The "A Tree That Stands Out In Winter" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a beautiful tree that is for all seasons.  Known as the River Birch.  It is easy to recognize in the winter since it has a cinnamon-colored bark that curls and peels which is particularly noticeable in the winter.  

Known as the River Birch

This native of wet areas of the Deep South grows well when planted in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Woodcrest Villa, where I am now a resident, uses it on campus as a landscape tree.  It is one of the very best shade trees, valued as a landscape tree for the colorful exfoliating bark.  It is one of the most culturally adaptable and heat tolerant of the birches and a good substitute for pest-prone paper and white birches.  It also features an appealing contrast when the leaves flutter in the wind, revealing a lower leaf surface of a different color than the upper surface.  The slender new twigs are a red-brown color while thin branches are cinnamon-colored.  Older branches may also be exfoliating, typically in shades of cream, light orange, and lavender.  The branches are not brittle, so are not prone to wind or ice damage.  Twig and branch die-back is not uncommon and these dead parts tend to be messy as they shed readily.  The River Birch is a medium to tall tree, growing 60-80 feet at maturity and about 40 feet wide.  Trees usually live 50-75 years and the trunk typically grows about 2 feet in diameter, but occasionally will be wider.  It is sometimes overlooked because it doesn't have white bark, but it is widely admired for its fall color.  Its lustrous dark green leaves of summer turn to a golden yellow in the fall.  It has the best fall foliage of all birches. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "I'm Told To Dial 9-1-And Then The Long Distance Number...But...Guess What Happens!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my new office, sorting through all the files and desk drawers when I realized I must order new checks with my new address on them.  If you haven't heard since you last read a story on my blog...well, my wife and I have moved to a new location.  The retirement community where we have moved is known as Woodcrest Villa and is located to the west of my old home in Manheim Township on Harrington Drive.   Woodcrest Villa is located near the Park City Shopping Center which is near plenty of medical buildings.  We have downsized a bit, but still found we can have all our family get-togethers in our new villa, just as we did in our old house.  The villa has two bedrooms, two baths, one laundry room, a living room, a dining area, a kitchen and a sun room.  A surprising amount of space...so it is!  It took some time to get everything organized and as of now we are still trying to get everything placed where it should be.  Our biggest problem right now is the phone system.  In order to make a phone call, you have to dial 9, than a 1 and then the phone number.  A few minutes ago I decided to order new checks for our new address so I picked up my phone and dialed 9, than a 1, and then began punching in the number which also began with a 1.  So by now you have surely seen what happened.  Wasn't more than 60 seconds until a uniformed guard knocked on the front door, twisted the door knob, opened the door and entered the villa.  His uniform with badge gave me a surprise, but I did dial 9-1-1!  I learned something new today, so I did.  Never dial 911 even if it is the only way to get the phone number that you want.   My wife and I apologized and he was on his way, knowing that it will happen sometime in the near future in another villa since new villa owners are accustomed to dialing 911 for help!  Now my wife and I have to figure out how to reach phone numbers that require us to dial 9 - 1 - and than the rest of the number, but without dialing a #1 as the third number. I just know I'm going to do it again, so I am.  Well, I've had enough excitement for today, so I've decided to forget about ordering new checks and let that job go until another day.  Perhaps I'll have my wife give it a try.  She seems to remember not to dial 911 when she's not supposed to do so.  How she manages to make long distant calls without dialing 911 I'm not sure, but she's going to have to spend some time showing me the proper way to keep the local security from pulling to a quick stop and racing to the front door to help us in the future.  I will say this....the security around here is unbelievable!  You need them...dial 911 and they are there immediately.  I really do appreciate that feature in our new home.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "And...You Thought You Had It Bad!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  I guess I should say a cold, winter, ordinary day.  Decided to head to the mailbox to check to see if our mailman might have delivered the mail as of noontime.  In order to get to the mailbox I must cross the street in front of our villa and head about 30 feet to the left in order to get to the mailboxes that service the homes on Rubia Place.  The chill in the air was manageable, but if I had to walk further down the street, I would have had to put a bit more clothing on to keep me from freezing.  I returned home and told my wife I would have to go back later since there was no mail in the mailbox at the time.  Sat on the couch next to her and watched over her shoulder as she pulled up photo after photo on her computer of what appeared to be houses.  I say appear to be houses since they looked more like sand houses someone had made on the beach.

