tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73764859057719456842024-03-12T17:44:12.523-05:00Liberty or Death"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed." --Jesus ChristBethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.comBlogger471125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-80273553918640386922019-11-17T15:04:00.000-06:002019-11-17T15:05:33.211-06:00Faith in the Journey<div style="text-align: justify;">
This afternoon I visited my blog looking for a photo from a couple years back, and I realized how much I missed the chance to reflect that this platform provides. Life gets busy. Work can be demanding. Stress can be overwhelming. But there's beauty in the simplicity of taking a moment to relax, contemplate and have faith in the God who holds our every tomorrow.</div>
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Today I'll share a few photos from the trip I took to Juneau, Alaska with my mama and sister this July, along with some of my favorite encouraging quotes. Those who are connected with me on social media may have already seen the photos–but since I may be the only one still visiting this corner of the blogosphere, who cares?<br />
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<b>"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." –Psalm 23:1</b></div>
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<i>I have all I need. There is nothing I lack. </i>This is a statement of faith. We believe God knows what we need and will supply it. When God told Abraham to offer up his only son Isaac, it didn't make sense. But Abraham knew that "God Himself will provide the lamb." If God could provide a ram for the offering, if he could provide the Israelites with manna in the wilderness, God can provide for us today in a real way–to meet all of our needs as we trust in Him.</div>
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<b>"The wonderful thing about praying is that you leave a world of not being able to do something, and enter God's realm where everything is possible. He specializes in the impossible. Nothing is too great for His almighty power. Nothing is too small for His love." –Corrie ten Boom</b></div>
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<b>"If you believe in a God who controls the big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look 'little' or 'big.'" –Elizabeth Elliot</b></div>
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<b>"Thou hast made us for Thyself, O God, </b></div>
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<b>and our hearts are restless till they find rest in Thee."</b></div>
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<b>–St. Augustine </b></div>
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<b>"It is God with whom we travel, and while He is at the end of our journey, </b></div>
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<b>He is also at every stopping place." –Elizabeth Elliot</b></div>
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<b>"I have held many things in my hands, and I have lost them all; </b></div>
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<b>but whatever I have placed in God's hands, that I still possess." –Martin Luther</b></div>
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<b>"Faith is the assurance that the thing which God has said in His word is true, and that God will act according to what He has said in His word." –George Mueller</b></div>
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<b>"No place I seek, but to fulfill in life and death thy loving will. No succor in my woes I want, except what thou are pleased to grant. Our days are numbered, let us pare our anxious hearts a needless care: Tis thine to number our days, and ours to give them to Thy praise." –Madame Guyon</b></div>
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<b>"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: </b></div>
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<b>I will guide thee with mine eye." –Psalm 32:8</b></div>
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<b><b>"Know that I love utterly. I am God. Believe it and be satisfied." –St. Anthony of Padua</b></b></div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-43600078721876257402018-04-28T16:47:00.001-05:002018-04-28T18:56:27.789-05:00Tea cup exchange 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Stephanie at <a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/">The Enchanting Rose</a> hosts an annual tea cup exchange. I participated in the exchange in 2016, sending a <a href="http://teatimejourneys.blogspot.com/2016/04/teacup-exchange-reveal.html">tea cup to Carrie</a> and receiving<a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2016/04/tea-cup-exchange.html"> one from Alena</a>. I sat out last year, but this spring the urge to join in again was brewing inside me. I don't drink much tea at all, but there's something special about pretty tea cups and meeting new friends.</div>
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Joining the exchange, everyone fills out a form to describe their tastes and what they'd like. I'm just in this for the fun of it, so I said "Surprise me!" And what a delightful surprise this tea cup from Amy Fields was! Just like my previous exchange partner, Alena, Amy calculated my tastes to a T(ea).</div>
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Amy also sent black tea, lemon ginger tea, and an English Tea Shop selection of teas ranging from peppermint and chamomile to ginger and lemongrass. She sent a lovely book of captivating photography titled <i>75 Reasons to Believe in God</i>, a lifetime supply of biscotti (well, almost!), and a sweet card introducing herself.</div>
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And...she enclosed a copy of a local newspaper, <i>The Central Virginian</i>! That was so thoughtful. I love seeing what other newspaper editors are doing!</div>
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As a matter of fact, I just kind of like newspapers--writing them, editing them, reading them, eating off of them...oops, maybe I'm <i>pressing</i> my point a bit too far!</div>
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But seriously, the <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/11/the-wild-carrot-restaurant.html">Wild Carrot in Waverly</a> is a great place to eat. Forgive my ramblings.</div>
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I enjoyed selecting a tea cup and items to send to my exchange partner, Hannah, as well. It's a fun challenge to try to put together a package to suit the tastes of someone you've never met.</div>
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Amy said the tea cup pattern she sent has been handed down through her family. It was so sweet of her to share, and so sweet to receive a package steeped in care.</div>
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Thanks so much, Amy! And thank you, <a href="http://theenchantingrose.blogspot.com/">Stephanie</a>, for hosting another wonderful exchange. I will be linking up to the exchange party as soon as everyone has their packages.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-51966984570564526922017-12-28T21:19:00.000-06:002018-02-07T22:09:02.998-06:00Grundy County Heritage Museum<div style="text-align: justify;">
In July 2016, Yai and I visited the Grundy County Museum. There are several buildings on the museum grounds. Perhaps most impressive is the old public school. But tours start in the newer museum building, so we had to walk around the grounds to the other side of the block to find it.</div>
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On the way, we had the pleasure of seeing an old caboose, farm equipment and a little log cabin.</div>
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Proceeding further, we visited a little school house, Colfax #3, and the main museum building.</div>
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Inside, the main museum building is very spacious. Animals that once roamed the Iowa prairies are remembered.</div>
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There's also a display on the farming techniques of the Ioway Indians, as well as spearheads found in the area and a hut with animal skins inside.</div>
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Inside this museum is sort of like a mall with storefronts and "kiosks."</div>
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There's the old general store, old carriages, a barbed wire display, a corn picker, and wagon filled with corn. There's also a mini-theater where you can relax and watch the county's story.</div>
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The barn held a grain wagon, tools, and a blacksmith's equipment.</div>
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I most liked the little "house" built into the museum though. It had a certain charm.</div>
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How would you like a stove like that? The museum also has a library of sorts with many record books going way back. After we finished touring the main building, the curator unlocked the school house for us to enjoy the displays inside.</div>
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Pictured is a loom and a German court cupboard.</div>
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In the basement, there was a small aquarium and a collection of rocks and geodes, fossils and bones. </div>
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A note said that the disastrous winter of 1856-1857 marked the end of elk in Iowa. </div>
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While leaving, this bank vault caught my eye. It looks to me like it could very well be in an episode of Big Valley or some other Western. </div>
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I enjoyed visiting the Grundy County Heritage Museum, and thought it was well worth the trip.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-76609944547923080292017-12-26T08:00:00.000-06:002017-12-26T13:31:54.450-06:00Hardin County Farm Museum<div style="text-align: justify;">
The Hardin County Farm Museum is a little different than most museums I have visited because it holds a lot of good memories. My family and I have attended pancake breakfasts and political events there, and often went to their annual Threshing Day. The photos in this post are from August 2016, when Charity, Yai and I attended Threshing Day.</div>
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Back in the good old days, Papa would often play chess with a local man, Gary. We children enjoyed a coin scramble, and plenty of good, old-fashioned games like corn hole, a canning ring toss, and trying to drop clothespins in an apple juice jar.<br />
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There were also giant bubble-blowers. But the spelling bee was something I really looked forward to. I must have been in 7th grade or so.</div>
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All of the children lined up along the walls of the schoolhouse inside. I was one of the eldest, since the bee was only for children up to 8th grade. The words leading up to me didn't seem too bad. But then came my word, "Cologne." At the time, I'm not sure I even knew what cologne was, much less that it has a silent g. And...I was out on my first word. That's one word I've never since forgotten how to spell!</div>
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I think I'd like this teacher better! The Goose Creek School has been on the museum grounds for as long as I can remember. But one thing that's relatively new to the museum grounds is a church.</div>
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The Ellis United Methodist Church was dedicated in 1932 and disbanded and sold in 2013. It was donated to the museum, and I *think* it was moved to the grounds in 2016. When I last visited in August 2016, it was in need of repairs to the exterior, and the interior was almost completely bare. Just from driving by, it looks better now, and I saw a post on Facebook about a hymn sing there this summer, so I think it has since been renovated.</div>
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Threshing Day bears the name for a reason! Local farmers still go out to do so some threshing on the museum grounds.</div>
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On Threshing Day there is also a petting zoo of sorts with calves, chickens and kittens. Visitors have the opportunity to shell corn with a vintage corn sheller if they so desire. </div>
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In the barn, good cooks have a meal prepared. There's a piano on the far side of the room. Unlike many pianos, this one doesn't have a sign that says "Don't touch." Instead, it has a welcoming sign that reads, "Feel Free to Entertain." Charity played a few selections when we visited in 2016, and I can remember years ago singing along to a pianist with then state representative Annette Sweeney. </div>
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Annette Sweeney was a great representative (she even came to my graduation open house!), and I was disappointed after re-redistricting that she lost her seat to Pat Grassley. So I was very happy to see the Trump administration appointed her this November to serve as the new state director for USDA Rural Development in Iowa.</div>
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The blacksmith shop is just one of the other buildings on the grounds. The others are filled with farm implements and the like. I'm always impressed by the piece of art crafted above from wrenches.</div>
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The upstairs of the barn serves as the main museum, featuring church pews, tools, sad irons, clothes wringers, typewriters, a piano, pump organ, wheelchairs, old medicine bottles and much more.</div>
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Whether you need a horse-drawn hearse or one-horse open sleigh, this museum has it. But I love this museum best for the memories it holds.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-56130679024668633492017-12-24T20:17:00.000-06:002017-12-24T20:19:34.616-06:00The Wells Hotel<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the little town of Wellsburg stands the Wells Hotel. If I recall correctly, it is a house that once was owned by George Wells and served as a residence for farmhands. The house was purchased by the city to serve as a historical museum in the 1990s.</div>
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Although I live nearby, I had never visited the museum until August 2016, when I decided to make the trip with Yai. The museum was pretty much what one would expect to see in a historic home in a small town.</div>
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One thing that caught my eye though was this mustache cup! It seems like a novel idea to have a cup specifically designed to keep mustaches dry.</div>
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And check out this bicycle! It looks a bit dangerous to me. Pictured are Yai and a member of the historical society who gave us the tour.</div>
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There were many military uniforms, with names attached to remember those who wore them. There were also family photos & other clothing articles.</div>
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The house was furnished as it would have been years ago.</div>
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I thought it was neat to see the old autograph books. My paternal grandparents told me that when they were children, they had autograph books too, and friends would write a few clever lines and sign their names. This page is dated January 15, 1900 and reads, "When you see a monkey up a tree, pull his tail and think of me. Your friend, Charles." Another, dated January 19, 1898, reads, "Dear friend Bertha, When far away in distance climb, think of me and the good old time. Your loving schoolmate, Cara Shaw."</div>
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The yoke shown above was worn by the team of oxen that pulled a wagon to the home pictured in the frame two miles north of Wellsburg around 1865.</div>
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By turning the crank, a dumb waiter could be lifted and lowered into the basement for cold storage. This was used typically in the late 1800s.</div>
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There are old ration books and literature on savings bonds.</div>
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There were also uniforms from the old school district.</div>
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And there's a beautiful organ., as well as plenty of Wellsburg history. The ladies from the historical society are very nice and knowledgeable.</div>
