Hello and welcome to another delightful Saturday here at the Wannaskan Almanac. Today is May 4th as in "May the Fourth Be With You!" A quick Twitter check reveals that Mark Hamill is not doing an encore of last year's month-long challenge.
Highlights from "On this Day" include Hemingway winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea. I have heard this is one of his best books - if not the best book he ever wrote. This will be my book recommendation of the week.
I also finished Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni. Excellent book that puts the college search in a healthy perspective. (I.e. Kids, be who you are. Parents, let your kids be who they are.) Hubby and I read the final chapters aloud and discussed content on the way to Detroit. So that's my non-fiction book rec this week.
Did you know Audrey Hepburn was Belgian and English? Born in 1929, today would have been her 90th birthday. Here's an IMDb list of 10 Best Audrey Hepburn movies, with Breakfast at Tiffany's kicking it off at #1.
We remember Edith Nesbit, English author and poet of children's books, who died on this day in 1924. A quick perusal of various bios describe her childhood as nomadic, her second husband a philanderer, and that she considered herself a child in an adult's body when she was all grown up. Apparently her most well-known book was The Railway Children. The book that caught my eye though, was Five Children and It which also has several cinematic versions.
This week, I made my way around the internet, telling writers 5 Things You Get From a Writer's Retreat and making a special pitch for my annual Lake of the Woods Artists' Retreat on Pioneer 90.1 FM radio with Ron West. This station is in Thief River Falls, so just outside of Wannaskan country. One of his first questions was about how the winter was "way up here." I was happy to indulge in a chat about the weather (what self-respecting Minnesotan wouldn't?), but I couldn't help wonder, as I compared and contrasted the prior winter to this year's, 1) How is our Wannaskan weather that much different from TRF and 2) Why are we talking about winter when we are firmly ensconced in spring?
The next day it snowed.
(My aunt confesses to having put her snow shovel away.)
You can hear more of the interview here: http://www.northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/podcast-tuesdays-with-mara-2019/
April (snow) showers did not bring May flowers in Wannaska. We had to drive all the way to Detroit to see some genu-wine tulips and daffodils in bloom. They were in a sunny spot, sheltered from the wind, in a corner of landscaped lawn in front of the old Wayne County Government building. We saw some pansies, too, but they'd clearly been freshly planted.
If you ever get a chance to visit Detroit, check out the ornate statues on this building.
Another architectural must-see is Old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greektown, Detroit. This is the seriously ornate, European-feel kind of stuff. Here's a quick YouTube spin through the church, but disclaimer here, it totally doesn't do justice to the scale and grandeur that one experiences in person.
Otherwise, Michigan was pretty much as brown as Wannaska and, in some places, even had more snow stubbornly clinging to the ground than we do up here.
Another interesting Michigan observation. Just before driving north onto the Mackinac bridge, to the right of the bridge was a billboard that read, Same State, Different State of Mind. We'd heard about UP'pers (pronounced: You-per) feeling and behaving distinctly different from the rest of the state. The WAKWIR wondered aloud what would happen if the U.P. seceded.
Where would it go? How would it interact with the rest of the U.S.? Would it cease to be a state? Become it's own country? Would Canada take it?
I'm happy to report, according to native Michiganers, (or is it Michigians?) that I pronounced Marquette correctly. (pronounced: Mar-KET). Like a positive feedback sandwich, after Ruby from Port Huron of Team 5926 Da MOOse ("Channel the Flannel!") congratulated me on my linguistic efforts, she pointed out that I had, however, missed the mark on Houghton.
I was pronouncing it "Hah-ton" with careful shaping of my mouth for that distinctive "ough" like in "cough" but without the /f/ and a healthy aspiration of that /t/ in "ton." (I landed somewhere in the region of a watery version of Chairman Joe's Boston accent.) The correct pronunciation is "Ho'un", as in long O, omit the T and ignore the "ugh" all together. Ruby praised me for my efforts and I encouraged her to read Tea For Ruby. (How many times in one's life do you get to meet a girl named Ruby?)
By the time we were on our return trek to Minnesota back through Marquette, and I asked a local how far it was to "Ho'un," I sounded like a born-and-raised MI'er myself.
I usually don't believe in the veracity of stereotypes, but, I was delighted to see how many Michiganeers made the hand map whenever I asked where they were from. I wonder if they speak in special Michiganer hand code.
