They used to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot & then once a day it was taken & sold to the tannery…if you had to do this to survive you were “Piss Poor”. But worse then that were the really poor folk who couldn’t even afford to buy a pot…they “didn’t have a pot to piss in” & were the considered the lowest of the low.

And we thought we had it bad!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a historical day!!!!!!

Savannah

It is Abe himself welcoming you with a slight twinkle in his eye. He has plastic skin that resembles human flesh and has been made to look much friendlier than any marble staue ever could. This life sized statue looks like he could be your buddy, your neighbor and ready to help in any disaster that could befall you.

A further look into the museum reveals a Disney-like vibe about it. It is engaging and fun. It offers multimedia displays, holographs, and interactiver touch screens. It also contains 36 other life-like inhabitants such as Mary Lincoln, their children, John Wilkes Booth, Frederick Douglas and so on. These figures, that do not move, help you to enter the lives of these folks as well as the life of President Lincoln. For instance, at one point you turn a corner and suddenly you’re in a White House bedroom in 1862. Your right there at the foot of a bed where Willie Lincoln, portrayed by a realistic figure, is gravely ill with typhoid. Mary Lincoln dressed in a ball gown is tending to him. His worried father pokes his head in the door. Sounds of a reception going on downstairs is filtered in to complete an eerie and yet marvelous experience. Visitors to the library and museum walk through a series of these “journeys” that depict aspects of Lincoln’s Life.

The museum powerfully communicates the agony of the slave trade. This allows children to get the message without being overwhelmed by it. It also contains a spectacular mural of Gettysburg, a 40-foot wide painting that depicts not only the battle, but also the burying of the dead and Lincoln’s address.

It is truely a wonder, and students of museum lighting schools will study this place for years to come. As you walk from room to room, from exhibit to exhibit, the lighting changes constantly from dim to bright, from pinpoint spotlights to boisterous chandeliers, from blues to red, and so on. The eye is never bored!

The use of sound is unbelievable also. For example, in the “Whispering Gallery,” hidden voices whisper some of the personal attacks made on the Lincoln during the Civil War. Also: music of the era, cannonfire, birds chirping, crackling fires, and loud vivacious crouds can be heard just to name a few.

This museum follows my theory, that we have come so far from that era. Too for our children to understand why things were done the way they were, why people behaved in the manner in which they did, the magnitude of the change in government and the sacrifice, that unless we bring it to life for them, or make it so vivid they can close their eyes…hear the sounds, smell the smoke, taste the soot etc. they will never understand. Until we stimulate them in a manner that makes them thurst for more, to want to read more, to experience more, to want to research for the truth. The truth of that time period will never be known, we will never fully understand how that war changed the face of America forever.

 I challenge you to make this your next family vacation. To invest in the future of your children, yourselves and our country. Make it a historical day!

IF YOU GO:

Springfield Illinois is on Interstate 55, 200 miles southwest of Chicago and 100 miles northest of St. Louis. Here are some additional suggestion for a visit to the city. (Consult their websites for hours and additional information.)

The Lincoln House: 413 South Eighth St: (217) 391-3226

Grand Army of the Republic Memrial Museum: 629 South 7th St: (217) 522-4373

Shea’s Gas Station Musuem: 2075 Poria Road (217) 522-0475 

New Salem: 15588 History Lane, Petersburg, Ill (217) 632-4000

Lodging: There are many hotels on South Dirdsen Parkway, including a Crowne Plaza and a Holiday Inn Express and the Northfield Inn is just off 1-55

Leopa which stands for Lake Erie Offshore Performance Association had a lower than hoped for turn out this year. I have learned that it was mainly due to the economy in the Great lakes Area, but also due to various mechanical breakdowns in the early season with a few of their long time members and affiliates.

However, the fewer in number did not slow down their generosity or in their belief in helping those less fortunate. Leopa Vice Commodore, Brian Bunch, along with his Thunderfest committee, raised well over what they needed to meet their budget. Not only were they able to contribute $5,500.00 to God Works, the local soup kitchen helping to feed Monroe County that has been severely affected by the Automotive Crisis, but they were able to up the purse paying 20 positions in money and/or prises. This all in hopes of promoting the event even more for future years. Leopa was able to attract event participants as far away as Arizona and Maine this year. They can only hope that these participants enjoyed the event so much they tell friends and they bring their boats to next years event.

