family history music pragmatic historian technology

iPod Receipt

As Hubby and I sift through our stuff to get ready for a move, interesting items pop up. Last week I discussed the “Love Ya 2 Pizzas” box (which would have been very appropriate to today – Valentine’s Day). Today, it’s the receipt for my iPod. I came across this Walmart receipt for my Apple iPod music player while I was gathering old electronics from around the house for recycling. It was still in the…

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history pragmatic historian time

Career Planning in the 1980s

Welcome to my childhood trunk. Inside of this ragged trunk, I stored papers, letters, and other mementos gathered from middle school through college. The trunk when new was covered by white wicker and was given to me by my Grandma Florence. As you can see from the photo, most of the wicker on the lower portion of the trunk is gone, revealing particle board. Thank our various cats for that. They enjoyed scratching the corners,…

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history museums pragmatic historian time

Cliffhangers of History

Today’s post is by historian and guest writer David Grabitske, who is the Site Manager for the Landmark Inn, a site owned by the Texas Historical Commission. Cliffhangers of History I remember the summer of 1980. I was 10 and it was the last summer my family lived in Maryland. The previous summer the family had gone to Ocean City, Maryland, on a premium of a time share company. The catch was the family had…

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observations thought fodder

Who Needs 10 Sets of Dishes?

I read an article from the St. Paul Pioneer Press via the Brainerd Dispatch recently that I’m feeling the need to talk back to. The article is called “Antiques dealers find industry lagging, numbers shrinking – hope for eventual renaissance.” It quotes a number of people in the industry discussing how antiques stores are going out of business and making comments about how young people just aren’t interested in old things anymore. One says the…

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observations

Tube Socks for When You’re Feeling Post-Revolutionary

My co-worker and I have a thing for crazy socks. Whenever there is a gift-giving occasion coming up, I start scouting the sock aisles, looking for something wacky that she might like. We’re both Gen Xers who were in high school during the 1980s, so when I saw some tube socks for sale at the local Walmart, I knew I had to get her some. And then I got myself some. And some more, and…

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