Heartland

Now there’s something you don’t see every day By Dr. Bruce Smith | June 11, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Lessons the old Studebaker taught me

Go Back In Time With Oral History By Dr. Bruce Smith | June 4, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: My paternal grandfather was just Grandpa Smith to me

In Every Little Village By Dr. Bruce Smith | May 28, 2023

So it is a solemn duty bequeathed to us by those who served. Go find them. Recall their sacrifice. Never forget

Nostalgic Spring Beauty By Dr. Bruce Smith | May 21, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: If you’re out hiking or looking for mushrooms, there are often nostalgic discoveries around the foundations or grounds of old homes and farms. Please share your own favorites in the comment section

Sometimes We Just Need To Raise The Drawbridge By Dr. Bruce Smith | May 18, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Call it a mental health day if it helps, but we all need to shrug a little now and then. It’s time to pull up the draw bridge

Reminds Me Of October ’73, But Only A Little By Dr. Bruce Smith | May 8, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: So these events remind me of October ’73, but only a little. Back then, the system was a little fairer and public officials sometimes still had a sense of honor. Now, not so much

Musical perfection The Dave Clark Five By Dr. Bruce Smith | April 30, 2023

Because It was one of those songs that was perfect the first time I heard it and every time after.

Reverence For the Past, or The Wonders of an Attic By Dr. Bruce Smith | April 26, 2023

History and memory transport us to the long ago and far away whenever we are ready for inspiration from those who came before us

Show Them How It’s Done By Dr. Bruce Smith | April 18, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Show them how to do it. I ask you to model for young people, friends, and family the way you live a good life.

Well, There’s Something You Don’t See Every Day! By Dr. Bruce Smith | April 10, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: "Well, there’s something you don’t see every day! It’s a V-1 Buzz Bomb! Pop had a crack at those"

Give Us This Day Our Occasional Near Miss By Dr. Bruce Smith | April 3, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Every now and then, we are blessed by a scare or a near-miss in our own lives or in the lives of others

Freedom of Speech for Dummies By Dr. Bruce Smith | March 21, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Free speech means that people are allowed to be right or wrong, and none of us gets to define what that is. The US Constitution says it’s protected, and that’s good enough for me.

It’s Probably Not About What They Say It’s About By Dr. Bruce Smith | March 5, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: Go ahead and criticize me as insensitive and uncaring, because I’d rather be called cynical than gullible

To get to the heart of any matter, one must first define the terms By Dr. Bruce Smith | February 26, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: So when the shrieking never-Trumpers get all righteous about insurrection against the government, it’s time to get out the dictionary and actually look up some words

Western Civilization III By Dr. Bruce Smith | February 21, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: There are those today who sniff at the lessons and strengths of Western Civilization. They offer nothing but nihilism and destruction

Western Civilization II By Dr. Bruce Smith | February 12, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: About 1490, when Europe emerged from the ravages of the Black Death, Western Civilization blossomed and grew northward and westward again

What’s Worth Defending? Western Civilization Part I By Dr. Bruce Smith | February 6, 2023

Survival in Tough Times:

The Definition of Fair By Dr. Bruce Smith | January 29, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: These days, when people whine that something is unfair, they mostly mean that they don’t like it. Perhaps if more people looked up words in the teeny print of the OED, they’d choose their words more carefully

Some Ideas For a Winter’s Midday Meal By Dr. Bruce Smith | January 22, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: If it’s snowing outside and you have a stack of high-quality grilled sandwiches to choose from, then should choose your favorite first for a clean palette, or last to have that lingering favorite flavor into the early afterno

Eyewitness To History By Dr. Bruce Smith | January 15, 2023

Some called it chaos and some called it infighting and some called it embarrassing, but it was none of those things. It was a battle for the right and for the country. It was a beautiful thing to see

Seed catalogs By Dr. Bruce Smith | January 8, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: It all starts in the dream time in January in the seed catalogs. Time to get started!

Feed the Birds By Dr. Bruce Smith | January 2, 2023

Survival in Tough Times: If you don’t already feed the birds, consider starting. It’s an investment in peace and tranquility, and don’t forget that the old bird woman will be smiling at you from her place on the steps of St. Paul’s

Ghosts of Christmas Past By Dr. Bruce Smith | December 25, 2022

Christmas was different back in the day.

Fine Things on a Cold Winter Morning By Dr. Bruce Smith | December 19, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: Our hardworking farm ancestors knew how to survive a morning's work. We honor them with a feast of homage just now and then. After all, we're not gluttons

Fight or Flight By Dr. Bruce Smith | December 12, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: Don’t let bad or destructive people onto your island

We Can’t See What We Can’t Name By Dr. Bruce Smith | December 7, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: Haven’t we seen something like this before? Was it 2020? Many stories from that year showed the same result. What did it look like before? Isn’t there a name for it now?

Seek a Message in the Quiet By Dr. Bruce Smith | November 27, 2022

Survival in Tough Times

A Season to be Grateful By Dr. Bruce Smith | November 23, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: In uncertain times, every season should be a season of gratitude

The Snowbirds Have Arrived for the Winter By Dr. Bruce Smith | November 13, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: Savor the moment and the tea and give thanks for all that we have today

Musical Perfection: A Whiter Shade of Pale By Dr. Bruce Smith | November 7, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: 1968 A year of Tumult