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Since I turned sixteen and got a drivers license, a car and a job, I have valued my independence. I started working as a waitress when I was sixteen while still in high school. I made a lot of new friends where I was working. We shared a lot of fun, even when we weren’t working. Great times.
A car very similar to my first car 1959 Ford Fairlane
At twenty I got married. Big, big mistake. I thought you got married, stayed at home and raised kids the same way my mother had done. I was so wrong. Times had changed and it took two incomes. So the stay at home mother wasn’t possible. Both my husband and I were miserable. He was a heavy drinker which caused a lot of problems. We both had gotten married for the wrong reasons. Eventually we went our separate ways.
Michael Dolan emilydickinson@gmail. A 1961 chevy Impala Like one I learned to drive
Now I learned what real independence was and how much I valued my independence. I was able to stand on my own two feet. I managed to go to work, find babysitters and rented an apartment on my own. It was tough but I proved to myself I was capable of doing it.
Since I moved on my own, I have raised the three children. Gone back to school and bought a house on my own. I now live almost alone. I try not to depend on other people anymore than I have to. But there’s occasionally times I have to depend on some one else to do repairs, moving or lifting.
Thus I think independence is the trait I value most about myself. I love being independent and worry about losing my independence. I know the time will come when I am older and will have to ask others for help. I am dreading the day when I can’t drive or take care of myself any longer.
Annie and Josie Bassett were the daughters of Herbert and Elizabeth Basset. Herbert was an educated man who had been a teacher and then later served in the Union Army. During the gold rush years, his brother Samuel headed west. Herbert decided to move his family west because of his health. The family ended up settling in Brown’s Hole, Colorado. Brown’s Hole also had close borders to Utah and Wyoming. His wife, Elizabeth, renamed it “Brown’s Park” because of its natural beauty. The family settled down there and built a small cabin, started ranching, and their family grew to four children.
The Basset Family
Herbert tended to be quieter and calmer than his beautiful, wild wife. The Bassett family was very social and welcomed everyone into their home. Strangers, church-going neighbors, travelers, and many times even outlaws hiding from the law. Butch Cassidy was one of those famous outlaws. He was romantically involved with both Anne and Josie Bassett at different times. Members of the Butch Cassidy gang, the Wild Bunch, were welcome visitors.
Elizabeth Bassett, Anne, and Josie’s, mother was a beautiful woman. She could ride rope, shoot, and rustle cattle as well as the men who were devoted to the family. These men would do anything Elizabeth or her daughters asked them to do. Even if it meant breaking the law. Her two daughters took after her. After Elizabeth’s death when she was only 37, the sisters took over running the ranch. By this time, there was a feud starting between the small ranches and the big cattle barons. This feud was particularly between the Bassets and the Two Bars Ranch.
Butch Cassidy and The Wild Bunch
Anne Basset
Anne was involved with several of the outlaws that hung out at the ranch. But then she did become engaged to Matt Rash. Before they were married, though, the owner of the Two Bar Ranch brought in a hired gun. Tom Horn was hired to hunt down cattle rustlers, and Matt Rash was shot and died. After this, things escalated between the two families. Anne would drive many of the Two Bar Ranch cattle over a cliff in revenge. At one point, she stood trial for cattle rustling but was acquitted. Both Anne and her sister were admired and respected. The cowhands they worked with had a great respect for these two women. They admired them for their ability to run a ranch and work right along with the cowboys. Queen Anne, as she was often referred to was well-liked. On the other side the cattle rancher was so disliked that Queen Anne was given a parade in honor of her acquittal.
Josie Bassett’s cabin in Cub Creek
Josie Basset
While Anne was the more daredevil of the two girls, Josie was more domesticated. However, she could hold her own on the ranch, riding, roping, shooting, and rustling cattle. Josie was married five times. She divorced four of those husbands, and the fifth was rumored that he died of poisoning. Josie was charged with his murder but was acquitted. The fifth husband actually died from alcoholism. In her later years, she was asked if she poisoned her fifth husband. Her answer was a smile, and she just said that some husbands are harder to get rid of. Josie also stood trial for cattle rustling, but she also was acquitted. In her later years, close to forty years old she built a cabin in Cub Creek. During the years Prohibition Laws were in effect, Josie made her own whiskey, wine and brandy. Here at her cabin she lived off the land for the next fifty years. Josie died in May 1964. She had lived long enough to see automobiles, electricity, television and phones and two world wars.