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I enjoyed the visit. All too often, I think, we forget to visit the interesting spots in our own backyard. I'm glad we visited this historic home in Wellsburg.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-42130346795856303382017-12-22T23:20:00.000-06:002017-12-22T23:21:17.810-06:00Bremer County Museum<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you want to see everything in one place, it may be time to visit the Bremer County Historical Society Museum in Waverly. Regardless of whether you're looking for historic documents, wild African game, wedding dresses, vintage Valentine's cards, musical instruments, crime, or floral pieces made from human hair, you'll be in the right place. This bountiful and varied collection encompasses a myriad of tales from years ago in Bremer County. Charity, Kathleen and I visited the museum in October 2016.</div>
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The museum is open from May to October during limited hours throughout the week. Musical instruments inside included several melodians and pump organs, all equipped with plenty of sheet music.</div>
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There was also a violin, mandolin and several band instruments.</div>
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Here, Kathleen stands in front of vintage cards and ornaments.</div>
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There are also many dresses and uniforms from Bremer County residents on display</div>
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A small room to the side had heads of animals from lions to a rhinoceros. </div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMKOrHhWaXg/Wj3WKG_D7YI/AAAAAAAANQU/JM6Bl8ARGpwEKpgZnQxdjVyUkCK5NHgjgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AMKOrHhWaXg/Wj3WKG_D7YI/AAAAAAAANQU/JM6Bl8ARGpwEKpgZnQxdjVyUkCK5NHgjgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1574.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I was particularly impressed to see this copy of the New York Herald from 1865 announcing Lincoln's assassination.</div>
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Old campaign memorabilia was very neat to see as well.</div>
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This chair was made especially for a visit from President William Howard Taft.</div>
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And check out these old cameras! </div>
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There are many display cases filled with items including china, fans, jewelry, toys, Native American artifacts, literature and more. A branch that a man was hanged from after he was lynched sits in the museum (Ahhhh!) and there is a story of a mysterious death upstairs in one of the rooms when the building was a hotel.</div>
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The room was later an attorney's office.</div>
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There is so much in this museum; it's almost like several museums in one. One room is decorated as a kitchen, others as bedrooms, and yet another room serves as a schoolhouse. I could do without the crime-related aspects on display, but everything was very interesting. I would definitely rank this as one of the most artifact-rich museums I have visited.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-65583762497831699762017-12-19T23:06:00.002-06:002017-12-22T21:32:23.873-06:00New Providence<div style="text-align: center;">
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Have you ever been to an old soda fountain where the community gathers for breakfast every month? If not, it may be time for a trip to New Providence (below). During the summer of 2016, I visited this charming little town with my grandma Siripon (Yai) and sister Charity.</div>
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Food selections included biscuits and gravy, pancakes, pastries and omelets. And, wow, were those omelets good. (I still remember them a year and a half later...haha! I'm on the brink of forgetting though, so I figured I should get this posted.)</div>
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We enjoyed all the delicious food. The room was so full it was hard to find room. Charity and I squeezed together into the other side of the booth below, across from my lovely grandma.<br />
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Everyone was very friendly, and we enjoyed visiting before checking out the historic hardware store nearby, established in 1863, and still very much up and open for business.<br />
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Tom and Marlene have operated the store since 1975, and the store seems to have a little bit of everything!</div>
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I particularly loved the ceiling! The couple kindly opened up the building next door, which is filled with the town's history, and I enjoyed looking around.</div>
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Main Street in New Providence is a beautiful place every summer.</div>
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As we wrap up 2017, I'll have a few more posts coming of places I never posted about, but would rather not forget.</div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-33864053860038503902017-12-16T19:23:00.000-06:002017-12-16T19:26:01.798-06:002017 Survey and Giveaway Results!<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thank you to the 23 readers who answered my survey this year and the 13 who joined the giveaway! Grace H. won the 10 cards featuring Grandma Carson's art. My sister <a href="http://carsonfamilysingers.weebly.com/the-journeys-of-faith">Sarah Faith Carson</a> won the six cards featuring Charity's pencil and charcoal art. And our final winner was Abigail Morley who won the six-month subscription to the Clarksville Star.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rt86FYqLRlQ/WjSnE6XRdnI/AAAAAAAANFw/88SjGqGePd8s5ZmkKhGDGn54B61NPuGPQCLcBGAs/s1600/meta-chart%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rt86FYqLRlQ/WjSnE6XRdnI/AAAAAAAANFw/88SjGqGePd8s5ZmkKhGDGn54B61NPuGPQCLcBGAs/s640/meta-chart%2B%25281%2529.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Question 1: How did you find my blog?</b></div>
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Six of you found this blog browsing the blogosphere. Five don't remember life without me (or something like that). Four of my awesome readers say we've met. Two found me when I commented on their blogs, and one through a link-up. </div>
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Categories couldn't define five other readers. In the Other segment, we have two readers who had sisters who told them about me. <span style="background-color: white;">One reader said she heard about me through her son, John. </span>Another said, <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="background-color: white;">It was about chess.......you were playing and someone was teaching me, and I loved what you wrote about it." And one reader</span></span> found me through Busuu (a language-learning site I used years ago).</div>
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<b>Question 2: Which are your favorite posts?</b></div>
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Life remains the favorite category for the fourth year in a row. Travel has moved back into second place, after it was upset by politics last year. And politics has moved to last place. (Apparently no one wants to think about politics now that the election is over.) One reader said, "Anything you share is fun to read." So I added one vote to every column for that reader. </div>
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<b>Question 3: What is your occupation?</b></div>
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Instead of asking whether you read or skim (no one admitted to skimming last year), I thought it would be fun to learn of your occupations for a change. Of the four students, we had one who just said "student," two college students, and someone who listed "school" as an occupation (I'm guessing a student). Of the two teachers, one is a sort of retired teacher for at-risk students. </div>
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Our programmer/homemaker said, <i>"I used to be a computer programmer. Now I'm an empty-nest homemaker enjoying the free time to cook, bake, explore, read, draw, photograph and enjoy all that life has it offer."</i> And the thee individuals listed as Wife and Mother replied: "Homemaker," "SAHW&M" and "Stay-at-home-wife and Homeschool Mom." </div>
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<b>Question 4: In Which State or Foreign Country Do You Reside?</b></div>
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Iowa is the clear winner.</div>
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<b style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Question 5: And for statistical purposes, to which age group do you belong?</b></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OXF09kDUuN8/WjVxhbOWWNI/AAAAAAAANH0/An62GzOxa-4Q1i7WOVqmzTtuMTIRbDnLwCLcBGAs/s1600/s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="1032" height="380" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OXF09kDUuN8/WjVxhbOWWNI/AAAAAAAANH0/An62GzOxa-4Q1i7WOVqmzTtuMTIRbDnLwCLcBGAs/s640/s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the third year in a row, twenty-somethings win with seven readers. I just have to wonder if those are the *same* seven readers every year... If so, thank you for your dedication! Similarly, I've had four teenagers respond for the past three years, and two thirty-somethings for the past two years. Numbers for my older readership have decreased, probably due to my lack of posts.</div>
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<b>Question 6: What is your favorite candy bar?</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-qtwcgWqqo/WjV26fZjSxI/AAAAAAAANIM/2EM0phyecA8i6RRyg_r-2Dkyxp4yOGawACLcBGAs/s1600/meta-chart%2B%252810%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1127" height="332" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-K-qtwcgWqqo/WjV26fZjSxI/AAAAAAAANIM/2EM0phyecA8i6RRyg_r-2Dkyxp4yOGawACLcBGAs/s640/meta-chart%2B%252810%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the first time *ever* Milky Way and Reese's have won the title as the most popular candy bars! Snickers appears to have fallen out of favor, but Kit-Kat and Butterfinger are not far behind.</div>
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<b>Now...It's time to celebrate!</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLQtJK9T62s/WjW7T1Ch-9I/AAAAAAAANIc/F19mdsbetOALHWmQzxKPVtCTMSkZH-gMwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_7104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lLQtJK9T62s/WjW7T1Ch-9I/AAAAAAAANIc/F19mdsbetOALHWmQzxKPVtCTMSkZH-gMwCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_7104.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I was a little worried about how cold it would be outside waiting till December for my celebratory picture, but surprisingly, it was not bad! </i></div>
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<b>See<a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2016/10/2016-survey-and-giveaway-results.html"> here</a> for the <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2016/10/2016-survey-and-giveaway-results.html">2016 survey results</a>.</b></div>
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<b>See <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-survey-giveaway-results.html">here</a> for the <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-survey-giveaway-results.html">2015 survey results</a>.</b></div>
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<b>See <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2014/10/survey-results.html">here</a> for the <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2014/10/survey-results.html">2014 survey results</a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zsDIQpyQyN8/WjW_B0U2s-I/AAAAAAAANIw/l12X60D_yy85L3skxhTsBKcqY8GZb5OPgCLcBGAs/s1600/abcd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zsDIQpyQyN8/WjW_B0U2s-I/AAAAAAAANIw/l12X60D_yy85L3skxhTsBKcqY8GZb5OPgCLcBGAs/s640/abcd.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Thanks again for participating in the survey, and have a very sweet day!</b></div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-66645507502365956132017-11-28T22:22:00.000-06:002017-11-28T22:23:41.239-06:002017 Survey and Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Time certainly is fleeting. Can you believe it's already time for the 2017 Survey and Giveaway? This year I've switched up a couple of the questions. I always love learning more about my readers, and I'd like to thank you for the time you've taken throughout the year to visit, read and/or leave comments.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELKXC2aMwfg/WhHVVfcg2FI/AAAAAAAAM74/KlJLTPO30bIbb5BUzjaB4ANZcXcHfn0VACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_51581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1600" height="404" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ELKXC2aMwfg/WhHVVfcg2FI/AAAAAAAAM74/KlJLTPO30bIbb5BUzjaB4ANZcXcHfn0VACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_51581.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My six-question survey is below. Snickers candy bars won in 2014, were narrowly beaten by Kit-Kats in 2015, and regained the title in 2016. It's anyone's guess which candy bar will reign supreme this year! Your answers will be anonymous. </div>
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I'm also hosting a giveaway, which you can enter below. The first winner will receive two copies of each of these lovely greeting cards featuring the pencil and charcoal artwork of my sister Charity.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UuBRX9AWhsk/WhH48Ij_zgI/AAAAAAAAM8I/cFb3FPy7vS4Q9Hm91oM5exWi9qQldy77ACLcBGAs/s1600/cjcards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="661" data-original-width="1600" height="264" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UuBRX9AWhsk/WhH48Ij_zgI/AAAAAAAAM8I/cFb3FPy7vS4Q9Hm91oM5exWi9qQldy77ACLcBGAs/s640/cjcards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The second winner (must be a resident of the United States) will receive a 6-month subscription to the Clarksville Star. I'll do my best to make sure every week is filled with great stories for your entertainment.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ8KyaO7UNk/WhH-mRlSG9I/AAAAAAAAM8g/DjqkXPaUg9sKtqMTcR-DirrAj3o7auOtwCLcBGAs/s1600/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-19%2Bat%2B3.52.13%2BPM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="1600" height="466" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AZ8KyaO7UNk/WhH-mRlSG9I/AAAAAAAAM8g/DjqkXPaUg9sKtqMTcR-DirrAj3o7auOtwCLcBGAs/s640/Screen%2BShot%2B2017-11-19%2Bat%2B3.52.13%2BPM.png" style="border: 1px solid black;" width="640" /></a></div>
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A third winner will receive these 10 greeting cards featuring the watercolor art of my grandma, Colleen Carson.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfdz8Q-Oesc/WhH5xxNUzlI/AAAAAAAAM8Q/LM71pN32wGYW3x5zeT725pw-zcwdTRMXACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Wfdz8Q-Oesc/WhH5xxNUzlI/AAAAAAAAM8Q/LM71pN32wGYW3x5zeT725pw-zcwdTRMXACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_6579.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The survey and giveaway will close at 0:00 Saturday, December 9. Results will be posted later the next week. Thank you for participating!<br />
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-64001399604631508912017-11-23T19:56:00.001-06:002018-01-26T23:02:08.750-06:00Autumnal Adventures - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
On our way back from the <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2017/11/herbert-hoover-presidential-library-and.html">Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum</a> in West Branch, Kathleen and I visited the Old Capitol in Iowa City. There were several beautiful churches between the Capitol and where we finally found a parking spot, and I tried the door at each, to see if we could get a closer look. Someone was in the office at the First United Methodist Church, and we were afforded a close-up view of the beautiful sanctuary.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2_o5qliWBpw/Wf_Dxy3nMmI/AAAAAAAAM2g/ICmoy_BlMfkEeDj7c03B9WYxAQHODIfhgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2_o5qliWBpw/Wf_Dxy3nMmI/AAAAAAAAM2g/ICmoy_BlMfkEeDj7c03B9WYxAQHODIfhgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3458.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Construction of the church was completed in 1908 at a cost of $75,000.</div>
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The organ is majestic, and a balcony wraps around the back and two sides of the sanctuary.</div>
