The "Almost Back To Normal...If That's Possible!" Story

It was an ordinary day...almost!   Still have a slight cough and a lump in my throat, but the pain seems to have gone away.  It's been a long time since I felt that bad for as long as I had.  My dear wife was with me the entire time and we both suffered through pain and sickness.  I guess I should be glad that my wife and I only felt as bad as we did for such a short amount of time.  We plan to take it easy a few more days and then get back into our old  routine.  I enjoy writing stories for my blog and sharing memories and life's experiences.  We hope that we didn't pass along any illness that we might have experienced during the past week or so.  We notified our friends and family of our illness and they made no visits for the past week or so...at least no "in person" visits.  We will keep it that way for another week to make sure we don't pass anything along to friends and family.  It has been tough to stay indoors and not visit with our friends and family.  After a few days you begin to realize how much friends and family mean to you.  Television and radio can provide only so much entertainment.  Well...the sun will shine tomorrow....hopefully.....and all will be good once again.  And...boy do I have a few good stories to tell to you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy!

It just Makes You Feel Awful!!!

 It was an ordinary day.  24 hours later and all I have done is feel awful!  This COVID sucks!!  So long until tomorrow.  Thanks for checking in on me!  

The "Am I On The Mend, Yet?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Almost!  I actually got out of bed and felt like doing something.  Carol and I have been under the weather with COVID.  Often thought I would never get the dreaded disease as long I took care of myself and stayed away from others who weren't as cautious.  It just doesn't work that way I found out.  When Carol and I moved to Woodcrest Villa we joined a few groups that we thought would give us a chance to meet others with like interests.  I joined the campus choir and Carol joined a few other groups.  Seemed to be working out well until we found other members of the groups we had joined had come down COVID.    We'll still be OK we reasoned since we are being careful to stay away from those that were ill.  But, who are those people that have COVID?  You can't look at them and see the letters COVID across their forehead.  We got COVID from our best friends!  They didn't try to give it to us, but we still got it.  Let me tell you...YOU DON'T WANT TO GET COVID!  As I type this story I am coughing and coughing.  At times the coughing never stops.  And, when the coughing stops, my throat feels like it is double in size.  All we have been doing is laying in bed.  Lucky we have a second bed for visitors, since Carol has taken over one bed and I have taken over the other bed.  But...we have been blessed with a mild dose of the disease.  Some friends have not been as lucky and are now in the hospital.  We felt we could never get the disease if we were careful.  Careful of what?  We have no idea whom we got the disease from!  Some people we know haven't been as lucky.  As our body ages, it takes longer to get better.  So, I've decided I have pushed enough keys and it is now time for another rest in my welcoming bed!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

An Unexpected Mishap Has Struck

It was an ordinary day.  My wife feels like it's the end of the world and I am beginning to feel the same.  Covid has struck in my household.  So, until we both feel better, I am in need of a break from my daily stories.  Keep checking and I'll return as soon as I can.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Always Enjoyed Singing In The Choir" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching my favorite morning TV show, "Leave It To Beaver."  I watched that show every week when I was a child and it was on TV one day a week.  Today it is on every weekday on the MeTV channel.  And, to top that off... its on twice!  For you "Beaver" fans, I'm sure you knew that already.  One of today's episodes featured the "Beav" trying out for his elementary school's orchestra.  He didn't make the orchestra, but was afraid to say anything to his parents and disappoint them.  Wally found out about it and told his mom and dad and they made it easier of the "Beav" when they said they couldn't make the show.  Since I retired from teaching a few years ago, I find I have time to watch the show every morning at 8:00 and 8:30 am.  Many episodes I remembered from long, long ago.  The episode from today reminded me of when I tried out for my church's boy's choir and wasn't sure if I had made it or not.  Seems that my dad was one the best singers in the adult choir so I automatically made the choir as his son.  Paid to have a dad with a good voice!  I wasn't very good because I was a very shy boy and afraid to be in front of adults, especially when talking or singing.  After a few years I had turned myself around and really enjoyed singing in the choir.  I remained in the choir until my voice had changed from alto to bass and I took a few years off from singing in the church choir.  Eventually, when I had graduated from high school and college, I joined the choir once again.  My dad was the bass solist and I enjoyed singing next to him.  When dad's voice began to break, I took over for him for a few years until I finally resigned from the choir.  The last couple of years my three children were also part of the choir.  Taking over where "The Beav" left off!  Today my voice has given up and I am lucky that I can talk, let alone sing.  Still love to hum those good old hymns from my youth and early adulthood. Wouldn't have given any of it up for the world.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.         

