Who Knew What, When, Why

Every year on the 4^th of July I’d wonder how the Russian composition, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture, became a staple of July 4^th patriotic celebrations. Thanks to the Internet, I now have my answer. It started in 1974 when Arthur Fiedler programmed it for the televised Boston Pops July 4^th concert and has since played from coast to coast. The dramatic performance includes fireworks, cannons, and church bells. I never miss the Pops televised celebration.

Why do onions make you cry? No matter which onion I’m cutting, my eyes blur and tear, making it difficult to see. I learned that onions are made of cells divided into two sections separated by a membrane. When you cut an onion, each side of the membrane mix and cause a chemical reaction which makes your eyes water. Maybe more than you care you know, but it happens to me all the time no matter what type of onion I’m using. Cutting an onion under running water doesn’t work for me, so I’m open to suggestions.

Who knew I would become a mystery writer. After all, I didn’t start thinking seriously about it until shortly before I retired, which gives you some idea I wasn’t a spring chicken. But that’s okay, maybe I’m more prepared to think of ways to kill someone. Smile. Not that I’m experienced, except for what I've read in books of murder and mayhem and later becoming a police volunteer. Being an avid mystery reader and one who loves puzzles, writing seemed an obvious choice, but what I wrote had to be fun and challenging at the same time. I never felt I could write better than other authors, but it was an opportunity to challenge myself to meet their standards.

I knew that when I retired I wanted to experience something fun and exciting that I’d never done before. With that in mind, I went up in a balloon over Park City, Utah, loved it and wanted to go again. Next, I went up in a glider. After the lead plane released us, we were on our own, soaring over northern California like an eagle. The silence was incredible, the experience breathtaking. Who knows what might come next.

Comments

[Michael A. Black]

Balloons and gliders, eh? Wow, you are adventurous, Carole. As far as the onions suggestion, my mother use to cut them on the stove with the gas burner ignited. She said it eliminated the tears. My solution is much simpler: I simply avoid the things altogether.

[Ellen Kirschman]

Us spring chickens are still clucking.