tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33274308848644933782024-02-07T12:03:05.172-05:00Under the MaplesWelcome to Under the Maples. The old adage, “you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl,” applies to me. I live in a concrete jungle today, but I grew up “under the maples.” While I enjoy many of the more cosmopolitan aspects of city living, I’m still most at home where there are more trees and grass than concrete and steel. In these pages I’ll be talking about anything that strikes my fancy, but expect to find an emphasis on history and genealogy.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-78674975662082852922023-10-14T19:40:00.000-04:002023-10-14T19:40:06.856-04:00Worth the Price of Admission - Runaway Jury<p>John Grisham tells good stories and they adapt well to the screen. John Cusack and Rachel Weisz both seem to have a knack for picking interesting projects. There are three reasons to see this movie about a court case where the widow of a victim of gun violence takes aim at the gun manufacturer and in which the jury is taken over by an outside party, also touched by gun violence. Here's the gravy...watching Gene Hackman and Dustin Hoffman square off. I was struck by the magic created by these two solid veterans of the industry going head-to-head. </p>Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-12964806715540053452017-11-10T15:43:00.001-05:002017-11-10T15:43:57.929-05:00A Slice of Chicago Life - FallA friend of mine is going to Chicago on business, but will have just one day to do the town. It's a tough time of year to visit Chicago. Nice because the summer tourists are gone. A guessing game because of the weather. If we're in the midst of a nice Indian summer, it's fantastic. Otherwise, well, let's just say, the marathoner's are the only people who don't mind it when it's 40 degrees in October. My mother has been visiting me for years, and says she still hasn't seen all of the city. When you only have a day for "touring," what to do is entirely dependent on what you want to know about the City. For a slice of Chicago life, visit Lincoln Park.<br />
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Lincoln Park runs for several miles along the lakefront. There are beaches, harbors, lagoons, bike paths and lots of sports fields. Residents flock to the park whenever the weather is the least bit nice. There's something for everyone in Lincoln Park. Start your tour at the south end of the park at the <a href="http://www.chicagohistory.org/" target="_blank">Chicago History Museum</a>. Home to the Chicago Historical Society, there is exhibition space, a research facility, and a variety of public programming, including tours. Chicago has a rich and vibrant history and the CHS tells the city's story from its founding as a small frontier outpost through the Great Fire of 1871 and the 1893 Columbian Exposition through the city's more recent cultural and economic evolution.<br />
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Head north to the <a href="http://www.greencitymarket.org/" target="_blank">Green City Market</a>. The Green City Market operates year round. From May through October they have an outdoor venue. When the temperatures drop in November they'll move north and operate out of a space in the Nature Museum, also in Lincoln Park. Fruits, vegetables, flowers, dairy, beef, and even locally produced baked goods can be found here.<br />
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Next stop, the <a href="http://www.lpzoo.org/" target="_blank">Lincoln Park Zoo</a>. For years, I lived within walking distance of this little gem. The staff is friendly and some of the residents are real characters. There are usually a few babies around too. They have a "Farm-in-the-Zoo." Great for Chicago kids, who might not otherwise get to experience what goes on at a farm. A few years ago they built a new enclosure for their great apes. It's fantastic! Lots of a natural light, indoor and outdoor space, toys...it's nicer than my apartment. I was down there one day last winter after a snow and the chimps were going outside and making snow cones. When it first opened there were rumors that the gorillas had air guns that they could fire at visitors. I've never seen any evidence of those, but that tells you a little bit about their personalities. The zoo also offers seasonal programming, concerts in the summer, Halloween for the kids, and holiday programming between Thanksgiving and Christmas.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/lincoln-park-conservatory/" target="_blank">Lincoln Park Conservatory </a>consists of the conservatory, a lily pond, and outdoor formal gardens and sits next to the zoo. Artists flock to the gardens when the weather is nice and everything is in bloom. Locals hang out in the conservatory on weekend mornings in the winter when they need to "escape" from winter in Chicago.<br />
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Cross Fullerton Avenue and visit the <a href="http://www.naturemuseum.org/" target="_blank">Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum</a>. This museum has always seemed geared to the younger set, but I've thoroughly enjoyed the couple of visits that I have made. Run by the Chicago Academy of Sciences, the Museum looks at natural history locally. My favorite part is the "Judy Istock Butterfly Haven." The Museum is also the winter home of the Green City Market. <br />
