Hoosier Reflections

Owen County

2010-02-27T12:55:00.000-05:00

Enlarged view of postcard showing Main Street in Gosport, Indiana, postmarked 1908 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/owen

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Parke County

2010-02-26T10:07:00.000-05:00

Original photograph of the Howard Covered Bridge in Parke County as reproduced in George Gould's "Indiana Covered Bridges Thru the Years." M.L. Davies provided multiple images for this book, some were his own originals while others were copied from rare photographs ... this particular image appears to have been taken by Robert Yule in 1931 and then given to Mr. Davies -- Special thanks to the family of Mel Davies for providing an extensive collection for presentation on the InCHPS project ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/parke

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Orange County

2010-02-24T07:55:00.000-05:00

1925 postcard image showing the front of the West Baden Springs Hotel, "Carlsbad of America," West Baden, Indiana -- this card is from my personal collection ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/orange

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Ohio County

2010-02-23T08:35:00.000-05:00

Enlarged view of a 1913 postcard showing the trucks of the Aurora and Rising Sun Transportation Company in Rising Sun, Ohio County, Indiana -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/ohio

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Noble County

2010-02-11T17:55:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing City Hall in Kendallville, Noble County, with a horse drawn fire-wagon, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/noble

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Newton County

2010-02-10T12:37:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Public School in Goodland, Newton County, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/newton

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Morgan County

2010-02-10T08:52:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Morgan County Courthouse in Martinsville, postmarked 1909 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this image ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/morgan

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Montgomery County

2010-02-08T21:22:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Montgomery County Courthouse in Crawfordsville, before the tower was removed, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/montgomery

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Monroe County

2010-02-07T09:41:00.000-05:00

The old Monroe County Courthouse, taken in 1891 by Stratford & Jones, and published as part of a photographic essay -- this document is part of my personal collection ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/monroe

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Miami County

2010-02-06T08:31:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the old Miami County Courthouse in Peru, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this image ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/miami

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Marshall County

2010-02-04T05:55:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing a North Township school hack and children in Lapaz, Marshall County, circa 1908 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/marshall

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Marion County

2010-02-03T16:10:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Marion County Courthouse in Indianapolis, with Tomlinson Hall visible in the background, postmarked 1909 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this image ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/marion

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Madison County

2010-02-02T05:47:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing Wendel L. Willkie High School (left) and the old High School in Elwood, Madison County. Neither of these buildings is now stading, and the new Public Library sits where Willkie High School once stood -- this card is from my personal collection ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/madison

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Lawrence County

2010-02-01T05:36:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Lawrence County Courthouse in Bedford, postmarked 1908 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/lawrence

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

LaPorte County

2010-01-31T08:41:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing Elston School in Michigan City, LaPorte County, postmarked 1907 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this image ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/laporte

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Lake County

2010-01-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing Elizabeth Street in Hobart, Lake County, ca. 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/lake

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

LaGrange County

2010-01-29T18:50:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Post Office in Shipshewana, LaGrange County, postmarked 1908 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/lagrange

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Kosciusko County

2010-01-29T07:53:00.000-05:00

Postcard of the old High School in Claypool, Kosciusko County, postmarked 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/kosciusko

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Johnson County

2010-01-27T21:25:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Main Cross Street in Edinburg, Johnson County, and the Indianapolis, Columbus & Southern Traction Co. Trolley, postmarked 1909 -- special thanks to George Mitchell for providing this image from his personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/johnson

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Martin County

2010-01-27T20:32:00.002-05:00

The old Martin County Courthouse in Shoals, which was built in 1876. This building currently houses the local historical organization -- photograph taken in 2005 by Ron Branson ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/martin

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Knox County

2010-01-26T05:13:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing Knox County Courthouse and Soldiers Memorial in Vincennes, Indiana, ca. 1907 -- this image is from my personal collection ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/knox

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Jennings County

2010-01-25T05:07:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing 5th Street in North Vernon, Jennings County, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/jennings

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Jefferson County

2010-01-24T08:42:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Steamer Indiana in Madison, postmarked 1908 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle for providing this image from her personal collection, and to Thomas Keesling for the scan ... a larger view, more pictures, and other information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/jefferson

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Jay County

2009-12-02T05:12:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Hospital in Portland -- this vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/huntington

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Jasper County

2009-12-01T05:02:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Hospital in Rensselaer -- this vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/huntington

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Jackson County

2009-11-30T05:33:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the Post Office and Opera House Block in Seymour, postmarked 1914 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/jackson

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Huntington County

2009-11-29T07:47:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the old Courthouse (1858-1904) in Huntington, postmarked 1917. This vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/huntington

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Howard County

2009-11-28T09:55:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing old Howard County Courthouse in Kokomo, postmarked 1925. This vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/howard

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Henry County

2009-11-27T07:50:00.000-05:00

Postcard showing the High School in New Castle, postmarked 1907. This vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/henry

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Hendricks County

2009-11-26T20:35:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Brownsburg Covered Bridge, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Mary Pat Kroger and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/hendricks

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Harrison County

2009-11-25T07:12:00.001-05:00

1911 postcard showing the old Capital Hotel, which was built in 1809, and was located one mile east of Corydon. This vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/harrison

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Hancock County

2009-11-24T06:31:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Shelter House in Hammond's Grove, Hancock County (which is near Indianapolis), circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/hancock

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Hamilton County

2009-11-23T08:24:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing a view looking northwest from the Hamilton County Courthouse in Noblesville, postmarked 1911 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/hamilton

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Grant County

2009-11-21T09:43:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Grant County Courthouse in Marion, postmarked June of 1912. This vintage image is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/grant

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Gibson County

2009-11-20T08:44:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Hotel Kidd in Princeton, Gibson County, postmarked 1911 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/gibson

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Greene County

2009-11-19T21:28:00.003-05:00

Postcard showing the Greene County Courthouse in Bloomfield, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/greene

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Fulton County

2009-11-19T05:30:00.001-05:00

Vintage postcard showing the Fulton County Courthouse in Rochester from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/fulton

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Franklin County

2009-11-18T05:16:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Depot at Brookville, postmarked 1919 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/franklin

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Fountain County

2009-11-17T05:57:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the Tremont Hotel in Covington, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/fountain

