Last evening I was surprised with a phone call from someone out of the past. It’s always a good feeling to visit with someone like him and share memories. I have had other phone calls like that; not enough perhaps, but then some are better than none. As soon as they hang up my mind conjures up old times that I wish I would have mentioned, but there is always the promise of a future visit.
I’m always amazed how a memory can lay dormant in my head and how it can be dredged up from the muck with a simple reminder. It makes me wish, too, that I had read more when I was younger instead of following my errant ways which were a waste of time. Honest literary or historical allusions written by authors who knew what they were writing about greatly enrich the thought process. (Unfortunately, the GIGO principle might apply which simply translates to "garbage in, garbage out.")
I can’t help but think of our president who has stated in a less than glib manner that he’s never been much of a reader. I believe his ignorance, naivete, and inability to speak in complete sentences can be directly related in part to that. Dave Letterman’s humorous clips on Great Moments in Presidential Speeches show FDR uttering his "... only thing we have to fear is fear itself," JFK in his "Ask not what your country can do for you..." and Bush the Junior muttering duncelike syllables. I do hope the next president will dignify the office a bit better.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Friday, July 20, 2007
Happenings Around Here
Happenings Around Here
Things were hopping around here Tuesday night! Our yard was one of the featured gardens for tours in the month of July, an event sponsored by the Bis-Man Garden Club. Mary belongs to that club; I’ve seen the membership list which has about 250 names on it. The evening started off slowly with one or two people coming through, but as time went on the numbers grew to a sizable crowd which also included neighbors not belonging to the club who dropped in to find what the commotion was all about. We found out from more than one source that word started circulating among the membership that Mary’s yard was one that could not be missed. The word was "Be sure to see Mary Bueling’s in Mandan if you don’t go to any others." She modestly accepted all the compliments that were handed to her as if there was nothing to it. It seems to me she raised the standard. I refused to take any credit for the beauty she has created. I only admitted to mowing the grass. And, of course, more flower beds being planned for next season means I’ll have even less grass to mow.
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Ever since I hooked up with my wife over 33 years ago I’ve been driving by a site just south of Mandan on Highway 6 that I have been curious about: the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA. They held an open house yesterday called "Friends and Neighbors Day," so we went on over, lured somewhat by their promise of free supper and entertainment. I was somewhat surprised by the enormous undertaking it represents. I thought maybe three or four people ran the place. Nope, there are 34 full-time employees plus many who work part-time or seasonally. Crops, livestock, tree plantings, landscaping, etc. make up part of their studies. This emplacement is one of three in North Dakota. I hope they do some good. There is a tremendous payroll out there. Your tax dollars at work.
Things were hopping around here Tuesday night! Our yard was one of the featured gardens for tours in the month of July, an event sponsored by the Bis-Man Garden Club. Mary belongs to that club; I’ve seen the membership list which has about 250 names on it. The evening started off slowly with one or two people coming through, but as time went on the numbers grew to a sizable crowd which also included neighbors not belonging to the club who dropped in to find what the commotion was all about. We found out from more than one source that word started circulating among the membership that Mary’s yard was one that could not be missed. The word was "Be sure to see Mary Bueling’s in Mandan if you don’t go to any others." She modestly accepted all the compliments that were handed to her as if there was nothing to it. It seems to me she raised the standard. I refused to take any credit for the beauty she has created. I only admitted to mowing the grass. And, of course, more flower beds being planned for next season means I’ll have even less grass to mow.
....................
Ever since I hooked up with my wife over 33 years ago I’ve been driving by a site just south of Mandan on Highway 6 that I have been curious about: the Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory, USDA. They held an open house yesterday called "Friends and Neighbors Day," so we went on over, lured somewhat by their promise of free supper and entertainment. I was somewhat surprised by the enormous undertaking it represents. I thought maybe three or four people ran the place. Nope, there are 34 full-time employees plus many who work part-time or seasonally. Crops, livestock, tree plantings, landscaping, etc. make up part of their studies. This emplacement is one of three in North Dakota. I hope they do some good. There is a tremendous payroll out there. Your tax dollars at work.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Bad Dreams?
Bad Dreams?
Sometimes I think this is all just a bad dream and that I will wake up to a world filled with political harmony and peaceful international relations. But no, day after day the nightmares continue. It’s hard to accept the "gut feelings" and beliefs of the few in the administrative branch who go against the will of the electorate. I quote one of the writers from today’s Huffington Post: "We know you believe in a Higher Power, Mr. Bush, but why should any American mother or dad let you put their son in harm’s way just because you ‘strongly believe’ that his being wasted by a roadside IED in an Islamic civil war makes the world more peaceful and the U.S. more secure."
