CONSTANCELY HOPING

(Ride to the Sunshine)

Dear Readers,

Welcome to a weekly trip through my memories, mementoes, and musings. I collected some great experiences over 4 decades in Washington DC and through my good fortune of being associated with two great institutions, The National Archives and the Legal Services Corporation. I hope to introduce you to some wonderful people and to make you smile.

Note: Blogs are organized by categories so that you may go directly to those that might be of most interest to you.

Now ride with me toward the sunshine. There is something good about today. We just must be open to its signals.

Best,

John Constance

Who Am I?

John Constance

7 days ago
3 min

Oh Say, Can You See?

As the World Cup has become part of our daily routine, I have been pondering the subject of national anthems. Prior to each match, the...

74 views0 comments

John Constance

Nov 23
2 min

Pass the Sauerkraut, Please (2022)

(By popular demand, a repeat performance of this holiday classic) The first time my wife heard that request at the Constance Thanksgiving...

116 views1 comment

John Constance

Nov 18
5 min

An Irish Melody

When I started this blog in 2021 it soon occurred to me that if I wasn’t careful, I could write an obituary every week. That wasn’t going...

92 views0 comments

John Constance

Nov 11
3 min

Fore!!!!

Sometimes practical jokes that seem hilarious for an instant are pretty stupid in hindsight. Hayden and I were in Williamsburg this past...

107 views0 comments

John Constance

Nov 4
4 min

Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign

The song went, “sign, sign, everywhere a sign, blockin’ out the scenery breakin’ my mind.” Welcome to campaign season 2022. Everywhere...

92 views0 comments

John Constance

Oct 29
11 min

St. Peter's Ditch

In the Book of Proverbs we read, “Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall”. It is a lesson I have relearned...

151 views2 comments

John Constance

Oct 21
7 min

Battle of the Bulge

The David after a one month Italian vacation My mom was very skinny. My dad was not. My DNA has been in a pitched battle between these...

168 views2 comments

John Constance

Oct 14
6 min

Bosses II

Dr. Trudy Huskamp Peterson, Dr. Michael Kurtz, Adrienne Thomas Michael Kurtz Michael Joseph Kurtz was born on March 8, 1949, in Leesburg...

124 views0 comments

John Constance

Oct 5
4 min

A Cold Evening in Camelot

My grandmother, Lillian Mackenzie Loeber, had one sister, Mary Clarke. Mary was married to Frank Clarke who, after the Great Depression...

97 views0 comments

John Constance

Oct 1
1 min

Portuguese Love

We simply loved Portugal. It turned out to be the perfect venue for our 50th Wedding Anniversary vacation because it was new for all of...

132 views2 comments

John Constance

Sep 24
1 min

Bella Italia

Hayden and I have had the rare good fortune to visit many countries in our 50 years of marriage. To celebrate this year's special...

177 views0 comments

John Constance

Sep 8
1 min

Out of the Office

In an ongoing effort to keep my blog new and interesting, I will be on assignment in Rome, Southern Italy, and Portugal for a few weeks....

61 views3 comments

John Constance

Sep 2
5 min

Bosses

John Constance and Herb Angel, Deputy Archivist of the United States, August, 1971 I recently received a note from a young lady who...

135 views0 comments

John Constance

Aug 27
10 min

Talkin' Baseball

(Brooks Robinson, by Norman Rockwell) What is it about baseball that has inspired poetry, song, art, storytelling, and writing like no...

152 views3 comments

John Constance

Aug 18
6 min

Don't Mess With the Archivists

(Movie Poster, National Treasure, Walt Disney Pictures) I couldn’t be prouder of my old ship, the National Archives. Events in recent...

689 views5 comments

John Constance

Aug 9
8 min

Silver Bullet?

(Capitol Reflections, photo by John Constance) Congress is broken. Politics is a vicious blood sport. There is no such thing as a...

218 views2 comments

John Constance

Jul 28
3 min

The Power of a Knock

My wife has been part of a group of women and men at our church who have been loyal volunteers for Meals on Wheels of Wake County for...

168 views2 comments

John Constance

Jul 21
6 min

Are You Positive?

Funny word “positive.” It’s what we grow up being told to be. Our attitude should be positive, our outlook, positive. Our convictions,...

248 views2 comments

John Constance

Jul 15
7 min

Eye of the Tiger

Among the first words I ever heard uttered by Congressman Tom Lantos of California were, “Mr. Constance, if you dare to take this action,...

134 views4 comments

John Constance

Jul 8
4 min

Art Donovan, Master Storyteller

In the early 1990’s a friend asked me to join him for a round of golf at an iconic Baltimore course where he was a member. Sparrows Point...

122 views3 comments

CONSTANCELY HOPING

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