entirely different level than so many students his age, even his older brother who was in marching band for four years. Quintin seems to comprehend his duty, and responsibility to the band. And he is much like someone else when they were his age. His dad.
I told Quintin how proud I am of his devotion to band, as well as his understanding that the guard is definitely “the band” just as the winds and percussion are. It is all ONE BAND.
I find it interesting, even an incredible “wow” that Quintin has captured this thought process, and mentality so early. It’s exciting, actually!
3501 Lexington Rd. | Harrodsburg, KY 40330 US
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This is from a family friend, Kathy Manoussakis, a breast cancer survivor. Please share in her victory, and support this great cause!
………….
Hi everybody,
I am starting my “walk” campaign a bit early this year and wanted to let you know that you should have received or will receive an email from me regarding this year’s breast cancer walk. In the email, there is a link that you can click on to add a donation. It does require either a debit or credit card, and the security is top notch. If you don’t feel comfortable in doing the online donation, you can give me your donation via a check (made payable to the American Cancer Society) or cash and I will make sure it gets loaded to my page as a donation and given to the appropriate party at the walk.
Also, the designated offering for the month of September at Mighty Fortress is for the breast cancer walk, so if you would prefer to donate that way, it will be most appreciated. Any contribution, no matter how big or small will go towards research to stop this dreaded disease.
I am a three-year survivor and have seen first hand what the research has done. My cancer was the same type that my mother had, but the big difference because of research, I only had to have a lumpectomy and lost only a piece of my breast. Mom had to have a mastectomy and had to have the whole breast removed! Research is finding more and more each day!
Thank you in advance for any donation you can make!
This was such an enjoyable week, and an even better weekend!
Beavercreek HS Show Choir Camp
I don’t think I have enjoyed working the Beavercreek High School show choir camp as much as I did this past week.
Sharon Busch, having completed her second knee surgery, was in excellent spirits, and it was great to see her not in pain.
The instrumental combo was an absolute blast! We added Sophie Lockhart, Ben Scudero and Josh Strange from Fairmont HS, and Andrew Blake from Xenia HS to fill in for the BHS band students who were attending band camp. This combo with Kevin Fagan, Alex (guitar), Mark Monroe, Alex (alto sax), Maggie (trombone), and of course, the wonderful Keith Hitt, rocked from Monday’s first session to Friday’s parent performance.
After the parent performance, Quintin and I joined Joanie & Brian Pollock for a Mexican dinner that was accompanied by more laughter than salsa!
Quintin spent 90 minutes playing lazar tag with the BSH show choir, and I was so appreciative of this invite as Quintin had a blast! I finally got to chat with Don Adams for a spell, and that is always a great treat. Don is one of my favorites.
Saturday…
Quintin and I finally rolled out to the back yard by 10:00am to begin the near-final touches on the fire-pit. The track for the crushed stone is completed, and ready to be filled. I transplanted ground cover, ivy, and mums, mowed the front yard after Quintin mowed the back yard, trimmed, weeded, edged, and cleaned up the debris. Quintin is a hard worker, and always has a great attitude about working on projects.
By 4:00pm I was a bit red, tired, and quite dirty. I laid down for an hour’s nap, showered, and fed pets.
At 6:30pm we were out the door for Carillon Park’s German Festival. It was packed, and the lines were incredibly long for the one major food tent. Instead, we decided to head to the Dayton Mall area for Chinese food, but not before we had the chance to check out the new facility through the windows.
Brady Kress, President & CEO of Dayton History At Carillon Park, has done an enormous job of orchestrating the vision of this new wing of Dayton history which includes a carousel that highlights Dayton’s history… a cash register, a Wright flyer, and the two most exciting items: Wilbur Wright’s dog, Flyer, while he lived in France (1908-1909), and Orville Wright’s Saint Bernard, Scipio. I am so pumped to see it up close, and maybe even ride the carousel this coming Friday at the annual meeting of the board and members! What an exciting event!
The Chinese meal was so-so, but the tons of laughter, and great conversation, made up for it.
Back at the Haasienda it was apparent that the hideous storm that reeked havoc at the Indianapolis State Fair was upon us. However, the thunder, lighting and torrential rain that blasted other parts of Kettering apparently decided to abort our neighborhood.
The windows are open, the breeze is delightful, guitar music floats up from the basement, three dogs are asleep in my study, Logan is curled up on my desk, and I am ready to call it a day!
Tomorrow is writing, and time with Quintin who wants to go on some sort of adventure. That should be fun – whatever it is!
Bending history Indian Trail trees offer a look into the past
by SARAH JONES Calhoun Times slideshow
Spotted across the continental United States, Indian trail marker trees offer insight into a heritage and tradition long forgotten.
According to Donald Wells, president of Mountain Stewards out of Jasper, these “funny bent trees” tell the tale of the Native American’s way of life, prior to European colonization.
In his presentation of “Mystery of the Trees — A Lost Native American Culture,”Wells explained the importance of these trees to the Friends of New Echota during the group’s monthly meeting Thursday.
The ancient marker trees marked Native American graves, camp sites, water, trails or “just about anything,” Wells said.
