The "Super Agers" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in my AARP Bulletin titled "Super Agers."  Would love to be one of them, but...  Listed in the article about super aging were the "Seven Secrets" of being a "Super Ager."  Thought I would list them for you in case you too might care to be a super ager when you reach my age, or older.  The seven secrets follow:  

1. Super agers control their blood sugar and blood pressure.  Super agers tend to have healthier blood pressure and blood sugar levels than the general population.  They control both through medication and by eating a high nutrient diet.  Older adults who follow an eating pattern rich in whole grains, veggies, leafy greens, nuts, berries and fish, and low in red meat, butter and sweets....slowed brain aging by 7.5 years and kept thinking and memory sharper.

2. Super agers talk to their friends a lot.  Older adults who connected every day with others had less shrinkage in key brain areas than those who seldom had contact with friends and relatives. Perhaps that's why memory declined fastest and furthest in people who felt lonely most often.  

3. Super agers found that depression doubled the risk for dementia, and a 2023 study found that those with high stress levels had a much higher risk for memory problems compared with those reporting low stress levels.  Another study found that older adults with depression who got treatment, including medication and talk therapy, were 32% less likely to develop dementia than those who didn't.

4. Super agers prioritize sleep.  During slumber, your brain clears away toxic waste that builds up early in the development of Azheimer's disease.  A 2022 Canadian study found that trouble falling or staying asleep three or more nights per week for three months boosted the risk for worsening memory in older adults. But don't rely of drugs: chronic use of prescription sleep drugs boosted the risk for dementia by 48% in a 2021 study of 4,197 people in their 70s.

5. Super agers protect their vision and hearing.  A University of Washington study found that at-risk adults who received hearing aids showed thinking and memory losses that were 48% slower compared with those who didn't.  Another study found that those who had cataract surgery had a 29% lover risk for dementia compared with those who did not have the procedure.  Treating poor vision could have prevented 100,000 current cases of dementia in the U.S., according to a 2021 study. 

6. Super agers don't exercise more, but they push themselves physically.  Spanish researchers found that what distinguished super agers most profoundly was that they have greater speed, mobility, agility and balance than typical older adults...despite reporting the same exercise frequency.  One reason may be that super agers tend to do more demanding activities such as gardening, stair-climbing, or walking fast for a mile to get your heart rate up is better.

7. Super agers do crossword puzzles and Sudoku games more often than normal agers, but they are also more likely to frequently read, listen to music, travel, play games, and attend lectures and concerts.  "Variety is beneficial," says brain-game researcher Aaron Seitz of Northeastern University.  "Your brain needs to do a lot of different things.  If we want to do them well, science and common sense suggest exercising it in a lot of different ways."

So, now you have some guidelines you can follow to be a Super-Ager if you care to follow them.  The rest is up to you!  As for me...well, I'll just keep on pushing the keys of my laptop as long as I can.  Keeps me busy!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "A New Schoolhouse Fills The Grounds Of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum" Story

It was an ordinary day. Reading an article about the upgraded Landis Valley Schoolhouse.  It was back in the 1890s that the Maple Grove School house was built.  Today it stands on the property known as the historical Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  

The school house has an updated interior that doesn't remove all traces of the past.  The wooden schoolhouse is heated in cold weather, but doesn't have air conditioning.  Through time, the temperature swings in hot weather led to peeling inside.  Repairs were planned, but postponed during the pandemic. The work started this past summer.  The first step was to scrape away loose paint.  The light green paint was lead-based and needed special abatement.  The lead-removal process removed flaking paint as well as some plaster.  It's not uncommon for old plaster ceilings to have water damage.  Often, the original plaster needs to be re-attached to the structure underneath.  Fortunately, that wasn't needed.  Then the cracks and divots were filled in with drywall mud without sanding out too much of the original detail.  Some day the site may need paint investigation to understand what's underneath the green paint.  For now, the same color green was placed on the walls and white for the ceiling.  One extra part of prep work came from draping the rows of desks bolted to the floor.   The cast-iron stove was covered as well.  Today, it appears to be ready for visitors to Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum.  Sometime soon I plan to make a visit and see for myself the new school house that gives Landis Valley a new look.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "A Friend In Need Is A Friend Indeed...Me & My Cat! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, and I had just opened my front door to retrieve my Sunday Newspaper.  As I opened the door, the paper fell upon my feet.  The Sunday paper has so many sections to it that at times I wonder if I should have a wagon to take it to my "easy" chair.  Sunday's are always special since it takes almost an hour or better to get through all the sections of the paper.  My trusty friend and companion, "The Gray Lady", is always on my lap as soon as I have my recliner in the proper position.  I sit down, adjust the chair, place my paper along the right side of the chair, and tap on my lap to signal "The Gray Lady" that it is time to read the Sunday News.  Doesn't take more than that one little tap before she is resting in her spot between my legs as I peruse the pages of the Sunday News.  As I finish each section, I place the section on the carpet to the right of me and grab the next section which in on the arm of the sofa that is to my left.  On a Sunday, it might take an hour or so before I have finished the entire paper...including the comics!   No matter how long it does take...I know I will have a guest on my lap for the entire time.  I often wondered if I should try and teach her how to read so she explain the paper to me, but reading the paper is one of my favorite things to do.  If my dear wife happens to arise and walk past my chair w/cat, she knows better than to talk to "The Gray Lady", since she will probably be half-asleep at the time.  Well, when I finish all the sections, which many times takes a bit more than an hour, I tell "The Gray Lady" that it is time to eat.  That is perhaps the only thing that will get her off my lap and onto the floor.  Other days of the week are usually similar, but for some strange reason, she knows that those papers are only about a third the size of the Sunday edition, and she is ready to hop down when she feels me moving around in my chair.  I must admit, I have had many, many cats in my lifetime, but "The Gray Lady" is the only one who enjoys sitting on my lap while I am reading the morning paper.  It is a great way to start the morning when you know you have a friend whom will keep an eye on you for the first part of the day, and that goes both ways!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

"The Gray Lady" resting between my legs as I read the cartoons

   

The "Trying To Add A Bit Of Humor To Your Daily Life!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Enjoying a few "short stories", "quotes," and "jokes" that were published in the latest edition of "The Fishwrapper" which is a publication of Little Mountain Printing.  Thought you might also enjoy a few of them...so follow along and enjoy or laugh if you get a chance!  

(1) "The more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for." 

(2) The game warden stopped a deer hunter and asked to see his hunting license.  "This is last year's license," the warden informed him.  "I know," said the hunter, "but I shouldn't need a new license.  I am only shooting at the deer I missed last year!"  

(3) As the first time bear hunter drove down the wooded path headed toward a new area to hunt, he came across a fork in the road with a large sign that read, "BEAR LEFT".  He turned around and went home!  

(4) My biggest fear is that when I die, my wife will sell my hunting gear for what I said I paid for it.  

(5) I'm in an ideal relationship, the husband should be the head of the house, but the wife should be the neck.   Have you tried turning your head without an okay from your neck?  