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The park continues north along lakefront for several miles and is more traditional park consisting of marinas, beaches, green space, tennis courts, ball fields, soccer fields, bike paths, even a driving range. Thanks for joining me.<br />
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<br />Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-30878205150927505862016-11-11T07:00:00.000-05:002017-11-10T14:00:11.014-05:00Dear Veterans, Many Thanks<div>
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"The moon gives you light,</div>
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And the bugles and the drums give you music,</div>
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And my heart, O my soldiers, my veterans,</div>
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My heart gives you love."</div>
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from "Dirge for Two Veterans" from <i>Leaves of Grass</i> by Walt Whitman. Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-54898451928404924462015-07-03T22:11:00.000-04:002015-07-03T22:11:00.708-04:00Great Reads – Women Who Broke the Rules Series by Kathleen Krull<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a>I am so loving
this new series for young readers by Kathleen Krull. The first four
volumes came out in June:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Judy Blume: Are You There, Reader? It's Me, Judy!</li>
<li>Sacajawea: Lewis and Clark Would Be Lost without Me</li>
<li>Sonia Sotomayor: I'll Be the Judge of That!</li>
<li>Dolley Madison: Parties Can Be Patriotic!</li>
</ul>
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And they are delightful. </div>
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I was particularly taken with the Judy Blume volume. I came of age with <i>Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing; </i>A<i>re You There God? It's Me, Margaret; Then Again, Maybe I Won't; Forever.</i> By the time she hit the books stores, I was already so far beyond children's books that I was reading stories well beyond my experience so I devoured the books written for girls my age about the issues we were confronting. It never occurred to me that she was a charting a new course that would change the face of young people's literature. Thank you, Judy!</div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Sacajawea and Dolley Madison volumes are age appropriate and provide a good introduction to both of these outstanding women of history.<br />
<br />
I have less context to evaluate the Sonia Sotomayor volume, but on the basis of the others, there's no reason to suspect that it is not just as well done.</div>
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Country Girl in the City is patiently waiting for more (and I understand that there are at least two more already in the works, although a publication date hasn't been released).</div>
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Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-78509630672689161082015-06-26T21:55:00.000-04:002015-06-26T21:55:00.721-04:00Great Reads – Positively Beautiful by Wendy Mills<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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It has been a very long time since a
book has sent me this kind of emotional journey. Sure, I laugh out
loud at the antics of Stephanie Plum and I get misty eyed when hearts
get broken during a good read, but Wendy Mills took me way beyond. I was actually sobbing at one point. The dust jacket says,</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0.5in;">
“Summoning
courage she never knew she had. Erin embarks on a journey from the
depths of frustration and despair to the heights of freedom and
acceptance in a thought-provoking story about life, death, and
difficult choices along the way.”</div>
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<br />
</div>
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The reader must also summon some
courage. This story<i> </i>is, in a word, ok, two words -- gut
wrenching. <i>Positively Beautiful</i> carefully crafts Erin's story and where it could easily become maudlin, Erin and her mother dig deep and find strength in the their love for one another. It's lovely and heartbreaking. Make sure you have you the tissue nearby.</div>
Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-4551175866238015562015-06-12T06:00:00.000-04:002015-06-12T06:00:01.441-04:00Great Reads - Inherit Midnight by Kate Kae Myers<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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This may be my absolute favorite of my
winter reads, but I certainly didn’t think that at the beginning of
this adventure, and I do mean adventure. Above all, <i>Inherit
Midnight</i> is an adventure story. The story follows 17-year old
Avery, the black sheep of an obscenely wealthy family who was raised
by her grandmother, the family matriarch. Avery's grandmother decides that
instead leaving her heirs to squabble over her will, she’s going to
give it all away before she goes. She creates a worldwide scavenger
hunt through the family’s history. The competition includes three
cousins that have never had much use for Avery, and vice versa; her
half-brother, whom she doesn’t really know; and two uncles, who
will stop at nothing including sabotaging their own children. After
each event, an heir is eliminated. Last heir standing gets it all.