“They bent trees. This was their maker, their sign,” he said. “We probably have the best database (of trees) of all the evidence.”
Mountain Stewards members have been working for years to document all of the Indian marker trees throughout the United States and into Canada.
The process of bending
Although the exact mechanics of how Native Americans bent the trees is unknown, Mountain Stewards has been able to shine light on the basics of the process.
According to Wells, the Indians took a small sapling and bent it horizontal to the ground. The tree was tied to the ground for a year, allowing it to grow into a bend. At the end of that year, the Indians would bend the tree again and begin shaping it for its particular function.
“They bent them all different ways,” he said, and some trees were bent in groups of two or three.
Marker trees typically had a “nose” on the front, which would atrophy or be cut off after the initial bending process.
The bending process usually took between five and 10 years, Wells explained.
Besides trail markers, the trees served as, prayer trees, medicine trees, campsite markers, witness trees and grave markers.
“Trees were spiritual to the Indians,” Wells explained.
The Utes in the west used Ponderosa Pines as prayer trees, he said.. Every year during their spiritual pilgrimage, the tribe would return to their tree and continue the bending process. Once the process was complete, the Utes would offer tobacco to the tree because they believed their ancestors resided there.
The trees also played a part in human healing processes. The cambium layer of bark, inside the outer and inner layer of bark contains as much calcium as nine glasses of milk, Wells said. Indians in some tribes would eat this bark to nourish themselves to survive the winter.
Many of the trees used as markers in the south were white oaks, according to Wells; these trees have been found to mark water and trails.
The Comanche Indians used pecan trees as campsite markers to mark favorable sites with high bluffs and flat ground near water.
Other marker trees known as “witness trees” were carved with messages that only Indians knew how to read, ac-cording to Wells. This practice was adopted by early American settlers for use in surveying, he added.
A lost tradition
The tradition of tree marking faded with the waning population of early Native Americans. The Indians were an orally-based society, Wells explained, and many of their traditions have been lost to time.
After the arrival of Europeans in America, many tribes were forced to abandon certain aspects of their culture.
“The elders are the key (to these traditions),” Wells said. “But over time, they were lost.”
In the late 1800s, many Indian children were forced to attend boarding schools where they were “brainwashed,” Wells said. The children were not allowed to speak their native language or learn about their ancestors.
Therefore, Native American descendants were not allowed to pass on the secret of the trees, and because of this, the tradition has been lost.
“We don’t know a lot about the trees because of 250 years of government policy, lost numbers, lost way of life, lost knowledge, and lost culture,” he said.
Indian culture is on the rebound, however, with many descendants and advocates working to restore it.
“They (the Cherokees) are bringing it back,” Wells said.
Indian trails
In addition to mapping trail marker trees, Mountain Stewards maps old Indian trails throughout the United States.
According to Wells, the majority of the maps from that time period were old surveyor maps. Mountain Stewards members take those maps when available and walk the area to find old Indian trails.
According to Wells, several trails have been found in the New Echota area of Gordon County.
The trail running through New Echota runs from St. Augustine, Fla., to Cincinatti, Ohio, Wells explained, and it’s still there today.
When Mountain Stewards finds a trail, they register it on Google Earth, Wells said.
About Mountain Stewards
Mountain Stewards, a non-profit organization, was founded in 2003 after Wells and four of his friends sparked an interest in bent trees while building hiking trails.
Mountain Stewards began the Trail Tree Project in 2007.
“It just took off like a rocket,” Wells said.
Since its founding, Mountain Stewards has mapped over 1,000 miles of Indian trails and documented more than 1,600 trees in 39 states across the United States.
“We felt like it was something that needed to be done,” he said. “… we’re trying to document this heritage.”
Mountain Stewards has also compiled more 70 hours of documentary film about the trees and trails.
In 2009, the organization teamed up with Cherokee Preservation Project to collaborate with in this effort, and received an additional contract for 2011-2012.
Mountain Stewards has met with various Indian tribes, particularly with the eastern band of the Cherokees, Wells said. He and his team have interviewed several elders to gain knowledge about this culture.
“We’re going to continue as long as we can keep finding things,” he said.
They are now gathering enough materials to present their findings to Congress and change laws to protect the trees, according to Wells. Current legislation does not protect living historical sites, he explained, and Mountain Stewards is working to change that.
Wells is also in the process of publishing “Mystery of the Trees – A Loss of Indian Culture” which is set to come out later this year.
Those who might believe they have found a trail marker tree may report the tree online at www.mountainstewards.org.
I’m sure that George Washington was your best guess. After all, no one else comes to mind.
But think back to your history books – The United States declared its independence in 1776, yet Washington did not take office until April 30, 1789.
So who was running the country during these initial years of this young country? It was the first eight U. S. Presidents. In fact, the first President of the United States was one John Hanson.
I can hear you now – John who?
John Hanson, the first President of the United States. Don’t go checking the encyclopedia for this guy’s name – he is one of those great men that are lost to history. If you’re extremely lucky, you may actually find a brief mention of his name. The new country was actually formed on March 1, 1781 with the adoption of The Articles of Confederation. This document was actually proposed on June 11, 1776, but not agreed upon by Congress until November 15, 1777. Maryland refused to sign this document until Virginia and New York ceded their western lands (Maryland was afraid that these states would gain too much power in the new government from such large amounts of land). Once the signing took place in 1781, a President was needed to run the country. John Hanson was chosen unanimously by Congress (which included George Washington). In fact, all the other potential candidates refused to run against him, as he was a major player in the revolution and an extremely influential member of Congress.
