Women fought long and hard for the vote – before the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which states the right to vote “shall not be denied … on account of sex.”
Beginning in the mid-19th century, several generations of woman suffrage supporters lectured, wrote, marched, lobbied, and practiced civil disobedience to achieve what many Americans considered a radical change to the constitution.
Few early supporters lived to see final victory in 1920.
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It’s been a wearisome week for some of our boomer bloggers. They’ve been hunkered down during Hurricane Isaias. As a result of the storm, some had their internet and cable conk out for up to four days.
One also had her computer malfunction, and it spent two days in the computer clinic. Fortunately, she didn’t have to get a new computer. Her Mac was returned in working order. Macs are good machines, in my experience.
The boomers whose internets are working wrote about how to get through the pandemic; a list of safe, reliable, and affordable cars for teens; and lessons from 60 years of living.
Beryl Baer of Beach Boomer Bulletin writes about these articles in the Best of Boomer Blogs #662. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
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The world as we know it is changing due to the coronavirus pandemic. But as it exposes inequities in the health and food systems, many people hope that the pandemic offers an opportunity to build a new and more sustainable food system.
To understand what it will take to move forward, the Food Tank has compiled its summer reading list to examine the issues that affect the country's food system today. These 20 books provide insight into food access and justice in black communities, food relief and school nutrition programs, the effects of technology on global food supply chains, the relationship between climate change and food production, and more:
Priya Basil explores the meaning of hospitality within a variety of cultural, linguistic, and sociopolitical contexts. Basil uses her cross-cultural experience to illustrate how food amplifies discourse within families and touches on the hospitality and the lack thereof that migrants and refugees experience.
Continue reading "20 books to read about food this summer" »
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One of the big things that’s been canceled in my life due to the pandemic is all the celebrations that were being planned in my community to celebrate the 100th anniversary of women winning the vote in the United States. Events and parades have been canceled.
So, some scenes with themes were organized around town last week. A videographer recorded them and I took photos.
It was fun to get out and at least have some opportunity to celebrate this important event.
Here’s what boomers are writing about during pandemic times:
One of the problems faced by almost everyone during the past few months has been the shortage of basic household items. Toilet paper has been, perhaps, the most difficult, at times, to find. Meryl Baer of Beach Boomer Bulletin laments the shortage of toilet paper, and recalls the good old days of abundance.
As Tom Sightings at Sightings Over Sixty explains in “We've All Canceled Plans,” he's had to cancel travel plans this summer. Have you?
Laurie Stone of Musings, Rants & Scribbles saw a poignant sight recently. A little restaurant near her home had converted part of its parking lot to an outdoor eating space. Tables were set and socially distanced. It was about 5 p.m. Raindrops started falling on her windshield as she sat watching, waiting at a stoplight. One of the waitstaff started scrambling to gather up napkins and menus. Most likely, no dinner shift for them tonight. Her heart broke a little.
Over at A Healing Spirit, Carol Cassara admits she's had to work hard to find peace and perspective during these trying times. In "The Rocky Route From Prayer Flags to Perspective," she shares her thoughts about the need for us to manage through this together.
It’s exciting when a woman over 60 decides to get out of her comfort zone and do something she’s never done before. Tracey Thomas decided to make a documentary film in which she asked other baby boomers what they thought about aging. During filming, her cameraman/boyfriend passed away and the film took another turn. Rebecca Olkowski, with BabyBoomster.com, interviewed her about her journey making “My First and Last Film.”
This is the Best of Boomer Blogs #660. When you take a look at the articles, be sure to join in the conversations. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
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The first Mother's Day was celebrated in 1914, but a holiday honoring fathers didn’t become official until 1966, when President Lyndon Johnson declared that the third Sunday in June would be Father's Day. President Richard Nixon made this proclamation permanent in 1972. However, Father’s Day was celebrated before then.
The idea for Father's Day is attributed to Sonora Dodd, who was raised by her father after her mother's death during childbirth. While listening to a sermon at church on Mother's Day, she thought about all her father had done for her and her siblings and decided fathers should have a day, too. Because Dodd's father was born in June, she encouraged churches in her area, Spokane, Washington, to honor fathers that month. The first Father's Day was celebrated in Spokane in 1910.