(6) The orthopedic surgeon I worked for was moving to a new office, and the staff was helping transport many of the items.  I set the display skeleton in the front seat of my car, his bony arm across the back of my seat.  I hadn't considered the drive across town.  At one traffic light, the stares of the people in the car beside me became obvious, and I looked across and explained, "I'm delivering him to my doctor's office."  The other driver looked out the window.  "I hate to tell you.. lady," he said, "but, I think it's too late!"  

(7) I put some turnips, my eleven-year-old son's least favorite vegetable, on his dinner plate and instructed him to eat everything.  He cleaned his plate except for the turnips.  I pointed out to him that if he'd eaten it earlier, he wouldn't have been left with it's taste in his mouth at the end of the meal.  Thoughfully, he replied, "I guess I was just trying to delay the inedible."  

(8)  I neighbor of mine took off with his family to see the country.  When he returned, I asked how he enjoyed the vacation.  He replied, "Have you ever spent three weeks in a minivan with those you thought you loved?" 

 (9) "So tell me, Mrs. Smith," asked the interviewer, " I have had two short stories published in national magazines, and I finished my novel."  "Very immersive, "hie commented, "but I was thinking of skills you could apply during office offers."  Mrs. Smith explained splendidly, "Oh, that was during office hours."  

(10) Driving to a new restaurant, a woman took several wrong turns.  When she finally found the right road, she asked her husband, "Why didn't you tell me I was lost?!"  "I thought you knew where you were going," he replied.  "You always know where you're going when I'm s]driving."  

(11) A neighbor of mine took off with his family to see the country.  When he returned, I asked him how he enjoyed the vacation.  He replied, "Have you ever spent three weeks in a minivan with those you thought you loved?" 

 (12) "So tell me, Mrs. Smith," asked the interviewer, "have you any other skills you think might be worth mentioning?"  "Actually, yes," said the applicant modestly.  "Last year I had two short stories published in national magazines, and I finished my novel."  "Very impressive," he commented, "but I was thinking of skills you could apply during office hours."  Mrs. Smith explained splendidly, "Oh, that was during office hours!"   

(13) When my grandmother was in her late eighties, she decided to move to Israel.  As part of the preparations, she went to see her doctor and get all her charts.  The doctor asked her how she was doing, so she gave him the litany of complaints...this hurts, that's stiff, I'm tired and slower and... on and on.  He responded with, Mrs. Siegel, you have to expect things to start deteriorating.  After all, who wants to live to one hundred?"  My grandmother looked him straight in the eye and relayed, "Anyone who's ninety-nine!"  

(14) By the time you're 80 years old you've learned everything!  You just have to remember it all!!  

(15) Driving to a new restaurant, a woman took several wrong turns.  When she finally found the right road, she asked her husband, "Why didn't you tell me I was lost?"  "I thought you knew where you were going," he replied.  "You always know where you're going when I'm driving."  

(16) Who Supports Who?  This country is composed of two kinds of people.  One group believes that the government can support all the citizens.  The other wonders whether all the citizens can support the government!  

(17) We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive.  He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. M.L.K. Jr.   

(18) Gratitude is an offering precious in the sight of God, and it is one that the poorest of us can make and be not poorer but richer for having made it.

 (19) Early in their marriage, my dad did something really stupid.  My mom rebuked him for it.  He apologized and they made up.  However, from time to time,  Mom mentioned what he had done.  "Honey," Dad finally said one day, "why do you keep bringing that up?  I thought your policy was 'forgive and forget'"  "It is!," she said, "I just don't want you to forget what I've forgiven and forgotten."  

(20) Our neighbors gave us a pumpkin pie as a holiday gift.  As lovely as the gesture was, it was clear from the first bite that the pie tasted bad.  It was so inedible that we had to throw it away.  Ever gracious and tactful, my wife sent the neighbors a note.  It read:  "Thank you very much for the pumpkin pie.  Something like that doesn't last very long at our house."  

So...there you have 20 items to make you think a bit.  Some are humorous while other are supposed to be humorous,,,but just didn't make the cut!  It was another extraordinary day in life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Lancaster...A Living Wonder!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  A Sunday... and one of the very first things I do on Sunday morning, or any other morning, is open the front door of my villa and grab my newspaper from the doorstep.  I might have mentioned that since moving to Woodcrest Villa a bit over a year ago, I totally enjoy opening my front door each and every morning to find my morning newspaper standing against the door frame.  I grab the paper, close the door and off I go to my easy chair to read the local, national and international news as well as comics, etc., etc. with my sweetheart, "The Gray Lady", sitting on my lap, purring away!  Every so often, I open the door and find I have to walk to the front driveway to pick up my paper.  Yeah...I know...my delivery guy must be on vacation!  If only you could be as lucky as I am to not have to walk to the curb every morning in your PJs.  One of the sections of the Sunday paper that I check out first is the "Local Section" which carries local news as well as the "Through The Viewfinder" section which is a special weekly photograph taken by one of the local newspaper photographers.  I knew quite a few of them since they used to make visits to my photograph class to talk about their job as a photojournalist when I was still teaching high school.  Another part of the Local Section is the "Obituaries" which at times can be rather lengthy in size.  Lancaster is not a hugh city, but it always amazes me as to the number of obituaries that are in the newspaper on a daily basis.  And, on a Sunday it isn't unusual to find 25-30 more obituaries that had not been in the weekly newspaper.  Today had a listing of deaths from the previous week which totaled 113.  And...that's not that unusual to have that many each week.  Not only do they list the names of all whom have died, but the section of Lancaster where that had lived, the date they died, their maiden name if a female and their age when they had died.  Over the years I have found that the medium age of those who had died that particular week has increased.  More and more people are living longer than they did 15, 20, 25, etc.  years ago.  I scanned the ages when I was typing this story and found quite a few of the 113 were in their 70s, 80s and even 90s when they died.  And, believe it or not, this past week a woman that had just died was 107 years old.  It happened to be in the Sunday section that I was reading for information for this story, so I re-read the story once again.  The woman that had died was a resident of Garden Spot Village.  She was born in Media, Pennsylvania.  Listed her deceased husband's name as well as the fact that she had worked in a silk mill at one time.  She enjoyed knitting, crocheting, sewing and painting with watercolors.  She had grown up on a family farm that dated back to the Revolutionary War!  But, to top that off...at the age of 83, she was diagnosed with cancer and was graciously seen by a world-renowned surgeon at Johns Hopkins Hospital.  After a very successful procedure, she was able to enjoy another 24 years of her life.  She was survived by a son, daughter in-law, 2 grandsons, 6 great grand-children, 9 great, great grandchildren and 1 step great, great granddaughter.  Another paragraph listed those that she had outlived with information about the funeral that would follow.  The photograph that accompanied the obituary showed a beautiful woman with a pink top and pearls around her neck.  She must have lived one heck of a fantastic life!  Her obituary was the largest one on the page in order to tell the story of her life.  There were six other obituaries on that page with ages listed as 95, 94, 94, 82, 80 and 75.  There is just something about Lancaster County, Pennsylvania that makes people want to live a long, healthy, carefree life!  Both my parents were in their mid to late 80s when they died.  So...I got a bunch more living to do so I can write stories for you to read.  I might even outlive you!  I'll let you know!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Boosting Your Brain Power" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Recently received a small booklet in the mail from The Smithsonian Magazine.  It was titled "BRAIN MATTERS."  Perfect book for me!  One story in the booklet was "Thought Music Could Infect THE BRAIN."  Talked about how music can infect the brain so I read on.  Another story was "The Neuroscientist Who Discovered HE WAS A PSYCHOPATH."  Wasn't my type of story, so it wasn't.  The final story in the booklet was titled "Ten Ways You Can Boost Your BRAIN POWER STARTING NOW!"  Now that's for me!  The ten ways were: 

