In the gathering gloom of dusk, in the year 1812, a British peace ship sailed down the Patapsco River near Baltimore. It trailed 19 other ships that were, perhaps, not so peaceful. On board the peace ship were the temporary prisoners, Dr. Beanes and an American lawyer. The fleet of war ships gathered in the ocean within range of Baltimore and their object: Fort McHenry.
Meanwhile, in Baltimore, a seamstress named Betsy Ross, sat in her home sewing furiously. As the British fleet began to bombard Fort McHenry on September 13, Betsy finished her work. As darkness began to fall, Betsy hung her flag outside.
Watching the attack from the peace ship, Dr. Beanes and the American lawyer saw the flag slowly unfurl under the light of the rockets and mortars of the British fleet. The American lawyer watched a moment and then hurried to his cabin. There, on an envelope under his swiftly moving pen, words began to appear. "O! say can you see by the dawn's early light..."
Francis Scott Key was detained on board the peace ship until after the battle, (which the Americans won). In his later life, Key served as Vice President of the American Bible Assocation. The association is best known for its Good New Bible translation. Key's grandson was later held prisoner in Fort McHenry for being a suspected Confederate sympathizer. It is ironic that the National Anthem of America, written at a time of war with Britain, is set to a British tune.
Baltimore is the 20th largest city in the U.S. The name means "Town of the Big House" from the Irish. Baltimore was named after Lord Baltimore, of the Irish House of Lords. It was nicknamed "The Monumental City" by President John Quincy Adams because of the skyline of large churches, edifices, and monuments.
Not only did some of Americas finest history take place in Baltimore, but the traditional American boardgame, Monopoly, can also claim it's share in Baltimore. The B&O railroad (Baltimore & Ohio) began in Baltimore. It was privately owned, (in other words, a Monopoly) for many years, and made Baltimore a key shipping and industrial city. The B&O company suffered what is known as The Great Railroad Strike in 1877.
In 1904, a blessing in disguise was granted to Baltimore in the form of the Great Baltimore Fire. The fire burned most of the city (the disguise), and forced it to rebuild. The new buildings and layout made the city even bigger (the blessing).
It's almost the Fourth of July and most people have probably forgotten, or never heard, the story of the Star-Spangled Banner. America has mainly forgotton the price paid for her freedom and the bravery of the "primitive" colonists. Our country was founded on God and patriotism, it is my prayer that our country will turn back to God and patriotism and that we can, from the heart and with truth, say "God Bless America!
(This has been: Snippets: Baltimore. Tune in next time to read: Stories of my Life).
Friday, June 25, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
A Day in the Life of: Dad
Dad said that in order to have this blog, I would have to praise him to the skies. He was teasing of course. Nevertheless, this Sunday being Father's Day, I figured I would do it anyway. So, in this post, I'd like to talk a little bit about how much my Dad means to me, and what's he's taught me, and how much I appreciate him.
Dad means an awful lot to me. I mean, in the words of the hymn, "Without him, I would be nothing!"
Dad always loves to play games with us kids. When we were smaller, he'd tell us about the California peaches. Those peaches were sum'pin else! They were so huge that you couldn't see past them! Not only that, they were so sweet and juicy, that if you even looked at them, they'd squirt you. If one of them accidentally fell off it's leafy resting place, it would create another Death Valley or a Mariana Trench! We still enjoy joking about this. Dad is something I would call a "Good-memories maker."
Over the years, I think one of the best things Dad ever taught me was the little axiom, "Work before you play," and "Don't leave the work area until the work is done," and "Do it right the first time so you won't have to do it again." For me, these life principles have really been very freeing. You really can have a lot more time to do fun things, if you do the chores first; and correctly. If you work before playing, your work will be all done and you won't have to come back and do it later or worry about it. And, doing something over because you were lazy the first time doesn't save anytime. I love the way my Dad, (and mom), teach us principles from the Bible. In this case, Ephesians 5:15-16 applies: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." A large part of "redeeming our time," is not wasting it. Doing something over again, or grumbling about it, is wasting precious time.