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Floyd County

2009-11-16T05:39:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing St. Edward's City Hospital in New Albany -- special thanks to David C. Barksdale for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/floyd

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Fayette County

2009-11-15T07:07:00.001-05:00

Image of the old Fayette County Courthouse (east front) in Connersville -- extracted from the "Indiana Gazetteer," by E. Chamberlain, published in 1849 ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/fayette

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Elkhart County

2009-11-14T07:08:00.001-05:00

1910 postcard of "the new Motor Fire Engine" in Elkhart -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/elkhart

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Dubois County

2009-11-13T09:38:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing Jasper College in Jasper, Dubois County -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/dubois

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Delaware County

2009-11-12T06:48:00.002-05:00

1910 postcard showing Garfield School in Muncie -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/delaware

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Decatur County

2009-11-11T08:05:00.002-05:00

1910 postcard showing Washington Street, looking west, in St. Paul -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/decatur

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Dearborn County

2009-11-10T05:43:00.002-05:00

1908 postcard showing the City of Louisville at the wharf in Aurora -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage image ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/dearborn

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

DeKalb County

2009-11-09T05:53:00.001-05:00

1910 postcard of the Schaab Department Store in Auburn -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/dekalb

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Daviess County

2009-11-08T07:42:00.001-05:00

1914 postcard showing the Courthouse in Washington -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/daviess

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Crawford County

2009-11-07T12:42:00.002-05:00

1935 image showing the long lost Milltown Covered Bridge, which connected the counties of Crawford and Harrison -- special thanks to Mary Pat Kroger for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/crawford

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Clinton County

2009-11-06T05:14:00.003-05:00

This postcard shows the Vandalia Depot in Frankfort, Clinton County, and it is postmarked 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/clinton

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Clay County

2009-11-05T07:44:00.001-05:00

Photograph of Poland Beech Covered Bridge in 1938, the year that it had to be taken down (notice how it leans a bit) -- this photograph was taken by Granville C. Thompson, who was the State Highway Commission Project Engineer that built the structure which replaced this bridge ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/clay

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Clark County

2009-11-04T06:59:00.001-05:00

Postcard showing the old Indiana Reformatory in Jeffersonville, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/clark

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Cass County

2009-11-03T05:17:00.002-05:00

Pan Handle Depot in Logansport, postmarked 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/cass

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Carroll County

2009-11-01T08:22:00.002-05:00

Wabash Valley Traction Co Trolley Car in Rockfield, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/carroll

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Brown County

2009-10-31T17:17:00.002-04:00

Old High School in Nashville, postmarked 1912 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/brown

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Boone County

2009-10-30T08:13:00.002-04:00

Old Courthouse in Lebanon, postmarked May 1908 -- this postcard is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/boone

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Blackford County

2009-10-29T05:53:00.002-04:00

City Hall in Hartford City, Blackford County, postmarked 1911 -- this postcard is from my personal collection ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/blackford

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Benton County

2009-10-28T05:29:00.003-04:00

Big Four Depot in Fowler, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/benton

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Bartholomew County

2009-10-27T06:10:00.003-04:00

Masonic Temple and Main Street in Hope, postmarked 1909 -- special thanks to Jane Lyle and Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/bartholomew

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Allen County

2009-10-26T05:16:00.003-04:00

Lyric Theater in Ft. Wayne, circa 1910 -- special thanks to Thomas Keesling for providing this vintage postcard ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/allen

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Adams County

2009-10-25T07:18:00.009-04:00

Here is an old postcard, postmarked 1912, showing the Peoples State Bank in Berne ... more pictures and information can be found on the Indiana County History Preservation Society (InCHPS) website at:

www.countyhistory.com/adams

Ronald Branson (Ron Branson) can be found on Facebook, or you can get updates by following InCHPS on Twitter @InCHPS

Spiritual Reading

2009-10-24T19:11:00.003-04:00

After my recent trip to Ireland, I realized an opportunity for tremendous personal growth existed through the exploration of ancient Spiritual Masters. Accordingly, I pulled out a copy of Susan Muto's "A Practical Guide to Spiritual Reading" and began reviewing her suggestions.

In addition to explaining how to garner the most insight from such a process, Susan's book also provides a detailed list ... so ... with a few titles in hand, I visited Amazon.com to place an order. But much to my chagrin, some of my choices are no longer available!

I immediately remembered Susan's frustration when we recognized that the sampling of the Masters from the All Hollows library, i.e., a monastic school, showed no signs of use. It now appears some of these century old texts have fallen into such a state of disuse that they have become obscure enough as to not be profitable for bookbinders to reproduce.

Because many of these texts are public domain, many of them will eventually find their way onto Google Books, as some already have, but because I am a bibliophile, the fear of not being able to physically hold these texts terrified me ... and so, in a fit of hyper-functionalism, I developed a complete list and went on a book buying spree. While I have to confess that a few of the books I acquired aren't listed in "A Practical Guide...," I did make a pretty big dent in the list!

Anyway, over the next few years I'll continue to build this collection, and so if you are interested in viewing my current compilation, and in watching it grow, you can find it posted at www.rbranson.info

Indiana Covered Bridges

2009-10-01T10:32:00.013-04:00

Last Friday, Janette and I went to a seminar on how to use social networking sites to promote businesses ... our primary reason for going was to just learn more about Twitter; however, after the session was over, I realized that I should probably get my history project updated and start sharing it via Facebook and Twitter.

To start with, I'm mostly just playing around with Facebook, and have begun a photo album, which will eventually have at least one photo of mine for each Indiana Covered Bridge (click here to see the album) ... you can click the title of this posting to visit my Indiana Covered Bridge home page for lots more details, or go to http://www.countyhistory.com to visit my projects home page ... I started the Indiana County History Preservation Society in 1999, and now this online project has about 50,000 files cataloged by individual county.

It's been fun reviewing all my old bridge pictures, and a post today from my cousin may have inspired me to dig the camera out and start adding pictures of Indiana's Round Barns ... BTW, the photo with this post shows the Cataract Falls Covered Bridge in Owen County ... love to hear your feedback and see your pictures!!!