Picture after picture of homes along Lake Erie that were the residences of people in the Fort Erie community.  Seems the waves had been crashing over their homes for many hours during a storm and made them look like sand castles.  Close to a dozen homes looked like they had been made of sand, but in full size.

The community was named Crystal Beach.  Seems the waves  during the storm came crashing over their homes and caused the sides of their homes facing the water to freeze, but not until they were covered with a layer of sand.  The frozen layer went from the top of the home to the beach.  The sheer volume of water coming over the wall to hit the homes and then freeze was incredible.  The homes were encased in sand and ice thrown over them by the recent blizzard.  If I hadn't known better...I would have thought they were sand castles that had just been built by a child.  

The community is west of Erie County, New York.  Seems that as the waves crashed onto the shore, the super-cooled water froze rapidly onto surfaces of the houses which in turn caused the sand to freeze on the side of the house.  Not sure if the houses were wood or made of stone.  A local news station reported that the accumulated ice, which continued for 37 hours on the Crystal Beach homes was at east a foot thick and residents were concerned about damage due to the weight of the ice.

Residents said that they never have had weather like what they are currently experiencing.  Temperatures in the Fort Erie area were expected to climb into the 50s sometime today.  That will hopefully lead to a massive thaw and pooling water.  When my wife first showed me the photos of the homes, I thought they were actually sand houses that had been made by children.  They looked remarkably well made.  But, when she told me they were full-size houses that were covered with ice mixed with the sand, I couldn't believe it.  I only hope that the residents whom have all the ice and sand on their homes have insurance to cover what will need to be done to get their homes back into shape once again.  I must admit they look beautiful with all the sand and ice, but I feel so bad for those who might have major damage on the water side of their homes.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "International Wildlife Conference Moves To Protect Our Wildlife" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in my local Sunday Newspaper about a recent international wildlife conference that enacted some of the most stringent protections for sea turtles, lizards, rhinos, sharks, whales and amphibians.  Many species of wildlife have been targeted in the fin trade as well as scores of turtles, lizards and frogs whose numbers are being decimated by the pet trade.  The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, known by its initials as CITES ended recently in Panama.  Delegates to the conference enacted protections for over 500 species.  The United Nations conference also rejected a proposal to reopen the ivory trade.  That particular ban had been enacted in 1989.  It was said that we need to mend or relationship with nature!  I can remember my wife and myself, along with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue, visiting Paradise Island in the Bahamas and going snorkeling in the crystal-clear waters of the Caribbean Sea.  We left from Stuart's Cove Diving Center which is a state-of-the-art watersports facility that features snorkeling as well as scuba diving.  We left the dock and about 15 minutes later the boat dropped anchor and prepared us for what we were about to see and do during our time in the crystal-blue waters of the Caribbean.  A buoy was first placed in the water with a rope from it to the boat.  We entered the water and worked our way along the rope to the buoy.  At that point a few bait traps filled with food were dropped to the bottom.  We were able to watch the many sharks of all species arrive and begin feeding from the bait traps.  Not sure how much below us the sharks might have been, but it was a scary sight.  After some time we were told to return to the boat.  Shortly after, the sharks, having finished feeding from the bottom, began to swim toward the top.  They did their best to try and enter our boat, but luckily they didn't make it.  

Sharks swimming behind the boats we had just returned to a short time ago.

