History
Little-known stories from history which entertain, educate, and inspire. Sources cited.
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Faith, Hope, and Love: A Book Review of Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius
By Sally Matheny All Photos are courtesy of Martin Pistorius Martin Pistorius’ has found a way to communicate his journey of becoming a mute, quadriplegic teen to a strong man with a message to share. Faith, hope and love—my review of Ghost Boy by Martin Pistorius. A Normal Childhood At the age of twelve, Martin Pistorius slowly slipped from perfect health into an unknown illness. His body weakened and his memories faded. After his parents exhausted all medical avenues for an answer, they painfully watched their son become a mute, quadriplegic. For four years, Martin was in a waking coma state in an unresponsive shell, unseeing and unknowing of his…
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Summer Fun for Family: Pickin’ and Grinnin’ at Earl Scruggs Center
If you've ever watched the television series, The Beverly Hillbillies, you may remember musicians Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. Occasionally, they sauntered through the Clampetts’ mansion door pickin’ and grinnin’. If you missed their appearances, you didn’t miss out on their music. Scruggs and Flat performed the theme song for the show. You can share the history of the toe-tapping, bluegrass music with your children by visiting a wonderful museum in western North Carolina. The Earl Scruggs Center, which opened in January 2014, is located on Lafayette Street in Shelby, North Carolina.
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Commemorating Christmas in Bastogne 1944–Book Review of No Greater Valor
by Sally Matheny No Greater Valor commemorates Christmas at Bastogne Seventy years ago, German troops outnumbered and surrounded the US troops in Bastogne, Belgium. Hopes of a silent night diminished. However, not only did the U.S. troops hold fast to their faith and courage, they witnessed divine miracles that Christmas. They held Bastogne. Dr. Jerome Corsi, author of six New York Timesbest-selling books, extensively researched numerous WWII resources including military documents, personal diaries and letters. The result of his research is his latest book, No Greater Valor: The Siege of Bastogne and the Miracle That Sealed Allied Victory.” “Battles are won…
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Veterans—Why Children Still Need You
This Veterans Day, not only do I want to express my appreciation, but I also want to remind veterans of why our children still need you. Those who have served in our Armed Forces, during times of peace and times of war, have surely done so with our children in mind.
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Titanic Survival Story- Emily B. Ryerson’s and Mine
This is really a comparison of two survival stories. One is about Emily Borie Ryerson, a true survivor of the infamous Titanic ship. The other is about me, Sally Matheny, a survivor of S.C. State Museum’s 2012 Titanic Camp. Before entering the Titanic exhibit, each camper was given a “boarding pass” for their overnight adventure at the museum. Each pass held factual information about an actual passenger aboard the steamship Titanic in the year 1912. We assumed their identities as we traveled through the exhibit. By the end of the event, museum participants gathered enough information to discover the outcome of their Titanic passenger. Boarding passes were handed out randomly,…