A Distant Mirror

2009-09-25T16:24:00.022-04:00

While this wonderful historical narrative is not specifically a biography of nobleman Enguerrand de Coucy, his involvement in many important events of the period provided author Barbara Tuchman with a perfect muse as the central character for A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century. None-the-less, as the final track of my unabridged audio book concluded last night, I felt a little sad, and was compelled to turn on loud music and drive fast ... had Enguerrand lived in our era, I am guessing he would have listened to loud music, had fast convertibles and end up dying like James Dean; but there isn't much else about his world I can wrap my mind around. The review on Amazon notes that:

People in the fourteenth century were subjected to natural and man-made disasters, including the Hundred Years' War, the Crusades, insurrection, lawlessness, the Schism of the Church, massacres of Jewish people, and the Black Death, which claimed the lives of nearly half the population living between India and Iceland.

I'd love to have some interesting witticism to post about this era, but I am overwhelmed by the tremendous difficulty of the common people, and the chasm between these and the rich ... this was the era of chivalry and courtly love ... all the images of medieval Europe that readily come to mind of damsels, knights, kings and queens peaked in this period ... and then the climate shifted, resulting in famine, and this was followed by the Black Death, which decimated the population.

The general populace lived in servitude with nothing but work and taxes ... taxes to pay for the 100 Year War, taxes to pay for Crusades, taxes to support the extravagant spending of Lords, Kings, and Pontiffs ... and in the midst of all this turmoil, the Catholic Church was divided with a Pope in Avignon for the French, and another in Rome for the English, leaving all to fear for their immortal soul.

Perhaps the title A Distant Mirror prejudiced my thoughts, but even though this ancient world seemed foreign, so much of it had a ring of familiarity ... the differences between rich and poor, climate change, fear of plague ... I often share the anonymous quote with my students that "history repeats itself because no one listens the first time," and perhaps that was part of the reason for my sadness yesterday evening.

But if history is a cycle, hope should come in the realization that despair was displaced. For those of my epoch, it has been a bright future indeed, as the enmity between the French and English helped revolutionaries found the United States, the Catholic Schism fueled the ideology of Wycliffe so he could plant the seed of Protestantism, and much more I am sure ... in any event, I would highly recommend this book to anyone, and guarantee that no fiction could be more enthralling or spellbinding.

Dark Ages

2009-09-22T20:21:00.006-04:00

This evening I finished watching the History Channel DVD titled "The Dark Ages" ... I was surprised to find that as a bonus, this disc had another History Channel presentation included for free ... "The Plague."

I realize that neither of these sound tremendously uplifting, but as I noted earlier, I am attempting to gain perspective and understand about the historical Christian Church, and it seemed like the fall of The Roman Empire, and the Dark Ages that followed, were a good place to start.

One of the facts that is often forgotten about this period in history is that it wasn't "Dark" everywhere. When things are bad, it is easy to become absorbed in the personal difficulties, but in fact, many may not be suffering as profoundly, e.g., during the 1930s Depression, 75% of the people did have jobs.

Anyway, it was also interesting to note that although Christianity was legitimized by Constantine, the deprivation during the Dark Ages integrated this faith tradition into the lives of common people. I was also interested to learn that bubonic plague, and plagues in general, were relatively common occurrences throughout history ... even though plagues were part of the Dark Ages, our current remembrances about a catastrophic pandemic, often called the Black Death, occurred much later during the 14th Century!

Are we unChristian?

2009-09-20T19:11:00.008-04:00

After listening to unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity … and Why It Matters, which is based on David Kinnaman’s research as President of the Barna Group, I gained new insight into the perceptions young people have about Christians.

If you do a quick Google of this book, you’ll find a full range of reviews, but I just want to note that from my perspective, it was very difficult to read because of its layout, and the amount of information it tried to cover; but the findings themselves are so important that they cannot be overlooked. Accordingly, to help me grasp the conceptual details described, I acquired a hardback copy to earmark.

The “Six Broad Themes” were my primary takeaway, which were outlined on pages 29-30 … following are extracts of this overview:

Hypocritical. Outsiders consider us [Christians] hypocritical – saying one thing and doing another – and they are skeptical of our morally superior attitudes.
Too focused on getting converts. Outsiders wonder if we [Christians] genuinely care about them. They feel like targets rater than people.
Antihomosexual. Outsiders say that Christians are bigoted and show disdain for gays and lesbians.
Sheltered. Christians are thought of as old-fashioned, boring, and out of touch with reality.
Too Political. Another common perception of Christians is that we [Christians] are overly motivated by a political agenda, that we promote and represent politically conservative interests and issues.
Judgmental. Outsiders think of Christians as quick to judge others.

Regardless of whether you think the author is supporting a personal agenda, or if you think the points are just flat wrong … you must understand that this is what young people think about Christians … and to help these individuals find Jesus, church leaders must figure out how to address these perceptions.

Josephus ... my solution

2009-09-09T12:19:00.012-04:00

A few months ago, I purchased a copy of The Complete Works of Josephus. I found this tome of more than 1100 pages at the Half Price Bookstore, and though I knew there wasn't any instance in the foreseeable future when I would be able to read it, I just wanted to have it in case a huge block of time opened up ... honestly, it was kind of like the copy of War and Peace I never read that lived on my bookshelf for a dozen years.

To understand why I purchased this book to begin with, you need to know that the majority of the "Complete Works" features The Jewish War ... in very simplistic terms, the book was written circa 75, or something like 40 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, and it describes the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans that led to the expulsion of most Jewish people from Palestine ... Josephus is particularly qualified to tell this story because he was a Pharisee (or a Jewish religious and political leader) who was responsible for defending Galilee from the Romans ... exasperated by the lack of support received from Jerusalem, when his efforts to stave off the Romans failed, Josephus joined the Romans leading to his having a front row seat as the war unfolded.

In addition to the significant commitment required to read through a book like this, there is also the difficulty of names ... in other words, there are so many names of places and individuals, which are unfamiliar to the modern reader, that it is easy to lose the flow of the story ... so ... how did I get through this? I found an audio copy of The Jewish War!

-- what you should know about audio books --

I love to read, but for the past few years I have been spending nearly two hours of every day in my car. Instead of listening to the radio, or just zoning out, I began listening to audio books. The advantage is that I get to fill the dead time expanding my knowledge or perspective, the bad news is that it is really difficult to catch some of the significant details. Specifically, when you are reading a book, if something stands out, you can go back and reread and reflect on the point ... when you are listening to a book, that's much more difficult.