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Windows depict Biblical scenes featured in beautiful stained glass.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfv4xXYUQWg/Wf_D4qxxcfI/AAAAAAAAM2o/f08NKNElOLMgfY-BGcncT7Udk3Jpq5_XwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xfv4xXYUQWg/Wf_D4qxxcfI/AAAAAAAAM2o/f08NKNElOLMgfY-BGcncT7Udk3Jpq5_XwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3464.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The first Methodist church service in Iowa City was held in a two-story log cabin in 1839. The congregation's first church was constructed of brick in 1844 for $5000. A chimney fire destroyed the church in 1906, which led to the construction of the current building, made of sandstone, with a Bedford limestone trim.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uxPMkdNsP0g/Wf_ECbzekBI/AAAAAAAAM2s/3cnRoSMGaIUnINrN9upbhvnwat0fUQCDwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uxPMkdNsP0g/Wf_ECbzekBI/AAAAAAAAM2s/3cnRoSMGaIUnINrN9upbhvnwat0fUQCDwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_3497.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The church is located just blocks from the Old Capitol building, which had been on my list of places to visit for years.</div>
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The cornerstone of the Old Capitol was laid in 1840. The building served as the last capitol for the territory of Iowa, and the first capitol for the state of Iowa, as Iowa was granted statehood on December 28, 1846. The Capitol served until 1857, when Des Moines became the state capitol. The building has been owned by the University of Iowa ever since.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DkFxoJhmfAw/Wf_E_JW8wqI/AAAAAAAAM28/mTrjyxIX6lcTCCotX_Sh_eg9SUmUL5PUACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-DkFxoJhmfAw/Wf_E_JW8wqI/AAAAAAAAM28/mTrjyxIX6lcTCCotX_Sh_eg9SUmUL5PUACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3387.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk0sgN59TtE/Wf_FDnczVOI/AAAAAAAAM3A/kQPcUsybEVAWdieoNBjhYpeuDSPD-6P8ACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sk0sgN59TtE/Wf_FDnczVOI/AAAAAAAAM3A/kQPcUsybEVAWdieoNBjhYpeuDSPD-6P8ACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_3403.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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All of the offices/rooms in the Old Capitol seemed on the bare side. I imagine the curators maintain the building similarly to as it would have looked when it was in use. It's not like most museums replete with a plethora of items; and I appreciate the attempt to keep the historic integrity of the Capitol. Each room seemed to be painted in a different color, and there were many fireplaces and stoves throughout the building, a necessity at the time, I suppose.</div>
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How would you like to work in an office with high ceilings and a warm fire crackling beside you on a cold winter day?</div>
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My favorite room is the Senate chamber. It has a beautiful grand piano and is sometimes rented out as a wedding venue.</div>
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The House chamber is colored in warm, rich hues and has a balcony for a great view.</div>
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The old bell was damaged in a 2001 fire that destroyed the dome of the Old Capitol. The dome and bell have both since been replaced. The old bell sits in the basement. </div>
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The Old Capitol has no admission fee. I did have a very hard time finding parking, but it was well worth it to finally visit the building!<br />
<b>Happy Thanksgiving!</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-74627284810142369522017-11-08T23:44:00.002-06:002017-11-08T23:49:29.371-06:00Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
I finally did it. I got a photo with Donald Trump. Well...almost.</div>
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Long-time readers will remember that last election my sister and I tried to get a photo with and autograph from each candidate. We got Hillary Clinton, Mike Pence, Martin O'Malley, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Carly Fiorina, John Kasich, Ben Carson, John Cogswell (did you know he was running?), Rand Paul, Rick Santorum, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Mike Huckabee and Bobby Jindal. We got autographs from Trump and my sister got a photo with Trump, but I gave up on a photo--until my recent trip with my friend Kathleen Franck to see the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum!</div>
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Visiting the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum had been on my bucket list for years. Once in a while it's nice to just take a day off work and get something done. And I was thrilled that Kathleen had the day to spare to come with me. Exploring is funner if you have someone with whom to share your adventures. She and I both love sightseeing and photography, and any of these photos that I couldn't have taken are courtesy of Kathleen.</div>
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Our first stop after meeting Trump, Lincoln, Hoover and Washington was a room filled with items that had belonged to each of the presidents. Photography wasn't allowed, but we saw (to the best of my memory) John Quincy Adam's cuff-links, Andrew Jackson's pipe, Abraham Lincoln's satchel, Teddy Roosevelt's saddle, and Bill Clinton's tennis shoes, to name a few items.</div>
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The room above represents Hoover's Suite 31-A of New York's Waldorf Towers. The Hoovers moved to the four-room suite in December 1940.</div>
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Kathleen said the last time she visited the museum was with her husband and a couple friends when she was 22, but everything looked different then. They had a representation of the Oval Office instead of the Waldorf Towers suite.</div>
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<i>"With this new telexecutive, you can stop worrying about what you are going to say. Instead concentrate on how you are going to say it. Your speech is here before you in large, easy-to-read letters. The script moves at the speed you wish."</i></div>
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The politician's best friend--the teleprompter!</div>
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Hoover wrote the poem above for a classmate, Addie, at the age of eight. The train was one of Hoover's toys as a boy. One of his earliest ambitions was to drive a locomotive. The museum was filled with a variety of items from throughout all stages of Hoover's life.</div>
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This two-room cottage, built by Jesse Hoover for his wife Hulda and son Theodore in 1871, is where Herbert Hoover was born in 1874. In 1879 the Hoovers moved to a larger home after the addition of a daughter, Mary. Hoovers' West Branch home is *tiny!* But the whole neighborhood is very idyllic. I wonder how often the neighbors visit the museum!</div>
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<i>"This cottage where I was born is physical proof of the unbounded opportunity of American life." --Herbert Hoover.</i></div>
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Also on the museum grounds is the 1853 West Branch Schoolhouse. The school also served as a place of worship for the members of the Society of Friends until a larger building was constructed for that purpose in 1857.</div>
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The Jesse Hoover Blacksmith Shop was also an interesting site. It appeared that the museum sells horseshoes, boot scrapers and diner triangles as mementos, judging from a sign in the shop.</div>
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Before becoming President, Herbert Hoover worked as a mining engineer. He traveled worldwide, working in mining in Australia and Asia.</div>
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When World War I struck, it was Hoover who organized relief for Belgium after it was invaded by Germany in 1914, administering the distribution of over two million tons of food to nine million war victims over the next two years.</div>
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After the United States entered the war in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson appointed Hoover as head of the U.S. Food Administration. After the war, the organization became the American Relief Administration (ARA), and Hoover oversaw the ARA in feeding millions in Central and Eastern Europe. After government funding for the ARA ended, Hoover raised money for the effort through private donations. His work was widely appreciated throughout Europe.</div>
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Hoover served as Secretary of Commerce under President Warren Harding.<br />
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Hoover was elected President of the United States and served from 1929 to 1933. I think it is amazing that none other was President during the start of the Great Depression than a man who had spent his life feeding the hungry. And I think it is unfortunate that Hoover is most remembered for the Great Depression, caused by the policies of his predecessors. </div>
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Above left are gifts of esteem Hoover received from other heads of state. Above right are some of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover's dresses.</div>
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Hoover enjoyed fishing during his retirement. He also enjoyed taking road trips with his wife or a friend. He served under President Truman and President Eisenhower as chairman of commissions to reorganize the executive departments. He also wrote books, oversaw the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and did fundraising for the Boys Club.</div>
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Hoover died on October 20, 1964 at the age of 90. Herbert and Lou Hoover are buried on a hill near the museum. </div>
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Visiting the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum was a great experience!</div>
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<b>"Blessed are the young, for they shall inherit the national debt." --Herbert Hoover</b></div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-87483264776803253632017-10-26T22:53:00.000-05:002017-10-26T23:20:09.158-05:00Autumnal Adventures - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
This fall I have taken a little time for some fun. My siblings and I took a road trip to Prairie du Chien, and my friend Kathleen and I took a road trip to West Branch. While covering a Pheasants Forever Youth Hunt for the paper, I also got to learn how to use a shot gun for the first time--which was a different and interesting experience! Let's start this with a recap of our adventures near the banks of the Mississippi.</div>
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On our way to Prairie du Chien, we stopped at Pike's Peak to enjoy some fresh air and beautiful scenery. The trees seemed a little past their peak, as some were on the bare side; but that just meant we had plenty of leaves crackling under our feet as we hiked. I thought the view was gorgeous.<br />
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Last time I was at Pike's Peak was on a family outing with my siblings, parents, and paternal grandparents 11 years ago. It was an interesting feeling to only faintly remember parts of the trail.</div>
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Bridal Veil Falls was on the dry side, but it did have a little water going over.</div>
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The woods were a perfect backdrop for portraits.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Photo credit: Charity)</span></div>
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The weather was very nice; I had to take off my jacket and carry it for most of the hike.</div>
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Another place we stopped was Spook Cave near McGregor. We paid $12 per ticket, and admired the lovely water mill as we waited for our tour.</div>
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The cave is intentionally flooded, and a guide takes each group into the cave on a small boat. There were nine in our group, including the guide, who gave us interesting facts about the cave throughout the whole tour, and even told us a scary story. The cave is long, cool and very dark. The tour was fascinating, and I learned many things I did not know about caves. The experience was worthwhile.</div>
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After visiting the cave and Pike's Peak, we headed to Pete's Hamburger stand in Prairie du Chien. It has been a long-standing belief in my family that Pete's has the best hamburgers, so we ordered ourselves some and brought some home for our dear parents.</div>
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Pete's is only open seasonally, and we went on their last day. There were long lines! We culminated the days' activities with a visit to the Hungry House, where we ate supper before heading home.</div>
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I very much enjoyed visiting Prairie du Chien with Charity, Daniel and Sarah Faith. It was a dream come true to enjoy the fall scenery in Northeast Iowa this year--and one could not have asked for better company!</div>
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<i>"Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: </i></div>
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<i>thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it. </i></div>
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<i>Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof. </i></div>
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<i>Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness. </i></div>
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<i>They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side." -Psalm 65:9-13</i></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-60818759813079401492017-09-25T00:21:00.000-05:002017-10-18T15:27:50.000-05:00Dubuque & Final Answers<div style="text-align: justify;">
Here are the rest of my answers, interspersed with photos from a recent trip to Dubuque and other adventures. I had the pleasure of visiting Eagle Point Park, St. Raphael's Cathedral, the Dubuque Botanical Gardens & Arboretum and the National Mississippi River Museum & Aquarium. </div>
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<i>The botanical gardens were beautiful. The Johnson Strings filmed <a href="https://youtu.be/0zY2MoKlAPs">one of their music videos</a> here, so visiting was a bit of a pilgrimage for me...</i></div>
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<b>Ashley asked: What do you plan on doing in the future? </b><br />
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In the somewhat immediate future I'd like to:<br />
<a name='more'></a><ul>
<li>Go to at least one more chess tournament before the year is over.</li>
<li>Find and write more stories!</li>
<li>Re-design the chessjournalism.org website and figure out how to automate certain features at www.iowa-chess.org.</li>
<li>Do some more rock wall-climbing. (Actually I did this already today after writing and before posting!) </li>
<li>Get back to training--running regularly.</li>
<li>Add a couple counties to my list of courthouses visited and check off a few other locations I want to see here in Iowa.</li>
<li>See the fall colors on the Mississippi and get a hamburger at Pete's in Prairie du Chein.</li>
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Life goals, people, let's keep our priorities straight! :D<br />
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But if I must be serious, I plan to continue working as a journalist, and slowly but surely visit all the places I want to see. Someday I also hope to write books, maybe do some mission work, and perhaps even raise a family of my own.<br />
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<b>Anonymous asked: Could you tell me more about your siblings? From what I've heard they sound like such nice, sweet people!</b><br />
They are! If you want to learn more about Sarah Faith, read her blog, <a href="http://carsonfamilysingers.weebly.com/the-journeys-of-faith.html">The Journeys of Faith</a>!<br />
Charity has <a href="http://withcharity.blogspot.com/">a blog</a> too, but she doesn't post anymore. And, you can follow Daniel on <a href="http://twitter.com/dtcarson">Twitter</a>.<br />
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<b>Anonymous asked: Which color is your favorite?</b><br />
Blue</div>
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<b>Linda asked: What food(s) is, for you, "comfort food"?</b></div>
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<ul>
<li>Cold cereal, particularly frosted shredded wheat.</li>
<li>Mashed potatoes and gravy, turkey, etc...</li>
<li>Chicken noodle soup</li>
<li>Crackers</li>
<li>Yogurt</li>
<li>Turkey subs, most likely because the sub artists at Casey's are the nicest people.</li>