The "The Lancaster That Was 50 Years Ago" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the "Living" section of my Sunday News.  Page E2 had one of my favorite sections, "Lancaster That Was."  This particular section has events that made the news 25 years ago, 50 years ago, 75 years ago and 100 years ago.  Almost every week there is also a photograph that was featured on one of the four years which was perhaps the most important event of that date.  The photograph in today's Sunday News was one of a familiar face to me.  Staring at me was a fellow whom I knew quite well by the name of William "Smokey" Roberts who was a scuba diver and underwater photographer.  The photograph featured Smokey holding his 100-pound camera he dubbed "The Beast."  Smokey was named Diver of the Year by the Boston Sea Rovers in 1973.  

Smokey Roberts, scuba diver extraordinare

I have written a few stories about Smokey during the lifetime of my blog and they all tell of a good friend and one of the best scuba divers in the United States.  It was back on April 23, 1973 that the Lancaster New Era profiled Smokey who had risen to the top of his field.  Smokey was the owner of a Lancaster scuba shop called Smokey's Divers Den.  He had recently been named the Diver of the Year by the Boston Sea Rovers. The trophy for the award was presented to Smokey by none other than Jacques Cousteau.  Smokey won the award for his many underwater exploits as a pioneer in the field of underwater photography.  

Smoky with his wife Dotty

His most recognized photographic work was of a sunken Japanese war fleet near the Caroline Islands in the South Pacific.  Smokey had been exploring the undersea word for nearly 20 years and sot more than 37,000 feet of film in 1972 alone.  His camera of choice was a massive 100-pound contraption he dubbed "The Monster."  Smokey made a few trips to Manheim Township High School, were I taught, to teach a club that was run by a good friend of his, Stan Lipman.  Stan had a scuba club in the high school and Smokey would visit to teach the club about underwater photography.  

Smokey was also good on the accordion

I enjoyed visiting in the pool area when Smokey came to teach Stan's club about diving.  Smokey ran Smokey's Divers Den in Lancaster until the mid-1990s when he retired.  He died in 2020 at the age of 94, a victim of COVID-19.  Smokey was one of the best scuba diver's there ever was.  He was one of the most interesting people I have ever met.  Would have loved to have one diving with him, but I was a poor swimmer so that wouldn't have worked for me.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Love Of My Life Was A Yellow-Bellied Turtle" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in the Spring issue of "balance magazine" that is titled "A Turtle-y Amazing Story."  Featured a drawing of a multi-colored turtle that led me into the story.  Just before I began to read, I found a tag line that told me that the story was written by a former student at Manheim Township High School named Mike Andrelczyk.  Began with...Like many septuagenarians, Nicki relishes a long winters nap.  Seems that Nicki is a 70-year old yellow-bellied slider turtle who spent the past winter under a rock in the kiddie pool in a spare room of Georgene Aungst's Hopeland home.  Nicki had just spent the winter in Georgene's home.  She will turn 70 in the near spring making her ten years younger that her owner.  It was 70 years ago that she was a mail-order newborn pet turtle in the home of 10 year old Georgene.  The newborn turtle came with a plastic dish with an island in the centre and a fake palm tree.  Might have cost $5...if that!  Do you remember when you were 10 years old and may have had the chance to buy a pet turtle.  I do!  And...I bought one!  And, I remember much of the following that was part of Mike's story in "balance magazine."  Nicki was about the size of a half-dollar when she showed up in the mail.  My yellow-bellied slider traveled with me to all my relatives homes so I could show her to everyone.  My yellow-bellied slider was native to the southeastern United States and can usually be found in rivers, ponds and swamps.  Their shells are a mottled green on top and their belly is yellow.  They tend to live to be between 30 to 40 years old, but can live to be double that.  Turtles make good pets and tend to enjoy red foods such as tomatoes, strawberries and watermelon.  They also like "people" or "animal" food such as chicken, burgers, hot dogs, potato chips and pretzels.  They have to go underwater to swallow.  I usually kept mine in my wadding pool that was in my backyard.  I had a platform built on the one side of it so she could get out of the water if she wanted to do so.  At times she escaped from my back yard which had a metal fence around it, but my  neighbors would call my mom if they saw her wandering around their backyard.  