I want to make this distinction because in my future posts I'm going to refer to books read and books listened to, which is to say (in my opinion), literature consumed vs. literature reviewed. Don't misunderstand, I love my audio books, I just want to note that there is a difference in comprehension.

-- About The Jewish War --

On paper or in audio, this is a tough book because its subject is outside of our personal experience ... while we do have war, it isn't the up close and personal type that resulted from using stones and swords, then there is the aspect that most people don't live in walled cities, and so on ... following, I'll review some of the takeaways for me.

First and foremost, it enlightened me to life during the time of Jesus ... for me, the language or tone of the New Testament left me with the impression that the constant warring reflected in the Old Testament had passed ... this historical event occurred just a generation later, and the brutality was stunning ... for me, this just highlights how astoundingly revolutionary Jesus was ... the idea of loving your neighbor, or turning the other cheek, were so outside of the norm that many must have thought them ludicrous ... simultaneously, one can see how a war weary population would be willing to sacrifice everything to be part of the Jesus movement.

It was also very interesting for me to have an external historical document that referenced not only the life of Jesus, but those of other familiar characters of the story ... remembering that Josephus was a Jewish religious leader, I found his perspective that the works of Jesus were unlike any other person quite profound.

Finally, the historical context of this story was important ... things were different, but so much was the same almost 2000 years ago ... greed, hate, love, suffering, longing, hunger, death ... my favorite quote by an anonymous author applies: history repeats itself because no one listens the first time.

Beyond enchantment ...

2009-08-22T19:31:00.034-04:00

It's hard to believe that it has been almost three weeks since I was at All Hallows College in Dublin, Ireland, studying Christian Counseling through the wisdom of the classic spiritual masters ... I think all the participants were enchanted, and left the seminar hungry for more. Accordingly, I ordered, and have received, a copy of John Cassia: Conferences.

I also ordered a copy of Vincent De Paul and Louise De Marillac: Rules, Conferences, and Writings. It is true that Janette's involvement with St. Vincent Health is partially responsible for my interest, but my curiosity was piqued when I viewed their Relics, while sitting in on the first Mass I have ever been invited to, one afternoon at All Hallows.

It never ceases to amaze me how after a "mountaintop experience" something inevitably comes along to try and wipe out the positive energy. For me, the past three weeks have been packed full of less than enchanting situations at work ... Janette's dad would have reminded me that "the devil is a sly old fox!"

To understand what has been happening, you probably need to know that I work in a prison for men as the Coordinator (or Director, depending on which of my two masters you talk to) for the BAS and AAS programs offered through Oakland City University, which is a small Christian College physically located in southern Indiana. Without getting too deep into the descriptions of life in a prison, it is fair to say that I enjoy what I do because I have an opportunity to help these men build self respect, confidence, and hopefully I serve as a role model who guides them as they seek new purpose for their life.

Contrary to what I envision, of late I have been tasked to perform responsibilities that have nothing to do with education as they are strictly custody related ... essentially, I am spending most of my time counting heads, signing passes, and monitoring the bathroom instead of directing, coordinating or teaching. I have been struggling with this because with each new day I feel less like a "light in the darkness" as I become more inured to the day-to-day operations of an officer running a prison.

I could simply turn in my notice tomorrow, but the problem is that there are 130 men working on rebuilding their lives in my program, and though I realize everyone can be replaced, the disruption caused by my departure in the middle of a semester, or even a school year, would be counter to the reasons I have already mentioned for why I do this ... and so I am struggling with choices.

This past week, I implemented some new procedures that do not fix the situation, but they will make it easier to fulfill the custody role without having to assume the persona of a corrections employee ... this is tremendously important because I do not want to fall victim to some recreation of the Stanford prison experiment ... so ... my heart is heavy. My goal is to humbly accept and fulfill the tasks meted out to me, and continue to make plans for attending LPTS next year ... I just want to figure out how to maintain my positive attitude, be a light to my charges, and keep making the necessary preparations for my new journey.

Regardless of this particular situation ... I plan to make at least one post here each week that focuses on my reading, and hopefully these observations will also reflect notions on how the various books relate to my personal experiences. I already have a few books under my belt that I'm ready to post, as well as the new ones mentioned, so please stay tuned ... I sincerely hope that my comments will open some dialogue with others who find my notions interesting, or disagree completely ... both will lead to individual growth!

I love to fly!

2009-04-24T19:53:00.054-04:00

Walking through the new Colonel H. Weir Cook Terminal reminded me of my first flight from the old Weir Cook Airport, which was named for a Hoosier veteran. Because this honor fell victim to a form of political correctness, many will remember the Indianapolis International Airport instead, so I am pleased to see it will be the building that falls while the memory of a hero is resurrected. Respect for members of the armed forces can find its roots in my very first flight, which took me to Lackland Air Force Base in Texas for Basic Training.

I made my way to the gate, boarded, stowed my carry on, and settled in. Then, as I looked out the window during takeoff, it occurred to me just how much I love to fly! Almost immediately, I started trying to figure how many times I've experienced that feeling you get when the nose lifts off of the ground on a rocket like ride thousands of feet above the land ... in addition to multiple trips to Texas, there were a few trips to California as well as Kansas, Minnesota, Florida, North Carolina and New York ... then I thought about the half dozen trips to Europe and the untold number of "hops" on smaller planes in that continent and this ... then I remembered the trip to Cancun, and realized that it was going to be impossible for me to make a complete list.

Now that I've finished my business here, I find myself again at the Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) Airport ... I'll be heading home soon, but what a difference thirty years has wrought. Besides being two or three hundred percent larger, there's a train to move you from one end to another ... I remember one time having to literally run the length of the terminal to keep from missing my flight, but today I'd just get on this amazingly fast shuttle and be swooshed off to my destination. The flat screen TVs hanging everywhere, all continuously broadcasting CNN, are another obvious difference, and then there are the Laptops ... heck, in 1980 almost no one could comprehend a personal computer, let alone a portable one!

Although travel has changed, I still marvel at how it all comes together so that I can walk out of my front door, and in a few hours be thousands of miles away in a place where people view the world differently than those living in my community. The truth is, I love to fly because I love to travel. I suspect this disposition stems from my first trip to Europe where I lived on the economy and traveled throughout most of Cold War "Western" Europe for two years ... I remember getting awfully tired of traveling, but the experience infected me, and even today there are times when I yearn to be somewhere else, even if it's only for a few days.