<li>Toaster pastries </li>
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<b>indie media east coast asked: Have you ever heard of or read any work by John Lamb Lash?</b></div>
No, I have not.<br />
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<b>Anonymous asked: What do you like to do when you're alone?</b><br />
Work, read the news, walk, browse social media, pray.<br />
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<b>Linda asked: Do you live alone or with your parents...or perhaps a friend!!</b><br />
I live with my parents. They're pretty awesome people!<br />
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<i>Above are my parents with Sarah Faith, Daniel and I after a 5K in Rockford (Charity took the picture). Sarah Faith finished as top woman overall. I finished first woman in my age group, but that was because there was only one other 20-something woman. This was her first race, and she was running costumed as a dinosaur, which slowed her down enough that I won. Currently Sarah Faith is busy running cross country, and she and my mom are training for a marathon.</i></div>
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<b>Martha asked: If you could have one superpower, what would it be? And how would you use it?</b></div>
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Only one?! Is omnipotence a superpower? How about wisdom? If not, I'd love to fly at high speeds, or better yet, be translated or beamed up to or into wherever I want to go. It would save me a lot of gas mileage. Plus I could get into and out of places easily that aren't accessible to others.</div>
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<b>Ashley asked: How did you get so good at playing chess?</b></div>
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I'm more mediocre than good. The skills I do have came through practice and study. My papa taught me how to play chess, and for that, I am forever grateful.</div>
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<b>Hi Beth, I'm a chessplayer, too. On FICS I play as "Paolone". I have a question about your chess tournament's reports. I noticed you seem always calm and pleased also after lost games. It's a good thing, imho but I ask you: what are your thoughts to handle a bad outcome well?</b></div>
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Hi Paolone, I am not pleased after lost games, but I know that every game I lose, I learn from. I can't afford to be overly upset. I have to keep my head up and concentrate on doing better next game. There's always a next game.<br />
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<b>Martha: Do you ever get angry? If so, how do you calm yourself down?</b></div>
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No one ever sees me angry because I almost always keep it all in my head, but yes. The reason I'm angry is usually some news story I'm reading about some terrible crime, so I stop reading it, pray for those hurting in this world and think about something else.<br />
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<b>Martha asked: Do you think people are inherently good?</b></div>
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Not really. I think we're all born with a conscience, but we're also born with a tendency to sin. We have to choose good or evil. </div>
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<b>Martha asked: Do you think little white lies are acceptable?</b></div>
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To me, "thou shalt not lie" is pretty clear. But I also don't think everyone always needs to know the whole truth when the truth is cruel and won't help anything. If your cooking is awful, I'll probably just say it's "interesting" and thank you for your hospitality. I don't consider it a lie--just being gracious.<br />
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I do believe there are scenarios where lying could, theoretically, be the right thing to do (say, if a murderer is searching for a victim and asks where she is). That said, I don't believe I've ever come across an instance yet personally where I felt morally compelled to lie, and I hope I never do.</div>
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<i>St. Raphael's Cathedral has beautiful stained glass windows and an awesome-looking pipe-organ. I wish I could have heard it played. The Cathedral parish is the oldest congregation of any Christian denomination in the state of Iowa, as settlers began meeting in homes in 1833. The current Cathedral was built from 1857 to 1861. The pipe organ was originally built in 1890 and rebuilt in 1937.</i></div>
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<b>Ashley asked: Can you play any instruments?</b><br />
I can play the piano, guitar, accordion and harmonica.<br />
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<b>Martha asked: What one word would you use to describe your life?</b><br />
Happy<br />
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<b>Martha asked: What is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you?</b><br />
"I love you."<br />
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<b>Martha asked: What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?</b><br />
The nicest thing is probably that my parents spent a lot of time with me when I was a child, and really worked hard to teach me Christian principles and God's word and give me an awesome education. Ambitious, loving parents who push you to your limits and believe in your capabilities are the best. And I love that my mom would pray for and comfort me even when I was sick; having her by my side always made me feel better. I love my parents, and still think they're pretty nice.<br />
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<b>Gloria:</b> <b>What were some of the most difficult moments in your life and how did you overcome them? </b></div>
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I think my life has been comparatively easy. The most difficult moments in my life were probably dealing with re-occurring migraine headaches as a teenager. Friends and family prayed for me, and I was healed.</div>
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<i>The view behind me is overlooking the Mississippi from Eagle Point Park. While I was busy sight-seeing, some of my family members were running a half-marathon that started at the park. Photo courtesy of Sarah Faith.</i></div>
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<b>Stephanie asked: How tall are you?</b></div>
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5 feet 6 inches.</div>
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<b>Gloria asked: If you could travel back in time, where and to what period of history would you go?</b></div>
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I think it would be interesting to visit the antediluvian era, see to what point man had progressed before the flood, and study the environment.</div>
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From a non-intellectual standpoint, I'd probably most enjoy visiting the 1950s.</div>
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But I hope the time machine doesn't get stuck. I like now best.</div>
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<b>Martha asked: If you could have one person in history answer a question (truthfully), who would you choose and what would you ask?</b></div>
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I would ask Solomon what question I should ask. But then I'd have used up my question. Could you give me two chances? I've pondered this one for quite a while, but I really don't know. That's a very good question, but a very tough one, Martha.</div>
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<b>Sarah Faith asked: If you could meet and have dinner with one of the five living former presidents, whom would you pick?</b></div>
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Probably George H.W. Bush.</div>
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<i>I thoroughly enjoyed visiting the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. It was one of the better museums I have been to. Touring the steamboat William M. Black as my last stop at the museum was very interesting. The museum was full of...you guessed it--history! There were theaters everywhere, "caves" inside the museum, plenty of model steamboats, artifacts, and interesting fish in the aquarium. There are also a smaller boat on land, a log cabin, and an old train depot.</i></div>
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<b>A dozen and one blog asked: Have you ever been to another country? If not, would you ever wish to?</b></div>
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No, I have not. Yes, I would like to.</div>
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<b>Stephanie asked: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?</b></div>
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Outside of the United States (where I have several places I still want to visit), my top spots to visit someday are the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy and Thailand.</div>
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<b>Linda asked: If you could visit Canada, which province would you most like to visit...and why?</b></div>
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I would most likely visit Manitoba or Ontario because those are closest. They also have enough attractions to make for a fascinating trip.</div>
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<b>Gosia asked: What is the most interesting place in Europe for you?</b></div>
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The most interesting places in Europe for me are the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy.</div>
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However, since you are from Poland, I will say that Polish history intrigues me, particularly the efforts of the Polish underground during World War II.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EWIJsihQWts/WciJw973z9I/AAAAAAAAMo4/jx_FM6dp1eMNjMmMebR7XF4cvlGqTIz7wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_1863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EWIJsihQWts/WciJw973z9I/AAAAAAAAMo4/jx_FM6dp1eMNjMmMebR7XF4cvlGqTIz7wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_1863.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Ashley asked: Do you know how to do any handiwork, like sewing, crocheting, or knitting?</b></div>
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I know how to sew and crochet. Crocheting is a relaxing activity for when I want to pretend to feel useful while watching episode after episode of some old series or while reading a book during a long cold winter. I've made probably three scarves and a hat, but I don't exactly need any more scarves...so I haven't crocheted since last winter!</div>
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Sewing, on the other hand, is something I utterly detest doing. Or actually, I think, needle and thread utterly dislike me. It seems I take out more stitches than I put in. But, I have a hard time finding skirts I actually like. So I make the sacrifice once every few years to sew myself something I like.</div>
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<b>Ashley asked: Do you still make cards from paintings from your grandma? I still have some of the cards you gave me from the giveaway. They are. So pretty. :)</b></div>
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Glad you liked them! I never have made the cards. I just take care of online sales for the gallery. My grandma is in the nursing home now and doesn't paint anymore, but she still has a wide variety of cards for sale.</div>
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<i>The above is an old gravel pit (now a beautiful private lake) in Butler County, which I visited while writing a story on a century farm.</i></div>
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<b>Martha asked: What do you enjoy doing on a rainy day?</b></div>
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Thinking up stories for other people to read on rainy days.</div>
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<b>If you had the chance to travel for journalism's sake, where would you go and what story would you cover?</b></div>
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I'm not sure where I'd go, but I'd want to cover a story that no one else has discovered yet--a breaking exclusive.</div>
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<b>Did you go to college? If no, why not?</b></div>
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No. I didn't think I needed to.</div>
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<i>When I told Grandpa Carson about visiting the National Mississippi River Museum and the depot attached, he said Grandma had given a presentation in the depot years ago. Check out some of Grandma's railroad art <a href="http://www.carsonart.net/trains.html">here</a>.</i></div>
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<b>Anonymous said: I love reading about your work as a journalist. How did you get that job, and how do you find stories to write about? Is your town small? How many days a week do you work? And do you take photographs for the newspaper? </b></div>
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To answer the first question, I applied for the job and was hired.</div>
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There are a few ways I find stories. I attend the city council meetings and school board meeting and write about what's discussed. I attend community events and write about them. People and organizations send me press releases, and sometimes those lead to larger stories. I browse social media to see what's happening. I write about local businesses and interesting people. Some stories just happen--like when a storm blows in. And I have a wonderful brainstorming team consisting of everyone in town, my friends and my family. Some people don't realize they're part of the team yet...but I have been given some great ideas!</div>
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I'm supposed to work 40 hours every week. Yes, I take photographs for the paper.<br />
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Visit <a href="http://www.butlercountytribune.com/">www.butlercountytribune.com</a> and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clarksvillestar/">Clarksville Star</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/butlercountytribune/">Butler County Tribune-Journal </a>Facebook pages to check out my latest stories!</div>
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<i>The Fossil and Prairie Preserve in Rockford, Iowa.</i></div>
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<b>Mari said: I think your new job is very interesting. I wonder how many hours you work on it in a week. When you do interviews to get articles do you take photos for them too? And how often does a paper come out? </b></div>
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I'm supposed to work 40 hours per week, but sometimes I work more. The important thing is that I get the papers done every week. Yes, I take photos for the paper. The Clarksville Star and Butler County Tribune both come out once a week--on Thursday.</div>
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<b>Martha asked: What do you like best about your new job?</b></div>
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<li><b>The people</b>. I love my coworkers; they are sincerely awesome people. And there's just something special about being part of a small town. I love the ladies at Casey's who make my subs. I love the ladies at the post office. I love the city councils, the school boards, and the smile and wave from everyone I know.</li>
<li><b>The educational experience</b>. I'm always learning something new!<span style="font-size: x-small;"> (And if I find out before everyone else, all the better!)</span></li>
<li><b>The flexibility.</b> It's pretty awesome to get to design my own schedule every week--and to pick whatever I want to write about in the community each week, as long as I get the news in.</li>
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<b>Thanks to all who participated in this year's Ask Me Anything!</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-69816997327317421712017-08-31T22:46:00.001-05:002017-08-31T22:59:27.233-05:00Answers: Favorites<div style="text-align: justify;">
Thanks to all who asked so many interesting questions! I've had lots of fun answering them. Here's my first batch of answers--on my favorite things.</div>
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a> asked: What is your favourite season...and why?</b><br />
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My favorite seasons are spring, summer and fall. Basically I'm happy as long as I'm warm and there are clear roads, blooming flowers, singing birds and green grass.</div>
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<b><a href="http://cherylsmithministries.blogspot.com/">Cheryl</a> asked: Who is your favorite singing group?</b><br />