As the first President, Hanson had quite the shoes to fill. No one had ever been President and the role was poorly defined. His actions in office would set precedent for all future Presidents. He took office just as the Revolutionary War ended. Almost immediately, the troops demanded to be paid. As would be expected after any long war, there were no funds to meet the salaries. As a result, the soldiers threatened to overthrow the new government and put Washington on the throne as a monarch. All the members of Congress ran for their lives, leaving Hanson as the only guy left running the government. He somehow managed to calm the troops down and hold the country together. If he had failed, the government would have fallen almost immediately and everyone would have been bowing to King Washington.
Hanson, as President, ordered all foreign troops off American soil, as well as the removal of all foreign flags. This was quite the feat, considering the fact that so many European countries had a stake in the United States since the days following Columbus. Hanson established the Great Seal of the United States, which all Presidents have since been required to use on all official documents. President Hanson also established the first Treasury Department, the first Secretary of War, and the first Foreign Affairs Department.
Lastly, he declared that the fourth Thursday of every November was to be Thanksgiving Day, which is still true today. The Articles of Confederation only allowed a President to serve a one year term during any three year period, so Hanson actually accomplished quite a bit in such little time.
Seven other presidents were elected after him – Elias Boudinot (1782-83), Thomas Mifflin (1783-84), Richard Henry Lee (1784-85), John Hancock (1785-86), Nathan Gorman (1786-87), Arthur St. Clair (1787-88), and Cyrus Griffin (1788-89) – all prior to Washington taking office.
So what happened?
Why don`t we hear about the first eight presidents?
It’s quite simple – The Articles of Confederation didn’t work well. The individual states had too much power and nothing could be agreed upon. A new doctrine needed to be written – something we know as the Constitution.
And that leads us to the end of our story.
George Washington was definitely not the first President of the United States. He was the first President of the United States under the Constitution we follow today. And the first eight Presidents are forgotten in history.
YOU HAVE TO BE A LOVER OF HISTORY TO APPRECIATE THIS!!
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe: this is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook – with spelling errors and all.
WARSHING CLOTHES
Build fire in backyard to heat kettle of rain water.
Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in boilin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and boil, then rub colored don’t boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed.
Scrub porch with hot soapy water.
Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs.
Brew cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
Paste this over your washer and dryer Next time when you think things are bleak, read it again, kiss that washing machine and dryer, and give thanks.. First thing each morning you should run and hug your washer and dryer. For you non-southerners – wrench means, rinse!
Over the past several weeks a number of “You might be from _______ if you…” have taken over Facebook. I read a few posts, and did not wish to join.
However, Sam Fisher added me.
I guess I should thank Sam for adding me as I have been reminded of the wonderful blessings I had growing up in Elwood, Indiana, the land of the Panthers, and the home of Wendell L. Willkie, 1940 presidential candidate opposing President Franklin Roosevelt. It truly was a great place in which to grow up.
Once upon a time, Elwood, first known as Quincy, was a Boom Town, and thrived for many years on the numerous industries, chiefly The Tin Plate. There was a magnificence to The Tin Plate, and the stories passed down through the years have been equally magnificent.
The stories told to me by my grandparents, great-grandparents, and their siblings, are still with me, and I treasure them not only as family heritage, but my hometown’s heritage, as well. Most vividly are my grandfather’s stories during The Great Depression. By the time they were repeated to me the stories were cherished, humorous anecdotes of the Barmes family who lived in the Northeast quadrant of Elwood. Now they are historical notes of survival, determination, working together, and spirit! There was no welfare to assist the millions who were out of work, trying desperately to feed families. There was, however, a grit that fostered the incredible spirit of that generation that also went on to endure WWII, The Korean War, and for many, even The Vietnam War.
When I was a little peep, Elwood was your typical Middletown, USA. It could have even been a Mayfield from LEAVE IT TO BEAVER. There was such an ease in the atmosphere, and an incredible amount of pride. In fact, it seemed as though there was quite the element of “class” which was abundant in that era. There was always a certain way of doing things, and it had to be done with not only completeness, but class.
My neighbors – the Myricks (Luther & Ida), the Herndons (Dick & Betsy), the Fortners (Don & Susan) – were probably like many neighbors throughout the Midwest, but these six adults, and their children, were MY neighbors. Therefore, they were exceptionally special – and they still are. For a while, our immediate neighbors at 9th & South A were Nick & Kathy Wolff who moved to the opposite corner. Beyond the corner of Main & 9th where I grew up were other many wonderful families with last names of: Mangas (yes, the cafeteria), Skalkostas, Poynter, LaPierre, Welcher, Savage, VanNess, Wolff, Noble, Parker, Kieffer, Aaron, Copus, Updyke, Davis (Zip the Barber), Hofer, Bunch, Hennegan, and so many, many more. When I return home and see many of these familiar faces of my childhood and youth, it is just like seeing members of my own family. In those years, your neighbors were much like family – and they still are.