I don't believe any of my daughters have ever been on a plane ... as I sit here on a Friday night, watching people mill about the terminal, I'm struck by how un-busy it is ... I can remember wall-to-wall people trying to get home from business meetings on Friday evening ... and come to think of it, the new terminal in Indianapolis wasn't very busy either. I wonder if changes in the economy, coupled with a declining supply of fossil fuel, will curtail travel. I wonder if my grandchildren will just travel to Stonehenge on their laptops and be satisfied ... perhaps they'll find an old picture of me standing in front of the Parthenon and wonder why the heck I actually went to Greece ... only time will tell, but I'm afraid they'll never be able to say, "I love to fly!"

The photo on this pages was taken inside the new H. Wier Cook Terminal, and yes, I did enhance the contrast to make the light coming through the stained glass stand out against the storm clouds in an adjoining window.

I'm right here!

2009-04-07T19:54:00.048-04:00

It's been almost one year to the day since I wrote my post "Where are you?" I have continued to work toward discerning the path I need to follow, and my absence from this forum denotes the duration of a battle won. While I realize this was only the first of many skirmishes, I find solace in the knowledge that God's grace will sustain me, and the realization that nothing worthwhile comes without sacrifice.

I have changed significantly in the past three years, and so much growth has occurred in my life ... for example, when I started the DOL (Doctorate of Organizational Leadership) program, I had not been connected closely with a traditional church family for more than 30 years, I hoped to acquire the qualifications that would allow me to teach college classes part-time, and I wanted to semi-retire at age 55 ... now I am involved with two different Methodist churches, I am teaching in (and running programs for) a Christian college, and now I look forward to spending many years in full-time service as an agent of change.

Some people might be inclined to make a correlation between the coursework undertaken during the DOL program and my growth; however, while this may be accurate to some degree, the truth is that the relationships with each of my classmates were the real catalyst for my metamorphosis!

The natural result of so much change has been a shift of personal desires and goals. Accordingly, spending two or more years researching and writing a dissertation on the topic of organizational leadership, as it applies to the secular world, is no longer the way I wish to invest my time. While the outcome of my involvement in the DOL program has led to some of the best choices in my life, I believe God is calling me to move in another direction, so I have withdrawn.

I am excited about moving out in new directions. For example, I am participating in a 2-year program of spiritual formation (see Epiphany Association), and later this month I'm heading to Dallas where I'll participate in a program for training as a facilitator in Ken Blanchard's Lead Like Jesus Foundation. I am also making arrangements to become certified in Keirsey's Temperament Sorter as well as developing plans to continue classes either at Anderson University or Asbury Theological Seminary ... so stay tuned.

The picture here, showing a typical rural paved county road in Marshall County, Indiana, comes from Wikimeda Commons and was provided courtesy of Derek Jenson.

Where are you?

2008-04-21T20:22:00.032-04:00

Yesterday I received an email from my Uncle who, in light of the fact that I haven't written for about two months, made this the title of his message … it's a wonderful question on many different levels. I'm reading a new book by Keith Ferrazzi titled Never Eat Alone and in it I found a wonderful quote from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
"I don't much care where–" said Alice.
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat.

A few weeks ago, I was looking forward to a meeting with an organizational leader who I thought might be able to help me define possibilities, provide a bit of guidance, and perhaps even serve as a mentor; however, nothing happened. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it was disappointing. Since this event, I have done some soul searching and am now working to discern where I want to go on my own instead of trusting some "cat" to figure it out for me! I haven't identified any new answers yet, but like Dory in Finding Nemo, I'll just keep swimming!

By the way, the drawing with this post was done by English cartoonist Sir John Tenniel, who illustrated the 1865 edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

my cowardly lion

2008-04-20T20:45:00.017-04:00

Thought I'd share an update on Leo ... if you didn't catch his initial story, click here. At first glance, our big and yellow friend doesn't seem to have figured out what to think about us ... almost as if he hasn't decided if he's going to hang around; but, hang around he does. Every morning, you can see his face peeking out of the box we put on the front porch to serve as his winter headquarters ... when we open the front door he crawls out and stretches lazily before coming to see what we are doing. He greets us with a rather sinister sounding hiss then dutifully follows us to the spot where he knows food will eventually materialize, which he will devour to the very last bite while constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure trouble hasn't found him.

Day after day, this has been the ritual and finally, I've started to see the cowardly lion in Big & Yellow (our alternate name for Leo when he is being particularly precocious). I've never been a huge fan of the OZ books, so I don't have any idea if my perception of this famous character matches what aficionados of the stories might think, but to me, the cowardly lion always put up a tough front by making lots of noise, though he was really just protecting himself from rejection while secretly yearning for friendship.

It occurs to me that if you develop a facade, which scares away those who would be your supporters or friends, you could literally end up out in the cold! Lately, I have been considering authenticity again, and am beginning to realize that while Leo's actions may seem like a front, the events of his little life have made him who he is, and it's my responsibility to recognize that his outward reaction is as authentic for him as is his need for companionship ... so ... after he hisses, I give him a plate of food and scratch him behind the ears to let him know I get it.

Night at the Opera

2008-03-31T11:45:00.015-04:00

We wrapped up our weeklong visit with a trip to the opera. Doug, Sharon, and I had a great week discussing leadership on three different nights, for about four hours each night, with our students in the online International Business course ... we were also invited to talk with a large class on Friday morning, and then that afternoon I elected to visit on my own with another large class. All of the time spent on the campus of WIUU was tremendous, and we found the students inspiring!

If you wish to see the miscellaneous images from my trip that have not been shared in other links on this blog, click here.

Chernobyl

2008-03-31T10:57:00.014-04:00

Perhaps one of the most interesting places I visited on my trip to the Ukrane was the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, which is inside an exclusion zone to protect individuals from dangerous radiation levels. The reactor was actually located in the City of Pripyat, and my understanding is that we refer to the disaster as "Chernobyl" because this was the name of the area (like a county); to add a bit of confusion, there is a village named Chernobyl.