The Carson Family Singers: that's the only singing group I'm invited to sing with!<br />
The Johnson Strings, the Piano Guys, Statler Brothers, Johnny Cash and Andy Williams are all pretty good though. Usually I only listen to music if someone else turns it on, but I do have <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLybTyVmOuHltrII3spGBBJ5SIn2AQ6t20">my own playlist </a>for emergencies! And yes, I apparently do like movie music.<br />
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a></b><b> asked: What is/are your favourite television channels/networks?</b><br />
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There's only one show I regularly watch on television: American Ninja Warrior. I did watch the Spartan Ultimate Team Challenge as well this year. But I find all my other news, movies, and shows online. I particularly enjoy the Studio C Youtube channel. </div>
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a></b><b> asked: Besides the state you live in, what is your favourite state in the U.S.?</b><br />
I don't really have a favorite state besides Iowa. I love it here, and haven't spent enough time anywhere else in the recent past to develop an affinity for another state. I will say that I have fond memories of Kansas, but don't think I'd like to live there.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com/">Martha</a> asked: W<span style="text-align: start;">hat is your least favourite smell?</span></b></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;">Living skunks and decaying mice are up there on the list.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a> </b><b>asked: Do you have any favourite flower(s)? If so, which one(s)?</b></div>
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I love the pink cone flowers (echinacea) I grow in my garden every year. Pansies are another favorite going back to the days when I pressed flowers. Roses are pretty nice too, but I don't like to grow them, just photograph them. (And as a child, I ate them. Lately I've resisted the urge.)</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com/">Martha</a> asked: What is your favourite family tradition?</b><br />
Thanksgiving dinner. I also liked our tradition of having a cake and party every time each one of my siblings and I finished a book of the Bible on our first time reading it through. That meant each one of us had 66 parties when we were five and six years old. Since there are four of us, that was a total of 264 parties. My parents know how to make life fun!<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com/">Martha</a> </b><b> asked: If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?</b><br />
Is<a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/01/a-family-dinner-better-than-fiction.html"> Thanksgiving dinner</a> "a" food? I think I could eat that year round without dying of malnutrition.<br />
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a></b><b> asked: Do you prefer tea or coffee?</b><br />
Neither. I'm a devoted water drinker. I think tea tastes better than coffee, so I'll choose tea. I still have this beautiful <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2016/04/tea-cup-exchange.html">tea cup from Alena </a>handy! But if I have to occasionally drink coffee to stay awake (maybe a couple times a year), I do.<br />
<b><br /></b><b><a href="http://creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com/">Ashley</a></b><b> asked: What books do you like reading the most? What are your top 10 favorite books?</b><br />
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The Bible is my #1 favorite. The Law by Frederic Bastiat is #2. I don't know what the other eight favorites would be for a top 10 list--so here's a random list of some books I enjoyed: </div>
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The Road to Serfdom by Hayek</div>
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Omnipotent Government by Ludwig Von Mises</div>
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Economic Sophisms by Frederic Bastiat</div>
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The Holy War by John Bunyan</div>
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Paris Underground by Etta Schriber</div>
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Animal Farm by George Orwell</div>
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Memoirs of the Second World War (Abridged) by Winston Churchill.</div>
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Chess books by Jeremy Silman, such as the Complete Endgame Course and Reassess Your Chess.</div>
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<b><a href="http://gloriakluth.blogspot.com/">Gloria</a> asked: What do you love best about blogging?</b><br />
I love the camaraderie of fellow bloggers, but I also really enjoy the convenience of a great place to document some of my memories--and where I can easily look up facts, my opinions, and recipes when I need them.<br />
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<b><a href="http://creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com/">Ashley</a> asked: What are your favorite blogs to read?</b><br />
To be honest, I probably visit Martha's blogs, <a href="https://miniaturopolis.blogspot.com/">Miniaturopolis</a> and <a href="https://plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com/">Plowing Through Life</a> the most. I don't always comment, but sometimes I just like to stop by for a quick smile.<br />
When it comes to favorite blogs though, there are too many good ones to list!<br />
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<b><a href="http://wrensden.blogspot.com/">Linda</a> </b><b>: What is your favourite story or verse in the Bible?</b></div>
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One favorite is the story of how Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead in the town of Bethany. My other favorite is the story of Deborah because she was a strong woman who was unafraid to judge Israel and work with God to liberate her people.</div>
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Favorite verses come from Psalm 23, Psalm 91, John 11, and John 14-17.</div>
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<b><br /></b><b><a href="http://creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com/">Ashley</a></b><b>: Who's your favorite character in the Bible? </b></div>
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Deborah.</div>
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<b><a href="http://creatingpreciousmoments.blogspot.com/">Ashley</a>: What's your favorite book of the Bible and why? </b></div>
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The Gospel of John is filled with comforting words that remind us of the love and peace only Jesus can give.</div>
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<i>"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except you abide in me." --John 15:4</i></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-29456025134457066772017-08-10T14:30:00.000-05:002017-08-10T14:30:04.788-05:00Your Turn - 2017<div style="text-align: center;">
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The Liberty or Death annual survey is coming up in only a few months with my queries for you, so like last year, the floor is yours first. I've decided to again have a little fun with an Ask Me Anything post (Since I enjoyed answering your questions last year, and always love <a href="https://plowingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2016/02/ask-me-anything.html">Martha's Q & A series</a>.)</div>
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So, feel free to ask any questions you wish, either in a comment or (if you prefer to ask anonymously) in the form below. I will attempt to answer in upcoming blog posts. Ask anything that comes to mind...serious or trivial. Have fun!</div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-28961468599363028922017-08-05T22:14:00.001-05:002017-08-06T13:50:50.184-05:00Snapshot of Summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>"All in all, it was a never to be forgotten summer — one of those summers which come seldom into any life, but leave a rich heritage of beautiful memories in their going — one of those summers which, in a fortunate combination of delightful weather, delightful friends and delightful doing, come as near to perfection as anything can come in this world." --L.M. Montgomery (Anne's House of Dreams)</i></div>
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It hardly seems possible that it is already August. I'm hoping we have several more months of summer, but the last couple days I've had to wear a sweater, with lows reaching into the 50s. Maybe summer is taking a quick vacation. But before I forget, it's time for some mid-summer reflections! I recently went out to lunch with my friend <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/11/interview-with-kathleen-franck.html">Kathleen</a>, whom I met while blogging on the campaign trail. She is very much a living reminder of why I love blogging, so it's about time for a new post! This summer has been a fun one, packed with happy memories I don't want to forget.</div>
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<b>1. I visited Chocolaterie Stam for the first time in my life with this lovely young lady on May 25!</b></div>
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Looking at the chocolates was an experience itself. Who needs to eat them? Oh, and she tried to teach me how to take a selfie, and I failed. But that's what teenage sisters are for! If you haven't checked out Sarah Faith's blog at the <a href="http://carsonfamilysingers.weebly.com/the-journeys-of-faith">Journeys of Faith</a> yet, you should. You can learn all about how she eats pecan pie and ice cream and still sets her P.R. (personal record). She did her first triathlon this summer, and recently ran 20 miles, just for training.</div>
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<b>2. Aren't these cars beautiful? I "had to" attend a car show one weekend in Shell Rock to cover it for the paper on June 11.</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SWm56DjlWPM/WYXulM1iCgI/AAAAAAAAMRQ/Kh6q8DRc_1kWobjEbue5gVt7cjRimMb9wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4260.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SWm56DjlWPM/WYXulM1iCgI/AAAAAAAAMRQ/Kh6q8DRc_1kWobjEbue5gVt7cjRimMb9wCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4260.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qr5sMArw1sA/WYXulYxlzNI/AAAAAAAAMRU/9SceSNB-EAoGj7-hq5mgPb6laDeI995lgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qr5sMArw1sA/WYXulYxlzNI/AAAAAAAAMRU/9SceSNB-EAoGj7-hq5mgPb6laDeI995lgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_4269.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>3. The Glenn Miller Orchestra came to Wilder Park in Allison on June 11 (and of course, I had to cover that).</b></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UIh4y-_mmSI/WYXxXXt3pGI/AAAAAAAAMRo/sS-ryRAHDyMb8wA9MvWPXyc55nJQCiPBACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_5188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UIh4y-_mmSI/WYXxXXt3pGI/AAAAAAAAMRo/sS-ryRAHDyMb8wA9MvWPXyc55nJQCiPBACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_5188.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;">"You leave the Pennsylvania Station 'bout a quarter to four. Read a magazine and then you're in Baltimore. Dinner in the diner; Nothing could be finer
Then to have your ham an' eggs in Carolina. When you hear the whistle blowin' eight to the bar, Then you know that Tennessee is not very far. Shovel all the coal in
Gotta keep it rollin'
Woo, woo, Chattanooga there you are." --Chattanooga Choo Choo</i></div>
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The Glenn Miller Orchestra dates back to the 1930s and 40s. I was happy my sister Charity was able to attend with me!</div>
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<b>4. Attending the Figure 8 Races at the Butler County Fair was definitely something I'd never done before.</b><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0h7lVpOl4SI/WYX5XAduB6I/AAAAAAAAMSM/NBfj6quOie0C-a3DkT2jBClZ5AX95-lCACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_7498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-0h7lVpOl4SI/WYX5XAduB6I/AAAAAAAAMSM/NBfj6quOie0C-a3DkT2jBClZ5AX95-lCACEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_7498.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Somehow the thought of attending Figure 8 Races had never struck a chord of longing in my heart. But covering them for the paper was a fascinating experience. The old-school racing was especially remarkable, as cars bumped each other off the track instead of just racing for speed.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kI9tdJil5lg/WYX5MGf8KcI/AAAAAAAAMSM/nRs4J1DY6hst72qvFD0qp_q5k1vUH38PgCEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_0267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kI9tdJil5lg/WYX5MGf8KcI/AAAAAAAAMSM/nRs4J1DY6hst72qvFD0qp_q5k1vUH38PgCEwYBhgL/s640/IMG_0267.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>5. Scrambles at the Butler County Fair: I'd never seen anything like this before either.</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o0ScjqLY_ZQ/WYX5VgYeYCI/AAAAAAAAMSM/W87OB-IB0lcLmdmHRMX3U76bVqzzyzPoACEwYBhgL/s1600/IMG_6925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o0ScjqLY_ZQ/WYX5VgYeYCI/AAAAAAAAMSM/W87OB-IB0lcLmdmHRMX3U76bVqzzyzPoACEwYBhgL/s320/IMG_6925.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yj_15ChV0RM/WYX5TEst4LI/AAAAAAAAMSA/erZN_4caeGIo5-YVb0XBqO-mCnLuoC1HQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_6866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Yj_15ChV0RM/WYX5TEst4LI/AAAAAAAAMSA/erZN_4caeGIo5-YVb0XBqO-mCnLuoC1HQCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_6866.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Children tried to catch calves and pigs. If a teenager caught a calf, the calf were his/hers. If a child caught a pig, he/she received an envelope of money.<br />
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<b>6: I accidentally won the Clarksville Spelling Bee, adult division.</b></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fTFJ69RYr7w/WYX-_YM-05I/AAAAAAAAMSY/c7tz7Lxc-AEsqQ4v9SwZi1zkQpLCPPlXgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_4181.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fTFJ69RYr7w/WYX-_YM-05I/AAAAAAAAMSY/c7tz7Lxc-AEsqQ4v9SwZi1zkQpLCPPlXgCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_4181.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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"What will people think if they find out their newspaper editor can't spell?" I asked spelling bee organizer Lola Clark. "It will be fun," she said. I was fortunate to sit at the end of the line, so by the time it was my turn, almost everyone else was already out! I just had to fight it out with Lora Wedemeier, who finished second. Here we stand with retired teacher Lorna Schwartz, who came from Colorado and officiated the spelling bee. What made it even sweeter was that Sarah Faith won the high school division!</div>
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<b>7. My 23rd birthday was unforgettable.</b><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQKnMy6kgz4/WYYAaoMY3xI/AAAAAAAAMSk/gs1Dc_X1z00vbv-KX9MBGKp5oFy2Xu40gCLcBGAs/s1600/SAM_3760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xQKnMy6kgz4/WYYAaoMY3xI/AAAAAAAAMSk/gs1Dc_X1z00vbv-KX9MBGKp5oFy2Xu40gCLcBGAs/s640/SAM_3760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Not only was my birthday cake beautiful, it contained a specially-ordered spelling error from my papa. He wanted to see if this editor was on her toes...I was not prepared to proof-read my own cake! I *need* spell check.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnM6DXXLxCU/WYYCKf6GUqI/AAAAAAAAMSw/SzjJUfWHhKs8B9psgV1LvQDVxcT-l0dggCLcBGAs/s1600/SAM_3719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bnM6DXXLxCU/WYYCKf6GUqI/AAAAAAAAMSw/SzjJUfWHhKs8B9psgV1LvQDVxcT-l0dggCLcBGAs/s640/SAM_3719.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My family and I went rock climbing at the W in Waverly. Climbing is another first for me this year. The National Guard had a climbing wall at the Sauerkraut Days in Ackley, and my sisters, brother and I each made it to the top and collected a t-shirt; so, we wanted to try something a bit more challenging! And we had a lot of fun! </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jX1cCGqeBk/WYYJccXwmFI/AAAAAAAAMTo/h3n1TGjjY9g-paPcFj_Rop-80b65DUtOQCLcBGAs/s1600/SAM_3687.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jX1cCGqeBk/WYYJccXwmFI/AAAAAAAAMTo/h3n1TGjjY9g-paPcFj_Rop-80b65DUtOQCLcBGAs/s640/SAM_3687.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We went out to eat at the New Century International Buffet in Cedar Falls... </div>