In a few weeks, the Oldest and I will be heading back through Michigan to do some college visits. Using the hand map, I might say, "We'll stop at the left wrist (Ironwood), before heading up to the thumb (Ho'un). From there, we'll make our way along the left index finger before cutting across the fingertips and jumping off the pinky onto the middle finger (Mackinac). I have relatives at the first bend of the right hand index finger (Alpena), but I think we'll just book it on down to the palm (Lansing) before we head east out the thumb - maybe we'll see Ruby! (Port Huron) and cut across Ontario, where I betcha they say "Hough-ton" with a very distinctive "ough" and aspirated /t/.
1994 - Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord to ensure Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and Jericho
Together with Shimon Peres, the two leaders received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. A year later, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist.
1959 - The Grammy is presented for the first time
It is one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Winners of the first edition included Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini, and Frank Sinatra.
1953 - Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize
The American author was awarded the prestigious accolade for his novel The Old Man and the Sea. The story about a fisherman and his battle with a large marlin also earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1904 - The United States takes over the construction of the Panama Canal
French engineers had begun digging a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in 1881, but they had to abandon the project after about 22,000 lives had been lost to accidents and disease.
1675 - King Charles II of England commissions the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
The observatory was built on the prime meridian. The mean solar time at this location is the basis for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
1989 - Rory McIlroy, Irish golfer
1929 - Audrey Hepburn, Belgian/English actress, singer
1928 - Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian air marshal, politician, 4th President of Egypt
1916 - Jane Jacobs, American/Canadian journalist, author, activist
1825 - Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist
Highlights from "On this Day" include Hemingway winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1953 for The Old Man and the Sea. I have heard this is one of his best books - if not the best book he ever wrote. This will be my book recommendation of the week.
I also finished Where You Go Is Not Who You'll Be: An Antidote to the College Admissions Mania by Frank Bruni. Excellent book that puts the college search in a healthy perspective. (I.e. Kids, be who you are. Parents, let your kids be who they are.) Hubby and I read the final chapters aloud and discussed content on the way to Detroit. So that's my non-fiction book rec this week.
Did you know Audrey Hepburn was Belgian and English? Born in 1929, today would have been her 90th birthday. Here's an IMDb list of 10 Best Audrey Hepburn movies, with Breakfast at Tiffany's kicking it off at #1.
This week, I made my way around the internet, telling writers 5 Things You Get From a Writer's Retreat and making a special pitch for my annual Lake of the Woods Artists' Retreat on Pioneer 90.1 FM radio with Ron West. This station is in Thief River Falls, so just outside of Wannaskan country. One of his first questions was about how the winter was "way up here." I was happy to indulge in a chat about the weather (what self-respecting Minnesotan wouldn't?), but I couldn't help wonder, as I compared and contrasted the prior winter to this year's, 1) How is our Wannaskan weather that much different from TRF and 2) Why are we talking about winter when we are firmly ensconced in spring?
The next day it snowed.
(My aunt confesses to having put her snow shovel away.)
You can hear more of the interview here: http://www.northwestminnesotaartscouncil.org/podcast-tuesdays-with-mara-2019/
April (snow) showers did not bring May flowers in Wannaska. We had to drive all the way to Detroit to see some genu-wine tulips and daffodils in bloom. They were in a sunny spot, sheltered from the wind, in a corner of landscaped lawn in front of the old Wayne County Government building. We saw some pansies, too, but they'd clearly been freshly planted.
If you ever get a chance to visit Detroit, check out the ornate statues on this building.
 |
| This photo doesn't do them justice. The statues at the top are HUGE. |
Another architectural must-see is Old St. Mary's Catholic Church in Greektown, Detroit. This is the seriously ornate, European-feel kind of stuff. Here's a quick YouTube spin through the church, but disclaimer here, it totally doesn't do justice to the scale and grandeur that one experiences in person.
Otherwise, Michigan was pretty much as brown as Wannaska and, in some places, even had more snow stubbornly clinging to the ground than we do up here.
Another interesting Michigan observation. Just before driving north onto the Mackinac bridge, to the right of the bridge was a billboard that read, Same State, Different State of Mind. We'd heard about UP'pers (pronounced: You-per) feeling and behaving distinctly different from the rest of the state. The WAKWIR wondered aloud what would happen if the U.P. seceded.
Where would it go? How would it interact with the rest of the U.S.? Would it cease to be a state? Become it's own country? Would Canada take it?
I'm happy to report, according to native Michiganers, (or is it Michigians?) that I pronounced Marquette correctly. (pronounced: Mar-KET). Like a positive feedback sandwich, after Ruby from Port Huron of Team 5926 Da MOOse ("Channel the Flannel!") congratulated me on my linguistic efforts, she pointed out that I had, however, missed the mark on Houghton.