One word of caution – don’t give up on this story. I thought it
started rather slowly and almost walked away not once, but twice.
Sticking around was definitely worth it.</div>
Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-76371323327472220622015-06-05T05:30:00.001-04:002015-06-05T05:30:00.116-04:00I'm Reading - Renée Watson's This Side of Home<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<i>This Side of Home</i> is a story of growth and change. Nikki and Maya are identical twins each of which has always functioned as one-half of a whole unit. They are now high school seniors. Looking forward to moving away from home and going to college, together. But a lot can change in a year. As the sisters’ paths diverge, they learn that they are whole individuals and that their familial bond is not lessened by that fact. Just the opposite, Watson has set the story in neighborhood undergoing gentrification, so their family relationships are the most stable thing about the story. Everything else is shifting around them, their friends, their community, their futures. </div>
Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-83490491825250084672015-05-29T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-29T05:00:00.528-04:00I’m Reading - Cindy L. Rodriquez's When Reason Breaks<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Two girls—one seemingly with
everything going for her; the other, not—both find solace and
meaning in the poems of Emily Dickinson. One point of commonality for
them is the English teacher that introduces them to the poet. There
are others that the reader will discover as the story unfolds.
Rodriquez seamlessly weaves through the school year telling their
parallel stories until they become one in the surprising conclusion.
You’ve heard the old saying, never judge a book by its cover,
neither girl is what they seem to be and while Rodriquez hints at the
plot twist that leads to the story’s conclusion, you still don’t
see it coming. I was as surprised as the English teacher.</div>
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Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-38493569043139955522015-05-28T05:00:00.000-04:002015-05-28T05:00:01.678-04:00The Winter of YA Literature<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
Winter 2014 was a brutal one here in
Chicago and so I retreated to the land of “beach books.” Just
about everything I read that winter took place on the beach and in
the summer. Winter 2015, I escaped into the world of YA books.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I’d been turning my nose up at the
genre thinking of the books that were available to me at that age and
inwardly groaning. While talking to my mother on the phone one night, I mentioned that I felt like I had gone straight from
Winnie-the-Pooh to and John Steinbeck. At which point she informed me
that (1) it was Winnie-the-Pooh to Jack London and (2) I was only in
the second grade. Her point being that today’s world of YA didn’t
exist when I was a middle grade/YA reader. So I decided to give them a shot.
And did I find some winners!</div>
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Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing of some of my favorites.</div>
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Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-48484969257745124082013-01-27T23:38:00.001-05:002013-01-27T23:38:11.499-05:00Can a national chain really meet the needs of an individual community?This is a question that I think about more and more as I watch the unfolding "bookstore wars." I always resisted the labeling of Border's as the big, bad chain store. Nobody ever seems to mention that they started out as an independent bookseller. As a point of fact, they were my independent bookseller. I spent a lot of time (and money) in their State Street storefront during my years in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Right up until the bitter end, going into a Border's was a little bit like going home. <br />
<br />
So were they a big, bad chain store? Maybe. Or maybe not, as they no more.<br />
<br />Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-14536641342074147322012-10-23T22:00:00.000-04:002015-05-27T21:21:16.309-04:00I'm Reading - Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi<i>Reading Lolita in Tehran</i> is one of those books that whenever I see it I think, "Wow, I bet that's really interesting. I'm going to read that one of these days." Well, these days are here. And it is interesting, but even more impactful than that, I'm finding it more than a little bit scary. It's an insider's look at the evolution of a culture once known for the progressive roles that women played to their subjugation to a totalitarian regime.<br />
<br />