Anne and Josie Bassett were an interesting pair of sisters. They grew up running wild and were friends with known outlaws. They were women who were before their time, women who took control of their own destinies. They were liked and respected for their independent natures. They did what women weren’t supposed to do. They became women legends of the old west.
I bought a Pampered Chef ice cream maker a few years ago.
I usually get it out every fall to make peach ice cream. I am still experimenting with different types of ice cream recipes. I made black cherry last year. This year I wanted to make peanut butter ice cream. There’s a little market nearby that sells hand dipped ice creams. Peanut butter with its big chunks of peanut butter became one of my favorites.
So today I got everything ready. Ice cream freezer tub frozen in the freezer overnight. Simple recipe:
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla flavoring
3/4 cup of peanut butter melted in microwave
Mix the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla and put in refrigerator for twenty minutes. Then put the beaters in the frozen ice cream tub. Pour the cream mixture down the spout of the ice cream tub.
What could go wrong? Everything went wrong.
First I left the cream mixture in the freezer too long. Thought I could hurry the process along but I forgot and left the mixture in the freezer too long. I put it directly in the ice cream tub instead of using the spout. Big mistake. The mixture started freezing as soon as it went in the tub. Then I couldn’t get the mixer blades in the already getting hard ice cream. That required getting the ice cream out of the tub so I could get the mixer blades in the tub. The only problem was the tub was so frozen the ice cream wouldn’t let loose. And the tub was slowly getting warmer.
Finally got all the mixture out of the tub with some big hard clumps of already hardened ice cream. Now I tried to pour it back in the tub. I thought a funnel might help. It didn’t. In fact, the funnel got backed up with the hard clumps, fell over and the mixture went all over the floor. I had just scrubbed that floor.
In the meantime, spoons and bowls are leaking mixture everywhere. What a mess.
I got the ice cream started and added the peanut butter. Ice cream finished. Now it’s like milkshake quality. I don’t think you add the melted peanut butter till the ice cream is almost finished. But I don’t know because I was experimenting.
I put the ice cream in containers to put in the freezer. Wouldn’t you know that one of those containers would tip over and spill in the freezer.
Done for the day except for cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and scrubbing the floor again. And enjoying the ice cream later.
The story of Ella Watson is a two-sided story. Ella Watson was a woman who owned a small ranch in Wyoming. She became known as a cattle rustler, outlaw know as Cattle Kate. There is the story the newspaper printed. This account was printed immediately after Ella and her boyfriend or partner were lynched. But then there is the story that was told after more facts were discovered. Ella Watson has been portrayed as an evil villain, but that is probably not the real story.
Ella married her first husband when she was only eighteen years old. She left him when he proved to be an abusive husband. She moved to Rawlings, Wyoming, where she first worked in a hotel. She also did something that was unheard of in Wyoming in those early days. Wyoming was not yet a state but a territory. Ella, a woman, filed a homestead claim for one hundred and sixty acres of good grazing land. After filing for the land she started raising cattle. The men in the territory did not take a woman rancher well.
Ella also met Averell Verill, who was many things in the small town near the Sweetwater River. He was the postmaster and land surveyor, ran a small general store, and was the justice of the peace. Ella helped him in his store, and he probably helped her with her homesteading claim. Averell also purchased land or filed a homestead claim. Between the two of them, they had a rather nice but small ranch.
Lawless Wyoming
This was a time when there was almost no law in Wyoming. Cattle barons owned large ranches, and the cattle business was booming. The cattle were allowed to roam and sometimes wandered from the herds. Sometimes, unbranded calves and cattle were hard to prove just who owned the cattle. At first, this wasn’t a big problem because the cattle barons were still making high profits. However, there were several seasons when drought hit the area and the market for beef bottomed out. The grazing land became overused from so many herds of cattle, and water became an issue.
Jim Averill Ella’s Partner
Ella and Averell owned property with a fairly good water supply. However, they had fenced-off sections of their property. From Western stories and movies, we have heard about cattle ranchers and deadly fighting over water rights. I would guess that this is what started the dispute between Ella Watson and the rich cattle barons.
On July 20, 1988, a group of landowners, who were probably drunk, went to Ella’s cabin and forced her into a buggy. After they had Ella, they went after Averell. Ella and Averell were then hung from a cottonwood tree. It was then that the stories began. Stories that Ella had been rustling cattle and that Averell had been running a house of prostitution in town. There really was no evidence of any of these claims. But this is what the newspapers printed, and these stories spread across the United States. These stories made Ella out to be a villain and female outlaw of the West. The men who did the lynching were never tried or brought to justice.
