The "So That Really Does Happen?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my office, talking on the phone with one of my doctor's secretaries when I heard it...a loud crashing noise!  In an instant one of my cats, the Gray Lady, came flying past me into her "safe place" in the corner of my office!   I told the secretary what I had heard and told her I would be back in a moment.  I headed through my living room and dining room and as soon as I entered the kitchen I saw it.  There in the corner of our family room was laying...our Christmas Tree!  Lights were pulled from the tree and ornaments were everywhere!  I'm sure by now you have guessed what had happened!  Yep...The Gray Lady must have decided it was time to rearrange a few ornaments on the Christmas tree.  I headed back into my office and picked up the phone..."I'm sorry, but my cat just knocked over the Christmas tree!  A second later she began laughing.  "I'm sorry for laughing, but I never heard anyone say that before!  So that really does happen?  I've heard other people talk about problems they may have had with their tree, but no one every said their cat knocked the tree over.  She must be one big cat."  I replied, laughing by now, "That's the funny part, she's a very small cat!  She must have gotten scared and caught something on the tree and took off.  I knew I should have wired the tree to the wall, but I just forgot to do it."  We finished our talk and both hung up.  My next job was to try and figure out how I would tell my wife when she got home from her doctor's visit to find out how to deal with stress.  The Gray Lady by now was in her cardboard box trying to make herself invisible.  I looked at her and said,  "Your mommy isn't going to be happy about this...you know!"  She tucked her head under her front leg!  Her brother, Snickerdoodle, was no where to be found.  He knew what was going to happen and he wanted nothing to do with it.  Well, we waited and waited and finally we heard the garage door go up.  I walked to the door in our family room that connects to the garage and held the door open as Carol got out of the car and closed the car door.  As the garage door began to lower I said to Carol, "We seem to have a problem!"  She saw the smile on my face so she knew it must have something to do with one of the cats.  Then she walked into the house and saw the tree laying on the floor in the midst of lights and ornaments.  "Who did this?" she said in a firm voice.  No one except the two of us could be found.  As we sat on our recliners in the family room, The Gray Lady showed her head.  She crept across the room to Carol and rubbed against her hoping she would be forgiven.  Now...who wouldn't forgive a little ball of fur who was trying to tell you she was sorry by rubbing against your leg.  I grabbed by camera for a few photographs and we both began to pick up alll the pieces still laying on the floor.  I did take some of the blame since I had failed to wire the tree to the wall like I do every other year.  I just forgot to do it this year and I now know why I wired the tree to the wall after it has been decorated.  One thing I did do was to give my doctor's secretary a good laugh.  She now knows that it actually does happen and isn't just something people just4 say happens!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Top News Stories In My City Of Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  The last week of December and our newspaper has its traditional article listing the 10 top stories of the past year.  Do you live in an area where you have a local newspaper and they do much the same as our newspaper does?  I'll give you an idea of what type of news we have had in 2021 that has been newsworthy enough to make the top 10 list.  (1) The top newspaper story of the year told of a few Lancaster County men who were charged in the January 6 insurrection in our Nation's Capitol.  The Lancaster, Pennsylvania insurrectionists supposedly went to Washington at the invitation of then-President Donald Trump.  He allegedly asked them to come to stop the widespread voter fraud and overturn the election results. One fellow who was arrested was from our Manheim Township area where I live.  He was eventually arrested at his home and charged with repeatedly punching one police officer in the head outside the Capitol and ripping the body camera off a second officer and later throwing it away.  As of today, there is no trial date.  Others from nearby Ephrata and East Colalico Townhip were also arrested. (2) Next in line was a story about a young man by the name of Justo Smoker who admitted kidnapping and killing a young Amish teenager in the nearby Amish community of Upper Leacock Township.  He strangled and stabbed her.  A few months later he pleaded guilty to abducting her and driving her to an area where he choked, stabbed and eventually buried her on Amtrak property.  (3) A group of white nationalists staged a political rally in an historic Lancaster County barn.  They announced the establishment of a political party whose platform is to preserve and protect the white European majority in the U.S. (4) A school mask mandate debate roils school districts and courts.  COVID-19 cases were rising as school was to begin in the fall of 2021.  A mask mandate was instituted by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf for school buildings and child-care facilities.  The mandate led to parents demonstrating at schools and facing off with school boards.  Ultimately the state Supreme Court threw out the mandate. (5-tie) Lancaster's mass vaccination center opens at Lancaster's Park City Center where they could vaccinate 6,000 people daily.  The site averaged 2,400 doses a day. (5-tie) Workers Fight Vaccine Mandate.  Vaccine mandates at local hospitals pitted unvaccinated employees against their employers as Lancaster County Penn Medicine required their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the policy going into effect September 1. (6) There was Panic and Chaos During Park City Shooting.  Gunshots rang out turning Lancaster's largest shopping mall into a battleground.  One 16 year old was accused of shooting three people.  He was proven guilty and was held in Lancaster County Jail.  An unidentified, armed, 50-year-old civilian hurried to the scene and struck the 16-year-old  and held him on the ground until police arrived.  (7) Ransomware hits LNP Media Group.  Some foreign extortionists targeted Steiinman Communications in an attack that disrupted the production of LNP Newspaper.  They demanded the 227-year-old news organization pay to have their files unlocked.  (8) Lancaster County businesses return, but many employees don't.  The worst labor shortage in memory gripped the local economy despite efforts by employers to draw potential workers off the sidelines. (9) Census Data Shows County' Growth Slows and Population Diversifies.  The 2020 census showed that there was a 6.5% increase in Lancaster County's growth which was the slowest in more than 100 years.  The fastest growth was among outlying townships.  (10) Manheim Mom Mourned After Fatal N.C. Shooting was the final headline.  The story told of a young mother of six who was fatally shot in a North Carolina road-rage incident as she and her husband were on their way to vacation in South Carolina.  A local NC man was charged with first-degree murder.  Well, these are the 10 (plus one tie) top stories in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania for the year that is about to end.  Do they sound like the news in your community, town or city?  Seems that the majority of the news is bad news, but perhaps the good news in the community never makes the newspaper.  Hope we have a better news-worthy year in 2022.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "He Beat Bobby Flay!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Remembering back many, many years to the year I had a young man in my Graphic Arts class named Eric Calhoun.  On parent's night that year I got to meet Eric's father, Joe, who happened to be the weatherman on our local Channel 8 TV station.  I knew that Eric had other siblings, but never knew that he had a younger brother who enjoyed cooking and baking.  That all changed today when I saw on the front page of the local newspaper that Manheim Township graduate Scott Calhoun, Eric's brother,  bested another fellow by the name of Bobby Flay on the Food Network TV show, "Beat Bobby Flay."  