 Hats-off to Leopa and to the participants for the job well-done. Monroe Michigan is grateful for your contribution. We also enjoyed the sights and sounds of some of the most beautiful boats on the Great lakes. Event pictures and future events can be found on their website www.leopa.com

Again, as always, make it a historical day!!!!!!!!!

Savannah

This is my attempt to share with the public a worth while group of people that are trying to make a difference during a period of time when famine is great and the ability for an honorable man to make an honest dollar is scarce. The name of the group is LEOPA which stands for Lake Erie Performance Association. They will be celebrating their 19th Thunderfest Event this year.

This Saturday, July 18, 2009, at least 43 high performance boats and company sponsors, mainly from the Michigan area and some from as far away as Arizona are all coming together to help feed Monroe County, Michigan. All profit from their annual event called Thunderfest will be donated to the GodWorks Program, which is a local soup kitchen of sorts. They serve a meal everyday of the week somewhere in Monroe County and have also branched into the FlatRock and Temperance MI areas.

Historically they have been able to raise thousands of dollars during the one day event. Leopa is hoping to top previous years donations, due to the tremendous need for the charity donation this year; in a year many realize  earning money is difficult enough, let alone raising money. They’re event starts at the generous Detroit Beach Boat Club at 10 a.m., goes to the Sand Bar Lounge at Toledo Beach Marina where they will be for about an hour, then they load up again and travel to the Bitter End Restaurant at Anchor Point, where they will be for about 2 hours before once again making their way back out onto Lake Erie to visit Swan Boat Club before heading in for the evening at Detroit Beach Boat Club. The public is welcome to visit the run at any of the public facilities the group is visiting or you can view them along any public access shoreline.

Some of the sponsors and contributors involved are listed below. These sponsors and contributors are greatly appreciated, and I for one, a Monroe County Resident, would like to like to thank them for their efforts, time and consideration.

Sponsors and Contributors for Thunderfest 2009

Cigarette Boats,Ilmore High Performance, Konrad high output propulsion systems, Earthwerks,Scorpion Racing Engines, Shaffer Pharmacy, Dubbert’s Professional Outdrive services, www.artonthewater.com, Marine Technologies, Jerry’s Speed Shop, Brenner 75Marine, Eerie Performance, Monroe Sports, The Clamdigger, House of Meats, Kustom Marine, and Dunn Chevy/Buick.

Ladies and Gentlemen I applaud your efforts and wish you a safe and fun day on the water!

Make it a historical Day!

Savannah Meade

Starving, cold and already inclined to return to the Union, they remained faithful Rebels. What is it about honor, faith, and loyalty that we as a society to not possess as a whole any longer? I think this opens a discussion about the “IT” factor. They had “IT” and we don’t! What do you think?

This next book is a continuation of the first called “And She Fought At Gettysburg”. That book can be obtained at the local book store called The Book Nook or by ordering it at your local book store. I do not have the entire details about who will be carrying the second as of yet because the last few details have not been nailed down yet, but since the book will be available to the public by August 1…those details will be along shortly.

Only Ghosts Came Home picks up where the first book left off, and takes the reader from Gettysburg..home to Frederick Maryland. The characters end up in places such as Richmond, Culpeper,Johnson’s Island and a trip up the Erie Canal just to name a few. It gives the reader a full flavor of the Civil War time period far beyond just learning the times, places and people of that time period.

You can visit savannahmeade.com for details and to purchase the book or you can visit authorhouse .com and type in savannah meade and purchase directly from the publisher.

The History Chanel Magazine wrote in February 2009  that they wanted to put to rest an urban legend that basically stated “Walt Disney is frozen and resides beneath the “Pirates of the Caribbean” attraction at Disneyland awaiting a new life.