"Sweetie"

I knew that she would live to be very old, but in her case, she wandered into the printing company next to my house and that's the last time I ever saw her.  Perhaps she became part of someones magazine or book or maybe one of the workers found her and took her home with them.  After reading the recent story in "balance magazine," she just might be a young boy or girls' pet.  Just in case you are the one who found her...she answers to "sweetie."  And...please tell her, her dad misses her.  And, thanks, Mike for taking me back 60 plus years when the love of my life was a yellow-bellied turtle.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

The "Sharing Lancaster County's Farm Photographs With You" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching my photographic files to see if I may have any photographs of Lancaster County barns which I have never used in the past.  Found quite a few photos, but wasn't sure how many of them I may have used in the past since so many look the same.  So, after searching for what seemed like forever, I decided that even if I might have posted a few in the past, I would still share them since I never tire of looking at photographs of farm scenes and I hope you wouldn't mind looking at a few over again.  If you live in Lancaster County you can appreciate farm scenes since you know how hard Lancaster County farmers work to keep their property in top-notch condition.  Having to keep a home as well as a barn or multiple barns in good condition is a tiresome job.  So, I'm sure that Lancaster County farmers wouldn't mind if I show off their properties more than once on my blog.  Take a look at every photograph and click on each image if you want to enlarge them to fill your screen.  Enjoy Lancaster County...just as I do on a daily basis.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "GrandPap & Me!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just like most summer days for a twelve-year-old boy living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  That was until my Grandpap arrived to pick me up and take me with him to Roots Country Farmer's Market & Auction in nearby Manheim.  I loved visiting Roots, knowing that my Grandpap might treat me to some ice cream or a donut and perhaps bid on a few animals to bring home with us later in the afternoon.  Well, today was no different than many others in the summer months when we traveled to Roots.  Late Tuesday afternoon Grandpap and I came home from Roots with a small wooden box that had a pigeon in it.  Seems that it was having a tough time maneuvering around in the box and no one else wanted it at the auction.  I could tell my Mom wasn't too happy about it, but she had become used to her father bringing me home with a box or crate filled with some form of living animal or animals.  The following day Mom and I discovered my new pigeon had a broken wing.  Mom and I attempted to splint it with a popsicle stick and her spool of yarn.   A few weeks later the pigeon had pulled off the splint and was moving around with no trouble.  A day or two later I opened the top of the wooden box to feed the pigeon and it flew out of the box!  I was so upset!  Told my Mom I was going to try and find the pigeon.  Wasn't long before I located it on the roof of a garage at the end of our rear alley.  I dug out the small ball of heavy twine I had in my pocket and made a lasso to try and catch the pigeon.  Climbed up on a metal gate between two garages and was about to lasso the pigeon when the gate swung open and I fell...directly onto my right arm.  Ran home crying...holding my right arm.  Mom and Dad saw me coming and seemed to be very upset.  That particular day happened to be their Anniversary and they had made arrangements to go out to eat and take in a show.  Well...they made a trip with me to the hospital and I ended up with a cast on my arm to help repair the broken bone I had received when I fell off the gate.  Never did find the pigeon!  Mom called and told my Grandpap what had happened. Needless to say she and dad weren't too happy about missing their Anniversary meal.  But, that didn't stop Grandpap from taking me to Roots a few weeks later, after my arm was healed, so he could bid on more animals for me.  Wasn't long before I came home with a crate filled with eight guinea pigs which he bid on and won for me.  They later increased to a few dozen before long.  Over the next year or two I managed to sell most of the new born guinea pigs without too much trouble.  