119 Memorial Days: Still Seeking Civil War Veteran’s Gravesite

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

119 MEMORIAL DAYS:

STILL SEEKING CIVIL WAR VETERAN ‘S GRAVE SITE

     May 30, 2011. Another Memorial Day.  Actually, the 143^rd Memorial Day since the commemoration for Civil War veterans began as Decoration Day in 1868.

     On May 5.1868, General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic declared in General Order No. 11 that: The 30th of May, 1868, is designated for the purpose of strewing with flowers, or otherwise decorating the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion, and whose bodies now lie in almost every city, village, and hamlet churchyard in the land. In this observance no form of ceremony is prescribed, but posts and comrades will in their own way arrange such fitting services and testimonials of respect as circumstances may permit.

     That May 30th, flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery to honor the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers.

          The commemoration’s purpose began to change when, after World War I, observances began to honor all those who sacrificed their lives in the service of their countrys’ wars.  In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.

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     One-hundred forty-three years later, two questions persist:

• How many

Hands Across America: 25th Anniversary

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

HANDS ACROSS AMERICA: 25^TH ANNIVERSARY

 25  years ago—May 26^th, 1986  

Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Ligonier will be included in the “Hands Across America” gigantic cross-country linkup planned for May 26, (1986) to raise money for the poor and homeless across the U. S. Organized by USA for Africa, with help from Coca-Cola and Citibank, the idea is that from six to ten million people will pay at least $10 each to “be part of history” on that date and link hands through 16 states and the District of Columbia—from Los Angeles to New York City.*

New Castle, Pennsylvania

     Another community that was included in the Hands Across America linkup was New Castle, Pennsylvania. At the time, my husband Monte was pastor at Emmanual United Methodist Church in Neshannock Township.

     One day Ben came to the church. He was from Ammon, Jordan. His daughter Lena lived on the next street up, and she and I became great friends because of our meeting each other through Ben.

     Ben visited Lena each summer. He had a special talent

Fostering Unwed Mothers Who Have an Adoption Plan

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

FOSTERING UNWED MOTHERS

WHO HAVE AN ADOPTION PLAN

     While living in Atlanta, Georgia, our family decided to use our “fourth bedroom” to unwed mothers planning to release their children for adoption. This is the story of one pregnant-out-of-wedlock foster child.

     The trees were fleshing out with their springtime greens when Beth joined our household for a short time.

     We—my husband, our daughter, our son, and myself— lived in a megalopolis suburb, surviving on a “shoestring” budget while my husband attended seminary. We were fortunate in renting a house with a fourth bedroom, which the landlord gave us permission to rent. But to what use could this room be put?

     In the past, I’d been involved in adoption casework. It was rewarding dealing with the adoption triad: the unwed mother, the adoptive parents and the newborn baby. It required a balancing act to come to the best resolution of the problems of all three sides of the adoption situation.

     During the time I was an adoption counselor, my husband and I were having our own adoption experience with a different agency. We were personally overjoyed at the arrival of our daughter, Sandy.

     With this background, it occurred to me that we were in an ideal position to foster parent an unwed mother planning to release her newborn for adoption.

     After researching the metro adoption agencies, we discovered this was, indeed, a very real option. The adoption agency paid room, board, expenses, and medical bills for unwed mothers who’d made their decision for adoption while pregnant. (If the mother changed her mind, she was required to reimburse the agency for any and all expenses.) It also paid us a stipend for caring for the mother.

     We gathered our family for a discussion. Sandy said

Seeking History in Brownsville (Redstone), Pennsylvania

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SEEKING HISTORY

IN

BROWNSVILLE (REDSTONE), PENNSYLVANIA

 

     It was a beautiful day today. Sunny. Blue skies with white clouds. Sweater thrown in the back seat of the car, not needed. Car windows open, allowing the warm winds to blow across our faces as the car drove down Rt. 40 towards Redstone—oops, today known as Brownsville, Pennsylvania.

