From February 11-23, 1861, Abraham Lincoln journeyed by train from his home in Springfield, Illinois to Washington, DC, where he would be inaugurated as President of the United States on March 4. The journey was recounted in great detail ten years ago by the National Park Service, in “150th Anniversary of Lincoln’s Inaugural Journey,” and […]
A Song for New Year’s Day
Words by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1822), published in 1850. Music to an anonymous hymn tune from the 18th century. Modified and arranged by Gregory Bloch, a member of the Compline Choir, St. Mark’s Cathedral, Seattle, recorded on New Year’s Day 2017 (see Comments). Maybe even more perfect for today, because 2020 is now history: Ring […]
Thanksgiving, COVID, and Religious Freedom
This post started out as an invitation to everyone to view the fall concert of the Seattle Bach Choir, called “…Hunted and Persecuted on Every Side: The Mayflower Voyage and Religious Intolerance.” The concert, in video form, was aired on Sunday, November 22 – the beginning of a week of Thanksgiving observance in the United […]
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This is a gathering-place for my writing. I am curious about many things, and you can see the main categories in the menu above. I hope you will find things that interest you too!
A gift of books and another military story
In May I received a wonderful gift from my third cousin Jim Varner in Ohio: three books on Civil War battles in which our great-grandfather, Peter Pelsor, fought. At the time, I was working on the narrative at the beginning of Chapter Six, “Vicksburg Campaign,” and the book Vicksburg: The Campaign That Opened the Mississippi, […]
Almond Meal Pancakes
It’s gotten to be a Saturday morning ritual. The basic recipe produces five 5-inch pancakes that are about 1/2-inch thick – so one of these is probably all one wants! Use the rest for leftover snacks. I started with a recipe from a site called “Gluten-free Homemaker,” but I now cannot find the link. Also, I […]
A 100th Birthday Salute
My wife’s mother, Margaret Catherine Stout O’Donnell, was born on June 26th, 1920, and for her 100th birth anniversary, I put together for family and friends a report on her service in the Army Nurse Corps from 1943-1945. It was enjoyable to fill in some missing details as to time and place in her movements […]
Book Progress and Descendancy Research
[A cannon stands where Pelsor’s regiment was placed at the siege of Vicksburg. Picture courtesy of Jim Varner, a descendant of Miriam Pelsor, who took the photo on a visit to the battlefield.] A few weeks back, I was wondering how I could self-publish the Pelsor Letters, making the book look elegant without having to […]
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Russian Easter – an Anthem
Easter was celebrated by the Russian Orthodox Church on April 19, 2020, just a week after Easter Sunday in the Western Church. But no matter when or where it was celebrated this year, churches were empty due to preventative measures during the coronavirus pandemic. A prudent but sad way to celebrate the greatest feast in […]
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Compline and Coronavirus
By March 15, 2020, Governor Inslee of the State of Washington had mandated that social distancing was required, and that schools would be closed. Large public events – cultural, sports, religion – had to be cancelled. As the coronavirus progressed, the orders evolved to “stay home, stay healthy.” St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle, like […]