The History Thing / The Birth Day Thing and Other stuff

Monday morning and two days until the floor install commences. The missus and I had a productive day yesterday. We worked in the lounge; removed the baseboards and gave the walls a good coat of paint. It all looks pretty good so far. I've not taken any pictures yet as the change isn't drastic, but it looks nice and fresh. I told Jo we should hire ourselves out as painters; Two (or Too) Slow Painters, but she didn't seem to warm up to the idea. 😏

Today we'll do some more painting. I'm not sure what's next; either another coat in the lounge of we'll move on to the hallway. I'll wait for my instructions.

I mentioned that I'd discovered another of those Little Free Libraries in the neighbourhood. During a break in the painting, the pups and I drove over to check it out and I found 3 books that interested me. So I gave three books and acquired three books. The pups didn't find anything of interest.
What did I find you ask? Well, one by a new author for me, 2312 by Kim Stanley Robinson. I also found a couple of books from series that I follow; The Kill Room by Jeffery Deaver (a Lincoln Rhyme mystery) and Broken Prey by John Sanford (a Lucas Davenport thriller). I was very happy with my find and hope the books I left also find a good home.



Sunday was an excellent night of TV. We watched the season / series finale of Broadchurch. It was much more satisfying than Season 2. We also watched Call the Midwife. For the life of me, I don't know why we watch it. We always end up in tears. We also watched Madam Secretary and Top Chef Canada (well, I fell asleep before the end, but Jo told me who got voted out of the kitchen.)

So more painting today and we also plan a trip to the grocery store. And we'll see what else. For now, it's time for my regular posts.

Great Historical Events. Today we start in 1681.

"1681. March 14. Pennsylvania granted to Wm.Penn, who colonized it.
Penn starts a colony on the Delaware River. (Ed. Note. I am currently reading The Deerslayer by James Fenimore Cooper and now find it interesting to note that his friend Chingachgook is a Delaware Indian. OK, maybe not that interesting a coincidence)
1682. Oct. 24. Penn arrives in America.
Penn makes a treaty with the Indians, and pays them for their lands.
The city of Philadelphia is founded.
De La Salle takes possession of the country on both sides of the Mississippi River, calling it Louisiana.
1683. First Legislative Assembly held in New York.
Second Assembly held in Philadelphia, and a new Constitution adopted and new laws passed.
Roger Williams dies in his 84th year. (Ed. Note. I mentioned Williams previously. He was a Puritan who had to flee the Massachusetts colony in 1636. He was the founder of the First Baptist Church of America.)
1685. King James, through Governor Arnold, cancels the charter of Rhode Island, and extends the royal government of New England to that dependency.
Arnold proceeds to Hartford with a body of troops and demands the surrender of their charter. The Assembly were in session. They artfully conceal the charter, and refuse to give it up.
1687. First printing-press established near Philadelphia by William Bradford."

Next excerpt starts with executions for witchcraft... I bet you can't wait!

Letters of Condolence.

The books defines Letters of Condolence as -

"A letter of condolence is one written to a friend who has suffered some grievous loss or bereavement.
To write a good letter of condolence, one that shall comfort and console the sufferer, requires good taste and fine feeling. Persons, often by injudicious words, probe afresh the wound they are trying to heal. In offering condolence, do not call up the harrowing details of the sad event, nor attempt to argue the sufferer out of his (or her) sorrow. Reasons that appeal to the head cannot touch the heart. Above all, do not reflect any blame, directly or indirectly. What the bleeding heart most needs, in the first gush of grief, is sympathy - that genuine, tearful sympathy that lessens another's grief by sharing it. The expression of this in a few loving words, and a pious reference to the great source of consolation, are all that a letter of condolence requires."

The next couple of posts provide examples from historical personages.

The Birth Day Thing, 10 November 1967.

US Billboard #1 Single, 10 November 1967

To Sir With Love by Lulu. I loved the movie and also the song. Lulu was born in 1948 in Dunbartonshire, Scotland. Besides To Sir With Love, she is also known for the theme song of The Man With the Golden Gun and the Eurovision winning entry, Boom Bang-a-Bang. She has been singing and performing since the late '60s. To Sir With Love was her first US #1. Oddly it was not rated in the UK. The song was written by Don Black and Mark London. Just listening to it again, I get choked up.

UK #1 Single, 10 November 1967

Baby, Now That I've Found You by The Foundations. The Foundations were a British soul band active from 1967 - 1970. Their two biggest hits were Baby, Now That I've Found You and Build Me Up, Buttercup. Baby, Now That I've Found You was co-written by Tony Macaulay and John MacLeod.

New York Times #1 Fiction Best Seller, 10 November 1967

The Confessions of Nat Turner by William Styron.
This novel is written as a first person account of the slave revolts in Virginia in 1831. Time Magazine includes the book in its list of the Top 100 English - language novels from 1923 - 2005.

William Styron lived from 1925 - 2006 and was also known for Lie Down in Darkness and Sophie's Choice.





Pulitzer Prize Winner - 1967

The Fixer by Bernard Malamud.
The Fixer is a fictionalised account of the Menahem Mendel Bailis case, that of a Jew who was unjustly imprisoned in Czarist Russia. The book was also adapted into a movie starring Alan Bates, for which he was Oscar nominated.

Bernard Malamud was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived from 1914 - 1986. He also wrote The Natural, amongst his many works.




Nobel Prize Laureate - 1967

Miguel Angel Asturias (Guatemala). Asturias was a Guatemalan - born poet and novelist who lived from 1899 - 1977. He was awarded the Nobel Laureate ' for his vivid literary achievement, deep-rooted in the national traits and traditions of Indian peoples of Latin America'.

Hugo Award Winner - 1967

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein.
I read this many years ago when I was definitely going through a Heinlein phase in my science fiction writing. It tells the story of the Moon colonies revolt against the Earth's rule.
It once again demonstrates Robert Heinlein's excellent story - telling abilities and his philosophical ideas.




Edgar Award Winner - 1967.

King of the Rainy Country by Nicholas Freeling.
Nicholas Freeling was a British crime novelist who lived from 1927 - 2003. The King of the Rainy Country was one of his Van der Valk series.

The series became a TV ITV series in the 1970s, starring Barry Foster as the lead character. I read this book in 2011 and enjoyed it, but it wasn't one of my all-time favourites.





So there you go. Continuing this march through time, tomorrow we move on to 1968.