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     I had changed my plans for the day. On Thursday, I’d seen publicity for the Market Street Arts Festival in Brownsville, and mentioned it to my husband Monte. It would be an opportunity for me to make contacts with people familiar with the 1790s trail followed by characters in my historic romance novel.

     Meanwhile, Monte was deciding when he would go to Connellsville (a city that could be enroute to Brownsville from our community) to have the oil changed in the car. It would be a perfect schedule had I not submitted a writing to a critique group, which meant I planned on attending.

     The final decision was based on the weather. Perfect today, it was expected to return to its rainy state next week. If we waited, we would be driving over an hour in dismal weather, and the contacts I wanted to make might be more challenging.

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     Brownsville today is a depressing town which is attempting to revive itself on tourism and history. The town is filled with wonderful but neglected, decaying historical structures, whose walls hide fascinating stories. But for now, many of them are secreted away, waiting to be discovered.

     My goal was to uncover information on the trail that

The River City Brass Band 2011

CAROLYN’S DAILY POSTS: 2011

THE RIVER CITY BRASS BAND 2011

     Last Sunday afternoon, May 14, 2011, my husband Monte and I drove over the mountain ridge to Johnstown, Pennsylvania. We made it just in time to run between raindrops to purchase a ticket to a presentation of the River City Brass at the University of Pittsburgh: Johnstown.

 

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     At an earlier point in my life, I didn’t particularly like brass instrumental music. Then I heard a Christmas song played on the trumpet, and I was won over. Today, the River City Brass band is one of my favorites.

     During the show I recalled my experience with a trumpet. When I was in fourth grade, my mother took me to rent an instrument. I wanted the clarinet, but there was none to be had. I ended up with a trumpet.

     At the time my older sister and I lived in a duplex apartment with my mother. Out of respect for the neighbors I had to practice my tunes by placing the trumpet opening in a pillow so as to mute the sound (actually, I was probably so bad at it that it was a good idea). I would rearrange my twin bed, plop myself down, position the trumpet, and blast away. If you’ve ever practiced playing a horn into a pillow, you know it is challenging.

     That wasn’t my only challenge. I lacked both

Judgment Day: May 21, 2011

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

JUDGMENT DAY: MAY 21, 2011

     It’s May 21, 2011. You may be reading my last post.

     At 6:00 p.m. the Rapture will kick off with a series of global earthquakes, which will start in the Pacific Rim. By nightfall, 200 million saved souls will depart this earth, ascending into heaven. And, of course, I will be among them.

     However, since God is the judge, I may be among the 97% of earth’s population left behind. In that event, you may have the opportunity to read more of my writing.

     Either way, Harold Camping, 89, wishes us a “blessed holiday” through a woman’s voice on his Family Radio Worldwide telephone. He’s not answering calls.

     So how am I spending my possible last day as an Earthling? It’s debatable. There are so many options. Brownsville (PA) is having a Market Streets Arts Festival. If we attend it would be an opportunity to see the area I’m writing about first hand, and to possibly seek out a historically interested person to review my writing on émigrés traveling to the Scioto area of Ohio in the 1790s, a trek following the Nemacolin Indian Trail (Braddock’s Road) to Uniontown, then a diversion to Redstone (Brownsville) on the Monongahela River. Since my husband Monte wants to go to Connellsville to have the oil changed in his car (he’s a creature of habit) it would be a good combination trip.

     Unfortunately, Monte also wants to be in Laurel Mountain Borough (our home community) where he is a council member in charge of the paved roads. Big machines arrived this week to do road work. If we don’t go to Brownsville, I will go into Ligonier to join a party celebrating a house moving—yes, they are actually moving a house. Then, in the afternoon, I will go to a writer’s critique group meeting.

     Either way, in the evening some women are gathering for a relaxing dinner event, scheduled at my house. At the time of the expected earthquakes, we should be gathering for an evening of women talk. Will some of us be raptured?

