October 19, 2026- Hana continues to help us, in small ways. She picks a diaper and other items, when it is changing time. She will carry a small item, while practicing walking around the house, or even going up the stairs, with assistance, of course.

We went on another long walk around Hoblitzelle Park, this time going clear to the end of the main park, which features a fountain in the middle of a small pond-at the edge of a Senior Living complex. It lies along Alma Drive, after which the Park’s main path veers west, and brings one back to the heart of the park.

We stopped at the home of a neighbour, who bakes sourdough bread and other delights. I bought a couple of items and reminded her that we were the family for whom she had baked a 100-Day (Baek-il) cake, back in late March, and it was for Hana. She was delighted to finally meet the baby. She looks forward to baking Hana’s first birthday cake, in December.

HANA’S NOTE– I spotted some new toys this afternoon, while playing up in my future bedroom. It is fun up there.

EXPANDING CIRCLES: Indiana- I have been up, down and all around the Hoosier State, a couple of dozen times, since 1972. My first time there was in a van, headed for Columbus. I have also been on several Greyhounds that crossed Indiana in the middle of the night. Intentional stops, though, have been rewarding: An arts conference, in Greencastle (1983) saw Penny take the stage and sing with a professional singer. Solo stops, since 2011, have included camping at Indiana Dunes; exploration of the Lafayette area; a stop at a Ceramics School, in Muncie; watching fireworks at a cornfield, outside Logansport; a couple of visits to a refuge for exotic animals, in Goshen; checking in with friends in Indianapolis; visiting extended family in Jeffersonville and several overnight visits with two friends in Mishawaka.

The turf- Indiana has two plains regions-the northern third of the state and riparian plain in the south, along the Ohio River. The central region, and most of the south, consist of rolling plains, shaped by glaciation. Indiana is drained by the Ohio, Wabash, Maumee, St. Joseph, White and Kankakee Rivers, along with their tributaries. The state has 45 miles of shore along Lake Michigan, that are striking for the magnificent dunes that were left by glaciation.

First Nations-Indiana is the ancestral home of the Shawnee, Bodewadmi, ,Myaamia,and Lenape peoples. Mound builders were active here, as they were in Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Missouri. Angel Mounds, near Evansville, is a prominent surviving example of their work. The Pokagon Band of Bodewadmi Nation is a Federally-recognized community in South Bend.

There were several clashes between white settlers and Shawnee & Bodewadmi people, especially in western Indiana. The most famous of these was the Battle of Tippecanoe, in 1811. Shawnee leaders Tecumseh and Tenskwatawa (Tens-KWA-tawa, or “The Prophet”) led opposition to European-American settlement around Lafayette and Terre Haute. Their community, Prophetstown, was primarily agricultural and quite advanced. William Henry Harrion, then governor of Indiana Territory, organized a force of 1,000 men to attack Prophetstown. At first, Harrison wanted to parlay with Tenskwatawa. The morning of the meeting, Shawnee warriors attacked Harrison’s camp, but were defeated after two hours of fighting. Harrison then led his men to Prophetstown and burned it to the ground, destroying food stuffs and other supplies. The Shawnee had evacuated to nearby forests and did not resume fighting with the Indiana militia. Tecumseh and his most ardent followers joined the British effort in Canada, during the War of 1812. Tecumseh hiself was killed. in the Battle of the Thames (1813), in what is now Ontario. Prophetstown today has been restored and is an Indiana State Park.

Where I feel most at home- Lafayette, Indiana Dunes, Mishawaka, Goshen, Richmond, Muncie

Where I feel most at peace- Prophetstown, Mishawaka, Goshen, Indian Dunes

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