I eventually sold enough guinea pigs to buy my first car...a 1953 Henry J coupe which I paid $75 for and which a few months later was partially demolished when hit by a drunk driver in front of my house in Lancaster.  I was heart broken!  I used a large jack to separate the two sides of the car so I could finally sit in it again.  Did a bit more work on it and before long I was able to use it to drive the six blocks to my job at the Acme Supermarket. I must admit that it wobbled a bit and only had one front and two rear windows.   But hey, it still ran!  A day or two later, while at work, a policeman entered the grocery store and asked the manager if he knew who owned the orange Henry J.  Policeman told me I couldn't drive a car without a windshield.  That was the end of my Henry J!  Oh, the stories I could tell about my Grandpap and me are endless!  My Grandpap passed when I was just a teenager, but the memories of our good times together will never die!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Crusin' "The Loop" And Drag Racing Across The Susquehanna" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading my favorite column in my Sunday News.  Column is written by Jack Brubaker, aka "THE SCRIBBLER," who retired from writing his daily stories and now only writes his Sunday column.  His story in the latest Sunday News tells about a local fellow named Dean Graybill who loved to cruise what was known as "Lancaster's Loop."  The loop took you from downtown Lancaster's Penn Square north on Queen Street to Clay or Ross Streets then left for a block to Prince Street and then left (south) once again back to Penn Square.  North Queen was a two lane street with both lanes heading north.  Great loop to drag race against other "souped up" cars owned by friends or just other guys with "souped up" cars.  Jack's headline in today's "The Scribbler" read "Cruising 'the Loop' and drag racing across the Susquehanna." I lived all of my teenaged life on the last block of North Queen Street.  It was one block after where the drag racing stopped on N. Queen.  Jack wrote about "cruising" the loop which I did many an evening after I bought my first car, a 1953 Henry J.  Not the best of cars to "drag" in since it was a 4-cylinder car, but my friend Jere helped me add some extra horsepower to give me a better chance to top my competition on North Queen.  Summer evenings and winter week-ends usually saw me driving "the loop" looking for some competition.  I still didn't have the horsepower to "burn rubber", but my car was so light that I gave all my competition a good run for their money.  I spent many a night riding "the loop" looking for someone to race.  Then one evening I had parked my car in front of my house in the last block of North Queen when a drunk driver ran into it and did a number to it.  Tried to fix it but it was hopeless.  Took the money I got for the wreck and bought a 1955 Ford coupe that I had my Uncle Bob paint black for me.  I now had a car with a bigger engine and I could do better against the competition.  I eventually sold that car and bought a 1958 Chevy convertible.  Didn't spend many evenings "riding the loop" since the car was to nice to race though it had a bigger engine.  By now I had a girlfriend and didn't want to spend my evenings "cruising' the loop."  Jack's story in the newspaper talked about drag racing on "the loop" as well as drag racing across the Susquehanna River between Lancaster and York Counties.  I have very few memories of drag racing on the bridge since it was a two lane highway and a bit to far to have to drive that distance from my house on N. Queen.  Jack wrote a story about a fellow named Dean Graybill who did quite a bit of racing on the bridge and who also wrote a book that featured 165 vignettes about cars and racing in Lancaster and York Counties.  His book is called "Burning Rubber, Slamming Gears & Cheap Gas."  I'm going to have to get my copy so I can relive my late teen years racing my car.  Dean's new book sounds like a good read and I'm sure will bring back many of my "Motorhead" memories.  Thanks Jack for writing the story!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Restoring Bison To Our Native Land" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking a few stories I have recently read about North American bison, also known as buffalo.  Seems that at one time tens of millions of bison once roamed North America until they were almost entirely wiped off the continent by white settlers, commercial hunters and United States troops.  