My wife, Carol, and I enjoy watching the show, but often wonder why nobody can beat Bobby week after week.  One year we did actually see Bobby lose to another chef and thought it was the first time ever he had lost.  Well, that all changed today when the newspaper story I was reading told me that Scott Calhoun topped Bobby Flay on his TV show!  My wife, Carol, and I found the show on our TV and sat down to watch the defeat of one of the best cooks ever, Bobby Flay.  Scott was a 2003 graduate of Manheim Township High School and eventually went to culinary school.  

David and Scott in front of their restaurant in Philadelphia

He and business partner, David Feola, both appeared on the "Beat Bobby Flay" show recently.  The show aired this past Tuesday night.  Scott and David own Ember & Ash, which is an acclaimed restaurant in Philadelphia.  Scott began his cooking career at a sandwich shop known as V&S Sandwich Shop which used to be a block from my house on the Fruitville Pike.  He soon met David and before long the two opened their restaurant in the Philadelphia area.  In a quote from the local newspaper, Scott said, "The true test for me was the first round.  That was one of the hardest things I've ever done in my cooking career.  First, facing off against Dave, my business partner, where I knew I was up against someone with some serious chops." Scott said that first round of the competition was "the fastest 20 minutes of his life."  He beat his partner and then was paired against famous Bobby Flay in the Finals.  His dish of choice for the finals was liver and onions.  It was a meal that his dad, the WGAL-TV Meteorologist in Lancaster, PA often cooked for him when he was growing up.  He said it was a dreaded day in the Calhoun household when his dad cooked liver and onions, but today he realized how good his dad's dish must have been since he beat Bobby Flay with it!  

Scott working on his liver and onions.

He said, "In a way this was an ode to my dad, and also a way to show the beauty in something so simple as liver and onions."  Scott was so prepared that at one point he realized that he was ready to plate the dish too early and needed to slow himself down.  When the clock finally ran down, Bobby came over and saw his dish and said, "Oh, you plated the livers IN the onion!"  

Liver and onions...the winner!

Scott realized that after hearing Bobby say that, he could see that Bobby was less confident in his own dish.  Weatherman Joe Calhoun, his father, appreciated seeing his son on the screen.  He said, "I'm blessed and proud to have four great children."  

Scott...soon after winning!  Bobby is to the right.

Joe said, "I hate watching myself on TV, but I enjoyed watching him."  Who wouldn't enjoy seeing their son beat a chef such as Bobby Flay on a show such as "Beat Bobby Flay,"  A moment that will be hard to every top!  Great job, Scott!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Congratulations from one of America's best chefs.

The "Did You Ever Hear Of 'Second Christmas'?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading "The Scribbler" column in my morning newspaper and found something that I never knew before. It is said in the South-Eastern part of Pennsylvania that the day after Christmas is known as "Second Christmas" and is a day known for shenanigans.  And...in case you might not know the definition of shenanigans...it is a secret or dishonest activity or maneuvering.  Stuff that you wouldn't normally associate with Christmas!  Second Christmas is an add-on holiday that always falls on December 26 and began in Europe in the Middle Ages as a commemoration of St. Stephen's Day.  St. Stephen was a kind, generous man who preached cleverly and was stoned to death for blasphemy.  During the past two centuries religious and recreational celebrations of the holiday have vied for primary attention from generation to generation, especially among the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought the tradition here from Germany.  This definition of St. Stephen's Day is entirely from Jack Brubaker, aka The Scribbler.  Second Christmas began in the early 19th century with the fancy Dutch rather than the Plain sects.  The holiday was observed by hunting foxes, staging shooting matches or dancing and drinking.  Turtledoves were not involved!  Second Christmas seemed to be celebrated just as much as regular Christmas according to the newspaper editorialists in the 1850s.  The local newspaper at the time..."The Express", commented at length on a particularly wild Second Christmas in 1866.  Seems a "Winter Ball" was held at the Normal School in Millersville and ended with "some bloody noses and black eyes, considerable drunkeness, with a sprinkle of rowdyism."  Perhaps that is why even today, there are so few places where anyone can buy a drink in Millersville, a remarkably atypical college town.  Then in 1872, "The Express", which by now seems to have coverage of Second Christmas all to itself, discussed a freak incident in which a youth named Stahl ate an entire goose before the sun set on December 26.  Happened to be the same guy who according to "The Express" had eaten 17 dry pretzels without taking a drink of any liquid.  By the end of the 19th century, celebration of Second Christmas, or at least newspaper coverage of it, seems to have been limited to church services and fox chases.  It is said that several European countries still mark Second Christmas today.  Those in Lancaster County who still continue to celebrate are primarily Amish.  They break free of the religious services of December 25 to spend time exchanging good with family and neighbors.  Amish youngsters go off to play volleyball or more daring games while Lancaster County roads are filled with horse-and-buggy teams traveling to and fro.  As far as non-Amish...well most went back to work on Second Christmas, leaving their kids alone to play with new toys that Santa hauled down their chimney on the first day of Christmas.  If you happened to miss Second Christmas this year, make sure you put it on your calendar for next year so you don't miss out on all the fun.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,

The "Doing A Triple Take" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading yet another newspaper story that deals with Lancaster County farmland and those that call it their home as well as their place of business.  Story in the newspaper had a big, bold headline that read "DOING A TRIPLE TAKE" and featured a young girl who was standing next to Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.  The newly named calves were just recently born to the same mother on Kreider Farm on Indian Village Road in Penn Township.  

The new triplets

A cow having triplet calves is very rare, but when all three calves are females...now that's almost unheard of.  Penn Township is located near the small town known as Manheim in Lancaster County.  The Kreider farm is a dairy farm that has been part of the landscape in Manheim for as long as I can remember.  I often drive past it on my way to visit friends that live nearby.  About five years ago I took a tour of Kreider's Dairy Farm and had a chance to see how the farm works.  I wrote a story at the time which you can find amongst my many stories on this blog.

