Straight From The Hart

  Years ago, there was a movie called “A River Runs Through It” based on a novel by Norman Maclean. I didn’t see the movie, but the title has been running through my head for several days now. The Rio Grande is just one of hundreds of rivers that runs through this great North American continent. More than 60,000 illegal immigrants have crossed the Mexican border in the past nine months, many of them using the Rio Grande as their point of entrance. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Congressman describes his recent trip to the river during the pre-dawn hours. He saw pregnant women and those with nursing infants and small children, and many teenagers, 72 people in all that morning and a third of them were children unaccompanied by adults. Border agents pulled on blue latex gloves when they saw them arriving. One told the Congressman that many of them have scabies, lice and even more serious infectious diseases that probably won’t be noticed until after they have traveled with others on buse...

  Last week I wrote about the importance of keeping a journal. I want to follow up on that today with the story of one of my favorite historical characters who took voluminous notes every day in his work and travels, thus preserving the history of some important days in our nation. His name was Jacob. The year was 1873 and he had been summoned by President Grant to Washington, D.C. to remeasure the grand avenues in the nation’s capitol, the President having been told by the District Investigation Committee that the streets surrounding the Capitol building had not been laid out well and needed to be redone by a professional engineer. Jacob spent three weeks there and was ready to give his report to General Babcock who was in charge of the street project. He writes in his journal that the rain that day had turned to snow by the time he left his hotel and walked down Pennsylvania Avenue where he turned into one of the walks that led to the Executive Mansion. He wrote about the Whit...

  A PATHWAY TO PEACE When families are hurting and sometimes temper flares When blood ties are unravelling, , you wonder just who cares When those who should be closest no longer want to share Dear Lord, please make a pathway to peace. When nations rise against nations, and folks are thinking war When diplomats are weary, nothing seems to work anymore When black and white are fighting, the rich against the poor Dear Lord, please make a pathway to peace. When you lay in a manger the night the angels sang Peace among men they said, the courts of heaven rang When you saw in the future the cross from which you’d hang You died to make a pathway of peace. Peace to all men and nations, it is our prayer today Peace in the midst of trial, for this O Lord we pray From our hearts remove all malice, please take our hate away And use our lives to create a pathway of peace. © Joan Rowden Hart July 2017

  Chickens And Ducks And Turkeys, Oh My! That is the major part of the business conducted at Cackle Hatchery on West Commercial every day. Throw in some geese and lots of eggs from all these animals, plus educational materials about them, and even medication for sick chicks, and you have a growing (no pun intended) and sometimes noisy 24 hour business 7 days a week. You can even feather your own nest with home décor from the in-house store on the premises, or buy unique gifts for your friends who like to collect and decorate with fowl items and themes. Cackle Hatchery (don’t you just love that name?) recently celebrated its 75th year in business. The very backbone of small-town America is its family-owned businesses, and Cackle Hatchery epitomizes all the good things about the “mom and pop” operations which dot America’s landscapes, especially in the Midwest, as well as the traditional values and work ethic instilled in them. Clifford and Lena Smith started the business in 1936...

 I posted this on my Facebook recently to let my Facebook friends know what to expect from my revamped page. A personal note for my special Facebook friends. No one is getting this but you! My Facebook posts have evolved through the years. I still like to make my friends laugh with a silly story or a joke or a cartoon, or get you caught up in a drama that seemingly could only happen to me, or just sharing a memory in a special photo, but more and more I am trying to post words that will inspire you or encourage you. I also like to post informational articles about subjects that might interest you - something you didn’t have time to read or watch. And you know of course that I love to read and especially write poetry so I will share lots of "rhyme and reason" with you, too. My days revolve around the computer, doing research on subjects in which I am interested and want to pass on to you, or surfing Facebook to keep up with my friends. I am not lazy. Unless you are pretty much...

  If you like American history, here are some quotes I found in research when I was writing a column for Independence Day. These are in no particular order, but like the column I posted earlier today, they are not always taught in school Manifest Destiny - (research,) Washington in Farewell Address: Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness, these firmest props of the duties of men and citizens. Free gov't was not to be led by men and women free of religion. Washington said he could "trace the finger of God through those dark and mysterious events" that gave rise to the United State of America. Tocqueville described the Puritans as "the scattering of the seed of a great people which God with His own hands is planting on a predestined shore". John Jay (Federalis...

  Recently, a friend sent me a most profound photo she had seen on the Internet. I was so moved by the picture that I posted it on my Facebook cover page where it remains today and I invite you to look at it. The picture is of a bald eagle perched on a tombstone in a military cemetery. The picture was taken by an amateur photographer, Frank Glick, who was on his way to work one morning in the early spring of 2011. He was driving through Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minnesota when he saw it, a huge eagle perched on a tombstone, its eyes alert, its head craned, looking for prey. He grabbed his ever present Nikon camera, and got the perfect shot. He shared the picture with a co-worker and they decided to try to track down the family of the man whose name was on that tombstone. After doing extensive research, they were able to locate Vivian Ruch, widow of Maurie Ruch who had served four years in the U.S. Army Air Corps in WW2 and earned a bronze star. We can only imagine...