Their demise devastated Native American tribes across the continent who relied on bison for food, clothing and shelter.  Recently dozens of bison from a mountain park outside Denver, Colorado were transferred to several tribes from across the Great Plains.  It was the latest example of Native Americans reclaiming stewardship over animals their ancestors lived alongside for thousands of years.  During the transfer, ceremonial drumming and singing were carried out by the tribes.  About a half-dozen of the animals from Colorado will form the nucleus of a new herd for the Yuchi people out of Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The herd will be expanded over time, to reestablish a spiritual and physical bond broken two hundred years ago when bison were nearly wiped out and the Yuchi were forced from their homeland.  During the same time period the Yuchi's language was also revived and both language and bison were inseparable from the land.  Bison were "the original caretakers" of that land.  The colonial assault years ago caused the buffalo to be disconnected from the Yuchi people.  It is important now to reconnect and restore those relationships with the land, the animals and the plants. 

Transfers included 17 bison to the Northern Arapaho Tribe and 12 to the Eastern Shoshone Tribe, both of Wyoming.  One other animal was transferred to the Tall Bull Memorial Council, which has members from various tribes.  The recent transfers came a few weeks after U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland issued a bison observation order meant to further expand the number of large herds on Native America lands.  She also announced $25 million to build new herds, transfer more bison from federal to tribal lands and forge new bison management agreements with tribes.  The bison have bounced back from near-extinction in the 1880s, but remain absent from most of the grasslands they once occupied.  Today, 82 tribes now have more than 20,000 bison.  The animals have been transferred to reservations from other tribes, from federal, state and local governments and from private ranches.  The United States Government is now putting action to the words that they had once promised to the Native American tribes.  Buffalo are a part of Native American culture and should be part of the land where the Indigenous people now live.  They are taking their family members back to their ancestral home.  As of now, 85 bison from Denver have been transferred to tribes and tribal organizations.  Shipments will continue through 2030.  It's been a long-awaited journey! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Essential Listening: Local Musician Creates Sounds Of 'In C" Concert" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking amongst the multi-piece ensemble, listening to the musicians as well as snapping a few photographs of each musician as they perform "In C".  Local musician Christopher Brooks gathered 17 musicians to perform composer Terry Riley's 20th century piece, "In C", for free at Lancaster's  Buchanan Park.  Those attending, including myself, weren't asked to sit in a chair and face the musicians, instead all those who came to hear the music were told to feel free and walk among the performers and feel the music as well as take photographs of the musicians as they perform.  We were told to do so as long as we don't talk!  Brooks said he is really a fanatic about listening.  He announced that the piece that is being played today is going to last about 40 minutes to an hour.  "In C" was composed in 1964 and made up of 53 musical phrases, to be played by musicians for any amount of time, to be repeated at whim.  "In C" was at one time described as a packet of seeds, and those musical seeds, once planted, turned into the piece.  And they turned into a different version of that piece every time.  The mix of strings and brass is both complex and meditative.  Brooks described this idea as "beautiful avant-garde."  He said that so many outdoor concerts are people playing way too loud, everybody sits there and talks....I hate that!  He went on to say "So, this is a little bit of a counter example of that.  I've got an argument that I'm making, that music should be quiet, and listening is the essential thing."  Mr. Brooks is an accomplished violinist and has lived in Lancaster since 1984, performing with the Reading, Harrisburg and York Symphony Orchestra, among others.  Brooks wrote his proposal for the project in 2020 and spent much of his time since then gathering musicians, writing grants and contacting local music programs.  He initially wanted to involve high school music students, but said he didn't hear a response after writing to every single school.  The group he arranged includes string and brass musicians and a percussionist whose sole job is to hit eight notes at 108 beats per minute for the entire performance.  At the group's last rehearsal, drummer Ed Haggard tried a variety of percussion instruments before landing on one that fit best: the woodblock.  At an April rehearsal he took on a ringleader role, advising the musicians on when and how to play the piece so that it can fully become itself at the actual performance.  The group began in a close group before Brooks told everyone to move several feet apart so attendees could walk between them.  I was able to walk among the musicians and take as many photographs as I wanted as long as I didn't talk to any of the performers.  This was about listening, not talking.  I did enjoy myself, while listening to the musicians as well as taking multiple shots of each musician as they played.  Great experience, but it did seem to be somewhat noisy with most people talking as the music was being played.  And...the hour and a half long performance was a bit too long for all of the children in attendance as well as many of the adults.  I loved the music and to gather all these fine musicians together was a task worth every minute.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Words That Will Drive You Insane! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Doing some surfing on my computer when I came across a rather unique language story.  Had to do with palindrome words and sentences.  If you are not sure what palindromes might be, they're words, sentences, phrases, or even numbers that read the same forward and backward.   Pretty simple...right?  I'm sure I have typed a few while writing my blog stories, but may not have been aware of writing them at the time.  And, at times when I want to compose a sentence that reads the same both front and back, I can't find the words to do so.  Well, I found a website that listed quite a few, so I thought I would share them with you so you can see exactly what a palindrome might be.  Ready for some interesting word combinations?  Hope so!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

