I didn’t sleep last night. Something bit me in the face and I have cellulitis going through the entire right side of my face. The pain is awful so I can’t sleep, which means I’ve been reading. I finally got around to reading book 3 in the Kissing Creek series, Something to Talk About.
Dixie’s found her way back home again, and this time she wants to stay.
All it took was four days. I spent less than a week back in my water tower town, and my emotional cocktail of love and concern was stirred up again—for Deke, my childhood sweetheart, and for my hometown. The big career I’d built in hectic LA was no substitute for the quiet life I left behind in Kissing Creek. It was my found family who raised me, knew me, and when it was time, let me go. Now I’m back, and the idea of returning to my hometown no longer concerns me, but fills me with joy and hope. Deke loved me, supported me, wanted only the best for me. I’ve got a plan to build a life here again, and this time, I’m keeping Deke. He’s always been the other piece of my heart, and when I weigh the wisdom of making this change, his warm touch and caring heart just might be the biggest incentive of all.
My Opinion
This was a nice, quick read. I love the dynamic between Deke and Daisy, mostly because it’s so real. They don’t need a catastrophe or a nemesis to move their story forward. They have laughter, self doubt and communication. I’ll take a real life style romance like theirs any day of the week.
Hello Lovelies and welcome to the second edition of Travel through TIME . Today’s exploration is the life of Warren Harding. Prior to researching this post, the only things I knew about Warren Harding came from watching Boardwalk Empire. Turns out he wasn’t a terrible guy, especially not if we are setting the curve with our current president.
The Daily Star
Warren Harding’s first career was that of a newspaper man. His father had previously invested in a newspaper, which is where Harding learned the basics of how the business worked. Then at the age of 19, he and two friends purchased The Daily Star in Marion, Ohio. Harding did just about every job, from reporter, to printer and sales. He had a policy of positivity. Even when he didn’t agree with something, he didn’t write to bring people down. We could use more of that now a days.
Imprinted on the walls of his office
Carrie Phillips
James and Carrie Philips were friends with Warren and Florence Harding in Marion, Ohio. The two couples socialized and traveled together. Unfortunately for Florence, Carrie had her sights set on Warren. The two carried on an affair for at least 10 years, based on letters that she saved.
Those letters were found in 1964 and currently reside in the Library of Congress. They were not made public until 2014. They are incredibly detailed, some being 40-50 handwritten pages long, and graphic as well, as evidenced by the nickname for his genitalia being Jerry and hers being Mrs Pouterson.
Porch Campaign for Presidency
After Warren Harding received the nomination to run for president by the Republican Party, he returned home to Marion Ohio to begin a front porch campaign. This idea was really hard to wrap my head around, because today presidential candidates visit every state, sometimes more than one in a day. But Harding welcomed people to come visit him at home, to listen to him speak and to get to know who he was as a person. This simplicity appeals to me. It doesn’t pander to lobbyists. It’s lowers his carbon footprint, although if too many people travel to see him it will increase above that. And it offers the opportunity to see the candidate without all the bells and whistles of a campaign.
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Warren Harding was president at the dedication ceremony of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from WW1 in Arlington National Cemetery on November 11, 1921. He officiated the ceremony and placed the Medal of Honor on the casket. The tomb remained unguarded until November 17th 1925, when a civilian guard began doing daytime shifts.
The Scandals
The second year of Warren Harding’s presidency was plagued by scandals. First his friend, Charles Forbes, stole money from the newly formed veterans bureau, which he was appointed to run. The breach of trust devastated the president, but this didn’t cause him to doubt his other friends.
He should have become more skeptical though. Maybe that would have made him listen to the concerns about his Secretary of the Interior, Albert Fall. Fall created the scandal known as Teapot Dome in which he granted lucrative oil contracts in exchange for kickbacks. The extent of his deception was unknown before Harding’s death, but have tainted the legacy of Warren Harding just the same.
Death
Warren Harding died at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. He had over extended himself during his trip to Alaska and was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. After a couple days of rest, the president was thought to be on the mend. Dr Sawyer, the White House physician, declared the scare had passed. Then a day later, President Harding died from a suspected heart attack in his hotel room with his wife. No autopsy was performed.