I would continue doing what I do now even if money wasn’t a concern. I work as a private caregiver for the elderly. I love what I do. Most older people are so very grateful for whatever help they receive. They have some great stories to tell also. Times were different for them. Some of them lived through wars and the depression. One of my ladies would tell me stories about traveling on the railroad to go shopping or the movies. She also had some war time and love stories she shared with me. Care giving is more than a job. It’s a wonderful experience filled with joy and love.
My second choice would be to make a home for foster children. The stories you hear about foster children neglect and abuse are horrifying. We have all heard some of the terrible stories of children who were raised by bad and abusive foster parents. I have a friend and a sister-in-law who were foster children. Actually, both of them were better off in a foster home. A woman I know has been taking in foster children for years now. She has done such a marvelous job and made a difference in a lot of children’s lives. Some of her foster children are now grown up and in college. She and her husband adopted several of the children they took in.
My third choice would be to do the other job I am now doing. I would be a fully retired, do nothing but what I want to do. I would spend my days writing. When I wasn’t writing I would be napping, watching movies, cooking good food, reading good books. I would generally do just whatever I wanted. The totally ideal job. I would be the best boss I ever had.
Daily writing prompt
List three jobs you’d consider pursuing if money didn’t matter.
I really don’t know exactly what my cultural heritage is. I have never done any DNA testing. The only thing I do know is that some members of my family traced our roots back to Ireland. And for some reason, I feel like I should have some Scottish ancestors. I don’t know why but Scotland fascinates me. I don’t know but I think there might be some German ancestors in the past. My mother’s cooking was a lot like the Pennsylvania Dutch is why I am saying that.
I am extremely interested in someday visiting both Ireland and Scotland. I would be interested in everything from their music, dances, festivals, holidays and foods. i would love to experience all of those. Both Ireland and Scotland have beautiful country sides with amazing scenery. Castles and history are also part of their past. I would love exploring some of those castles.
Since I don’t really know much about my cultural heritage, I am going to say I am a proud American. I am proud of the traditions that millions of other people from different nations brought to our country. Americans have a rich history of combined cultural heritages. In America, we can experience Chinese, Mexican, African, Amish and so many other wonderful foods and cultures. We can visit Indian Reservations and learn about their culture, foods and traditions.
I am a proud American. Proud to be living in the land of freedom.
Daily writing prompt
What aspects of your cultural heritage are you most proud of or interested in?
I am not important enough to be linked with any brands. I am not sure exactly what a person must do to become connected to a particular brand. I have never really been a follower of any type of brand. Can anyone explain to me what an associate of a specific brand does? What does someone have to do to be an associate?
I do know this. If I were to become an associate of any brand, they would have to share my values and morals. There’s many brands out there that I wouldn’t care to be connected with.
Brands I Do Like And Buy
I buy Levi jeans primarily because they are the only jeans that fit. Well, they fit the best at any rate. However, I would not want to be associated with their brand. I really would not want to be an associate for Levis because they don’t represent my values.
Alfred Dunner
Alfred Dunner is a brand of women’s clothing. Alfred Dunner makes stylish clothing mainly for older women. I like this brand of clothing because they are stylish and classy. They also usually fit well. This is a brand I would like to be associated with. Although, I would have to so more research on the company itself.
Fur Babies Leo and Lucy
Cat Products
I love cats. They can be so funny. They also make the most wonderful companions most of the time. I have four cats. Three are great loving cats but the fourth doesn’t get along well with other animals.
I would make a great associate for brands of cat food, litter and other cat products. I use enough of those cat products myself.
I would only choose brands that I would be comfortable with associating with. Mostly I would choose cat products, faith type products, certain clothing brands, and possibility health related products.
Hurricanes have always been a part of history. Hurricanes are severe storms of high winds and rain. They can be deadly and at best are destructive storms. Hurricanes like Katrina and the 1900 Galveston hurricane will forever live in the history of deadly hurricanes.
Hurricane Carol 1954
Hurricane Season Has Started
Hurricanes can be very dangerous and can often be deadly. This is why it is important to plan ahead and be well prepared. Planning ahead for a hurricane can help to save lives. It can reduce potential damage to valuable property. It can also reduce the stress of surviving a hurricane. On average, five hurricanes strike the United States coastline every three years. This period is known as the hurricane season.
