Week 11: #52 Ancestors – Luck By Eilene Lyon I would never deny that I’ve had very good fortune in life. Living in America has been a real blessing, and is a circumstance of my birth for which I can claim no credit – I’m just lucky! I grew up in a solidly middle-class family,... Continue Reading →
Biking Dalmatia
By Eilene Lyon After spending two relaxing days in the old city of Dubrovnik, we took a cab on Sunday afternoon to the harbor at nearby Gruž to board our home for the coming week, the Harmonia. The ship is family built/owned and under contract to the German company, Inselhüpfen (Island Hopping). Though many Harmonia... Continue Reading →
Christina’s Challenges
Week 10: #52 Ancestors – Strong Woman By Eilene Lyon As I research my family history, it amazes me what trials and tribulations my ancestors went through. It’s a rare female in my tree I would not describe as a “strong woman.” These women were tough as a rule. (Just the clothes they had to... Continue Reading →
Earth Day and Pogo
Today we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Earth Day. Being in the midst of a global pandemic just reinforces that we are all in this together on one small blue ball. Don’t let down your guard. Environmental rules are being rolled back not only in the U.S. but in many other places. It harks back to the hubris of the 19th century industrialists. Do not ever forget their reign of waste and destruction in the name of greed and personal fortune. It is still happening today.
By Eilene Lyon
Today we celebrate Earth Day, an international event that takes place in nearly 200 countries around the globe, involving roughly a billion participants.
Throughout the 1960s, environmental legislation was going nowhere, as Americans roiled about our participation in the Vietnam War. Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson, an environmental champion, decided to create a national teach-in event, modeled after the anti-war protests.
Given how much cleaner our air and water are today, we sometimes get complacent about how bad it used to be – and could be again in the future. Denis Hayes, then a 25-year-old Harvard Law student, was the organizer of the first Earth Day in 1970. He reminded us in 2010 what it was like back then,
“In Los Angeles, for simply breathing, it was the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. We had rivers that were catching on fire, lakes that were…
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Signs of Life
By Eilene Lyon Spring is well underway in southwest Colorado. Let's see what we can find in the yard and neighborhood. Weeds always seem to get the jump on everything else, especially the mustards. Then there are the usual suspects. Only a few flowers have bloomed in the yard. But more are on the... Continue Reading →
The Hoteliers – Part 2
Week 9: #52 Ancestors – Disaster By Eilene Lyon Part 1 Kansas By June of 1888, E.G. Millikan returned to Independence from Ft. Smith, Arkansas, to attend to some real estate business. May (Stahl) Millikan returned in September, undoubtedly missing all her friends and extended family. Even May’s parents were contemplating another move, perhaps to... Continue Reading →
The Hoteliers – Part 1
Week 8:#52 Ancestors – Prosperity By Eilene Lyon Citing health issues, Dr. Moses S. Stahl packed up his family and left Blackford County, Indiana, for Coleman County, Texas. With him were his wife, Mary Agnes (Ransom) and their two daughters, Florence (13) and May (11). Two of Mary A. Stahl’s brothers, Robert and William Ransom,... Continue Reading →
Biking to Vienna – Part 2
By Eilene Lyon Part 1 After a lovely breakfast in the castle at Bad Kruezen, we breezed downhill on the bikes back to Grein where we visited the Stadttheater before heading out again along the Danube. Established in 1791, this is the oldest original theater in all the Germanic countries. All of our short rides... Continue Reading →
Reunited
Week 7: #52 Ancestors – Favorite Discovery By Eilene Lyon Back in 2011, I started writing family histories that begin with pairs of my 3rd great-grandparents, forward to present day. All fine, except I didn’t then know all my 3rd greats. One gap was the parents of Charlie Gusso. No one in the Gusso family... Continue Reading →