The past several days I have struggled to keep up with the Facebook page that has kept over 800 people engaged in memories of our beloved hometown. I am grateful for those who are sharing their memories, but more importantly, I am grateful for the spirit that is uniting over 800 of us with pride for our wonderful hometown. It’s not necessarily Panther Pride – it’s a pride that goes much deeper than a mascot. It is the pride that flowed through, and from so many of our family members who settled in Elwood during The Gas Boom, and even in the years before. A pride that cannot be entirely described, but most definitely, a pride that can be felt. There are people I’ve never met who are sharing their hometown memories, and I feel a connection to each poster. A connection that is fostered by our mutual pride.
Sadly, the community of Elwood has glided into harder times, not unlike countless other small towns across the country. The luster of its once neat, tidy appearance has dulled as citizens move closer to jobs in larger communities, and as so many struggle with the current economy. Despite these physical set-backs, there is still a pulse – a pulse that goes beyond the crossroads of several major highways that dubbed Elwood with the title, “The Heart Of Hoosierland.”
As one classmate wrote tonight, “Elwood is still home to me.” I echo Frank’s sentiments. I moved to Ball State University in 1983, and on to Ohio in 1990. Ohio has been my residence for 21 years. However, Elwood will always be “home.”
You got it right, Dorothy… “there’s no place like home.”
Last Weekend!! Innocent or Guilty?? Courtroom Drama
At the Old Courthouse
August 5 – 7
Join Dayton History for an interactive courtroom drama at the Old Courthouse. This summer, the sensational 1896 Bessie Little murder case will be re-tried, with the verdict decided by you – the audience. After listening to evidence from both the prosecution and defense, spectators will be left to determine whether Bessie Little met death as a result of suicide – or murder. With one of Dayton’s most notorious court cases re-enacted, audience members will learn what law and order was like in the Gem City at the turn of the twentieth century.
Old Courthouse is located at 7 N Main St. Dayton, OH
Dayton History Position Available - Carillon Park Development Coordinator
Part Time (32 hours / week)
The Development Coordinator is responsible for supporting Dayton History’s membership program, sponsorship program and fundraising events to achieve annual goals, corporate sponsorships, foundation and government grants, and fundraising events.
QUALIFICATIONS
Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree, with coursework in fundraising preferred.
Strong knowledge of Windows-based software – experience with Raiser’s Edge software required.
Some event planning experience preferred.
Basic accounting proficiency required for preparing financial summaries and reports.
Excellent interpersonal and both written and oral communication skills.
Self-motivated worker with good project management skills.
Guest service orientation.
Ability to be a solid team player.
Please submit cover letter and resume to:
Elise Hafenbrack, Director of Community Development
Dayton History
1000 Carillon Boulevard
Dayton, OH 45409
or email to: ehafenbrack@daytonhistory.org
Carillon Park
Rail & SteamSociety
Train Run Schedule
The Carillon Park Rail and Steam Society will be operating their scale train rides (for an additional $1 fee) for the visiting public from 1:00 pm until 4:00 pm, unless otherwise noted, on the following dates:
Saturday, August 6
Saturday, August 20
Saturday, September 10
Sunday, September 18
Saturday, October 1
Saturday, October 15
Saturday, November 26
Saturday, December 17
Carillon Concert Series
Summer Schedule
August 7 – 3:00 pm
August 21 – 3:00 pm
August 27 – 1:00 pm
September 5 – 12:00 pm
September 11 – 3:00 pm
September 18 – 1:00 pm
Follow us
Keep up to date with everything that is happening at Dayton History by following us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
A blonde & her husband are lying in bed listening to the next door neighbor’s dog. It has been in the backyard barking for hours & hours.
The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, “I’ve had enough of this”.
She goes downstairs.
The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband says, “The dog is still barking, what have you been doing?”
The blonde says, “I put the dog in our backyard… let’s see how THEY like it!”
And then…
Lisa & Judy were doing some carpenter work on a Habitat for Humanity House. Lisa was nailing down house siding,
would reach into her nail pouch, pull out a nail & either toss it over her shoulder or nail it in.
Judy, figuring this was worth looking into, asked, ‘Why are you throwing those nails away?’
Lisa explained, ‘When I pull a nail out of my pouch, about half of them have the head on the wrong end & I throw them away.’
Judy got completely upset & yelled, ‘You moron! Those nails aren’t defective! They’re for the other side of the house!’
And then…
Did you hear about the two blondes who froze to death in a drive-in movie? They had gone to see ‘Closed for the Winter.’
And then…
A blonde hurried into the emergency room late one night with the tip of her index finger shot off. ‘How did this happen?’ the emergency room doctor asked her.
‘Well, I was trying to commit suicide,’ the blonde replied.
‘What?’ sputtered the doctor. ‘You tried to commit suicide by shooting off your finger?’
‘No, silly’ the blonde said. ‘First I put the gun to my chest, & then I thought, ‘I just paid $6, 000.00 for these implants…
I’m not shooting myself in the chest.’
‘So then?’ asked the doctor.
