On This Day
1916 – Anzac Day is commemorated for the first time on the first anniversary of the landing at ANZAC Cove.
Anzac Day (/ˈænzæk/) is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders “who served and died in all wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations” and “the contribution and suffering of all those who have served”.[1][2] Observed on 25 April each year, Anzac Day was originally devised to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli Campaign, their first engagement in the First World War (1914–1918).
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Born On This Day
1892 – Maud Hart Lovelace, American author (d. 1980)
Maud Hart Lovelace (April 25, 1892 – March 11, 1980) was an American author best known for the Betsy-Tacy series.
Early life
Maud Palmer Hart was born in Mankato, Minnesota to Tom Hart, a shoe store owner, and his wife, Stella (née Palmer). Maud was the middle child; her sisters were Kathleen (Julia in the Betsy-Tacy books) and Helen (book character, Margaret). Maud reportedly started writing as soon as she could hold a pencil. She wrote in her high school’s essay contest during her junior and senior years.
She was baptized in a Baptist church but joined the Episcopal church as a teenager. She went on to the University of Minnesota but took a leave of absence to go to California to recover at her maternal grandmother’s home from an appendectomy. It was while in California that she made her first short story sale – to the Los Angeles Times Magazine. She returned to the university and worked for the Minnesota Daily, but did not graduate.[1]
While spending a year in Europe in 1914, she met Paolo Conte, an Italian musician (who later inspired the character Marco in Betsy and the Great World). Hart married Delos Lovelace when she was 25. Delos and Hart met in April 1917 and were married on Thanksgiving Day the same year. They lived apart until 1919, however, due to Delos’ military service in the First World War.[1]
Later, the couple divided their time between Minneapolis and New York (including Yonkers and Mount Vernon) for several years. After 1928, they lived in New York permanently until their retirement in Claremont, California.
They had one daughter, Merian (later Mrs. Kirchner; January 18, 1931—September 25, 1997), who was named for Delos’s friend Merian C. Cooper. (Delos had written the novelization of the film King Kong, directed by Cooper.)[2]
Literary career
Lovelace’s first book was The Black Angels, which was published in 1926 and is a historical novel set in Minnesota. She wrote several more historical novels, including the successful Early Candlelight (1929).
Lovelace is best known for her books for children. The Betsy-Tacy series started in 1938 after Lovelace told stories about her childhood to her own daughter Merian. The first book in the series, Betsy-Tacy, was published in 1940, and the last book, Betsy’s Wedding, was published in 1955. The first four books increase in reading difficulty so that the child can grow up along with Betsy-Tacy. The Betsy-Tacy books take place mostly in the fictional town of Deep Valley, Minnesota, which is based on Mankato.
There are also three loosely connected books set in Deep Valley: Winona’s Pony Cart, Emily of Deep Valley and Carney’s House Party, in which Betsy and Tacy have minor roles. The series has been enduringly popular. The city of Mankato declared Betsy-Tacy Day on October 7, 1961.[1]
Death
Lovelace spent her later years in Claremont, California, where she died in 1980.[3] She is buried in the Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato, with a monument dedicated to her.
Legacy
The Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award was established in 1980. Each year, a group of nominees is chosen in two categories: grades 3–5 and grades 6–8. Children who have read at least three books in the relevant category cast a vote for their favorite. Whoever gets the most votes wins the award and $100.[4] Details about her life and work can be found in The Betsy-Tacy Companion by Sharla Whalen.
FYI
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Excellent! I hope this brngs a measure of peace to Mr. Byrd’s loved ones.
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Ideas
Dan330 Hometalker Saint Paul, MN: DIY Potato Tower
By Cats Science Club: Tornado Tubes
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 26 December 26, 2024Picture of the day Khone Phapheng Falls, Si Phan Don, Laos. Located on the Mekong River near the border with Cambodia, at 10.7 kilometres (6.6 mi) wide, it is the widest waterfall in the world.
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for December 25 December 25, 2024Picture of the day Nativity of Christ scene from the Kefermarkt Altarpiece. Today is Christmas.
Recipes
By misko13: Clarified Butter (Suitable for Lactose Intolerants)
By Momos75: Duck Leg Confit
Great comments!
By mattaw: Deep Fried Turkey
Great comments!
Alton Brown: How to Build a Derrick for Frying
Eyebolt instead of zip ties, flame retardant cord or wire, fire extinguishers, etc.
A Taste of Alaska: Rhubarb Coffee Cake and the Mean Joke
Coleen’s Recipes: Microwave Velveeta Mac and Cheese
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