Honoring the journey—then and now
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Reconstruction Diary Meditations: Were 19th-century Quakers More Religious Than We Are Today?
Richard Ratcliff, renowned Indiana Quaker historian from Spiceland, commented on my ancestor Mary Jane Edwards’ 1866 diary. I gave him a copy of its transcript when my mother and I visited him to learn more about our family’s history at Spiceland Friends. More than their adventure and work in the South teaching freedmen, Richard was interested…
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Floodwaters Then and Now: The News vs My Ancestor’s 1866 Diary
Although the bend in the White River around Muncie, Indiana, supposedly protects our area from tornados according to an ancient Indian legend, rainfall apparently is not included. Ten inches of rain in ten hours was no joke. Current local flooding–the worst since 1913–has closed Delaware County schools and businesses, torn apart road infrastructure, left residents…
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Reconstruction Diary Meditations: A Familiar Unease
Monday, August 13, 1866 This morning was dark and cloudy with some mist in the air, and it continued so during the day. Lizzie has not been very well for several days. She has [a] continued headache. We succeeded in getting the washing in the last rinse. I was very tired when it was done. …
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The First Week of School: What A Retired Teacher Still Misses
As a recently retired secondary English teacher, I still get a little nostalgic for the first days of school. After getting my classroom ready and after a restless pre-first-day night, the excitement of getting acquainted with a new cohort of students propelled me through the first exhausting week of school. I miss several parts of those…
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Reconstruction Diary Meditations: Quakers and the Painful Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools
Sunday, August 5, 1866 Milton, Lizzie and I went to Sabbath school at Elmgrove [and] stayed at meeting which was not very large. A meeting was given out for Jessie Williams to be held at 4 o’clock. Josiah White and Lizzie with their two little girls came home with us for dinner. Cyrena Gard was…
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Five Things This Retired Teacher Still Loves About Back-to-School Season
Any day now, it’ll be back to the classroom for several of my teacher friends. But not for me! I’ve been retired for a few years now. Even though I don’t miss teaching in a secondary English classroom, five things about this time of year still warm my heart: 1.) Catching a really good sale…
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The Kids in Your Life Need Manga
This week, I’m exhausted but happy after a weeklong visit from my sweet ten-year-old granddaughter! We’ve packed in all sorts of fun activities, including a couple of trips to the bookstore, where Chloe picked up some new reading material in her favorite genre: manga! I’ve turned over this space to her today. Read on as…
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Reconstruction Diary Meditations: The Music of Change and the Pages of Progress
Wednesday, July 25, 1866 We have had no rain today. The boys bound and hauled the oats. Lizzie went and took another lesson in music. David took a few dollars of silver and gold to the bank of Knightstown for me and got it exchanged. They paid 40 cents premium for gold and 25 cents…
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When the World Literally Starts Spinning
Nothing seems straight these days. Aside from Jerry’s dying in the hospital just as we were ready to leave after his heart surgery and recovery, other things aren’t quite lining up, either. I first noticed it in my kitchen. In those early days of wanting the kids nearby, I offered to make supper for us…
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Reconstruction Diary Meditations: Unexpected Family Connections
Sunday, July 15, 1866 A very warm morning and day; mercury at 90; some slight indication of rain, but no rain. Milton, Lizzie, and I went to meeting, which was small. No preaching; some napping. [This] afternoon David went with Lizzie and me to George Butler’s to see Elisha and Luscinda [sic] Butler who have…
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