Rather scary, so it was, to see these immense beasts with huge mouths opening them as they swam alongside the boat.  But...it was a remarkable sight to see.  And, these creatures were killed for many years just so someone could have one of their teeth or perhaps a fin.  It was 49 years ago that an ivory ban was enacted.  How it is enforced I'm not sure, but I assume someone patrols the seas to make sure animals are not killed for their ivory.  Rhino horns as well as ivory in whales and sea turtles was also part of an International wildlife  trade treaty.  Recently the treaty has come under fire for its limitations.  One of the biggest achievements this year was increasing protection for more than 90 shark species.  The conference also enacted protections for dozens of species of turtle, lizard and 160 amphibian species including glass frogs whose translucent skin made them a favorite in the pet trade.  But, protections on anything are only as good as those who patrol and enforce the treaty that was written.  Swimming with endangered animals is one thing, but trapping them and selling them or killing them for their body parts is another thing.  Hopefully enough countries will support and enforce the laws that are meant to preserve the many species of animals that still exist.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Pittsburgh Steelers Lose Key Cog In The Death Of Franco Harris" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading in the Lancaster newspaper about the December 21, 2022 death of Pittsburgh Steelers running back Franco Harris.

Superstar Franco Harris

His death came two days before the 50th Anniversary of the play that made him a football icon.  The play occurred in the AFC divisional playoff game of the National Football League between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the then-Oakland Raiders at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on December 23, 1972.  With the Steelers trailing on fourth down and 22 seconds left in the game, Pittsburgh quarterback Terry Bradshaw threw a pass meant for John Faqua.  The ball bounced off the helmet of Raiders safety Jack Tatum.  Steelers fullback Franco Harris caught it just before it hit the ground and ran for a game-winning touchdown.  The play has been a source of some controversy and speculation ever since, and a few people have contended that the ball touched Fuqua or that it hit the ground before Harris caught it, either of which would have resulted in an incomplete pass by the rules at that time.  Kevin Cook's "The Last Headbangers" cites the play as the beginning of a bitter rivalry between Pittsburgh and Oakland that fueled a historically brutal Raiders team during the NFL's most controversially physical era.  Franco's death comes two days before the 50th anniversary of the play that provided the jolt that helped transform the Steelers from also-rans into the NFL's elite and three days before Pittsburgh was scheduled to retire his #32 jersey during a ceremony at halftime of its game against the Las Vegas Raiders.  Harris had been busy in the run0up to the celebration, doing media interviews to talk about a moment to which he is forever linked.  Its pretty tough to find the words needed to describe Franco's impact on the Pittsburgh Steelers, his teammates, the City of Pittsburgh and Stellers Nation.  From his rookie season through the next 50 years, Franco brought joy to people on and off the field.  He never stopped going back in so many ways.  He touched so many and was loved by so many.  Franco ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with the Steelers in the 1970s, a dynasty that began in earnest with Harris' catching of a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972.  That one single play, known as the immaculate reception, shifted the fortunes of a franchise and, in some ways, a region.  Franco was a 6'2", 230 pound workhorse from Penn State who found himself the center of it all.  He ran for a then-record 158 yards rushing and a touchdown in Pittsburgh's 16-6 victory over Minnesota in Super Bowl IX on his way to winning the game's MVP award.  He scored at least once in three of the four Super Bowls he played in, and his 354 career yards rushing on the NFL's biggest stage remains a record nearly four decades after his retirement.  Franco was born in Fort Dix, NJ on March 7, 1950.  He played his college ball at Penn State where his primary job was to open holes for backfield mate Lydell Mitchell.  He was drafted 13th in the 1972 draft by the Steelers.  He won the NFL's Rookie of the Year Award in 1972 after rushing for a team record of 1,055 yards and 10 touchdowns as the Steelers reached the postseason for only the 2nd time in team history.  Pittsburgh's large Italian-American population embraced Harris led by two local businessmen who founded what was known as "Franco's Italian Army."  "The Immaculate Reception" made Franco a star on a team that featured big personalities such as Terry Bradshaw, Joe Green and Jack Lambert.  He spent 12 seasons with the Steelers running the engine that helped Pittsburgh's offense go.  