     Camping crunched numbers to determine that today, seven thousand years after Noah’s flood, would be doomsday. People in my region are doubtful. On Sunday, the Steel City Skeptics are planning a big “We’re Still Here Party” at the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville (Pennsylvania). It is open to atheists, agnostics, secular free-thinkers, and all unbelievers, according to the group’s website, and will celebrate another blundered prophecy of the world’s end.

     I won’t be going. It’s not in my plans for my last day on Earth.  I’ll let you know what I did on May 21. For now, I must prepare for the day.

     Check back Monday. Perhaps this will not be my last post. Perhaps it will.

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ADDITIONAL READING:

The King James Bible: 400th Anniversary

www.carolyncholland2011.wordpress.com

www.intertwinedlove.wordpress.com

www.beanerywriters.wordpress.com

Shared Tristram Coffin Ancestry

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

SHARED TRISTRAM COFFIN ANCESTRY

    In doing some routine research (this time about climbing the Blue Mountains at Vestal’s—now Keye’s—Gap), I came across a book written by Addison Coffin. Skimming down the beginning I found the following:

It is becoming popular in writing biographies to give the genealogy of the person and family. Accordingly I will give a brief sketch of my ancestry as kept in the family record on the Island of Nantucket, and as found among the old records of Southern Sweden in Northern Europe. My father, Vestal Coffin, was the son of William, who was the son of Samuel, who was the son of John, who was the son of Tristram Coffin…(the name stuck out like the proverbial sore thumb)…

     Wait a minute—Tristram Coffin is part of MY

Marketing Quaker and Amish Goods—Then and Now

CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS

MARKETING QUAKER AND AMISH GOODS—Then and Now

     “After leaving Winchester we crossed a high ridge, north and west of the town, at Apple Pie Ridge Road, because it was where some Quakers made and sold apple pies to travelers. Hessian soldiers (in what war pre 1751) were known to walk to the ridge and purchase the apple pies made by the Quakers. The ridge became affectionately known as Apple Pie Ridge. The local farmers found booming business in feeding the Virginia Militia and fledgling volunteer American army.

     “Those of our group who could purchased pies, and if we were lucky enough, they would share a bite with us. I was fortunate to have Marnezia share a bite of his pie with me. It tasted better than any food served in the best restaurants here in Philadelphia.” (Comments made (in a historic romance novel) while the Scioto Associates transported French emigrants from Alexandria, Virginia to Gallipolis, Ohio in 1790.)

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     As the Quakers migrated southward “up” the Great Appalachian Valleys,* into the Winchester, Virginia region, orchards, wheat farms and cattle farms sprang up.* The ridge where they were located was near the Nemacolan Indian Trail—which today’s Route 40 follows.

     The Quakers were farmers in a new country. They did what they knew best: farming.

     The women made apple pies.

     When the American Revolutionary War began the

Is My E-mail Being Spammed Through WordPress.com?

CAROLYN’S DAILY POSTS: 2011

IS MY E-MAIL BEING “SPAMMED” THROUGH WORDPRESS.com?

     I opened up my E-mail to discover 29 emails—:

The Daily Post at WordPress.com

[New comment] You’ve now completed 33% of the challenge! Share your top 3 posts.

Sat, 5/14/11

13KB

      Throughout the month I’ve received up to five of these E-mails at a time, on a regular basis, and have simply

Triskaidekaphobia a.k.a. Paraskevicekatriaphobia or Friggatriskaidekaphobia

TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA 

a.k.a.

PARASKEVICEKATRIAPHOBIA

or

FRIGGATRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA

Today is 2011’s only, lonely, Friday the 13^th, a day perceived as bad luck in English, German, Polish and Portuguese-speaking cultures around the globe.*

Millions of Americans suffer from what some consider one of the most pervasive phobias—a fear of Friday the 13th, of friggatriskaidekaphobia…Do you avoid travel, business or other activities because of the fear of bad luck on Friday the 13th?*****

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     It isn’t the day that is to be feared, but the