Bliss. For the moment, I am in a state of bliss. Indeed, I even feel a bit like Francis Scott Key, who saw that “the rocket’s red glare…gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.” So it seems quite appropriate that today’s #stampoftheday, which really was issued on November 7, 1948, not […]
I’m in (Fort) Bliss Read More »
In my 50s, I started playing goalie in the wonderfully named “Over-the-Hill Soccer League,” Over the years, I relearned some important lessons not only about sports but also about life. Those timely lessons are underscored by today’s #stampoftheday, a 4-cent stamp, issued on November 6, 1961, the 100th birthday of James Naismith, who invented the
Basketball Reminds Us: Don’t Be a Jerk Read More »
Officially, I voted for the first time, in 1976. Unofficially, I had been voting for years. My mother used to bring me with her when she voted in the gymnasium at the Lincoln Elementary School in Summit, where I grew up. I have vivid memories of the mechanical voting machines and the curtains that surrounded
Register. Vote. Get Involved. Read More »
Very few stamps were issued during first years of World War II and most that were issued related directly to the war and the war effort. But one of the handful that were issued was today’s #stampoftheday, a 3-cent stamp issued on October 31, 1944 honoring the 50th anniversary of motion pictures. (The event commemorated
Pumpkins and the Power of Storytelling Read More »
In 1993, when it grappled with fundamental questions the state’s educational finance system, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court used language from the state’s more than 200-year old constitution as the basis for a groundbreaking decision that forced the state to give much more aid to its poorest cities and towns. That clause was written by
Reclaiming the Best of John Adams Read More »
In August 21, 1945, my father, along with almost 15,000 other soldiers, was on the Queen Mary, which was one of the first ships to bring soldiers back from Europe at the end of World War II. As the ship approached New York Harbor, the soldiers saw a familiar and welcome sight—the Statue of Liberty.
What Did the Statue of Liberty Mean to My Ancestors? Read More »
A bear so famous that he needed his own Zip Code to handle all his fan mail lurks behind the scenes of today’ #stampoftheday, a 4-cent stamp honoring Forest Conservation that was issued on October 26, 1958. It was released in conjunction with the American Forestry Association’s annual meeting. It also marked the 100th anniversary
Smoky the Bear Had His Own Zip Code Read More »
Although my parents always voted (almost always, I think, for Democrats), they weren’t political. They didn’t work on campaigns, go to rallies or become involved in the civil rights or anti-war movements. And, with one exception, I never heard them speak highly of any national politician. The exception was Adlai Stevenson, the Democratic nominee for
My Apolotical Parents Were Madly for Adlai Read More »
“The Mississippi Delta was shining like a National guitar,” sings Paul Simon at the start of “Graceland,” his marvelous 1986 song. “I am following the river, down the highway, through the cradle of the Civil War. I am going to Graceland, Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee.” That road, presumably, was the Great River Road (GRR), which
When Will We Be “On the Road Again?” Read More »
I ended yesterday’s #stampoftheday post by asking “What were they thinking?” when they issued a stamp celebrating the forced relocation of Native Americans. Today, however, it’s clear “what they were thinking” when the Post Office issued three “National Defense” stamps on October 16, 1940 (which is why the stamps are today’s #stampoftheday). “They” – particularly
What is to Become of the Country We Know? Read More »