 

Sit on a potato pan, Otis.

Ah. Satan sees Natasha.

Cigar?  Toss it in a can.  It is so tragic.

Did Hannah see bees?  Hannah did.

Yo, banana boy!

Oh, who was it I saw?   Oh, who?

Murder for a jar of red rum.

Borrow or rob?

Eva, can I see bees in a cave?

Evil, olive!

Poor Dan is in a droop.

Oozy rat in a sanitary zoo!

Step on no pets!

The "I Don't Know How I Could Have Missed It!"

It was an ordinary day.  Walking through one of the smallest cemeteries I have ever visited.  The cemetery was about two city blocks from my home at Woodcrest Villas.  I only noticed it a day or two ago when my wife and I were returning from the grocery store.  Directly across from Woodcrest Villas on the Harrisburg Pike is a large health campus where a few of my doctors have their offices.  Between the health campus and the highway sits a very small cemetery.  There can't be more than a couple of dozen small tombstones that I had never noticed before, since they sat behind a few shrubs along a busy highway.  I recently decided I had to take a look at the tombstones and see if they might carry the names of anyone we might have known from the past.  Our daughter-in-law's mother researches historical tombstones and cemeteries from the past and I thought she might be interested in the small cemetery.  Grabbed my camera and within five minutes I was standing in front of a dozen or so tombstones that carried the names and dates of residents of Lancaster from perhaps a hundred or so years ago.  A few of the tombstones have deteriorated from years of winter weather, but a few were easy to read.   As I was viewing the stones a custodian of the health campus pulled up on his lawn mower to see what I was doing.  I told him I wanted to take a few photos of the tombstones to share with other people.  Put his mower in gear, waved good-bye and continued with his mowing.  The majority of the stones were very hard to read with a half dozen or so not carrying any message on them.  I did find quite a few flags that were attached to metal military signs telling what war or battle the person had served in with the date.  One tombstone had the name "William Kinnersley" on the top of the small stone with his dates telling that he was born on February 24, 1865 and died 15 days later.  One small metal plaque that was not attached to a tombstone stood planted in the ground with the name of Richard Adair Starr whose birth and death dates were 5/4/36-1/31/95.  You could tell it was a recent addition to the cemetery.  Some stones that were hard to read I tried to read with my fingers, but the letters were too hard to decipher.  As I stood in front of the stones and plaques, I wondered once again how I had never noticed them before now.  Perhaps there are many others who have never noticed the small cemetery also.  I finished taking my photographs and after a brief prayer, departed the cemetery.  I will definitely never miss it again and perhaps after reading my story today you will remember to look for the cemetery if you happen to travel near Woodcrest Villas.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

 

 

