CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
LIZZIE BORDEN ANNIVERSARY
Today marks the anniversary of the date in 1893 that Lizzie Borden was declared innocent of the murder of her stepmother and father. To read about Lizzie Borden and to view pictures of the house where the murders occurred, click on LIZZIE BORDEN—A REENACTMENT
Then, read about the hanging of Thomas Cornell Jr., accused—rightly or wrongly—of killing his mother, Rebecca Cornell, in 1673. At the very least, the Portsmouth, Rhode Islanc, family was dysfunctional and contained elder abuse. Rumor has it that this is the only court case in the United States that was decided on the testimony of a GHOST! Rebecca and her husband Thomas, and Thomas Jr., were ancestors of Lizzie Borden—and the author of this post. To read their story click on KILLED STRANGELY: A NEW ENGLAND MURDER STORY
MORE NEW ENGLAND STORIES:
IN NEW ENGLAND, HISTORY CONFLICTS WITH PROGRESS
Moose, Goose, Deer
The Ovens (On Mt. Desert Island, Maine)
OH, TO CLIMB SCHOODIC MOUNTAIN!
IN SEARCH OF THE ARABELLA: A Story of Two Boats
IS THIS “CHEERS?”
LOBSTER-TALES
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
KATHY KELLY, of VOICES OF WILDERNESS: ON PEACE
Today’s e-mail brought an announcement that peace activist and educator Kathy Kelly will be the Sister Mary Schmidt Lecture Series speaker on March 24, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. (See end of this post for further information). Kathy helps coordinate the Voices for a Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end military and economic warfare against Iraq. This three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee has participated in nonviolent direct action teams in Haiti, Bosnia, and Iraq.
When my husband Monte and I were traveling New England in the fall of 2003, we found ourselves in Lewisberg, Maine. There, I spotted a meeting announcement on a grocery store bulletin board. The speaker was Kathy Kelly. Below is my journal entry on that evening.
One night I suggested to Monte that we attend a meeting where a woman from Iraq was speaking about her experiences being in that country during the war. Since the meeting was preceded by a pot-luck dinner, we purchased an adorable yellow-iced cake with brown mice on it. After all, we were traveling and our cooking facilities were limited. (view photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/3347179523/in/photostream/ )
When we arrived, the activity seemed very loosely run, so much so that I felt uncomfortable. No one seemed to know what was (more…)
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
CHILDISH CHARACTERISTICS
While traveling along the road on a work/vacation trip to New England, we met many people in libraries, courthouses, beaches, stores, and restaurants. Interactions with children provided many wonderful moments. Below are stories of some of these meetings. Carolyn
the JOY…of something other than McDonald’s food…Monte and I ate a buffet lunch at an Indian restaurant in Brunswick. We chose to sit outside and then discussed which customers were tourists and which were locals. As I began a survey, a couple with two young sons entered. They said they were from Canada. I said I hoped the boys liked the food, and the mother responded that they did, they were used to it, that she cooks it at home quite often. In fact, the boys preferred it to (more…)
Many newspapers now take their feature articles from the news wire services. Even small local newspapers are turning to these news services rather than having freelancers—who are familiar with the nuances of their communities—write their feature stories.
For example, when I first contacted the newspaper I’d freelanced for about writing a travel article on the Moxie festival in Maine, they told me to submit the article for review. ( MOXIE: LOVE IT or HATE IT & SOUTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIANS DRINK MOXIE: Do They Like It?) By the time I completed the article, they had started using the wire services for this genre.
The Buffalo (N. Y.) news is no different. While visiting Buffalo, I was pleased to see their headline MAINE ATTRACTIONS. To my disappointment, (more…)
—written by Monte:
One of my tenants said “It’s a small world,” after I related to her a few of our experiences on the New England trip. Later I thought to myself, “No! It’s a world in which God brings some real surprises to remind us that He is still in charge, that ‘Behind the dim unknown, standeth God within the shadow keeping watch above his own,’ as James Russell Lowell wrote in a familiar hymn.”
The surprising events—let me tell you a few of them, starting with the most amazing situation. A year ago Carolyn had sent out a note to the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church, letting them know I was available for guest or fill-in preaching during our vacation. Rev. Karen Munson, pastor of the Readfield: Torsey Memorial United Methodist Church in Readfield, Maine, responded, scheduling us on September 7 in this small community northwest of Augusta. At the beginning of worship, during a greeting time for the forty-five to fifty worshipers, I went down from the pulpit side and Karen descended from the lectern side. Soon she approached me. “You need to come over here and meet someone (more…)
My daughter Sandy loves lobster. Being inland, she’d eat at Red Lobster restaurant a dozen times a month if she weren’t budget-challenged.
Personally, lobster’s not my favorite, but (more…)
CONTEST ANNOUNCEMENT!
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS is awarding a monthly prize to the reader who makes the most comments at www.carolyncholland.wordpress.com. To enter, comment on any post. The more comments you post, the greater chance you have of winning. For further details click on the page MONTHLY PRIZE FOR COMMENTS at the top of the column to the right.
CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
IN SEARCH OF THE ARABELLA: A Story of Two Boats
Between April 8 and June 12, 1630, a fleet of 17 ships carrying over 1000 passengers set sail from Yarmouth, England to Salem, Massachusetts. It was under the command of Massachusetts Governor John Winthrop, who sailed with 400 emigrants aboard the flagship (more…)
Southwestern Pennsylvanians drink pop or soda pop. In New England, they order tonic.
Either way, the beverage is carbonated, sugary tasting, and usually a well-known brand.
That is, unless it’s (more…)
—written by Carolyn October 15, 2006
Definitely it was not a goose!
This beast was massive,
Certainly not passive.
While racing high speed ahead
It saw me (more…)
Lizzy Borden took an ax,
And gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father forty-one.
I’m sure this childhood rhyme is familiar to you. The difference between us is that you weren’t talking about someone who shares your ancestry. Lizzie and I share common roots: both of us descend from Rebecca and Thomas Cornell, albeit our lines separated prior to 1700 (I only discovered this paternal thread of connection in January 2003!).
That’s why the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast in Fall River, Mass., was placed on my list of non-negotiable plans (more…)
Kathy Kelly, of Voices of Wilderness: On Peace
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CAROLYN’S COMPOSITIONS
KATHY KELLY, of VOICES OF WILDERNESS: ON PEACE
Today’s e-mail brought an announcement that peace activist and educator Kathy Kelly will be the Sister Mary Schmidt Lecture Series speaker on March 24, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. (See end of this post for further information). Kathy helps coordinate the Voices for a Creative Nonviolence, a campaign to end military and economic warfare against Iraq. This three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee has participated in nonviolent direct action teams in Haiti, Bosnia, and Iraq.
When my husband Monte and I were traveling New England in the fall of 2003, we found ourselves in Lewisberg, Maine. There, I spotted a meeting announcement on a grocery store bulletin board. The speaker was Kathy Kelly. Below is my journal entry on that evening.
One night I suggested to Monte that we attend a meeting where a woman from Iraq was speaking about her experiences being in that country during the war. Since the meeting was preceded by a pot-luck dinner, we purchased an adorable yellow-iced cake with brown mice on it. After all, we were traveling and our cooking facilities were limited. (view photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carolyncholland/3347179523/in/photostream/ )
When we arrived, the activity seemed very loosely run, so much so that I felt uncomfortable. No one seemed to know what was (more…)