Monthly Archives: April 2026
The Metropolitan Museum of Art commonly known as the Met, is an encyclopedic art museum that was officially incorporated in New York City on April 13, 1870. By floor area, it is the fourth-largest museum in the world and the largest art museum in the Americas. The museum had a record 5,727,258 visitors in fiscal year 2025. It was the most-visited museum in the United States and the fourth-most visited art museum in the world. Conceived by American expatriates in Paris along with several wealthy New Yorkers, the Met didn’t host its first exhibition until 1872, but it soon grew into one of the world’s leading collections of fine art, a status it still enjoys today.
Back in 1866, a group of American socialites living in Paris, including lawyer John Jay, decided they wanted to create “a national institution and gallery of art.” They reached out to the Union League Club of New York, which pulled together the influence and funding needed to make it happen. On this day in 1870, the city approved 
their Act of Incorporation, requiring that the collection be open to the public year-round and free of charge. Year-round is not unexpected, but to be free of charge is definitely something unusual.
Back in 2000, The Met’s permanent collection boasted over two million works, but now it lists about 1.5 million. The collection is spread across 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 Fifth Avenue, located along Museum Mile on the east side of Central Park in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is one of the largest art museums in the world by area. The first part of the roughly 2-million-square-foot structure was built in 1880. A smaller second location, The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, Upper Manhattan, houses an impressive collection of art, architecture, and artifacts from medieval Europe.
The Met got its first piece, a Roman sarcophagus, in November of its founding year. In 1876, it completed the purchase of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriot Art, cementing its status as North America’s top spot for artifacts and artwork from Antiquity. Taking advantage of the Franco-Prussian War, Jay acquired an impressive 174 works by Dutch Old Masters in 1871, giving the museum a strong collection before it even opened its first location in 1872. By 1880, a decade after its founding, the Met had moved to its current home on Fifth Avenue 
at 82nd Street. Today, it showcases some of the largest collections of European and Antique art, along with pieces from every continent and in nearly every medium. It’s not just a leading cultural hub in New York, but also one of the world’s most famous and visited museums, welcoming around 7 million visitors each year.
My sister-in-law, Jennifer Parmely knew her calling with the birth of her first son, Barry Schulenberg. From the moment he arrived, Jennifer began working toward her nursing degree, and within two years she was a labor and delivery nurse. Jennifer also drove herself to the hospital when her second pregnancy turned into a bit of an emergency. Nevertheless, her son JD Parmely was born healthy and well, as was her third son, Erik Parmely. As to her career, there is no way to say exactly how many babies Jennifer assisted in their entry into the world, but I know that four of them were my grandchildren, Chris Petersen, Shai Royce, Caalab Royce, and Josh Petersen. Jennifer’s nursing career was long and exciting and finally came to an end when Jennifer retired on February 28, 2023. She had been in healthcare since she was 17 years old…first as a candy striper, then as a CNA (as required by the nursing school at that time), and then as a labor and delivery nurse.
Since her retirement, she still spends time with children quite a bit. She has three granddaughters and a grandson, all of whom love to spend time with their Oma, especially if they can spend the night. Jennifer especially loves to spend time one-on-one with the kids, so they can each do things that they are specifically interested in. The kids are 13, 11, 8, and 6, so their interests vary greatly, and sometimes it’s just nice to get away from siblings. I know that Jennifer is a blessing to her son, Eric and his wife too. She sometimes picks the kids up from school when their parents are working and keeps them until they get off work. It takes a load off of working parents and pleases Jennifer and the kids too.
Of course, not all of Jennifer’s time is spent with children. She and her partner, Brian Cratty own a cabin on 
Casper Mountain, and they love spending time up there throughout the year. They love hiking, skiing, and just relaxing at the cabin. The kids all love to go up to for picnics, holidays, hiking, skiing and whatever everyone comes up with. Prior to her retirement, Jennifer’s time on the mountain was more limited. Now, she is free to go up as often as she wants, and since their house in town isn’t that far from the base of the mountain, it’s just a quick trip up there. Jennifer is very much enjoying her retirement. Today is Jennifer’s birthday. Happy 65th birthday Jennifer!! Have a great day!! We love you!!