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But before the evening was over, I got a text that someone had tried to burn down the Clarksville City Hall--which happens to be attached to the police station--in broad daylight!</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIG3Isxw9Yw/WYYEDb0Ca-I/AAAAAAAAMS8/Se8QfLYJf9EDC4fmP7Zn7DkxDg6KOipCwCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pIG3Isxw9Yw/WYYEDb0Ca-I/AAAAAAAAMS8/Se8QfLYJf9EDC4fmP7Zn7DkxDg6KOipCwCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_9918.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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So, I finished the evening with some very sad breaking news coverage. The city hall was built in 1917, and old tax records dating back to the 1800s were damaged or destroyed by the blaze. The perpetrator had kicked in the back door, wrecked the food pantry, and eventually set fire to the building right in front of the beautiful desk from the old bank. This was a nice city hall, and I'm there at least twice a month for council meetings. To have someone commit arson there was shocking.</div>
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<b>8. The Old Mill in Shell Rock was a neat place to visit.</b></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yDpWiMbGgZg/WYYG7j-zx9I/AAAAAAAAMTU/qAqtfu6vKHcn2OCYHUFwKM3rafwRZIGKgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yDpWiMbGgZg/WYYG7j-zx9I/AAAAAAAAMTU/qAqtfu6vKHcn2OCYHUFwKM3rafwRZIGKgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9074.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-iL8aEWOjc/WYYHHuLtwMI/AAAAAAAAMTY/NJkgVWYz3OsuTs-PBVa1Tr-WOTmtNrUZgCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4-iL8aEWOjc/WYYHHuLtwMI/AAAAAAAAMTY/NJkgVWYz3OsuTs-PBVa1Tr-WOTmtNrUZgCLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9117.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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To my surprise the interior is beautifully furnished. The 150 year-old mill has been given new life as a vacation rental. It overlooks the Shell Rock River.</div>
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<b>9. Running, running, running!</b></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAAX0X8tTnQ/WYX5BX9gcAI/AAAAAAAAMR4/-GOYwm9I2iIC2Cl8qrH2bBd6ALCELwTfgCLcBGAs/s1600/20170805_091910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gAAX0X8tTnQ/WYX5BX9gcAI/AAAAAAAAMR4/-GOYwm9I2iIC2Cl8qrH2bBd6ALCELwTfgCLcBGAs/s640/20170805_091910.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've joined my family for 14 5Ks so far this year--the latest, just today. My times are definitely very slow because I don't make the time to train, but I still have fun! One of these days I'm going to have to get back into shape. My first race of the year I finished with a time of 25:29. Today my time was 28:56.</div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQvui01I0Yg/WYXtjCsFDBI/AAAAAAAAMRE/9yRd1y6C3cMeHDOggyqFVm106JPuEwPggCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_3679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dQvui01I0Yg/WYXtjCsFDBI/AAAAAAAAMRE/9yRd1y6C3cMeHDOggyqFVm106JPuEwPggCLcBGAs/s400/IMG_3679.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b>10. My first tractor pull was a loud one! </b></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AE5CFshbeLs/WYXwlmSrRsI/AAAAAAAAMRg/RV6dcipQ3mUnDQcyLc469W-yrqFD_IOGACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_0120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-AE5CFshbeLs/WYXwlmSrRsI/AAAAAAAAMRg/RV6dcipQ3mUnDQcyLc469W-yrqFD_IOGACLcBGAs/s640/IMG_0120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I could hardly believe how much noise these contraptions made. I attended to take pictures, and I had the opportunity to ride behind the sled in a safe, enclosed steering cab (not like the one in this photo!). That was fascinating.</div>
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<b>11. We visited the Little Valley Church...and met a lady with 1900 teddy bears!</b></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azPKFq4hQzg/WYYO4e1P_PI/AAAAAAAAMUg/MD10pSCkT1oCmmvyKMCQKAkNvQJirGb_wCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3428.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-azPKFq4hQzg/WYYO4e1P_PI/AAAAAAAAMUg/MD10pSCkT1oCmmvyKMCQKAkNvQJirGb_wCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3428.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QY3UxWFTCCw/WYYOtagdWkI/AAAAAAAAMUY/ypbcvqzyPRkYPWZ3UDJGU-JkCyFMq49jQCK4BGAYYCw/s1600/IMG_3438.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QY3UxWFTCCw/WYYOtagdWkI/AAAAAAAAMUY/ypbcvqzyPRkYPWZ3UDJGU-JkCyFMq49jQCK4BGAYYCw/s320/IMG_3438.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love little churches. So many teddy bears though was amazing!I had never seen so many teddy bears in my life.</div>
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<b>12. The Living History Farms is a place I had been hoping to check off my list for a long time.</b></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1iav3W1QUEM/WYYQPFAukDI/AAAAAAAAMUk/wd0zkZYRMfkl-eNGe3jkiXsTqHeDYhzKQCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1iav3W1QUEM/WYYQPFAukDI/AAAAAAAAMUk/wd0zkZYRMfkl-eNGe3jkiXsTqHeDYhzKQCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_9169.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was basically like a whole city of museums, with docents dressed in period-costume and working as citizens of the town and farm. I thought <i>The Advocate</i> newspaper office was the neatest. Apparently, putting a paper together years ago was a lot more work than it is now.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ueh4U2ACMrk/WYYRXEsoFEI/AAAAAAAAMUw/E4-p0_aftowjznyHGBK_hMLHH0zX056FACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ueh4U2ACMrk/WYYRXEsoFEI/AAAAAAAAMUw/E4-p0_aftowjznyHGBK_hMLHH0zX056FACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9179.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_02mglVziI/WYYRsVxlY4I/AAAAAAAAMU0/6dPd1WHctPUQb2FTNSu6xn4EjGKeJHQdACLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-T_02mglVziI/WYYRsVxlY4I/AAAAAAAAMU0/6dPd1WHctPUQb2FTNSu6xn4EjGKeJHQdACLcBGAs/s320/IMG_9205.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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At the farm, I had a chance to help grind silage (I think that's what they were doing--not sure). And we got to see a litter of day-old piglets. These weren't ordinary confinement pigs by any means. There were Ossabaw Island Hogs, mixed breed sows, and a Berkshire boar--hairy and quite big.</div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AYpQkuaGVw/WYcOu3GIC6I/AAAAAAAAMWE/d_OiENO2PoMK_ka3wxfheE-jaLjUjbe6wCLcBGAs/s1600/IMG_9187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0AYpQkuaGVw/WYcOu3GIC6I/AAAAAAAAMWE/d_OiENO2PoMK_ka3wxfheE-jaLjUjbe6wCLcBGAs/s640/IMG_9187.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was a nice old church--and even a cemetery. Another couple spots I thought particularly interesting were the doctor's office and the drug store. It's amazing what they did to patients a hundred years ago, and I wonder what people in 100 years will think of our medical practices today.</div>
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<b>13. We went to a lot of parades. </b></div>
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We collected a lot of candy at parades. Why didn't my parents take me to parades when I was little? Maybe I should give them some credit for the fact I still have my teeth.</div>
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<b>14. Canoeing</b></div>
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Another summer highlight was canoeing and kayaking down the Iowa River. We happened to choose the same time as a float party did, so it was quite a challenge canoeing around so many obstacles, but we made it past everyone, and finally enjoyed some peace and quiet on the river.</div>
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<i style="font-size: small;">Some of the photos in this post are courtesy of Daniel, Charity, and Sarah Faith.</i></div>
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One sad thing that's happened to me this summer is I've nearly lost my Oxford Comma. In AP style, I cannot use it, so I've gotten out of the habit. I will survive, and the Oxford Comma will survive: strong, tried, and true.</div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_eZeXPyDszg/WYZbleGxk-I/AAAAAAAAMVw/9_szCtB-K0wH_hX3Fxpoty7Jv6j6vKFtgCLcBGAs/s1600/Quotefancy-99656-3840x2160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_eZeXPyDszg/WYZbleGxk-I/AAAAAAAAMVw/9_szCtB-K0wH_hX3Fxpoty7Jv6j6vKFtgCLcBGAs/s640/Quotefancy-99656-3840x2160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I think I must be one of the happiest people in the world. No one in life is exempt from trouble <span style="font-size: x-small;">(and car repair bills)</span>, but I feel most blessed. I have everything I want, and I know God's grace is everything I need.</div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com48tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-56229507415208672542017-07-15T22:41:00.000-05:002017-07-15T22:44:37.358-05:00The Last Day<div style="text-align: justify;">
Some time ago, I had a routine interview scheduled at a nursing home for my Savvy Seniors column. The day before the interview, a major storm hit the area, leaving over a thousand without power in Butler County, damaging trees, homes and businesses and claiming one life. Storm coverage forced me to reschedule the interview for an hour later. I had seriously considered rescheduling for another day, considering the nursing home was without power, but decided to press on, and I'm glad I did.<br />
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The man's advice to young people was poignant: "They better enjoy life while they can. It seems like it goes so fast. The older you get, the quicker [the years] go." He died later that day.</div>
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He got his two cents in. Had I delayed, I would have been too late.<br />
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Marcus Aurelius opined, "Perfection of character is this: to live each day as if it were your last: without frenzy, without apathy, without pretense."</div>
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Each day is the last of its kind. The opportunities presented may never arise again. Take a moment to be kind to others.<br />
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Don't waste your time worrying. Worry is a lack of faith. It's the absence of complete surrender to the will of Christ. Believe that as God has guided and made a way for you in the past, He will do the same in the future. Believe that God is faithful.<br />
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Sometimes life is difficult to understand. No one is exempt from problems, challenges, pain and sadness. But Jesus will always be there for you. 1 John 4:18 says, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment." Let the love and peace of God enfold you.<br />
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I know that although I may be woefully inadequate in the face of the world, Christ's grace is sufficient for me. The perfect joy of life in His presence. It's a joy that will endure through pain & sadness, good times & bad, and will never end. Jesus will see me through each day and prepare me for my last day.<br />
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<b style="text-align: center;"><i>"I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able </i></b></div>
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<b><i>to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." --2 Timothy 1:12</i></b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com33tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-91180331645515315722017-05-03T23:23:00.003-05:002017-05-03T23:24:31.348-05:00A Week at the Newspaper - Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
Another paper is out, and I have a whole week to get the next edition's batch of stories ready! On top of that, the weather here is gorgeous and our trees are in full bloom, so I'm a particularly happy person. Here's the rest of my week at the newspaper.</div>
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<b>Saturday, April 22</b><br />
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Saturday was a beautiful day. I read the whole gospel of Mark in the morning (it only took about one hour).</div>
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The only work I did was attending and photographing the Grand March at the Clarksville High School Prom in the afternoon. It was actually a pretty interesting event, because as each couple was announced, their comments on each other and themselves were read. </div>
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I had some vague ideas about spending the evening writing, but those notions came to nought, as I completely lacked motivation and was a bit absentminded. So... instead I re-watched one of my favorite films, <i>The Absent-Minded Professor</i> (1961). </div>
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<b>Sunday, April 30</b></div>
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Sunday was time for a different kind of work--at Carson Welding and Concrete. We mixed up a batch of concrete for the pads we make for propane tanks. I got to help with a little garden work.</div>
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I prepared the photos from Prom and the Swing Show and sent them to my designer. Then I wrote up the story on the Rock and Read program from my notes and a paper the instructional coach had sent with me.</div>
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Another article I wrote was about a Women's Connection Luncheon I had covered the Monday before for the Parkersburg Eclipse. At the luncheon, a lady named Polly Lilly spoke on how to reduce stress, and later she discussed "Bird in a Cage: What keeps you from flying." She shared her story about how Christ set her free.<br />
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"He said he would never leave nor forsake me. I was freed from the cage of selfish pursuit, and I found real joy," Lilly said. "Jesus is your only hope. He will give you real purpose. The truth will set you free." I thought it was a good message, so it was fun to type up a review on that.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the office, we have newspaper archives going back to the 1940s.</td></tr>
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<b>Monday, April 24</b></div>
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My first stop was at the nursing home in Shell Rock. I interviewed a lady named Hilda Fedeler who is 105 years old. She was sharp as a tack and really impressed me. She remembered the first and last name of each of her elementary school teachers and her first salary to the dollar. She has a cell phone, is an avid reader, plays the piano every day for the residents, and said she walks a mile almost every day. Her advice was, "If you want a good life, be a good Christian. Don't be afraid of work. Learn to work hard, but enjoy life at the same time."</div>
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I really enjoyed talking with Hilda, and probably spent over an hour with her. She reminded me a bit of my "Aunt" Esther, whom I have mentioned before, a family friend who lived with us from the time she was 102 till she died at the age of 109. Living in the same house as someone born in 1900 was quite the experience--one that, in retrospect, I'm glad my parents afforded me.</div>
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After interviewing one other lady at the nursing home, I headed over to Clarksville. Mary and I installed a cork board on the wall, and our vivacious sales rep, Cali, was there...so we visited with her.<br />
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I sent all the news releases and such (which Mary had proofread earlier in the day) to our designer. Then I drove to the Allison office, and worked on a little writing there, before heading to a relatively new building in town, built by the owners of Integrity Site Maintenance, a business that does maintenance on hog and poultry confinement buildings.. At 5:00 p.m. I interviewed the owners and talked with several employees. </div>
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My next stop was the Allison City Council meeting at 5:45. I took notes, but it was a pretty quiet meeting. I don't think I got enough out of it for an article--at least not now. There are a couple things that could develop out of it, but I won't know till next council meeting--the potential problems that were mentioned could just fizzle out.</div>
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After arriving home, I finished my article on the Shell Rock Swing Show and my Savvy Seniors article on Hilda Fedeler.</div>
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<b>Tuesday, April 25</b></div>
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If Monday is hectic, Tuesday is crunch time. I work from home all day on Tuesdays, which is nice because I don't have to drive anywhere (unless there's some random event I have to cover). My deadline is noon on Tuesday, though, so working from home doesn't mean I get to watch Studio C all day (ha!).</div>