‘Then I put the gun in my mouth, & I thought, ‘I just paid $3,000.00 to get my teeth straightened. I’m not shooting myself in the mouth.’
‘So then?’
‘Then I put the gun to my ear, & I thought: ‘This is going to make a loud noise. So I put my finger in my other ear before I pulled the trigger.
And then…
A blonde was driving home after a game & got caught in a really bad hailstorm. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it to a repair shop. The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he decided to have some fun… He told her to go home and blow into the tail pipe really hard, & all the dents would pop out.
So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands & knees & started blowing into her tailpipe. Nothing happened. So she blew a little harder, & still nothing happened.
Her blonde roommate saw her & asked, ‘What are you doing?’
The first blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tail pipe in order to get all the dents to pop out. The roommate rolled her eyes & said, ‘Uh, like hello! You need to roll up the windows first.’
And then…
A blonde was shopping at Target & came across a shiny silver thermos. She was quite fascinated by it, so she picked it up & took it to the clerk to ask what it was.
The clerk said, ‘Why, that’s a thermos….. It keeps hot things hot, And cold things cold.’
‘Wow, said the blonde, ‘that’s amazing…..I’m going to buy it!’
So she bought the thermos & took it to work the next day.
Her boss saw it on her desk. ‘What’s that,’ he asked?
‘Why, that’s a thermos….. It keeps hot things hot & cold things cold,’ she replied..
Her boss inquired, ‘What do you have in it?’
The blond replied…… ‘Two popsicles & some coffee.’
And then…
A blonde goes into work one morning crying her eyes out.
Her boss asked sympathetically, ‘What’s the matter?’
The blonde replies, ‘Early this morning I got a phone call saying that my mother had passed away.’
The boss, feeling sorry for her, says, ‘Why don’t you go home for the day? Take the day off to relax & rest.’
‘Thanks, but I’d be better off here. I need to keep my mind off it & I have the best chance of doing that here.’
The boss agrees & allows the blonde to work as usual.
A couple of hours pass & the boss decides to check on the blonde. He looks out from his office & sees the blonde crying hysterically…
‘What’s so bad now? Are you gonna be okay?’ he asks.
‘No!’ exclaims the blonde. ‘I just received a horrible call from my sister. Her mother died, too!’
Mother sent this to me after a post reflecting on life as we knew it… some very interesting points. Most of these things, I remember…
In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”
The clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment.”
He was right — our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But he was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts — wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that clerk was right; we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house — not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But he’s right; we didn’t have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?
INDIE-ROCK MUSICAL TO PREMIERE AT COURTHOUSE SQUARE
DAYTON, OH- Encore Theater Co. will present the premiere performance of the daring new indie-rock musical THE CONSEQUENCES at 10:00 pm on Thursday, August 4th and Saturday, August 6th. The performances will take place in the lower level outdoor patio space adjacent to downtown Dayton’s Courthouse Square.
THE CONSEQUENCES is a bittersweet love story about high school friends who meet again ten years later – and begin to examine the way their lives have changed through each other’s eyes. The three person musical composed by the creative team of Kyle Jarrow (book, music & lyrics) and Nathan Leigh (music & lyrics). Jarrow and Leigh are members of the very popular Brooklyn-based indie-pop band Super Mirage. THE CONSEQUENCES is not the writers’ first foray into the theatre world. As a team they have also composed the musical Big Money. Jarrow is probably best known for his popular shows A Very Merry Unauthorized Children’s Scientology Pageant, and his recent collaboration with Tony-Award winning Duncan Sheik on the hauntingly beautiful Whisper House.
THE CONSEQUENCES was featured on Encore’s Litehouse New Musical Reading Series in November 2010. It was previously performed in developmental workshops at Williamstown Theatre Festival, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theatre, and the New York Theatre Workshop.
The cast of THE CONSEQUENCES features ETC Company Member JJ Parkey, Chicago-based actress Amy Geist and DayTony winner Alex Carmichal in his first musical theatre performance. The show is directed by Shawn Hooks with music direction by Lindsay Sherman. Sound design is by Mark Iiames with lighting design by Brian Cox of BLC Entertainment. Ally Wetz serves as stage manager and assistant producer.
Performances will be held at the KeyBank Building’s lower level patio, accessed via Courthouse Square on Thursday, August 4th and Saturday, August 6th at 10PM each night. Tickets cost $10, available at the door. For more information about Encore Theater Company and its programs promoting the art of new musical theatre in the Miami Valley region can be found at: www.EncoreTheaterCompany.com.
THE CONSEQUENCES is just one part of the 2011 Festival of New Musicals, a collaboration between The Human Race Theatre Company and ETC taking place August 4-7. Additional offerings include workshop presentations of PLAY IT COOL (Human Race), LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ‘ROUND (Human Race) and PUMP UP THE VOLUME (Encore). These mainstage presentations take place in The Loft Theatre, 126 North Main Street on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. A full schedule of festival events as well as ticket information can be found on www.HumanRaceTheatre.org
Last night I posted a photo of a sweatshirt with a message I found to be quite thought provoking for my self. In no way was it intended to be a shield or banner proclaiming my views.
However, the post on Facebook has received a number of interesting thoughts, all valid, too.