With the many volcanic eruptions we hear about every day, I find it hard to fathom a statement like “the most powerful volcanic eruption in human history,” but on April 10, 1815, an eruption began in earnest in Indonesia, involving the Tambora volcano. The eruption sent ash 20 miles into the atmosphere and boiling liquified rock streaming down its slopes. The “cacophony of explosions” echoed for hundreds of miles, and within hours, nearby villages vanished, forests were reduced to ash, and massive rivers of lava surged into the sea, reshaping the island’s coastline.
Tambora, located on Sumbawa Island at the eastern edge of the Indonesian archipelago, had shown no volcanic activity for thousands of years before its massive 1815 eruption. Beginning to rumble on April 5, the volcano erupted with such force that it directly killed nearly 100,000 people and indirectly caused tens of millions more deaths worldwide. It was the largest eruption ever recorded, darkening the skies for days as ash blocked out the sun, causing massive local destruction and triggering the global “Year Without a Summer.” The eruption reached its climax on April 10, 
1815, producing a Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) of 7, ejecting 37–45 km³ of dense-rock equivalent material into the atmosphere. In 1816, the massive amount of ash was characterized by unusually cold temperatures, frosts, and snow during summer months in the Northern Hemisphere. Europe experienced crop failures, food shortages, and famine, while North America saw persistent “dry fog,” frost, and poor harvests. Asia, including China and India, suffered disrupted monsoons, flooding, and famine. The global temperature drop is estimated at 0.7–1 °F on average. Flaming debris hitting the surrounding ocean created steam explosions, and the force of the blast triggered a moderate tsunami. So much rock and ash were expelled that Tambora collapsed into itself, reducing its height from 14,000 feet to 9,000 feet. After the eruption ended, a caldera spanning some 3.7 miles across remained.
The massive explosions were heard hundreds of miles away, prompting rulers to dispatch their armies, 
convinced a military invasion was imminent. Tambora’s eruptions had a global impact, spewing enough ash into the atmosphere to lower temperatures for the next year and create stunningly colorful sunsets around the world. The eruption was blamed for snow and frost in New England during June and July of that summer. About ten thousand people died directly from the eruptions, most on Sumbawa Island, while in the following months over 80,000 more perished in the surrounding regions from starvation caused by crop failures and disease. A widespread cholera outbreak linked to the eruption claimed countless additional lives.
It seems like every year there’s a day in early spring, usually around mid-April, that I can only call Slap Day. Not that anyone should actually slap someone, or that the weather makes you want to, although maybe it does, when someone chirps, “We need the moisture,” in defense of a snowstorm. Sure, we all know we need it, but couldn’t it just snow in the mountains and rain down here? Isn’t that what spring is supposed to bring? Rain! I get that the weather isn’t their fault and they’re just trying to stay positive, but it’s so frustrating when, after enjoying blooming crocuses and daffodils and watching the yard turn green, everything suddenly disappears under a mountain of snow. And every time it happens, our morale plummets into the depths of snow. No self-respecting flower would dare emerge on Slap Day anyway…they’re too delicate!
Every year, we know to simply “expect” Slap Day, but even more bizarre than the idea of “accepting” Slap Day is the idea that Slap Day may not happen. When Winter plays such a cruel trick on Spring, I want to draw the line, but not in exchange for a Summer of water rationing. Winter normally bullies all of us already. It’s just too much, when Winter refuses to take it’s turn and provide us with the necessary moisture to prevent the need for Slap Day. That is just as wrong as Slap Day itself!! Winter simply didn’t do its job this year. I hate snow as much as the next guy, but I also know that there is a time for rain and a time for snow. This past Winter wasn’t just fairly mild. It was almost non-existent, and we really needed quite a bit more snow…much as I hate to say it.
While there are few things I hate more than Slap Day, I really do hate a year of praying for no wildfires, no dry lightning storms, and even no rainy lightning storms, because lightning in a year void of a real Winter means a big chance of wildfires. So, while I would normally be ranting about Slap Day, should it arrive, I would probably actually welcome it this year, provided it didn’t bring with it a bunch of flooding. Slap Day suddenly seems very important to the welfare of the entire state. In fact, a couple of Slap Days, followed by a rainy Sprin would be very nice, again provided we didn’t get so much moisture that we got flooding. I suppose it would seem like I’m being rather picky, and I suppose I am, but I just want us to have a nice Spring and Summer. Is that so much to ask?