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I woke up at about 6:00 and wrapped up the story on Integrity Sight Maintenance in about an hour. I ate breakfast, and then finished the story on freelance writer Dana Hinders, the "Hometown Entrepreneur" of the week.</div>
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I had one last-minute news release from the school to add, plus a poem from a local retired pastor for the "Readers Write" column. </div>
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The next article I typed was the one on the retiring teacher. I also wrote the North Butler addition story as a Q & A piece. Greg Forbes sent me his story on the bear which had been wandering in the area, and at a few minutes after noon I was officially done. The terrible person that I am, I tried to sneak in one more story--the story on Superintendent Foster--in, and my designer, Ana, graciously let me. </div>
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Then, I took a break at about 2:30 to relax and run some errands, while Ana got the pages designed.</div>
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At about 5:00 p.m., I returned to work proofreading and relaxing intermittently, as the pages came in. I suppose I could wait till morning to proofread, but Ana slaves away all evening, and I'd rather get everything done if possible at night, so I can sleep in on Wednesday morning. The paper hits the press as soon as the press operators in Hampton come in for work in the morning.</div>
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Proofreading is tricky. I try reading aloud to myself sometime to catch errors. I do catch most of the mistakes, but it seems something always slips by me. Hopefully with more practice, I'll improve. I finished up at about 1:00 a.m. Wednesday.</div>
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The next morning, I blissfully caught up on my sleep with the reassuring knowledge the paper was on the press! </div>
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Stories about Kesley Electric Motor, the dairy farm, and the glass factory went into the next week's paper.<br />
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<b>Every week, I'm looking for ways to improve.</b></div>
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<li>I'm working to make my articles shorter, cut out everything unnecessary, and give people the best of each story!</li>
<li>We're also trying to figure out how to get more customers to come to our office (and buy papers). Mary and I are hosting a coffee and cookies event on an upcoming Wednesday.</li>
<li>Finally, I'm working on improving time management and fitting everything I love back into my schedule. I want to spend more time with family, and I'm starting to add running, blogging and music back into the mix. Hopefully I'll also eventually get back to chess practice and taking road trips! Sometimes it's hard to remember to keep a good balance, because I really enjoy finding good stories and very much want my newspapers to be the best. There's so much to learn.</li>
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<b>Do you read any newspapers? If so, what's your favorite part of your paper?</b></div>
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<b>What type of stories would make a small town newspaper interesting to more people in the community?</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com36tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-55462463125211692562017-04-29T21:53:00.000-05:002017-04-29T21:57:58.277-05:00A Week at the Newspaper - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
What is life like as a small-town newspaper editor? In this post and the next, I'd like to invite you to join me for a week! While, for most people, the week starts on Sunday, for me the week really start on Wednesday, the day my papers are printed, and I start work on the next edition of the paper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Clarksville Star office: this is where the receptionist, Mary, now works...my desk is one table back. <br />
(This was a convenient place to pose when I showed my family the office shortly after I started working here.)</td></tr>
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<b>I'm always learning something new! </b></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;">Holes/eyes in Swiss cheese are formed by carbon dioxide gas created by the bacteria that flavors the cheese. Micro particles of plant origin serve as nuclei for the bubbles of carbon dioxide. In Switzerland, the cheese suffered from blindness as sealed milking machines largely precluded the presence of microscopic hay particles in milk until scientists figured this out. </li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Chickens used to wear glasses (see <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_eyeglasses">here</a> for an explanation).</li>
<li style="text-align: justify;">Cows at a local dairy wear pedometers much like runners wear FitBits or Garmins to count their steps.</li>
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<b style="text-align: justify;">Wednesday, April 19</b></div>
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Wednesday is probably the easiest day of the week for me. Currently I only *have* to be in my office in Clarksville at a set time for four hours per week on Thursday, and even then, I have flexibility to leave if necessary to get stories. The rest of the week I'm allowed to divide my time as I wish between the Clarksville and Allison offices, work from home, and traipse the countryside in Butler County looking for stories. Technically I'm supposed to work 40 hours per week. The important thing is to meet my deadline and get the papers out every week.<br />
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I woke up at 5:30 a.m. to finish proofing in time for Ana, my graphic designer, to make corrections and send the paper to the press in Hampton. This took me about an hour. Then I went back to sleep, woke up at 8:30 and ate a wonderful pancake breakfast created by my youngest sister, Sarah Faith.<br />
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At about 10 a.m., I left for my office in Clarksville. At 11 a.m. I interviewed a freelance writer at my office for the column I'm doing on hometown entrepreneurs. A lady came in with an obituary she wanted published. She wanted a photo from a 2013 edition of the newspaper to run with it, so I spent some time trying to find the photo. I ran to the post office to get the mail, and prepared to mail newspapers to some people who had specially requested them. <br />
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Next, I went to the elementary school, where I took photos of a Suzuki junior orchestra concert and relaxed to the beautiful music. I took photos at the blood drive at the school, and headed back to my office.<br />
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The office assistant, Mary, and I worked on posting this week's news stories to our website and social media. I vacuumed the rug in front of our office door, and then hurried out to drive down to the little town of Kesley, where I had an interview scheduled with the Barters, who own Kesley Electric Motors. They told me all about their business repairing and selling electric motors, and I got to meet their two shop cats, which demanded my attention.<br />
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On my way home I picked up a turkey sub sandwich, as I had somewhat carelessly failed to eat lunch and was starving.<br />
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After I returned home, I caught up on emails, news, and social media, and submitted my FICS Team League chess teams for the next tournament. I ate cold cereal for supper and watched the Andy Griffith show (hilarious) with a couple family members. We read a chapter from the Gospel of Mark together.<br />
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It was somewhat late. I made my first couple minor updates as the new webmaster for the <a href="http://chessjournalism.org/">Chess Journalists of America</a>. I wrote here...and at about 11:30, I went to sleep.<br />
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<b>Thursday, April 20</b></div>
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I woke up at around 8 a.m., ate breakfast, and left for work around 9 a.m. On my way I stopped at the bank and post office.</div>
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My first interview of the day was at 10 a.m. with the Superintendent of North Butler Schools. People in the community seemed to want to know more about the new addition the school is planning to build, so I asked him about that, and then had a general interview with him about his life and career and the school district.</div>
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I stopped by the Allison office. Then I headed up to my office in Clarksville. On my way, I visited Heery Woods Nature Center to ask about upcoming programs there. I stopped at Casey's for a sub sandwich. One of the ladies there gave me a good story idea. Then I stopped by the police station to see if the chief was in, so I could talk with him about a potential story. The chief was not there, so I told the on-duty officer I would contact him. At the Star office, I ate my sandwich, responded to emails, did some research for upcoming stories, and signed a customer up for a subscription.</div>
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I drove to Greene, had some keys made for the office at the hardware store, stopped by the school there to see if the principal was in, and then went to the Black Sheep Coffee Baa at 2 p.m., where I ordered a peach smoothie, and took notes as the lady who owns the shop gave a presentation to locals about her recent mission trip to Haiti. In an upcoming edition of the paper, I plan to do a story on people who make a difference, and this will be a nice addition.</div>
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Afterward, I headed back to Clarksville. At 4 p.m. I interviewed a teacher who plans to retire. Then I went back to my office, swept the floor and did some "housework," emailed photos to my designer, responded to more emails, ate granola bars, and relaxed a bit.</div>
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At around 6:20, I packed up, locked the office and drove to Shell Rock for the opening night of the Shell Rock Music Association's Swing Show. I got my ticket (and a seat) and talked with some people. The show started at 7:30.</div>
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The swing show reminded me of the Lawrence Welk show, with the Shell Rock mayor as Lawrence Welk. There was a band and a choir, and different groups gave special shows throughout the program with a variety of singing, dancing, instruments, and comedy. </div>
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I loved some of it, and disliked other parts. There was obviously something for everyone. One of the songs I especially enjoyed was I've Been Everywhere. The soloist gave a very good performance.</div>
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There were also a couple other exceptional soloists and groups, and the rendition of Abbot and Costello's "Who's on First" was hilarious--perhaps even better than the original.</div>
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I photographed the show from the back of the room. It ended at about 9:30, and after picking up comments from some members of the audience, I headed home, arriving at around 10:30. About an hour later I was asleep.</div>
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<b>Friday April 21</b><br />
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After breakfast, I left for work at 8:15. My first stop was at the Clarksville office at a little after 9 a.m. Then I headed to the Old Glass Factory near Greene. The shop is located outside a private home in the country. The designer makes beautiful stained glass windows. He explained the process, told how he came into business as a creator of stained glass windows after owning an auto-body shop, and showed me some of his work.<br />
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After stopping in Greene, I headed back to Clarksville, picked up the mail, and ordered a roast beef sub at Caseys. After eating lunch at the office, I went to school to get photos of their Rock and Read program, where the students sit in rocking chairs and read. I stopped by a classroom to get a photo and visited the secretary's office to find what time to be at the school for prom Saturday.<br />
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I did some more work at the office. Then I headed to Snow Rock Dairies near Shell Rock. I toured the dairy and talked with the owners, who immigrated here from the Netherlands in 2005 to start the business. It was fascinating. I was impressed by how clean the cow barn was, and thought it was particularly interesting to learn the cows wear pedometers to count their steps, so the farmer can track their activity on his computer.<br />
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From there, I headed home, stopping at the Parkersburg Eclipse office on the way to pick up a newspaper and chat with my coworkers there. After I got home shortly before 5 p.m., I wrote thank-you cards for the people I interviewed throughout the week, visited with my family, ate supper, did my bookkeeping/paperwork for the week, watched an episode of Hogan's Heroes with some family members, watched Studio C, responded to emails, read the news, browsed social media and went to sleep.<br />
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<b>Half the week's work was done! What is something new you learned this week?</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-83822409724800316192017-04-21T19:00:00.000-05:002017-04-21T19:00:03.325-05:00Marshall County Courthouse and Clocktower<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
Some time ago, I <a href="http://todaylibertyordeath.blogspot.com/2015/02/marshall-county-courthouse.html" target="_blank">posted</a> about the Marshall County Courthouse in Marshalltown, Iowa. We visited during the winter, and the clock tower was closed for the season. So, during the summer of 2015, we called the county Board of Supervisors, and Lisa Gassman kindly agreed to give us a tour.</div>
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Courthouses that allow visitors to climb the stairs up to the clock tower are few and far between, so we were especially grateful for this opportunity.</div>
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There were a lot of stairs to climb, and we relished the view from each level of the building. Gassman is an excellent docent, and she told us all about the building's history.</div>
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As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Marshall County Courthouse in Marshalltown, Iowa, was built between 1884 and 1886 on land given to the county by the town's founder, Henry Anson, with the provision that a courthouse costing at least $100,000 would be built. Construction costs totalled just short of $150,000. A statue of Anson stands outside the courthouse. The courthouse roof also features three statues, one of which is Lady Justice.</div>
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The courtroom features a beautiful high ceiling. The woodwork, the upholstery on the old jurors' seats, and even the door-hinges are carefully detailed.</div>
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Marshall County was named in honor of John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. I thoroughly enjoyed my tour of the courthouse and would rank the building among the more beautiful courthouses in the state.</div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-40463191431408037212017-04-18T17:25:00.000-05:002017-04-19T17:50:33.660-05:00Mai Pho & Cedar Rapids Leatherjackets Part 2<div style="text-align: justify;">
After completing the first day of the Cedar Rapids Leatherjackets tournament, we spent the night at the DoubleTree. In the morning, we did some running on the sidewalks in town. We returned to the hotel and took the stairs up to our room on the 9th floor. But...we didn't stop there. The hotel has 16 floors, so we headed up to the top! Before long, I was thinking of<a href="https://youtu.be/CKLTdFhM9dA"> A Stairway Chase on Studio C</a>! I started out running, but by the last floor I was slowly walking. The view from the 16th floor was beautiful.</div>
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For lunch, we stopped at Mai Pho in Cedar Rapids, which is a favorite with my family because of their bubble teas and other sweet beverages. </div>
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As usual, I ordered chicken pho. I was happy to see the bowl of pho came with basil, bean sprouts, and lime--all the right flavorings. It seems every pho restaurant I've visited have one thing in common: large bowls. I definitely got my money's worth out of the meal with more than I could eat.</div>
