Early America

For some good reads concerning early America, here are some books I've read or will read.....

1. Ladies of Liberty "The Women Who Shaped Our Nation," by Cookie Roberts
2. Savage Kingdom "True Story of Jamestown, 1607, & the Settlement of America," by Benjamin Woolley

3. First Generations "Women in Colonial America," by Carol Berkin
4. A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard," by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

5. Love & Hate in Jamestown, "John Smith, Pocahontas, & the Start of the New Nation," by David A. Price
6. Founding Mothers, "The Women Who Raised Our Nation," by Cookie Roberts

7. Voyagers to the West, "A Passage in the Peopling of America on the Eve of the Revolution," by Bernard Bailyn
8. Mayflower, "A Story of Courage, Community, and War," by Nathaniel Philbrick

Battle of Lexington & Concord

On Monday morning I left the house on my trusty scooter at 5 am, to see the reenactment of the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was very foggy and spooky. This year it was less crowded than last year, and I got there earlier. Perhaps the weather kept more people away. I missed the little Zack man this year. (He was with me last year).

By the way, the real battle was fought at 4 am! The Americans were very outnumbered and lost several men. It was certainly not the most triumphant battle of the American Revolution, but it was the first. And it happened here, in Massachusetts! Here are the British marching on to the green.....

Top 100 Female Finishers

When I see this list, it inspires me to run. Look at the accomplishments here! Finishing 8th is a 45 year old Colleen De Reuck from Colorado. Some local gals include Simonetta Piergentili, of Wilmington, Diona Fulton, of Somerville, and Amy Gosztyla, of Cambridge. The oldest woman in the top 100 is a 54 year old Christine Kennedy from California! In fact, out of the 100 top women, 53 were age 30 or over. Perhaps I don't have to 'throw in the towel' yet! Congratulations to all the women listed here!