The other thing I really appreciate about Dad is his willingness to admit, and apologize for, his faults. (Oh, wait, Dad's perfect!) No, but really, it takes, I think, even more courage for an adult to say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong, will you forgive me," than for a child. Most parents probably make their children apologize at least once in their lives, but to do so on his/her own, takes a lot of courage. And I've heard that it takes more courage for a parent to apologize to his kids. I'm not sure quite how to explain it, but when my dad (and mom) have done this, it brings them up another large notch in my estimation and respect. Thanks Dad! I love you!
(This has been: A Day in the Life of: Dad. Tune in next time to read: Snippets of...")
Dad means an awful lot to me. I mean, in the words of the hymn, "Without him, I would be nothing!"
Dad always loves to play games with us kids. When we were smaller, he'd tell us about the California peaches. Those peaches were sum'pin else! They were so huge that you couldn't see past them! Not only that, they were so sweet and juicy, that if you even looked at them, they'd squirt you. If one of them accidentally fell off it's leafy resting place, it would create another Death Valley or a Mariana Trench! We still enjoy joking about this. Dad is something I would call a "Good-memories maker."
Over the years, I think one of the best things Dad ever taught me was the little axiom, "Work before you play," and "Don't leave the work area until the work is done," and "Do it right the first time so you won't have to do it again." For me, these life principles have really been very freeing. You really can have a lot more time to do fun things, if you do the chores first; and correctly. If you work before playing, your work will be all done and you won't have to come back and do it later or worry about it. And, doing something over because you were lazy the first time doesn't save anytime. I love the way my Dad, (and mom), teach us principles from the Bible. In this case, Ephesians 5:15-16 applies: "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise. Redeeming the time, because the days are evil." A large part of "redeeming our time," is not wasting it. Doing something over again, or grumbling about it, is wasting precious time.
The other thing I really appreciate about Dad is his willingness to admit, and apologize for, his faults. (Oh, wait, Dad's perfect!) No, but really, it takes, I think, even more courage for an adult to say, "I'm sorry, I was wrong, will you forgive me," than for a child. Most parents probably make their children apologize at least once in their lives, but to do so on his/her own, takes a lot of courage. And I've heard that it takes more courage for a parent to apologize to his kids. I'm not sure quite how to explain it, but when my dad (and mom) have done this, it brings them up another large notch in my estimation and respect. Thanks Dad! I love you!
(This has been: A Day in the Life of: Dad. Tune in next time to read: Snippets of...")
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Fountain of Thoughts: Honesty
What do...a bar of soap, a false accusation, and teeth have in common? Well, most often they don't have anything in common at all; unless, of course, the case is an exception; which it is.
I enjoy reading mysteries, but the realist side of me was always telling me that they weren't true stories. So, I never really believed that there were any mysteries in today's world; until lately that is. While thinking it over recently, (yeah, I think about random things) I realized that not only are there real mysteries today, but that our family had one! Furthermore, our family mystery is ten years old.
I doubt Sherlock Holmes would be interested in our little mystery. It doesn't have to do with criminals, only culprits. I mean, what big-time detective would even want to investigate the Case of the Chewed Soap? Yes! Somebody chewed the bar of soap in the bathtub. Evidently, it must have tasted good since each consecutive bar of soap was also symmetrically chewed all the way around! To this day however, no one knows who actually did it.
When the matter eventually came to our Dad's attention, an extensive interrogation took place. I was only approximately 5 years old. My little brother, at 1 or less would have been far too young to have even climbed into the tub on his own. The culprit had to be one of the remaining siblings, including myself. The interrogation is vivid in my memory.
"Now," said Dad, "We know I didn't do it. And we know Mom didn't do it. Your little brother didn't do it. So, which one of you did?" Each of us adamantly denied that we had done the crime.
Dad continued from there. "This didn't have to be a big deal, but now it is because somebody is lying. Who was it?" Still no progress.
I'm not sure what five-year-old has not had a reputation for lying, or exaggerating extensively to say the least. I was no exception. As I recall, I had a terrible reputation in this area. It was this fault of mine, I believe, which led to me being convicted of the crime. At last, I "admitted" to chewing the soap.
To my knowledge and memory however, I did not chew the soap. Since I admitted to it however (my first lie in the case) everyone thought for several years after that I had done it. (I eventually decided that enough time had elapsed for me to tell the truth safely. It was safe, it's now practically a family joke.) Perhaps, in heaven, we will find out the true culprit.
