Carlisle Indiana - What it was When

It is hard to know what Carlisle was like when G.W. Clayton was a young man. Certainly it was a vibrant community in those days with morning and evening posts, trains traversing the tracks and businesses florishing in downtown.

I remember Robert's Garage, the Rexall drugstore and Dr. Cox 's Barbed Wire Linament. Here are some photos from Carlisle Indiana Heritage on Facebook.
Perhaps you can share what you remember as well.

Queen Victoria's Wedding Bonnet

Imagine my delight when I discovered a framed photo of Queen Victoria's wedding bonnet in a box of old photos rescued from my mother's house.

Front Side

Reverse Side

It might have been Cyrinthia's (G.W. Clayton's wife) but more than likely it had been her mother's, Mollie Laughead Jones, born in 1856.

Queen Victoria was born May 24, 1819 and died January 22, 1901. She ruled Great Britain for 63 years (the second longest than any other British monarch and second longest female monarch in history (Queen Elizabeth II is currently the longest serving monarch to date).

The "Victorian era" of British history was the period of Queen Victoria's reign (1837 to 1901). Late Victorian attitudes focused on highly morale behavior and straitlaced language.  During the Victorian era the population of England and Wales doubled, however Ireland's population decreased significantly due to the Great Famine. At the same time about 15 million emigrants left the United Kingdom from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand and Australia.

Adapt and Evolve

'In life we cannot avoid change. We cannot avoid loss. Freedom and happiness are found in the flexibility and ease with which we move through change.'

-Buddha

I recently received a letter from an old coolege friend. He wrote of the devastating heartache he felt after divorce and the the untimely death of his second wife. He was pulled out of the depths of depression by a colleague who told him to choose life or death. He chose life and began to exercise, hike and cycle.

Grover Clayton wrote of his despair after Cyrthia died. I believe Lucy and Jean gave him hope and helped him survive and be open to change and a new unexpected love.

The happiest 96 year-old is my former neighbor, Jane, who continues to adapt and thrive and be optimistic even after the death of her spouse, a cross-country move and several health issues.

Evolution comes from adaptation, so adapt and evolve. Recreate yourself if you need to!

"Autumn Stillness" from Moth at the Window

Working on a New Manuscript

I am working on a new manuscript.

It will be based on letters written to my mother in the early 1940's while she was in graduate school.

Poem "Autumn Stillness" by G.W. Clayton - circa 1939

Book Signing Postponed at The Learned Owl

Apologies to midwestern friends who hoped to see me at The Learned Owl Bookshop in Hudson, Ohio last Saturday.

I had to reschedule due to circumstances beyond my control. A colleague of mine became ill and I needed to stay here and work.

The Learned Owl does have copies of Moth at the Window available for purchase.  If you buy a copy and make a comment on this blog I will send you a personal note by snail mail. I hope to hear from you soon!

Hickory and the Moth

On my walk today I found some hickory. I like the feel of the smooth oval nut and I am captivated by the hull that surrounds and protects it.

The hickory tree is in the genus ‘Carya’ for the archaic nut-tree goddess, Carvatis. There are 12 species native to North America. The nuts are edible, although not all are palatable to humans.

Hickory is a food plant for the larvae of some Lepidoptera (moth and butterfly ) species including the Luna moth. 

This summer while kayaking on Lake Erie I saw a spot of green on a large rock. To my amazement it was a Luna. I had not seen one since I was a child in Ohio. It was a wonderful moment.  The Luna moth has a very short lifespan (a week). 

Here is a link to wikipedia if you would like to learn more about the Luna moth (Actias luna).

Gathering hickory nuts reminds me of Indiana. Here is a picture of me with my brother, mom, aunt and grandmother collecting nuts for cookies.  You can read more about my midwest adventures in Moth at the Window.