Women's Top Finishers 2009 Boston Marathon

Place	Name	Age	Home	Official time
1	Salina Kosgei	32	El Marakwet, Kenya	2:32:16
2	Dire Tune	23	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	2:32:17
3	Kara Goucher	30	Portland, Ore.	2:32:25
4	Bezunesh Bekele	26	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	2:33:08
5	Helena Kirop	32	Kapenguria, Kenya	2:33:24
6	Lidiya Grigoryeva	35	Cheboksary, Russia	2:34:20
7	Atsede Habtamu	21	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	2:35:34
8	Colleen De Reuck	45	Boulder, Colo.	2:35:37
9	Alice Timbilili	26	Moiben, Kenya	2:36:25
10	Alina Ivanova	40	Tampa, Fla.	2:36:50
11	Sheri Piers	37	Falmouth, Maine	2:37:04
12	Elva Dryer	37	Gunnison, Colo.	2:38:50
13	Mary Akor	32	Lomita, Calif.	2:41:09
14	Heidi Westerling	28	Acworth, N.H.	2:43:11
15	Anzhelika Averkova	40	Miami, Fla.	2:44:19
16	Veena C. Reddy	30	Arlington, Va.	2:45:46
17	Jennifer Feenstra	28	Duluth, Ga.	2:46:16
18	Adanech Zekiros	27	Tigray, Ethiopia	2:46:51
19	Nathalie Vasseur	43	Gouesnou, France	2:47:04
20	Tomoe Yokoyama	32	Tokyo, Japan	2:47:57
21	Denise C. Robson	40	Dartmouth, Nova Scotia	2:48:15
22	Allison J. Kerr	32	Vacaville, Calif.	2:49:34
23	Hiroko Sho	38	Chiba, Japan	2:49:37
24	Meghan Arbogast	48	Corvallis, Ore.	2:49:46
25	Tamara Karrh	39	Marietta, Ga.	2:49:50
26	Jutta M. Merilainen	37	Batawa, Ontario	2:49:51
27	Sheila A. Casey	39	Park Ridge, N.J.	2:50:02
28	Christa Benton	25	St. Petersburg, Fla.	2:50:05
29	Andrea Pomaranski	26	Farmington Hills, Mich.	2:50:55
30	Shelby Joslyn	24	Rochester, Mich.	2:51:29
31	Diona J. Fulton	29	Somerville, Mass.	2:52:05
32	Kim L. Pawelek	35	Jacksonville, Fla.	2:52:18
33	Amy E. Gosztyla	29	Cambridge, Mass.	2:52:23
34	Sarah J. Graves	31	Ballantine, Mont.	2:52:42
35	Heather C. Parks	34	Bruceton Mills, W.V.	2:52:45
36	Devon M. Crosby-Helms	26	Seattle, Wash.	2:53:20
37	Allison S. Krausen	29	Edwards, Colo.	2:53:28
38	Lori A. Kingsley	43	Wysox, Pa.	2:54:03
39	Sarah R. Flament	33	Poland, Ohio	2:54:09
40	Simonetta Piergentili	44	Wilmington, Mass.	2:54:48
41	Caroline White	23	College Park, Md.	2:55:14
42	Martha I. Nelson	27	Washington, D.C.	2:55:22
43	Tammie Robie	34	Milford, N.H.	2:55:39
44	Christine Kennedy	54	Los Gatos, Calif.	2:56:32
45	Sumner A. Fletcher	23	Uxbridge, Mass.	2:56:44
46	Christina M. Vullo	25	Omaha, Neb.	2:56:45
47	Suet-Fei Li	33	San Jose, Calif.	2:57:05
48	Tara M. Vance	26	Jamaica Plain, Mass.	2:57:12
49	Patricia R. Vargas	37	Ennis, Texas	2:57:28
50	Michelle D. Harburg	26	Washington, D.C.	2:57:31
51	Judit Pettko-Szandtner	39	Budakeszi, Hungary	2:57:58
52	Kate Gorry	25	Houston, Texas	2:57:59
53	Mary D. Bertram	21	Salisbury, N.C.	2:58:19
54	Christy M. Carrara	33	Hudson, Mass.	2:58:19
55	Lara C. Johnson	28	Boston, Mass.	2:58:33
56	Maria Clara A. Castro	34	Belo Horizonte, Brazil	2:58:36
57	Laura Onderko	22	Philadelphia, Pa.	2:58:46
58	Kathryn E. Bowser	22	Philadelphia, Pa.	2:58:46
59	Jaclyn Truncellito	26	Baltimore, Md.	2:58:49
60	Kelly B. Calway	25	Mililani, Hawaii	2:59:05
61	Lisa M. Goldsmith	44	Nederland, Colo.	2:59:08
62	Marybeth A. Reader	40	Bloomfield, Mich.	2:59:08
63	Bridget A. McCarthy	29	Brooklyn, N.Y.	2:59:16
64	Katie Snowden	23	Toronto, Ontario	2:59:19
65	Mary Gill	30	Carrboro, N.C.	2:59:30
66	Lia O. Slemons	29	Seattle, Wash.	2:59:36
67	Tara M. Cardi	40	Warwick, R.I.	2:59:40
68	Michelle Kelley	39	Moab, Utah	2:59:54
69	Beth M. St. John	32	Brooklyn, N.Y.	3:00:25
70	Stephanie D. Summers	33	Whitby, Ontario	3:00:27
71	Yiou Wang	24	Cambridge, Mass.	3:00:38
72	Samantha Johnson	28	Cambridge, Mass.	3:00:49
73	Suzi Harvey	46	Sparks, Nevada	3:00:53
74	Beth Y. Coughlin	30	Newton, Mass.	3:00:54
75	Jenny Hitchings	45	Sacramento, Calif.	3:00:57
76	Heather M. Backer	34	Crestview Hills, Kent.	3:01:07
77	Tina D. Senft	25	Groton, Conn.	3:01:27
78	Dori A. Downey	38	Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.	3:01:58
79	Elizabeth L. Abbey	28	Blacksburg, Va.	3:02:02
80	Kathryn Jarocki	23	Bridgewater, Mass.	3:02:03
81	Jen Gwin	25	Vienna, W.V.	3:02:05
82	Molly Watcke	38	New Bremen, Ohio	3:02:13
83	Emily S. Bryans	41	Schenectady, N.Y.	3:02:18
84	Aviva M. Goldstein	23	Brookline, Mass.	3:02:20
85	Laura A. Gaughan	34	Smithtown, N.Y.	3:02:23
86	Corinne E. Roberts	24	San Francisco, Calif.	3:02:32
87	Katie A. Churchill	32	North Easton, Mass.	3:02:50
88	Arien N. O'Connell	25	Brooklyn, N.Y.	3:02:52
89	Beth Schreader	28	Georgetown, Cayman Islands	3:03:12
90	Claire Gadrow	39	South Kingstown, R.I.	3:03:16
91	Beth A. August	35	Dublin, Ohio	3:03:21
92	Camille Moseley	24	Spangle, Wash.	3:03:25
93	Mary S. Palmore	28	Merizo, Guam	3:03:35
94	Lynde C. Johnson	31	Denver, Colo.	3:03:39
95	Erin E. Kister	28	Centerville, Ohio	3:04:00
96	Justyna Wilson	33	Philadelphia, Pa.	3:04:15
97	Megan A. Peterson	26	Fairfield, Conn.	3:04:22
98	Erin M. Heslin	28	Newtonville, Mass.	3:04:25
99	Karen Lockyer	31	Lafayette, La.	3:04:43
100	Faith R. Korbel	30	Arlington, Va.	3:04:51