So how does half the population lose their civil rights...their humanity...themselves? Slowly, innocently. "Mr. Bahri could not understand why we were making such a fuss over a piece of cloth,"<sup>1</sup> in reference to one man's bafflement over Prof. Nafisi's refusal to wear a veil while teaching. Not long before she was expelled from the university, Nafisi reflects, "for a few months I had seen it coming, but I think it was that day, after I left Mr. Bahri and his friend, that it first hit me how irrelevant I had become."<sup>2</sup> Nafisi goes on the relate that "Because of women's overwhelming objection to the laws, the government enforced the new rule first in the workplaces and later in shops, which were forbidden from transacting with unveiled women."<sup>3</sup> <br />
<br />
"The problem for me was that I had lost all concept of terms such as <i>home, service</i> and <i>country."</i><sup>4</sup> Being a very active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution whose motto is "God, Home and Country," this is the sentence that made me afraid, for me, my fellow Daughters and for my country. I cannot conceive of losing the meaning of these words.<br />
<br />
Could it happen here? Have you been to the airport lately? How many times have you been searched, felt violated, and been told "well if you have nothing to hide, what's the big deal?" Are you afraid yet? ... You should be. I no longer fly. My excuse is that I'm under doctor's orders. The reality is that I find airport operations offensive, stressful, even degrading. So why do I use an excuse? I've found that it upsets people when I tell them I won't condone the behavior of those who infringe on my constitutional rights. It's not a little thing and it's not ok. Am I caving to the pressure? By hiding behind medical advice, have I now become a part of the problem? Will we be able to show the same courage to stand for
what is right that our forefathers did during the American Revolution? <br />
<br />
<br />
*************<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>1</sup></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Nafisi, Azar, <i>Readling Lolita in Tehran,</i> (New York: Random House, 2003), p. 164.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>2</sup>Ibid, p. 165.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>3</sup>Ibid, p. 167.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><sup>4</sup>Ibid, p. 169.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-17516729676539220802012-02-02T15:57:00.001-05:002012-02-02T15:57:00.744-05:00Great Reads - Rob Simbeck's Daughter of the AirNashville deb ferries planes for the U.S. Army. How can you not read it?<br />
<br />
A young woman from a privileged Nashville home struggles to find her place in the world, and she does, in the cockpit of an airplane. Her career is astounding. Cornelia Fort was living in Hawaii and working as a flight instructor in 1941. On December 7, while in the air with a student, she witnessed the attack on Pearl Harbor. She went on to become one of the first women of the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron ferrying U.S. military aircraft around the country during World War II. Tragically, she was killed in the line of duty in March 1943. She was 24. A short, yet remarkable life.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-82647732207758984562012-01-26T15:03:00.008-05:002012-01-26T15:03:00.074-05:00I'm reading - State of Wonder by Ann PatchettI had never heard of Ann Patchett until the news broke that she was opening a bookstore in Nashville, after the city lost two of it's biggest booksellers. Shortly after, <i>State of Wonder</i> popped up on one of the 10 best lists that I follow. Coincidence? Maybe, but I took it as a sign. And what luck. <i>State of Wonder</i> is a wonderfully written tale of pharmacologist who steps way, way outside of her comfort zone in an effort to comfort the wife of a missing colleague who doesn't believe that her husband is dead. Sometimes it pays to read a book that outside your own reading zone.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-12307779731170557152012-01-01T21:48:00.000-05:002012-01-01T21:48:47.235-05:00Happy New Year!!Farewell 2011. Welcome 2012! And I'm off to a very unproductive start. The flip side of that is I'm calm and relaxed, if feeling a bit guilty. I spent the day all comfy in my sweats and had a movie marathon and a rather eclectic mix it turned out to be. First up, an indulgence in the A&E version of <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>followed by <i>Evita, Moulin Rouge, </i>and <i>Sliding Doors.</i> <br />
<br />
