On finding two old family photos

My sisters are helping my dad clean out his attic right now. The house was built by my mom’s parents in 1950.

The other day, the girls (despite our respective ages, they are always the girls and my brother and I are always the boys) found a box filled with photos of people none of us could identify. They were almost all taken at photography studios along North and South High Street in Columbus.

My guess is that they were probably acquired by some family member in hopes of using them in a craft project or, likelier, they may have been among the refuse found by my grandfather in his many search-among-the-trash missions.

But in the box of those studio photos were two family snapshots, seen here.

The first is of my grandmother, no doubt taken in her teens while she still lived in Columbus’ Linden area. (My great-great-grandfather, Martin Ranck, a carpenter and former schoolteacher, built a number of homes in Linden.) This would have been in the 1920s, shortly before my great-grandparents moved the family to the Bottoms, Columbus’ near-west side. My grandmother was a member of Central High School’s first graduating class in 1925.

In the picture, my grandmother looks as though she could easily be transported to today. Though in later years, she became a whining passive-aggressive, in those days, I think she was a handful, who liked and was liked by the boys.

When I saw the second photo, I immediately spotted my mom. She’s in the center, unmistakable. The back of the photo has a caption that says it was taken on February 28, 1941, making mom exactly nine years and four months old.

The caption also says that the other two in the picture are “Uncle Burt” and “the little girl next door.” Because my mom’s middle name is misspelled (Jean instead of Jeanne), I imagine the picture was taken by someone other than her parents, probably one of my great-uncles. None of us knows of an Uncle Burt. But I’m guessing it’s one of my great-grandfather’s brothers or brothers-in-law.

My mom died earlier this year. My grandmother passed in 1991.

There’s a treasure trove of history in every family tree. These pics were interesting for me to see.

By the way, my sisters also uncovered three songs in sheet music. One was copyrighted 1910; the other two were from 1917. The latter were both songs about young men leaving their families, their mules, and their sweethearts, in that order, to fight in the First World War. One song also extolled the leadership of President Wilson.

The last point is unsurprising because my great-grandparents were staunch Democrats. My grandmother often told me how the Republican kids would taunt her and other kids from Democratic families for their political allegiance, telling them, "Beans is good enough for Democrats."

[I'm the pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

Whatever the changes, just one thing matters

This picture, recently unearthed by one of my sisters, had to have been taken after school, probably in the spring of 1963. I'm there with two of my sisters, Betsy and Kathy. That's when Kathy, the sister on the horse, would have turned three. Betsy would have been six and I would have been nine. (Two more siblings, a girl, Dianne, and a boy, Marty, would follow, in 1965 and 1967, respectively.)

I'm sure the picture was snapped some day after school because Betsy and I were dressed in our "school clothes," though, by today's lights, we may seem to be overdressed for school. But because the shirt is patterned, it's not one I would have worn to church on a Sunday morning. That would have required a tie and a sportcoat. And because I was such a nerd (and still am), had this been taken on a Sunday after church, I would have insisted on keeping my tie on until I changed into "play clothes."

"Play clothes" never included jeans in those days, either for me or for most of my friends. I doubt that I had a pair of denims until I was in junior high school. Throughout my public school years, and this was common, I never wore jeans or tennis shoes to school.

They weren't allowed. A student back then only wore tennis shoes for gym class in junior and senior high years. We played ball at recess or, in rare designated times for physical education during the elementary years, in our dress shoes. (No kidding!)

A rite of each fall before school began on the Tuesday after Labor Day was buying a new pair of dress shoes to wear to school each day. Your parents hoped that your feet didn't grow too much and that, somehow, the shoes would last you through the school year.

That was just how we rolled back then.

Today, when my work day is ended, I take off my sport coat, clerical collar, and dress pants and slip into jeans or sweats and a polo. Dress shoes went the way of the dodo bird for me long ago; for years, I've worn "old men's shoes" from SAS.

It's interesting to note the ways in which people's dress have changed over the years since my own parents were born.

For example, check out this picture of a crowd of baseball fans from the 1930s:

Notice the men in dress shirts and ties?

And, I recall, that even in the 50s and 60s, when my grandmother and mother used to take us to the downtown Lazarus department store in Columbus to shop for school clothes, shirt, tie, and sportcoat were required for me and "dressier" dresses and patent leather shoes for my sisters. These trips were major and more formal outings. Not exactly what you wear when you go to Walmart these days.

