Dragon Boat Racers Help End Hunger in Calvert County

About the Sport

Dragon boat racing is an amateur paddle team water sport.  Its roots lie in ancient Chinese folklore with annual competitions of local villagers held in China for more than 20 centuries.

The Dragon Boat festival, or Duān Wǔ Jié, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar, is one of the oldest and most popular traditional Chinese festivals. This year, it fell on June 12.

Today, dragon boat racing can be great fun for anyone, young or old.   It is among the fastest growing of team water sports, with scores of thousands of participants in various organizations and clubs in over 60 countries.  The sport is recognized for the camaraderie, strength and endurance fostered among teams, and is a very popular corporate and charitable sporting event. Crew members may be of any level of fitness and quickly adapt to and develop a passion for this sport.

About the North Beach/Anne Arundel/Calvert County Event

The power behind our North Beach-based dragon boat teams comes from God-inspired community members who want to have fun and #givewhereyoulive to help End Hunger in Calvert County.  Each team sponsoring a crew of about 20 will be racing on the Chesapeake Bay on Saturday, June 22 from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. You can see our teams practicing their teak wood watercraft propelling and maneuvering skills evenings this week from Tuesday-Friday beginning at 6 p.m. at the beach.  First efforts videoed by Robert Hahn, Chair of End Hunger in Calvert County, aptly display the need for practice and help us anticipate the fun to be had by all on Saturday, race day.

The Legend that First Inspired Dragon Boat Racing

The saga tells of a Chinese court official named Qu Yuan, (phoneticised as “Ch’u Yuen”) who lived in the pre-imperial “warring states period” 475-221 BC. We know this area today as central China.  Back then, the area was divided into seven main states or kingdoms battling among themselves for supremacy at the conclusion of the Zhou (Chou) Dynasty, (China’s classical age during which Confucius lived).

Qu Yuan was a minister in Chu, one of the seven warring state governments.  He was a champion of political loyalty and integrity and eager to maintain his state’s imperialistic autonomy over all others. As the legend goes, the other state ministers were jealous of Qu Yuan and successfully conspired to have him exiled.

In his exile, Qu Yuan was said to produce some of China’s greatest early poetry and literature that expressed his  love and concern for his state and its future.

As the story goes, in the year 278 B.C., upon learning of impending devastation of his state by neighboring states, Qu Yuan waded into the Miluo river in today’s Hunan Province.  There, he committed ritualistic suicide as a form of protest against the corruption of the era. The Qin or Chin kingdom eventually conquered all the states and unified them into the first Chinese empire. [The word China derives from this first dynasty of empire.)

The fishermen, upon learning of Qu Yuan’s suicide, raced in their boats to the middle of the river and tried desperately to save him. They beat drums and splashed the water with their paddles to keep the fish and evil spirits away from him. Later, they scattered rice into the water to prevent Qu Yuan from suffering hunger.  Hence, this Saturday, our community’s first annual dragon boat event where we will be beating our drums and splashing our waters with paddles to help end hunger in Calvert County.

But, to conclude Qu Yuan’s legend, late one night his spirit appeared before his friends. He asked his friends to wrap their rice into three-cornered silk packages to ward off dragons. This has been a traditional food ever since known as “zongzi” or sticky rice wrapped in leaves. Since then, people have commemorated Qu Yuan through dragon boat races, eating zongzi and other foods, and participating in other festival activities on the anniversary of his death.

The Present

Today, Dragon Boat Racing is one of the fastest-growing international water sports in the world.  For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. The decorative regalia are removed for training but a drum remains aboard for practice by drummers.

The World Championships of Dragon Boat Racing have been held annually in Hong Kong since 1976.  In 1991, the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) was formed in response to the explosive growth of the sport.  Based in Hong Kong, the IDBF boasts over 100 member organizations in more than 60 countries.  Since 1995, World Championship events have been awarded to Canada, China, New Zealand, England, Australia and the United States.  A Commission was developed to oversee the standardization of equipment, rules and regulations.

Backed by a strong sprint canoeing background, North America emerged in a relatively short time as an international Dragon Boat Racing powerhouse, shaking the foundations of a sport that historically was dominated by Asian countries.

Abridged Chronology of Dragon Boat Festivals and Races

A festival race is typically a sprint event of several hundred meters, with 500 meters being a standard distance in many international festival races.

Orlando, Florida’s International Dragon Boat Festival was the first time for a dragon boat racing event (1998) to be held within a major world class amusement park property–Walt Disney World.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania hosted the IDBF World Championships in 2001 and now sports over 150 teams. The championships and festival are held on the famous Schuylkill River rowing regatta course.