He topped 1,000 yards rushing a season 8 times including 5 times while playing a 14-game schedule.  He piled on an additional 1,556 yard rushing and 16 rushing touchdowns in the playoffs, both second all-time behind Emmitt Smith.  Remember that guy?  But, Franco always stressed that he was just one cog in an extraordinary machine that redefined greatness.  RIP Mr. Football Hero Franco Harris!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Making The Move Was A Tough Decision!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my lounge chair reminiscing about our old place we called "The Beach House."  It's been almost two months and now one Christmas since we moved to Woodcrest Villa in Lancaster, Pennsylvania which is a hop, skip and jump from "The Beach House."  And, why did we call it "The Beach House"?  Well, she looked like a house at the beach with a wooden deck in the rear and a five-foot piece of driftwood hanging on the front of the house.  My wife and I found the driftwood while scouring the "shores" of the Elk River in nearby Maryland after a storm.  The bark-free piece of wood seemed to be calling us and after rubbing our hands along the large branch, we decided we needed to take it home with us to hang on our new home.  We tied it on the roof of our van and headed home.  Wasn't long before it hung on the street side of our home and gave name to "The Beach House."  Home is never really a physical place as much as it is a kaleidoscope of experiences that range from soaring highs to heartbreaking lows with plenty of ordinary in betweens (many thanks to Salena for that quote).  We lived at "The Beach House" for  27 years after living at our home on Janet Ave. for another 20 plus years.  Our three children were all born while we were living on Janet Ave.  They all left home when we were living at "The Beach House."  Both places carry many memories for both my wife and myself and these memories will never be forgotten.  Pets of all sizes and types, school concerts, church choirs, Little League baseball games, High School graduations, a few marriages and a few grandchildren all took place while living in one of those locations, but "time must go on" as the saying proclaims.   The memories of the past will never be forgotten, but it is time to create new memories in a home that will require less management and work for a couple who are ready to give up house painting, worrying about the lights going out, how many bags of trash we are allowed to put out, when to paint the siding, how to fix the back deck, etc., etc., etc.  I'm sure you have gone through it yourself and know exactly what I'm trying to tell you.  Now, someone will shovel the snow, clean the ice off the driveway, paint the outside of the property, drop the newspaper at the front door, etc., etc., etc.  Yeah, we still have to clean the house and make the meals, but our time is "our time" and we can do things together more often than ever before.  No one or nothing can keep us from enjoying our lives as in the past.  We still celebrated this past Christmas with our family at our new villa and opened presents with all of them as in the past.  And, when the meal was over our daughter, daugher-in-law, sons and son-in-law all pitched in and cleaned the place for us.  We sat and talked with a few other visitors while they took charge of the clean-up.  We were a bit apprehensive about moving from "The Beach House" to Woodcrest Villa, but we are fitting in rather nicely.  We are meeting new people every day and our family and friends seem to be happy for us.  Life is Good!  What more can anyone ask for in this life?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "How Do Your Pets Respond To Your Commands? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching our two cats enjoying our new home at Woodcrest Villa.  Our large sunporch is a big draw for them. We have two sofas on the sunporch and they love sitting on the backs of the sofas, looking for any movement that might pass by the windows.  The Gray Lady is the smaller of the two and loves to watch the squirrels move from window to window as they search for the peanuts that my wife throws out for them.  Snickerdoodle is almost twice the size of the Gray Lady, but is scared of just about anything that moves too fast or makes too much noise.  Someone asked me recently if my cats know their names being that their names are so different from normal pet names.  At times I'm not sure, but one thing they never forget is the sound of their food being placed on the floor at meal time.  So, if it wasn't mealtime and I called Snickerdoodle...would he come to me?  Sometimes not...but he usually comes to me because he knows my voice and he knows that I am one of two people who gives him his food.  I read recently that cats do respond more to their names only because  they know the sound of your voice rather than understanding what you are saying.  If a stranger would call Snickerdoodle's name, he probably wouldn't understand it as well as if I called him, since he knows my voice.  One way to get your cat to recognize his name is to have a treat ready to give to him when you call his name.  