Elite Women

I caught the lead women's pack running by on Monday at Coolidge Corner, at the Boston Marathon. (They let the women run first this year..... ) Note Kara Goucher (tall, in red) in the pack, the only American, who ended up coming in third. Though I certainly applaud the Kenyans and Ethiopians for their superb domination of the marathoning world, it would be a happy thing to see an American woman win. No American woman has won since Lisa Larsen Weindenbach in 1985! Joan Benoit, the only woman from Massachusetts, won the marathon in 1983. Kara Goucher, of Portland, Ore., with a strong showing, has a very excellent chance in the future.

Goodbye Texas?

Governor Rick Perry of Texas has recently made some (I consider) outrageous statements about state rights, the 'oppressive' federal government, and, dare I say the word: succession. Is this man actually serious about the idea of Texas succeeding from the Union? I understand there are similar grassroots movements in Alaska.

Funny, how a few months after we elect our first black president, we see extremist, right wing politics coming to the forefront. Underlying Perry's rhetoric, do you hear: "We ain't gonna let this ____________ in Washington tell us what to do."

Being a Civil War history buff, and reenactor, I guess I personally find the word succession shocking. Abraham Lincoln is my American hero because, besides freeing the slaves, he preserved the Union. But I'm willing to debate other possibilities. Have times changed? Would the country be better off split up? Is New England so radically different from Texas that we should be separate countries?

I personally don't think so, and I think Texans' arguments for succession are whiny and nebulous. Just what federal government 'oppression' are they talking about? The millions of dollars in federal aid to Texas supplied every year by federal taxes? I think the translation for 'federal oppression' is short for 'damn, the democratic liberals are back in power after 8 years.'

Should the liberals have spoken out seriously about succession during Bush's reign of terror, we would have been labeled UnAmerican socialist traitors. Yet Gov. Perry's 'don't tread on me' comments are bravely American. I say 'bullshit', but let Gov. Rick Perry speak for himself.

Uma Thurman

I love Uma Thurman and Daryl Hannah, kicking butt in Kill Bill, Vol. 2. I personally wish they would just kiss and make up..... But.....

If they insist on fighting this way, somebody's gonna get their eye popped out!

