#21, Yellowstone Then and Now

The US Mint Lessons about our National Parks, make me think of the beauty and history

of the parks in my own back yard.  Every place has it's own beauty and grandeur.  Living here in Montana I am blessed.  I think often of our history.  Many write about Montana, yet most of our history remains to be written.

As I look at the old stereoscopic photo of the stagecoach, I wonder, will pictures with cars be amazing 100 years from now.  The WPA poster and the regional guides were created to showcase the natural wonders,and  cultural heritage of the United States.  Many of the old WPA guides are still being reprinted.  "The WPA Guide to 1930's Montana" is available on Kindle.

During the great depression 1935-1943 the Works Progress Administration (WPA) provided almost 8 million jobs.  The WPA workers built our roads, bridges (infrastructure), preserved our cultural heritage, they collected stories, music.  Posters of National Parks were created.  Federal Writers Project 1935-1942, was one of the New Deal Programs under the WPA.   http://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/newdeal/fwp.html

WPA Poster Library of Congress	1905 - Virginia Falls (Yellowstone National Park)
Near East Entrance of Yellowstone Ruth Ferris, photographer	Near East Entrance of Yellowstone Ruth Ferris, photographer

Who Do You Think Should Be On the $20 Bill?

I think our money has become citizen art and helps tell our history.  I sporadically look closely at the money I spend.  During the state quarters it seemed there was lots of publicity and excitement.  The other day someone drew my attention to a quarter, on the back it said "Homestead".  I wondered about it as I fed it to the pop machine.

On the news tonight I heard about the Women on twenty's campaign  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2015/03/03/this-group-wants-to-banish-andrew-jackson-from-the-20-and-replace-him-with-a-woman/ .    A secondary reason for removing President Jackson from the twenty dollar bill is for his role in the Trail of Tears.

The first person I saw was a picture of Alice Paul.  She took an active role in working for women gaining suffrage. She organized a huge parade of women on March 3, 1913 the day before President Wilson's inauguration.    She organized the "Silent Sentinels" (this was the first time that anyone picketed the White House).  Women maintained a silent vigil at all the White House entrances.     Women maintained the vigil 6 days a week from January 1917 through June of 1919.

There are 15 candidates and everyone is being invited to vote for three.  All fifteen women are amazing women.  These women made huge contributions to American society.  You can vote for your choice at http://www.womenon20s.org/

I think it is time to put women on the money.

#15, It's Toe tapping Time

What do I write about.  My mind seems to hover outside myself.  Not upset, not worried. Just not interested.  My usual pleasures don't speak to this mind.  Even reading doesn't hold long.

I am outside looking in.  Interested, not excited. hovering, watching, waiting.

I hear the dogs barking in the distance.  Tank must have found one of the squirrels.   Wait - it was a dog strolling by.

Watching, waiting, tired, no energy.   I feel weary.

I have been here before.  Watching, waiting, weary.

Eventually, time passes and I will resurface, I will re-connect to friends and family.   My body and mind will again try and find a working partnership.  

Years ago a mentor told me this is toe tapping time.

I asked, "What's toe tapping time?"

She, "It's when your soul knows you are waiting for what's next.  It's not here yet.  You have to wait.  It's toe tapping time."

This time, in my here and now, I wonder, I wait, I watch.  Yes it's toe tapping time.

SOLC #10, Technology That's Good, No That's Bad

We are on cable.  Recently the remote had not been working.  I had replaced the batteries still nothing.  When I called my husband before heading home he mentioned that he had been to Charter and had gotten a new remote.  (That's good)

I asked, "How did it work?"

Silence, "I wish I had left the TV on before I left.  The girl said that it was preprogramed and to get the codes was easy.  I couldn't get anything to come on." (No, that's bad.)

My inner-voice says that is never a good sign when a tech person says its easy.  "I'll look at it when I get home."  I did.  there were instructions in English. (That's good.)  I didn't understand them. (No, that's bad.)

I played with the buttons.  The screen stayed black.  Dan says, "The girl said we could call and they would walk you through it."  (That's good.)

"Yah I know.  We have a DVD hooked to it.  I don't know enough to understand the wiring to be able to answer their questions."  (No, that's bad.)

"Dan, why don't you call Pat and see if he has time to come over?" (Dan's nephew-in-law) (That's good.)

He won't be home until later. (No, that's bad.)

Later he comes by.  Reads the instructions.   Gets a picture.  (That's good.)  Picture goes away. (No, that's bad.)  Continues to work.  Occasionally assisted by Tank our Dane/Lab mix.  (That's Good?)

Finally he is satisfied.  The picture stays on.  You can change channels.  (That's good.)  I asked what did you do?"

"I don't know."  (No, that's bad.)

I take the remote to make sure I can successfully change channels and turn the machine off and then turn it back on.  I try.  Some of the things I'm doing works.  Some not so much.  Finally I think I have the sequence down.

Yes, I can successfully run this remote. (That's good)  And there was a time in my youth that you could get up turn a knob and change the channel (all two) or turn it off.  The power of technology.