Do that enough times and he probably will come to you when he hears your voice.  Naturally...he will be expecting a treat!  Cats are just as trainable as dogs.  But, cats tend to have more moods that dogs do.  Sometimes it takes longer to get a cat to come to me no mater what I do if he or she doesn't want to come.  They seem to be more independent that dogs.  Our two cats have been part of our family for over five years now and when we call them they may or may not come.  They do know the word bird and eat, but tend to just stare when we say most any other word.  As far as knowing their name...nah, they don't seem to know their name.  They do know the phrase "are you ready to eat" and the word "treat," but as far as other words...they will ignore us unless they know it is close to breakfast, lunch or supper.  Then you can say anything to them and all they do is stare at you  until you give them something to eat.  We can call them anything we want and unless it is near meal time, they more than likely will not respond to our calling them. And, it doesn't matter whose name we call them, they respond to sounds rather than words.  But...we love them no mater what.  They are like children to us.  Our children are now adults and have their own pets by now to feed and call names.  And...as long as our four-legged "kids" come running when the dinner bell tolls, we will continue to love them to death!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Christmas Song Wishes From Our House To Yours!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Christmas songs have been around for nearly as long as people have celebrated the holiday, but the earliest versions were sung exclusively in Latin, a language known primarily by religious leaders and few others. It wasn’t until 1223, in Italy, that St. Francis of Assisi began including more accessible celebratory songs in his Christmas nativity plays. The lyrics were sung in Italian, so audiences learned the words and began singing along. And with that, a tradition was born. By the 19th century, Christmas carols were being printed and distributed widely. People began to gather in public to sing for passersby (who would often treat the carolers to a snack or beverage in appreciation). Since then, of course, Christmas music has become big business. The first half of the 20th century brought such classics as “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” and “White Christmas,” to name a few.  It was the era of crooners and it inspired singers in every niche of the music industry to get on board.. These days, Christmas songs are embraced by artists and bands of all genres, from Brooks & Dunn’s country-western version of “Winter Wonderland” to Run DMC’s “Christmas in Hollis.”  These are the songs that mark the season — the ones we come back to time and again, while we’re decorating the tree and baking cookies.  In celebration of all the ways that music fills our holiday with cheer, I’ve collected a selection of my favorite lyrics from Christmas carols through the years.  May they inspire you this season to turn the music up and sing along.  Once again, as in olden days / Happy golden days of yore / Faithful friends who are dear to us / Will be near to us once more — “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”  And so, I’m offering this simple phrase / To kids from one to 92 / Although it’s been said many times, many ways / Merry Christmas to you. — “The Christmas Song” Christmas Eve will find me / Where the lovelight gleams / I’ll be home for Christmas / If only in my dreams — “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”  I'm dreaming of a white Christmas / Just like the ones I used to know / Where the treetops glisten and children listen / To hear sleigh bells in the snow — “White Christmas”  Oh, the fire is slowly dying / And, my dear, we’re still goodbye-ing / But as long as you love me so / Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow — “Let It Snow.”  Gone away is the bluebird / Here to stay is a new bird / He sings a love song / As we go along / Walking in a winter wonderland — “Walking in a Winter Wonderland.”  Have a holly, jolly Christmas / And when you walk down the street / Say hello to friends you know / And everyone you meet — “Holly Jolly Christmas.”  Cause I just want you here tonight / Holding on to me so tight / What more can I do? / Oh baby, all I want for Christmas is you — “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”   It's the most wonderful time of the year / With the kids jingle belling / And everyone telling you "be of good cheer" — “It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”  Just hear those sleigh bells jingling / Ring-ting-tingling too / Come on, it's lovely weather / For a sleigh ride together with you — “Sleigh Ride.”  Frosty the snowman is a fairy tale, they say / He was made of snow / But the children know / How he came to life one day — “Frosty the Snowman.”   Enjoy them all on this Christmas Day, Sunday, December 25, 2022.  MERRY CHRISTMAS 2022 From the Woods' House To Yours!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy!

