Our times (responsorial)
In response to Kathy S. of St. Paul’s memoir about her career in Guy World, here’s Birdwatcher in La Crescent: “Before women’s equality, back in 1962, I was working for a large insurance company that was located next to the first Target store, in Roseville.
“I held the position of a private secretary and loved my job and hated to quit, but back then if a woman was pregnant, which I was, she had to quit her job at the seventh month of pregnancy, so in August of 1962, just a couple weeks short of receiving my five-year award, I had to quit my job. It has always been a sore spot with me.
“Thank you to the gals that have made, or tried to make, women’s equality.”
Birdwatcher in La Crescent, again: “P.S. I forgot to mention that I also lost out on a pension because of having to quit before my five-year anniversary of employment. Although it would have been quite small, maybe it would have come in handy at some point.”
The little treasures
Mounds View Swede writes: “I have enjoyed seeing some of the old family photos others have shared, along with the memories of those times that made them significant to them. I have given more and more thought to the people in my past who have influenced me while growing up and want to share two photos.
“I think the first one is unusual, in that these two ladies — who were best friends in high school, and so had this picture taken — became my grandmothers. My mom’s mom is on the left; my dad’s mom, on the right. When I look at this photo, I see my facial features on the left, and my hair and skin coloring on the right. My mom’s mom died when I was 21 months old, and all I could remember about her was how I loved to be held by her. My dad’s mom took over for her and provided that love I needed so much at that age, taking care of her best friend and my mom and dad by loving me.
“Others in my past who are important to me are in this photo of my great-aunts, my grandmother, mom, and grandfather, taken when I became confirmed. They were all serious about their faith, but didn’t talk about it. They just lived careful, honest lives, working hard, going to church regularly and serving in different capacities there. That example was imprinted on me more effectively than any lecturing would have done, and I find my approach to life and issues similar to theirs, with variations due to these times. We were all Swedish in heritage, but I didn’t realize all that meant until I started doing genealogy in the summer of 2000 and began to learn about where we came from. My father was taking the photo and couldn’t be in this picture, but was an important element in this, as well.
“My sister and two brothers were blond and could tan. I had auburn hair and freckles and only got sunburned. When I was young, I wondered why I was different from the others. When meeting a cousin in Sweden for the first time who had hair my color and freckled skin and bony joints like mine, I realized these came through my grandmother — on my right in this photo. When meeting this Swedish cousin, we felt like we had known each other a long time, and I love being with her and her family. We feel so comfortable with each other. The shared similarities go beyond physical similarities, and I can only wonder how this takes place and am grateful it has.
“The great-aunts on each end and my grandpa were born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a place that has become important to me for its fantastic fall colors and the fall-color photos I have shared with Bulletin Board. That connection was another thing I discovered while doing my genealogy research.
“I hope others will continue to contribute some of those old photos and the stories that go with them. I have enjoyed seeing and reading them.”
Our flora, ourselves (responsorial)
Toothy Grin #6: “To Mounds View Swede:
“Enjoyed your photos of flowers on July 25. The first (and second) photos are of phlox, a native wildflower.
“Plant sales and stores sell many shades of pink and red-violet.”
Barbara of Afton: “The picture of the blooming lilies has to be first I’ve heard of a lily producing more buds after the first were eaten. I’d like to know more about this.
“I grow lots of lilies, and this is not expected and perhaps never heard of!”
Our theater of seasons
Photography Division (responsorial)
Mattzdad of Rochester passes along some information: “Subject: Only a _____ Would Notice:
“That beautiful moth picture in BB July 18th is of a female Callosamia promethea (often called Promethea Moth).
“Our family just happens to have a friend in Arizona who is a nationally recognized ‘moth guy.’ He loves to prowl the desert of Arizona in the night, setting traps and collecting rare moth species. At least one I know of is in the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C. That is one rare moth.”
Our theater of seasons
Leading to: Muse, amuse
Al B of Hartland writes: “I looked out the window at the rain falling hard. It seems as if rain falls in heavier amounts than it once did. Gentle rains seem to have become rare.
“I blame the term ‘weather events.’ Weather has changed since that expression has become popular. The word ‘events’ puts a lot of pressure on the weather to perform.”
There’s nothin’ like a simile!
Email from Donald: “The beginning of Joel Stein’s most recent column in Time: ‘A year ago mainstream journalists were insignificant — usurped by bloggers, tweeters, podcasters and selfies of women doing yoga. But now we’re getting into personal feuds with the President, a distinction once reserved for dictators, political rivals, union leaders and Donald Trump.
“‘President Trump spends more time on journalism criticism than Columbia’s graduate school.'”
The sign on the road to the cemetery said “Dead End”
Electronic Board of the Church on Lexington in Shoreview Division
Our Official Electronic Board of the Church on Lexington in Shoreview Monitor — Red’s Offspring, north of St. Paul — reports: “Subject: Walk more than a mile in His shoes.
“The most recent message on the electronic board of the church on Lexington in Shoreview:
“‘EXERCISE DAILY …
“‘Walk with the Lord'”
Life as we know it
Writes Lily Lady in North Hudson, Wisconsin: “Subject: Wishing I was doing this into Lake Michigan.”
Vanity, thy name is . . .
Including: The Permanent Daughterly Record
The Retired Pedagogue of Arden Hills: “My youngest child (daughter) sent me an email regarding a personalized license plate. I’m passing along the pertinent portion of the message:
“‘Hey,
“‘Where’s the money I asked for?’
“Oops — wrong portion.
“‘I saw this license plate at the intersection of 110 and Lexington in Mendota Heights:
“‘IMAGO4
“‘It was on a Pontiac G6.
“‘I hope that covers all the bases. I don’t think it was Goldy driving, but I was behind the car, so who knows.'”
Band Name of the Day: Women Doing Yoga
Website of the Day, from Kathy S. of St. Paul: “I play puzzles online at jigsawexplorer.com because I can enlarge pictures by reducing the number of pieces, etc.. Even multifocals have limits for helping me see details. Today there’s a puzzle called ‘Beach Footprints,’ in which they use stones to create a circle of feet: https://www.jigsawexplorer.com/puzzles/beach-footprints-jigsaw-puzzle/. So cute!
(And where did they find all those flat rocks?)”
Bulletin Board 