Mark Twain wisecracked: “If voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let us do it.”

Twain’s outlook of the political realm – a world full of scandalous officials with deep pockets, waiting to kowtow to the highest bidder – may make you laugh. But Twain makes a valid point in “Life on the Mississippi” when he writes about political collectives and individual loyalty: “I am the only person in the sixty millions that is privileged to dictate my patriotism.”

He chose to exercise his loyalty. He implemented his voting privilege.

Nebraska’s foray into the election arena took place soon after the Nebraska Territory was designated. Members of the legislature were elected in 1855. In 1866, David Butler became Nebraska’s first elected governor.

During the late 1800s, Nebraska could have become a national trendsetter by ratifying a woman’s right to vote. Susan B. Anthony visited Grand Island in 1882, supporting the suffrage movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton participated in whistle-stop speeches across the state. Nearly three decades later, Nebraska women received the freedom to vote.

One of Nebraska’s most famous elections took place in 1986, when Kay Orr and Helen Boosalis were the first two women in the U.S. to vie for a governorship. Historical significance at its progressive best.

As Election Day nears, countless advertisements enlighten the masses about the merits and demerits of persuasive politicians. Sensory overload tunes in or blocks out boasting about an official’s voting record or casting doubt about an opponent. Rhetoric and doublespeak cause both cautious and well-informed voters to question which candidate will do the best job of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Since I’ve been of legal voting age, I’ve only missed voting in one election. My junior high Civics teacher, Mr. Kubik, drilled the importance of voting into my 8th grade mind, and high school government instructor, Mr. Moses, preached the consequences of a society that failed to participate in the election process.

I listened to their lectures. I believe one vote can and does make a difference. While I realize not every decision will favor my point of view, I trust the process.

When polls open next Tuesday, the most important statement those of us over age 18 can make is to cast a ballot. It’s a freedom we taken for granted, but voting is the quintessential act that characterizes our nation as a democracy.

It’s disheartening to hear complaints about government and elected officials. When local and statewide voter turnout resulted in just less than 23 percent of registered voters participating in the May primary, it’s difficult to listen to the non-voters’ disappointment and take them seriously.

On a local and statewide level, one voice can shake things up. I’ll admit I’m not sure my viewpoint is always shared in Washington.  

See, that’s the beauty of the political machine. If we don’t agree with those who represent us, we have the best tool to let our strong voice be heard: the ballot box.

Let your voice be heard this Election Day.

Ever since the serpent tempted Adam and Eve with fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, the reputation of the shiny fruit has been in question.

Apples symbolize eternal youthfulness in Norse mythology. In Greek myths, the mystical produce instigates the Trojan War. The evil Queen tempts beautiful Snow White with a poisoned apple. Merlin contemplated his wizardly powers near the flowering tree, and under the spring blossoms, an apple knocked some sense – or at least the laws of gravity – into Sir Isaac Newton. The legendary William Tell split an apple atop his son’s head with an arrow. Johnny Appleseed planted apple trees across the Midwest.          

It’s the foodstuff of legends, the emblem of good versus evil. And here in Nebraska, apples remain one of fall’s bountiful crops.

Considered a pomaceous fruit, apples top the charts as the most cultivated tree fruit. Originally grown in Asia, the apple’s appeal now reaches around the world. China leads production and the U.S. ranks second.

Nebraska attributes its apple history to Arbor Day founder J. Sterling Morton. In 1876, at the United State’s Centennial exposition in Philadelphia, the Nebraska Horticultural Society received multiple awards for Nebraska-grown apples. The group took 148 apples and outclassed other states’ entries “for the unusually large number of finely grown specimens of excellent variety,” according to an early volume of Nebraska Farmer. Judges deemed Nebraska apples as having superior flavor and color and being free of parasitic fungus growths.

Today, nearly two dozen apple orchards have established roots in Nebraska soil and branched into a variety of business ventures. Most of these orchards are located in the eastern half of the state.