The "A Top Notch Elementary School In Lancaster, PA" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving West on E. Orange Street when I passed the Fulton Elementary School which is one of many elementary schools in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Fulton Elementary in Lancaster City

The building is beautiful and has been sitting at the same location for over 100 years.  My father went to the same school when he was a child.  The  Principal of the building is Mr. Stephen Sohonyay and he takes great pride in his school and those who work and learn in Fulton Elementary.

Mr. Sohonyay

The school goals are as follows:  The Futon Elementary School is a diverse family of learners committed to the active engagement of every child.  Using student-driven framework, we work to unlock creativity and passion, and awaken resilient leaders to impact our global community.  Fulton is a full service community school located in the heart of Lancaster City surrounded by a safe and supportive community.  There is a dedicated staff that engages students and families in high quality life-long learning.  Our goal is to grow all students academically, socially and emotionally.  Fulton is the place to be!  Well, the school is also a beautiful place to learn.  The grounds are immaculate and along the west side of the school is an alley that has one of the most beautiful murals painted on it that you will find anywhere in Pennsylvania. The wall's paintings were donated by Harriet Sloneger and the artist of this wonderful wall is Ophelia Chambliss.  Check out what Ophelia has done next to Fulton Elementary School.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Christmas Memories From The Past - Part 2" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sharing a few more Christmas memories with you in my story today.  A few of the items may be ornaments, but most are just artistic pieces that my wife, Carol, and I have purchased over the many years of our marriage.  I will do my best to try and give you a brief history about each item I have posted.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

Small pebbles found along the water line in Sanibel, Florida.  A friend painted the Nativity scene for Carol and I on the rocks.  A special memory!

This ceramic deer was made for me by Jim Gallagher who taught  ceramics at Manheim Township High School where we taught in rooms next to each other.  The antlers are made of metal.

This was purchased on our first trip to Hawaii with our traveling friends Jere and Sue.  I think the year was 1999.

One of a few metal ornaments that are from a collection of limited edition ornaments made by a metal artist in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  The Lancaster Train Station was about 200 yards from my childhood home to the North of the city of Lancaster, PA.  Spent many a summer day playing in the open space around the train station.

This deer is made of thistle pieces.  Small sticks for the legs and antlers.

This is made of all metal pieces that are soldered together to form the reindeer.  

This small wooden ornament was made for me by a friend.  One of my favorites!

I'm not sure who made this for me, but it is made of bottle corks with one for the body of the reindeer and the other for the head.  Legs are made of sticks and the antlers with small bells on them are metal.

One of my very first Christmas Santas from when I was a child.  Needless to say it is my most cherished pieces.  It was made to be a candle, but I just display it every Christmas season.  Made of wax, it has a wick on top for lighting.  He usually graces one of our shelves during the Christmas season.  A true friend!  Merry Christmas!!

The "Christmas Memories From The Past - Part 1" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at all the really neat ornaments that my wife Carol and I have on our Christmas tree this year.  Some we have had for many years while others are fairly new.  Some are hand-made while others were massed produced.  Some I may have shared with you in the past, but have forgotten about them.  So...I figured if I forgot about them and they are my ornaments, there is no way you will have remembered them from past years.  So...check out the favorite ornaments and see if you too don't like them.  And...My wife and I wish you a very Merry Christmas this year!  Thanks for allowing me to share my life's stories with you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This ornament was part of a limb from a tree that we had in the front yard of our first home in Grandview Heights.  A friend carved it and painted it for us sometime in the late 1960s, right after we were married.

This ornament and the following one will hang on our tree as soon as I give them to my wife for Christmas this year.  They are the names of our two cats and were made just for Carol.  One says Gray Lady while the other one says Snickerdoodle.

This ornament was cross-stitched for my wife a few years after we were married.  She is a big fan of pink flamingos, so this was a special treat for her to hang it on our tree.

This is a rather old ornament that is showing  it's age with all the lines in the wood.   I bought it when I was teaching woodworking to show my students what they may want to try in my class.

This is also made from wood and is rather tall.  At times it is hard to find while hanging on the tree. 

This is a small gourd that we bought from an artist on a Caribbean island.
I'm sorry that I can't remember the exact island!