The 'Some Lawmakers Want Marshmallow Peeps To Change Their Ingredients" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished eating the remnants from my Easter basket.  Loved anything that had chocolate in it.  One treat I don't eat, or should I say won't eat, is the marshmallow Peeps.  I realize that more than 1 billion Peeps chirped off the shelves at Easter due to their vibrant colors and sweet flavor, but what makes these Peeps so vibrant is a chemical known as erythrosine which is a chemical that shows up on ingredient labels as Red No. 3.  And, that one small ingredient can give you cancer!  Red No. 3 is one of several chemicals, along with titanium dioxide, used to color some of the most popular candies in the country, including Skittles and Hot Tamales.  They were banned more than 30 years ago from women's makeup, but for some strange reason were never banned from food, especially candy.  Now, a California State lawmaker wants to change that!  He doesn't want to ban the candy, but the chemical that is placed in the candy.  Assemblymaker Jesse Gabriel authored the bill and says there are plenty of other chemicals that can be used to replace the chemical that can kill you.  He wonders why the USA allows the Red No. 3 to be used when other countries will not allow it.  He wants the United States candy companies to stop using the toxic ingredient and use one that is accepted that is not dangerous.  The National Confectioners Asso., the trade group that represents candy companies, says it not that easy.  They claim it's not that easy to change ingredients since many buyers would notice the change in flavor and might not buy the Peeps.  So...it's OK to kill people as long as they died eating the candy that tasted good.  California Assemblymaker Gabriel has a new bill that would ban erythrosine and titanium dioxide as well as potassium bromate and propylparaben.  These are chemicals that are used to make baked goods and some sodas.  The U.S. has allowed dyes like erythrosine in food since 1907, but researchers have found that rats that were exposed to erythrosine over a long period of time developed  thyroid cancer.  Because of the testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned erythrosine from cosmetics.  Consumer safety groups have tried for years to get the agency to ban the chemical in food, but to no avail.  Titanium dioxide is a white powder that, because it scatters light, can make colors appear brighter.  It's been used for 100 years in products like paints, paper, rubber, toothpaste, soap and food coloring.  The International Agency for Research on Cancer has listed titanium dioxide as a possible carcinogen in humans.  Other groups maintain there is no evidence of it causing cancer in humans.  The candy industry insists the chemical California is considering banning "has been thoroughly reviewed by the federal and state systems and any international scientific bodies and continue to be deemed safe.  These scientifically based regulatory processes should be allowed to continue without second guessing their outcomes."  So, what do you think.  Is it worth a marshmallow Peep?  For me...there are too many other candies that I can eat where I don't have to worry that I may become sick in another year or two due to the ingredients in the candy.  Life's too short to have to worry about eating contaminated candy and dying!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.        

The "The Mediterranean Diet's Benefits For Both Men And Women" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article about the value of consuming olive oil.  Seems that out of the 3 million tons of olive oil consumed annually around the globe, those living in Greece and Spain eat the most.  They consume 395 ounces and 391 ounces per person respectively.  That's more than an ounce a day.  In the USA we each consume around 33 ounces a year which is less than 1/10 of an ounce daily.  Spain also is a Mediterranean country where fish is a favorite with each resident consuming 93 pounds per year compared to about 48 pounds per year in the USA.  In order to get the benefits of a Mediterranean diet were going to have to do better by consuming more extra-virgin olive oil and vegetables, limiting alcohol to a glass of wine or two, eating more fish and eliminating highly processed foods.  If we can manage to do this it ill transform women's heart health and be a major help in preventing prostate cancer, as well as speeding up recovery after radiation treatment for prostate cancer. A recent study in the journal "Heart" found that women who consistently enjoy a Mediterranean-style diet slash their risk for cardiovascular disease by 24% compared to omen who don't eat those heart-loving foods.  Another study in the journal "Cancers", found that the Mediterranean diet's delivery of a good dose of lutein, lycopene, alpha-carotene, and selenium is wha helps men avoid and recover from prostate cancer and its treatment.  The best food sources to help prevent cancers are: tomatoes, melons, papayas, grapes, peaches, watermelons, white meat, fish, shellfish and nuts.  I'm good with all but the papayas which my parents never introduced me to when I was a child.  I have never eaten one in my lifetime.  Perhaps I could give them a try, but I think I can do good making sure I consume enough of all the other foods listed.  Hey, my wife and I traveled to the Mediterranean years ago when we traveled to Europe with a group from our church and consumed everything that was good for us.  I'm sure we also ate plenty that wasn't good for us being that we had to try just about everything given to us.  To get and stay healthy, we all must try our best to consume items that are part of the Mediterranean diet.  Might give us a few more years added to our life span.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Lancaster's North Museum Comes To Life Story"

