· Reverence · On Saturday we celebrated our catalpa trees and all catalpa trees. We celebrated sacredness of nature and our environment. We invited members of the Kansas Authors Club, District 6, to our Shangri-La where we are empowered and connected to creativity. In literature, Shagri-La is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British Author James Hilton. In his fictional land it is a place of peace and perpetual youth. For our celebration, we created a … [Read more...] about Catalpa Hometree
Behind the Books Blog
Dad’s Bataan War Story
· Lt. Robert Lee Morris · Jim Ganyon, U. S. veteran, is the son of a World War II Bataan Death March survivor. Recently I had the honor of attending Ganyon’s public presentation about his dad’s cruel encounter with death. Here’s the advance publicity by Jim Ganyon: “Jim Ganyon will give a presentation about his father, Robert Lee Morris. In 1942 Morris was serving on the Bataan Peninsula with the U. S. Army in the Philippines islands. Following three-and-a half months of intense … [Read more...] about Dad’s Bataan War Story
One is the Loneliest Number
· Heroes of Hutch · I’m a writer and I’m used to spending a lot of my time alone, writing. I can’t imagine a group of writers collaborating, but I know it’s done and done well. I love to get an idea and follow where it leads. Often it will involve reading and research; both of which I do mostly by myself. The other night I attended a poetry reading event titled, “Here is my poem: A unique evening of poetry, music, & art.” It was both entertaining and inspiring. Wow! Ten poets … [Read more...] about One is the Loneliest Number
Wichita Street Fair & Carnival
· 1899 Pin-Back Buttons · A couple of weeks ago, I received two electronic images of exaggeration postcards and one of a collector pin-back button. They were sent by an old-time collector but new friend, Morgan Williams. He co-authored an excellent book on exaggeration postcards in 1990 titled, Larger than Life: The American Tall-Tale Postcard, 1905-1915. Williams is fascinated with exaggeration images even before they first appeared on postcards in 1906. The image that created the … [Read more...] about Wichita Street Fair & Carnival
Journey to Journalist
· Veronica Coons · Veronica Coons, journalist at the Great Bend Tribune is a talented writer who has recently joined the Kansas Authors Club. That’s how I met her. I figured anyone who has such a high visibility job isn’t too likely to be hiding from social media. Sure enough, I learned a lot about her before ever meeting her in person. If you weren’t born in Kansas you’re a transplant. Like me, Coons grew up in an urban area but found joy in rural America. In one of her posts she … [Read more...] about Journey to Journalist
Our Fighting Fathers
· World War II Patriots · It’s not Veterans Day and it’s not Father’s Day, but let me introduce you to some Fighting Fathers, American Patriots. I’ve written about my father, Harold L. Potter, before and I’ll write about him again. Despite a successful career, and a happy marriage and family, he couldn’t help but remember growing up during the Great Depression and his years serving in the US Army during World War II in the European Theater. Harold L Potter WWII service record They were … [Read more...] about Our Fighting Fathers
The Story You Tell Makes a Difference
· Rural America · Recently I attended a community meeting organized by Heal Reno County http://www.healrenocounty.org where a rural sociologist, Ben Winchester, University of Minnesota Extension, painted a positive picture of rural America instead of one resonating doom and gloom. It was clearly an example of perception. Is the glass half empty or half full? Instead of doom and gloom, Winchester recommended that residents who regularly tell a sad story of loss about their town, change the … [Read more...] about The Story You Tell Makes a Difference
Book Club
· Reading Rendezvous · It was good for me to get back to the monthly Reading Rendezvous Book Club at Metropolitan Coffee in Hutchinson, Kansas. If you’ve never been a part of a group discussing books, you may not realize that success starts with amazing leaders. Miriam Bebe Kitson and Rebecca Shetler co-share that responsibility at Metropolitan http://www.metrocoffeehutch.com. They are excellent on many levels, including being prepared, welcoming, curious, flexible, interesting, and … [Read more...] about Book Club
Lyrical Literature
· Diane Wahto · Diane Wahto’s combination of lyrical and descriptive power in her poetry makes music in my mind. The Sad Joy of Leaving is an emotional, imaginative, and beautiful book. Wahto had a stroke last December but she’s recovering well. Now, she’s back and busy producing material for her second book of poems that a publisher has requested. I won’t mention Diane’s age, but anytime a writer tells the reader that she used to own a ’47 Chevy, you can do the math. This is a memory … [Read more...] about Lyrical Literature
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
· The St. Louis Browns and Eddie Gaedel · Herb Potter, my uncle who died last year, used to tell me about a major league baseball (MLB) game he attended in St. Louis when he was almost 14 years old. It was a double-header home game for the St. Louis Browns vs the Detroit Tigers. I searched for the date. It was August 19, 1951. Herb was in baseball heaven from the moment he entered Sportsman Park with my dad, his oldest brother. “They had a band playing inside,” recalled Herb, “and we … [Read more...] about Take Me Out to the Ball Game