You may want to click on the image above so you can see it better.  It was made for Carol and myself  many years ago.  

I'm not sure where we purchased this ornament.  It brought back memories of spending time in either Hawaii or one of the Caribbean islands.

Speaks for itself!

This is a metal ornament that is hand-painted.

This ornament was purchased in St. Barths which is located in the French West  Indies.

The "Should Mistletoe Be A Part Of The Christmas Season?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just about finished with the Christmas decorating and are headed to my lounge chair for a long awaited break.  We have all our presents wrapped, Christmas cards addressed and sent to their new homes, trees decorated and cookies baked.  Still have just a few more items to take care of and we will be ready for Christmas Day to arrive.  We will have twelve members of our family arriving on Christmas Day to open gifts and enjoy a Christmas dinner of ham with all the fixings as well as cookies and pie.  Being this is our first year in our new home, it will be interesting to see how everything works out.  Will we have enough space for everyone to sit?  Have we prepared enough food?  Do we have gifts for all whom will be here on Christmas Day?  And, the list goes on and on!  One thing we don't have, and have decided not to go out and purchase, is mistletoe.  

Mistletoe comes in both red and white colors

I know that to many people it is part of the holiday and a necessary part of the celebration.  But, it is something that we really don't understand why it is part of the Christmas holiday.  I know....it is nice to have some hung in the doorway so when guests enter, you have an excuse to give the person standing under it a kiss.   But, I really don't need a piece of mistletoe hanging in my doorway to allow me to give a kiss to the person entering the door.  All I have to do is grab the person and give them a big Christmas kiss, just like I do every year at this time of year.  I realize the mistletoe is one of the many Christmas holiday traditions that people enjoy, but do they understand why we hang mistletoe in doorways in the first place?  It was said that the Celtic Druids believed that mistletoe had secret powers including the ability to heal illnesses, protect against nightmares, and predict the future.  The Druids would collect the mistletoe during the summer and winter solstices to be used during the Christmas holidays.  They did so in order to use it to decorate their home with it.  Their tradition of mistletoe really had nothing to do with giving kisses to everyone.  That tradition began in Ancient Greece, during the festival of Saturnalia and later in marriage ceremonies.  Romans also used mistletoe to decorate their houses and temples in midwinter to please their gods.  A Nordic myth said that mistletoe was scared to Frigga, the goddess of love, but Loki, commonly known as the god of mischief, shot Frigga's son with a spear or arrow carved from mistletoe.  Frigga revived her son under the mistletoe tree and decreed that anyone who stands under the mistletoe tree deserves not only protection from death, but also a kiss.  Actually, the mistletoe plant contains toxic amines and can be more harmful than helpful.  So, it may be one of the things you don't want to hang in your house when Christmas arrives.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.        

The "The Early Methods Of Preparing Food" Story

It was an ordinary day.  A day when you might be preparing a Christmas meal or just visiting with friends or relatives for a Christmas dinner.  If so, then you are part of a long human history...one that's older than our species.  Scientists estimate that our early human ancestors may have been using fire to prepare their meals almost 2 million years ago, long before Homo sapiens arrived to partake of the meal.  A recent study found what appears to be the leftovers of a roasted carp diner from 780,000 years ago...give or take a few thousand years.  Seems like cooking food helped fuel our evolution by giving us bigger brains and creating the centerpiece of our feasting rituals which gathered us together into communities.  The story of what and how we began to eat became the beginnings of our feasting rituals which brought our various communities together.  The diets of our early human ancestors showed how they feasted and prepared their meals.  Matt Sponheimer, an anthropologist at the University of Colorado has spent time studying the diets of early human ancestors.  The study is based on the shores of an ancient lake.  Artifacts from that lake tell us it was home to Homoerectus, an extinct species of early humans that actually walked upright.  Years and years of digging in the mud at the site tell of the types of fish remains according to Naama Goren-Inbar, an archaeologist.  Many of the teeth species found were from a couple of species of big carp and were from various places where researchers found signs of fire.  Testing of the teeth exposed that the temperature of the sites were hot, but not super-hot which showed that the cooking of the fish was done at a lower temperature rather than a super-hot temperature.  Results from the site show that the humans were using fire for cooking more than three-quarters of a million years ago.  Researchers believe that cooking took place long before the time that was determined, but don't have anymore evidence to back up their theories.  Perhaps in the near future, cooking sites will be found and will show more about the techniques used for preparing food.  But, for now, I'm afraid we will have to cook Christmas dinner the way we have for the past couple of years!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