1. USE IT OR LOSE IT.  Forget the old adage that if you're over 40, memory and cognitive function head south.  Scientists have found that the human brain can and does develop new neural pathways at every age.  Like any muscle, the brain needs regular workouts to stay fit and healthy.  Any brain exercise is good, but not all barren workouts are created equal.  Repeating a familiar routine won't give your brain the aerobic activity it needs.  The best brain booster will challenge your cranial neurons with activities outside your comfort zone. 

2. BREAK A SWEAT.  The general rule is "what's good for your heart is good for your brain."  The more active you are, the more blood and oxygen are delivered to your brain.  Physical exercise also plays a big role in stimulating new neuronal connections.

 3. FUEL UP WITH BRAIN FOODS.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, "healthy" fats, and lean protein provide lots of health benefits for your body, heart, and brain...including improved memory and lower risk of dementia.

4. GET ENOUGH SLEEP.  Most adults require between 7 1/2 and 9 hours of sleep every night.  If you consistently miss your target zzzzz, you're part of the majority of folks classified as sleep deprived.  Even skimping on a few hours for one night can make a difference.  Memory, creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking may be compromised the next day.

5. KEEP STRESS AT BAY.  This definitely falls into the category of "easier said than done."  Stress is all around us.  But if we dwell on negative situations, we can lose focus and our ability to problem solve when we need it most.

6. SEE YOUR DOCTOR REGULARLY.  Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are not the only causes of memory loss and lack of clear thinking.  Diabtes, heart disease, menopause, lifestyle issues, and medications for colds and allergies can also be the culprits.

7. SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS. We're wired to be social animals.  Some researchers believe sound social interactions may be the best kind of brain therapy of all.  Recent findings show that people with an active social life have the slowest rate of memory loss.  Conversely, a significant lack of social activity can damage the brain as much as smoking or heavy drinking.

8. READ MORE FICTION. According to a recent study by neuroscientists published in the journal of Brain Connectivity, reading a novel can improve brain functions on a variety of levels.  The ability to use your imagination and put yourself in the shoes of another person is similar to developing muscle memory in sports.

9. DON'T ABUSE YOUR BRAIN. Activities like smoking and drug or alcohol abuse can have major consequences on mental functioning.  We all have our indulgences, but knowing your limits is always best.  

10. TAKNG TIME OFF THE INTERNET. "Is Google making us stupid?"  When author Nicholas Carr first posed this question, he zeroed in on an important issue facing neuroscientists today.  As we increasingly use and depend on the Internet's bounties, he believes we're becoming lazier and changing our brain in ways that sacrifice our ability to concentrate and think deeply.  In fact, scientists are beginning to believe that because we're not "working" our brain sufficiently, we're becoming less smart than we were before.

Well, there are the 10 ways to boost your brain power.  See if you might be able to use one...or all of the ways listed to begin to boost your brain power.  I plan to give it a try.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Are You Ready To Retire....And Are You Wealthy? Read This Story!"

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a few sites on my computer when I came across a LNP/LancasterOnline site that looked to be interesting.  Headline read: Here are the five Pennsylvania places that topped the "Best Place to Retire" rankings.  Directly below the heading was a really neat photograph that featured a team of mules, or possibly horses, that were plowing a field in Lancaster County with the sun in the background.  Gorgeous sunset!  The caption under the photograph read: Lancaster County's picture-perfect countryside and affordable living makes it a top-ranked locale to retire in many surveys.  The story under the heading began with: Pennsylvania dominated the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Places to Retire rankings released this morning, with Lancaster County slipping from the top ranking last year to third this year.  Pennsylvania represents 70% of the top 10 Best Places to Retire due to strong happiness, health care quality and retiree taxes scores, U.S. News & World Report said in a news release.  Each of the 150 most populated metro areas are evaluated based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, the Tax Foundation, Wolters Kluwer, Sharecare's Community Well-Beiing Index, the Federal Emergency Management Agency's National Risk Index, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. News' own internal resources.  It gives weight to data based on a survey of people approaching retirement age (45 and older).  This year affordability represented 24% of the score with happiness determining 22%; health care quality, 16%; retiree taxes, 16%; desirability, 13%: and job market, 8%.  The top five consists of Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical areas: 

1. Harrisburg (Harrisburg-Carlisle area including Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties)]

2. Reading (Berks County)

3. Lancaster (Lancaster County)

4. Scranton (Scranton-Wilkes-Barre-Hazelton includes Lackawana, Luzerne, and Wyoming               counties)

5. Allentown (Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton area includes Lehigh and Northampton counties)

Lancaster is still among the top three best places to retire, which were neck and neck in terms of scoring as they all have competitive offerings, per Beverly Harzog, personal finance expert at U.S. News, in an email to LNP/Lancaster/Online.  "While affordability is our most heavily weighted factor, Lancaster did see decreases in our happiness metric as well as our desirability survey from the year before.  Lancaster's affordability scoring saw a marginal increase this year," Harzog said.  The desirability survey is a poll of 3,500 people that asked them which of the rated metros they would most like to live in.  U.S. News did not disclose the scores it uses to arrive at rankings.  U.S. News said in its news release "The Best Places to Retire" rankings are intended to help people narrow their choices of where to live in retirement.  "Best Places to Retire" website says Lancaster had an unemployment rate of 8% in 2021, but this is incorrect.  In 2021, it had an unemployment rate of 4.7%, not seasonally adjusted.  Its most recent rate in September was 2.4%.  Harzog said currently, data on places pages and rankings data are not correlated.  "Some data sources on our website are not used at all as a rating factor for Best Places to Retire," Harzog said in an email. "Updates to our web page data are forthcoming."  Harzog noted in a news release that record-high interest rate in the housing market, steadily increasing cost of goods and extreme weather patterns are impacting the living conditions and that factors into what retirees are looking for when they relocate.  Pennsyvania locations stood out because they are affordable as well as offering good health care and other amenities that make people happy.  Lancaster County has regularly appeared in the U.S. News & World Report top 10, bouncing around from its most recent rankings to as low as five in 2021 and 1st in 2022 and 2019.  The county has a growing retirement sector with 17 retirement communities, several of which are adding cottages and apartments. My wife and I retired to "Woodcrest Villa" about a year ago and just love it!  Can't tell you how nice a place it is for just about anything and everything!  At the high end of the scale is "Mosaic", a 20-story luxury high-rise, 55-plus senior living community at the corner of South Queen and Vine streets in downtown Lancaster, which is not yet under construction, but tentatively scheduled to open in the fall of 2026.  Entry fees, the up-front cost to secure an apartment, will range between $642,000 and $998,600 for a two-bedroom unit.  Monthly service fees are estimated between $4,598 and $6,308.  Those outrageous prices for retirees is perhaps what might be why Lancaster County slipped from #1 to #3 in the ranking this year!  If you have never visited Lancaster County, stop by and see why so many seniors have picked Lancaster, Pennsylvania to be their final stop in life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Happy Thanksgiving Day" From LDub & His Wife...CDub!

