Dr. Bruce Smith

Dr. Bruce Smith ([url="https://inkwellhearthandplow.blogspot.com/"]Inkwell, Hearth and Plow[/url]) is a retired professor of history and a lifelong observer of politics and world events. He holds degrees from Indiana University and the University of Notre Dame. In addition to writing, he works as a caretaker and handyman. His non-fiction book The War Comes to Plum Street, about daily life in the 1930s and during World War II, may be ordered from [url="http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/product_info.php?products_id=93188"]Indiana University Press[/url].

Most Recent Articles by Dr. Bruce Smith:

Show Them How It’s Done 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! 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 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

Musical Perfection: Dimitri Tiomkin March 29, 2023

Tiomkin received 22 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars, three for Best Original Score for High Noon, The High and the Mighty, and The Old Man and the Sea, and one for Best Original Song for "The Ballad of High Noon" from the film High Noon

Freedom of Speech for Dummies 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 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 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 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 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 February 6, 2023

Survival in Tough Times:

The Definition of Fair 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 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 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 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 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 December 25, 2022

Christmas was different back in the day.

Fine Things on a Cold Winter Morning 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 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 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 November 27, 2022

Survival in Tough Times

A Season to be Grateful 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 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 November 7, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: 1968 A year of Tumult

Even more ways to produce and save heat October 31, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: So the bottom line is to anticipate the change in seasons, dress warmly, plan ahead, and use alternate fuels safely

More Ways to Produce and Save Heat October 17, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: Looks like there are more ways to produce and save heat than I thought. See you here next week, same time, same station!

Ways to produce and save heat October 9, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: There are more thrifty ways to make heat and stay warm. I'll visit some of those soon. For now, make sure that firewood isn't getting wet when it rains!

There Must Be A Relief Valve October 7, 2022

Survival in Tough Times: "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve"

Freeman Farm is Hot Off the Presses October 2, 2022

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bran September 25, 2022

Survival in Tough Times

Musical Perfection: Camille Saint-Saens, The Swan September 19, 2022

Survival in Tough Times