Author: Margaret Evans

“In Philadelphia, the same day as the British landing on Staten Island, July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress, in a momentous decision, voted to “dissolve the connection” with Great Britain. The news reached New York four days later, on July 6, and at once spontaneous celebrations broke out. ‘The whole choir of our officers . . . went to a public house to testify our joy at the happy news of Independence. We spent the afternoon merrily,’ recorded Isaac Bangs.’” (David McCullough, “1776”; NY: Simon & Schuster, 2005)

“At lunch they went through three hundred two-foot loaves of bread, 150 gallons of milk, and twelve hundred cups of ice cream. At dinner they dished up fifteen hundred pounds of red meat (except on Sunday, when they served twelve hundred pounds of chicken) and 330 pies. Joe never left a scrap on his plate, or anyone else’s within reach.” (Daniel James Brown, “The Boys In The Boat”; New York: Viking, 2013)

By 9:30 a.m., I am back home from my workout at the Port Royal YMCA. The peace of my one-hour pool isometrics followed by a quarter mile lap swim is unmatched. No talking, no listening, no thinking. Bliss. Other than how many laps have I completed, I am free of this world.