It was an ordinary day.  At least for some, but for the rest of us living in the good 'ole USA, it is Thanksgiving Day!  Here are a few Thanksgiving cartoons I found online that you might enjoy.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Life Seems To Bring Back Many Memories Of The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to remember back to when I first began my teaching career in Lancaster County.  I graduated from Manheim 'Township High School, which is located in the small village known as Neffsville, PA in the spring of 1962 and entered Millersville State Teacher's College the following September of 1962.  I began to teach in the fall of 1966, even though I hadn't graduated from Millersville as of that date.  Teachers were so hard to come by that the state of Pennsylvania offered temporary certificates to teach before you had graduated from Millersville.  I obtained the necessary credits and graduated the following January of 1967.  I began teaching Industrial Arts at York Eastern High School and close to the end of that year I received a call from Manheim Township High School inquiring if I wanted a position in the school from where I had graduated.  You bet!  My second year of teaching began that following fall at Manheim Township.  I taught wood shop and mechanical drawing during the first year.  During that year I asked my Industrial Arts chairman, Mr. George Ehemann, if I could start a class in Graphic Arts.  The Industrial Arts Department already had a room that held two foot operated printing presses, a large guillotine paper cutter, a few cabinets that held metal type letters, wooden spacing blocks known as furniture, an imposing stone that was used to place the type in chases with metal quoins which in turn were placed in the printing presses to print whatever was needed.  Mr. Ehemann agreed and the following year I began teaching Graphic Arts.  Mr. Ehemann taught mechanical drawing in the room next to me, but had a small room without windows at the rear of his room.  I talked him into allowing me use that small room to start a class in photography.  Before long it had grown into two....and then three classes, since the room was so small my classes could only hold about a dozen students.  I loved teaching photography and before long an addition was added to the high school which included a large darkroom and adjoining classroom.  I also added a darkroom in the basement of my home at 925 Janet Ave. in Lancaster.  All three of my own children learned the art of photography while students at Manheim Township with their dad as their teacher.   Really wasn't quite fair to the rest of the class since my three children already knew how to take photos, develop the film and make black and white prints before they were in high school.  Many of my class members won photography awards in the National Scholastic Arts and Photography competition which we entered every year.  My youngest son, Tad, went to Antonelli's School of Photography after high school and then went to work for another of my photography students, Jerry Driendl at Driendl Photography.  In Today's Lancaster Sunday News I opened the newspaper to the "Through The Viewfinder - Exploring The Art Of Photography" article which appears every week in the Sunday News.  One of the photographers for the newspaper published a photograph they had taken with an explanation as to how it was taken...with camera settings and lighting and where it was taken.  Today's "Through The Viewfinder" article was by Andy Blackburn.  Instead of a photo he had taken as the feature photo, he used a photograph of himself when he was a child holding a camera.  The strap on the camera was so long for him that the camera came down to his knees.  In the accompanying story he told about using his father's trusty Zeiss Ikonta 35mm film camera.  He told the story of gaining an interest in photography due to his father.  His father built a darkroom in the basement where Andy got to see his dad work printing photographs.  Hey...boy did that bring back memories!  Andy went to college in 1983 to study photography, just as my son did.  Well, the photo in the paper today was from a negative that Andy found from his father's collection.  The entire story today in the "Through The Viewfinder" article could have been a story told by my youngest son!  I had to reread it over and over and it brought a few tears to my eyes as well as a flood of memories from the past.  Life never seems to be predictable.  Just when you think you have heard it all or witnessed it all...something pops up that brings everything rushing back.  I just love the memories!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Seashells Yield Uniqueness, Beauty, Stillness, Movement & Change" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a young Chilean artist and psychologist named Claudia Romagnoli Espinosa who found her way to art through what she considers unexpected events.  Those events, all linked to her family roots and life itself, allowed her passion for creation to bloom.  It was twenty-one years ago, just days before the birth of her third daughter, that Claudia decided that she was going to be a sculptor!  Up until that moment, her interest in art had been nothing special.  She was devoted to her family, her therapeutic practice and sports.  Then she got an invitation from her sister which pushed her into a creative adventure.  And...as they say...the rest if history.  For many years she had painted and filled her house with paintings as well as holding multiple painting exhibitions in cafes, restaurants and community cultural centers.  Then, another unexpected event happened: A friend of her’s invited her to participate in a workshop led by an expert of Japanese embroidery technique known as sashiko.  She learned to embroider, absolutely amazed by the beauty and elegance of the threads and patterns.  By the time the course was over...she was hooked.  It was the turning point in her life.  She fell in love with her work and progresively became very interested in all kinds of threads, linens, pieces of cotton, wool and cord.  Those elements would become part of her artistic work. The love of textile art comes undoubtedly from her Italian paternal family.  Here grandfather, who came to America to try his luck, ended up building a spinning mill with his own hands.  He dedicated a great part of his life to working with all kinds of yarns, cotton and wool.  On her Chilean mother’s side, the love of art and creation goes back to her grandmother, Marta, her uncles and her great-aunt.  They explored the arts of watercolor, oil and charcoal. A few years ago when the pandemic arrived, a friend showed her a picture of a Norwegian artist’s work with seashells.  The following month, when the quarantine ended, she went to the beach with her husband.  She stopped and stared at a seashell lying on the sand.  She picked it up and was overwhelmed just looking at it.  She was hooked!  The first shell she collected was a navajuela.  She began a process of discovery and appreciation for the different forms, textures and colors of every seashell.  It was at that point that her artistic life began.  Check out the work that Claudia has accomplished since that fateful day...21 years ago!  It was another extraordnary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "It's Not What They Wanted, But.......Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had just opened the Sports Section of my Sunday News and saw the headline.  'DIDN'T SEE ANY QUIT'. 'Blue Streaks leave it all on the field in state silver-medal finish! Not what they wanted, but what a season!!

