Freedom to Think

  Freedom! Millions have died to obtain it or keep it. Without it, what do we have? I’m just asking. Do we have security from fear of retaliation? Do we have the warm feeling of belonging? Do we have a feeling of superiority?From what do we want to be free? And what is worth giving […]

The Captain at the Helm

The Captain at the Helm

Father’s Day! Congratulations and best wishes to all dads everywhere. To my son, first of all, a wonderful father to two awfully neat kids, to brothers and cousins and friends who are celebrating this day. And, although he isn’t here any more, a big thank you to my own dad, the captain at the helm […]

Lifting the Banner High

Lifting the Banner High

    My brothers, Thurman, Tracy, and Richard served in the Navy; my husband in the Army; my nephew Clint joined the Marines. They all came back home, all except Clint. We lost him to an awful place called Viet Nam. I think of Clint often and especially on Memorial Day. My country is made up […]

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders Fields

  In Flanders Fields by John McCrae, May, 1915 In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, […]

Getting in Touch with an Old Tradition

by blanche manos · leave a comment (edit) Yesterday, my family and I kept up the yearly tradition of putting flowers on the graves of loved ones. Decoration Day is always the same Sunday every May and has been that way for generations. The beautiful little cemetery lies in northeast Oklahoma, surrounded by trees, gentle hills, and a creek […]

Do We Speak the Same Language?

  Don’t you love it when you find someone who speaks the same language as you? I don’t mean language peculiar to any ethnic group, but people who have similar interests and enjoy talking about them. For example, history. I love history! Particularly, I love American history because America is my beloved country and I […]