Boston Billy

Today Bill Rodgers ran his first Boston Marathon since 1999. He has run 17 Boston Marathons, and many others. He's 61 years old now, and wanted to run for his 60th birthday, but was thwarted by prostate cancer treatment. He's doing well now.

During the years of 1979- 1981, Bill Rodgers was my hero. It was during these years that I was also a runner myself in high school. I was on the cross-country, indoor, and outdoor Somerville High School Girls Track and Field teams.

Bill Rodgers was a local guy and the winner of four Boston Marathons (and 4 NYC wins) during the years I was running. It was also during these years that I went to see my first Boston Marathon, with the encouragement of our coach. The dream of running the Marathon has always been implanted in my mind since.

I went to view the marathon today, but I didn't see Bill Rodgers. Later I heard on the news that he finished and did well. (just over 4 hours) My hero was somewhat deflated when I asked a marathon official: "Do you know when Bill Rodgers will be coming through?" His curt response was: "Oh, we don't track him like that."

In 1980, I played hooky from school on a rainy Monday and made my way to the Harvard Coop bookstore in Harvard Sq. Bill Rodgers was there signing his new book, "Marathoning." I was so excited that I stood in a long line and bought the book and had him sign it. (the book cost 8.90, which I remember thinking was a hefty price...) He wrote, "Carolyn. Good Luck." Gotta still run that marathon.......

Selma, Alabama--- 1920's & 30's

I have a friend who grew up in Selma, Alabama. She recently posted some old pictures of her family on Facebook. I loved the pics and asked for her permission to post them here. I especially love the pic of her Aunt Johnnie-Neil, the woman who "taught her how to fish and shoot a rifle." These photos reminded me a lot of the post I did earlier of my grandmother and her siblings in the 1930's (only the city version of the same era). Great stuff...... Thanks Jackie!

Aunt Johnnie-Neil

Grandpa & Vamp Woman 1920's
Sisters--My friend's Aunt Johnnie-Neil
& mom Jimmie-Mae

Foxy Brown

"That's my sister, baby, and she's a whole lotta woman!" --Link Brown.

I watched 'Foxy Brown' on Netflix last night, a cult classic from 1974. It stars Pam Grier as the sexy 'Foxy Brown.' It's very campy. Quentin Tarantino masterfully re-created this genre in 'Pulp Fiction' and 'Jackie Brown' years later. (His movies are far better, of course) 'Foxy Brown' is a low budget B movie, but it stands out because of its portrayal of race relations at the time. The movie was made during the "Black Power," "Black is Beautiful" era. Everyone has a big Afro, platform shoes, orange pants, and calls themselves 'cat' and 'brother.'

As for Foxy Brown, I was a little disappointed that she didn't kick more ass. But she does get out of every scrape, wield a gun, and state her case clearly. In other words, it's gratifying to see a strong black woman in film. (At one point, she even gets into a brawl at a dyke bar! The scene is absolutely hilarious!) The film also stands out because there are plenty of dumb white people getting humiliated, which seems a rarity in film, especially in 1974. Foxy says to a white judge: "You pink-ass corrupt honky judge, take your little wet noodle outta here and if you see a man anywhere send him in because I do need a MAN!" Shocking!

"FoxyBrown" is definitely a revenge film. In fact, some of the scenes are disturbingly brutal, and seem out of character for Foxy and others. Some of the language in the film is also by today's standards grossly offensive. Foxy is called a "jigaboo" at one point. But, all in all, this cult classic is worth watching for a 'slice of time,' and (I sheepishly admit) a few laughs.

** Upon further research I discovered that "Foxy Brown," and the earlier "Coffy" (1973)-- also starring Pam Grier, are classic films of the "Blaxploitation" genre. These films, made during the early to mid 1970's, are usually set in urban areas like Los Angeles. The main characters are African Americans, with white people having minor roles. Generally there is an 'anti-drug' message in the film. Pimps and hit man and drug dealers are subdued not by police, but by vigilante black gangs. There's plenty of sex, profanity, and violence. The scores of the films are the soul and funk music of the time.