Another view of mom and the triplets

Just type "Kreider Dairy Farm" in the white box at the top left of this page to find it.  Well, while reading the latest story about the birth of the triplet calves, I found that cows having triplets is 1 in 10,000 and the odds of them being three females is 1 in 100,000.  The mother of these triplets is named "Raspberry" and is happy and healthy.  They had expected twins, but were quite surprised when they saw an additional head pop out.  One of the owner's of the farm, Khalee Kreider, said that the three new calves will become part of the farm's milking herd which now numbers about 1,700 cows.  Now...that's a whole lot of bottles of milk!  If you care to take a tour of the farm you can visit their website at kreiderfarms.com/farm-tour.  The tour, which is the one that I took, includes a story about the history of the farm, access to the farm's observation tower and a drive through the farm, including the maternity barn.  It was reported that at times you may actually see a calf being born as the bus drives through the barns.  The Kreider family hopes to continue to produce their dairy products for those in the south-eastern part of Pennsylvania for years into the future.  Their herd is certainly helping with that wish by creating three more members of the milking herd.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Tale Of Frederick Stump and Hans Eisenhower, Indian Fighters" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading Lancaster Newspaper's "The Scribbler" column which is written by Jack Brubaker and came across a very interesting story about the lawlessness that permeated Lancaster County in the mid-1700s.  Started in 1763 when The Paxton Boys annihilated the remainder of the Conestoga Indians and seemed to have gotten away with it even after Pennsylvania's Governor had pledged to protect the native Americans who still lived in the state of Pennsylvania.  Then along comes Frederick Stump and his servant, Hans Eisenhower who also go on an Indian-killing rampage in nearby Cumberland County.  All eyes seem to have been blind to both massacres.  Now, I mention both instances since Jack Brubaker writes about both in his recent article.  Both stories have also been written about by Mr. Greg Grandin in his Pulitzer Prize winning book: "The End of the Myth: From the Frontier to the Border Wall in the Mind of America."  In his book he tells about the effort to press the American frontier toward the West by annihilating the Indians, Blacks and "others".  His book tells how the effort to extend the nation's frontier ceased when former President Trump decided to withdraw from the world and build a wall between the United States and Mexico.  Seems that the Frederick Stump that I mentioned earlier in my story, also founded the city known as Fredericksburg in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania in 1755.  Mr. Stump eventually moved across the Susquehanna River to Cumberland County where he gained the moniker of "Indian Killer."  He and Hans Eisenhower found their way to the Susquehanna River in 1768 where they slaughtered close to a dozen more men, women and children by scalping and burning their bodies before throwing their bodies into the Susquehanna.  When remaining Indians found out about the killings, they, as well as Pennsylvania Quakers, placed a bounty on Stump and Eisenhower.  The two murderers were finally captured and placed in the old Carlisle, PA jail.  Then along came some of the Paxton boys, as well as a mob of vigilantes who freed the two killers who went free.  Mr. Gaudin tells of the life of Frederick Stump after he became a wealthy Nashville, Tennessee citizen and trader in slaves who served as a captain in the militia that annihilated the Creeks and Choctaws tribes in Mississippi.  Now, Stump wasn't the only one who wanted to get rid of all the Indians so he could grab more land.  In his book, Mr. Grandin also names one  Mr. George Washington who was an investor in frontier land that once belonged to Indian tribes.  Our future President wanted to delete all Indian rights.  Eventually, American expansion to the west coast happened and if you care to read Mr. Grandin's book, you will learn more about when and how it happened.  As for me, I would like to thank Mr. Brubaker for sharing with me, and all readers of the Lancaster Newspaper, the background information about Mr. Stump and Mr. Eisenhower and telling us a bit more about the part of history that many of us never knew. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Merry Christmas To All With The Showing Of The Woods' Family Calendar" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The calendars that my wife had recently made had arrived.  For many years now, Carol has made an 8 1/2" X 11" monthly calendar which she gives to each of our three children as a Christmas gift.  The top half of the calendar is filled with color photographs of family activities while the bottom half sports an actual calendar with important dates such as birthdays and anniversaries and plenty of space to write in your own appointments.  Carol has made the calendars at Costco for quite a few years, but this year she tried Walmart which is close to our home.  On Christmas morning, when we have 10 people gathered around the tree opening presents, no one will open any gift until each family has had the chance to open their calendar.  That's all they talk about every year when they all arrive for brunch and opening gifts.  The cover this year featured Carol and myself sitting on the front porch of our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  It may be the last time we celebrate Christmas in this house, since we have applied for a place at a local retirement community.  The 1 acre property is beginning to get the better of us and it will get worse as years pass by.  So, next year's calendar may have to opened in a new location, provided our new home will be large enough for 10 people plus gifts and our annual Christmas tree and decorations.  A few of this year's calendar photographs follow so you can see what draws the excitement as we gather around the tree.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The cover of Carol's 2022 calendar

This photograph is on one month.  Features Carol and myself and our 3 children.

This shows one of the pages that has photographs on it.

This shows what one of the months looks like with photos on two days.

One final month which has pictures and events on special days.

The "A Merry Christmas Sing-A-long!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Even with the many health problems and illnesses that we have all experienced in the past year or so, I am still anxious for the Holiday season to arrive in full force.  One of the many things I enjoy each year are singing Christmas carols.  Whether it be in a group or just to myself, I pick out a few of my favorites and sing them to get ready for the arrival of Christmas Day.  One of my favorites is Silent Night which was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria.  As the fame of this song grew, its whereabouts were slowly forgotten.  Myths and tales gathered around its origin.  Seems that on December 24, 1818 Joseph Gruber, who lived in an apartment over the schoolhouse in nearby ArnsdorfI, showed his friend the poem and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass.  It was said that the assistant pastor dearly loved guitar music and wanted a new Carol for Christmas.  So Silent Night was born!  I  can still remember singing in Church when I was a member of the boy's choir at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The sexton would dim the church lights and Mr. McConnell would softly play the organ as the boys choir sang the carol.  Still gives me chills as I remember how silent the church became as the voices of the young boys filled the church with glorious sounds.  In case you might want to sing along as I sing to myself once again, her are the words to follow along...

Silent night! Holy night!
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and child!
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace!
Sleep in heavenly peace!

Silent night! Holy night!
Shepherds quake at the sight!
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Saviour is born!
Christ the Saviour is born!

Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love's pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth!

Well, how'd you do?  This Christmas carol is one you can never forget once you have learned it.  You may need some help with the words of the final two verses, but the music notes are unforgettable.  Hope you enjoyed singing along with me!  I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.  Also hope you have the chance to visit with me in 2022 and read a few more of my stories.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Ned and I getting ready to sing Silent Night!

The "...And, A Merry Christmas To You" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Preparing for a day with family around the Christmas tree as well as exchanging Christmas gifts and sharing a meal around the dining room table.  Seems it has been that way for all 53 years of marriage to my lovely wife.  We expect our oldest son and his family of wife and son as well as our daughter and husband and their two girls and finally our youngest son.  The youngest of the entire batch, our grandson, is now driving, so it will not be the same hectic household that at one time saw the grandkids racing around the house and Christmas tree looking for the next gift to open.  Later in the day our daughter-in-law's mother and sister will join us for the afternoon meal to celebrate Christmas Day.  We were hoping that by now the COVID-19 virus would only be a memory, but we must once again be careful that we distance ourselves as best we can.  All members of the family have been vaccinated so we are hopeful that everyone will be safe this Christmas season.  My story today is one that was written by Gordon White many years ago and has since been condensed and edited for the free publication known as "The Fishwrapper" which is given free to those who shop at a few of our local supermarkets.  I picked up my copy this past weekend at Stauffer's of Kissel Hill and when we ended our shopping day at Weaver's I noticed they too had free copies for anyone who may want one.  The Fishwrapper is a 20 page, 8 1/2" x 11" publication of Little Mountain Printing and contains inspirational stories as well as advertisements, cooking tips, puzzles and pubic notices.  The headline story this week is titled "Conqueror's Christmas" and I am sharing it with you in it's entirety since I found it so inspirational this Christmas season.  Hope you enjoy it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