While my excitement about the visit could have been the result of being in a location that is still extremely dangerous (though the risk is small for a short visit), my interest probably stemmed from a longstanding love of science fiction ... I couldn't get over all of the empty buildings, the overgrown yards, disappearing parking lots or the total absence of people. We did not have an opportunity to go inside any of the building, but we did visit the amusement park; you can click here to see all of my pictures from this visit.

There are a lot of great Internet sites on on the subject, but ChernobylLegacy.com is by far the best as it has other links, a large number of pictures and even a video tour if you are interested in learning more!

Rodina Monument

2008-03-31T10:17:00.018-04:00

Translation: the Motherland Monument. This 530-ton stainless steel statue is 225 feet high and stands on a pedestal of 130 feet (which, I believe, makes it slightly taller than the Statue of Liberty on her pedestal). Located at the center of the National Museum of the History of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, the figure holds a 12-ton sword in her right hand, and the USSR symbol in the left. This memorial was dedicated in 1981 by then Soviet leader Leonard Brezhnev, and currently houses the Great Patriotic War Museum in the facility within the pedestal. There are also numerous sculptures and pieces of military equipment preserved on the grounds.

For more information about the stature and surrounding museum, click here. You can click here to see the photos my friend Kevin took during our trip ... you will find a number of photos from inside the museum in his collection. Finally, my friend Doug took the picture that accompanies this post, and if you would like to see all of his pictures, click here.

Babi Yar

2008-03-31T08:46:00.014-04:00

There are very few places one can visit in Europe where memories of the Second World War are not evident. In Kyiv, these wounds are particularly close to the surface at Babi Yar, where it is estimated that the Nazis executed more than 100,000 people, mostly civilians, a significant number of whom were of Jewish descent. The memorial pictured here represents the toys left behind by the children who were murdered here.

For more information on Babi Yar, please click here. If you would like to see more of the photos I took at Babi Yar, click here

Pechersk Lavra

2008-03-22T18:06:00.031-04:00

The name Pechersk Lavra translates to Cave Monastery, which references the 1051 hermitage of Saint Anthony, who chose to live in a cave on this site. Additionally, this name refers to the two caves, that grew from this initial small dwelling, that now serve as the catacombs which ensconce the remains of Orthodox Saints. Today, the Monastery is often perceived to have the same significance in the Orthodox Church as Rome or Jerusalem does for Catholics and Protestants. During my visit to the Lavra, in addition to touring the grounds, we were also able to tour both near and far caves. I personally found this visit to be an enlightening cultural experience. If you wish to learn more, the official Kive-Perchersk Lavra Internets site can be found by clicking here ... following are some of the structures on the property:

Refectory Church
Was originally an auxilary building of sorts until the Uspensky Cathedral immediatelly beside the Refectory was distroyed. For more information on the Refectory Church, please click here.

Uspensky Cathedral
Also know as the Cathedral of the Dormition, this structure was destroyed during the Russian retreat from the city during World War II, but has now been completly reconstructed. I have not been able to find any substantial links for this structure, but for more pictures from my trip to the Lavra you can click here.

The Great Belfry
Although it stood next to the Cathedral of the Dormition, it did not fall during the explosion that demolished that structure. For more information on The Great Bell Tower, please click here.

Troyitska Nadbramna Church
The Gate Church of the Trinity is located atop the Holy Gates, which houses the entrance to the monastery and is pictured here. For more information on the Gate Church of the Trinity, please click here.

Rizdva Bohorodytsi Church
Known as the Nativity of the Holy Mother of God Chruch, I have little information on this structure that sits by the far cave.

St. Michael's

2008-03-22T07:09:00.030-04:00

Originally built by Prince Sviatopolk in 1108, St. Michael's was destroyed during the Soviet era ca. 1935. Following Ukraine's independence, the Cathedral was reconstructed to include a beautiful depiction of St. Michael casting out Satan with the assistance of the Orthodox Saints.

To see other pictures of St. Michael's from my trip, click here ... I'm afraid I found very little additional information to share about this Cathedral.

Pokrovska Church

2008-03-22T06:25:00.012-04:00

I have to confess that I simply stumbled on the Pokrovska (Protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary) Church in Kyiv when I arrived at the bottom of Andriyivsky Uzviz, or St. Andrew’s Descent. Traditionally, this historic street connected the governmental parts of town at the top of this steep hill with the merchant or Podil district at the bottom ... today, the street is lined with vendors hawking souvenirs, which was the primary focus of my visit. You may note in the accompanying photo St. Andrews is visible at the top of the hill.

To see other pictures of the Pokrovska Church from my trip, click here ... I'm afraid I found very little additional information to share about this church.

St. Andrew's

2008-03-19T20:50:00.019-04:00

Since I just mentioned the Apostle St. Andrew in the previous post, it seems only appropriate to post this image of Andriyivska (St. Andrew's) Church in Kyiv. The church is said to be located on the spot where Saint Andrew erected a cross and proclaimed that the area around the site would become a great Christian city. The structure standing on this site now was contracted by the Russian Empress Elizabeth in the late 1700s.

To see other pictures of St. Andrew's from my trip, click here ... for more historical information and additional pictures of St. Andrew's, click here.

St. Volodymyr

2008-03-19T15:20:00.032-04:00

Religion has always played an integral part in developing the moral underpinning cultures rely on for ethical interpretation, and the Ukraine is no different from other countries in this regard. The Ukraine is unique because of its historical role as a center for the Orthodox Church, with ties going back to a time when the apostle St. Andrew first brought the Christian message to the banks of the Black Sea in southern Ukraine. If you are interested in more on the history of Christianity in the Ukraine, click here.

Though I am not a student of this particular domination, the break with the Soviet Union seems to have incited a similar schism which resulted in the formation of two Ukrainian Orthodox Church Patriarchates, specifically Kyiv and Moscow. Accordingly, the Kyiv Patriarchate (click here for more info) has chosen St. Volodymyr's Cathedral, which is pictured above, as its mother church.

To see other pictures of St. Volodymyr's from my trip, click here ... for more historical information and additioanl pictures of St. Volodymyr, click here

Dinner in the country

2008-03-19T06:30:00.011-04:00

As students, one of our desires was to drink in the Ukrainian culture, and while the historical relationship with Russia and the Soviet Union are integral to the cultural fabric of the country, there are many facets to the historical foundation of any society.