I like those “shoe on the other foot” items that truly open my awareness. I use to buy into the “WWJD? – What Would Jesus Do?” but I find I cannot even suggest that any more because the various Christian departments all have their individual design on what Jesus would have, or would not have done. And, does anyone truly know?
I do not subscribe to the origins of the sweat shirt’s design by the group that posted it (hell, I couldn’t even recall the name of the group without scrolling up). I tend to care little about organizations, and what they truly stand for. Sometimes, there are quotes I select because of how they speak to me. And that is all they are for on my Facebook page. If they speak to others, great.
Once I posted a quote attributed to Adolph Hitler. It was thought-provoking for me, personally. So many were outraged that I preferred a quote by one of the most defiled men in human history. “You are taking it out of context.” Well, aren’t so many quotes taken out of context from another intent? Look at The Bible. Folks are always taking certain pages out of context to use for their own agenda, and I have heard identical passages used by a variety of ministers with numerous meanings.
I’ve written on other occasions, and on other posts that I, personally, am not a big supporter of Civil Rights, Equal Rights, Gay Rights, etc.. I am, simply put, for Human Rights.
Ironically, it is our fellow man who determines who should be considered human to deserve particular rights.
A woman’s right to vote was one that always seemed absurd.
Why?
Ironically, this put women beneath the Black man “in the day” when former Slaves were granted rights to vote.
But a woman could not?
I always figured this was merely a power control issue for men…
Last weekend, I was quite moved by a production of the musical, 1776. Toward the end, the vote for independence, which was to be a unanimous vote in Congress, was held up by one statement in Mr. Jefferson’s draft. Slavery. If the institution of holding Black people as slaves was to end upon the signing of the declaration, then the two Carolinas and Georgia would not sign the Declaration of Independence. However, if slavery was to remain in the soon-to-be united colonies, then the three Southern states would vote “yea,” thus announcing our nation’s independence to the world.
Amazing!
A human’s right to live freely was to be determined by the forming of a new nation.
Now, to me, that is incredible! We sacrificed one population’s freedom in order to form this country so that another popular could be free of tyranny. A tyranny that this free population would impose on the population that would not see freedom for quite some time.
Here in this country, one must subscribe to certain conditions before basic rights are granted. Our government can pick and choose which portions of the population are considered “human” in order to receive certain rights.
For me, personally, I have never been placed in a situation where I feel my basic human rights are challenged, and I pray I may never see that day.
In the musical, Rodney Caesar said, as the members of the Congress turned on one another, “The enemy is out there.” (referring to The British)
But is it?
As I delve further into this question of human rights, I am also finding a parallel with the teachings of The Church as we know it. If one does not subscribe fully to certain beliefs, one is denied “something” – depending on the denomination – but generally, and foremost, a golden ticket to heaven.
In politics, and religion, if one tends to disagree, they are too often considered, “disgruntled.” I have seen this, numerous times, on various posts.
Why should a differing opinion be considered ‘disgruntled’?
I think it may all return to “power.” So often, when others feel their power, or control, is questioned, they react with strict criticism, and balloon themselves up to comical proportions to display their authority. One post I read this morning received an incredible back-lash from an individual who happened to be a professional in the one post of concern, and the rebuttal literally had me laughing (yes, out loud). There was so much anger, and authority in the gentleman’s words which basically implied, “You are an unfit human being, and I despise you for disagreeing with my beliefs.”
Interesting… and sad…
Is there ever a possibility, in our generation’s life-time, where one’s thoughts, beliefs, opinions, and life will ever be truly valued even when they differ from our own?
A Jewish prayer:
“Oseh Shalom” – “He who makes/offers peace.”
A Muslim Prayer for Peace:
“Praise be to the Lord of the Universe who has created us and made us into tribes and nations, That we may know each other, not that we may despise each other.”
A Baha’i Prayer for Peace: “Be generous in prosperity, and thankful in adversity. Be fair in they judgement, and guarded in they speech. Be a lamp unto those who walk in darkness, and a home to the stranger. Be eyes to the blind, and a guiding light unto the feet of the erring. Be a breath of life to the body of humankind, a dew to the soil of the human heart, and a fruit upon the tree of humility.”
Native American Ten Commandments:
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit.
Show great respect for your fellow beings.
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right.
Look after the well being of mind and body.
Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.
Be truthful and honest at all times.
Take full responsibility for your actions.
This morning I attached my self to a post that described how our children are different than they were in past years. One mother compared a moment of John Boy Walton to her own son. I was so glad she posted what she did because it sprang my brain into thinking of my own home.
The one thing I hear too often is “things use to be so different.”
I always believe if things have changed, we, ourselves, have allowed them to change. Yes, things were different back during The Depression, or even back when I was a child in the 1960′s and 1970′s.
What is different?
Technology.
Economy.
Clothing styles.
Hair styles.
Toys.
Communication.
Etc.
Most of the big changes are things that have shaped our world, and how we communicate. Sadly, it has shaped our communication skills to be non-present communicators.
Automatic tellers.
U-Scan at the grocery store.
Voice mail.
Email.
Cell phones.
Texting.
