Shot Heard Around the World
Image
Reply
250 Years and 11 Months Ago
Minute Man National Historical Park was the starting place of the American Revolution. Here the resolve of citizens willing to risk their lives for the ideals of liberty and self-determination was instrumental in the formation of the American identity. This park preserves sites where colonial militia men and British soldiers clashed on April 19, 1775. A force of 700 British Regulars left Boston to seize military supplies stockpiled in Concord. Paul Revere and other alarm riders alerted the countryside. In area towns, militia companies assembled, ready to defend their communities and their liberties. A brief but bloody skirmish on Lexington Green (5:00 a.m.) left eight Colonists dead. At the North Bridge (9:30 a.m.), the first ordered firing by Colonists upon British troops killed two British soldiers, with a third mortally wounded, the “shot heard around the world.” As the British soldiers marched back towards Boston, Colonial militia companies poured in. Fighting erupted along “Battle Road” (12:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.) as nearly 1,000 Colonists unleashed “an incessant fire” upon the British Regulars. At the end of the day, the Colonists surrounded and laid siege to Boston. The Revolutionary War had begun.Â
Sea Thrift
Image
What goes around comes around
Black Monday (also known as Black Tuesday in some parts of the world due to time zone differences) was a global, severe and largely unexpected stock market crash. Its impact was feared to be catastrophic, but its effects were gone within two years. Why my parents saved this paper is a mystery to me. Chalk it up to things you might want to ask at the next seance you attend. Maybe this financial crisis occurred at an inopportune time in their lives, like near retirement? Or maybe the answer lies within its pages. Who knows? There are some other puzzling newspaper pages that we found while going through my parent’s belongings, a few pages from a NYC paper from 1898. This paper is so old that great care must be taken while handling it. Another mystery to solve.
I find it amazing that its headlines could be reprinted with today’s date, still work and readers would believe that they are reading the latest news. On this date in our house, Anne and I were celebrating the birth of our second son, David. I am writing this post in his house’s dining room. He is a father now, with two sons of his own, making me a grandfather. What goes around comes around.
Fresh Faces to Eat
Image
A Day Out with Declan
Anne and I spent the day with Declan. Daycare was closed today, for a professional development day. I really think that the nice Chinese ladies who run the place, really just wanted to swill green beer. 😉 Dave had to work, even so, he took care of Wyatt, while we all went to the zoo. Stone zoo, the small private zoo that is located nearby. We got there right when it opened. Declan was the first one through the gate. Not too surprising, it being a very cold St. Pat’s Day.
Plus, there was last night. Oh, how the wind did howl! I have been sleeping on the couch in the living room, mainly because the foldout bed in the basement is not particularly comfortable to sleep in and while you cannot hear the wee one wakeup in the middle of the night down there, their couch is normally quite comfortable. But because of last night’s windstorm, I hardly slept a wink. There wasn’t much rain, but oh the wind. Even Dave commented on it in the morning.
Maren and David’s home is located atop a rocky promontory, three miles from Massachusetts Bay, with little between their house and the sea. Gale force winds were forecasted, causing all of the trees to sway wildly and some of them to brush the house. I kept expecting one to come crashing into the building. None did, but in the morning, we had to detour around a fallen tree around the corner.
The zoo was fun. A pair of flamingoes were noisily fighting, and we had to quickly move on, because they were frightening Declan. All of the big cats were out, none hiding. Even the gibbons were out, swing around. The St. Louis zoo’s gibbons would not be outside on a day like today. These New England folk are a hardy lot, none so as much as our grandson. It was hard to keep up with him, when we took him across the road from the zoo to a park with a playground.
Next up was lunch at the Melrose Diner, a real greasy spoon. Located next to a T-stop, our corner window table was perfect for entertaining Declan. Four purple commuter trains passed by while we dined. By the time the fourth one did, Declan had lined up all of the grape jelly packets at the table on the windowsill. For dinner tonight, Dave made Shepards pie to celebrate the Irish in him.