It is likely that most of you are saying to yourselves at this point, "Big deal, what's the point?" Contemplating this recently, I realized, all at once, that this incident in my life led me to become a more honest person. Ten year's later, I have quite a decent reputation for honesty. Not to say I'm perfect in that area-that would be a lie. Nevertheless, I believe that as I was standing in that corner ten years ago, I decided, subconsciously, to become more honest. Today, having a good reputation for honesty has made it unlikely for me to be accused for something I haven't done. Subconsciously, I determined that it would be far better to be punished for something I really had done, but that it be best to just not do it.
So, tomorrow, while you're eating your cheerios and thinking about a lie, don't lie. Tell the truth instead. A lie will get you nothing except the wrath of God and man, while the "truth will set you free." The freedom of a clear conscience is fantastic. Not only is it unlikely that parental punishment will be great when you tell the truth, but you have the great reward of knowing that you have done the right thing. Proverbs 22:1 says "A good name (reputation) is rather to be chosen than great riches..."
(This has been Fountain of Thoughts. Tune in next time to read: A Day in the Life of:---)
I enjoy reading mysteries, but the realist side of me was always telling me that they weren't true stories. So, I never really believed that there were any mysteries in today's world; until lately that is. While thinking it over recently, (yeah, I think about random things) I realized that not only are there real mysteries today, but that our family had one! Furthermore, our family mystery is ten years old.
I doubt Sherlock Holmes would be interested in our little mystery. It doesn't have to do with criminals, only culprits. I mean, what big-time detective would even want to investigate the Case of the Chewed Soap? Yes! Somebody chewed the bar of soap in the bathtub. Evidently, it must have tasted good since each consecutive bar of soap was also symmetrically chewed all the way around! To this day however, no one knows who actually did it.
When the matter eventually came to our Dad's attention, an extensive interrogation took place. I was only approximately 5 years old. My little brother, at 1 or less would have been far too young to have even climbed into the tub on his own. The culprit had to be one of the remaining siblings, including myself. The interrogation is vivid in my memory.
"Now," said Dad, "We know I didn't do it. And we know Mom didn't do it. Your little brother didn't do it. So, which one of you did?" Each of us adamantly denied that we had done the crime.
Dad continued from there. "This didn't have to be a big deal, but now it is because somebody is lying. Who was it?" Still no progress.
I'm not sure what five-year-old has not had a reputation for lying, or exaggerating extensively to say the least. I was no exception. As I recall, I had a terrible reputation in this area. It was this fault of mine, I believe, which led to me being convicted of the crime. At last, I "admitted" to chewing the soap.
To my knowledge and memory however, I did not chew the soap. Since I admitted to it however (my first lie in the case) everyone thought for several years after that I had done it. (I eventually decided that enough time had elapsed for me to tell the truth safely. It was safe, it's now practically a family joke.) Perhaps, in heaven, we will find out the true culprit.
It is likely that most of you are saying to yourselves at this point, "Big deal, what's the point?" Contemplating this recently, I realized, all at once, that this incident in my life led me to become a more honest person. Ten year's later, I have quite a decent reputation for honesty. Not to say I'm perfect in that area-that would be a lie. Nevertheless, I believe that as I was standing in that corner ten years ago, I decided, subconsciously, to become more honest. Today, having a good reputation for honesty has made it unlikely for me to be accused for something I haven't done. Subconsciously, I determined that it would be far better to be punished for something I really had done, but that it be best to just not do it.
So, tomorrow, while you're eating your cheerios and thinking about a lie, don't lie. Tell the truth instead. A lie will get you nothing except the wrath of God and man, while the "truth will set you free." The freedom of a clear conscience is fantastic. Not only is it unlikely that parental punishment will be great when you tell the truth, but you have the great reward of knowing that you have done the right thing. Proverbs 22:1 says "A good name (reputation) is rather to be chosen than great riches..."