                              Conqueror's Christmas

It was our first Christmas in Japan.  A few units of our regiment were stationed in a former resort town 150 miles north of Tokyo, billeted in a bleak factory warehouse.  The men had become restless and resentful.  Each man wanted only to get home - and home had never looked so far away.  The prospects for a "merry" holiday were faint.  And yet, on the Sunday before Christmas, we had an experience that was deeply moving.  In the "heathen" village which we occupied stood a small Christian church whose congregation was entirely Japanese - farmers, shopkeepers, and artisans who had suffered for their beliefs under the Mikado.  This was their first Christmas of freedom after the dark days of war, and they wanted to share it. So, they invited the American garrison to attend.  The service was held at night, long after our regular services in the regimental headquarters area.  We were not ordered or urged to attend; the choice was left entirely to us.  Some of us, I suppose, went out of curiosity, some out of boredom, but most of us went because...well, simply because it was Christmas.  Aside from the fact that we had been instructed to wear Class A uniforms, there was nothing official about the formation.  And although officers piled into the trucks with enlisted men in a hodgepodge of rank, we took care that our conduct would impress the natives as befitted conquerors.  Yet, we were not treated as conquerors.  When the trucks dropped us off in the narrow, crooked street, we were greeted with Japanese smiles and happy nods.  We were their guests, and what little they had to share, they wanted to share wholeheartedly.  The church was a small wooden building, old and weather-beaten.  Maybe with age it had attained a certain dignity, but it looked very much as though a gust of wind would send it flying.  At the entrance, we were taken in hand by an aged and wizened gentleman, displaying a gold-toothed grin, and wearing the proud remnants of a shirt and tie and cutaway coat.  He spoke no English but made us unmistakably welcome as he led us to our seats.  Skeptically, we looked around in the dim and uncertain light.  The interior was cold and drafty; the furnishings were pitifully sparse.  A small pulpit stood up front, and behind it a stained glass window showing the effects of time and abuse.  Facing the pulpit were hard and uncomfortable benches onto which we squirmed awkwardly.  The religious decorations were few, but they had been bravely supplemented by the handiwork of children.  Swinging on the walls were crude cutout angels and cherubim and seraphim, painstakingly colored with crayon.  To us Americans, it seemed odd to find God's angels displaying definite Japanese facial characteristics.  The elderly usher passed our programs to us, made of stock forms from the supply of our regimental chaplain and bearing a reproduction of the nativity on the cover.  Inside was the order of worship; it was typed in English on the left-hand page and laboriously hand lettered in Japanese on the right.  We left no programs behind on the benches that night.  The pews soon became jammed as families trooped in wearing their best regalia - clothing that looked tattered and flimsy alongside our neat, warm uniforms.  At first, the Japanese eyed us uncertainly - still under the influence of war propaganda.  But tension soon vanished.  The parents and the children ogled us with wide eyes and wider grins.  Our own dignity melted somewhat, for we, in turn, were fascinated by the doll-like appearance of those Japanese youngsters.  In the rear of the auditorium, the choir and the overflow crowd sat on their haunches, native style, in a matted cubicle about the size of an average school cloakroom.  In fact, the whole proceeding was much like the first day of school, with everyone stealing embarrassed glances at everyone else.  Then, the battered hand organ began to sneeze out, "O Come All Ye Faithful" and we turned to our hymn books.  A legacy of the founding missionaries, they, too, were printed in both Japanese and English.  The congregation rose and we winced in anticipation of the weird discord certain to follow.  At first, we sang self-consciously, but the Japanese poured themselves out in music, and soon the two languages blended with a curious, yet harmonious, effect.  For us, the meaning of the music was universal; the actual words didn't matter.  As we resumed our seats, we found ourselves smiling at the Japanese, and suddenly we became less conscious of the cold drafts and the uncomfortable benches.  As the hymn ended, the Japanese pastor made a welcoming speech.  His English was not fluent, but we knew what he was trying to say, and he knew it, too.  The sincerity in his face said it for him.  Because it was a special occasion, the program consisted mainly of musical selections.  When the first soloist was introduced, we squirmed momentarily but quickly snapped to attention.  She was a young Japanese girl with the most angelic face I have ever seen.  To the war weary soldiers, she looked like a saint.  And she sang like a saint, too.  Soft and sweet, her voice rang out, transforming that dingy little church into a great cathedral.  As the last note trailed off, not one soldier dared show his face to his neighbor.  The sermon presented few problems.  Our regimental chaplain delivered it in English, one paragraph at a time.  Then it was translated, one paragraph at a time, by an educated Japanese engineer.  The two gentlemen bowed to each other at the completion of each stint, and the whole thing went off beautifully.  Our Japanese vocabulary was strictly of the "hello/thank you" variety, but the sermon was impressive nonetheless, because of the spirit in which it was delivered.  When the sermon was over, a dozen soldiers moved to the front where they were joined by about twenty ladies in kimonos.  Our Special Service Officer acted as musical director for the "Hallelujah" chorus, from Handel's Messiah.  When those combined Japanese and American voices burst into song, it was more stirring than any military march our division band had ever played.  And it was revealing - because "Hallelujah" in Japanese sounds just the same and means just the same in English.  We stumbled forth from that tiny auditorium in a warm and welcome daze.  There was no scoffing, no disbelief; we had participated in something unforgettable.  But you won't find it in the history books of Japanese-American relations.  It was too simple, too fundamental.  I might add that when the collection plate was passed, we American soldiers piled it high with currency - more money than that poor church had ever seen before.  Yet, we meant no show of wealth or superiority.  We gave because we wanted to give; it was our contribution to a cause.  We had been through a terrible war.  But in this small Japanese church, we had momentarily glimpsed a solution to man's problems that war could never give.

The Are You Ready For A Christmas Laugh...Again" Story

Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation.

It was an ordinary day.  Anxious to get together with family members and watch one of my all-time favorite movies; National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.  It was 30 years ago that the Griswold Family spent Christmas at home, and we've been laughing ever since.  "Christmas Vacation" opened on the big screen on December 1, 1989.  Chevy Chase, who played Clark Griswold in the lead role, is more Clark than he is Chevy when I look at him now.  Every time I watch the movie, which is every year at this time, I still laugh more than I do at most shows.  To our family it has become a modern holiday classic.  So, when I had a chance to view some of the fun facts behind the film online, I made sure I was ready to laugh.  The writer/director of the film, John Hughes, started as a writer for the magazine "National Lampoon", which shortly after it's success with it's magazine, broke into the film-producing business with equal success.  1979's "National Lampoon Animal House" began a string of big screen success stories.  Hughes's first story for the magazine was "Vacation '58" which was a tale that became the basis for the first "Vacation" film.  "Christmas Vacation" was based on another Hughes' "Lampoon" piece titled "Christmas '59".

The Griswold Family hosts Christmas dinner.