In 2005, the IDBF introduced a Corporate and Community World Championships (WCorcom) designed for crews that normally race in Festival Races and aimed at the ‘weekend warrior’ type of competitor.

In 2006 under the patronage of the IDBF, the 1st World Championships for Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS), – the ‘Pink Paddlers’ – were held in Singapore.

The 2006 Club Crew World Championships (CCWC,) took place at the Western Beaches Watercourse, in Toronto’s west end. Spectators and dragon boat fans came from across North America and the world. Over 2000 competitors took part in that event that generated over 2 million dollars Canadian for the local economy.

The Missouri River 340 (545 kilometers) is open to canoe, kayak and dragon boats. Team Beauties and Barnacles took third place overall in August 2010, setting the current Guinness World Record for longest distance travelled in a dragon boat with a time of 38 hours and 5 minutes.

A new Guinness World Record was created on December 30, 2011, for the Greatest Distance by Dragon Boat in 24 hours (relay) – 227 km–held by the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Association.

The biggest racing events among dragon boat festivals attract about 200 25-person crews or 5,000 participants. 

Every year more states are getting involved with this sport. Most festivals feature different race categories, vendors and entertainment.  You can be sure our Annual Dragon Boat Races to End Hunger Calvert County will be  as exciting as the examples included in this article and will include vendors and entertainment, too.  Help us make Calvert County’s event the first of many exciting dragon boat events to come.

References

1.  “Longest distance by a dragon boat in 24 hours”. Guinnessworldrecords.com. 2010-10-10.
2. The 5th World Championships were originally to be held in Shanghai, but were postponed due the outbreak of SARS. As a result, World Championships were held in 2003, 2004 and 2005.
3. The 2009 World Championships were originally to be held in Poznan, but moved to Prague due to conflicted scheduling with the 2009 World Rowing Championships. “Dragon Boating Not Just for Asians”. AsianWeek.
4. http://www.edbf.org/documents/DBI-June2010.pdf
5. http://www.ghananewsagency.org/details/Sports/National-Dragon-Boat-Competition-held-at-Ada-Foah/?ci=5&ai=13404
6. “Dragon Boat – Canoeing South Africa”. Canoesa.org.za.

External links

• Breast cancer survivors’ dragon boating
• Dji Sam Soe 234
• Dragon Boat Festival
• International Dragon Boat Federation
• Dragon Boat World Int. – the worlds dragon boat magazine
• Dragon Boat World Directory A worldwide directory of Dragon Boat Clubs
• Survivor Dragon Boating: A Vehicle to Reclaim and Enhance Life After Treatment for Breast Cancer
• Dragon Boating Singapore: Outdoor fun or Water Torture!?
• Dragon Boat construction

Related articles

• The Origin of the Dragon Boat Festival, 端午節 (theepochtimes.com)

My Favorite Mullethead

This little tike, my #2 grandson, was two when this picture was taken of him in 1990.  He’s now 25 and has twins of his own (a boy and a girl) who will be two in just a few months.  With all of today’s varying cultures and social styles, I’ll be interested in seeing their first haircuts.

One thing for sure–my grandson’s mom worked as a hairdresser.  As handsome as he was (and is), he always was one of the first to sport whatever new cuts came down the pike because he was her guinea pig for testing out the new styles. (And, he probably donned the “rat tail” much longer than most.  It wasn’t until he was being bullied for it at school that mom decided she would cut it off.)

And, just what was behind the mullet do’s?  When and why did mullets come into being?  Did they serve a practical, political, or social purpose?

As you can see, the mullet  hairstyle was short at the front and sides, and hung long in the back.

History of the Mullet

cultural significance

The first known literary reference to the hairstyle currently known as the mullet occurred in Homer‘s Iliad.   The Iliad is among the oldest extant works of Western literature, and its written version is usually dated to around the 8th century BC (760-710 BC according to the most recent statistical models on language evolution).

“The sprinting Abantes followed hard at his heels,
their forelocks cropped, hair grown long in the back,
troops nerved to lunge with their tough ashen spears
and slash the enemies’ breastplates round their chests.”

 in Popular Media

The mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but was most well known during the early 1980s and into the mid-1990s.  Some of the better known mullet coifs were donned by Richard Dean Anderson in his TV role as MacGyver and My Achy Breaky Heart, one-hit-wonder, Billy Ray Cyrus–better known today as Miley Cyrus’s/Hannah Montana’s dad. (His 2011 picture on the right shows him still sporting a version of that mullet!)  