The picture below shows typical moms (honestly) with kids in tow, walking through the Lazarus air door on North High Street, sometime in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

Over all, I prefer 2017 to that long-ago world. Most of the changes through the decades have been good, I think.

Yet, we still live in the same roiling, boisterous, beautiful, sin-plagued world that's always been. We make progress in one field, we fall in others. Different sins go in and out of style, changing as certainly as the styling of our clothes.

Everything about this world, changed or not, should be held onto loosely.

Why? Because this world isn't all there is or that God has in mind for us. God made it perfect. But we messed it up. We became messed up.

Which is why God took on flesh in the Person of Jesus Christ to take our rightful death sentence for sin on a cross, then rose to open eternity with God to all who turn from sin and trust in Christ as their only God and Savior.

One day, Jesus will bring this creation to an end and invite all who have trusted Him into the new, eternal creation--like this world except that it will be perfect, devoid of sin, death, hatred, war, racism, oppression, injustice, sorrow, grieving, or tears.

Peter's call to believers in Christ seems more relevant to me than ever:

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. (1 Peter 2:11-12)

I pray that the God I know in Jesus Christ will help me to live a life so focused on Him that, whatever changes, superficial or deep, may fall on this world or to my own life, I will keep on trusting Christ as my only hope.

Nothing else matters.

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

"Celebratory Gunfire"...Really?

I found it jarring when I was in my hometown of Columbus last week to see a billboard imploring people not to engage in "celebratory gunfire"!

Celebratory gunfire? That's a thing in the United States?

I remember seeing video of Saddam Hussein and his cronies firing off "celebratory gunfire" several times. But I didn't imagine that anyone would be so stupid as to fire off guns to celebrate in this country. Especially in city or suburban areas, where the chances of harming a child are so great.

I'm told that there have been incidents of "celebratory gunfire" in Columbus.

One of my sisters also told me that she saw an interview with a fellow who lives in Ross County, to the south of Columbus, who said that he didn't see the problem with celebrating the new year by firing off a few rounds. When a reporter reminded him that it was illegal to discharge a weapon in such a way within city limits, the fellow said that he didn't think it was so bad if people did it once a year.

He meant, I suppose that when you're happy (and possibly a bit inebriated) on New Year's, it's OK to shoot bullets into the air. Whatever makes you happy, right?

Except, of course, bullets have a way of hitting innocent bystanders and what results is something other than celebratory for them and their families.

Frankly, I think it's nuts that people would even think to fire off a gun to "celebrate."

And the fact that we have to be told that "celebratory gunfire" isn't a good thing is even more nuts!

[Blogger Mark Daniels is pastor of Living Water Lutheran Church in Centerville, Ohio.]

God told me to go to McDonald's...Well, sorta

God didn't exactly tell me to go to McDonald's.

But He did tell me to view every person in need as Jesus.

That means that, out of gratitude for God's undeserved gifts of forgiveness and new life for all who repent and believe in Jesus, I'm called to love others as God has loved me.

And I'm to do it with practical gestures, not just hollow words.

A few weeks ago, I was in Columbus' Short North district for a concert. Before the show began, we decided to walk along North High Street, in a stretch once blighted, but now filled with new bustle and vibrance. But, while there, I encountered several people who asked for money to eat.

At the time, contrary to my usual practice, all I had was a twenty. I usually only care a few ones.

To my embarrassment, I was loathe to part with the twenty.

And, of course--or, at least it's an "of course" to me, every time I was approached by one of these folks, I kicked into rationalizations for why I shouldn't give them any money.

"How do I know that they won't use the money on drugs or booze?" I asked myself.

"How do I know if this these people aren't lazy and this is just their way of generating income?" I wondered.

Well, of course--there's that phrase again, I don't know if the people I encounter on city streets or at the lights of freeway off ramps aren't druggies, boozers, or users.

And even if they are any of those things, there's a good chance that they still get hungry.

Besides, those words of Jesus were haunting me: "Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one  the least these, you did not do for Me" (Matthew 25:45).

So, I prayed. "God," I asked. "How can I be responsive to these people, without judging them, leaving that to You alone?"

Then, it occurred to me that I could honor such folks' professed request by giving them a gift card to a fast food place that doesn't sell alcohol. Voila: McDonald's.

Yes, people can sell the cards I give to them and use the cash to buy drugs or drink. They can ditch them, too.

