Category Archives: White House

…Advice from the Bush twins…

I heard the recording of the Bush twins reading their letter on The Today Show… it was beautiful. What great young women these lovely gals have turned out to be. CNN) — Jenna and Barbara Bush know a lot about … Continue reading

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…The Day of Days…

It is 9:11am, Tuesday, January 20th, 2009. I have been awake since 7:00am watching the beginning of the inaugural festivities. It is my tenth inaugural ceremonies to observe, but my eleventh swearing in of a president. I was in Myrtle … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Barak Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Ringing of the bells…

Wednesday morning I drove to Columbus to attend the funeral mass of a friend’s father. I met Katie Pfister-Musick in the late 1980’s and absolutely fell in love with this incredible actress. Despite the various moves between the two of … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Broadway, Christianity, Entertainment, First Ladies, Friends, Movies, Music - Band, Musical Theatre, Parenting, People: Rodgers & Hammerstein, Religion, Robert Schuller, Spirituality, The Haasienda, Theatre, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Senator Caroline Kennedy?

 (CNN) — Caroline Kennedy, the 51-year-old daughter of President John F. Kennedy, has indicated her interest in filling the New York Senate seat being vacated by secretary of state designee Hillary Clinton. Caroline Kennedy has her eyes on the New … Continue reading

Posted in Barak Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Congressman helps get OSU band in inaugural parade

By Jessica Wehrman Staff Writer Sunday, December 14, 2008 WASHINGTON — House Minority Leader John Boehner, ever the wiseacre, was quick with a funny when the Ohio congressional delegation started working to get the Ohio State University Marching Band into … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Barak Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Music - Marching Band, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Mary Todd Lincoln

Today is the 190th birthday of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln. As a girlhood companion remembered her, Mary Todd was vivacious and impulsive, with an interesting personality–but “she now and then could not restrain a witty, sarcastic … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 3 Comments

Lincoln letter discovered…

DALLAS – A Texas museum hopes a document found in its archives turns out to be an authentic government copy of Abraham Lincoln‘s eloquent letter consoling a mother thought to have lost five sons in the Civil War. The famed … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, First Ladies, Politics, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 1 Comment

Bright Shining Moments…

I love this air of hopefulness, this air of accomplishment, this air of vision and foreword thinking. In 2000 we missed the feeling of change, the feeling of renewal because of that hotly contested election that dragged on well into … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Barak Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Inspiration, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 3 Comments

Bright Shining Moments…

This past week’s election seems to have ignited a multitude of bright shining moments – moments that have touched others in a deep, hopeful manner. This particular story was on Indianapolis’ Channel 8… INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – When President Elect Barack … Continue reading

Posted in Barak Obama, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Indiana, Inspiration, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

One hundred three… and a half!

Tuesday morning, I hurried my morning routine along so I could be out the door by 8:45am to vote. As I was getting into the car, I twisted my back – somehow – and was in great pain. Muscle spasms … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Barak Obama, Eleanor Roosevelt, Family Life, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, The Haasienda, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House, Wright Brothers | 1 Comment

November 4, 2008

Tonight, an incredible dawn has begun to emerge. Though there will surely be some storms, we now have a captain that will steer the ship safely into the harbour. We have redefined our national spirit, and rededicated our vision to … Continue reading

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Election Day…

It is 8:30am, and I will leave in a few minutes to cast my vote for the 2008 election. Right now, I am watching Barack Obama casting his vote. The first African American presidential candidate voting for himself to become … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Indiana, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 1 Comment

…One day more…

In about 36 hours we may know who our next president shall be. I pray it does not become a fiasco of 2000. Whomever accepts the country’s charge, I trust like President John Adams wrote his wife upon his first … Continue reading

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Fact check: Context of key debate claims

By Richard Wolf and Ken Dilanian, USA TODAY A look at the claims made by Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama at the third and final presidential debate Wednesday:     Tax cuts The claim: Obama said his tax plan … Continue reading

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Which religion is right?

My thoughts are included in RED… BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — At least 900 Christian families have fled Mosul in the past week, terrified by a series of killings and threats by Muslim extremists ordering them to convert to Islam or … Continue reading

Posted in Christianity, Family Life, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Religion, Spirituality, The Haasienda, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 1 Comment

Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady of the World

Eleanor Roosevelt     Birthdate: October 11th, 1884 White House portrait Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (IPA: /ˈɛlɪnɔr ˈroʊzəvɛlt/; October 11, 1884 – November 7, 1962) was First Lady of the United States from 1933 to 1945. She supported the New Deal … Continue reading

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Candidates & The Arts…

Jeff Carter, my friend who is now the director of music at Webster University in St. Louis, always finds the neatest things. This was an incredible discovery! http://jeffreycarter.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/candidate-record-on-the-arts.pdf

Posted in Ball State University, Ball State University Singers, Entertainment, Music - Band, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, School, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

A Friday night…

At 12:05am the five buses carrying the marching band passed in front of the house. I was standing on the front steps smoking my pipe and letting Flyer explore the symphony of smells in the front yard when they passed. … Continue reading

Posted in Broadway, Eleanor Roosevelt, Entertainment, Fairmont High School, Fairmont Marching Firebirds, Family Life, Family Pets, First Ladies, Music - Marching Band, Musical Theatre, NACAC, Parenting, Playwright, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Single Parent, The Haasienda, Theatre, U.S. History, White House, Wright Brothers | Leave a comment

Who needs to know?

(CNN) — March 30, 1981. Arguably the most powerful man in the world is shot. President Reagan waves to crowds just before he was shot in an assassination attempt in 1981. As measures were taken to save President Reagan’s life, … Continue reading

Posted in Eleanor Roosevelt, First Ladies, Harry Truman, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Campbell Brown editorial…

Editor’s note: Campbell Brown anchors CNN’s “Campbell Brown: Election Center” at 8 p.m. ET Mondays through Fridays. She delivered this commentary during the “Cutting through the Bull” segment of Monday night’s broadcast. Campbell Brown says whoever wins should enter the … Continue reading

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What Can I Do?

This is a message I posted on one of my hometown’s websites, WILLKIE’S PRIDE. This morning, my sixteen year old son came into my study before leaving for school and said he was really frustrated with something in marching band. … Continue reading

Posted in Family Life, First Ladies, Indiana, Music - Marching Band, Parenting, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Single Parent, The Haasienda, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

United We Stand… Divided We Fall…

“For united we stand, divided we fall And if our backs should ever be against the wall We’ll be together; together, you and I.” I remember the words to this song when I was quite young. It seemed to resonate … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, Indiana, Politics, Politics - 2008 Election, Theodore Roosevelt, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | Leave a comment

Truly, Madly, Deeply… Mary Todd Lincoln

For some reason, Mary Todd Lincoln has been resurfacing this past month in a variety of connections. I had begun writing a musical on Miss Todd in 1986, and put it away in the mid-1990’s. And here she is again, … Continue reading

Posted in Abraham Lincoln, Entertainment, First Ladies, Musical Theatre, Playwright, Politics, Theatre, U.S. History, U.S. Presidents, White House | 2 Comments

THE WEST WING…

I have been watching the first two seasons of THE WEST WING, my absolute most favorite television show. There is one particular episode that was very moving to me. Toby Ziegler, the communications director, is called to a Washington metro … Continue reading

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Classmates Bridge a Watergate Rift

This afternoon, I watched a DVD about The Duke of Windsor, followed by one of my favorite books/movies, All The President’s Men.  What an incredible movie, and book. Woodward and Bernstein are two of my favorite writers. The movie is … Continue reading

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