I have been following the Manheim Township High School field hockey team all fall and knew just how good they were!  Team after team was defeated, with some being annihilated.   I taught for over 30 years at Manheim Township High School and never remember any team doing as well as they did.   They had a fantastic season last year and I knew they would have an exceptional one this year, since they had a powerhouse of field hockey players returning from their season last year.  Most of their skilled players were returning, including the twin Campagna sisters whom lived across the street from my former home on Harrington Drive.  I have followed their high school careers for a few years now and knew they were going to have a fantastic senior season.  I know how tough it is right now, having gone through the same thing myself as a coach.  But...as time passes, they will realize how great a season they had this year.  A record of  24-2-1 is tough to beat by anyone.  This past Saturday they played a team from Emmaus, Pennsyvania in the PIAA Class 3A Field Hockey State Championship, and dropped a 1-0 decision.  They only gave up 1 stinking goal!!  What a defense!!  It is a game they will never forget.  And...some day they will realize just how hard it is to get that far in any sport...and maybe...just maybe...they will realize how good they really were!  On page C3 of the Sports Section of my newspaper was a list of the Lancaster-Lebanon League Field Hockey All-Stars.  Three Township players made All-League (Brenna Campagna, Brooke Weaver and Gracie Clawson), while two more made second team (Rhylee Givens and Sarah Ebersole).  The Section One First Team athletes were Brenna Campagna, Calli Campagna, Zoe Caloviras, Gracie Clawson, Karys Craver, Brooke Weaver, and Julia Weaver.  The team that beat the Blue Streaks was Emmaus by a score of 1-0.  It was the only goal allowed by the Manheim Township High School "Blue Streaks" throughout the entire State 3A State Tournament.  I want to congratulate all the girls on the Manheim Township Field Hockey Team.  You made me as well as all those living in Manheim Township proud of your accomplishments.  I know...you may feel sad about the results, but think how many girls in the state of Pennsylvania would have been thrilled to have done what you did!  One day you will realize how fantastic an accomplishment you achieved on Saturday, November 18, 2023.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "I Know A Story - A Few Cents & A Suitcase: Paying Tribute To JFK" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the weekly column in my Sunday News "Living Section" known as "I Know A Story."  It began by telling the readers of the column..."As we watched the shadow of Penn State University disappear in the background, Kathy and I sat on the bus, with my bulky blue suitcase overhead, headed to the grief-stricken capital of the United States, reeling from the shock of the president being killed.   As I lay my head back, I tried to recall where had happened over the past two days.  It was 1963. The country was full of hope, despite a Cold War with the Soviet Union, civil rights issues and a conflict in Vietnam.  At Penn State University, life was good that particular Friday afternoon as my friends and I were talking about an upcoming record hop.  Shortly after 2:00 PM we heard someone call out..."The President has been shot!"  Disbelief filled my mind.  Who would shoot our young, beloved John Fitzgerald  Kennedy?  We jumped up and padded down the corridor toward the TV lounge, joining the small crowd.  My heart was beating fast and I was feeling the way I might feel if this had been a relative or friend who had been injured.  Shocked coeds listen to Walter Cronkite on the black and white TV.  

Cronkite recounted the events in Dallas where President Kennedy had died from bullet wounds to the neck and head and Gov. John Connally had been seriously wounded while riding in the motorcade.  The West Halls Record Hop was cancelled.  Students gathered in small groups, but there was quietness throughout the campus as events were reported over television.  We learned that the shots had been fired by Lee Harvey Oswald, an unknown, who was arrested shortly afterward.  Later it was announced that the president's body would be flown back to Washington on Air Force One, where Lyndon B. Johnson would be sworn in as President.  JFK's body would first lie in repose in the White House for 24 hours and then in the capitol, where the public could pass by.  On Saturday, life went on, but not in the typical Penn State party fashion. On Sunday, we gathered in the tv lounge, we were all amazed to see Lee Harvey Oswald, who was being transferred from police headquarters to the county jail, shot at close range.  Never before had American viewers seen something like this on the screen.  The assailant was identified as Jack Ruby, a Texas nightclub owner.  Oswald died a few hours later from his wounds.  That evening at dinner with the girls on my floor, Kathy told the eight of us that there was a bus leaving from State College for Washington.  Kathy knew the price of the ticket and the taxi to the station.  There was a lot of excitement, and everyone wanted to go.  With our pooled money, we purchased round-trip tickets, leaving 50 cents between us.  The Capitol was about three-quarters of a mile from the bus station.  In near-freezing temperatures we walked.  When we finally got into the rotunda of the Capitol, I was impressed by the magnitude of the room and the historic paintings and photographs of national events.  While sobs and soft crying could be heard, the atmosphere was very solemn, but almost majestic.  Kathy and I approached the coffin while police politely reminded mourners to keep moving along as two lines abreast passed on either side of the casket.  For just a few seconds we were able to.view the polished mahogany casket, draped with the American flag, at close range.  As I passed the casket, I silently recited the Lord's Prayer.  We headed then to Pennsylvania Avenue to await the funeral procession.  It was reported that a million people lined the funeral route from the Capitol to St. Matthew's Cathedral.  After 21 hours of the President's body lying in State, the caisson, drawn by four horses, passed by with the clip-clop of their hooves, along with the stifle and sobs of the mourners.  Afterward we headed toward Union Station to catch our bus.  By the time we reached Harrisburg for the layover, we were ravenous, but broke.  We found a cafeteria nearby and I had an idea.  The cashier was an older man and I went to him and explained our situation.  He said we should get a tray.  Thankful, I told him we would send repayment. Arriving back Monday evening, we were given a hero's welcome, having had the unique and historic honor of paying homage to the 35th President of the United States.  When I finally received my weekly cash from home, I sent the money for our meal to the generous patriot in Harrisburg, somehow feeling that he did not expect it!" 

Photo of JFK speaking in Lancaster, PA

The author of this story lives in nearby Willow Street, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Bringing The Rocky Springs Carousel To Strasburg" Story

It was and ordinary day.  Reading an article in my local newspaper about the possible move of the old Rocky Springs Carousel to the Strasburg Railroad location.  During a Strasburg Township supervisors meeting a few weeks ago, Rocky Springs Carousel Association and the Strasburg Railroad board members proposed rehabilitating and installing the 99-year-old carousel at Strasburg's landmark railroad-themed tourist attraction.  