And there was at least one other mullet die-hard:  David Spade in 2001 when he starred in the comedy movie, Joe Dirt. If you were victimized by this movie, then you will know that Joe Dirt  was an idiot character who worked as an oil weller in search for his parents who abandoned him as a baby at the grand canyon.  Which is my long-way-around approach to the meaning of mullethead.  The word “mullethead.” meaning dim-witted, originated in the late 19th century.
From a practical-living standpoint, came the term BIFPIB, meaning “business in the front (for day) and party in the back,” (for evenings and weekends).

And then, it seemed that the Jerry Springer TV Show drew from a demographic of mulletheads for his TV talk show that began in 1991 and continues to focus on dumb-to-dismal relationships among under-educated and under-cultured guests.

So my take on all of this–from my cutie-pie mullethead of 1990 to the present day–if you want to look and be successful (outside of the entertainment industry), then it’s best not to don a mullet or hang out with those who do.  And, if you do want to, then you might try a different spin on the mullet.  I understand the 37th Annual  2013 Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival (recently named one of the USA’s top 12 food festivals by Parade Magazine) happens in Niceville, Florida, this October.  (The story gets a little fishy, here.) You might need to check it out at mulletfestival.com.

“If You’re Reading This”

While driving from my home to my parents this morning, I heard a song on a country radio station that affected me so deeply that I had to pull off the side of the road until it had ended and I had composed myself again.  The music, lyrics, and singing were great, but its sentiment hit me like a ton of bricks.  And, guess what–this song is six years old.  I don’t know where I’ve been that I hadn’t heard it before today.    I’m talking about If You’re Reading This, by American Country Music Artist Tim McGraw.

After researching it, I learned that Tim first performed this song live at the Academy of Country Music (ACM) awards which were held in Las Vegas, Nevada and aired May 15, 2007 on the CBS Television Network just two weeks before 2007′s official Memorial Day.

About the Song

If You’re Reading This is a tribute to the families of soldiers who have died. Its lyrics take the form of a letter written from a soldier to his family — a letter that is intended to be sent only if the soldier died.

About the Authors and Singer

Inspired by reading a magazine article on war casualties, McGraw, along with Brad and Brett Warren of country duo The Warren Brothers, co-wrote If You’re Reading This about three weeks before the ACM awards aired. 

Viewer and Listener Responses

When McGraw performed the song at the  awards show, one hundred relatives of soldiers joined him onstage, under a banner that read “Families of Fallen Heroes”. Audience members and families on stage gave him a standing ovation.

Then, radio stations began playing it on air from the telecast.  And, it debuted at #35  on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts from the unsolicited airplay.   McGraw later released a remixed version of the live recording for radio broadcast as a single. (A live recording studio version was never cut.)   In November 2007, If You’re Reading This reached a peak of #3 on the Billboard country charts, becoming McGraw’s 42nd Top Ten country hit overall. The song also peaked at #41 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Today’s music has too few songs that really touch our hearts and make us think about who we are and the times we live in.  I just wanted to share this one with you. I hope you enjoy it.

Daily Prompt: The Normal

The Normal–a Coincidence–a Good Thing, A Bad Thing, Neither?

It’s more than coincidence when the daily prompt request, “The Normal,” falls on the heels of the end to a 7-week teaching series at my church on “The Real Normal.”  So, feeling compelled to respond from a higher authority, and with the help of my church teachers (Robert Hahn and Ann Edwards) and note taking daughter, I have summarized what we learned about “being normal.”  For those who want to hear from the teacher, I also have included the 30-minute podcast for each week’s topic.

The Real Word - 

To understand what God says is ‘normal,’ we need to understand why the Bible is the only reliable source of eternal truth. We say we believe the Bible, yet we often knowingly and unknowingly reject its most basic teachings.  We learned why accepting that The Real Word is the only path to The Real Normal.

Some people think the Bible is irrelevant and out of touch, so they do not take it seriously. They think believing in God is one thing, but believing and reading the Bible is not normal.

At Chesapeake Church, we believe the Bible is the authoritative source on how people should live. We believe that Christian living is normal; that full devotion to Jesus Christ is normal. We believe the Bible is the Real Word and it is real reliable. To understand this, we need to understand oral tradition and the fullness of time.

In Jewish culture, oral tradition is as reliable as scanning a document. For them, knowing the first five books of the Bible (their “Torah,” or the “books of Moses”), is critical. They serve as the foundation and the full expression of how God’s people are to live. They were written by scribes and defined who they were as a nation.

The time between the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi and the first book of the New Testament, Matthew was 400 years. It is referred to as “the 400 years of silence” because there were no prophets. During that time, God was silent, but not dormant.

