Monday's Hero

I want to write about Columbus a little bit today. I keep hearing people slamming him. They are changing the name of the holiday to Fall Holiday, etc because of the atrocities he caused the people of Hispaniola when he came over (bringing smallpox and enslaving them,etc. - but if you really look into it, these things weren't Columbus' personal fault but the fault of other Europeans. He is just taking the fall). They also say he can't possibly have discovered anything because people were already here. I disagree. There may have been people here already but his discovery brought the people of Europe here. I am a descendant of them and I am mighty glad that I am here. My ancestors came for a variety a reasons, my most recent ones, the Brugger's because of religious freedom and to live close to people that believed the same way they did. No matter how we look at it - every hero has flaws. They are human. We can still be grateful for the good they did.

Today, to celebrate Columbus Day, Clyde and I went the Gillette Castle in Connecticut. Elise Cannon had gone there with her friend Teresa just before her visit here over Labor Day. We took her advice and went and took a gander. It was fascinating. William Gillette was the actor best known for originating the part of Sherlock Holmes. He was a stage actor and he is the one that came up with the Meerschaum pipe, the Inverness Cape and the deerstalker hat that became the trademarks of Sherlock Holmes on the stage and in the early movies at the beginning of the 20th century. The house is constructed entirely of stone - inside and out. It is like a rustic hunting lodge. I suggest that you get on the Internet and look at pictures of it. We forgot our camera but they were being really strict about what could be photographed and what couldn't be anyway. There was an elaborate system of latches and locks on the doors that were beautiful as well as functional and in the windows too. The light switches were also a series of levers and pulleys (he had steam heat, gas lighting and electricity years before anyone else did). It was a fascinating excursion.

I am thankful for a comfortable car, beautiful autumn colors, the wonderful company of my husband, returned missionaries and good friends.