Some of the many colorful ornamental horses of the  carousel

What a great place for it!  Why they didn't think of it years ago is beyond me!  It would be the perfect place for the carousel and would draw more customers to the railroad.  The first part of the process of moving it is to decide exactly where the carousel could be placed and to find a partner that can work well with the owners of the railroad.  A partner that can match the mission and values of the railroad has to be the first step in the process of moving the carousel.  The board members  of the carousel committee want the ride to be fully operational inside a carousel house on the Strasburg Rail Road property.  The ride originally stood at Rocky Springs Amusement Park for many years, but when the park closed it ended up at Dollywood Amusement Park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.  Then in 1998 the ride was put up for auction.  A group of Lancaster residents brought the carousel back home to Lancaster.  Now, the carousel plan needs to get the green light from the township's zoning hearing board before anything can happen.  The Strasburg Rail Road has a special zoning designation, a railroad heritage district, so the carousel project will need to fall in line with the historic character of the tourist attraction. As of now, no timeline has been set for the project.  The supervisors of the Railroad have spoken favorably of moving the carousel to the railroad property.  The railroad supervisors were attracted to the carousel because it will add to the historic character of the railroad operation.  The railroad operators said, "From our standpoint, we already have 350,000 people a year come to the railroad.  adding a feature of historical significance for this county...that's what we do at the railroad.  This is something we feel historically is from the same era as steam.  The group is now searching for a 3,000-square-foot warehouse location where the carousel can be assembled over 3 to 5 years.  As of now, all of the ride's pieces including it's organ and wooden horses, dogs and reindeer, have been in storage for more than 20 years at an undisclosed location.  The condition of the pieces will determine how long it takes to get the ride up and running.  Some of the animals were restored in 2005.  Kauffman said Rocky Springs Carousel Association will be participating in the county's ExtraGive on Nov. 17 for the first time.  The group plans to set up a table in downtown Lancaster with some of the carousel animals on display.  Kauffman hopes to raise $50,000 at the event for the carousel.  However, it's too soon to tell how much money will be needed to be invested in the project.  The Strasburg Railroad has been interested in the project for years.  Ideas used to be shared when Lancaster's Mayor was Chrlie Smithgal.  Smithgall was a major advocate of the carousel and wanted to bring it to Lancaster Square on North Queen Street, but those plans fell through.  The Mayor that followed, Rick Gray, was not interested in the project and current Mayor Danene Sorace took a firm stance against the carousel in the city, citing racist practices at the Rocky Springs pool.  In 2018, the Star Barn in Elizabethtown joined the conversation when the barn's caretakers publicly shared interest in making room for the ride on the property.  Some former rocky Springs board members and patrons have chided the current carousel association in the past for not doing enough to find a permanent home for the carousel.  The board was established in the early 2000s after the carousel came back to Lancaster and was reformed in 2020 after a period of inactivity.  So...I guess we will find out soon what is going to happen to the carousel.  I hope they can  come to some decision before I am too old to ride on it once again!!  I'll give them a couple of years, but after that I'm afraid I may not be physically fit to ride the carousel.  Therefore, I'm hoping that something can be done sooner rather than later.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Plight Of Stephanie Mastriana" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story in last weeks' Sunday News about a local woman who has had static quadriplegic cerebral palsy for some time.  The story in the paper said that her medical outook as of this date in time is unclear.  She has already outlived the expectations for someone with her condition.  Usually, patients with severe cerebral palsy have just a 40% chance of living to the age of 20.  She is now 32 years old.  In late October, a story appeared in the Lancaster newspaper telling of the plight of Stephanie Mastriana and asking the pubic to help support Stephanie in her struggle with her health problems.  Seems that the people of Lancaster County were reading their paper since Stephanie has already received more than 500 cards to date.  But...that's just how those who live in my home town of Lancaster are!  They care for everyone, and when another Lancasterain becomes ill, they find it in their hearts to lend a hand.  

Stephanie's cards are filled with messages of encouragement and now cover three of the four walls in her living room from top to bottom.  She replies with, "I never thought this would happen," referring to all the cards that fill the walls of her family's home.  She has recently begun to receive hospice care at home as a result of her body reaching a point of continually fighting the infection.  And, sadly, her infection will eventually take over her body.  But, until that time, her greeting cards have brought great joy and hope to her and her family.  A dozen or so of the cards are handcrafted, like the one of a drawing of her in a pink shirt and her hands covered in boxing gloves alongside her brother in a red shirt and blue cape with the message:  "I thought you could use these gloves to keep up with your brother."  Her brother, Kyle, has put forward a caring for his sister with the creation of funny videos of the siblings that he has posted to a TikTok account.  Stephanie has received cards from as young as 4 years old.  One young boy drew a stick figure with a red crayon and shared his thoughts on things he enjoys such as: like playing trains and "I have a Pug named Pepsi. I like to play with Midnight. She is a cat."  Some letters have arrived from as far away as California, Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Wisconsin.  She has also received messages from Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County and nearby churches.  The American Music Theatre sent tickets so she and her family could attend an upcoming holiday show.  Stephanie, a Solanco High School graduate is nearing $900 received in gift cards and store credit at her favorite shopping location - Kohl's Dept. Store.  Her State Sen. Scott Martin from Martin Township made a visit to preset her with a certificate of recognition and a small gift basket filled with her favorite beverage...Turkey Hill iced tea.  Two West Lampeter Police Dept. officers stopped with a police patch for her.  Cards continue to flow in by the basketful.  she now gets more than 100 pieces of mail each day.  Her medical outlook at this time is unclear.  She has already outlived the expectations for someone with her medical problems.  But....who knows.  If the cards and visits keep on coming, who's to say how much longer she will live.  Someone has to open all those greetings...right!  Why can't it be Stephanie?  Here response for all the thoughts, cards and presents...."Thank you for being so kind."  And, Dear Stephanie.....  "Thank you for having such a positive attitude.  You are such a fantastic hero to all of us who are reading about you.  Stay strong!  You are in our prayers!  Sincerely, "LDub...the writer of this blog."   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Raven Ridge" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just found an interesting story about a place called Raven Ridge which is a non-profit wildlife rehabilitation center located in rural Washington Boro, PA.  They specialize in healing injured birds of prey, mammals and waterfowl in the Lancaster County, PA area.  Their Mission Is: Our goal is to give wild animals a second chance at life all across this beautiful state and beyond.  We're expanding out facilities all the time to offer the highest-quality care to as many animals as we can.  Once our patients are fully healed, we release them into the wild again where they can live out the rest of their lives as part of a healthy and balanced ecosystem.  Helping Our Neighbors Is:  Conservation is at the core of our growing operation.  Human activity such as driving, neighborhood development, and hunting can sometimes confuse or injure the animals that lived in the area before us.  By offering our services for no charge, we hope to reach every person who encounters injured wildlife so we can give that animal a fighting chance.  We want to help all of our neighbors, whether they're feathered or furry!  Our Quality Of Care Is Their Quality Of Life:  Conservation is at the core of our growing operation.  Human activity such as driving, neighborhood development, and hunting can sometimes confuse or injure the animals that lived in the area before us.  By offering our services for no charge, we hope to reach every person who encounters injured wildlife so we can give that animal a fighting chance.  We want to help all of our neighbors, whether they're feathered or furry!  A bit more abut Raven Ridge tells that they were founded by one of the few accredited wildlife rehabilitators in Pennsylvania, Tracie Young.  Aided by a team of highly-trained volunteers, Tracie spearheads rehabilitation efforts by diagnosing our patients' conditions, defining handling procedures, and performing surgery as necessary.  Our volunteers handle the day-to-day care and upkeep to endure our patients are healthy and comfortable during their stay at Raven Ridge.  We have a saying in the office that defines our work: "Our quality of care is their quality of life."  Conservation is at the core of our growing operation.  Human activity such as driving, neighborhood development, and hunting can sometimes confuse or injure the animals that lived in the area before us.  By offering our services for no charge, we hope to reach every person who encounters injured wildlife so we can give that animal a fighting chance.  We want to help all of our neighbors, whether they're feathered or furry!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Do Skunks Really Know What They Are Doing? Story