This year will be a period of transition and renewal as I continue to try and figure out what exactly it is that I want to do with my life. You'd think I would have figured it out by now, but I'm feeling strangely unsettled. What will the new year bring?Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-47822594228933352192011-12-12T14:15:00.002-05:002011-12-12T14:15:01.496-05:00FearAn interesting emotion. It can save lives (authentic) or destroy them (inauthentic). It can be in your face or attack so subtly that you don't realize it for weeks, months, even years.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-47679622395178348272011-12-08T17:01:00.003-05:002011-12-08T17:01:00.545-05:00DisappointmentDisappointment comes in many shapes and forms. The most hurtful may well be when a friend turns on you. Are you ever able to let go? How do you move on when you still have to share with this person? When you have mutual friends? Do you divide them up like books? Are there any answers?Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-82120932105409634412011-12-06T17:03:00.003-05:002023-10-12T12:49:44.842-04:00BentleyI wish you could meet Bentley. He's one of the big reasons I still enjoy putting pen to paper. He's sleek and just glides across the paper leaving a trail of ink. He's not any louder than the clicking of keys, but he's not quiet either. There's a soft scratching sound that he makes when he's in action...It reminds me of my Dad's office.<br />
<br />
Maybe part of my adoration for him is nostalgia. No matter. He's still my Bentley. Is it strange that my favorite pen has a name? I don't seem to mind that he's high maintenance--cleaning, rinsing, refilling--he's worth it. Every time I clean him out I go through a period where I just have to write with him. My journal is filled with<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country," </i></div><br />
and<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dogs."</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-46599285997067881122011-12-05T09:39:00.002-05:002011-12-05T09:39:00.639-05:00TimeTime. Why is it that there never seems to be enough of it? Are our lives really too busy? Or do we just have time management issues? Until recently, I would have said the later, but lately, I'm starting to wonder. I find myself these days with "extra" time on my hands. As I've set about taking on some projects to fill that time, I find myself not having enough. Am I overextended? Have I become so accustomed to not having enough that I can't function unless I feel that I'm crunched for time? My to-do list keeps getting shorter, but I don't have any more time. What is this mysterious concept? Why do I feel enslaved to it? How do I make it stop?Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-34714689759215716472011-12-03T18:32:00.000-05:002011-12-03T18:32:02.397-05:00Hopes and Shattered Dreams: Remembering DallasEerie...this event that I've heard people talk about my entire life and now I'm here in the place where it happened. Forty-five years and there are still no answers. Some of the road signs are gone, others have changed, but overall Dealey Plaza is essentially the same as it was in November of 1963, the collonades, built by the WPA between 1938 and 1940, the wooden fence on the top of the grassy knoll, and overlooking it all, the old Texas School Book Depository. Some of the views have become obscured, the trees are 45 years older after all, but many remain. The 6th floor sniper's nest, now part of the <a href="http://www.jfk.org/">Sixth Floor Museum</a>, has been plexied off and stacked with boxes to give you the illusion that it is a place frozen in time.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-4tOlG_h1-h0llyLK9ajw3LdoeRrX9Vj5OqsizO3uqLJNhO6Meu969kAy4QwTMRLjrBRP2sN3Cxvf-c59SNwTtWlJs-fD9XQRFAqDvuDByed9n0EZQ3iUQvIQiGOY5fFGifO6hKOHW0/s1600/2011-12-03_TSBD-sniper%2527s-ne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI-4tOlG_h1-h0llyLK9ajw3LdoeRrX9Vj5OqsizO3uqLJNhO6Meu969kAy4QwTMRLjrBRP2sN3Cxvf-c59SNwTtWlJs-fD9XQRFAqDvuDByed9n0EZQ3iUQvIQiGOY5fFGifO6hKOHW0/s200/2011-12-03_TSBD-sniper%2527s-ne.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floors 5-7,Texas School Book Depository</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39cU-O90zX_ZUTT6WuCy0ZoWYIKrDYH-OU9WKY_FDJ-6letlj5JCnwe6gGa2n4p2W6yr3YoR3c8H2zuDm8xsda_etQYwuOie3kZoex5TCBlMso5siPgAYRTmw5JOY1BL-fd8jfyW51z8/s1600/2011-12-03_grassy-knoll-Dealey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg39cU-O90zX_ZUTT6WuCy0ZoWYIKrDYH-OU9WKY_FDJ-6letlj5JCnwe6gGa2n4p2W6yr3YoR3c8H2zuDm8xsda_etQYwuOie3kZoex5TCBlMso5siPgAYRTmw5JOY1BL-fd8jfyW51z8/s200/2011-12-03_grassy-knoll-Dealey.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dealey Plaza and the Grassy Knoll</td></tr>