For those that may've never watched one of the "Vacation" films, the Griswolds are the central family.  Husband Clark and wife Ellen were played by Chevy Chase and Beverly D"Angelo since the start of the series.  Son and daughter  have been played by different actors due to the age requirements.  Johnny Galecki, one of the stars in Big Bang Theory, was one of the children in Christmas Vacation.  One strange fact about the movie is that there was never a soundtrack released on CD.  A limited CD, which was sold at Six Flags Magic Mountain, is now bringing big bucks today.  A few of the neat songs in the film are the Hawaiian Christmas Song "Mele Kalikimaka" by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters "The Spirit of Christmas" by Ray Charles, and "Here Comes Santa Claus" by Gene Autry.  A few others in the movie that are my favorites is Cousin Eddie played by Randy Quaid and wife Catherine played by Miriam Flynn.  But, for me, the movie wouldn't have been the success it was had it not been for Chevy Chase who was at one time a member of the original Saturday Night Live cast.  Clark Griswold make the movie with his 'if anything can go wrong, it will" acting.  At times I look at the movie and think...that could have been my family at one time had the circumstances been the same.  Especially the scene where the squirrel gets chased by the dog.  We had most of those critters in our house at one time or another.  Well, if you get a chance this holiday season, watch "Christmas Vacation".  You'll love the film!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Gift Card Catastrophe" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Trying to figure what to buy for family members for Christmas.  Always seems to be a problem during the Christmas holiday season, since I have no idea what my children and grandchildren might need or might already have.  We do talk on the phone about ideas for gifts, but as usual, I don't write it down and by the time I get around to writing it down, I have forgotten exactly what we decided upon.  So, over the years I have started to give gift certificates or gift cards as a gift for just about everyone.  That way I don't forget sizes or colors of gifts and don't have to worry about wrapping the gifts after I have brought them home.  I'm absolutely sure that many of you do the same thing as I do.  Not necessarily cards or certificates for everyone, but I'll bet you buy a few gift cards or certificates for the "hard-to-buy-for" relative or friend.  Got me thinking about when stores first decided to offer gift cards or certificates.  I don't remember ever getting a gift card or certificate when I was a child or even a teenager and that goes back to the 1950s.  So when did the first gift cards or certificates arrive in stores.  The earliest I could find was when department stores began to offer "gift certificates" in the 1930s.  Clerks in the store were directed to keep the gift certificates behind store counters at the time so they could sell them only to select customers upon request.  At the time the gift certificates were said to be a paper cash equivalent.  I wasn't around in the 1930s and both my parents are no longer living so I can't ask them if they remember giving "gift certificates" as Christmas gifts.  I did find that in the 1970s, the ever-innovative McDonald's introduced its Christmas gift certificate program which created quite the buzz.  

Wasn't long before other restaurants and merchants began to do the same.  The only problem that occurred was that the paper certificates took time to write out and redeem since it had to be done by the manager of the establishment.  They had to track the sequentially numbered certificates to make sure that no one was making their own and trying to use them.  Then along came the color copier and retailers were left to figure out a way to fight fraud, but still allow customers to buy a convenient way to give a gift to a friend or relative.  It was back in 1994 that Neiman Marcus first tried to sell the plastic gift cards, but it was Blockbuster who first displayed the gift cards in their stores.  Then along came the Mobil gas card, which initially offered prepaid phone value provided by MCI.  Kmart was next to introduce the Kmart Cash Card, which in the early generations provided prepaid phone time with AT&T.  Later Kmart and Mobile dropped this feature, as it was not profitable for them.  Then the Kmart Cash Card was the first replacement for cash returns when a shopper didn't have a receipt for a gift.  The practice of giving a cash card in place of cash for non-receipted returns is commonplace today with most merchants.  Can you think of any big retailers that doesn't do the same thing today?  Most places will try to keep your money one way or another.  So, if you haven't purchased all your Christmas gifts as of yet, maybe a gift card or certificate may be the way to go.  Let your friend or relative pick out what they want so they don't have to return what you may think they should like.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Christmas Isn't The Same All Over The World!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  June 28, 1870 and President Ulysses S. Grant had just signed into law that Christmas, New Year's Day and Thanksgiving Day would be Federal holidays in the United States, thus giving all federal workers the day off.  Actually, Thanksgiving Day's date had not been determined at the time, but it would be a day off when they eventually did pick a date.  As I began to read the story about Grant's signing, I also came across another fact that in my lifetime I never knew; Christmas is not celebrated in 9 countries; but a bit more about that later.  In the article I had recently read it said that on December 25, 1789 the U.S. Congress met in session and our nation was without a president, since the country's first national election had just begun earlier in the month and would not conclude until January.  For most Americans December 25 was just a normal working day, but for some it was celebrated as Christmas.  It wasn't until close to 150 years later that Grant would sign legislation making Christmas a federal holiday.  At the time Christmas had been celebrated in some states, but not in others.  Alabama had declared Christmas a legal holiday in 1836 while Louisiana and Arkansas did the same in 1838.  Not so in Northern states.  Could have been because the Pilgrims didn't celebrate Christmas, claiming it to be a decadent man-made invention.  So too did the Anabaptists, Quakers and Puritans who all thought that celebrating Christmas was sinful.  Also, could have been that these religious groups had an opposition to the Anglican Church which they felt was "popish" since they celebrated Christmas as part of the Catholic liturgical year.  But, by the mid-19th century more and more immigrants brought their customs with them of which Christmas, and even Santa Claus, was part of them.  During the Civil War, Christmas was a day of peace for both sides.  Then along came Grant who saved the Union and was elected President in 1868.  As a Methodist he saw a way to reunite the North and South by making Christmas a legal holiday.  But, did it violate the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution?  A local Franklin & Marshall College assistant professor said that Christmas was made a legal holiday at the same time as other secular holidays which was important.  Being that Christmas was the only religious holiday along with several secular days made it less problematic.  Today courts use the same thinking when determining if legislation or government actions violate the Establishment Law.  At the time, it was said that Grant wasn't trying to pass along his religion when he named multiple holidays at the same time.  But, today some might sue to try and remove Christmas as a national federal holiday.  Will that ever happen.  Not as long as retailers make big money!  As far as other countries that do not celebrate Christmas, I have found nine that keep the day as another ordinary day.  Turkey does celebrate with turkey meals, get-togethers and even Christmas trees, but that is part of celebrating New Year's Eve on the final day of the year.  In Thailand, Christmas is simply a non-event, since Christians makes up less than 1% of the population.  Most in the country are Buddhist or Muslim.  Japan does celebrate Christmas Eve, but as a day to celebrate love, much like Valentine's Day.  Russia does celebrate Christmas, but not on the 25th of December.  It is celebrated on January 7th, the alleged birthday of Jesus.  Christmas was banned in Russia in 1917, but brought back in 1992.  It is celebrated in January due to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church used the old "Julian" calendar rather than the "Gregorian" calendar.  Less than 2% of the population of Laos is Christian, thus Christmas is not a big event in the country.  For those that are Christians, it is a treasured day.  Morocco is predominately Muslim, but due to a slight French influence, some small Christmas touches can be found in the major cities.  Mongolia is an official Buddhist Nation and December 25th passes as any other day.  The United Arab Emirates is populated by over 80% Muslims, but there are certain areas where they do celebrate Christmas festivities.  The final country is The Maldives which is almost entirely Muslim.  The beautiful island is in the middle of the Indian Ocean and is connected with the Islamic religion.  It is said that Christmas in The Maldives is simply not in the cards.  Instead, the people of The Maldives see Ramadan as their most important holiday.  Well, to each their own!  For those that do celebrate Christmas, hope your day will be filled with joy and celebration.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I'm Counting On All My Readers To Save The World" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article about polio, measles, and rubella and how little those under the age of 60 seem to know about those diseases today.  All three were just about totally eliminated through the use of a vaccine.  So, why is it that many of those living today fear taking a vaccine to try an eliminate COVID-19.  If everyone in the world had received the vaccine for COVID-19, we may have come close to eliminating it by now rather than having one huge breakout of the disease once again.  The vaccine that was developed for polio came out in 1955 while the vaccine for measles was developed in 1963 with the vaccine for rubella coming in 1969.  Since 2008, there have been only 3,469 cases of measles in this country with 1,282 of those cases arriving in 2019.  Before the measles vaccine was developed three to 4 million people, mostly children, were infected annually with 400 to 500 dying from the disease.  Plus 48,000 of them were hospitalized.  As for polio, in the late 1940s, an average of over 35,000 people were disabled by polio annually.  Parents were frightened to let their children go outside.  My parents feared going on vacation to the New Jersey Shore for fear I would get polio and die or become handicapped from the disease.  I had a friend who went to elementary school with me who had the disease and was confined to a wheelchair for as long as I can remember.  He graduated with me while in a wheelchair.  Thanks to the vaccination, polio hasn't been seen in the United States since 1979.  And rubella is also scarce with about 10 cases a year reported in the United States now as compared to the 12.5 million reported in 1963-1964. This is all due to being vaccinated.  Vaccines are remarkable, lifesaving as well as life-changing.  If only people would take the time to get vaccinated we wouldn't be where we are today with the resurgence of COVID-19 back once again.  It is estimated that our country needs a vaccination rate of 93% to 95% to keep diseases under control with a chance of eliminating them.  So why is it that the percentage rate of vaccinations for COVID-19 is so low?  If you are a parent of a child living right now, try to remember what your parents did for you when you were a child and had you vaccinated for the childhood diseases I have written about in this story.  Do what is right for your children and have them vaccinated as well as yourself.  You may or may not have had all the other vaccinations that I have described, but why not get the COVID-19 vaccination for everyone in your family.  You wait too long and have someone in your family die from it and you will never forgive yourself for not having them vaccinated.  All my information for this story was obtained from an article that I read that was written by Dr. Mike Roizen who is the chief wellness officer and chairman of the Wellness Institute at Cleveland Clinic.  He is published weekly in our local newspaper.  He too hopes that everyone would get vaccinated to help control the virus and keep people from needlessly dying.  I just can't see why some people won't receive their vaccination and help eliminate the disease.  If they or a loved one dies from COVID-19, they will never forgive themselves.  That little prick in the arm may save the life of a family member.  Go get that shot as soon as you can!  You'll be keeping me and all your friends and neighbors safe as well as yourself.  So...just do it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Town In Lancaster County, Pennsylvania Where My Wife Grew Up" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking around the city streets in a town known as Lancaster, Pennsylvania close to 200 years ago would have been totally different that it would be today for you see, just about everyone in town spoke either Spanish, German or Swiss.  Actually, close to 40% of the population was Hispanic and about the only thing English was the name of the town.  Between 1730 and 1736, 60% of lot holders were of German or Swiss background.  By 1740 that number had swollen to 75%.  The local newspaper, The Lancaster Gazette, was published in 1752 in both German and English.  The mode of dress in town was similar to that in some Rhineland village instead of a British colony.  