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the "Lancaster That Was" column that appears in my Sunday News every Sunday.  Tells of stories that were published 25, 50, 75, and 100 years ago in Lancaster's Sunday News so readers can focus on the events from the county's past that are noteworthy, newsworthy or just plain strange.  Usually takes up half a page of the newspaper, depending upon how much news there might have been on any given date in years gone by.  Seems that 25 years ago The North Museum, a longtime fixture of College Avenue in Lancaster's northwest, was officially separated from Franklin & Marshall College in April 1998.  Due to the change, an admission charge would now be charged.  The North Museum was founded by F&M in 1953.   The museum was named for Hugh North Jr., a local businessman whose estate financed the building's construction.  For 45 years, the museum provided science education aimed at children, all under the auspices of the college.  The North's family trust established a rule that the museum could not charge admission, though "suggested donations" were allowed.  In 1998 the museum wished to separate from the college and begin charging a mandatory $2 fee to enter.  Because of the language of the trust, a judge had to sign off on the changes which Judge James Cullen did on April 8, allowing the museum to operate independently as a charitable nonprofit corporation.  100 years ago, one month after a Hollywood talent hunt came to Lancaster, the results of those efforts would be shown to the public, with two screen stars of the day in attendance.  Lancaster County residents who tried out as part of the star search would be able to see their first test reels on a movie scene at Lancaster's Martin Auditorium before the films were shipped off to California for evaluation.  Generating further excitement for the event were Edward Earle, an established actor of the silent film era, and the up-and-coming starlet Clara Bow, who rose to fame thanks to a similar talent-seeking contest just two years earlier.  (Bow would go on to be one of the top stars of the late 1920s and early 1930s.  Her role in the 1927 silent film "It" established her as a sex symbol - and coined the phrase "the it girl," which has subsequently been applied to many young female actors whose looks and personality help define the fashion of their era.")  The column that was titled "LANCASTER THAT WAS" has been one of my favorite columns to read every Sunday.  A few of my stories on this blog have come from stories in this column.  It's an easy way to locate the history of Lancaster County.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Duck, Duck, Rey Duck" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Beautiful morning and the sun was brightly shining with the temperature in the low to mid 70 degrees.  I had just parked the car after entering Lancaster's Long's Park which is about a mile from my home at Woodcrest Villa.  

Long's Park in Lancaster, PA

Read an article in the Lancaster Newspaper a day or two ago that was written by "The Scribbler," Jack Brubaker, which told of a small flock of ducks that had recently arrived on the pond at the park and thought it would be fun to make a visit and take a few photographs of the ducks.  

Mallards getting ready to enter the water

Turned out to be a few dozen ducks which were an unusual assortment.  There were about two dozen mallards as suspected, but I also saw one coal-black Cayuga, about a half-dozen khaki Campbell male ducks and one snow-white crested Pekin.

A Cayuga followed by the Perkin

The Cayuga is totally black, including the bill and feet.  When the sun shone off his coat he seemed to have a greenish to bluish irridescent feathering.  They are named after the Cayuga Lake in New York State.  The bright-white Perkin is an American breed of domestic duck, raised primarily for meat.  It derives from birds brought to the United States from China in the nineteenth century, and is now bred in many parts of the world.  They actually look like what most people picture when you say "duck"!  The Perkin that I was looking at had what appeared to be a crest or a dense assortment of head feathers flopped off to one side of his head which made it a relatively rare member of the breed.  The khaki  Campbells were males that had dark brown heads with khaki and white feathers over the body.

The Campbell ducks

These three breeds tended to harass the mallards that shared the pond as well as ran into each other, but other than that, they also loved the peanuts I was throwing their way.  Funny how they know who is the one with the food, even when there are a dozen or so people looking at them.  Well I managed to get a few good shots and headed back to my car.  On the way back I saw what appeared to be the largest gold fish I had ever seen.  Not sure, but it appeared to be close to three feet long and about 6 inches in width.  

Feeding the Cayuga

A few dozen other gold fish were closeby, probably feeling safe swimming slightly under the big guy.  My photo I took of the goldfish is slightly out of focus since he was about six inches under water and the water was rather rough around him.  He was another one who loved the peanuts.  Well, finished my photos and hopped back in the car and headed back home.  Told my wife about my experience and will probably return in the near future for another visit with the fish in Long's Park lake.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The huge goldfish