History

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History: gossip well told.
~Elbert Hubbard, The Roycroft Dictionary

The history of the world is the record of a man in quest of his daily bread and butter.
~Hendrik Wilhelm van Loon, The Story of Mankind

History never looks like history when you are living through it. ~John W. Gardner

Each time history repeats itself, the price goes up.
~Author Unknown

History: An account mostly false, of events mostly unimportant, which are brought about by rulers mostly knaves, and soldiers mostly fools.
~Ambrose Bierce, The Devil’s Dictionary

Every age has a keyhole to which its eye is pasted.
~Mary McCarthy, On the Contrary

The past actually happened but history is only what someone wrote down.
~A. Whitney Brown, The Big Picture

History is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren’t there.
~George Santayana

Every great writer is a writer of history, let him treat on almost any subject he may. ~Walter Savage Landor, Imaginary Conversation: Diogenes and Plato
History is not the past, but a map of the past drawn from a particular point of view to be useful to the modern traveler.
~Henry Glassie

History is the open Bible: we historians are not priests to expound it infallibly: our function is to teach people to read it and to reflect upon it for themselves.
~George Macaulay Trevelyan

Delusion about history is a serious matter; it can gravely affect the history that is waiting to be made.
~John Terraine

History supplies little beyond a list of those who have accommodated themselves with the property of others.
~Voltaire, Philosophical Dictionary

Shaker Settlement

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This Shaker Site was the first permanent Shaker settlement in the United States. It was settled by Mother Ann Lee in 1776 when she leased 700 acres in what is now known as Colonie.

The Meeting House, pictured, dates back to 1848 and the Barn complex to 1915.

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Washing House

 

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Fenced Herb Garden to left, small outbuilding in foreground

 

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The creek

 

The quintessential Shaker philosophy is Hands to work, hearts to G-d.

The Shakers are known for their value in the simplicity of life and doing the works of G-d. Simple Gifts is a frequently sung hymn or dance. I was required to play this on the Lap Dulcimer in college.

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Click here for more information on visiting this history location.

Henry Johnson, Medal of Honor Recipient, 2015

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Watch it live here at 11:15am:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/president-obama-awards-sergeant-william-shemin-and-army-private-henry-johnson-medal-honor

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These are photos that I took about three years ago on a visit to Washington Park in Albany, NY of the Henry Johnson Monument, commemorating the bravery and valor displayed by Sgt. Johnson during his service in World War I.

Later today at the White House, President Obama will award two posthumous Medal of Honors, one to Sgt. William Shemin (who was Jewish) and one to Sgt. Henry Johnson, both of whom fought in France during WWI.

Henry Johnson was born in 1897 in Virginia and moved to Albany, New York in his teens. He enlisted in the all Black National Guard unit, which was called up in the 19-teens. Because of racial tensions and white soldiers’ refusal to work alongside Black soldiers (even though all were Americans), General Pershing authorized their loan to the French government where Henry Johnson fought valiantly and unendingly. He fought off a 20 person raiding party of Germans. That is such a watered down one-sentence does-not-give-it-justice summary of the real story.

The French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre for his service and selfless bravery. He was the first American soldier to receive the Croix de Guerre with star and Gold Palm in World War I.

He was finally awarded the Purple Heart in 1996 by President Bill Clinton and the Distinguished Cross in 2003 was awarded to his son on his behalf. Sgt. Johnson’s son, Herman Johnson was one of the famed Tuskegee Airmen.

It was thought that Henry was buried in a pauper’s grave in Albany after his death in 1929, but is buried in Arlington Cemetery, and that, as they say, is also another story.

Finally, President Obama is rectifying a wrong almost one hundred years old.

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Find more information at these links:

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/henry-johnson.htm

http://news10.com/2015/06/01/harlem-hellfighters-visit-henry-johnsons-grave-ahead-of-medal-of-honor-ceremony/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2015/06/01/it-took-97-years-to-get-these-soldiers-the-medal-of-honor-heres-how-it-happened/

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/us/two-world-war-i-soldiers-to-posthumously-receive-medal-of-honor.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0&referrer=

Intro to History

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If you asked my kids what their feelings on history is, I’m pretty sure they’d answer: “Don’t care,” “Hate it,” “Eh” in that order.

However if you asked child #1 what she thinks of poodle skirts or headbands of the seventies, she’d be on Google faster than The Flash.

If you asked child #2 about the first comic book ever printed, or who holds the record for the most breakouts of Arkham Asylum, he’d tell you. In infinite detail.