Where I found much of my information for today's story

Those that were English referred to most of their neighbors as "Dutchmen," a corruption for the German word "Deutch."  Actually, none of them came from Holland.  The city of Lancaster was no way close to the atmosphere found in a New England town.  There was no universal standard of religious orthodoxy such as you would find in Plymouth.  The founding of the town brought Germans, non-Germans, Christians, Jews, traders, craftsmen, freemen, servants, landlords and tenants.  Actually, today's Lancaster is still the same city that it was back then.  It is a unique mixture of people from all walks of life.  Today you can add in the Dutch, Mennonite and even the Amish or Plain folks.  What will it be like 200 years from now?  Your guess is as good as mine.  I have recently read a bit about the History of one Southern Township to the south of Lancaster City known as Martic Township.  

Martic Township Map

As of 1875, Martic Township, where my wife grew up and went to school and where we take leisurely weekend drives during the summer, was originally organized under the name of Martock.  It was one of the first organized townships in the county.  It was ratified in 1730 and today is somewhat smaller in size than it was when it was originally organized.  The present boundaries are north by Pequea Township, northeast by Providence, east and southeast by Drumore, south and west by the Susquehanna,the and northwest by the Conestoga. Today it has an area of 31,542 acres with the population in 1860 being 1,701.  The value of real estate in 1860 was $276,506 with the value growing to $628,493 by 1870.  There were four grist and six sawmills, one forge, five hotels, six stores, eight common schools and six churches (4 Methodist, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Seceder).  The Pequea Creek ran across the township in a southwesterly course, flowing along the southeastern boundary of the township, and the Tacquan Creek which ran through the center.  The most important settlement in Martic Township is Marticville which is a village in the northeast corner of the township, nine miles south of Lancaster and for many years was known as Frogtown.  The name change to Marticville came about 50 years later.  Marticville contains about 100 inhabitants, two general stores, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, one shoe store, one cigar manufactory, one grade school, one Methodist Episcopal Church and one good hotel.  One resident physician lives in the township.  The most famous and prominent families or persons to inhabit the township in 1875 were the Huber family, George Warfel, Emanuel Hare, the Good family and Abraham Miller.  