Many considered "Blaxploitation' films empowering, as they portrayed black actors and African American concerns and culture. The characters in the films (including the women) are strong and take action. But some African American organizations, like the N.A.A.C.P., protested "Blaxploitation' films because of the blatant (and often negative) stereotypes of blacks. A famous film of this genre, for example, is 'Shaft,' 1971.

New Kitty

My Kitty
Saturday I bought a new kitty teapot/ creamer to add to my collection. Today I did some searching online to see if I can identify the maker/ time period.

The teapot appears old, and well used but not too damaged. It is very much similar to Erphila Cat teapot/ creamers made in Germany and the U.S. circa the 1920's to 30's.

But I'm not sure. My cat has some slight differences, and also has no markings on the bottom except #9520. If my cat creamer is a Erphila, then it's worth about 99.00 to 175.00! But I don't think that it is a Erphila. It's a copycat! ((I'll have to purchase some antique price books soon, if I'm going to keep up this hobby.))
Erphila Kitty

Orinoco Flow

Love this song. My friend Jonathan talked about his memories of the time this song was popular. I remember being in a glass art shop in Rockport, with big picture windows facing the ocean. It was a brilliantly sunny day. A gay man owned the shop. This song was playing, and I asked about it. I purchased it that day. I think the video is particularly good too.

Once Again, The Caveman Speaks

Neanderthals and human evolution are becoming frequent topics on my blog, particularly because I've been keeping up with a couple of science websites, watching for news in paleontology. This latest article is very interesting to me, though probably an absurd waste of time to others.

A professor at Florida Atlantic University used fossils to recreate the vocal tract of Neanderthals. Given these parameters, he recreated what Neanderthal speech may have sounded like. Below is an audio clip of the vowel 'e.' (BTW, they sound like leprechauns! Happy St. Patrick's Day!) Because of differences in the anatomy of the vocal tract, Neanderthals did not have the full range of modern human speech. Neanderthals were limited to fewer speech sounds, so they likely did not have the linguistic capacity Cro-Magnons did.

Still, they likely spoke.

http://www.fau.edu/explore/media/FAU-neanderthal.wav

Human Evolution 101

<--- Peking Woman

I continue to be fascinated by human evolution. It is especially exciting during the last decade, because scientists are using genetics and more updated dating methods to revise earlier conclusions about human history. Recently, scientists have revised the dates for the existence of Peking Man in China. Peking Man and Java Man are fossils of the Homo Erectus species. Homo Erectus, like modern humans, derived from Homo Habilis in Africa, about 2.5 million years ago. 'Homo Habilis' means 'Handy Man,' referring to the species' use of tools.

The Homo Erectus species then migrated out of Africa in waves, into Asia and Europe. Homo Erectus migrated out of Africa before modern humans. The Neanderthals, for example, evolved in Europe from Homo Erectus. Peking Man was thought to exist in China 500,000 years ago, but now scientists find it may be 780,000 years ago. This fact would mean that Homo Erectus was capable of surviving in very frigid temperatures, and that there were likely several waves of migration along different glacial corridors.

Meanwhile, back in Africa the Homo Erectus species evolved into Homo Heidelbergenis, (not confirmed) which later became modern humans. At that point, modern humans migrated out of Africa, and eventually overtook all the ancient Homo Erectus species in Europe and Asia. We are all derived from this relatively small group of modern humans migrating out of Africa. The question still remains, however, if variations found on earth now are a result of intermingling with different Homo Erectus species.