But I'm not responsible for what people do with the gifts from God that we share with them. I'm only responsible for what I do with God's gifts to me.

Everything else is up to God.

So, I bought some gift cards from McDonald's as a way to be obedient to the God of love Who, through Christ, has changed from His enemy to His friend. I plan to keep a few of the cards with me all the time.

You never can tell where life with God may lead you. Maybe even to McDonald's.

Do you like chilis and coneys?

Don't usually do this. But about a month ago, we were visiting an antique shop in Grandview, a Columbus suburb, when I noticed a new business had opened in the corner of the same strip mall. The place sold carry-out coney sauce and chills. One of the owners noticed me looking her storefront over and popped out and with a friendly manner, handed me a brochure. I kept it in my car for a return visit.

I went back to JC's Just Chili yesterday and sampled practically all the menu. Then I bought some of their coney sauce and their gazpacho, an item they're offering for the summer months. (I love gazpacho!) It all tastes wonderful!

Most of the menu is gluten-free, important for me. And JC's has some reasonably healthy choices. No additives are used. And, did I mention that it all tastes wonderful?

J.C. and Charlane Lasmanis, the proprietors, who I met yesterday, have a great story. (Charlane is the friendly woman who handed me the brochure.) They've spent their lives following God's leading in the establishment of schools and helping other people. They were even led to Columbus from Indianapolis--where they were for a time after spending thirty-three years in Washington, D.C.--and to starting this business. They're living out a truth that God revealed to them several times as they contemplated the next venture in their lives: It's never too late.

But their amazing story aside, if you're in or visiting the Columbus area, try their great food. And if you're planning a party or a business gathering, consider treating yourself and others to chowing down on JC's Just Chili. Did I mention that it tastes wonderful?

The 50 best restaurants in the world?

Supposedly.

But these can't be the fifty best in the world when the list doesn't include...

Carmine's in New York City

The Florentine and Tommy's in Columbus

El Olvido in Seguin, Texas

I'm just sayin'.

First Anniversary of My Favorite Concert Ever

I have seen Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, dcTalk, Phil Keaggy, Jimmy Buffet, Skillet, Switchfoot, James Taylor, Third Day, Elton John, Chicago, and a bunch of other people in concert over the years. But the best concert to which I've ever gone took place in a small venue called Skully's in Columbus one year ago today.

The artists were Peter Furler and Steve Taylor. Between the two of them, and often in collaboration together, the two have produced a treasure trove of great music that has helped create the soundtrack of my life for almost three decades now.  To have seen Steve Taylor, one of my all-time favorites, in concert for the first time, was incredible.

Making the evening even better was being there with four of my dearest friends in the world.

The videos below, taken by a concert goer I don't know, from the balcony at Skully's, can't do justice to the quality of the music or the sheer joy of being there. But here goes...

Sun and Shield by Peter Furler

A Million Pieces by Peter Furler

It was wonderful!

A Bit of Columbus History...F & R Lazarus

Click on the pictures.

Post by Vintage Columbus.

'Only a Ride' by Steve Taylor

This was the opening song of Steve Taylor's concert in Columbus on May 1. I was able to enjoy seeing my favorite Christian artist for the first time ever with great friends from Logan on that night! I'm thankful that someone caught his performance on video. The song is on Taylor's newest LP.

Let's Go to the Ohio History Center

My wife and I are on vacation this week. We were supposed to go to France. But we had to change our plans. (More about that another time.) So, we're just taking it easy and going on day trips.

Today, we went to the Ohio History Center in Columbus. It houses the main museum and offices of the Ohio Historical Society.

If you've never been to the center or if, as was true for us, it's been a few years since you last visited, I think that you would love to see it!

To tell the truth, the place looked a bit haggard the last time we were there. But, as soon as we walked through the entrance today, it was apparent that the new OHS director has made some changes. The center didn't look at all fusty and it's less cluttered and more enticing than ever.

Ann and I wanted to see several temporary exhibits going on at the center right now. Two of them were especially good!

One is The War of 1812: Ohio on the Frontline.

This may not seem like a very sexy topic. But, even granting that I'm a history nerd, the war was an important event and not just because it was while being held captive by the British that Francis Scott Key composed The Star-Spangled Banner. Many historians believe that the independence of the infant United States from Great Britain, tenuous up to that point, was finally won by the War of 1812.

And many of the most critical battles of the war occurred either in Ohio or close to its shores on Lake Erie.