</tbody></table>There are X's painted on the street meant to represent where the car was when the President was shot. People, a large number of whom either weren't old enough to remember or were too young to really understand, wander out to the X's to touch them and/or have their picture taken. This is still a busy street and it's banked; cars come flying through the stoplight and down the hill.<br />
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Is this the event that shattered our innocence? Why this assassination? Three other presidents had been gunned down before him. How would the people's outlook on Vietnam and Watergate have been different had Dallas not happened? Would 9/11 have become the event that shattered our idealistic approach to government? Would the US have survived 9/11 without already knowing it could come through such a huge, collectively personal tragedy and still function? How can the next generations be made to understand the life changing impact caused by the death of one man?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAB2BcZNSyeEme7jiFdnBIj5M5RaTIk6SK3DQBuggM-PeFgGSjhotQFFQaz9t8QfQIcSt3TtZf3eWTEstsG5C7d74Ahwl98PPAhFEeG4g-hWotsbbLzlAJ78ru1PjwcBKIPocaJXMANw/s1600/2011-12-03_TX-School-Book-D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAB2BcZNSyeEme7jiFdnBIj5M5RaTIk6SK3DQBuggM-PeFgGSjhotQFFQaz9t8QfQIcSt3TtZf3eWTEstsG5C7d74Ahwl98PPAhFEeG4g-hWotsbbLzlAJ78ru1PjwcBKIPocaJXMANw/s400/2011-12-03_TX-School-Book-D.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The old Texas School Book Depository, home to the Sixth Floor Museum. You can see the open window in the sniper's nest, second floor from the top on the far right hand side. </td></tr>
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<b>Sidebar:</b> The <a href="http://www.jfk.org/">Sixth Floor Museum</a> is worth a visit if you're ever in Dallas. They've done a nice job of setting the scene and taking you through the assassination and the aftermath. Prepare yourself before viewing the Zapruder film; there is a reason you can't just stumble upon it. Even though I knew what was coming and have seen edited versions countless times, I was still unprepared for the violence.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-61407680725724167722011-12-01T10:26:00.002-05:002011-12-01T10:26:00.437-05:00Bittersweet ReunionI was nervous about going back to the place I had left under difficult circumstances and a lot of hurt feelings--mainly mine. The place just isn't the same for me now. Knowing what goes on behind the scenes seems to have spoiled some of the magic. Or maybe I'm still hurt, even though I am very happy in my "new" job--it's a much better fit. I've still got a lot of mixed feelings about the "old" place. I guess only time will tell. I did enjoy my visit. Things just look very different to me now.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-47528397221318068832011-11-30T22:25:00.000-05:002011-11-30T22:25:01.083-05:00What is it about a college town?It's still evident, maybe not as much so now that it's turned cold, but when I first started working in Evanston there was definitley something in the air--a vibe, an energy, a feeling--that announced "You are in a college town!" Was it fall? That's when I tend to get sentimental for my college days--hanging out on the diag or those sunny, cool, crisp Saturday afternoons at the Big House.Whatever it is. There is definitely something different in the air in communities where colleges play a significant role.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-23410947543371372552011-03-04T01:00:00.005-05:002011-03-04T01:00:13.291-05:00I'm reading - The President's House by Margaret TrumanIf you're enamored of the White House and like trivia, you'll enjoy <i>The President's House.</i> Former first daughter Margaret Truman takes readers on an entertaining tour of the people's house. She tackles everything from the evolution of the house itself, to the West Wing, the grounds, weddings and special events, presidential pets, the press and of course, the families and personalities who have called the place home.<br />
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Do you know how the White House Easter Egg Roll got started? Congress threw the kids off the Capitol grounds. The upset youngsters trekked down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House and the Rutherfords opened the south lawn to them.<br />
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Did you know that President Coolidge had a pet raccoon? Her name was Rebecca.<br />
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Which White House groom couldn't get into his own wedding? President Wilson's daughter Jesse almost didn't get married. The security staff had been given instructions to admit no one without an invitation and while her intended remembered the ring, he forgot his invitation.<br />