According to their authoritative investigators including Barbara and David Mikkelson, who investigate stories just like this one and want to put to rest this myth. Their evidence shows that Disney was cremated after his death on Dec 15 1966, at the age of 65, and his urn placed at Forest lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California as their key proof  including the official death certificate, which is a legal and binding offical document.

Based on their research, I would draw that same conclusion!

However, while researching Cryonics in the year 1987 at the University of Eastern Michigan, I considered cryonics for my new family and myself upon our death, and went as far as to contact and obtain all of the legal paperwork and step by step instructions as to how to set up an estate upon our deaths to pay for our storage and our support upon our reawakening if and when that day came.

I will NOT divulge the company I went through or its location, but it was told to me by the (director?person in charge) again I will NOT give too much specifics here so that person cannot be tracked down. Cryonics is a very guarded society, in my opinion, and they have the right to be because of the skepticism. But that they had Walt Disney’s head/ brain because he was of the belief that scientists would be able to reproduce a body and place his brain in it, before they would be able to complete the repair process on an aged/diseased body. Therefore there were two ways to choose to be frozen and stored 1.whole body 2. head. Each choice came with a continuing cost that was covered through leaving the cryonic society an insurance policy naming them as the beneficiary for your storage and continued maintenance.

My point is that their information they found probably does exist…because Cryonics, even today, is not a widely accepted practice. And, he probably didn’t want someone to try and attempt to steal his head…much like the incident when criminals attempted to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln. All of those documents would still exist even if he was frozen, because there has to be a death certificate to get the Life insurance policy to pay the cryonic society. And, if he was of the belief that the head was the most important part to keep…then there would have been a body to cremate and place in California. It still would not fully prove he was not a cryonic society subscriber, again, in my opinion after having visited the IDEA of preparing for my future death. The education of this experience was interesting and rewarding ,and it helped me to appreciate its existance. But waking up someday, not knowing anybody scared me so much, i couldn’t do it.

For me, this urban myth still exists based on my experience in 1987 and their research has not changed my mind.  As a side note to my readers, this is a prime example of what I am always talking about….taking what other people research and evaluating it for myself and then choosing whether to do additional research on it, or if I already have, then do I choose to change my beliefs accordingly, or to remain steadfast to my own.

My choice in this matter is: I believe a piece of Disney exists, not in a park somewhere, but in a future Lab because Walt was a true visionary and a brave soul. Anyone who saw Walt Disney World, in its true glamour and form that exists today, when he looked at the mosquito infested swamps in Florida and pursued it against everyones advice, is not only a visionary, but a brave individual. One that could stand the test of time, and be fine, alone, in the future.

You can believe it or not…..I don’t care….I reported what I experienced first hand.  And with that Have a Historical Day!!!

Savannah

This book is the 2nd in a trilogy…the first being “And She Fought At Gettysburg” available for purchase currently for $15.00 and the last “Bitter Resolutions!” not yet released.

The first is a book about a woman that fought and died at Gettysburg:

The second takes us from the battle of Gettysburg almost to the end of the war and the third will be on the reconstruction period. All are in novel form with the intent to provide the reader with a clear feel of the time period. All events are fictional set in researched, accurate historical events. Without understanding History we can never understand or appreciate the future.  “Nor can we prevent future events from repeating the past with all of its grand mistakes.” quote by Savannah Meade

This year on May 30th President Barack Obama will address another crowd assembled on the same National Mall in front of the Lincoln Memorial and there will be no segregated seating. “We want to be able to showcase the diversity of the nation, celebrate equality, and show what’s happened in the country since Lincoln’s time until today, ” says Jennifer Rosenfeld, deputy executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The rededication ceremony is part of a trio of free public events at the Lincoln Memorial that are apart of the yearlong nationwide series commemorating the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth on February 12, 1809.

If you scroll to some of my earlier entries….I first reported on this last year as up and coming events.

Hope some of you are able to make it!

Have a Historical day!!!!!!!!

In 1874 the first testicular cup was used in a game of Hockey,

The helmet wasn’t introduced to a sporting event until 1974

Took 100 years for men to realize the brain was also important? LOL!!!!

I just had to share that with you!!!!!

Have a historical day!

Savannah