Photo Credit Author’s Note: This story, written in the month of March, is about a band of hardy librarians, mostly women, who made it possible for folks in far eastern rural corners of the Appalachian Mountains, to have access to books during the Great Depression years. But the month of March also honors America’s National […]
Photo Credit March: National Women’s History Month Women’s History Month is an annual declared month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. It is celebrated during March in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, corresponding with International Women’s Day on March 8. Perhaps you didn’t realize there is a […]
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Judy Schweitzer Bitter Tears by Johnny Cash In the 1970s, Johnny Cash’s interest and compassion for the stories of the American Indian (as they were called in that era) grew, as the public became more aware of an activist group known as AIM ( American Indian Movement). Johnny recorded an album […]
In The Beginning There Was Francis… Francis Albert Sinatra, born on December 12, 1915, in an upstairs tenement in Hoboken, New Jersey, would grow up to be a force to be reckoned with in America’s music industry. No one knew that yet and his birth certainly didn’t signify that kind of success. He weighed […]
Why Do We Celebrate Independence Day? Perhaps you’ve been asked what’s the reason for celebrating Independence Day or the 4th of July. I’m sure most of us say, “That’s the day we received our freedom from English rule,” or something along those lines. It’s true that our nation declared its freedom on July 4, 1776, […]
John Wesley Hardin, Bad or Misunderstood? John Wesley Hardin was born near Bonham, Texas on May 26, 1853 to parents James “Gip” Hardin and Mary Elizabeth Dixson. Hardin’s father was a Methodist preacher, and in those days, preachers often had huge territories to cover to save souls, so they were known as “circuit riders.” In […]
A Visit to Death Valley: Unlike Any Other Place on Earth All photos courtesy of Judy Schweitzer, from our family album, unless otherwise indicated. Death Valley is a composite of oddities and anomalies that covers an area of about 3,000 square miles of otherworldly views and scenery that may make you feel as though […]
My Funny Motorcycle Ride Author’s Note: This was written when I was 64 years old. I’t’s now over 15 years since this ride, but given the opportunity, I’d still hop on that motorcycle in the blink of an eye.You might not think riding a motorcycle is funny, but it certainly can become that way when […]
Photo Credit A Light Bulb Burning For 115 Years? In a Livermore, California firehouse, hangs a bare bulb, now known as The Centennial Light. It’s burned almost continuously for 115 years. Impossible? Yes it is now, but it wasn’t when the bulb was originally made by Shelby Electric. True, it doesn’t shine as brightly now […]