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The restaurant had nice decor and seemed clean. Everything served was presented very tastefully, and my family enjoyed their orders.</div>
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The third round of the tournament I had a bye, but got to play an extra game against Jess Fiedorowicz (1228). He tenaciously held his ground. I had to fight to survive, and I couldn't get anything more than a draw out of the game.</div>
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The final round, I played Nathan Chen (1764). He outplayed me throughout most of the game and made it to the endgame with an extra pawn and a superior position.</div>
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Congratulations to James Neal, who won the tournament with 4.5 out of 5 points. As always, I enjoyed attending the Cedar Rapids Leatherjackets. Thanks to Jim Hodina and Robert Keating for directing and hosting a very nice event.</div>
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<b>Read Sarah Faith's post about the weekend at <a href="http://carsonfamilysingers.weebly.com/the-journeys-of-faith/a-weekend-vacation">her blog</a>!</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-69891698009249158772017-03-12T23:27:00.003-05:002017-03-12T23:33:14.193-05:00Cedar Rapids Leatherjackets 2017 - Part 1<div style="text-align: justify;">
With my new job keeping me hopping, I seriously considered not attending the Cedar Rapids Leatherjackets March 4th-5th. However, it's one of my favorite chess tournaments. The accommodations are always top-notch, and I have an attendance record to keep. This year was my 7th in a row participating. The FIDE-rated tournament was held at the Physician's Clinic of Iowa, directed by Jim Hodina, and hosted by Robert Keating.</div>
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My parents and youngest sister had a 10K to run in Garrison, so they dropped me off at the clinic early. I helped set up boards, and then played some blitz games against Richard Rector to warm up, as my chess skills have gotten a little rusty. My sister took a half-point bye in round 1 in the Reserve section, and joined me after she finished running the 10K.</div>
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I played in the Open section. My first game of the day was against Robert Reynolds (1966). I played the Queen's Gambit Declined Slav Defense, which is second only to the Sicilian as a favorite in my repertoire as black.<br />
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My 15. Nd5 was unwise, and after I failed to play h6 the next move, the game was lost. I consoled myself with the knowledge that I was "supposed" to lose that round, considering my opponent was higher rated. Still, I was disappointed in my play.</div>
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My family returned from their 10K race, after finishing quite well. I joined them for lunch and enjoyed a fish sandwich from McDonald's. I played a few blitz games against the up-and-coming scholastic player A. J. Kozich. Regrettably, I could not find enough bughouse players to get some bughouse games going.</div>
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The second round, I found myself facing David Raines (1763). The fact I had stayed up late writing Friday night was catching up with me, as I could barely keep my eyes open during the first part of the game. "This is not good," I thought to myself. I walked around the tournament room, and then raided some chips and coffee from the kitchen. I loaded the coffee with creamer, as I hate the bitter taste. But it did the job.</div>
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Raines opted for the Sicilian, which made my day. However, he gained the advantage for a while. Eventually, though, I was able to equalize, and we agreed to a draw in what Houdini rules as a rather drawn position. I was happy with the draw, since Raines was higher rated.</div>
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By the third round at 7:15 p.m., my lethargic state had fully bid me farewell. I was ready to concentrate. NM Neal recommended green tea instead of coffee, which tasted a lot better! </div>
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This time, I was paired against Abhyudaya Shukla (1647). I played the Sicilian. We reached a very interesting position by move 20, and Shukla offered a draw. I calculated every line I could, but did not see myself coming out ahead, so I accepted the draw.</div>
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Houdini concurs that the draw was appropriate, giving a line that ends in perpetual check. I suppose the game could have gone either way if we had summoned the fortitude continue playing.</div>
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The Reserve section was won by John Trunnel, with my sister finishing in second place. My folks and I headed to a hotel for the night. I had two more games to play Sunday.</div>
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<b>Stay tuned for Part 2!</b></div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-20393921407195712852017-03-09T22:36:00.000-06:002017-03-09T22:36:04.538-06:00Such is Life<div style="text-align: justify;">
I suppose it only fair to mention (as otherwise I may confuse you, my dear readers, in future posts): <span style="text-align: justify;">a little over two weeks ago, I started working as news editor for two local newspapers, the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/clarksvillestar">Clarksville Star</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/butlercountytribune/">Butler County Tribune-Journal</a>. It's a dream come true. Everything I've always loved doing--interviewing people, visiting neat places, and exploring small-town Iowa--I now do every working day.</span></div>
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Not only am I doing something I love, it seems I'm working for a great company. My co-workers have all been pleasant and very helpful as I've worked on learning my new duties. I remember at an interview for another company I applied with, I was asked what kind of people I liked to work with. "Nice people?!" I replied. They told me my coworkers would be grumpy. In retrospect, I am so glad I did not get that job.
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Sometimes I find myself randomly laughing when I'm on the road driving. I deserve so little, yet God has blessed me so much. Looking back over the past years it's beautiful to see how God has led me, even though I did not always see His hand.<br />
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I learned to surrender to the will of God, because nothing I have is mine. My life isn't mine. My talents, my love, my health, and my faith aren't mine. Everything I have is God's, and I can trust Him. He does hear my prayers. And if He doesn't seem to answer right away, there's a reason. He's not ignoring me, and He's not too busy. He will work everything out when the time is right.<br />
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Annie Johnson Flint reflected, "His will be done, we say with sighs and trembling, expecting sorrow, bitter loss, and tears. But then doth he answer us with blessing, in sweet rebuking of our faithless fears." I am grateful He answered my prayers, and I trust He will continue to give me strength for the challenges I'm sure are ahead.<br />
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<i>"I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. </i><br />
<i>Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. </i><br />
<i>My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever." --Psalm 73:23-26</i></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-1991862361706290342017-02-20T17:34:00.000-06:002017-02-20T17:34:54.967-06:00Mines of Spain<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last October while we were in the Dubuque area, we stopped at the Mines of Spain State Recreation Area and E.B. Lyons Nature Center. The nature center was a sort of small museum with a gift shop and a conference room. A field trip for an elementary school class seemed to be in progress; there were a lot of children.</div>
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We started our hike on the very short Pine Chapel Trail. The roof of the chapel was being fixed, and a local historian happened to be there. She told us about the chapel, built in the 1860s by Otto Junkermann to resemble a church he remembered in Germany. It seems this chapel, though, was never really used as a church. </div>
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It served as a meeting place for social gatherings and business and political meetings, and also as a trading post between the Native Americans and settlers. During the Prohibition, the chapel was used as a grainery to supply grain for an illegal still. Later, a hiking club used it as a meeting place.</div>
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A bench and water pump mark the spot where the old Junkermann homestead stood. Elsewhere on our hike, we saw the foundation for a greenhouse (above right). </div>
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We decided to take the Mesquakie, Calcite, and Julien Dubuque trails up to the Dubuque Monument. We didn't have a huge amount of time on our hands, and to the monument and back was approximately a 5K. So...we decided we might as well get our run in for the day.</div>
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And--what a run it was! Part of the trail was grassy, but most of it was dirt. There were plenty of roots protruding (tripping hazards), and there were many stairs. I loved it, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone not used to trail running--or afraid of falling.</div>
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We went up these stairs to get to the monument and see the Mississippi. The Julien Dubuque monument is a huge gravestone of sorts, built around Dubuque's grave. Dubuque, a French Canadian, was one of the first Europeans known to have settled in Iowa. He received permission to mine lead in the area from the Mesquakie Indians in 1788. The Spanish government subsequently gave him their approval as well in 1796 with a land grant, and he named the area the Mines of Spain in honor of the governor.</div>
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A contemporary, Mr. Soulard, described Dubuque as, "a man below the usual stature, of black hair and eyes, wiry and well-built, capable of great endurance, and remarkably courteous and polite, with all the suavity and grace of a typical Frenchman. To the ladies he was always the essence of politeness." </div>
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Dubuque earned about $20,000 annually through his lead mines, and also had income from fur trading and farming. However, Dubuque still had debt problems. He was very generous and supported friends who worked in his mines. He also enjoyed an expensive lifestyle compared with others who lived on the frontier at that time.</div>
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Julien Dubuque was a friend of Peosta, a Mesquakie chief, whose grave is near Dubuque's. Dubuque is said to have married Potosa, the chief's daughter. In 1810, when Dubuque died, the Mesquakie buried him with tribal honors under a wood and stone mausoleum.</div>
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Eventually, souvenir hunters took the cross French friends left over the grave. There were rumors vandals had broken into the grave, and there was evidence that vandals had tried. After years of effort to arose interest in building a monument around Dubuque's grave, the Julien Dubuque Monument Association was organized in 1896.</div>
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Upon excavation, the bones of Julien Dubuque, Potosa, Chief Poesta, Chief Rolling Cloud, and Gray Eagle were found. </div>
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Dubuque and Chief Poesta had been such good friends that when the Poesta died, he was buried in the same mound as Dubuque. According to <a href="http://www.encyclopediadubuque.org/index.php?title=HERRMANN,_Richard">Richard Herrmann</a>, the Mesquakie, "wishing to put the two as close together in death as they had been in life" unearthed Dubuque's skull and buried it right beside Poesta's with a peace pipe between them.</div>
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The current monument was built of limestone, and in 1897, Julien Dubuque was again laid to rest.</div>
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I thought it incredibly strange to see what appeared to be the ashes of <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rrstar/obituary.aspx?pid=180764161">Penelope K. Shaw</a> (1940-2016) in front of the monument! I assume (hope) someone has buried (or scattered) her ashes by now. But there were no mourners anywhere in sight. </div>
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At first glance, I thought, "I sure hope no one steals this." But then one of my family members asked me, "Who would want to steal ashes?" Good question. </div>
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I'm sure there's a reason and a story behind this all. Maybe her dying request was to spend a few months near he Mississippi at Dubuque's grave. Who knows? In any case, I'd like to hear the story.</div>
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Looking out over the Mississippi, we could see speedboats and admire the view of Dubuque. Most prominently featured on the horizon were the Dubuque Courthouse and the spires of St. Mary's.</div>
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The <a href="https://riverboattwilight.com/"><i>Twilight</i></a>, which claims to the most elegant riverboat launched in the past 100 years, happened to make its way down the river while we were watching.</div>
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Tickets are $399 for a two-day cruise, $159 for one day, or only $16 for 90 minutes. The <i>Twilight </i>reminded me of the ships and boats regularly sighted and posted by <a href="https://john-s-island.blogspot.com/">John's Island</a> in Seattle (be sure to check out <a href="https://john-s-island.blogspot.com/">his blog</a>).</div>
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On our way back to the nature center, we saw a lead mine. It was surrounded by a fence and a sign told its story. Apparently Native Americans were already mining lead when the first Europeans arrived. Dubuque's mines, however, were the first "truly organized" mining, smelting, and marketing operation. Many of the Mesquakies worked for him.</div>
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The Mines of Spain Recreation Area is beautiful. There are several other trails we didn't have the time to hike/run. My impression was that a person could spend a week covering all the trails in the area.</div>
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I very much enjoyed my visit to the Mines of Spain and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great place to hike.</div>
Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7376485905771945684.post-46838699352084495112017-02-16T21:26:00.000-06:002017-02-16T21:33:31.353-06:00Goodness and Mercy<div style="text-align: justify;">
Recently, I was reflecting on the challenge of maintaining a positive attitude in light of difficulties. Sometimes all the struggles--and evil--of the world can wear on even the most devoted optimists. And sometimes, simple determination to be happy in itself cannot dispel the tenebrous foes of peace in one's soul.</div>
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Romans 12:21 came to mind, "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Generally, I have categorized this verse with verses about loving enemies and doing good to those who hate you--rather reactionary, defensive advice to avoid being overtaken by the attrition of evil.</div>
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I realize I need to move that verse into a new category of offensive tactics. For every setback, evil, or unkindness I encounter, I should not just react calmly to that situation without hate, but fight back on the other side of the board with a commensurate attack of goodness and kindness in unrelated situations to brighten the lives of others.</div>
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The Psalmist said, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." He was claiming God's blessing on his life, true, but it seems he also believed in leaving a trail of God's goodness and mercy behind him.<br />
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<b>"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts." --Colossians 3:15</b></div>
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Bethany Carsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06583914285773271009noreply@blogger.com32