During those 400 years, communication via a single language (Greek) was established and travel was made easier by the creation of a road system. Both of these allowed for information to spread freely.

Then Jesus arrived in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4). He was born, lived, taught, died, and rose from the dead. Within 30 years, the Gospels were written and within 100 years from the death of Jesus, copies of the Old and New Testament were available in the common language.

Institutions of higher learning teach from the writings of historians and scholars like Plato, Herodotus, Aristotle, and Homer when few original copies of their writings exist. 24,000 original copies of the Bible exist. Not accepting the Bible as reliable is an uneducated stance. (Check out these charts http://chesapeakechurch.org/uploads/20130406therealword.pdf)

God’s word reins and is the center of our lives. The Bible is God’s promises to us. They are real and immeasurable. Live the life.

The Real Problem - 

We all sin. It’s that simple and yet it’s so difficult to deal with. The Bible teaches we’re not sinners because we sin, but rather we sin because we’re sinners. Every struggle in our lives can be traced back to that truth. No matter how we try to rationalize the troubles of life, ever since Adam & Eve, one thing remains clear: sin is The Real Problem.

The Real Love - 

The Bible says that God is love (1 John 4:8) but that doesn’t mean anything done in the name of love is of God. In this teaching, we looked at how the Bible says we are to express love by looking at the source of love, the God who so loved.

 The Real Reason - 

People are sexual beings; God created us that way. But does that mean anything goes? Is anything between ‘consenting adults’ of God?  We studied the bible and learned that God gave us physical intimacy for a purpose – His purpose.

 The Real Mom -

In a contest of which job description has gone through the most change over past decades, the role of the mom has got to be at the top. In this week’s lesson we honored moms everywhere, and learned that being a “mom” isn’t a job.  That it’s a calling intended to fulfill a specific purpose in God’s eternal plan.

The Mother’s Day message is simple. The perfect mom is not the real mom and the real mom is not the perfect mom.

God didn’t design us to be perfect, he designed us to teach and help and pave the way for future generations. We will tell the next generation the praise worthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done (Psalm 78:4). Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children (Titus 2:3-4).

The Real Joy - 

“Doesn’t the Bible say that God wants me to be happy?” You may have heard that question – you may have asked it. But the answer may surprise you. Rather than happiness, which the Bible doesn’t promise, God desires us to have joy and even better, He wants us to be joyful people. There’s a big difference.

Joy seems to be in short supply. It’s hard to stay upbeat when you’re facing difficult circumstances.

Philippians 4:4 tells us to always be full of joy in the Lord. The apostle Paul was no stranger to difficult circumstances, yet he had joy. He knew it came from Jesus Christ. Paul knew joy is not the absence of problems. It is God who is with us during difficult circumstances.

Real joy comes with the presence of God. Zephaniah 3:17 explains that joy originates with God. In John 15:11, Jesus tells us that as we get to know Him and do life with Him, we will have joy that is overflowing.

Thank you Ann Edwards for instructing us that no matter our circumstances, we need to bring joy.

“That’s not normal!” “It’s normal now!” “Welcome to the new normal!”

Just what is ‘normal’ and who says so? We, at Chesapeake Church, say that ‘full devotion to Jesus Christ is normal,’ so when it comes to how we live, we turn to Him and His Word for direction. Normal isn’t new – it’s eternal. Welcome to The Real Normal.

Searching for and Documenting Ancestral Gifts and Talents: I’ve Got the Music In Me, Part 7

This post continues a discussion I began on FaceBook about three months ago, “Has anyone documented gifts and talents, especially musicality of Bolling ancestors?”  The post received about 100 views and several responses from a dozen or so descendants of the Bolling family.  So, I thought I would summarize the anecdotal information below and include a couple of examples of the talents:

Surnames of those Bolling Descendants who Responded with Comments:

Boling, Bostwick, Bowling, Boyance, Bushman, Frazier, Hutson, Pollard, Powell Goins, Semones Probus, Tomlinson

Three Months of Anecdotal Responses:

• My mom was a Boling and very artistic and creative… Also musical–played piano by ear! Most of her descendants inherited her creativity.  February 23 at 10:40am

• Must surely be genetic talent–everyone on my maternal side (who descend from Bolling) is musical! March 1 at 12:22am

