Dis-Ease

So where was I yesterday when I wasn't posting anything here? Here in lovely New Ulm, Minnesota. As you might imagine, it's German founders named the town after an old Ulm over in the homeland. It is, in fact a fine university town beside the Danube River, said to be blue. I was conducting a writing workshop for and with a gaggle of little girls. Is this the work for which I am best suited? Alas, no. Yesterday, anniversary of the births of Henry David Thoreau and Andrew Wyeth [youngest son of  N.C. Wyeth, titanic illustrator] was hard. Today will be better.   By god, it had better be.  One learns a lot over twenty-some years as a middling author-illustrator.  Lots of good books out of which many a kid learned about our shared heritage.  A few stinkers. Some very fine books that lived a short life & passed away. Anyway, I know more than these little squirts do and I intend to share the joy of writing with them if it kills me. And, just for you to know, it was on this day in 1821 that wily "Wizard of the Saddle," that millionaire plantation wheeler-dealer & slave-trader & Ku Kluxer Nathan Bedford Forrest was born in Tennessee.  And it's Dave Garroway's birthday. Remember him? TV pioneer?  Genial funny broadcaster? Anybody? I do.  In fixing to write this, I discovered that he killed himself years ago.  The sadness overtook him.   

Sigh.