Those that live in Martic Township in 1875 - click to enlarge

The post office was kept by Henry Huber with three other settlement post offices at Mount Nebo, Bethesda and Rawlinsville.  The Postmaster was Elias Aument.  The land in Martic is generally hilly, its river scenery very picturesque and beautiful, particularly in the vicinity of McCall's Ferry.  The soil is a rich limestone which is extremely fertile and productive.  Many large quarries are operated in the township and a large quantity of lime is manufactured annually.  Owing to the fact that Martic was early settled by an industrious and enterprising class of citizens, it has been prosperous in it agricultural and general business interests.  It is in every respect one of the representative townships of the County, and will doubtless continue to increase and prosper in the future as it has done in the past.  My wife Carol and I often travel through the area where she was raised and even traveled back the private road to her old homestead where she kept her horse across from the house along a wandering stream.  I never had the chance to grow up in an area such as Martic Township, but would have loved to have had a horse to go along with my Chevy Impala in a nearby barn.  Maybe in my next lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "My Sense Of Smell Is In Need Of A Few Cookies" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Questioning my wife as to why I have lost some of my sense of smell.  She handed me the newspaper and said "I just happened to be reading a story about it in the morning paper.  May be good if you read it also!"  Story was the headline in the Dr. Mike Roizen - Medical Advice column.  He starts by telling all his readers that the act of smelling something, actually anything, is remarkably like the act of thinking which was discussed by Lewis Thomas who was a physician, poet and author of "Lives of the Cell."  Smells evoke layers of sensations, stimulate memory and lead to pleasure or repugnance.  If one loses his or her sense of smell, everything becomes less engaging.  The slight loss of smell in my case has not led in that direction yet...but, could perhaps sometime in the future lead in that direction.  Dr. Thomas goes on to say that without a sense of smell, everything from food and flowers to air, water, even other people, becomes far less engaging and could cause distortions in odor and taste and make what at one time was pleasurable become distasteful or repulsive.  As I continued to read he said that there are close to 1.6 million people in the world who may be having chronic difficulty detecting smells because of COVID-19.  Now...how did he come up with that number?  He also said that there are about 13.3 million adults, age 40 and older, just in the U.S. who have a non-COVID-19 related loss of ability to smell.  Seems it is caused by an olfactory dysfunction which can happen if you had head trauma, diabetes and some cancers, zinc deficiency, nasal polyps, viral infections or allergies.  If you have a loss of smell and don't treat it with medications or surgery it can lead to depression and possibly weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. So, if you notice a loss of smell or aren't hungry at all, it's probably best that you visit your doctor who can help you with olfactory training for perhaps a few months which will involve sniffing a set of odors for 20 seconds each, at least twice a day.  These odors could be things such as lemons, roses, cloves, eucalyptus and coffee.  This can set up new neutral pathways and retrain your brain!  Exactly what I am going to try if I lose any more weight or can't smell Christmas cookies in the near future has yet to be determined.  Perhaps trying to eat twice my allowance of Christmas cookies will help!  Hey, you never know if it can help until you try it...and I'm willing to try it!  I'll let you know if I'm feeling better after going through my extra amount of snickerdoodle cookies, sugar cookies with a raisin on top and chocolate chip cookies.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "My Solo Was A Disaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The offering had just been taken and the choir had just finished their anthem.  The year was sometime in the late 1970s and my dad and I were part of the choir at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  We both sang bass, with my dad being the bass soloist when needed.  He had been in the choir since his youth and his voice was so mellow that it gave you shivers when he sang.  Our family Doctor, Dr. James Martin, was the tenor soloist.  The anthem for the service today was one of the lesser known parts of Handel's Messiah.  

This old photo shows Dr. Martin in the center with his two sons,
while my dad and I are right rear.  I can't find any photos when
I was in the choir as an adult.  Thank goodness! 

Mr. Frank McConnell, one of the best organists for miles around, had asked if I would enjoy singing the short solo part of the anthem.  Now, I should tell you that I joined the choir as a child when I was 7 years old an he was the organist and choirmaster at that time.  He named me choir master of the youth choir when I was 12 year old, my final year in the choir since my voice was beginning to change.  Well, I was honored to sing the solo today being that no one could touch Dr. Martin and my dad as far a voice quality and showmanship was concerned.  The offering anthem had begun and in a few minutes it came to the part where I would sing my solo.  I was so nervous, but knew I could do it...or so I thought.  I began on the correct key, but before I hit the third line on the page I was lost.  The sweat began to roll down my face and I began to panic.  I couldn't just stop singing...or could I.  Well, Dr Martin, who had perfect pitch, knew I was in trouble so he chimed in and began to sing the correct notes.  It instantly sounded like we were singing a duet and before long the entire choir was singing once again.  I felt so embarrassed!  I mean...like really embarrassed.  No one ever mentioned how awful I was, but I knew they certainly could hear how off key I was that day.  

One of the best on the east coast!

Mr. McConnell never mentioned it to me, but never asked me to sing solo again!  Thank you so much, Mr. McConnell!  It's been close to 25 years since I stopped singing in the church choir, but I still sing along to songs that I recognize on TV or radio.  My wife also sings along and we both have agreed that we will never criticize each other when we both sing along.  Between the singing on the radio and our singing, it really is hard to tell what song is being played and sung!  But, we are having the time of our lives and that's all that matters!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Rosetta Stone - Need I Say More!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading pages of information dealing with the invention of printing.  If you have been reading this blog for any length of time, you probably know by now that I taught Graphic Arts at Manheim Township High School which is located in the little town of Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  I retired from teaching in 1999 after close to 35 years of teaching printing.  But, I never gave up my love for the printed word and the history behind it.  I recently read a story about the discovery of the Rosetta Stone.  Ever hear about it?  The Rosetta Stone, as it came to be known, contained an ancient decree written in three types of scripts.  One of them was Egyptian hieroglyphics.  Using the Rosetta Stone and comparing the hieroglyphics to other writings, a French linguist was able to crack the hieroglyphic code.  For the very first time since hieroglyphics died out in the 4th century, scholars were able to decipher a lost language and the field of Egyptology was born.  In 1798, Napoleon Bonaparte led a French campaign through Egypt and Syria.  He wanted to defend French trade interests and ultimately drive the British from India.  Scholars were invited along to document the antiquities they discovered.  While digging a foundation in Rosetta in July of 1799, a young officer named Pierre-Francois-Xavier Bouchard discovered a stone covered in inscriptions.  The broken stone piece was found to be part of a larger tablet and contained an official message or decree about King Ptolemy (204-181 BC).  The same message was written in hieroglyphics, Demotic and Ancient Greek.  But, Napoleon was eventually defeated and the Rosetta Stone fell into British hands.  The Treaty of Alexandria required that all antiquities gathered during Napoleon's campaign be turned over to the British.  The Rosetta Stone was one of those antiquities.  The stone was loaded onto a ship which eventually arrived in England in February of 1802.  It was then presented to King George III and later displayed at the British Museum.  Scholars immediately began to study the inscriptions.  One such scholar was Thomas Young who continued his study of the stone as did French scholar Jean-Francois Champollion.  Over the next two decades the race to decipher the Rosetta Stone continued.  Then in 1822, Champollion made the first of several breakthroughs and two years later he realized that hieroglyphics combined phonetic and ideographic signs.  Combined with his knowledge of the Coptic language, which is derived from ancient Egyptian, he cracked the code and was able to read the hieroglyphics.  Today he is known as the founder of the study of Egyptology.  The message on the stone was a decree celebrating the first anniversary of the coronation of King Ptolemy V.  Now scholars could decipher hieroglyphics on other Egyptian antiquities.  Today, the Rosetta Stone is still in the British Museum where it has drawn curious crowds for nearly 220 years.  