• I was able to play almost any instrument given to me as a kid. My older kids definitely inherited that. I’m also an artist and writer. All my kids seem to be artistically gifted.  April 7 at 6:44pm
• My grandmother, mother, and many other family members are very artistic. Painting, drawing, music, etc.  April 7 at 7:26pm 
• My husband is the BOLING, most of his kin are very, very artistic and musical.  April 8 at 8:03pm 
• Same here, My dad was artistic, My oldest girl,15, is amazing at drawing, painting and has taught herself almost five instruments. It just passed over me I think.
• I don’t have a bit of artistic ability.  April 9 at 6:41pm 
• I have an artist web site and would love to have others from here post their work on it. Be sure to say you’re from the bowling/bolling page.  Would be fun to see some family work. April 9 at 6:43pm
• I remember drawing and writing poetry and short stories up until high school but I was never encouraged to keep it up and I just stopped. My children all seem to be able to draw, sing, play instruments etc.. That makes me happy and I encourage them to continue.  April 9 at 7:06pm
• I didn’t think about writing poetry…I do write well and I really like it. Haven’t written for fun in a long time. Not since I started back to school.  April 9 at 7:07pm 
• So far, I know I’m from the Clarissa Bowling *father Ambrose G Bowling* line, if that helps. I’m a published author and have sold some paintings. I was adopted so will have to ask my cousins who else on my father’s side may have some artistic talent. I remember them telling me one of my uncles or grandpa wrote a book.  April 9 at 7:10pm 
• If bad singing is a musical talent, we’ve got it covered! April 10 at 11:21am 
• I’ve written a few books. My dad plays musical instruments. My dad, my sister and I all draw. My niece writes poetry.  April 10 at 1:11pm
• Yeah, singing, I love to, but have to have an instrument blaring in my ear.  If someone asked if I could sing, I used to say, “Only if I wish to offend…” April 10 at 1:58pm 
• I sang in high school and now in the church choir. My daughter, Alex, can sing the first verse of the Ave Maria she is only 9.  April 16 at 8:49am 
• Amazing talents abound. We are so blessed. April 16 at 9:03am 
• 

  Jason Crabb – Grammy Award Winning Gospel Singer

  My distant cousins (the Crabb Family) of the “Bowling Family Group” sing gospel. One is the sister of Jason Crabb (Grammy Award Winning Gospel Vocalist) April 19 at 2:59pm [BTW, Jason's features very much resemble several of the men in my Boling family.]

• Music is my thing. Played tbone in high school. Play guitar and piano. At one time I was studying drums and wind instruments. May 3 at 2:41am 
• I also tried my hand at art and singing–I was told to sing “so low” and based upon my drawings–not to give up my day job!
• Brother and sons are musicians and songwriters.  From “Crosswords” 1999 Album, “Cain”:  I’ve Been
  – my son is the drummer in this Contemporary Christian Music Band.  My grandchildren are gifted artists, writers and musicians. My great niece is 8 and has an angelic voice with perfect pitch. My aunt looked and sang very much like Patsy Cline. My young adult nephews and nieces are natural artists from caricatures to portraits. One of my artistic nephews tried art school, fell on hard times, and had to quit. He’s now a cook at a local pub, but playing guitar and singing in a small local band.
• John Doan Concert at the Chapel Arts Center, Bath, England
  Posted on April 30, 2013 by Lorelle - Press Release (Bath, UK):— Emmy nominee and master harp guitarist John Doan with family roots to Bath and Burton, will perform at the Chapel Arts Centre, St James’s Memorial Hall as part of his European Tour 2013. Chapel Arts Centre is located at Lower Borough Walls, Bath, BA1 1QR. The show is scheduled for 8pm on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Tickets are advance: £8.00, Door: £10.00. For more information, call the Chapel Arts Centre at 01225 461700.

A “Celtic Pilgrimage with John Doan” features music from John’s award winning recording “Eire – Isle of the Saints” (Winner of “Best Celtic Album of the Year”) and Wayfarer (also nominated for the same title).

Concert Description

Master harp guitarist and storyteller John Doan is a Bard for the 21st Century bringing back soulful and provocative musical sketches from a pilgrimage to the most sacred sites of the British Isles. “Thin Places,” as they were once called, were believed to be where the space between heaven and earth, and past and future, were thinly divided. John shares what he found there inspired by breathtaking landscapes, historic ruins, and dynamic stories underlying the faith and vision of a people who shaped the world we have come to call our own. He now leads his audiences back down ancient paths to locations made famous by St. Patrick and the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland” along winding roads to secluded sanctuaries and by boat to remote island retreats. Adventurous, thoughtful, and renewing, this is a journey memorable for its achingly beautiful moments and encouraging spirit.

What makes John Doan’s music provocative is that it is both ancient and contemporary, familiar and like nothing an audience has ever heard before. Some of the music on his Celtic albums were composed at Glastonbury while he was on tour, retracing his roots both in spirit and music.

Billboard Magazine says, “Critics Choice – John Doan’s music is a nearly perfect evocation of the Celtic spirit … intricate arrangements … poignant melodies.”