My third child could tell you the history of his fire department, and if you asked him the difference between a pumper truck and a medical unit, he’d know.

History is one of those things that we either love it or we don’t know we love it. All three of them are blase about their social studies and history classes, but ask them about something they’re interested in, and they can give you the rundown from ancient times until the present day, up until the point you cry ‘uncle’ or lose yourself in their droning.

My love of history is primarily American and European focused with more interest on the American Revolution and Civil War and the Middle Ages, respectively. I’ve studied the history of language, of writing, of The Celts, Law, Drinks, the Civil Rights Movement, Catholic Church, and quite frankly the list goes on and on. I’ve made historically accurate garments, made and ate historically accurate food, played games, brewed and infused, embroidered, etc.

With the seventy-first anniversary of D-Day approaching at the end of the week, I thought we would take a peek this week at our own views of history: what we think of it, what we think of as history, which histories we’re interested in learning more about, plus some reading recommendations that I’ve personally found enlightening and of course, interesting.

Let’s start with our usual Monday prompt:

Think about your view of history. If you like/love it, great! Which is your favorite historical period? If you don’t like it, think about what you do like and if you might be interested in how it came to be.

Other prompts for this week to think about:

Your State’s (City’s/Town’s/Etc.) History

Family History – who are you named for? Why? What happened to that person? How did your parents meet? What’s your first memory?

When was your house built? Talk about that time period and what your street/community might have looked like.

What’s your favorite hobby? Who started that? How long have you been doing it? How long have others been doing it? (Remember this one for next week’s theme of collections.)

Beau Biden (1969-2015)

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I’m sad to post that earlier tonight, Beau Biden died. He was the son of Vice President Joe Biden. He had brain cancer and died surrounded by his family. There really aren’t words when someone as good and decent as Beau dies, and it’s only compounded by his being only 46 and leaving behind two children. I was open to admiring Beau because of how long I’d followed his father in politics. Joe is a man that I have long respected, and Beau earned his own respect through his work as Attorney General (of Delaware).

One organization that I learned about from Beau Biden is the Darkness to Light Foundation whose mission is to empower people to prevent child sexual abuse.

The Washington Post has a story about his passing.

Summer Recs

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1. Sunscreen. Spray on sunscreen is amazing for keeping kids’ skin healthy. Neutrogena is also a great product that is good for your skin. Don’t forget the lips, nose, and ears.

2. Sunglasses for outside, and a sweater for inside.

3. Visit your local library. They have super summer programs for all ages, and on those really brutal days, they also have air conditioning.

4. GishwheS – the first week of August. (Or other creative endeavour that you’ve been thinking of trying.)

5. Create a summer tote-bag. Include a journal and a pen, some colored pencils, a camera, a book you haven’t read yet, a couple of local postcards to send to the friends you miss or to Grandma or your favorite aunt and uncle or cousin.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN. Each day is a new one, and you have the chance for something spectacular. Or just simply for relaxing. I’ll post my own summer tote-bag’s contents when it’s closer to summer.

Why Don’t I Like Carol?

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When we meet Carol Peletier we can see that her husband is domineering, she’s easily apologetic and it is clear that she is Sophia’s prime caregiver. We have no idea what they’ve done for a living, but she seems to be a homemaker and he is certainly ready for some kind of dystopian world. They have plenty of supplies and he doesn’t want to share. This could be survival, but it can also be selfish douche; maybe he’s a hoarder. Or paranoid. Whatever it is she doesn’t argue the point and immediately goes to apologize to Lori as if she made a mistake. Lori senses something and let’s it go, herself apologizing to Carol.

At the end of season 5, we have a complete turnaround. She is no longer the mild-mannered, quiet follower that we first met. In fact, she has a contempt for those types of people. In Alexandria, she calls them children. If those were the only two episodes you watched, you’d find the change startling.

My husband told me when (not if, but when) I started watching The Walking Dead, I would love Carol. I would love her story arc, her character development, how she goes from Stepford wife, mother, and abuse victim to badass survivor and leader equal to Michonne or any of them. Once I began to watch, I tried; I really tried to like her, but my animosity towards her is almost equal to hers for the Alexandrians.

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Quotation – Summertime

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In winter I get up at night
And dress by yellow candle-light.
In summer quite the other way
I have to go to bed by day.

-Robert Louis Stevenson

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.

-John Steinbeck

The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

-Author unknown, commonly misattributed to Mark Twain