Resources
Presidential Chronicles: The Life of Warren Harding by David Fisher
I’m not sure how I stumbled into this book series, but I’m really enjoying it. Heart of Dixie, the second book in the Kissing Creek series made me smile all the way through.
Dixie’s back in her hometown, but she’s not looking for a reason to stay.
Four days. That’s all I promise when I begrudgingly return to the water tower town of Kissing Creek, Tennessee. I have no plans to get tangled up in small town life—and I definitely don’t intend to take up where I left off with Deke McAllister. Then I bump into him and time melts away. A decade ago, his warm caramel eyes and sweet southern charm made it damn hard to leave. This time I’ll be sure to say good-bye.
My Opinion
This book doesn’t pick up where Small Town Girl left off. Instead, 10 years later, Dixie returns to Kissing Creek to say goodbye to her past once and for all. But the thing about goodbyes is that they aren’t always easy, especially when things are unresolved.
Dixie never said goodbye to her best friend, to her former boss who loved her like a daughter, to her dad or her high school boyfriend, Deke. Oddly instead of holding onto anger and resentment, Deke still loves her. He can’t get her out of his mind or his heart.
Watching them connect as adults is fun and semi erotic. Perfect combination for a romance series.
History is not my strong suit, a fact that has never bothered me before. But now that we seem to be teetering on the brink of some historical events, I can’t help but hear my dad saying, “You have to study the past to prepare for the future.”
Where do I start though. It’s not like I’m still in school and can just take a class. While driving home from work, I had the idea of investigating the covers of Time Magazine.
Joseph G. Cannon appeared on the 1st cover of Time magazine, March 3, 1923. He had served 23 non-consecutive terms in the House of Representatives for the state of Illinois, making him the longest serving member of congress ever at that time. I had never heard of this man before now. 🤷♀️
During his time, Joseph G. Cannon was a big deal though. His image was satirized in multiple publications due to the fact that he was referred to as the Czar of the House. As Speaker of the House and simultaneous chairman of the Rules Committee, Cannon had complete control over what bills made it to the floor for roughly 6 years. This was during a time when his Republican Party was divided into progressives and Standpatters, people opposed to change. As a standpatter, Cannon stopped multiple bills from reaching the floor which could have lead to new labor relations, environmental protections and democratic reforms. This is not the Republican Party of today, that’s for certain.
Then there is the legend of the bean soup. According to the House Restaurant, in 1904 Speaker of the House Joseph G. Cannon came in expecting to order bean soup and discovered it wasn’t on the menu. ”Thunderation!I had my mouth set for bean soup! From now on, hot or cold, rain or sun, snow or shine, I want it on the menu every day.” Since then, bean soup has been served at the house restaurant everyday minus one during WWII when then they ran out of their bean rations and served just broth. A link to the official recipe is located in the resources section of this page. I’m not making it for fear of wasting food.
The oldest building of offices for congressmen, Cannon House Office Building, is named after him. On March 3, 1903, (does everything happen on March 3rd?) Joseph G. Cannon, William P. Hepburn and James D. Richardson comprised the House Office Building Commission and oversaw the plans and budget for the project. Completed in 1908, the building provided larger committee rooms than the Capitol contained, which permitted larger audiences to observe hearings. In 1962, it was became officially known as the Cannon Building, rather than the “old” building as it had been unofficially designated previously.
Conclusion
So what did I learn by researching Joseph G. Cannon
There has been a need for congressional term limits for more than 100 years in order stop career politicians from stagnating our country.
Too much power leads to ridiculous orders and expectations
I’m pretty sure we aren’t learning from our past. I don’t have an answer for how to balance progress with experience, but something needs to change.
I just got an email congratulating me on 2 years of blogging. That made me feel bad because I’ve been a terrible writer lately. My brain has been melting due to audits at work and by the time I get home all I want to do is sleep.
Seriously, it took me a month to read this 91 page book. The story was good and I liked the characters. I just kept falling asleep after a couple pages.
Small Town Girl is the first book in the Kissing Creek series. It tells the story of a high school romance between Deke, a nerdy guy who is avoiding going away to school for Dixie, his girlfriend with a terrible family situation.
I was surprised by the ending. Thankfully, there are more books in this series to hopefully get rid of my unanswered questions.
Hopefully this is a start to me getting out of my reading slump.
