Pardon me while I get maudlin…
Yesterday, I read this in the 1930 diary I have: Had 16 little piglets today, but the old mother laid on 4 and killed them.
This made me sad. Especially if you’ve seen the cute piglet pictures I posted here. But it also got me thinking about how common death is, especially on a farm. And especially in the 1930s.
Well, it’s not a giant leap from cute piggies dying to human mortality… Continue reading “On Death”
I have to think the writer of this article was pleased with himself for coming up with the headline. The story has little bearing on Rose, other than being in the news on March 7, 1930. But, I’m certain she and Harold had a good chuckle from it. Continue reading Ha ha. That’s punny!
I had the chance to pitch my story to some friends the other day. But as soon as bootlegging was mentioned, a listener said, “Oh! So NASCAR fans will love it.”
It was a depressing moment, Continue reading “Bootlegging”
I’ve started perusing the 1929/1930 newspaper of the day each morning and just had to share this rather facetious take on Groundhog’s Day. In case you’re interested in learning more about the day, here’s the Wikipedia article detailing just how this little rodent came to dictate our seasons. Of course, Mr. Groundhog is about as accurate as our Weather Guessers are today, so there is that. Continue reading Groundhog Day
Not too long ago, I joked about putting a little whiskey in my tea to help fight a cold I was battling. Truth is, people have been using alcohol as medicine since the Middle Ages (a drop of gin was believed to ward off the plague, a glug of wine could defend the body from corruption, and a sip of absinthe would rid the body of roundworms), even though there is scientific evidence that not only does it not help, it is often detrimental. What you may not realize, however, is what this interesting bit of trivia has to do with Prohibition… or Rose. Continue reading “Prescription Required”
A verse of Happy Birthday is in order.
On this day (January 17, 1929) eighty-eight years ago Popeye the Sailor Man was born. He wasn’t much of anybody back then. Just a spare character needed to get the main character, Olive Oyl, where she needed to be. Who knew he’d be such a scene stealer? Continue reading “Eighty-Eight Years Young”
While that’s good advice for a January in the northern hemisphere, this post is not a commentary on winter weather. Rather, I’ve been thinking about popular music that Rose might hum while she works, and Button Up Your Overcoat jumped out of the Wikipedia list of tunes made popular in 1929.
This song was first recorded by Ruth Etting in 1928 but was made famous by Helen Kane’s 1929 recording. Don’t recognize the name Helen Kane? Continue reading “Button Up Your Overcoat”
Apparently, living underground is not just for prairie dogs.
Seriously… people did it, too.
I’m not talking cave people; no, these were early settlers. Specifically, early Nebraska settlers. And luckily for Rose, one of them squatted on what is now her farm.
Continue reading “Burrowing Under”
Okay. I apologize for the bad pun. Just trying to keep with the corn theme from my last post.
There’s actually a mystery surrounding this picture. Two mysteries, to be honest. The first is about little green men.
Martians. Men from outer space.
Continue reading “A Corn-y Mystery”Perhaps you’re wondering why I’ve chosen rural Nebraska just on the outskirts of Omaha as the setting for my story. Well, apart from my obvious family connection to the area, it has a great bootlegging history, and that history is partially the cause for this WIP in the first place. Long before Rose or Harold insinuated their way into my brain, I was digging around … Continue reading Location, Location, Location