Philadelphia Weekly notes, “John Doan’s 20 strings liberates truly enchanting Celtic music… Doan transports us to another place and time.”

John Doan’s Instrument with Roots in England

John Doan has performed in various concert halls and festivals across the US and Europe, and his pioneering efforts – the first in modern times to compose and perform the twenty-string harp guitar – have resulted in the “John Doan Model” being manufactured in Ukraine this year.

Reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth the first’s favorite instrument, the Poliphont, the harp guitar supplements the standard guitar’s six fretted strings with six unfretted sub-bass strings and eight super treble strings, which ring with bell-like clarity. John Doan describes it as “almost the range of the piano but it is a lot easier to carry with you!”

John Doan’s Performance Background

In addition to his solo performances John has shared the stage with Burl Ives, Donovan, Rickie Lee Jones, among others. His virtuoso playing and arranging has attracted praise from no less guitar luminaries than Chet Atkins and Doc Watson.

John Doan has starred in various American PBS television specials one of which was awarded an Emmy-Nomination for “Best Entertainment Special of the Year.” John lives in the Northwest United States with his wife, Deirdra, where he is Associate Professor of music at Willamette University.

Family Roots in Bath

John Doan has family roots to Bath as the descendant of a former Mayor and the prominent Ames family of Burton. His puritan Doan ancestor escaped religious persecution in England and left to form the Plymouth Colony in North America in 1620 and served as assistant to the governor.

Doan is hoping that thousands of his extended family will give a good show of family spirit by attending his concert in Bath. He would like to formally forgive those in attendance for their ancestors inhospitable behavior toward his family (or ask for forgiveness for his family’s behavior who left to the USA). All should prepare for a good laugh or perhaps a cathartic experience. Either way, the audience should feel better than they did before the concert.

I may have gone a little overboard with my lengthy last example, but if I am to build a comprehensive and worthwhile database of gifts and talents that includes heritage and relationships, I would need more bibliographic and biographic information to make it both more interesting and meaningful to its viewers.  And the ancient Bolling family, too, has an aristocratic history, many of whom were politicians and office holders, ministers, doctors, lawyers, authors, etc.  This is no short task before me.  More contributors/contributions of examples appreciated.

Found In the Archives–Thank You, FDR and National Archives Staff

Dark, cloudy skies with intermittent heavy downpours to sprinklings of rain make today the perfect day for exploring, researching, and documenting new finds.   Among my many searches today to complement draft posts to come, I entered just two of the 13 Presidential Libraries  (Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry S.Truman Libraries), which have their collections online.

National Archives:  13 Presidential Libraries

About these Libraries

The Office of Presidential Libraries administers a nationwide network of Presidential libraries beginning with the 31st President of the United States, Herbert Hoover. Currently, this includes:

• 13 Presidential Libraries
• Presidential Materials Staff
• Central Office Staff

These are not traditional libraries, but rather repositories for preserving and making accessible the papers, records, and other historical materials of U.S. Presidents. Presidential Libraries and Museums are great treasures of our nation’s history. They are important sources for historians and other researchers studying our presidents and our history. In addition to archiving and preserving presidential papers and objects, presidential libraries and museums bring history to millions of visitors from around the world.

During his second term in office, President Franklin D. Roosevelt surveyed the vast quantities of papers and other materials he and his staff had accumulated. In the past, many Presidential papers and records had been lost, destroyed, sold for profit, or ruined by poor storage conditions. President Roosevelt sought a better alternative. On the advice of noted historians and scholars, he established a public repository to preserve the evidence of the Presidency for future generations. Beginning a tradition that continues to this day, he raised private funds for the new facility and then turned it over to the United States government for operation through the National Archives.

With Memorial Day Celebrations recently over, I thought I would share with you just one of my findings below as a single example of the treasures that abound in these libraries:

A Petition to FDR from 1,746 Inmates at Folsom, California State Prison

Posted in the National Archives Blog:  December 6, 2012 in Found in the Archives | Tags: Pearl Harbor | Comments closed |

Pearl Harbor Prisoner Petition, December 8, 1941

The “unprovoked and dastardly attack” by Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, brought an immediate unity of purpose to the nation. Thousands of letters flooded into the White House after the attack, and especially after FDR delivered his War Message to Congress (the “date which will live in infamy” speech) on December 8th. Citizens of all political persuasions and from all parts of the country pledged their support, volunteered their service, and offered to enlist in the military. One of the most interesting examples among the President’s papers is a petition that FDR received signed by prisoners at Folsom State Penitentiary in California. This is the first page of the bound petition that contains 39 pages and 1,746 signatures.