The "Now, Why Didn't I Think Of That?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened my computer to what I thought was a page on children's Christmas books and found something I had never seen before.  There was a book cover titled "'Twas The Night Before Christmas in Pennsylvania."  

I began to search a bit more and found you can order the same story with a different title on it.  One had the title with New Jersey on it while another had Virginia as part of the title.  I didn't take the time to see how many states were listed, but I suspect that every state in the union was listed on the cover of the Christmas book.  Great advertisement for your State as well as being able to sell more books as gifts for the holiday!  You can follow Santa's journey in this magical retelling of the classic Christmas book starring the special place where you live.  A great idea for selling more books and a great stocking stuffer for just about anyone.  Can you imagine sitting next to your child on the edge of his or her bed and pulling out this book with the name of the state where you live and begin reading it to them as they try to get to sleep on Christmas Eve.  Will Santa visit your house?  You could almost assure them that he will be there when they hear you read the title with the name of your state in it.  Now why didn't I think of that?  Well, I did some more searching and found another Christmas book that featured a view of the nearby town of Manheim on it.

 Book was titled "T'was The Night Before Christmas" and featured one of the town's main thoroughfares behind the title of the book.  Then I found another Christmas book that featured the main street in the town of Ephrata on it's cover.  

I could have taken either photograph had I been asked.  I didn't take the time to do more research, but I suspect there are a few other Christmas books that probably feature a photograph of a downtown area on the cover.  Now...I think I'll wait until Easter arrives and see if I can't write a book with a picture of a nearby town on the cover which features photos of candy stores in them.  Story could be about the Easter bunny and how he more than likely will arrive in your town to hide Easter eggs in your backyard.  Story could tell how to boil and decorate Easter eggs as well as good places to hide them in your backyard.  I can't believe I didn't think of all the neat and unusual ways to sell books for the holidays before now!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy   

The "Christmas Decorating At LDub's Villa" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Helping my dear wife decorate for the Christmas Holidays which is fast approaching.   This will be our first Christmas in our new villa which is located at Woodcrest Villas along the Harrisburg Pike to the East of the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  My wife Carol and I spent all of our married lives in a few different homes over the 50+ years that we have been married, and made our final move to Woodcrest where we can mingle with folks our age in surroundings that allow us to enjoy the rest of our married life together.  Our villa is a one level, two bedroom, two bath hime with a beautiful sun porch that our two permanent guests (cats) love.  We have been in our villa for close to two months now and just in time to decorate for this upcoming Christmas.  We have brought with us from our last house (our beach house as we called it) the myriad of decorations which we have tried to incorporate into the surroundings of our new villa.  Check out some of the photos I have taken that illustrate some of the decorations that Carol and our children and grandchildren have helped us place in every room of the villa.  Hope you enjoy them as much as we have been enjoying them for the past week or so.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The entrance from our living room onto our sun porch

One of two sets of shelves on either side of our fireplace.

The other set of shelves

Santa with his bag of goodies which Carol made years ago.

My childhood Teddy bear holding his friend.

Carol's coffee pot with angel

Nutcrackers on top of our kitchen cabinets.

Part of our china cabinet

A shell tree we bought at the Jersey Shore

"Door bells"

The living room mantel

Our ancient creche we bought during our first year together.

Pillows large and small which Carol made.

Display of Christmas cards from our friends Jere and Sue

An overall view of our living room and sun room.
Our Christmas tree stands in the sun room.

An old coffee table I made filled with past Christmas cards