Over the years, the idea spread, and people lobbied Congress to establish the holiday.
Shopping
This year three-quarters of consumers say they plan to celebrate Father's Day, according to the annual survey conducted for the National Retail Federation. While fewer consumers expect to take their dads out for Father’s Day, they’re planning other ways to celebrate.
Continue reading "Facts and figures for Father’s Day 2020" »
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Photo: Fibonacci Blue
We’re living the life of the coronavirus pandemic. We’re staying home and picking up groceries or having them delivered. Then, George Floyd is murdered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when a police officer pressed his knee on his neck for 9 minutes.
Despite stay-at-home orders, thousands of people burst out of their homes to protest in cities throughout the nation, some not wearing face masks. Then, the riots and looting begin.
It’s upsetting in so many ways. Another black person killed by police, needlessly. Local officials slow to take the right action. Black and brown people continuing to face police brutality and lack of job opportunities, housing, health care, and more.
I hope, at last, elected officials, working with citizens, can bring about reforms in policing and to correct the disparities that have been ravaging black communities for decades. Every citizen needs to figure out what he or she can do to move public policy on these issues forward. See this listing of anti-racism groups you can join and anti-racism resources.
For this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs, boomer bloggers are writing about:
Continue reading "Baby boomers try to keep going in these trying times" »
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Memorial Day, a day honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military, is Monday. Normally, most communities have gatherings and people often travel in what has become the unofficial beginning of summer.
Last year, nearly 43 million Americans took a Memorial Day weekend trip. It was the second-highest travel volume on record since AAA began tracking holiday travel in 2000, with the highest set in 2005.
This year, AAA isn’t making a travel forecast for Memorial Day due to COVID-19 impacts on the underlying economic data used to create the forecast. AAA anticipates this year’s holiday will likely set a record low for travel volume.
What are the options for Americans for celebrating Memorial Day in 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic?
Visit a cemetery. See if the cemetery you want to visit is open to family members. Have flowers delivered to your home to place on the grave. Go early so you can have a socially distanced visit.
Watch Memorial Day parades and ceremonies virtually. Check the internet to see what’s available in your area.
Continue reading "How to celebrate Memorial Day during the coronavirus pandemic" »
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Today is my birthday. It’s so different to be home alone celebrating. I usually go to Madrid to spend the month of May with my daughter, who also has a birthday in May. Then, of course, in May, there’s also American Mother’s Day and Spanish Mother’s Day to celebrate.
That makes many occasions to drink cava, Spain’s amazing sparkling wine. It’s aged in underground caves for a year in a second fermentation.
I talked with my daughters today over WhatsApp, then enjoyed pizza and chocolate cake with my cava.
Spring 2020 is so different – no travel, no family events, no movies or theater performances, no eating out, no face-to-face classes, no crowds, and no long lines.
Let’s hope enough states will continue social distancing so that we don’t have a second wave of the covid-19 pandemic with thousands of deaths.
Here’s what the other boomer bloggers in our group are writing about:
Meryl Baer of Six Decades and Counting writes about these articles for the Best of Boomer Blogs #648. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to leave a comment. Boomer bloggers love to converse with readers.
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Easter is the topic for this week’s Best of Boomer Blogs.
Boomer bloggers are writing about:
Jennifer Koshak of Unfold and Begin writes about these articles on the Best of Boomer Blogs #645. Click here to get the links to the articles. And be sure to leave a comment. Boomer bloggers love to hear from readers.
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Lannie or Fairley for boys or Judith or Sharron for girls? No, those aren’t names for 2020. Those names were popular names from the 1940s.
Names.org, a website all about names, has released predictions for the Most Popular Baby Names of 2020. New entries in the top 10 for boys this year are Henry and Alexander, while Mila made the top 10 list for girls.
The rankings were determined by analyzing the most recent data from the Social Security Administration, trends from the past five years, and current user interest from millions of visitors to the Names.org website.
Here are the Top 10 Girl Names for 2020
Continue reading "What’s in a name? The most popular names for girls and boys for 2020" »
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