The Rosetta Stone

Another note of importance is that the first printing press, which was made by German printer Johannes Gutenberg, perished some time ago and only 48 original Gutenberg bibles have survived until today.  Bibles that change hands today do so for millions of dollars.  The British Museum's Gutenberg press is a great hulking wooden machine made by the Pratt Wagon Works in Utah.  The press design is based on a woodcut of a later press that historians deem to be very close to the original.  Printing is much older than Johannes Gutenberg.  An eighth-century block-printed scroll was printed three centuries before the Chinese first invented printing with movable ceramic type.  But, the museum's greatest focus is on the machinery used for printing.  Everything from the small hand-operated printing press to the Linotype machine can be found at the museum.  Then there is the invention of lithography that changed nineteenth-century newspapers when it gave them a chance to print pictures.  The British Museum features both process and content.  Benjamin Franklin's newspapers from Colonial times are featured as well as a room for making paper and another for setting type are featured.  

A closer view of the characters on the Rosetta Stone.

But, perhaps the Rosetta Stone is the #1 attraction at the British Museum.  If not...it certainly should be!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "'The Village' Is Ending Another Chapter In It's Storied Life" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of my favorite hangouts in downtown Lancaster when I turned 21 and was legally able to visit bars and nightclubs in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Perhaps my favorite was a nightclub called The Village which in the 1960s was located at the corner of East Chestnut St. and North Christian St in downtown Lancaster.  My friend Terry and I would head to The Village on Friday evenings after we had finished our work shift at the Acme Supermarket which was located at the Manor Shopping Center on the West side of Lancaster.  The store closed at 10:00 PM and by 10:30 we were usually sitting at the bar.  The Lancaster Newspaper's story told about the founding of the bar as well as some of the bands, both local as well as national, that played at the bar over the lifetime of the bar.  Terry and I enjoyed a drink or two as well as listening to some of the musicians that played on the stage of the bar, but our most favorite entertainment at The Village was a Go-Go dancer known as Daisy Mae.  She usually danced on stage over the weekend and usually danced to the sound of "The Sharks".  If I remember correctly, Terry knew her from High School and when she danced, she had to bring her mother along to the bar, since she wasn't 21 at the time and needed to have an adult with her when she performed.  When she took breaks throughout the evening, Terry always had me go with him to visit with Daisy and her mother where they sat between dances.  The Village opened their doors in 1953 and was situated in downtown Lancaster on a half-acre property.  The place was close to 10,000 square feet in size and had three bars, several seating areas and a dance floor.  Most times we would have a chance to see and hear local bands, but a few times we heard more well-known bands.  One night Bruce Springsteen showed up at the bar, but I must admit, I wasn't at the place at the time. The Village still attracts crowds, but a half-block to the North than where it was when I was a visitor.  And now, in today's newspaper, I read that the long time owners have decided it is time to call it quits.  The Village is for sale for $1.95 million.  The current co-owners, John Patounas and his daughter now manage the nightclub.  They all want to be able to spend more time with their families.  The Village actually was a Pennsylvania Dutch Restaurant called The German Village.  It shortened it's name and in 1971 had to move a half-block away, behind the local police department, due to a large parking garage being built in downtown Lancaster.  The place still draws a crowd, usually with a DJ who takes charge of the music.  The pandemic did close the place for almost 18 months, but it has now reopened.  Today's Village features a 9,300 square-foot club with three bars, a seating area and a dance floor.  The younger crowd, such as Terry and I were back in the 1960's, is hoping that someone will buy The Village and continue to supply some well-known bands for them to visit and enjoy.  I'm sure I would have felt the same had The Village been for sale during my early lifetime.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Are You Superstitious? Story

Foreword - I hope I don't upset you with my story today.  I happened upon a book of items that I thought were somewhat crazy, but just had to see if anyone else thought the same.  So, if you feel that my story today is a bit crazy, I share your views.  Now...if you truly believe all of what you are about to read is...or could be...true, well...good luck!  You may need it!

It was an ordinary day.  Walking around the downtown area in Lancaster, Pennsylvania looking for a few photographs to share with one of my stories.  Looked at the clock on the old Bowman Technical School building on the corner of East Chestnut and North Duke Streets and found the hands of the wall clocks have been at the same location for the last few years now.  To me...it's no big deal, but to some...that's just plain bad luck!  According to the philosophy of Feng Shui, it is bad luck to have a broken or stopped clock in your home or business establishment.  Yeah...I know the clocks are on the outside of the building, but to many, that's just as bad as being inside the place.  Feng Shui warns that keeping broken items in your home is bad luck since it represents internal and external clutter that has no place in  your life.  And...what's even worse is if a broken clock chimes!  This signals that a death may soon befall your house.  Be aware...hidden dangers in your home should never be ignored.  Well, the broken clock is just the beginning of the problem as far as bad luck is concerned.  If you happen to have a room painted green or have green wallpaper in your home, you could be in for trouble since synthetic green dyes could be lethal.  Green items are made with a compound known as cupric hydrogen arsenic which could kill you.  And for those that like to rock while they knit, feed the baby or even begin a nap...the empty rocking chair is an open invitation for evil spirits to take a seat.  If a chair moves on its own, that's a sure sign that a specter has already taken residence in the house.  For those that enjoy flowers and the like, having a cactus in the house is definitely bad luck for many.  The prickly surfaces of cacti or similarly spiky plants can bring tension into the house and relationships.  The only plant that is exempt from this rule is the rose which brings elegant blooms into the home.  If you happen to forget to water your indoor plants for a month or so, they naturally will die.  The plants could bring in dead energy to the home.  But, there is yet one more dead thing that you should get rid of in your house besides plants.  You can bet that the head of a dead animal hanging on the wall with those beady eyes just can't be good.  If you are superstitious, you just have to get rid of those animal carcasses that hang on the walls and stare at you every time you walk past them.  Any haunted house more than likely has a dead animal's head hanging on the wall!  Another item I should share with you that could lead to bad luck is having an outdated calendar hanging on the wall or displayed in your home somewhere.  The calendar could bring misfortune, curtail prosperity and even shorten your life.  The final following few items you probably shouldn't have in your home if you are superstitious are an open umbrella, an unmade bed and a rocking chair.  A creaky old uninhabited rocking chair is an open invitation for evil spirits to take a seat.  An unmade bed can doom you to a sleepless night.  If you do make your bed, make sure you smooth the sheets and fluff your pillows.  An open umbrella which can protect you from the weather must be closed when it is in the house or it might be disrespectful to the guardian spirits keeping watch in your home.  Lastly, if you want a home filled with positive energy, make sure all dead plants have been discarded.  Nothing dead should be residing there including the patrons of the home.  Well, you have now heard about the items in a home that could bring you to your knees if you are superstitious.  If not, you must be one tough bugger who doesn't let anything bother them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.