Thank you Google Doodle: Mandela and making peace in our lives

A friend alerted me to the Google Doodle from July 18, which I had not seen.

This is what she wrote in the email that she sent to me and a few other friends:

Police Beat - Markesan, Wisconsin

Here's another installment of small-town crime details. I think the first report especially speaks of the kindness that lives in little cities. Remember to hum the march from "Dragnet" after you read each item... (Thanks again to the writers at Markesan Regional Reporter.)

"Begin Again" a fun movie for all those who love music

 

"Begin Again" is a fun movie for everyone who loves its star: MUSIC.

It's about writing music, singing music, playing music, arranging music, producing music, recording music, selling music.

It's also about various ways to sell out. Or not to sell out.

Goodbye Jimmy Bum

Heard the news first thing this morning: James Garner died at age 86.

Aw dang. I know that no one can live forever, but it was nice knowing that James Garner occupied the same planet.

Calling All Horses, Second Edition, is Published

I'm happy to announce the publication of the second edition of my first book, Calling All Horses. I have added and rearranged a few things inside the book, and there's a cool new cover designed by Karen Cluppert of Not Just Words. I offer the book for $0.99 on Kindle and $8.99 as a paperback through Amazon.com. Like my most recent book, Dessert First, it's full of slices of life - a nice book to pick up and read before bed. Here is a summer-y excerpt from the book, first published in 1993:

 

We just came back from six days at Long Lake and I can still feel the aaaahhhhhhhhhh of it.

Tearing down the barn

 

It's a great day to tear down a building. A mild 72 degrees, low humidity, blue skies.

I'm sitting under our big maple and watching the demolition of our old, beloved, barn.

Police Beat - Markesan, Wisconsin

Things have been hopping in the little city of Markesan, Wisconsin. Reading crime reports up there is kind of refreshing to those of us who hail from bigger towns. The report below is thanks to reporting in the Markesan Regional Reporter....

Death for Death: Can it Ever End?

First: Two Palestinian boys (ages 16 and 17) are killed by an Israeli soldier.

Then: Three Israeli teen boys (ages 16, 16, and 19) are kidnapped and murdered.

Then: A 16-year-old Palestinian boy is killed, burned alive.

For years, I have thought about the rather cryptic saying by A.J. Muste: "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." At first I didn't understand it. But I think I get it now. Peace will come only when people say "ENOUGH."

It is time for Israelis and Palestinians to say ENOUGH.

Dill time, time for clatite

It's dill time, which means it's clatite time. I've been eating it as often as possible. Apparently lots of other folks like the dish, because my post about it gets more hits than most of my other posts.

There are no sufficient words to describe the delicious combination of flavors produced by fresh dill, cottage cheese, and a good dough.

Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh

 

 

I finally read Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It's a short book, first published in 1955, and now considered a classic.

I was surprised by the beauty of the book's language and by its relevance to today's world. Morrow Lindbergh uses nature to help her think about her role in her world. For help, she refers to the words of famous poets - and of her own friends.

She is as poetic and philosophic as T.S. Eliot in "Four Quartets," but easier to understand. Hers is a gentle touch, and a humble one.

In an afterward she wrote in 1975, she says she is astonished that a book of essays written to work out her own problems "should have spoken to so many other women." I would suggest that her words are just as poignant today for men as for women.

Examples:

Police Beat - Markesan, Wisconsin

Here are some recent police calls in the small city of Markesan, Wisconsin, courtesy of The Markesan Regional Reporter (There were some more serious calls, but I'll omit those):

Saturday, June 28: LOST PROPERTY - A Markesan resident contacted police to report that he had lost his cell phone at some point the previous night when he was walking home from downtown Markesan. The complainant provided a description of the cell phone to police.

Friday, June 27: LOCKOUT - Police were dispatched to a N. Margaret Street address on the report of a vehicle lockout. Police confirmed the complainant's license and registration and safely gained access to the vehicle.

Same day: ANIMAL PROBLEM - Police received an anonymous complaint regarding a loose dog running in the neighborhood of West Vista Boulevard. Police were able to identify the dog's owner and provided a written warning.

Beatles, Bell-bottoms and Bombs

 

In honor of the 50th anniversary year of the Beatles' first live performances in the USA, here is an essay I first published in 1989....

My initiation into the era known as “the Sixties” began on September 4, 1964, when I attended the Beatles' concert in Milwaukee.