Sonntagsmusik

 

Make Georgia Howl

I’ve been reading Shelby Foote’s history of the Civil War (namely Volume 3). I find him a very good historical storyteller, much the equal of the great Barbara Tuchman or David McCullough. 

Foote has been criticized for his lack of footnotes, but I find that decision makes the narrative far more readable and accessible to the average-non historian reader. I’m fine with it. 

At this point in life I want to enjoy history rather than study it. 

Just as I found Ken Burn’s documentary on the topic enjoyable years ago (it featured Foote as a historian), I am having no issue reading a couple score of pages over lunch every day. 

Road Trip!

 With the start of school.imminent, the eldest granddaughter and I embarked on a historical roadtrip. This is our second adventure*, but I'm not sure I can yet claim it an annual thing. She starts middle school next week and we all know about adolescents and their elders. At this point she disp!aye none of the attitudes that some teenagers adopt.

We slashed pur way across NW Ohio, visiting the Neil Armstrong museum in Wapakoneta first. The granddaughter has aspirations of being an astronomer and what better place to visit? I found the museum to be a bit worn and expensive for what was there , but the 30 minute movie about Apollo 11 was terrific. It sent goosebumps down my spine. 

There weren't many people there and I suspect more than five  decades since Armstrong planted his left foot on th he lunar surface has dimmed his place in history a bit. 

Next we headed a bit south and drove past Annie Oakley's grave near North Star then visited the Annie Oakley center and the Garst museum in Greenville. 

Granddaughter 1 has a strong interest in strong nd famous women and enjoyed the displays about the famous entertainer and sharpshooter.. We toured the whole place and we enjoyed the "old stuff" and I even discussed the Treaty of Greenville with her and it's implications for settling the Midwest. 

Yeah, she is smart as a whip and not only loves science, but digs history. 

We had a great time and a long day. She is my intellectual soulmate, in that she likes learning new stuff, only she is far brighter than I am and thankfully lacks the sarcastic streak that I fight to keep under control.

What?  You only see a fraction of what bounces around in my head. 

*Last year we went to the Air Force museum in Dayton. Go. It is awesome.

There's a man who leads a life of danger

 

My ring tone for family is the James Bond theme from Dr. No. I used to travel a lot, often internationally. Does it mean anything? Probably not. 

I will admit we need to listen to Johnny Rivers a little more. 

Better late than never

 

If all else fails, fall back on music.

Let’s see, they are paving the cul-de-sac this morning. The streets of the neighborhood are all scheduled in the coming days. The whole process is typical government work. The school at the end of my short street is scheduled to go back Wednesday. So let’s block off the streets for paving!

It’s not like the city had all summer or anything. 

In the end the patched up streets really need repaving so I suppose I am glad the work is being done. 

Devils roll the dice, angels roll their eyes

 

Now you can own it too!

 Starting today, my novel Hoosier Flats will be offered at a reduced price for a limited time in ebook version. If you have always wanted to read a novel about a boy coming of age during Prohibition, this is your chance.