Exploring the Past to Improve the Future
By Eilene Lyon Illustration for “The Author,” one of 88 mid-19th century careers described in the two-volume Popular Technology or Professions and Trades by Edward Hazen, A.M. If you’re looking for a detailed understanding of what it took to a butcher, a baker, or a candle-stick maker, Hazen’s books are just what you need. You... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon I spent a huge chunk of time last year learning about western river steamboats for the first section of my book. In it, a group of Indiana farmers travel by steamboat from Cincinnati to New Orleans on their way to California. So, on my way home to Colorado from Indiana, I made... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon We recently watched The Abolitionists, by American Experience. It is an excellent and high-production-value 3-part series about the role played by the anti-slavery movement in the lead-up to the Civil War. One thing that struck me was the portrayal of Abraham Lincoln in the film. I’ve read books and articles on Lincoln,... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Ponte Vecchio, Firenze, Italia (2011) The gold rush period in California was probably the greatest mash-up of languages and cultures since Babel. People, literally from around the globe, converged in a small area on the western coast of America, all with the express purpose of getting rich. The southern mines were particularly... Continue Reading →
By Eilene Lyon Combing through archives is fun and fascinating – at least until the third day, when exhaustion starts to set in. In November 2017, I put the fabulous librarians at the California State Library in Sacramento through their paces, requesting manuscript boxes, books, periodicals, and more. One of their many treasures is a... Continue Reading →
"Mr. Ballou said I could go further than that, and lay it up among my treasures of knowledge, that nothing that glitters is gold. So I learned then, once for all, that gold in its native state is but dull, unornamental stuff, and that only low-born metals excite the admiration of the ignorant with an... Continue Reading →
Week 1: #52Ancestors - Start By Eilene Lyon My favorite pair of jeans is getting so threadbare on the thighs and knees that holes are starting to appear. It almost certainly is not an attractive garment, so why do I keep wearing it? Because they are super comfortable. What does this have to do with... Continue Reading →
Human Created Content - Creative Writing - Australia
What I Wish I Knew Before I Retired
Life is a series of transitions, and so is the retirement journey.
Creative, non-monetary forms of payment
Random musings on style and substance
Where the locals go, because the locals know!
Internet home for Marie Zhuikov: Blogger, Author, Poet, Photographer
Reflections of an inquiring retiree ...
The opinions expressed are those of the author. You go get your own opinions.
I write about genealogy on this site. Come see what's going on!
Fun With Genealogy
Discover and re-discover Mexico’s cuisine, culture and history through the recipes, backyard stories and other interesting findings of an expatriate in Canada
Navigating the second half of my life
The people, places, and things that make the Willamette Valley shine
Journeys Through the Second Half of Life
Doing the best I can to keep it on the bright side
Quips, Quotes; How To and How Knot To
Author, Speaker, Family Historian
thoughts about life from below the surface
... stories of significant others in the Allery, Cutting, McCulloch and Robertson tribes ...
Myricopia 