A Potential Threat to these Libraries’ existence?

Before closing, I’d also like to share with you a link to an article written April 25, 2013, by  Anthony Clark, (a former House staffer who writes about the legislative branch and presidential legacy) for Salon Media Group.  If the projections in the article are credible, then we stand to lose another great window for looking back at reflections from the past and mirrors to our future as a people and a nation–losing these libraries would mean losing national treasures and/or access to them at a time when government information has been designated “open and transparent“.

E-m-e-r-g-e-n-c-y E-n-d R-u-n !

A Glimpse of Life in the “Olden Days”

In the olden days, say when our number one son was about six and number two was about four, I would take them with me to shop and to run weekly family errands. Frequently, my mom, mam-ma, joined us and we shopped together with the boys in tow.

One event, among the many involving mischievous number two son, took place at a local chain store–a pharmacy.  The pharmacy was located in a “retail strip center”.  Not a “mall” like became popular in the 1960′s and not a “town center” shopping plaza like we have today.

An example strip mall in Wynantskill, New York, United States. . (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

In the 1970′s, retail strip malls  didn’t include fast food restaurants, gas stations, or public restrooms; and, individual stores were not required to provide restrooms for public use.  Can you see where this story might be headed?

To explain, our standard procedure was to begin all trips with a visit to the bathroom before leaving home. And, we didn’t vary from this procedure today.  Well, we had been out for a while and those of you with children can relate–one of us gets “the call”.  It’s nature calling (because nature has its own schedule). Yes, that’s right, nature was calling on number two son.  Now, number two son had made it a habit whenever we would go out to dinner as a family to always investigate the bathroom facilities.  But this time, he swore to me that it was an honest-to-goodness emergency and that he needed to go.  So what were our options?

A Strategic Maneuver

Christmas 1973

After quickly mulling over my strategic options, I decided number two son would go to the pharmacy counter to ask if he could use the restroom. You see, number two was quite a cutie. Blonde hair, blue eyes, with a magnetic charm and personality.

So he went on a run and we hung back watching his every move.  He approached the cashier, and by now he was dancing trying to avoid having an accident (his own maneuver).  The cashier asked him if she could help him. And, still dancing, he asked if he could use the restroom.

Very politely and calmly, without emoting the slightest concern for a young man in obvious distress, she said:  ”I’m sorry, but our restrooms are not for public use.”  And then, number two proceeded to plead his case. And, he  very simply replied:  ”Lady, I’m not public, I ‘m Catholic!”

The “End Run”

With that, all of us burst into laughter. Yet, the cashier still held firm. And then I approached her (plan B), and taking a lesson out of my son’s book very simply replied:  ”Lady, my boy’s dancing–and not because he wants to–he’s trying to help you keep your floor clean.”

And, with that, the cashier saved the day for all of us.  Number two completed his task without further ado, the cashier didn’t have to mop her floor, and mam-ma and I stuck to our plan to shop ’til we dropped!

Scientists Discover “God’s Bathtub”

This morning I was communing with nature sitting in a glider under a pergola on my freshly stained deck with birds eating from a feeder not five feet away.  Absorbing the sunshine and feeling the occasional ever so gentle breeze wisp across my face, I was thinking about this glorious day and just how beautiful nature is.  Oh, how I had waited throughout my business career for the freedom to enjoy just this impromptu scenario.

And then, I went into my home office to see what was up with the rest of the world via the Internet and happened upon the article that follows.  It’s so very nice to know that there are still creations from GOD that man’s plunderings have not marred or destroyed.  I can only pray that in fact this Australian lake remains as it has for eons and that there are other beauties of nature like it.

‘God’s Bathtub’ Discovered In Australia, Blue Lake Has Remained Untouched For 7,500 Years [PHOTOS] - Posted by International Business Times, June 5, 2013:

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Blue Lake on North Stadbroke Island in Australia has been untouched by man or climate change for the past 7,500 years, scientists say.

Australian scientists have discovered a lake that has been untouched by man and climate change for the past 7,500 years.

Blue Lake, off the southern coast of Queensland, has been studied by a team of researchers who have found that the body of water has been in the same chemical state for thousands of years. Dr. Cameron Barr, from the University of Adelaide, and his team studied Blue Lake’s discharge, water quality, fossil pollen and algae and found that the lake is unaffected by climate change.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Blue Lake on North Stadbroke Island in Australia has been untouched by man or climate change for the past 7,500 years, scientists say.

“It’s like God’s bathtub,” Barr told the Australian Associated Press. “It is beautiful. It is absolutely beautiful.”