Every time someone tries to bring some major change in society the opposition marches out some slick talker to take issue. Michael Moore’s latest offering in film argues for a national health care system. Here comes Dr. Sanjay Gupta telling us he’s all wrong.
Senator Vitter from Louisiana got caught with his name showing up on the call girl list. I can just see Larry Flynt of Hustler magazine revel in this accomplishment. This not to excuse Vitter nor compliment Flynt; it’s just to further illustrate my point.
Mr. Libby received the commutation of his prison sentence, and more than likely will receive a full pardon on Bush’s exit from office. We’re constantly reminded of the sins of Bill Clinton in this case and others. If he did bad things, I guess it’s okay for them.
Maybe I’m not sleeping and this isn’t a bad dream. It’s seems to be reality. Well, a guy can dream about decency, can’t he?
Sometimes I think this is all just a bad dream and that I will wake up to a world filled with political harmony and peaceful international relations. But no, day after day the nightmares continue. It’s hard to accept the "gut feelings" and beliefs of the few in the administrative branch who go against the will of the electorate. I quote one of the writers from today’s Huffington Post: "We know you believe in a Higher Power, Mr. Bush, but why should any American mother or dad let you put their son in harm’s way just because you ‘strongly believe’ that his being wasted by a roadside IED in an Islamic civil war makes the world more peaceful and the U.S. more secure."
Every time someone tries to bring some major change in society the opposition marches out some slick talker to take issue. Michael Moore’s latest offering in film argues for a national health care system. Here comes Dr. Sanjay Gupta telling us he’s all wrong.
Senator Vitter from Louisiana got caught with his name showing up on the call girl list. I can just see Larry Flynt of Hustler magazine revel in this accomplishment. This not to excuse Vitter nor compliment Flynt; it’s just to further illustrate my point.
Mr. Libby received the commutation of his prison sentence, and more than likely will receive a full pardon on Bush’s exit from office. We’re constantly reminded of the sins of Bill Clinton in this case and others. If he did bad things, I guess it’s okay for them.
Maybe I’m not sleeping and this isn’t a bad dream. It’s seems to be reality. Well, a guy can dream about decency, can’t he?
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Powder River, Let 'er Buck
Powder River, Let ‘er Buck
I’ve always liked to read and think about history and just borrowed a copy of a Theodore Roosevelt biography - Theodore Rex - by Edmund Morris. Those first few pages really pull at me to keep reading, and I’ll be spending a lot of time with it. Sometimes the measure of a man can be glorified through a clever, propagandistic style of writing, but I believe Roosevelt’s public life is well-documented enough that Morris didn’t get away with anything less than a truthful, objective assessment.
Another little history project of mine deals with a group of men who fought in the first world war. The 91st infantry division had as its battle cry or slogan, "Powder River, let ‘er buck." Most of the men in that division were from western states, some from Wyoming where the Powder River flows. The saying originated with some cowboys who were celebrating something in a drunken revelry. When I made that connection I started thinking there’s a good piece of poetry to be written regarding it, especially since my Grandpa Andrew Sandvig marched and fought in France with that outfit in the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918.
Grandpa carried a small New Testament with him (olive drab cover, probably government issue), and in it he made diary notations up to and including the wound he received. Unfortunately, the pencil notations are fading, but they have spoken volumes to me across these eighty-nine years. History texts further expand on the battle, and I’m in the process of reading all I can about it. It’s a small bit of history I plan to preserve.
I’ve always liked to read and think about history and just borrowed a copy of a Theodore Roosevelt biography - Theodore Rex - by Edmund Morris. Those first few pages really pull at me to keep reading, and I’ll be spending a lot of time with it. Sometimes the measure of a man can be glorified through a clever, propagandistic style of writing, but I believe Roosevelt’s public life is well-documented enough that Morris didn’t get away with anything less than a truthful, objective assessment.
Another little history project of mine deals with a group of men who fought in the first world war. The 91st infantry division had as its battle cry or slogan, "Powder River, let ‘er buck." Most of the men in that division were from western states, some from Wyoming where the Powder River flows. The saying originated with some cowboys who were celebrating something in a drunken revelry. When I made that connection I started thinking there’s a good piece of poetry to be written regarding it, especially since my Grandpa Andrew Sandvig marched and fought in France with that outfit in the Meuse-Argonne offensive of 1918.
Grandpa carried a small New Testament with him (olive drab cover, probably government issue), and in it he made diary notations up to and including the wound he received. Unfortunately, the pencil notations are fading, but they have spoken volumes to me across these eighty-nine years. History texts further expand on the battle, and I’m in the process of reading all I can about it. It’s a small bit of history I plan to preserve.
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