One of the most interesting experiences we had during our cultural exploration was dinner at Xata Cabkh, a rural home that is located in a village just north of Kyiv, which has been preserved to provide the guest with an authentic experience of life at the beginning of the last century. When we arrived, the family met us in traditional dress and honored us with a ceremonial welcome that was followed by numerous stories of life in a bygone era. The dinner itself was a delight consisting of all traditional offerings, and everyone decided borscht, a hot vegetable soup made primarily of beets, was so wonderful that it could be the mainstay of our diet for the entire visit!

My friend Doug took the picture that accompanies this post, and if you would like to see all of his pictures, click here. You can also find more pictures of Xata Cabkh on their Internet site by clicking here, but the text is only available in Ukrainian or Russian.

Addendum ... more pictures

2008-03-18T09:22:00.006-04:00

After considering how to share the pictures from my trip to the Ukraine, I've decided to use multiple albums saved in Google Picasa ... so ... if you want to see more pictures from just outside my flat in Kyiv (like I posted yesterday) to include this statue of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, or the inside of the flat itself, click on the following link:

Around my flat, inside and out

We were told that this was the last statue of Lenin remaining in Kyiv and that on his birthday, it attracts a crowd of mostly elderly citizens who still commemorate the event.

Visiting the Ukraine

2008-03-17T11:54:00.020-04:00

Twenty-five years ago, during the Reagan presidency, I was a member of the USAF stationed in Europe. When Americans reflect back on these years, most believe the policies of President Reagan's administration provided the pressure that broke the Soviet Union ... but I remember working to prevent an attack from "Russia" with no distinction between the dominate country and its satellites. In short, to me the Ukraine simply represented the heart of the Soviet Navy, and any idea of ever visiting was so unlikely that it never crossed my mind.

However, here I am preparing to share the surreal experience of having just returning from a week long visit to the Ukraine and Kyiv (formerly known as Kiev) where I had the opportunity to learn and teach. As I unpack this experience over the next few days, I will probably spend quite a bit of time on my personal observations of culture, but I want to start out by sharing my observations from two different leadership forums.

The way it has been explained to me is that during the Soviet era people believed that "the tallest blade of grass gets cut" ... the metaphor represents a need to conform, or to not be unique or stand out from the crowd. Leaders were not selected based on their skill or ability to cast a vision, but because of their loyalty to the Party and thus, the Ukrainian people find themselves in need of coaching on the function and development of the leadership process in general, and on how to lead specifically.

From the outset, this sounds like an audacious statement made by an American who is too full of himself, but this observation comes from two half-day seminars on leadership with political representatives and educators. These practitioners noted that in a transition from a totalitarian regime to one of democracy, even the well-meaning person is still influenced by his or her exposure to the former system.

Though not exactly the same, one must remember that even our founding fathers George Washington and John Adams had to work hard to avoid being perceived as aristocratic (an accusation leveled by Thomas Jefferson) and that the Articles of Confederation preceded the Constitution that we rely on today. Change is always difficult, but it is especially so when those being governed are adamantly against a strong central government. The result of this fear of strength in the Ukraine is a second constitution that is so intricate it is impossible to live up to and thus, rule of law cannot be achieved.

As a group, our missions varied during this trip ... one group worked to develop a curriculum for a leadership program to be taught in a university while others taught in a Ukrainian University where courses are presented by an international faculty to a student body that learns in English, which encourages an international enrollment. My task was to participate in a group teaching a 12-hour seminar (over three different days) on leadership principals to a collection of MBA students who were predominately Ukrainian, but included nationals from Nigeria, Lebanon and Iran. Each of these young people were brilliant, and our mission to encourage them to become the futures leaders in their perspective worlds was well received ... it will be interesting to see if fruit is borne out from this endeavor, but perhaps the bigger question for me personally is how to continue sharing this message with other young people.

I took the picture that accompanies this post showing the view immediately outside of the flat where I stayed with two of my fellows in Kyiv.

Smoke ...

2008-02-21T08:46:00.010-05:00

A few days ago, I passed a milestone … I have been smoke free for eight months!

I quit once before but after a few years, I started back up. Quitting the second time has been ten times harder and I am just now getting to the point where I can function normally. While I am reveling in my current success, the experience of having quit once before confirms in my mind that I am only a smoker who is not currently smoking; in other words, I can never have “just one.”

I am writing this little piece because I have an ax to grind. Specifically, I want to remind all non-smokers that smoking is not a nasty or bad habit … it is a drug addiction!

Perhaps the reason people get confused about addiction vs. habit and smoking is that over time, smokers develop patterns for when they smoke, e.g., after dinner, when they get in the car, after a cup of coffee, etc., etc. While one can argue that these patterns represent a habit, please be assured that if the situational condition was removed, the smoker would still smoke ... I would suggest that because he or she was denied the comfort of routine they would smoke even more!

Health professionals who work with people to quit smoking often suggest they smoke at regular intervals to separate daily activities from smoking, i.e., smoke one cigarette every hour, on the hour, regardless of what the person is doing. While I did not follow such a rigid pattern, for more than a year I engaged in a collection of self-talk solutions to prepare. When a situation presented itself that challenged me to quit (so I could take a position with a faith based organization that did not allow its employees to smoke) I felt I was ready to take the plunge.

While I had prepared well for the endeavor, I missed one thing …

All of my postsecondary education has been undertaken as an adult (who smoked) and I did not realize that my smoking had been completely integrated into my writing style. Here’s how it worked … I would sit and compose for thirty minutes to an hour and then step outside to smoke … while smoking, I would pace back and forth reflecting on what I had just written while considering the direction for the next hour of writing. The first time I sat down to write, after I had quit smoking, the only thing I could think about was not being able to have a cigarette and I was unable to compose a single intelligible paragraph.

If you are slow on the uptake, this coincides with quitting my job to focus on my Doctorate … while I’ve been surprised at the number of folks who expected me to simply stop smoking like I was changing a dirty shirt, there have been many who have been supportive. As I noted in the beginning of this diatribe, I am just getting to the point where I can function normally, and this blog is part of my attempt to wrap this process up by reviving my creative writing abilities ... hopefully I am meeting with some degree of success ;-)

Another Cat Story

2008-02-15T14:44:00.016-05:00

For a long time, it was hard for us to go to the pet store because we would want to take kittens home with us. After quite a few years, we finally realized that it would be a lot cheaper to get litter and food from the pet store and so … we told ourselves that animals who get to the pet store are the lucky ones and they'll all find homes … so don't worry.

