Another spring tulip

Happy Birthday, David Janssen.

David Janssen was born David Meyer on March 27, 1931 in Napanee, Nebraska. At age 5, his mother moved to California following a divorce from David's father. She remarried Eugene Janssen and David used his last name when he went into show business. He is best known as Dr. Richard Kimble in the television series THE FUGITIVE in the 1960s. He died February 13, 1980 of a heart attack at age 48.

Happy birthday, David.

Nebraska Nellie

Tulips.....

This tulip photo was taken a few days earlier than the previous one. Completely open but before it started to wither.

Nebraska Nellie

A new addition to my dead flower collection

I got some beautiful pink and white tulips last Tuesday as a gift. I've taken photos of every stage and I find them so interesting even when they die. The petals curl and wind around and the colors become more intense that before. This was taken with a macro lens. I love how the white almost looks silvery.

Nebraska Nellie

Spring at last.........

Two days ago, it was 68 degrees here in Nebraska. Yesterday, more snow, wind, and cold. Today is the first day of spring and my sister's birthday. I hope the sun comes out and melts the snow and she has a very nice birthday.

This lily is one of the lilies I got for my birthday last Saturday. I love taking photos with my macro lens.

Nebraska Nellie

Congratulations. Women Pilots of WWII finally honored.

In today's Lincoln Journal Star, is an article about a ceremony on March 10, 2010 in Washington DC, honoring the women pilots of World War II. There were 1074 women pilots who were ahead of his time. Nineteen of these pilots were from Nebraska. Evelyn Sharp (above) was one of them. Diane Bartels wrote a book about her, Sharpie, The Life of Evelyn Sharp--Nebraska's Aviatrix.

The women were not allowed to fly combat missions, but because of their work, they freed the men up to go overseas for combat. They were considered non-military for a long time and denied military benefits.

Read the article at journalstar.com.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy 150th Birthday, William Jennings Bryan

William Jennings Bryan was born on March 19, 1860 in Illinois. Bryan was home schooled until the age of 10. He went to law school in Chicago, Illinois. He taught high school while studying for the bar. He married Mary Elizabeth Baird in 1884. She became a lawyer and helped him with his writings and speeches. They moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1887.

In 1890, he was elected to Congress as a Democrat. He unsuccessfully ran for the senate in 1894. He also ran unsuccessfully three times for president. Bryan was the most popular speaker on the Chautaqua Circuit. He is famous for his Cross of Gold speech, among others.

His Presbyterian beliefs caused him to fight Darwinism and was opposing counsel to Clarence Darrow in The Scopes Trial in 1925. I hope you all have seen Inherit the Wind. If not, please do so.

In Lincoln, Nebraska, the hospital is named after him and is near his beautiful home, Fairview.

William Jennings Bryan is an important historical figure from Nebraska.

Nebraska Nellie

Beware the Ides of March.....

Et tu Brute.

Happy Chris Klein.

Klein was born on March 14, 1979 in Hinsdale, Illinois. Klein was the second of three children. He lived in the town for thirteen years before his family moved to Omaha, Nebraska. He attended Millard West High School and acted in his high school's performance in West Side Story. In his senior year, Klein was offered his first professional acting job by director Alexander Payne, who was scouting Omaha, his hometown, as a potential filming location for the film, Election. He attended Texas Christian University.

His has been in 26 films according to imdb.com. Have a nice day, Chris.

Nebraska Nellie

Susan B. Anthony

On February 15, we celebrated this wonderful woman's birthday. Today, I want to remember when we lost her about 14 years before women got the right to vote in this country. Her life's work was to accomplish this right and although she did not live to see it, she worked tirelessly for suffrage.

Nebraska Nellie

L. Ron Hubbard

Today L. Ron Hubbard would have turned 99 years old. He was born on March 13, 1911 in Tilden, Nebraska. Tilden is a small town of about 1000 people today and my grandparents lived there. He became world famous for his Dianetics and Scientology. He was a multimillionaire. Today a number of celebrities subscribe to the Church of Scientology. Only this week I saw a news story about members of the church leaving and being treated very badly. I have no expertise in this "church" which is called a cult by some. However, in researching for this article, I found a number of websites that cause me to have serious concerns about Scientology. I also found an article about his strange death. Feel free to google him and you will find many interesting things.

At least 20 and maybe 30 years ago, I remember my grandmother telling me that L. Ron Hubbard or his people wanted to donate money to Tilden, Nebraska for a park. Tilden would not accept the money.

He was born here and he is famous so I acknowledge these things to you.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy Birthday, Gordon MacRae.

Curly in Oklahoma

Gordon MacRae was born on March 12, 1921 and was a famous actor and singer. He was not born in Nebraska, but he spent the last years of his life in Lincoln, Nebraska. He made Nebraska his home and died here in 1986 at the age of 64. He is buried here.

