Janet Morrison's Blog, page 18

#OnThisDay: Statue of Liberty Dedicated, 1886 & a Hurricane Helene Update

Lots of Americans have Statue of Liberty stories. It was a welcome sight for many immigrants coming into the port at New York City. It was a welcome sight for one of my first cousins when he came home from serving in the US Army in Europe during World War II. And it was a … Continue reading #OnThisDay: Statue of Liberty Dedicated, 1886 & a Hurricane Helene Update →

My DIY Writer’s Retreat & a Hurricane Helene Update

I read about various writers’ retreats and they sound wonderful, but I don’t have the money or necessarily the energy to participate in them. Therefore, I decided to have my own private Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Writer’s Retreat a couple of weeks ago. It went so well that I intend to do more DIY retreats in the … Continue reading My DIY Writer’s Retreat & a Hurricane Helene Update →

The Wreck of the Packet Home off the Outer Banks in 1837 & a Hurricane Helene Update

With seven weeks remaining in the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, today I’m writing about a hurricane in 1837. An update about the status of Hurricane Helene cleanup in western North Carolina is also included in today’s post, since I live in that state. The October 8, 1837 Hurricane in North Carolina While planning my trip … Continue reading The Wreck of the Packet Home off the Outer Banks in 1837 & a Hurricane Helene Update →

What I Read Last Month & a Hurricane Helene Update

I did more reading in September than this blog post will reflect, but there was only one book I read from cover-to-cover: White Robes and Broken Badges, by Joe Moore. White Robes and Broken Badges, by Joe Moore This nonfiction book will stay in my mind forever. The author infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) … Continue reading What I Read Last Month & a Hurricane Helene Update →

Best laid plans…

Do you ever over-organize your life? I’m a planner. A list maker extraordinaire. The trouble is, I tend to think I can do more in a day than I actually can accomplish. Every. Single. Day. Several inexpensive and two free online writing courses came along at the same time, and I took the bait. As … Continue reading Best laid plans… →

#OnThisDay: Lewis & Clark Expedition Completed, 1806

I wish more emphasis had been put on Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery when I was in school. Living in North Carolina, it just wasn’t taught much. I suppose in the Midwest and Great Plains states it was and is taught in detail. Today marks the 218th anniversary of the conclusion of Meriwether Lewis … Continue reading #OnThisDay: Lewis & Clark Expedition Completed, 1806 →

Who says you can’t go home again? Revisiting a university campus

When I was a freshman at Appalachian State University in 1971, there were 7,800 students. Before I graduated four years later, the university chancellor had announced that enrollment would be permanently capped at 10,000. Fast forward to the 2024-2025 academic year, and Appalachian has more than 21,000 students. I visited the campus last week, and … Continue reading Who says you can’t go home again? Revisiting a university campus →

#OnThisDay: U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1957

When I think of the Civil Rights Act, I think of the one in 1964, but it was in 1957 that the first major civil rights bill was passed by Congress since the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 went into effect 67 years ago today on September … Continue reading #OnThisDay: U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1957 →

Books I Read in August 2024

After not finding anything that grabbed my attention enough to finish reading it in July, it was refreshing to get back into reading in August. My interests are varied, as you will see by the four books I read last month. Simple Pleasures: Haiku from The Place Just Right, by Elizabeth Gauffreau This is a … Continue reading Books I Read in August 2024 →

#OnThisDay: 19th Amendment to U.S. Constitution, 1920

The 19th Amendment: The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. It was 104 years ago today that women in the United States finally … Continue reading #OnThisDay: 19th Amendment to U.S. Constitution, 1920 →