I lived in a hurricane area for several years. During those years, I was very lucky to experience only one major hurricane, Hurricane Ivan. But those years did teach me that being prepared was essential for those living in hurricane zones.
Before Hurricane Season
If there is anything good about hurricanes, it’s that they can usually be tracked with great accuracy. Residents living in hurricane areas will have several days to prepare and to evacuate if necessary. There are even some things you can do to prepare well before hurricane season begins. Here is a list of things you can do to get ready long before there’s any threat of a hurricane.
Important Things to Do When Living in Hurricane Zones
Make sure that all your trees and shrubbery are kept well trimmed.
Make sure the outside of your home is clear of clutter. This clutter will need to be put away in case of a hurricane. Outdoor furniture (such as patio sets, chairs and umbrellas) and garbage cans will need to be easily placed inside. Prepare room indoors for these items. Doing this ensures they can be quickly moved inside if there’s a possibility of a hurricane occurs.
During a hurricane, you will want your windows boarded with plywood to protect them from flying objects. Plywood should be purchased in advance and then cut to fit each window. Mark the plywood so you know which window each piece of plywood fits. These should then be stored in a safe place for the next hurricane because eventually there will be another hurricane.
Chances are good that after a hurricane your home will have at least some roof damage. It is a good idea to buy tarps and store them with the plywood for the windows. After a hurricane, tarps are in great demand. Tarps will be needed to protect your home from further damage due to rain.
If you can afford to buy one, get a generator. A good generator can run a few lights, the refrigerator, and the freezer which will save your frozen foods.
One of the most important things you should do is make sure your home insurance is adequate. Check to be certain that it will cover your home and exterior buildings, structures and fences.
Be Aware Of Where The Hurricane Is Headed
I remember watching hurricane coverage for days. If there was a hurricane prediction we stayed tuned to the news. Even workplaces had the news on and we all spent as much time watching the news as we did working.
Important Documents
Store all important documents in plastic in a fireproof and waterproof safe. If you need to evacuate, you can simply grab this quickly and have your important documents with you. It may be wise to make copies of important documents. Keeping them in a bank or with relatives who are outside the hurricane area is a good idea. Documents that you should keep in a safe place include the following:
All insurance policies
Birth certificates
Marriage Certificates
Property deeds
Credit Card Information
Medical Information
Social Security Cards
Vehicle Information
Health Information
All financial paperwork, checks and all savings and investment records
Make Sure Your Car Is Ready
Make sure your car is well maintained. Ensure it has a full tank of gas in the event that you will have to leave the area. Those that do have gas will also have a long line of people waiting to fill their cars. If possible, try to buy several five gallon cans of extra gas. After the hurricane, gas stations will take some time to fully function. You will need that extra gas for the car. If you have a garage, put your car in it. This will protect it from flying objects. You can even use your car to brace the garage doors. Park it as tight to the garage door as possible.
Supplies You Will Need
As previously mentioned, you should have a generator. It is more than likely you will not have power for several days after the hurricane. A generator can keep your refrigerator and lights working as well as some small appliances such as the coffee pot.
You should also have a supply of canned foods, bread, and various drinks including bottled water. A radio or battery-operated television is essential to stay updated on events. Ensure you have all different types of batteries available. Flashlights are essential, so make sure they are in working order with good batteries. You can also purchase headlamps which you can wear on your head while keeping your hands free. These lights can also let you read, play cards or games when there is no television. Kerosene lights and kerosene may be kept on hand or battery powered lanterns.
A grill or a camp stove is important. These will allow you to use any meat in your freezer. Otherwise, the meat may spoil. Without electric, you will need an alternative way of cooking. You will also need to keep several bottles of propane for the gas grill.
As I mentioned, you will need a good supply of water on hand, both for drinking and for washing. Before a hurricane hits, it is a good idea to fill as many containers of water as possible. Filling the bathtub is also a good idea. For drinking water, have several gallons for each person. It is important to ensure there’s enough on hand.
Money Matters
Having cash on hand after a hurricane is something you might not think about till later. Many of us have gotten used to carrying very little cash on us. We just pull out that convenient little plastic bank card. But after a hurricane, banks are not going to be operating for a few days till the power is restored. The same thing goes for most places where you might use your bank card. So it is important to have a fair amount of cash on hand. So don’t forget to visit your bank before a hurricane closes down everything.
Essential Food Supplies
The following items are often items you might already have in your cupboards. However, check to make sure you will have enough food on hand for at least a week. Before and after a hurricane the shelves in most stores will be empty so stock up early.