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It's well worth the time for any history buff.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-45646102292844477032011-02-25T01:00:00.033-05:002011-02-25T01:00:08.962-05:00Worth the Price of Admission - Gone with the WindOk, so it's not a new movie and it doesn't appear in a "regular" theater all that often, but it's still a great movie. Turner Classic Movies is celebrating Oscar these days and last night aired "Gone with the Wind." Most of the characters are strictly characters of their era, Scarlett, Mammy, Melanie, Ashley. What would they make of the 21st century world? And then there's Rhett, a character for the ages, can't you just see him as a modern day mogul? A good story, well told, well acted, with rich, textured sets...it just doesn't get much better. Watching "Gone with the Wind" on television just doesn't do the movie justice. This was a flick that was designed for the really big screen so if you ever get the chance to see it on the big screen. GO! It will blow you away.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-83543248746895077732011-02-18T01:00:00.008-05:002011-02-18T01:00:10.544-05:00I'm reading - The Countess by Rebecca JohnsThis book was a delightful surprise. It is not the type of fare that I typically go for, but I'm glad that someone asked me to read it. <i>The Countess</i> tells the fictional story of what may perhaps be the first female serial killer. I'll admit I had my doubts in the beginning. There was one particularly graphic scene that left me wondering what I had a agreed to. But I was able to put that behind me, and found myself becoming increasingly mesmerized by the Countess's journey from young girl, to wife, mother, widow, prisoner. Set in the late 16th and early 17th century, Johns paints a vivid picture of how difficult life was then, even for the upper class and the pressure put on very young girls in part because of the passive role they were forced to play.<br />
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I think I'm going to have to go check out Rebecca Johns other work.Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3327430884864493378.post-86194217646234554572011-01-26T00:50:00.000-05:002011-01-26T00:50:32.056-05:00The State of the Union - An Independent Response to a Constitutional CrisisThe State of the Union...a misnomer if ever there was one. When did we drop the state of the union from the State of the Union address? I don't think that any President since I've become politically aware has really talked about the state of the union. Article 2, Section 3 of the Constitution states, "He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient;" It's seems to have become a more pep rally, feel good about being an American speech with a little goal setting thrown in for good measure. Talk about a constitutional crisis! Not that any of that is a bad thing. We put a man on the moon in response to a challenge issued during a State of the Union address. And we all need a certain amount of rah-rah to keep us pumped up and moving forward. Sidebar: As a person who doesn't fly, I'm excited about the prospect of high-speed rail. But I digress. <br />
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The Republican response wasn't really a response at all. Perhaps they should consider calling it something else, or waiting until they have actually developed a response to deliver it. Representative Ryan of Wisconsin was well spoken, if a bit pedagogic, but he didn't deliver a response to the State of the Union and came off looking a little foolish. For example, the President asked for suggestions as to making changes to the health care reform law to make it better; the Republican response, we are committed to repealing it because it doesn't work. It was a childish response and not very constructive. The Republican response went on to say that they are for lower taxes. Wait. I'm confused. Aren't these the same people who not so very long ago, vowed to repeal the tax cuts implemented by a former....Republican.....president. So are they for lower taxes or aren't they? And for smaller government. Wait. How much did the Executive Branch grow when the alien and sedition act was passed in 2001 at the behest of a Republican president? So are they for smaller government or aren't they?<br />
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Both parties would do well to take a stroll down the National Mall and re-read the four pages of parchment dated September 17, 1787. Yes, that's right, just four pages set in motion this almost 225-year experiment in democracy. How long was the health care reform bill? A couple of thousand pages?<br />
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May we have James, Alex and company back please?Country Girl in the Cityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15160929988871488163noreply@blogger.com0