April 8, 1945, dawned like any other mission day in the closing stages of World War II. The crew of Wee Willie, a B-17G was part of a mission of the Allied forces to launch a barrage of air raids over Germany. Their mission was an attempt to destroy the country’s manufacturing facilities and lessen the morale of its citizens. There were two main dangers that faced the B-17s that flew missions over Germany. The first was the Luftwaffe and the second the flak guns. The entire incident was captured on film by an automatic strike camera aboard another B-17 involved in the raid. Of Wee Willie’s nine-man crew, only 1st Lieutenant Robert E Fuller survived, with reports stating that the first explosion blew him out of the cockpit. After which he managed to open his parachute and land safely on the ground, he was immediately taken prisoner by the Germans. After the war, Fuller never discussed the photo or the crash with the media or the public. He remained in the Air Force until 1950, earning a promotion to Captain. After his service, he worked at Rockwell International for 18 years. Later, he settled in Hemet, California, where he passed away in 1986. Captain Fuller was married twice, to Jann Keyes Biggs and Vivian Pearson, and had one son, Ronald, who predeceased him.
Wee Willie, a B-17G-15-B0 with serial number 42-31333, was the 302nd B-17G Flying Fortress built at Boeing’s Plant 2 in Seattle, Washington. Delivered to the US Army Air Forces in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in October 1943, it was soon sent to RAF Bassingbourn in Cambridgeshire, United Kingdom. There, it joined the 322nd Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group, 1st Air Division, 8th Air Force. By the time it was shot down, Wee Willie was the oldest B-17G still flying with the 91st and the second-to-last lost to enemy action before Germany’s surrender.
On April 8, 1945, the B-17G, Wee Willie took off from Air Force Station 121 at RAF Bassingbourn for either its 128th or 129th mission. In command was US Army Air Forces 1st Lieutenant Robert E Fuller. In addition to Fuller, the only surviving crew member, were Sergeant Le Moyne Miller, 2nd Lieutenant Woodrow A Lien, Staff Sergeant James D Houtchens, Tech Sergeant Francis J McCarthy, Staff Sergeant Ralf J Leffelman, Staff Sergeant Wylie McNatt Jr, and Staff Sergeant William H Cassiday making up the rest of the combat crew. German anti-aircraft fire caused minor damage to 13 Allied bombers and major damage to four more. Out of the 73 that participated, only two were completely lost, one being the B-17G Wee Willie. It was hit by 88mm flak between its Number 2 engine and bomb bay, sending it straight into a vertical dive. A witness described the 
aftermath of the strike, stating, “The fuselage was on fire, and after it fell about 5,000 feet, the left wing broke off. It kept descending, and when it was roughly 3,000 feet from the ground, it exploded, then exploded again upon impact.” Many planes were shot down during World War II, and many were brought down by flak, but not all were caught on camera in such a dramatic and horrific way. The fate of Wee Willie will remain in my mind. I can only imagine the terror they felt as they fell from the sky.
For my niece, Chantel Balcerzak, life is always busy. She is the grandmother to seven sweet grandchildren!! That is something that would keep any grandmother busy. One of those little ones keeps her especially busy, because she babysits little Nathaniel, who often goes by Nathan or Nate. Nathaniel and his parents, Siara Kirk and her husband Chris live in the house next door to Chantel and her husband, Dave Balcerzak, so he is with his grandparents a lot and that suits him just fine!! It has been a great arrangement for everyone. Siara and Chris know that when they are working, their baby boy is having a great time with his grandma, and that makes going to work much easier for them. Leaving your baby with a sitter isn’t always easy, but it’s a whole lot easier when the sitter is Grandma. She enjoys spending time with each and every one of her grandchildren.
As it turns out, Chantel and Dave live right next door to their best friends, Siara, Chris, and Nathaniel, and they love spending time together. They often go to concerts and football games whenever they can. While Chantel isn’t as into sports as her husband and kids, she really enjoys the trips they’ve taken to the games. She loves traveling and will happily go whenever the chance comes up. Concerts, though, are definitely one of her favorite things to do with her family.
Since she was a little girl, Chantel has always had a flair for the artistic—whether it’s art, makeup, or fashion. Always a diva, she knew exactly how to pose to make any photograph of her look amazing. She loves to paint and has completed several murals, my favorite being the one she created on the backyard wall of her sister Toni and her husband Dave Chase’s house. They love it too, as it transforms their yard into a beautiful mountain scene that makes you feel like you’re truly in the mountains.