I was pronouncing it "Hah-ton" with careful shaping of my mouth for that distinctive "ough" like in "cough" but without the /f/ and a healthy aspiration of that /t/ in "ton." (I landed somewhere in the region of a watery version of Chairman Joe's Boston accent.) The correct pronunciation is "Ho'un", as in long O, omit the T and ignore the "ugh" all together. Ruby praised me for my efforts and I encouraged her to read Tea For Ruby. (How many times in one's life do you get to meet a girl named Ruby?)
By the time we were on our return trek to Minnesota back through Marquette, and I asked a local how far it was to "Ho'un," I sounded like a born-and-raised MI'er myself.
I usually don't believe in the veracity of stereotypes, but, I was delighted to see how many Michiganeers made the hand map whenever I asked where they were from. I wonder if they speak in special Michiganer hand code.
In a few weeks, the Oldest and I will be heading back through Michigan to do some college visits. Using the hand map, I might say, "We'll stop at the left wrist (Ironwood), before heading up to the thumb (Ho'un). From there, we'll make our way along the left index finger before cutting across the fingertips and jumping off the pinky onto the middle finger (Mackinac). I have relatives at the first bend of the right hand index finger (Alpena), but I think we'll just book it on down to the palm (Lansing) before we head east out the thumb - maybe we'll see Ruby! (Port Huron) and cut across Ontario, where I betcha they say "Hough-ton" with a very distinctive "ough" and aspirated /t/.
Kids' Corner
Our robot, FRED, did pretty well, placing 19th out of 68 on our playing field, Daly, but wasn't picked for an alliance so did not advance to the semi-finals.
However, two other robotics teams from Wannaskan country, Team 5172 Gator from Greenbush finished in a strong 1st place ranking (again out of 68) on their playing field, Carson. They were Alliance #1 captains on their field and chose the following teams for their alliance: Team 1796 Robo Tigers from Queens Technical High School in Long Island City, NY Team (their robot was SO FAST), Team 1816 The Green Machine from Edina, MN, and our other local Gator favorite, Team 3750 Gator Robotics from Badger! This impressive alliance of mostly MN teams made it all the way to the final-final on the Carson field, unfortunately losing in a nail biting final match where it was neck and neck and the judges reviewed the playback footage just like the NFL referees do on TV.
The Green Machine also won the Worlds Chairman's Award for the entire FIRST Detroit competition. We reported a couple weeks ago that FRED won Chairman's at their regional event in Minnesota. While it's always a bummer when you're name isn't called in the final-final, it was nice to see a Minnesota team take home this much-loved and revered award. The Green Machine is credited with bringing FIRST to Minnesota and appearing regularly at the state capitol to advocate on behalf of robotics and STEM programs in our great state. So, go GATORS and GREEN MACHINE.
On a side note, before we left for Detroit, the First Grader was devastated because our trip meant her missing the 1st grade field trip to the Shrine Circus. She made daily pleas, tears dripping from her eyes sweet brown bovine eyes. "Please, can I go to the circus? Pul-leeze?" Mom felt so bad to have to tell her no and the child could not be assuaged by all the fun sounding things she'd get to do in Detroit.
The whole trip, mom did not bring up the circus subject.
Then, while in Detroit, we gave a fellow robotics dad from New Jersey a ride over to the Cobo Center. Mom was getting something from our hotel room and when the dad chatted with the First Grader, she said, "Yeah, I missed the circus, but I'm fine with it now."
However, two other robotics teams from Wannaskan country, Team 5172 Gator from Greenbush finished in a strong 1st place ranking (again out of 68) on their playing field, Carson. They were Alliance #1 captains on their field and chose the following teams for their alliance: Team 1796 Robo Tigers from Queens Technical High School in Long Island City, NY Team (their robot was SO FAST), Team 1816 The Green Machine from Edina, MN, and our other local Gator favorite, Team 3750 Gator Robotics from Badger! This impressive alliance of mostly MN teams made it all the way to the final-final on the Carson field, unfortunately losing in a nail biting final match where it was neck and neck and the judges reviewed the playback footage just like the NFL referees do on TV.
The Green Machine also won the Worlds Chairman's Award for the entire FIRST Detroit competition. We reported a couple weeks ago that FRED won Chairman's at their regional event in Minnesota. While it's always a bummer when you're name isn't called in the final-final, it was nice to see a Minnesota team take home this much-loved and revered award. The Green Machine is credited with bringing FIRST to Minnesota and appearing regularly at the state capitol to advocate on behalf of robotics and STEM programs in our great state. So, go GATORS and GREEN MACHINE.