Among the most interesting items on display were gifts given by native Americans to General Anthony Wayne. Wayne was the commander of US forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, which occurred in northwest Ohio. Among the items were a wampum and a peace pipe.

Despite how well the War of 1812 turned out for the United States, it was an imbecilic conflict for the country to enter. Were it not for the fact that the Brits were also then involved in a war with Napoleon's France, the War of 1812 would almost certainly have resulted in a crushing defeat for the States and the reestablishment of British rule over the country.

One person who didn't want to go to war at the time was Thomas Worthington, the father of Ohio statehood and founder of the Ohio town in which we live these days, Logan. Worthington was serving in the US Senate when the US declared war on Britain. But he voted against the declaration, viewing the conflict as suicidal and unnecessary. Despite his misgivings though, Worthington served as a general in the conflict.

By the way, two books I recommend for getting a good understanding of the War of 1812 and the pros and cons of entering the conflict are James Madison (The American Presidents Series) by Garry Wills and Thomas Worthington: Father of Ohio Statehood by Alfred Byron Sears.

A second temporary exhibit at the Ohio History Center is Controversy 2: Pieces We Don't Talk About. As the OHS website explains, this exhibit:

...invites guests to explore...race stereotypes from a historical perspective. In 'Controversy 2: Pieces We Don’t Talk About', visitors are encouraged to reflect on how stereotypes influence personal identity. 

Among the items in the exhibit is a handmade set of bowling pins, each pin depicting a disparaging stereotype of various races and ethnic groups.

And if that's not disturbing enough, there also is a set of Currier and Ives prints that are grotesquely racist.

The exhibit is clearly designed to help people understand the stupidity and the destructiveness of prejudice. After walking among the displayed items, visitors come to a round open area on the walls of which are enlarged photographs of the items, hanging next to large writing pads on which visitors can write their reactions to what they've seen.

We enjoyed looking around the center's permanent exhibit areas, too. I loved seeing this Crosley automobile engineered by Powell Crosley, Jr.'s company in Cincinnati, more well known for its radios, refrigerators, and broadcast interests (starting with WLW) than its cars. I would love to have this little car or get the chance to ride in one! (You can read about the Crosleys here, the site of the Crosley Automobile Club, which has its annual gathering at the Fulton County Fairgrounds in Wauseon, in northwest Ohio.)

And, while there, we just had to see Conway, the mastodon. (He's hard to miss.) 

And Ann said she needed to get this pic of me on an old Columbus streetcar.

Fun! And educational. The two things aren't mutually exclusive, you know!

Here's more on what you can see at the History Center.

Mayor Coleman Shows Off Scioto Mile

This evening brought the grand opening of Scioto Mile, on the riverfront in downtown Columbus. I've gotten a few up-close glimpses of it in the past week and I think it's going to be a great asset to my hometown. Here, Mayor Michael Coleman, shows off Scioto Mile. I look forward to spending some time there this summer.

Jesus Christ, the same yesterday and today and forever

Those words, from Hebrews 13:8, are seen on the exterior of the former chapel of Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus.

I pray that Christ's Church will always preach and teach the truth about Jesus found in the pages of Scripture.

Bonus Track: From Our Short North Foray

A few days ago, I shared about our most recent trip to Columbus' Short North. Here's a bonus video, showing the randomly arranged wares (mostly chairs) at one store there, complete with two Hitchcockian cameos by yours truly, along with a terrible videographic faux pas at the end.

Snaps from Our Walk in Bexley

The tree in the picture below promises that spring will finally fully arrive!

[Click to enlarge any of the pictures here.]

Let's Go to the Short North!

No appointments, no obligations today! What should we do? Let's go to the Short North in Columbus, walk around, and find a nice place to eat. Sounds good!

Along the way, remember to share the road!

And be sure to admire the varied cityscape on North High Street.

Stop to learn a little about Alice Schille. (More here.)

Notice the randomly artistic display of merchandise in front of a little shop housed in the basement of the Greystone, an old apartment complex that at one point was quite seedy, but now, I think, is tony.

Wonder if anyone eats a falafel while getting a tattoo there?