Homo Habilis (Africa)

Homo Erectus (Africa) ---->Out of Africa

Homo Erectus (Asia) ---> Peking Man & Java Man & Homo Erectus (Europe) ------> Neanderthal

Homo Erectus (Africa) ------> Homo Heidelbergenis -----> Cro Magnon (modern humans) ----> Out of Africa
Homo Erectus & Modern Humans compared

A Woman's Tools

I have a vintage Mirro Cooky & Pastry Press, circa the 1950's, 1960's I would guess. It belonged to my friend Steph's mom, and she kept it in pristine condition. Clearly many a fine pastry and cookie was made with this little kitchenware. Inside the recipe book she checked off several types of cookies she wanted to bake--- Danish Royalties, Brown Sugar Bar Cookie, Sour Cream Cookies.

I began thinking wistfully about all the family events, holidays, funerals, and weddings these cookies may have appeared. It's not my family history, but it could be. My grandmothers, aunts, and mom all had their own cookie presses during the 60's. When I look at this object, (which is just a cold, austere aluminum) I think: How many times did her hands touch this press over the years, creating things to nurture a family and make people happy?

My cat was intrigued by the box.....

White Mountains, New Hampshire

I had a great two days in the Bretton Woods area of New Hampshire this weekend. Eighteen of us rented a condo. On Saturday I went x-country skiing at the Nordic Center. We mostly traveled on green (easier) trails, and then traveled some on blue (moderate) trails. Considering we probably skied 4 plus miles, I did okay, though I fell a lot. Here's a clip of me mastering a small hill, very slowly and without falling on my butt.

On day two I went snowshoeing on Willard Mountain. The elevation was 2,800, but the climb was about a thousand feet. We experienced a very beautiful trail, through pine trees, along ridges, and across streams. As we climbed, the sun came out, and the air was very warm. At one point we got very wet because it was 'raining' icicles off the trees. At the top of the mountain, we ate lunch, and shared our bread with some Canadian Jays. They were very gorgeous birds, and landed on our hands to feed. The view was of the mountains surrounding Crawford Notch.

Snakes

I'm frightened of big snakes, and if I ever saw an anaconda or python in the wild I would no doubt freak. I guess for most humans that would be a normal reaction.

At a safe distance, though, snakes are fascinating creatures. We especially like seeing stories and photos about gargantuan snakes. The bigger the more gripping (as long as it's not gripping us). Recently, two interesting reports have surfaced in the news about our serpentine friends. One, a supposed 100 ft. snake was photographed from a helicopter in the Baleh River in Borneo. This photo, if true, matches local legends of giant serpent sightings over the centuries.

However, the general consensus is that the photo is a fake, created by Photoshop or some similar program. What convinced me is the proportion of the snake's size to the rest of the scene. Assuming all of those little green blobs are jungle trees, the snake in proportion would be much larger than 100 ft.

There are a few other problems too, backed up by scientific facts. One, there would have to be other very colossal snakes in the area to sustain a breeding population. Maybe not all 100 ft ones, but certainly larger than any snake now existing.

Another reason why a 100 ft. snake is unlikely to exist, is that snakes are cold-blooded. A snake of this size, in order to sustain enough energy, would require very high tropical temperatures. We know this from the fossilized remains of a real giant snake, the Titanoboa, that lived 60 million years ago in Northern Columbia. This snake was 43 ft. long and lived in a tropical forest habitat with temperatures ranging consistently around 86-93 degrees.
The Titanoboa

The Titanoboa, related to the boa snakes that live today, is the largest prehistoric snake ever known. How big are the largest snakes now living? Well, they're little minis compared to the Titanoboa, though you still wouldn't want one slithering around in your back yard. The Asian Reticulated Python holds the record has the longest snake at 33 ft. Anacondas, also gigantic snakes averaging 20 ft., are not as long as pythons but have more girth and are very powerful. To give you an idea, here is the vertebrae of the Titanoboa compared with an Anaconda living today! Besides this photo is a real Anaconda. Either one is colossal enough for me!

Massachusetts 1938

I typed "Massachusetts, 1938," the year my mom was born, into Google images. Here are some random photos I uploaded.

Woburn, MA 'Building 128'

Beverly, MA
Boston, MA
Cambridge, MA