Nebraska’s Apple Capital, Nebraska City, serves as home to two orchards: Arbor Day Farm and Kimmel Orchard. The city hosts an annual Applejack Festival each September, promoting all things apple. Approximately 40,000 visitors attended the 2010 celebration.

DeGroot’s Orchard, located north of Madison, raises 22 varieties of apples, including a handful of heritage fruits.

Apple season reminds me of my grandparents’ orchard, where green gems hung from thick branches. We picked them straight from the tree, climbed onto the tailgate of grandpa’s pickup, and savored the sour fruit.

Grandma warned us not to eat too many or we’d get a green belly – a stomach ache unlike any we had ever experienced. We usually listened, but on a few occasions, I remember my cousin Brian and me turning green at the gills from too many apples.

As I grew older, I’d stand at the kitchen counter with grandma – rows of apples covering the yellow Formica – and separate the fruit from its skin for canning or pie making.

When my kids were younger, we’d pick apples from the same trees. Those little green apples offered a bountiful harvest, a symbol of health and living off the land, to be shared by several generations.

Whether biting into a Honeycrisp, Jonathan, Winesap or Fuji, enjoy and appreciate one of Nebraska’s oldest crops.

Your local apple grower will thank you.

Where’s your favorite spot to pick Nebraska-grown apples?  Share your stories at http://luannschindler.com or on LuAnn’s Facebook page.

My sister’s text message equaled one word.

 “Earthquake!”

 I didn’t get too shook up about it. Laurie lives in San Diego and she sends that message whenever a sizable tremor rattles her neighborhood.

But her next message surprised me.

 “A 3.0 just hit Nebraska. Did you feel it?”

 While most may consider earthquakes a California phenomenon, Nebraska’s tremor testimony stretches back in time. The Nebraska Geological Survey estimates 50 quakes have rocked the state.

The first substantial earthquake felt in Nebraska occurred about a month after achieving statehood reports the U.S. Geological Survey. On April 24, 1867, a quake near Lawrence, Kansas affected much of the Cornhusker state. Since then, at least seven reports of seismic activity with an intensity V (Mercalli scale) or greater have centered within our borders. The intensity rating translates to a 4.0 or higher on the Richter scale.

On November 15, 1877, two shockwaves hit Nebraska about 45 minutes apart along the western edge of the Keweenawan mafic belt. Columbus, located northwest of the epicenter, suffered damage to courthouse and schoolhouse walls. The second wave released a surge of energy and lasted nearly 40 seconds in North Platte. Buildings swayed in Lincoln. Parts of the Dakotas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin experienced the eruption. The quake registered intensity VII and the event is considered Nebraska’s strongest earthquake.

Small, modest earthquakes struck throughout the next several decades. Near Battle Creek, an intensity V shook the bell towers of local churches and clattered dishes in many homes on July 28, 1902. During a single day in 1910, multiple rumblings shook houses in Columbus. In 1972, a 3.7 occurred near Basset. Residents of Ainsworth and Newport reported it, too.

 But several strong earth rattlers have hit Nebraska. In 1934 near Chadron, a 5.5 quake caused plaster to fall from walls. Canned goods and dishes wobbled from shelves. This event was felt as far away as Sterling, Colorado.

Close to Tecumseh, two earthquakes broke windows, cracked plaster, and damaged chimneys. The jolts came four minutes apart in 1935.

In March 1964, Nebraska, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming felt an awakening jolt. But six hours later, in the middle of the night, a 5.1 quake caused roadways south of Merriman to crack. The banks of the Niobrara River slid into the tranquil, flowing river. Damage rated as an intensity VII or very strong.

I’ve experienced two earthquakes, and both weren’t felt on the sandy beaches of San Diego. The first quake was centered between Center and Creighton. I taught in Wausa and a fellow teacher walked into my room and asked if felt the earthquake.

Um, no.