Chantel, being an artist, is also incredibly talented at interior design. Her home is stunning, something I’ve always admired and wished I could replicate, even though I’m neither an artist nor a designer. Her house has a 
distinctly feminine flair, but that doesn’t bother her husband Dave in the slightest…in fact, I think he loves it. It makes him feel cared for and appreciated, and I believe most men enjoy feeling “taken care of” in their own homes. Dave feels very blessed. Chantel’s gift for design truly brings that warmth. Today is Chantel’s birthday! Happy birthday, Chantel! Have a great day! We love you!
When I think of Easter, I’m reminded of my Christian faith, the miracle of salvation, and the willing sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Humanity was in deep trouble. Because sin had entered the world, we were left doomed to eternal damnation in Hell. There was no escape, for the wages of sin is death, and all have sinned. But God created this world so He could have a family. He loved His children, and so he provided a solution: innocent blood had to be shed to pay the price for everyone who had sinned. There was no other way to break the curse that sin had brought into the world. God knew it, and Jesus accepted the decision.
The death of Jesus on Good Friday was incredibly brutal. Humans can inflict terrible pain and suffering on one another, and Jesus, both man and God, felt every lash and endured every humiliation. He faced it all knowing it was essential…the most important mission in the history of Earth, past, present, and future. No other act could compare, as his death on the cross was a “once for all” sacrifice. It changed the course of history, restoring to humanity what the devil had taken.
When Jesus rose from the dead three days later, our justification was complete. For us that is unfathomable. rapping our heads around forgiveness…without the need for some sort of penance is almost impossible, but that is exactly what grace is. We could enter Heaven simply by believing in His sacrifice and accepting Him as our 
Lord and Savior. It’s such a simple way to receive eternal life, yet many refuse because they think they’ll have to give up their fun. Little do they realize what they’re actually giving up. This life is just a fleeting moment, but Heaven is forever. The contrast is striking. Like it or not, this life will soon be gone, but the next will never end, and we get to choose where we spend it, so we must choose wisely.
Many people celebrate Easter with a big dinner and plenty of candy, and that’s wonderful, but we should never forget the true reason for the holiday…the resurrection of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Jesus is risen! He is alive! Happy Easter to all!
These days, most tsunamis come with some warning, at least since the 1946 wave that struck Alaska and Hawaii. Still, there are devastating waves that can’t be predicted and can be just as deadly as those the Pacific Tsunami Warning System alerts people about. One I’d never heard of until my sister, Cheryl Masterson, mentioned it a few days ago happened in Boston, Massachusetts on January 15, 1919. While it was a completely different kind of tsunami, it was still deadly. In fact, it was so unusual that many might doubt it’s a true story…but it really did happen.
At around 12:40pm on January 15, 1919, a tank holding 2.3 million gallons of molasses burst at the Purity Distilling Co. in Boston’s North End, sending waves of sticky syrup racing through the streets at nearly 35 miles per hour. Most people wouldn’t think of molasses as dangerous, but a 25-foot-high wave moving that fast can be as deadly as getting hit by a car. There was no warning, and honestly, there couldn’t have been. The molasses had 
been stored in the tank awaiting transfer to another plant, and with temperatures climbing rapidly, a bizarre and tragic chain of events unfolded. Witnesses said the ground shook like a tornado or a freight train was barreling down the street.
The Boston Globe reported that people were swept up by a rush of air and thrown several feet, while a truck was lifted by the powerful wave and hurled into Boston Harbor. The force was so intense it nearly knocked a railroad car off the city’s elevated tracks. The Boston Post painted a vivid, grim picture: molasses, waist-deep, flooded the streets, swirling around wreckage. Shapes struggled in the sticky mess. It was impossible to tell if they were human or animal. Horses perished like flies trapped on paper, sinking deeper the more they fought, and men and women endured the same fate.
The final death toll reached 21, with 150 injured. Victims were either crushed by debris-laden molasses or 
drowned in it. People and animals struggled, some beyond rescue. The cleanup was immense…fire trucks hosed down streets, and welders cut apart the tank. The harbor stayed brown until summer, and molasses seeped into every crack. It’s said that on hot days, the smell lingered for decades, though perhaps memory played a part. Public outrage led to a class-action lawsuit against the United States Industrial Alcohol Company, which had recently acquired the Purity Distilling Company. After three years of hearings, the company was found guilty of negligence and ordered to pay $600,000…nearly $10 million today…in settlements. The wave was as deadly as a tsunami, but no warning could have prevented the tragedy.
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