Canned items
Crackers and cereal bars
Pudding cups and fruit cups
Dried fruits
Nuts
Anything that is easy to open and won’t perish
Bread
Peanut Butter
Canned milk or dried milk
Bread and lunch meats
Manual can opener
Additional Precautions to Stay Safe and Healthy
Anyone who is taking medications on a daily basis should have at least a week’s supply. Also make certain to check your first aid kit to make certain you have first aid cream, bandages and antiseptics.
It would be a wise idea to discuss your hurricane plans with your family. Everyone should know what the plan is. If you plan to evacuate, each person should know what items they will be allowed to take with them. They should each know the destination you will be heading for. This will help if anyone gets separated along the way. You will need to make sure everyone has a fully charged cell phone. This ensures all family members are able to stay in touch at all times.
These are some of the major things that you will need to do. These are items you should purchase to be prepared for a hurricane. You should also listen to your local Emergency Management office for local information. They can keep you informed where local shelters will be located, emergency evacuation routes and other safety issues.
Nothing can stop the stress, loss and heartbreak that hurricanes can cause. Lost personal items such as photos can never be replaced. But hurricanes can be survived by preparing in advance.
The Civil War was finally over on April 9, 1865. The slaves were set free, but there were few jobs or opportunities for anyone, especially an African American woman.
Cathay Williams was one of those young African American women. She had been born the daughter of a slave and a free man in Jackson County, Missouri. In her teen years, she worked as a house slave in Jefferson, Missouri. When the Union took possession of the state of Missouri, the Union army often employed freed slaves. They were used in positions such as cooks or for doing other domestic work. At just the age of seventeen, she worked for the army as a cook and did laundry for the army. This enabled her to travel all over the country under General Philip Sheridan.
Cathay Williams in the United States Army
After the war ended, Cathay made the decision to join the army. Since women were not allowed to enlist, she disguised herself as a young man. She was described as being tall with dark skin and short dark hair. So it wasn’t all that hard for her to be mistaken for a man. What was hard was passing the physical exam. But somehow, the army doctor did just a very quick exam and passed her. She enlisted using the name William Cathay. She served with the 38th U.S. Infantry Regiment. Cathay served for about two years until repeated illness sent her to the hospital several times, where eventually, a doctor discovered her gender. She was given an honorable discharge on Oct 14, 1868.
Cathy Willaims also known as William Cathay Army discharge papers
After her discharge from the army, Cathay joined what came to be known as “the Buffalo Soldiers.” She was the first official female African American to serve in the United States Army. Years later, the St. Louis Times wrote about the story of Cathay Williams. She was the first African American woman to serve in the military. When asked what motivated her decision to enlist in the army, she replied. She said it was her desire to be independent.
Cathay Williams left the Buffalo Soldiers when she became disabled and was no longer able to carry out her duties. Although she had some severe disabilities linked to her service in the military she was denied disability from the U.S. Army. The reason given was that she had enlisted under the wrong name and gender. Cathay died in 1893 in Trinidad, Colorado.
Smilie027 Positive thinking means having a positive approach towards anything and everything.
The best piece of advice I ever received came from my sister. She suggested that maybe I should stop being so negative about everything. And I was seeing the bad in most everything. I don’t really remember why that was. But for some reason, I wasn’t seeing and appreciating the things I did have.
Having a positive attitude is an upbeat way of looking at life in general. It helps you look for solutions and answers to problems. A positive attitude is believing in your own value as a person. If you have a positive attitude, you see failure as lessons for doing better in the future. You become better equipped to adjust to new or difficult situations.
There was a time when I was very good friends with a woman I worked with. We did a lot of things together. But there came a time when we went our separate ways. Later, I started to notice how she had such a negative attitude towards our co-workers. Actually, that’s what caused the problem between the two of us. I hadn’t paid a lot of attention to her attitude when we were friends. But later, I saw how she treated other employees and I realized how her attitude had rubbed off on me. I began to change my own attitude at work and learned that friendships can affect our attitudes and beliefs. It is important who we choose as our closest friends.
After my sister gave me that advice, I did try harder to be less negative. I looked at things a little differently. And eventually, I became more positive about a lot of things. I also started to notice other people who had a negative attitude. People didn’t care much to be around them. I noticed the same attitude in my son recently. I passed on my sister’s advice and other words of great wisdom.
Daily writing prompt
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
History Lovers Corner 