What accounts for the Blue Lake’s pristine condition?  Location. It’s situated on North Stadbroke Island, a sand island. The lake drains out in a nearby swamp and its water gets replaced by an aquifer every 35 days.

“Because it’s constantly being updated, it doesn’t suffer from the vagaries of the climate insofar as it doesn’t evaporate and become more saline,” Barr told the Australian Associated Press.

News of Blue Lake’s “godly” state came as a surprise for researchers.

“We didn’t realize just how unique and unusual this lake is until we started looking at a wide range of environmental markers,” Barr told The Australian. Besides the chemical samples, scientists also studied photos taken of the lake over the past 117 years.

Barr notes that despite climate change factors the region has experienced in recent decades, Blue Lake showed “little variation” in its shoreline and water chemistry. In fact, Barr believes that Blue Lake will continue to remain unspoiled by man.

“With appropriate management, the lake could continue relatively unchanged for hundreds, possibly thousands of years to come,” Barr said.

Original Story Site:  ‘God’s Bathtub’ Discovered In Australia, Blue Lake Has Remained Untouched For 7,500 Years [PHOTOS].

A Poem to Me Mudder

A Prelude to Father’s Day 2013

Frank Burton Boling

My dad, now 84, has always had a great sense of responsibility toward family, friends, neighbors, community, and sometimes even strangers in need.  He follows the letter of the law without ever once bending a rule.  He dots all his I’s and crosses all his T’s.  But when it comes to his sense of humor and extremely sharp wit, it’s a “no holds barred,” situation.

The poem below (supposedly written in the early 1900′s by a Yuma Territorial Prison inmate in Yuma, Arizona), so amused him that he memorized it and often recited it over the years to groups of family members and friends.  The irony of course is that my dad grew up motherless and without adult females in his home.

The last time we revisited dad’s favorite poem was when I asked my brother to read it at our parents 60th wedding anniversary in 2006.  (In February this year they celebrated their 67th!)

A Poem to Me Mudder! (Unknown Author)

When me prayers were poorly said,
Who tucked me in me widdle bed,
And spanked me till me widdle ass was red?
Me Mudder.

Who took me from me cozy cot,
And put me on me ice cold pot,
And made me pee if me could not?
Me Mudder.

And when the morning light would come,
And in me crib me dribbled some,
Who wiped me tiny widdle bum?
Me Mudder.

Who would me hair so gently part,
And hug me gently to her heart,
And sometimes squeeze me till me fart?
Me Mudder.

Who looked at me with eyebrows knit,
And nearly had a king sized fit,
When in my Sunday clothes me shit?
Me Mudder.

When at night the bed did squeak,
Me raised me head to have a peek,
Who yelled at me to go to sleep?
Me Fadder.

Life is Precious and Sometimes Wild–Let’s Just Do It!

Some of us struggle in life and are too proud to ask for guidance or help. Some lives are in destructive ruts and we are blind to them. We all have a loved one, neighbor, or friend who we might like to help, but we are frozen in fear of being so bold to intrude and lose them. This is where I was when I first sat down to write the following birthday poem. Yes, I delivered it, and I’d like to say it inspired change. Instead, I received a warm and friendly “thank you,” “yes, I know,” “I love you,” and a hug–but nothing more. I feel all I can do now is to keep praying that my someone will one day want to be helped and will ask.

The Precious Gift of Life

Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

The precious gift of Life is a one-time go round, non-renewal, non-exchangeable, one-way ticket;

The good times, bad times, favorite memories, all depend upon how we choose to live it.

With each birthday we reach a new  milestone in this sometimes wild life that comes with it a reminder;

Don’t waste even a minute more–let’s keep moving and check our direction finder.  What is our plan for our one wild and precious life?  And, how does it fit within HIS plan for us?

Reinvest in family, friends, and ourselves?

Let’s be courageous and take that leap of faith—

Just do it, like Nike says, before we face those golden gates.

Remind ourselves that we are loved and that it’s never too late to pursue a new and improved path that leads us to our personal best,

Just Do it for our own state of mind, spiritual growth, and other individual success.

Let’s:

Fight through any and all insecurities;

Look for and accept life’s new opportunities;

Remember life is a short-term loan.  Truly, none of us knows when we will be called Home.

These two things we always should do–Keep praying for help when we struggle, and give thanks when life is good–

So, Let’s STOP with all this gab–

Let’s make Him, ourselves, and others proud—

Let’s make that renewed effort at transformation and come out of our self-imposed isolation;

Maybe, it’s just that next step that helps us find our own glorious salvation.

Let’s Just do it!

by Joanne Boling Dickinson:  March 16, 2013