A few months ago, we saw a pretty calico cat (not quite a kitten, not quite a cat) with a sign on her cage … the sign told of how she had been hurt and couldn't walk … a vet had cared for her and she was okay now but walked with her head tilted.

Remember … animals that get to the pet store are the lucky ones and they'll find homes …

She was there for a few weeks … and we would check in on her … and finally one day there was a sign saying she was going to get a new home … we were very relieved!!! But then, the next time we were back to the store she was still there?!?! Turns out, the potential new caregiver had a big dog that liked to shake its stuffed toys … sooooo …

When we got her home, she was indeed TILTie (that was the name they had given her), but we opted for a more politically correct Tillie … however, she sounded like she had caught a terrible cold from her adventure … after a trip to a vet and an obligatory regiment of antibiotics, she still sounded horrible. Janette found the Doctor who had treated her and asked him about her "condition" ... "oh yes" he recalled, "sometimes we could hear her from the other side of the house!" It appears that the injury resulted in damaged nasal passages so she essentially can't breath through her nose … drinking is an exceptionally noisy event!!!

Tilt, snort and all … she's still here … when I'm home working during the day she's my constant companion (even if she is sleeping) … if you tell her she is a "pretty girl" she'll talk to you and because of her balance (guessing that explains the tilt) problem, you have to pet her with both hands … one for the pet, the other to keep her from falling.

Lots of lessons one could glean from this story … for me, it's to look for what makes a person special instead of what makes them different!

Fear ...

2008-01-31T08:17:00.000-05:00

"What would you do if you weren't afraid" … the first time I came across this question was in Spencer Johnson's Who Moved My Cheese … it was the ideal conjured by this thought that motivated me to break out of my old life and begin searching for a new direction. Inexplicably, during the past few months I have been so focused on moving forward that this mantra was pushed aside.

In the Entrepreneur class I am teaching for Oakland City University, inside the Indiana State Women's Prison, we are doing a research project that will hopefully culminate with the distribution of 4,000 misquote nets in a Sudanese village. Our research extends beyond the study of malaria prevention in Africa to include understanding the cultural values, assumptions, beliefs and expectations. To bring the issues we have read about to life, we have watched a documentary and even a movie, but because of the tremendous difference between our two cultures, the images seem surreal.

This week, the class read some of the postings from "here goes," a blog written by a young woman from Indiana who has joined the Peace Corps and is in Namibia, Africa, where she is working to make a difference. Sarah describes her hopes for the next two years and expounds on the difficulties of the day at hand. But all of us saw her as one who could have been living in our own neighborhood (someone just like us) who chose to make the commitment to actually go help in a place where hope is a rare commodity … it made us feel like we might be able to do the same thing!!!

What would you do if you weren't afraid …

As we talked about what we had read, our conversation circled around what it takes for a person to commit to something like this … and then we realized that in addition to conviction, it takes courage. I know that as an individual, I'll probably never be able to go to Africa and do what Sarah is because I'm not willing to pay the price … essentially, I'm afraid.

Sarah has become an inspiration for me and my class as we work together to overcome our fears. My favorite quote is "we must be the change we wish to see in the world" by Gandhi. While I won't personally be able to be the change inside Africa, I look forward to supporting Sarah as she strives to be part of that solution … as for me … I'll be more resolute in confronting my fears, overcome them, and become the change agent that is my destiny.

The picture at the top of this post is a scene along the Okavango, just northwest of Rundu off of the road to Nkurenkuru (where Sarah is living) … I found it on Google Earth and have enhanced it a bit … I am using this picture as my computer desktop to motivate me to push forward on my journey to start making a difference. You can find the original (along with many other photos featuring Namibia) taken by Marilyn Whitely, by clicking here … you can visit Sarah's blog by clicking here.

The stray cat

2008-01-30T10:19:00.000-05:00

My wife and I are "cat" people.

A few years ago, our neighbors moved and left their cat behind … Boomer was already a regular visitor on our back porch where he found portions of soft food each morning and evening; however, he was not a "friendly" cat … in fact, Boomer would likely bite the had that was feeding him if it wasn't careful, but as days turned to years, our little charge became more tolerant of our adoration, and pretty much took ownership of the back porch and all the yard adjoining.

I cannot remember when the huge yellow tiger tomcat started trying to infringe on Boomer's territory, but it was always an exciting event accompanied by heinous yowling, rumbling and posturing. Of course, we took the side of our little man and turned the dog loose to chase the yellow cat away and thus restore peaceful serenity to our yard. There were other cats that came and went (remember, we are cat people), and we often wondered what it was about the yellow cat that angered Boomer so much … and that's about the extent of our consideration for his situation.

A few months ago, the dog was at the front door going crazy in what has become the traditional indicator the yellow cat and Boomer were at odds. So, I went out to chase the invader off and was met by a haggardly character who had obviously been weeks without food … he was so starved that risking the wrath of Boomer, a dog and even me had become acceptable in his search for food.

I was stunned, and immediately realized he had been abandoned too. Back inside, I collected two plates of cat food and went back out to get Boomer off to one side and next tried to feed the yellow cat … but he was terrified of me … I'd walk toward him and he would slink back and hiss … I sat the food down and walked away so he could eat.

My wife and I are "cat" people?

Exactly why was it that we had been treating this cat different from the other … it made me start to think about the way I treat people and how Jesus would react to my chasing people away who need my help just because it is inconvenient or doesn't fit in with my personal plan.

It has taken some time to convince Boomer that it's okay for the yellow cat to have the front porch, which has been fitted out with an insulated box and regular plates of food … but "Leo" (that's what we've started calling him) still doesn't "trust" us, though he has stopped running away and hissing. I am still wondering how to be certain I don't chase people away that God sends my way to care for, but I am hopeful the story of the stray cat will help me remember do the right thing.

Too Cute ...

2007-02-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

I was visiting Terri's blog and found her "Peculiar Aristocratic Title" and had to get one of my own!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is:
Reverend Lord Ron the Intractable of Much Madness upon Avon
Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title