The human voice is the organ of the soul~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow On my six-hour drive down to visit my daughter and her family, I listened to a wonderful documentary on Minnesota Public Radio: The Vietnam Tapes: Letters from a Willmar Soldier (http://www.mprnews.org/story/2015/04/30/mpr_news_presents). Dan Kleven and his family from Willmar, Minnesota sent cassette tapes back and forth while he was deployed during the war. He drew vivid word pictures about life in combat and they kept him tuned into daily life on the farm. One of Dan’s best friends also sent him audio letters to stay connected. The documentary was fascinating. Not only did the tapes keep a family sane and connected […]
Read more...Category Archives: Random Thoughts
A Founding Father’s Prediction
The Fourth of July marks the day in 1776 when delegates from the thirteen colonies approved the Declaration of Independence. Interestingly, John Adams, who would become the second president of the United States, had written his wife Abigail a letter the day before telling her what an auspicious day July 2nd had been. Wait a minute. If John Adams was supposed to be such a brilliant statesman, why did he mess up such a key date in American history? Well, the Second Continental Congress actually made its decree for freedom on July 2, 1776, by signing the Lee Resolution. A couple days of bickering over the fine points of the […]
Read more...Bedroom Chair from Michael Jackson’s Final Home for Sale on ebay…
The bedroom chair from the rented mansion where pop star Michael Jackson tragically died on June 25, 2009, is up for sale on EBAY. The chair became famous by crime scene photos shown at the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor, Conrad Murray. The chair was also featured in the premiere episode of CMT’s 2014 reality series, RAIDERS OF ROCK. The Henredon style bergere chair with button-tufted upholstery was located next to Jackson’s bed in the master bedroom of the rented Holmby Hills mansion where he died. Particularly notable are the makeup stains on the chair, where Jackson is said to have sat each day while getting ready. “This chair is […]
Read more...Spring Has Sprung… Hopefully!
Every spring I innocently recite a little ditty upon the first sign of winter’s departure: Spring is sprung, the grass is ris. I wonders where the birdies is. They say the birds is on the wing. Ain’t that absurd? I always thought the wing was on the bird.* I say innocently, because it is always wishful thinking. I live in Minnesota, after all, and the third week in March is still winter in the frozen tundra. Author Henry Van Dyke clearly knew what I was talking about when he said, “The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is […]
Read more...Ch-ch-changes…
After looking at my freshly minted, totally redesigned website you might be thinking: What’s up with this new look? Why did you change everything? Well, I’m going to tell you. A website is a little like a hairstyle; it must evolve over time or risk being out of it, uncool, passe, even dweebish (good luck with that one, spell check). My old site was absolutely gorgeous, thanks to webmaster extraordinaire, Sandy Juettner, but it was a little too…yesterday. It was like having a bi-level haircut when the other girls sported an inverted bob. The biggest reason for the re-do, however, is that I longed to rebrand myself. I wanted my visitors, friends, potential […]
Read more...Wherefore Art Thou, Juliet?
I am a bookie and a foodie, and I love sharing random musings on my social media sites. Nearly every day I post a quote (most are inspirational, but every once in a while I throw in a zinger), a Wacky Word of the Day, and an Itty Bitty Question. The questions are my favorites, because they are open-ended and generate some interesting responses. The other day I posted a question on Facebook (www.facebook.com/amy.hagberg) about William Shakespeare’s tragic love story, Romeo and Juliet: What is Juliet’s last name? It was an easy question since many of my friends and followers are book nuts and almost everybody got the correct answer: Capulet. […]
Read more...The Name on the Door
I thought of my mother often yesterday. It wasn’t a very productive day; it’s hard to get much done when you have a lump in your throat. Exactly one year ago, February 25, 2013, my sister and I looked on helplessly as our mom struggled to take her final breaths. It was if she embraced the words of poet Dylan Thomas: Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Watching somebody die is difficult, I’m not going to lie. People who say it is a beautiful experience weren’t in the same room […]
Read more...A Halloween Miracle
At the risk of sounding like a grinch, I freely admit I am not a big fan of halloween. No, I don’t have a phobia about costumes or children trick-or-treating (especially if they get extra chocolate for me). There is nothing more adorable than seeing little ones on my doorstep holding out a pumpkin asking for candy. My views on halloween have changed since becoming a Christian. I am both disturbed and disappointed that our culture’s focus has shifted from candlelight vigils, prayer services, and other festivities designed to honor those who have passed before use (All Hallow’s Eve/All Soul’s Day) to zombies, witches, and vampires. Okay, I’ll get off […]
Read more...A Letter to My Daughter
On the one hand, we’ll never experience childbirth. On the other hand, we can open all our own jars. ~ Bruce Willis Twenty-five years ago today, a stubborn little person fought her way out of my womb as I lay whimpering in a hospital delivery room. After more than 20 hours of back-breaking, toe-curling labor, my brilliant (I use this term loosely) medical team tore themselves away from the World Series and decided perhaps the monitors suggesting you (who had been in distress for the umpteenth time) might need to come out of me ASAP. Well, DUH! There was no way this beast of a baby was coming out […]
Read more...The Origins of Catch-22
On Tuesday I posted a rather difficult trivia question on my Facebook author page and other social media. The category was literature: QUESTION: Why did Joseph Heller change the title of his famous novel from Catch-18 to Catch-22? ANSWER: Because Leon Uris had recently released a book called Mila 18. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller has become such a foundational book in contemporary American literature that the title is actually in the dictionary! The term refers to an absurd no-win situation. For example, you can’t get a job without experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. That, my friends, is a Catch-22… a kind of a damned if you […]
Read more...