Take a look at all the neat old stuff a person could buy at GrandView Mercantile. (See here.) Have you ever noticed how stores in re-gentrified areas never call themselves "stores"? They're always called things like "mercantile," or "emporium," or "bazaar." What's wrong with calling a store a store? Am I wrong, or do those other names sound pretentious? (Am I starting to write like Andy Rooney talks? I hope not, because honestly, when we watch '60 Minutes,' we always mute the sound. Or, we may hear the first few sentences of his spiel, turn to each other and say, "He's got a sweet gig," which is our way of saying, "For these inanities, Andy is paid a handsome salary." OK, I feel better now. Back to our tour.)

Be sure to admire some local graffiti.

Look south on High Street toward downtown. See the Nationwide Insurance office tower? It looks like a giant walkie-talkie. I don't know if it's still there or not, but when the Nationwide building was first opened back in the late-1970s, one of the upper floors incorporated the boyhood home of its one-time chief honcho, Dean Jeffers. I guess it was sort of the Nationwide Insurance version of a US presidential library. But to those on the outside, it always seemed a little odd. Nationwide used to be called the Farm Bureau. I don't know if they were on your side back then or not. (Help me, I am turning into Andy Rooney!)

Eat at a place called Rigsby's Kitchen. (I didn't take this picture, which you probably can tell, because it's in focus.) I'd never heard of Rigsby's before today, although it's been there since 1985, the year after we moved from Columbus to northwestern Ohio. My mother-in-law said it was a good place and she was right. I had something I'd never eaten before, Faro Risotto. It was excellent! You can read reviews of the place here.

Who's that at the next table? Oh, yeah, it's Yvette McGee Brown, who ran on Ted Strickland's ticket for Lieutenant Governor last year and now serves on the Ohio Supreme Court. I won't snap her picture, just let her eat her meal and converse with her luncheon companion in peace.

Leave the restaurant, having enjoyed the food and each other's company.

Oh look! Paul Palnik's shop is open. Let's go see if Paul is in. Ann and I got to know Paul thirty years ago when he worked in a program for the Greater Columbus Arts Council with which Ann worked in those days, the Artists-in-the-Schools program. Local artists of all sorts were booked into local schools for varying periods to provide young people with insight into what's really involved in creating art, whether painting, sculpture, dance, architecture, music, poetry, whatever. Paul is a great cartoonist!

While there, we listened to the latest CD by his son, Elijah Aaron. (You can find his music on iTunes.) "He's a good boy!" Paul told us proudly. We're the parents of a good boy and a good girl ourselves; so, we appreciate his pride. I bought a copy of Elijah's CD. I love it that the children of old friends are making wonderful music these days. (Tim Skipper, the son of high school friends, sings, plays, and composes in a great band called House of Heroes. That band is on iTuunes, too.)

Paul also paints, in vibrant colors. Wonderful stuff!

As we left, Paul told us, "May God bless you in every possible way He can bless you!" It was a beautiful benediction to our foray to the Short North.

[I didn't take this picture of Paul either.]

When Ann worked at the Arts Council, she saved some of the envelopes in which Paul sent the vouchers for his work with the Artists-in-the-Schools program. Later, she had them framed and we have them on display in our house.

Maybe if you go to the Short North, you can have a nice day too. And, may God bless you in every possible way He can bless you!"

[You can click enlarge any of the photographs here.]

A Cool Book

I picked up this book today.

It's great to just leaf through. I hadn't known until today that Ohio Stadium at The Ohio State University was designed by the same architect, Howard Dwight Smith, who designed the high school from which my wife and I graduated, West High School, also in Columbus.

West High School, Columbus

Ohio Stadium, The Ohio State University, Columbus

The north end of the stadium is similar to the beautiful ceiling of the auditorium at West, which also depicts important events in history.

Forbes Names Columbus a Great 'Bang for Your Buck' City

I've often said that my hometown, Columbus, Ohio, is a Sunbelt City nestled in the most beautiful part of the country, the Midwest. Columbus' diverse economy insulate it from many of the gyrations experienced elsewhere and the cost of living there is surprisingly low for a place with so much culture and conveniences and so many interesting places to live and shop.

These facts were recently underscored by Forbes magazine's selection of Columbus as one of the US cities providing the biggest bang for a buck. Columbus placed sixth in the top ten.

All five of the towns ahead of the state's capital and largest city are in the Sunbelt. But none of them enjoy changing seasons or Ohio State football!

Check out the Forbes article here. (Thanks to this site for drawing my attention to Forbes' ranking of Columbus.)

Always Nice to See a Picture of King Gambrinus

See here.

Also see here.