I write this with a tear in my eye, as it’s the anniversary of the death of an incredible person. Jim Gosling was a college pal. We were in the Singing Hoosiers (think Glee for undergrads) together and laughed ourselves silly for three years. Our birthdays were two days apart (plus one year). My second year in Singing Hoosiers, Jim arrived, along with Vince and Mark. All so talented, full of promise; all from Elkhart. You’ve heard the term “triple…
I never met him, but David Leet meant a lot to me over the years. Captain David L. Leet. From Kenosha, Wisconsin. A Marine. He served in Vietnam. The fall of 1973, I was a sophomore at Andrew Warde High School in Fairfield, Connecticut. Typical teen, life was: 1) All about me, and 2) Totally miserable. Dad had been offered a new position with General Electric and our family was preparing to move to Indiana. It was September and America’s…
Another month comes to a close, with four more books to cross off my “must read” list. Week 1: Gunn’s Golden Rules by Tim Gunn Tim Gunn was my favorite “character” on the original Project Runway. There is something about his proper, yet warm, personality that is incredibly appealing. And his memoir reflects this throughout. Gunn artfully tells stories about his challenging childhood through successful adulthood by crafting them into themed chapters, each with sensible advice. (Long ago, I’d suggested…
Back in the ’60s, I was a Junior Girl Scout from the fourth to sixth grade. This was at Sacred Heart Elementary School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. No matter what you’ve heard about Thin Mints, let me assure you that back then Scouting was all about filling up that green sash with badges. Any girl with a drop of competitiveness in her soul worked every angle to earn more badges that her sisters in green. I scoured the thick blue Girl…
On Saturday, future daughter-in-law Aubrie and I spent the afternoon together in New Harmony. Brunch at the Red Geranium, a long walk, fun conversation, gorgeous weather – it was just lovely. I could kick myself for not talking a few photos, but despite decades as a publicist, my instincts lean more toward preserving memories with words. This is the only photo I took: This book drop-off outside of the Working Men’s Institute charmed us up the stone steps and inside…
Although most of my career was spent at the park (with the nickname Raven Maven), for a handful of years in the late ’80s I was known as The Big Cheese. When I told park peers that I’d formerly served as editor of Pizza Today magazine, I’m not sure they believed me. They’d give me that side-eye thing. With a grin and a shrug, I’d make a mental note to bring an issue in someday as proof. Like this one:…
Remember the panic about the H1N1 flu a decade ago? There was good reason for that. The first time H1N1 struck was back in 1918. In the U.S., it was originally detected among military personnel, in the spring of that year. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates one-third of the world’s population was infected (about 500 million) by what was then called the Spanish Flu. There were at least 50 million deaths. The death toll included Private John Henry…
It comes as no surprise that James was bound and determined to catch this year’s Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville. In spite of 2018’s exciting last-minute change of headliner to Alice in Chains, last year’s fest was nothing but a stick in the mud. Literally. Completely opposite of this fall, last September brought nearly non-stop rain. The festival was canceled, with the realization that slogging about in ankle-deep mud would destroy the beautiful outdoor venue. Poor James; his hopes…
Exploring the many branches of our family tree (another retirement project) is fascinating. Some of those limbs, though, are rather gnarly. Let’s get right to it: There was a murder in Ferdinand back in 1909. Gary‘s great-grandfather on his mom’s side, Henry Schum, was killed while trying to break up a drunken brawl. Note: I’m hoping enough time has passed that I won’t offend anyone by mentioning the coinciding murder of the English language. Coverage of the patriarch’s death unfurled…
Even though local schools head back obnoxiously early around here, September still feels like the true back-to-school month. It’s still not cozy-up-and-read weather, but surely we’re getting closer! Here’s a look at the four books I read this month. Week 1: Children of Nazis by Tania Crasniaski An uncomfortable read, yet fascinating. The author devotes a chapter to the children of each of eight high-ranking Nazis. Some referred to Hitler as Uncle Adolf and others were even named for him….