We do not communicate face-to-face, or even in hand writing. And trust me, I am just as guilty of these technological pleasures. For me, though, I use Sprint and can rarely call or text (or receive) from my own home. Standing in my backyard in last week’s heat was not an option!
One thing I constantly hear is, “Kids are so different today.”
What is different about our kids, today?
Has anything REALLY changed?
If children have changed, then we, ourselves, especially as parents, have allowed it.
If children refuse to do assigned chores, and we do not follow up, or address the unfinished chore, and do it ourselves, then the child is doing the parenting.
Why?
Why do we allow our children to set the course for our lives as adults when it is our duty, our responsibility to teach them?
Are we afraid to say, “No” to our children?
Do we wish to not upset them for fear we will not be liked by our own children?
If our values, or belief system has changed, then it rests squarely on our shoulders.
I had one parent say to me last week, “my child talks back to me and I would never have done that to my parents.”
Well, my response was, “Because your parents would not tolerate it. So, why do you?”
Sometimes, I think we use “times are different” or “things were different back then” as an excuse so we do not have to take responsibility in being parents, or even good citizens.
I remember when cable television and HBO came to our community in 1980. There were citizens who were out-raged because it could be available in their homes and they did not want HBO in their homes for their children to watch. Well, they missed the point: don’t order cable, or, if you do, set down the ground rules.
I remember my mother saying, “If you don’t want your children to watch HBO, be the parent and tell them, ‘No.”
Ahhh… the one lesson in parenting I have always remembered from my mother – and God bless her for demonstrating it.
That evil word that so few parents like to use: “No.”
Why is it we cannot use “No” with our children?
Don’t want to deal with the results?
I have heard, “I work all day, run errands, come home, drive kids to various practices, lessons, games, dance, etc., and the last thing I want is an argument.”
I understand this. Generally, the ones from whom I hear the above statement, or something of a similar complaint, have a spouse who assists in raising the children. Seldom do I hear these complaints, or whines, from single parents.
Interesting…
The only thing that works for me is: I’m the parent in my home. I call the shots. It is not a democracy. It is not a group-led home.
“Oh, but that’s being a control freak.”
Ok. Call it what you wish, but the buck stops here. I am the responsible for my home, and my children. It is my duty, my responsibility to raise my sons on the path to become fully-functioning adults, providing them the valued, well-experienced tools that were handed down to me by my mother (who, during most of my childhood was single, and had no problem saying, “No” or setting down rules which were to be obeyed… I am not promoting single-parenthood – merely stating personal facts).
Yes, things were different back then. I grew up without air conditioning. This past week I feel I survived simply because I had air conditioning. However, I survived hot summers as a child – and I do not believe summers were less hot back then.
What has changed in this scenario?
Me.
I have air conditioning, and on hot days I use it. It’s a choice.
We, as parents, have a choice in determining whether or not our children will participate in life, or whether we will allow them to fall victim to our excuses. I raise sons whose earlier lives were prescribed by their birth parents, or foster parents. Some days I know it would simply be easier to allow myself to feel victim to my child’s past.
Chameleon Theatre Co., Ltd., a New York City-based 501(c)3 non-profit, is seeking composers for several new ON SPEC projects:
“Jack London’s Martin Eden,” originally presented in a non-musical version at Lincoln Center’s Bruno Walter Auditorium as a staged reading in 1990, the copyrighted adaptation of his semi-autobiographic al novel now serves as the basis for a Ragtime Musical;
“The Pied Piper,” a cautionary tale for parents, set in 14th century Germany during the Black Death, recalling Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana;”
“The Last Nights of Pompeii,” set in the Ancient equivalent of South Beach, complete with a gladiatorial battle, an orgy and an exploding volcano;
“Samba De Carnival,” adapted from Aphra Behn’s Restoration comedy “The Rover,” this romantic story of clashing cultures is re-set in early 19th century Brazil; and
“No Money Down!,” adapted from the screenplay of the award-winning indie, “Johnny Montana,” set in modern-day New York City.
For details, please send your resume’/c.v. , list of references with contact information, letters of recommendation, reviews if any, along with mp3s of music you have composed to lyrics in the appropriate genres, to:
amateursinner
Or, hard copies of documents, plus CDs to:
Chameleon Theatre Co., Ltd.
25-26 42nd Street #3B
Astoria, NY 11103
The first-draft libretti and lyrics, or lyric sketches, are complete and copyrighted.
When produced commercially, the royalty split will be 50-50, rather than the standard 2/3 to the librettist-lyricist , 1/3 to the composer.
We are always making improvements to ensure quick delivery. As part of this process, we ask our members about how we are doing from time to time. Please tell us when you received Ancient Mysteries: Ancient Rome and Its Mysterious Cities, which was shipped to you on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, by clicking on the appropriate link below.
’1776′ – John Adams: “One useless man is called a disgrace; two are called a law firm; and three or more become a Congress.”
This afternoon, my 16 year old son, Quintin, and I drove 35 miles to Wilmington, Ohio to see Wilmington College Community Summer Theatre‘s production of ’1776.’ One of my Ball State University friends, Timothy Larrick, was to perform as Roger Sherman – “the simple cobbler from Connecticut.”