It was an ordinary day.  At times, conducting scientific research means trekking to remote locales, braving beasts or surviving hazardous weather.  And then again, you might find yourself gently combing the fur of several hundred dead skunks.  Oh, the things you might do for science!  A fellow by the name of Ted Stankowich, an evolutionary behavioral ecologist, studies aposematism, or warning colorations, like the bright colors that adorn coral snakes and poison dart frogs.  That's much like the jet-black fur and white racing stripes that run from head to tail on the North American striped skunk.  All use their colors to warn their predators.  But, some skunks might have only a small patch of white on their heads or bold white stripes that merge into a cape-like pattern.  All use their colors to warn their predators.  But, is this change in colors and patterns the best way to warn their predators?  You would think that the more consistant your signal, the more the predator gets one image in their heads and will avoid that nemesis.  At least, the skunk is armed with scent glands that can squirt sulfuric secretions into a predator's eyeballs, thus they have fewer natural predators than other similarly sized mammals.  The foes that they do have generally include mountain lions, coyotes, jaguars and bobcats, which are hungry enough to risk the spray or who pounce upon a skunk with markings that don't convey the threat posed.  It would be noted though that the great horned owl doesn't have a strong sense of smell and this might be the reason they take down more skunks than most other predators.  Mr. Stankowich and his colleagues have photographed 749 striped skunk skins in museums across the world and then compared them with other variables, such as the environments the animals and their potential predators inhabited. In the end, they verified a hunch. "In areas that have really strong predation risk, both from birds and mammals, you get a much more consistent traditional black animal with two long white stripes on the body," says Ted.  A behavioral ecologist at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland says that research on animal warning colors often focuses on small geographic areas or how specific predators interact with specific prey.  That's why he's impressed with the scope of the new study.  Since people have hunted or eliminated predators across the United States, from mountain lions to wolves, it's logical to ask if humans are to blame for skunks starting to look less like skunks.  Ted says that, "I don't want to go so far as to say that humans are the cause of this variation of totally blacks skunks by extricating predators.  But we certainly aren't helping."  The study seems to have found a link between less predators and skunk stripe variation, not causation.  Similarly, with museum specimens only representing skunks from the last hundred years, it's difficult to make any conclusions about long-term patterns.  "There's been a complex history of huge mega-predators in North America that are no longer here," says Ted.  "So it's hard to say what the predation landscape looked like thousands of years ago, and how it might have affected skunks now."  Perhaps we might want to stay away from them if we aren't sure!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Innocent Killer Strikes Again!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just picked up my free copy of "The Fishwrapper."  The publication is printed by Little Mountain Printing and is given, free of charge, to all shoppers whom may care to read them, at my local Stauffer's Supermarket.  The lead story headline read, "The Story of the Innocent Killer."  Had me guessing all the way home, until I had the chance to sit down and read the lead story.  Story I had heard about many times, but never read for myself.  Thought I would share it with you today, since I'm almost sure that you may have heard the story before, but not the same version of the story.  Story title read..... 

"The Story of the Innocent Killer," by Madelyn Carlisle. 