(This has been Fountain of Thoughts. Tune in next time to read: A Day in the Life of:---)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tidbits of Texas
Who would have thought that a state as conservative as Texas would have a governor named Hogg? Well, maybe that's not so strange. But, on the other hand, couldn't he have named his daughter something other than Ima! It's true. Ima Hogg, who later gave herself the name Ima Imogene Hogg, was born in 1882 to James Stephen "Big Jim" Hogg. Big Jim later became the Texas state Attorney General and in 1889 was elected the 20th governor of Texas. Big Jim had a reputation for being what we today would call "a card." One day, the former governor went to get his shoes shined. They were shined by an Italian. Not in the mood for talking, Big Jim decided to pretend he was deaf and dumb. It worked. The Italian stopped talking. Legend has it that Ima had a sister named Ura Hogg. Legend however, has been proved false. Ima Hogg went on in her father's footsteps and made a name for herself as a benovolent lady. She never married but said she received over 30 proposals! Ima lived to be nearly a hundred and died not all that long ago in 1975.
Ah, Texas! Home on the Range! And home of some of the best tall tales in the world. There goes good ol' Pecos Bill. His rope sailing through the air as he rides a tornado across the state and finally hogties it down in Kansas! Could you do the same? I suspect that those tornado chasers I hear about would love to speak with ol' Pecos Bill, but, this time, they're out'a luck. Pecos Bill is long gone. And all that is left of him is the stories and tales which stand tall in your local library. And they get taller every time they're told!
Who could talk about Texas without talking about animals? Texas, as would any other state, would be incomplete without it's fauna. One might expect that the animal chosen to be glorified in this post would be the longhorn steer. This, however, is not the case. On the contrary, most Texans probably don't know that they have such an unusual rabbit living in their state. If they did know, they would probably attribute it to the greatness of their state. Yes, the Texas rabbit has been endowed in the more recent years with an abnormal amount of courage. Courage! in a rabbit! This courage is evidenced in a unique manner. It so happened, as certain Texans were sitting on their back porch, (or something) that they privileged to see one of these unique rabbits in action. At the same time, they saw what would normally be a rabbit's mortal enemy: a snake; and a large one too. But no, the rabbit did not run away! On the contrary, the Texas rabbit went towards the snake! When the snake, (whether venomous or not is uncertain) struck at the rabbit. The rabbit bounced, and...Returned for More! Naturally, the snake struck again. Was the rabbit daunted? No! This amazing Texas rabbit got around the snake to the tail end and started biting. Not long afterward, the snake was seen retreating in full flight; the rabbit following quickly afterward. The story began with the snake having the upper hand. The story ends with the snake in the branches of a tree approximately 2 feet up! Yes, truly, Texas rabbits have been endowed with a marvelous amount of courage.
(This has been: Tidbits of Texas! tune in nexttime to read the first in the series: Fountain of Thoughts!)
Ah, Texas! Home on the Range! And home of some of the best tall tales in the world. There goes good ol' Pecos Bill. His rope sailing through the air as he rides a tornado across the state and finally hogties it down in Kansas! Could you do the same? I suspect that those tornado chasers I hear about would love to speak with ol' Pecos Bill, but, this time, they're out'a luck. Pecos Bill is long gone. And all that is left of him is the stories and tales which stand tall in your local library. And they get taller every time they're told!
Who could talk about Texas without talking about animals? Texas, as would any other state, would be incomplete without it's fauna. One might expect that the animal chosen to be glorified in this post would be the longhorn steer. This, however, is not the case. On the contrary, most Texans probably don't know that they have such an unusual rabbit living in their state. If they did know, they would probably attribute it to the greatness of their state. Yes, the Texas rabbit has been endowed in the more recent years with an abnormal amount of courage. Courage! in a rabbit! This courage is evidenced in a unique manner. It so happened, as certain Texans were sitting on their back porch, (or something) that they privileged to see one of these unique rabbits in action. At the same time, they saw what would normally be a rabbit's mortal enemy: a snake; and a large one too. But no, the rabbit did not run away! On the contrary, the Texas rabbit went towards the snake! When the snake, (whether venomous or not is uncertain) struck at the rabbit. The rabbit bounced, and...Returned for More! Naturally, the snake struck again. Was the rabbit daunted? No! This amazing Texas rabbit got around the snake to the tail end and started biting. Not long afterward, the snake was seen retreating in full flight; the rabbit following quickly afterward. The story began with the snake having the upper hand. The story ends with the snake in the branches of a tree approximately 2 feet up! Yes, truly, Texas rabbits have been endowed with a marvelous amount of courage.
(This has been: Tidbits of Texas! tune in nexttime to read the first in the series: Fountain of Thoughts!)
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