The American Dream

Here's a photo of my Dad in Rotterdam in 1953 at the age of 18, setting off for a new life in the United States.  With little money and no family in the US, he made his way with the help of a sponsoring family, the Karminskys. The Karminskys had escaped Nazi persecution by first fleeing Germany for Czechoslovakia and then eventually ending up in the United States. I have some Karminsky postcards I will also post some time.

My father settled in Chicago, joined the U.S. Army and was sent to Korea. After returning from the Korean War, he enrolled at the University of Chicago, where he earned an MBA and met my mother.

So, what is my father doing today - this very day, in fact? At the age of 75, he is competing in his 5th Ironman Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. The triathlon consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run (full marathon.) This will be a tough one, especially because of training interruptions in the last few months for two hernia surgeries and Achilles tendinitis. Oh, and one week before the race he took a header over the handlebars of his bike when a mail truck stopped suddenly in front of him. The crash broke his helmet and sent him on an ambulance ride to the emergency room, but still he persists. I'm not always sure why - but we will certainly do our part to support him with athletic champagne toasts. Go Dad!

Here is a more recent photo:

Today is Sepia Saturday and a great opportunity to get a glimpse of some fascinating family histories.

Cats on Penny Farthings

This is an old advertising card from J & P Coats. They made (and still do!) yarn, thread, and other sewing material. In fact, they are the world's largest sewing thread and needlecraft supplies manufacturer and distributor.

The cats are riding penny farthings, the name for the big-wheeled bicycles that were popular in the 1870s and 1880s. Incidentally, the name penny farthing comes from the British coins, which had a similar difference in size to the bicycle wheels.

Here's the back of the advertising card:

Lincoln Hotel and Lincoln Motel

There are few similarities beyond the Lincoln name. A lot of things were named after Lincoln. It's a natural that the City of Lincoln, Nebraska would have a Lincoln Hotel.

Then, there's the Motel Lincoln on Lincoln Way in Masillon, Ohio.  I can picture Abraham Lincoln staying at the Lincoln Hotel, but it's a little harder to imagine him having an overnight at the Motel Lincoln. Maybe if he wore Bermuda shorts and left the hat at home.

Here are the backs of the cards in the same order:

 And here's the second one: