The "Love Is In The Air!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading new entries on "The Lancasterian" Facebook page when I came upon a really neat picture postcard that showed a panoramic view of Lake Luzerne, NY.  

The front of the picture postcard

As I searched a bit more I found that the picture was on the front side of a post card which carried a very interesting note from a girl named Beth.  She sent the post card to a Miss Marie Strantz who lived at 561 Love Lane Street in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Her note was dated Sunday Eve., 3-13-'10.  She wrote: I rec'd your card return many thanks glad to hear from you.  I am still corresponding with H.M.  Can't say what the results will be.  Had you said something to him because he started to send cards to me.  I believe you did or he never would have come out some time.  Ans. sooner.  Send my love.  Beth.  

The opposite side of the picture postcard

So, who are the characters in this love affair?  First, I did a bit more snooping and found that Love Lane was in the Cabbage Hill area of the city of Lancaster.  Love Land was located to the south west of the center of the city, but had it's name changed to Fairview Avenue sometime around 1915.  The first houses along Love Lane appeared in the mid-1800s.  A fellow by the name of Jim did some searching in the 1875 atlas and found two properties owned by a Strant family along the middle part of Love Lane.  Could they have been the same as the Strantz family?  I found no one who had any idea why the street, or lane, was named as it was.  And no reason was given for it's change to Fairview Ave.  A former neighbor of mine, Gretchen, who lived in the Grandview Heights area of Lancaster when I lived there, did some searching on Ancestry and found that a Marie Strantz lived at 560 Love Lane with her parents and six siblings.  Her father was a soap maker and she was 17 years old in 1910 when she received the post card from her friend Beth.   Marie worked as a carder at the local cotton mill as did many others who lived in the Cabbage Hill area of Lancaster.  Gretchen also wrote that if she has the correct woman, Marie, she married a Mr. Edward Greenawalt and they had a son Wilmer who was born in 1924 and was killed August of 1944 in France.  Marie died at the age of 59 of a stroke and breast cancer.  Now, getting back to the post card...Beth, the writer of the post card, more than likely lived in Manheim, PA, since the card was postmarked Manheim.  Beth wanted to share the news about her correspondence with H.M. who had begun sending cards to her.  Beth wondered if Marie had said something to him that prompted the correspondence.  Was Beth a secret admirer of H.M?  Did Marie tell him of Beth's interest?  If only someone could have found just one more post card so we would have been able to answer a few of these questions.  Isn't history interesting and fun.?  Could this have been the story line of a TV soap opera?  Must have been, since one of the characters in the soap opera lived on Love Lane Street.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Time-Tested Wedding Traditions" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And...the ordinary days all seem to be the same as they drag on and on.  To relieve some of the boredom, I began to go through some of the cabinets in our wet bar in our living room.  One cabinet had a variety of yearbooks from the high school from which I graduated as well as a few from the high school from which my wife Carol graduated.  At the bottom of the pile was the big white album with gold lettering across it which read "Our Wedding."  Grabbed it and headed to the family room to share it with my wife.  It's been quite a few years since we leafed through it, and it's always fun to share our thoughts about it once again.  As we went through it, page by page, we spent time reliving some of our wedding over again.  Some of the photographs brought back old wedding and marriage sayings which are old-time wedding traditions.  

Carol in the church entrance before the wedding.

We talked about not seeing each other on our wedding day until, while standing at the front of St. James Episcopal with my best man, my brother Steve, seeing her coming down the aisle with her dad.  Her flowing long-sleeved gown filled most of the aisle and her dad looked so proud as she held his arm.  She said she was wearing something old and something new which was a saying that was necessary to bring good luck into your marriage.  

Our wedding party.  One the few color photos we have.

Her white gown was picked because white dresses were supposed to be virginal and pure.  Actually, I didn't realize you could buy a wedding dress in any color but white, but it wasn't until the mid-1800s that white became popular.  Carol told me you can still buy a colored wedding dress, even black!  Carol had a maid of honor (unmarried female), a matron of honor (married female) along with three bridesmaids.  

Carol after our wedding was over.

I had a best man, my brother Steve, and 4 ushers.  Having bridesmaids and ushers dated back to Ancient Rome when having a bridal party was required to be witnesses to vouch for the couple.  Actually in many cultures, bridesmaids acted as incognito bodyguards and all dressed the same as the bride to prevent kidnappers and thieves from taking off with the bride.  At the end of the wedding ceremony we exchanged wedding bands which we still have to this day.  Long ago, men didn't wear wedding rings.  

Our wedding bands which we still wear today.

It wasn't until the 1940s that men's wedding rings became socially acceptable and were seen as a romantic link between married couples.  I still wear the original ring that I got from my bride on our wedding day over 50 years ago.  Actually, my knuckle and finger have grown to the point where I can't remove it!  Someone will have to cut it off after I die.  

Thousands of computer chads fill the air.

Another custom of getting married is the tossing of the celebratory rice as the bride and groom leave the church after the wedding.  Years ago in Ancient Rome, wheat was the best signifier of fertility, with rice taking up its role in Europe in the Middle Ages.  Lentils, oats, peas and other grains were also popular.  At our wedding, guests threw little chads of paper from the computer printers back in the mid-1960s.  They were so small and hard to clean up that the church later banned throwing them.  

Our wedding cake.

At our reception, which was held at the church's Parish House, the women's club at the church prepared the food and the large wedding cake was beautiful.  Carol and I kept the top layer of the cake and put it in our freezer at our first home at Manor House Apartments.  On our first anniversary we thawed it out and had a piece to celebrate.  Don't remember it tasting as bad on our wedding day as it did on our anniversary.  Saving the top layer of the wedding cake was a tradition begun in the early 1900s, but it was said back then that it was to be eaten at the birth of a first child.  If we had waited for our first child to eat it, the cake might have killed both of us.  Wedding traditions are neat to talk about and look back on from time to time.  And the more wedding anniversaries we celebrate, the more fun it becomes.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Carol with her mom and dad, Grace and Charlie.

Me with my dad Paul, mom Dottie and brother (on right) Steve.

PS:  On June 17, 1967, Carol and I were married at St. James Episcopal Church in downtown historical Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  We recently celebrated 53 years of marriage!  We shared a box full of red roses and some greeting cards for our anniversary!

The "America's Quiet Zone" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a place in the United States where there is no Wi-Fi, no cell phone signals, no microwaves and no Bluetooth devices.  And, its been that way for over 60 years.  The town is called Green Bank which is in West Virginia.  It is a town much like most towns 100 years ago.  The story about the place begins with a young girl, Charity, who is a senior at Pocahontas County High School.  Yes, she has an iPhone, but she uses it as a clock and a calculator.  She makes all her phone calls to friends on her home landline.  She rarely texts, at least anywhere inside the town limits.  Doesn't have to worry about texting and driving.  She can use her family's desktop computer, but it is via a broadband connection that is so slow that it takes minutes to load a YouTube video.  The town has 143 residents who have gotten used to no Wi-Fi, since it is not only unavailable, but banned.  

Green Bank is also home to the Green Bank Observatory which holds the world's largest fully steerable radio telescope.  The federal government established the National Radio Quiet Zone around the Observatory in 1958 which encompasses a 13,000-square mile area near the state's border with Virginia.  Now, that's a lot of ground!  The observatory has a telescope that could detect if your phone was in airplane mode on Saturn.  And, how would anyone know that fact?  Well, there is a sign outside its science center building that says so!  The area might make you feel as if you were in the middle of Lancaster County's Amish territory.  

Phone booths sit at the corner of many driveways and paper maps are readily available at gas stations.  Green Bank has created a different type of childhood that most children who don't live there wouldn't recognize.  There is no being bullied or harassed online and fewer mental health problems without social media.  It is what the town calls a unique kind of modern childhood.  Being in the great outdoors actually means just that to the residents of the town and they report they have discovered a newfound sense of adventure.  As far as Charity is concerned, she makes plans with friends via a landline phone or in person.  After school she enjoys running before she has to tend to the family's goats, chickens and ducks.  

Then it's time to make dinner with her mom.  When is the last time any teenager you know did all that...all in the same day?  She does use the family's computer, but more as a word-processor.   She even enjoys visits from her boyfriend where they can sit in the living room with her parents and talk, undistracted by technology.  She even says that her parents would kill her if she was staring at her phone and not listening to them.  But, in half a year she will leave home to head to West Virginia Wesleyan College.  It will seem as if she's entering a different new world.  Her parents have warned her about the risks of technology and hope she will adjust slowly to the new life.  Perhaps she will be able to help her new friends move to a life much like she has experienced all her life.  Her family has become a sort of savior to many of the families who live outside the  quiet zone.  The director of the Observatory, Dr. Karen O'Neil, reports that Charity's family has visitors from outside the quiet zone whose parents bring their teenagers to visit quite often due to being too stressed out from being on wireless all the time.  Wow, what a novel idea!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Keepsake For A Lifetime" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Christmas morning and we have just returned from our oldest son's home in West Hempfield Township, Lancaster County.  Had a great time watching them open their myriad of Christmas gifts and enjoying breakfast with the family.  It is now time to prepare for the entire family to arrive at noon to have a snack and open more holiday gifts.  There will be ten of us to exchange and open gifts before we celebrate Christmas with an evening meal which will be attended by a few additional guests.  My wife and I decided that this year we would enjoy being able to see each person open their gifts instead of everyone opening gifts at the same time and miss the expressions on faces as they view their gift for the first time.  Most agreed, but it was decided that two people, sitting next to each other, would open their gifts at the same time.  Fine with us, so the onslaught began.  After close to an hour of enjoying smiles and laughs as packages were opened, there was one final package left to open.  

The Mountville Angels.  Click to enlarge
My grandson Caden is standing, center with sunglasses.
My son, Derek helped coach and is on the left.
This was another tournament they won in the summer.

Our grandson Caden was the  recipient of that final gift which was about three feet high and four feet long.  His eyes opened wide when he pulled the paper from the one corner of the package to the other side.  He had the biggest smile when he looked at the entire gift and called for his dad to take a look at it.  Caden has played baseball for several years now and this year was part of the 14U (14 years old and under) Mountville Angels.  They won their division in the regular season and qualified for the LNP (Lancaster Newspaper) Tournament at the end of the year.  This is similar to the World Series, only on a much smaller scale.  Well, his team won the tournament with Caden hitting a homer in one of the games and laying down a perfect squeeze bunt in the bottom of the last inning to tie the game in the finals.  Two innings later his team won the game!  I played in the same tournament in the mid-1950s and Caden's dad played in the tournament in the mid-80s and again a couple of years later and Caden's uncle played in the tournament several times as I coached that team.  

The matted and framed Christmas gift to my grandson Caden. Click to enlarge.