In fall 2002, on a Sunday afternoon, I thought a semi-truck was rounding the curve and hitting the brakes near our home in Neligh, until I noticed the ceiling fan swaying. A 4.3 quake hit northwest of O’Neill.

Even though Nebraska’s earthquakes haven’t been extremely destructive, the shake, rattle and roll are unnerving, making it difficult to imagine the earthquakes my sister has survived.

Have you experienced Nebraska shiver?

The Geological Survey tracks earthquakes in real time at http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/.

New York has the Guggenheim and the MoMA. San Diego’s Balboa Park hosts the nation’s largest urban cultural park, home to 15 museums. Chicago lauds its exhibits: The Field Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, Hull House. History and art enthusiasts revel at the delightful treasures displayed within these halls.

Nebraskans don’t have to travel across the Midwest or even to the coasts to visit top exhibitions. In our own back yards, historical societies, art foundations and educational groups have assembled some of the best collections around.

If you have never traveled Nebraska’s byways and stopped at some of our state’s quaint menageries, you have the opportunity to this weekend. The Smithsonian and Smithsonian Magazine welcome visitors for their 6^th annual National Museum Day.

And the good news: you don’t have to visit Washington D.C. to partake. Nine museums across the Cornhusker state are offering free admission with the required ticket, which can be retrieved at www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday.

What sites can you visit in Nebraska?

The Lincoln County Historical Society maintains a museum in North Platte. Inside, exhibits show what life is like in cattle country. The museum features railroad history, too. Several preserved outbuildings depict 1880s living.

At Kearney’s Buffalo County Historical Society and Trails and Rails Museum, visitors discover the history of the Overland and Mormon trails and the Union Pacific railroad along the Great Platte River Road.  Check out a locomotive and the depot, along with the Boyd Ranch House, the Freighters Hotel, a school house, 1898 church, and a log cabin.

Enjoy living history presentations? Visit the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island. In addition to the main building, saunter through Henry Fonda’s birthplace, a livery stable, blacksmith shop or the Silver Dollar Café. The museum also offers educational classes for parents and children. Its H.A.T.S. (Heritage Activities for Today’s Students) program, with grade level-appropriate activities, introduces learners to pioneer life.

Headed to this week’s Husker game? Since there’s a six o’clock kickoff, go early and visit three of Lincoln’s top treasures: the International Quilt Study Center and Museum, Nebraska History Museum and University of Nebraska State Museum. Discover the history of quilting, a 14-foot mammoth, or the amazing stories of our state’s ancestors.

The Cass County Historical Society Museum in Plattsmouth conveys the history of the county, which was settled in 1854. Steamboating on the Missouri, pioneer life, and agriculture production are highlighted.

In Omaha’s Union Station, The Durham Museum examines regional history. Celebrate the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, model trains, or the soda fountain.

Ever visited the oldest county museum in Nebraska? The Washington County Historical Museum in Ft. Calhoun contains prehistoric relics and Native American pieces. Objects from Fort Atkinson are also displayed.

Since I’m a history enthusiast, I’ve visited five of the nine museums participating in this weekend’s event. I’m amazed at the information and artifacts that explore the lives of those who lived here before us.

High quality exhibits exist here at home. Which museum will you visit and enrich your Nebraska knowledge?

Share your favorite Nebraska Museums at http://luannschindler.com.

Members of the Ponca tribe dance during the powwow held near Niobrara, Nebraska.

Nebraska-isms: The Trail of Tears and the Ponca Powow

Ever consider how you would feel if you were forced from your home? I’ll be honest. The question never crossed my mind until last week’s Ponca powwow held near Niobrara, Nebraska.

I took my husband and stepdaughter along to watch the festivities. The tribe’s history is so rich, and I didn’t even get to share the entire story. Today’s Nebraska-isms column talks about events leading up to the Trail of Tears and the 2010 Ponca Powwow.

Prior to the opening ceremony, a young girl from the tribe befriended the three of us, taking our photographs, braiding Lacey’s hair and talking about her dance costume. She even offered to share her lime slush with us.