On a side note, before we left for Detroit, the First Grader was devastated because our trip meant her missing the 1st grade field trip to the Shrine Circus. She made daily pleas, tears dripping from her eyes sweet brown bovine eyes. "Please, can I go to the circus? Pul-leeze?" Mom felt so bad to have to tell her no and the child could not be assuaged by all the fun sounding things she'd get to do in Detroit.
The whole trip, mom did not bring up the circus subject.
Then, while in Detroit, we gave a fellow robotics dad from New Jersey a ride over to the Cobo Center. Mom was getting something from our hotel room and when the dad chatted with the First Grader, she said, "Yeah, I missed the circus, but I'm fine with it now."
 |
| Good job, Team FRED! |
On This Day
Historic Highlights (credits)
1994 - Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat sign a peace accord to ensure Palestinian self-rule in Gaza and Jericho
Together with Shimon Peres, the two leaders received the 1994 Nobel Peace Prize. A year later, Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist.
1959 - The Grammy is presented for the first time
It is one of the most prestigious awards in the music industry. Winners of the first edition included Ella Fitzgerald, Henry Mancini, and Frank Sinatra.
1953 - Ernest Hemingway wins the Pulitzer Prize
The American author was awarded the prestigious accolade for his novel The Old Man and the Sea. The story about a fisherman and his battle with a large marlin also earned him the Nobel Prize for Literature.
1904 - The United States takes over the construction of the Panama Canal
French engineers had begun digging a waterway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in 1881, but they had to abandon the project after about 22,000 lives had been lost to accidents and disease.
1675 - King Charles II of England commissions the Royal Observatory in Greenwich
The observatory was built on the prime meridian. The mean solar time at this location is the basis for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Happy Birthday to You!🎶
1929 - Audrey Hepburn, Belgian/English actress, singer
1928 - Hosni Mubarak, Egyptian air marshal, politician, 4th President of Egypt
1916 - Jane Jacobs, American/Canadian journalist, author, activist
1825 - Thomas Henry Huxley, English biologist
Remembering You
2014 - Elena Baltacha, Ukrainian/Scottish tennis player
1980 - Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav marshal, politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia
1924 - E. Nesbit, English author
1903 - Gotse Delchev, Bulgarian activist
1799 - Tipu Sultan, Indian army officer, king
Everyone keep your snow shovels out so the snow stays away and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
1980 - Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslav marshal, politician, 1st President of Yugoslavia
1924 - E. Nesbit, English author
1903 - Gotse Delchev, Bulgarian activist
1799 - Tipu Sultan, Indian army officer, king
Everyone keep your snow shovels out so the snow stays away and make it a great Saturday!
Kim
First of all congratulations to FRED as the 19th place finisher out of a field of 68. And, to Teams 5172 from Greenbush and 3750 from Badger. I hope this has been heralded in all our local newspapers accompanied by crystal-clear color images. They deserve just as much coverage and adoration as any sports activity. Great stuff!
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I must say your very interesting and informational blog exhausts me! Whew! My mind was going all over the place, revisiting places I have been, and imagining places that you describe, that I haven't. I see similarities in your writing to that of the two Joes--and the ever extreme tiniest bit to Mr. Hot Coco.
You may note that I'm leaving out the two more serious contributors: CatherineStencil and, of course, myself. We easily approach this style of literary consumption on a daily basis but (as for me) cannot express it all so intelligently in one very readable page of such short length. Limiting Catherine to 3000 words in a Raven story was to limit Merriam-Webster to a Twitterable-length of characters, per definition; thus much angst and gnashing of teeth on her part, although due to her very very great discipline, silently. In contrast, I swear a lot. So your voluminous writing bespeaks of high intelligence, if only because of your ability to string it all together in a humorously informative digestible form. I applaud you.
I was in Detroit 25 years ago. It was for a wedding of one of a former brother-in-law whose bride's grandfather had won the 10-million dollar lottery and so purchased air conditioning for the church, for their wedding, as well as rented the reception area of the Silver Dome. The best men and groom mooned the wedding photographer from the fifty-yard line.
First, Kim, thanks for the tour, and esp. for the hand map. Delightful. We should do something similar with Wannaska at the center of the world."
DeleteAs for WW's comment, I ferreted out a compliment or two from his evaluation, and I'm happy to be in the company of the "more serious contributors. Thanks dude! I consider that a compliment coming from you, the master of vignettes and tales.