I was slightly hesitant when I read it would be a concert version, that several women would portray the delegates, andthat the director was also performing the role of John Adams. I am always slightly leery of productions where directors involve themselves in the actual production. Actually, I find it a tad bit on the tacky side. Either direct the production, or perform in the production – do not attempt to do both as it seldom works, nor plays well.
The concert version was outstanding! The focus was on the delightful script and music! It was refreshing, to say the least. I did not miss the costuming, the lighting, the scenic designs, etc.. The limited staging was most effective, and kept the show moving.
And the women? Fantastic! They blended in with the male ensemble, and carried their male-roles very well. Stephen Hopkins, portrayed by Claudia Fowler, was not less funny, or growling.
I must say that I was pleasantly surprised with Steven Haines’ performance, and directing of this production which I found to be even more powerful, and poignant in the staged-concert setting. Mr. Haines never once let me down for a second in his portrayal of one of my favorite presidents, and musical theatre roles. As for directors performing in their own productions on purpose, Mr. Haines is a rare exception.
There were so many memorable performances…
Timothy Larrick as Roger Sherman… Tim Brausch as Benjamin Franklin… Wayne Dunn as John Dickinson… Dean Feldmeyer as Richard Henry Lee… J. Wynn Alexander as Thomas Jefferson… Jack Filkins as Charles Thomson, secretary…
Bryan S. Wallingford mastered the role of South Carolina’s, Edward Rutlegde, so well, that I was actually despising the character as he attempted to squelch the movement.
Tricia Heys gave Abigail Adams an incredible multi-dimensional quality, and by the time we arrived as “Yours, Yours, Yours,” I was a tad damp around the eyes. Her voice was lovely, and powerful to match John Adams’ mainstay, and her acting and beauty pulled you even closer to the patriotic-duo that helped lay the foundation of this country.
The last two-quarters of Scene Seven – the ending of the show – were incredible. When the delegates had abandoned John Adams at the eleventh hour, I was on the edge of my seat with my stomach in a knot.
This is damned good theatre! It was like seeing TITANIC… I know how the story ends, but if the production does what it should, I am pulled into their moment on the stage while abandoning any knowledge of history. ’1776′ certainly did the job!
As we were leaving, I told one of my friends, Aaron Jacobs, that this production had given me a fine dose of Vitamin-T (theatre) that I’d sorely been missing. I felt rejuvenated, fulfilled, appreciative of the creators, appreciate of the WCCST, and most certainly, grateful for those true founding parents who stepped into treasonous roles knowingly fully well they were merely experimenting with a belief that they could succeed.
Ironically, I recognized a number of similarities between the portrayed Continental Congress, and our current Congress. Nothing is ever accomplished quickly, and without agendas.
I wish there was a second weekend of WCCST’s “1776″ as I would be shooing folks from The Miami Valley down to Wilmington this coming weekend. And I would be returning, myself, to enjoy this production – again!
The company is listed as a community theatre; however, they were quite a notch above typical community theatre. This was not community theatre.
changed out and enlarged the staircase in the hall. That meant that the window there was captured entirely within the stair landing — not a very good situation. So Washington elected to shift both first floor windows so that they would be within the Small Dining Room — and aligned the new second floor windows to match. The resulting assymetry became a more significant concern later on when Washington expanded the house again in 1774-1776, when he added the cupola and roof pediment partly in an attempt to distract the eye from the messy details down below. If you are interested in learning more about the architecture/building of the house, the best book on the topic is Geroge Washington’s Mount Vernon: At Home in Revolutionary America, by R. and L. Dalzell, Oxford, 1998.
2011 Commemorative Ornament
Dear Friends,
The Civil War had arguably the greatest impact on Washington, D.C. of any single event in American history. Almost overnight, the seat of our nation’s government was transformed from a sleepy, southern town to the hub of the northern war effort, and was often referred to as the Seat of War. Join us as we illuminate President Lincoln’s Civil War Washington through historic prints from our collection. This exhibit will be on view from December 7, 2011 – January 15, 2012.
It was cold, wet, and rainy in Washington, and the President was ill. A week earlier, Abraham Lincoln had given the Gettysburg Address, sitting outside in the cold as he listened to Edward Everett orate, before giving his short speech. Now, in the last week of November 1863, Lincoln was “quite unwell,” suffering from a mild form of smallpox called varioloid……The timing of the President’s illness was unfortunate. That Thursday, the fourth Thursday in the month of November, marked the day that Lincoln had set aside for the first official national Thanksgiving Day.
KBJ Ranch
2011 Bands of America Championships are under way!
BOA’s Podcast returns! Break Ranks! with Dan Potter
Watch BOA Championships Online at MFA Fan Network
Show Your Support at Grand Nationals Through a Special Tribute Message
Would you like to be part of the Grand Nationals Finale?
Save with Student Group Ticket Discount to BOA Championships
BOA Championship Online Fan Guides: Now for Mobile
You can still order your Grand National Finals Tickets
Program Sponsor Center X represented at BOA events
Percussive Arts Society Marching Percussion Festival: November 11-12 in Indianapolis
Parent/Booster Award Deadline extended to October 1
Learn more about America’s Camp!
