Preserving the Past by Pat Mulso

Tomorrow, Oct. 12, is Columbus Day. In 1937, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared Oct. 12 as the annual Columbus Day. In 1971, the official holiday was moved to the second Monday in October to give workers in the United States a long weekend. This was part of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. Columbus Day is the celebration of the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas on Oct. 12, 1492. In the U.S., it is celebrated by all states except for Hawaii, South Dakota and Alaska.

We had a friend pass away this past week at the age of 54. It certainly causes you to stop and evaluate what is really important in life. If you have been too busy to be with your family and friends or to take time to share your life story with loved ones, maybe you should re-evaluate what is really important. Finding the right balance in life can be a challenge, but when you make the right decisions, you’ll never be disappointed. My dad was just 53 when he passed away, but we certainly all knew how much he loved us and how important family was to him.

“Tea with Family and Friends” is an event taking place at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Freeborn County Historical Museum. Reservations are required. Call Senior Resources at 507-377-7433 to reserve your space for this event. Good manners are an important skill our young people need to learn to succeed in life and all ages will learn from a refresher course. This event is a fantastic opportunity for family and friends, young and old to learn while enjoying the art of having tea. We hope you will plan to join us. This Choose Civility event is in partnership with Senior Resources and the Freeborn County Historical Museum.

The last of our fall lecture series will be at 9 a.m. Nov. 14. The title for this lecture is “100 years of Presidential Campaign Buttons.” The presentation by Jim Munyer will examine his extensive campaign button collection. Attendees will be encouraged to discuss the dynamics of the election campaigns. Also, from 1 to 4 p.m. Nov. 14 will be our “Christmas Tour of Homes.” Tickets are $15 and may be purchased in advance or the day of the event.

Please join us to see different styles of decorating and maybe pick up an idea or two to use for your own holiday decorating. Contact a friend or relative to join you for the afternoon, and we’ll provide the coffee and treats at the museum the afternoon of the tour.

The museum will host a four-hour defensive driving refresher class from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 21. The cost is $20 for AARP members or $25 for non- members, which includes the class materials and administrative fee. You must register for the class and will need your driver’s license to do so. The refresher course is needed every three years after the initial eight-hour class is taken to continue receiving a discount on your auto insurance. Call or stop by the museum to register during our regular business hours. This will be the last class offered at the museum during 2015. Watch for a listing for 2016 toward the end of the year.

We are accepting 2016 museum memberships. If you are not currently a member of the museum, buy your membership now and get the rest of 2015 as well as all of 2016. Individual memberships are $25 and family memberships begin at just $35. Gift memberships are also available.

 

Pat Mulso is the executive director of the Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library and Village, 1031 Bridge Ave.