Disclaimer on HonorThis treatise in no way seeks to degrade the honor of the men and women in military communities around the world, who serve with integrity and commitment. It is, instead, an exploration of a culture that venerates sacrifice, particularly the sacrifice of its young to the gods of war. Introduction Those who believe […]
It’s a difficult day for me – 9/11. My niece, whose birthday was Sept. 11, died suddenly in 2020 just months before her 60th birthday. Also heartbreaking, remembering the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 on the America I love. So, my thoughts are on our nation today. My grandfather, Peter R. Slingsby, immigrated to the […]
Whether you’re celebrating at a picnic, barbecue, rally, football game, or work, happy Labor Day. Sunday I went to our local Olympia Harbor Days celebration that’s always scheduled for Labor Day weekend. It was cloudy, so my photos aren’t as good as the years where there’s nice blue sky. Thankfully, we had only a sprinkle […]
For the last few weeks, I’ve been working on organizing my historical family photos. About 10 years ago, I had around 200 photos scanned. I named and dated about a third of them. The rest are numbered. I paused the project until I could buy a good scanner so I could scan the rest of […]
Labor Day these days is all about beaches, barbecues, games such as baseball, football, and volleyball, and shopping. It’s also a great weekend for travel. This year, 57 percent of Americans plan to travel for Labor Day weekend, more than 150 million will enjoy a barbecue or picnic, and thousands will attend a college football […]
Photo: Adam Cuerden When I was growing up, the hour-glass figure in women was idolized. When articles were written about beauty queens, they gave their measurements. The ideal was 36-inch bust, 24-inch waist, and 36-inch waist. As a teen, I had the 24-inch waist, but not the other ones. When Barbie dolls came along in […]
The Fourth of July is all about red, white, and blue to celebrate the country’s birthday, the 248th this year. What are some ways Americans celebrate the holiday? Many families host or join a family or neighborhood event. Some examples include: picnicking or barbecuing with family and/or friends or enjoying outdoor activities such as hiking, […]
Many of us thought and may still think of the ’60s as a time of change, but there was a conservative element that was present in the decade. We tend to forget that the sixties had a strong conservative element. The 1960s was a time of significant cultural, social, and political change in the United […]
Although Mother’s Day is highly commercialized, I like remembering my mom on this special day and I enjoy visiting with my daughters over WhatsApp. Maybe next year, I’ll be able to travel to Spain again in May. Since my birthday is May 4 and my daughter’s is May 23, we have so much fun celebrating […]
Today’s my birthday. Yes, I do get a lot of “May the Fourth be with you” comments. I just shrug it off that my birthday, to some, is an unofficial Star Wars holiday. Since I’m an older adult, I’m thinking a lot today about friends and relatives that I’ve celebrated birthdays with in the past […]