This will be our last full day in da burgh' area because we depart for Gettysburg tomorrow, some <200 miles from here on the PA turnpike, aka toll road where as you know we will be consigned to cash lines at the booths along the way. We are both anxious to see the battlefield and compare it to our Vicksburg experience. I awoke this morning and recited Lincoln's Gettysburg address which I memorized long ago in school but which is retrieved readily today--"Fourscore and seven years ago Our forefathers brought forth ...." well you can look it up, but it will remain with me forever. Somewhere along the way the brilliant academicians determined that memorization was no longer a useful skill and today the same brilliance in education and lack there of brings us a nation of graduates who cannot think, make change, nor do much of anything without their pods, pads, earbugs. Judging from what I get in writing or online from our own family university graduates (i.e. recently, "the adventure has began.," to which I shudder) but the downward spiral of education continues. I suspect soon we will be a nation of lowest level nincompoops who merely graze finger tips over screens, know-naughts, who once would have been considered "slow" will have taken over, oh what happens once those signals to the screens are dimmed, 1984 we are beyond you now....but I digress.
Yesterday was lunch with Dayna at the new Loafin' Bakery and Cafe right on Leechburg Rd in Lower Burrell, walking distance within uncle's house. Two local women have fixed up a house and there make home made cookies, scones, brownies, quiche and salads--it is just the kind of place the area needs and I sure do hope they make it. We were the only ones in there yesterday until a man came in and had a pastry and coffee. That is not going to pay the cost of staying open, so c'mon locals, support these hometown gals!
Yesterday was also cemetery day when I decorate and fix up the graves and although I intended to photo the hillsides, I did not. Somehow I neglect to take camera along, I suppose because I know there will be another time. All grass is trimmed from the family markers on the plots and flowers are in the urns. Greenwood Cemetery has no head stones, all the graves are flat bronze markers, for ease of mowing, but when I visit I brush all grass that blows across the markers off; yesterday's wind meant I could hardly keep it off, but at least for a moment all was clear and glistening. Soon the veterans flags will all be displayed and there are many here, nearly every male was a veteran. My sandals were bugging me as I knelt and clipped so I took them off and proceeded along the grass barefooted which rapidly brought memories of my grandma's voice "Patty, you put your shoes on you're gonna get hookworm!" Some things stay with us forever....some things we recall when we are back where it all began.
Today is a grocery store stop and I just might get to Mazzioti's bakery again to load up on great biscotti for the trip.
I created this blog to record our RV trips and ;morphed into life in our retirement lane and telling my tales of life. Now my tales of life are on widowhood, my new and probably my last phase of l I have migrated to Facebook where I communicate daily, instantly with family/friends all over. I write here sometimes. COPYWRIGHT NOTICE: All photos, stories, writings on this blog are the property of myself, Patricia Morrison and may not be used, copied, without my permission most often freely given.
I have to commiserate with you on how education has changed. Yet, when we look at how much new stuff there is to learn, especially in science and technology, I'm glad for computers, calculators, IPads, etc...
ReplyDeleteSo, what are those biscotti you crave so much?
1984? Things are more like Brave New World heading toward Fahrenheit 451 with the death of literacy being key to the cultural decline. I once had high hopes the Harry Potter craze would get kids reading again, but it turns out most never moved on to other books. Fortunately for me, I do know younger people who like to read and write. It is a pity they are in the minority.
ReplyDeleteAnd now I desire biscotti.
Hi Pat, sadly education has declined in many areas, but technology seems to be leaping forward. In some respects, this is not such a good thing. Hope you have good travelling weather as we have several days of rain in our forecast. We're heading to the Lancaster, PA area in a couple of weeks for a family wedding.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, school. I recall, late 50's early 60's when CA adopted some form of new math which had already been tried and rejected on the east coast. It was so bad I wasn't able to even help the kids with it. And I loved math in school, pointing toward a possible engineering career in the future. Around the same time they came up with "sight reading," or something like that; grammar and spelling went out the window. I can distinguish the difference between the coding of text messages and mis-spelled everyday language. Reading the posts on face book and emails illustrates the lack of language skills, especially in the current school age generation.
ReplyDeleteGettysburg! I really enjoyed my stay there and made a video tape of much of the battle field and many monuments. In fact, I stayed extra time and remade the video as my camcorder developed a squeak which came through on the sound track. I bought another camcorder and reshot most of the tape.
Carol is the cemetery explorer in this family, perhaps, because her father worked as an undertaker. My interest in 'grave yards' is limited to the very old, historically significant, places. Though, in younger days, a late night tour through the cemetery was included in the 'treasure hunt' of our halloween party. Tom
I did buy more of the orange cranberry biscotti at Mazziotti's & enjoyed one this AM. I also learned they will ship to me so when I am feeling like not baking I can get the authentic Italian not my rocks.
ReplyDelete