She was America's strangest prisoner.  For though she spent twenty-six years in forced home isolation, she was never accused of any crime, never given a trial by jury, never sentenced by a judge.  Yet, her name struck terror in the hearts of millions of New Yorkers.  Not her real name, which was Mary Mallon, but the dreaded one by which she came to be known -- Typhoid Mary.  Perhaps Mary Mallon might have lived her life in obscurity and deadly freedom, if sanitation engineer George Soper hadn't undertaken one of history's greatest feats of medical detection.  Young Soper, a lean, serious-faced scientist, had a burning hatred of typhoid fever, a course that killed thousands annually in the early years of this century.  In January, 1906, he was called to a house on Oyster Bay, Long Island.  The summer before, typhoid had stricken six of the occupants.  Yet no one else in the community had been affected.  Mr. Soper's patient investigation revealed that the typhoid had not come from anything in the house, nor from any food, water, or milk that had been brought in.  No one in the household had been exposed to any known case of typhoid.  The baffled Soper was forced to admit that none of the ways in which typhoid was thought to be transmitted could count for the outbreak.  As he puzzled over the mystery, he recalled a controversial lecture given by the great German scientist, Robert Koch, who had startled his colleagues by announcing that typhoid  bacilli could be carried by persons who did not themselves have the disease.  A carrier!  Soper eagerly ran down the list of people who had occupied the house.  A name and date in his penciled notes stopped him:  Mary Mallon.  Cook.  Hired August 4, Not taken ill.  He asked her employer, who had survived the epidemic, what she knew about Mary Mallon.  Well, she was a large woman, very healthy looking, and quite competent.  She had been hired through a New York employment agency for domestics.  The agency gave Soper a list of names and addresses where Mary Mallon had worked.  Carefully he copied it, and the next day set out for the first place, a family in Mamaroneck who had employed Mary Mallon for a short time in 1900.  Yes, the lady of the house did remember a cook by that name.  She hadn't stayed long because a houseguest had come down with typhoid. With growing excitement, Soper hurried to the office of a lawyer named Drayton.  Drayton well remembered the terrible summer of 1902.  There had been an outbreak of typhoid in his summer home at Dark Harbor, Maine.   Everybody in the house had been stricken except he himself, who was immune due to a previous illness, and the cook.  "Don't know what I'd have done without her."  Drayton said.  "She worked side by side with me, nursing the sick."  In gratitude he had gotten her a fifty dollar bonus.  He would gladly have hired her in New York, but she had found other employment.  As he paid a dozen more visits, the record grew in horror.  Wherever  Mary Mallon had worked, people got sick.  The facts were incontestable.  Where was Mary Mallon now?  The trail stopped at a home in Tuxedo where, true to form, typhoid had struck.  Finally, through a letter to a former employer, he picked up the trail again.  Two weeks earlier, Mary Mallon had gone to work at a home on Park Avenue in New York.  Soper hurried there, intending to give a grim warning.  He was too late.  A child already lay dying of typhoid.  Soper went straight to the kitchen where a woman was bending over the stove.  "Mary Mallon?"  For one moment, his faith in his conviction wavered.  It seemed preposterous that this healthy-looking woman possessed the ghastly power to carry death.  Then he remembered the mourning mother upstairs and started talking.  Mary Mallon went rigid with fright.  It was like a nightmare, the things he was saying.  Typhoid!  Hadn't there been typhoid wherever she went?  Think back, Mary Mallon, think back.  Her big red hands went to her throat.  You carry typhoid.  "No."  It couldn't be.  You work hard all your life, from a poverty-stricken childhood on.  You like to cook.  You do a good job.  Your employers recommend you.  And now, this stranger is telling you this terrible thing.  When you cook, you kill.  Remember the house in Oyster Bay, the house in Park Harbor. "No, I didn't make them sick.  I helped them.  I nursed them.  I have done nothing wrong."  Think of this house; of the girl who is dying.  The words went on and on, telling her this dark and awful thing that could not be.  Wild-eyed, Mary Mallon seized a great carving fork and lunged.  George Soper ran.  When he went to talk to her again, the result was the same.  She flew into a rage and drove him away.  Soper had to make a decision.  Up to this time he had been on his own in this search for living proof of Dr. Koch's theories.  Now it was plain he needed outside help.  New York Health Department authorities listened to his stange story, first with skepticism, then with shocked conviction.  "All right," the Commissioner said.  "What do you propose to do about Mary Mallon?"  Super shrugged.  "What can we do?  If she won't listen to reason, we'll have to lock her up.  She's a walking culture tube."  "But it's unprecedented!" the Commissioner protested.  In the end, however, he reached the same conclusion.  So one morning policemen came to the house on Park Avenue.  A Health Department doctor rang the bell.  Looking out a window, Mary saw the policemen and knew why they were there.  She ran down a long, dark hall and out into the little backyard where a high wooden fence faced here.  Frantically, her strong arms pulled her up and over.  She dropped in a pile of snow on the other side.  She climbed another fence, saw a small shed, jerked open the door and sprang inside.  She stood panting there in the darkness, her heart pounding.  Later, she heard the crunch of footsteps on the snow.  Her calico dress, caught in the door, had revealed her hiding place.  Tests proved that Mary Mallon was exactly what Soper said she was -- a waking culture tube.  The typhoid bacilli, swarming on her hands, contaminated whatever she touched.  After that, for Mary, it was a succession of doctors asking questions, watching her, writing notes, talking, studying her.  Reporters came to get her life story.  Mary Mallon, the obscure cook, was suddenly famous, and the subject of controversy.  Did the Health Department have the right to hold her a prisoner against her will?  Indigent readers wrote letters to newspapers.  Lawyers discussed the matter in ponderous legal terms.  Medical men searched for precedent in the quarantine rules.  Among Mary's visitors was a lawyer named George Francis O'Neill, as indignant at her imprisonment as Mary herself.  "It's not legal," he reassured her.  "I'll get you out.  I'll carry it to the Supreme Court."  Through one court after another, O'Neill argued the case.  "Unconstitutional!" he cried. "Imprisonment without due process!"  Finally, the New York Supreme Court ruled.  The good of society must come first.  Through the case was strange and the action regrettable, it was right that a public menace be imprisoned.  Doctors now believed that the gallbladder was the home of the typhoid germ.  If Mary Mallon would submit to an operation to have hers removed, it would probably put a stop to her tragic affliction.  Doctors argued with her, but it was of no use.  After that they moved her to Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island in the East River.  A bungalow once occupied by a superintendent was turned over to Mary.  She lived there, alone.  She talked to no one, not even the nurse who brought her food, still refusing to believe that she was a carrier of death.  Later, in a changed administration of the Health Department, she found allies, who felt that she should not be kept prisoner.  If they released her, would she promise she would report regularly and never again cook for other people?  Mary promised, and left North Brother Island, bitterly insisting that all the awful happenings were coincidence.  Her resentment was not against nature, which had given her a strange affliction, but against the doctors who had found it out.  Months went by and her feeling that she had been unjustly dealt with was at the boiling point the day she usually rerouted to Health Department authorities.  She started toward the office, and then suddenly turned around and hurried back to her room.  Hastily she threw her clothes into a cheap suitcase.  A few hours later, she signed her name as Marie Breshof in a dingy downtown hotel.  Under that name she got work as a cleaning woman.  At first, she was terribly afraid that the authorities were going to find her.  She trembled whenever she saw a policeman.  She moved several times, changing her name each time.  Then she began to feel that she had escaped.  However, life was not dealing kindly with her.  She hurt her hand, and when an infection set in, she was afraid to go to a doctor.  She lay in her room for days, tortured by pain.  At some point, she began to blame her troubles on the fact that she was doing uncongenial work, not the cooking she liked.  Restaurant jobs were easy to get.  She felt that her chances of detection were small now.  And she still believed the doctors were wrong.  So one day she got a job as second cook in a restaurant.  After several weeks, there were no reports of typhoid among fellow workers or the diners.  Nevertheless, she quit and changed her name again.  After that she got a succession of cooking jobs, never staying in one place very long.  For five years, she lived this strange, haunting existence.  Then it happened.  At a Broadway restaurant where she had worked for two weeks, typhoid struck.  Mary fled, but there were headlines.  A cook was suspected of being a carrier.  From the descriptions of her, it might be the long-missing Typhoid Mary.  The city was terrified.  Mary Mallon walked the streets, jobless, afraid to apply at any restaurant.  Then she saw a help wanted advertisement that gave her an idea.  There was one place they would never look for her!  A few weeks later, a telephone call came to George Soper from Dr. Edward Cragin, attending obstetrician and gynecologist at the Sloane Hospital for Women.  "We have an ourbreak of typhoid," he said.  "Twenty-five cases.  Very serious."  "Typhoid Mary?" Soper asked.  "We have a woman working in the kitchen here who might, just might be Mary Mallon.  You knew her well.  Could you identify her?"  "Easily," Soper said.  Mary Mallon did not resist when they came for her this time.  Back at her little house on North Brother Island, she lived a quiet, uncommunicative existence.  As time passed, she turned to the faith that had never had strong ties for her before.  A new calm came to her. And from then on, she seemed resigned.  Life flowed by Mary Mallon, one of the most famous figures in the annals of medicine.  And as the years went on, doctors learned much of typhoid. They found how to deal with carriers, not by imprisoning them, but by careful registration and guidance so that they might live with their odd affliction.  Almost all danger can be avoided if carriers are forbidden to handle food, deal with children, and nurse the sick, and if they are required to report regularly for medical examination.  With carriers under control, typhoid outbreaks have decreased, and this in turn has made the task of spotting new carriers far easier.  The memory of Mary Mallon is not easily forgotten.  In time, Mary was permitted to take all-daytrips unescorted.  But, she no longer hoped for freedom.  The rest of her life would be a penance for the known fifty-one people--no one really knows how many--to whom she had brought sickness and death to three of them.  Mary Mallon died in 1938.  She was, said George Super, "a character apart...strangely chosen to bear the burden of a great lesson to the world." 

I'm sorry for the rather lengthy story today...but, I enjoyed it so much when I first read it that I just had to share it with you. Perhaps you had heard the story before.  Typhoid is as scary today as it must have been back then.  What an awful disease.  Here's hoping there are no other Typhoid Mary's around any more!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.