He was married to Sheila MacRae and had two daughters that went on to become actresses as well, Heather and Meredith. I loved Meredith in Petticoat Junction. He later married Elizabeth Lamberti Schrafft and remained married to her until his death.

MacRae was probably best known for his role in Oklahoma.

I collect memorabilia for our famous Nebraskans. A few years ago, his widow had a tag sale because she was moving out of their home. I was fortunate to find out about the sale. I bought two boxes of records and other memorabilia from the sale.

Happy birthday, Curly.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy Birthday, Rodney Grant.

Who could forget "Wind in his Hair" in Dances with Wolves? Such a commanding figure. He was born 51 years ago today on March 9, 1959. He is a member of the Omaha Tribe here in Nebraska. Rodney has three daughters, two of which reside with their mother. He is now married to Lee-Anne, and they have a son, Walter.

In researching Grant, I was pleased to see how many movies he has been in. I saw the movies and his roles on imdb.com. The biography shows he did not have an easy childhood. In 1991, he was chosen by People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world.

At midnight tonight, Geronimo will be showing on AMC. I will look forward to seeing him.

Have a wonderful birthday, Rodney.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy birthday, Randy Meisner.

Remember the Eagles? Randy Meisner was born on March 8, 1946 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska. His parents were sharecroppers. Growing up, he taught himself to play the guitar. He formed a band and played for a private party at 15.

At 17, he dropped out of school and married his high school sweetheart. His group became popular in western Nebraska. In 1970, he joined Rick Nelson's Stone Canyon Band playing bass and singing back up vocals. In 1972, he formed the band--The Eagles.

Meisner was inducted into the National Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio in 1999. He is the best selling recording artist in Nebraska history. Nebraska inducted him into the Nebraska Music Hall of Fame on August 19, 2000. What a thrill it is for me to find more and more famous people who started here.

Today he is a great grandfather and is only rarely performing. I hope he has had a great birthday and many more.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy International Women's Day!

What a great day to honor so many fabulous women. My major as an undergrad in the 70s was Women's Studies. Last October, I went to Seneca Falls and visited Elizabeth Cady Stanton's home. The same day I went on to Rochester, NY and visited Susan B. Anthony's home. For me, the day was inspiring.

I am very inspired by the Clara Colby story. She lived in Beatrice, Nebraska (my home town) and published the Women's Tribune--a publication advocating women's suffrage. She personally experienced how women were treated badly by the law. Her husband, a lawyer, divorced her and at that time, was entitled to the property and the children.

In college, I remember reading writings by women who had to use men's names in order to be published.

Things have changed for the better, but I fear that young women today have no appreciation of the work that was done so that they could have most of the opportunities that men have had. I see in my profession so many more women, but to them, it's something they can take for granted. I work with as many men as women. I see how we think so differently in our everyday life and in how we try to solve problems, big and small.

There have always been strong women and they inspire us. I think of my grandmothers and mother. We have so many opportunities. We need to inspire the next generation--daughters and nieces.

There is still work to do. As Abigail Adams asked her husband, "Remember the ladies."

Nebraska Nellie

On top of Scottsbluff

Through the years, I have taken a number of photos with one lonely tree. I like that image for several reasons. I like the idea of this single tree growing out of a rock. It also seems lonely. Anyway, I like it.

Nebraska Nellie

Cranes at dawn on the Platte River

Time again for the sandhill cranes.

This photo of the sandhill cranes was taken between Grand Island and Kearney in March, 2008. Cranes sound like what I imagine dinosaurs would sound. It's so interesting to see them fly. I try to go see the cranes every year. I hope to this month.

Nebraska Nellie

Big Blue River

Big Blue River in Beatrice, Nebraska.

Happy 143rd birthday, Nebraska.

Happy Birthday, Nebraska!

Nebraska became part of the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase. We later became a territory and then on March 1, 1867, we became the 37th state. When the Homestead Act passed, Daniel Freeman was the first person to sign up for free land in Nebraska, near Beatrice. Everyone should go see the Homestead National Monument which was recently modernized to have an interesting museum and gift shop.

The land in our state is quite different as you drive from east to west. In the eastern part of our state, it is quite flat. You can see the rolling hills as you travel northeast. The sandhills are very different in appearance from the eastern part of the state. In the far west, we have some interesting bluffs, buttes, and Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock is what we see in the above photo. It was an important landmark for pioneers traveling west.

I will be posting more of my Nebraska photos in the following days. I hope you can all enjoy it.

The words to our state song are below. I hope you know the melody.

Nebraska Nellie

Beautiful Nebraska

Written by: Jim Fras

Beautiful Nebraska, peaceful prairieland,
Laced with many rivers, and the hills of sand;
Dark green valleys cradled in the earth,
Rain and sunshine bring abundant birth.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand;
Beautiful Nebraska land.

We are so proud of this state where we live,
There is no place that has so much to give.

Beautiful Nebraska, as you look around,
You will find a rainbow reaching to the ground;
All these wonders by the Master's hand,
Beautiful Nebraska land.