It's a big thrill for anyone to win something such as the LNP Tournament, but to have three generations do so is pretty remarkable.  And, Caden will have a chance once again next year.  Well, the framed momento that I made for Caden was admired and appreciated by everyone.  I was thrilled that I had the opportunity to make the momento, which is filled with mostly newspaper stories from the tournament  and a photo I took of Caden and his mom and dad holding the trophy as well as a few photos taken of him during the tournament.  This will be a great keepsake that he will treasure for his lifetime.  And, I think he just loved it!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Mother's Unconditional Love Is Forever" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My wife, Carol, is talking on the phone with her friend Margaret about Margaret's granddaughter who is a sophomore in high school and is going with the school band to Disney World in Florida to perform.  She wasn't sure she wanted to go, but her friends and mother told her how much fun she would have if she went.  Becca is a homebody and doesn't like to stay away from her mom for any length of time.  When Carol told me the latest news about her trip to Florida, we began a conversation about our daughter and her also being a homebody.  When BW, our daughter, was in high school she was a member of the youth group at St. James Episcopal Church and they were heading to Italy for exploring and sightseeing.  She was a junior in high school and it was all we could do to get her to climb on the bus to head to Philadelphia airport to get on the plane to Italy.  This was back in the mid 1990's and there was no means of communication such as we have today to talk with her while she was in Italy.  But, one day Carol heard the phone ring and upon picking up the phone found it to be BW.  She told Carol she wanted to come home.  "They can't keep me here," she said. Carol told her, "You have to stay for the length of the trip.  Talk with a few of your friends and you will be fine."  She made it through the trip, but it didn't end there.  After graduating from high school we made plans for BW to go to Millersville University to obtain her teaching degree.  She was going to stay in the dormitory with a friend whom she had known from her softball playing days.  It did not go well. She missed home and after 2 weeks we relented and she became a commuter.  We received some credit for the room and board, but not an entire refund.  The following year she asked if she could stay in an off-campus apartment complex near school with a high school friend who was also going to Millersville and we agreed to that, hoping she might get over her fear of being away from home and her mom.  She did do well and graduated with her teaching degree.  The following year she took a teaching job, but moved back home.  But, by then she was madly in love with this fine young man who was also going to teach in Lancaster County.  His home was in Maryland.  She talked us into allowing DM to move into the spare bedroom and by the end of the school year they were engaged.  Well, it's been over 20 years since then and BW now has a daughter who will be heading off to college next year.  And...you guessed it...she doesn't want to move away from home and her mom.  She was hoping to go to a local college so she could be near her mom.  So, the saga continues!  I know about all of this since Carol and BW talk on the phone just about EVERY evening.  Something about a mother and her daughter.  And, I certainly don't mind. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Many Generations Of Our Lifetime Come To Life! - Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading newspaper opinion stories written by those who are part of what is now known as Generation Z (eal).  Fantastic opinions written by high school students.  Can't imagine being able to express myself as well as they did when I was in high school.  I asked my wife what age would be considered part of Generation Z and she said, "I think it would be after the turn of the century."  Good guess since Generation Z are those born after the year 2001.  We began a conversation about what generation we each were a part of and what each generation was known for in society.  Carol and I are only a few years apart in age, but part of two different recognizable generations.  I am a member of the Mature/Silent Generation while Carol is a member of the Baby Boomers Generation.  Today's story will give you a look at the six generations that include people who are still living.  I apologize to any who are reading this story who were born before 1901, since they aren't part of my story today.  See if you might fit into the description of each generation.  Please remember I was not the one who decided the traits of each generation, but I do believe what I have written to be true.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

GI Generation/The Greatest Generation - Features those born between 1901 and 1926.  They are children of the WWI generation and soldiers during WWII.  They were part of the Great Depression which led to strong models of teamwork to overcome the legendary Happy Days!  They saved the world and then built a nation.  They were community-minded and cherished civic duty.  They married for life with divorce and having children out of wedlock shunned upon.  They were fans of labor unions and were loyal to their jobs.  They saved so they could pay cash for what they wanted.  They were part of the age of radio and air flight.  Most never had modern conveniences such as refrigerators, electricity and air conditioning.

Mature/Silent Generation - Members of this generation were born between 1927 and 1945.  I was born at the end of the timeline; 1944.  We were part of the Korean and Vietnam War generation.  We went through a suffocating conformity, but were the founders of Rock 'n Roll, neat cars, television, suburbs, teenage jobs, Peace! and Playboy Magazine.  Grade school problems were centered around throwing spit balls, passing notes in class and chewing gum placed under the chairs.  We led the Civil Rights charge and helped recognize the fact that jobs just weren't for men.  Once you got a job, you kept it for life.  Marriage was usually for life, but divorce was slowly creeping into the picture.  We were avid readers, especially of newspapers.  Retirement meant to sit on a rocking chair and live your final days in peace.

Baby Boomer Generation - My wife fit into this age group of those born between 1946 and 1964.  They all wanted to save the world!  They were part of the Yuppie Generation which was the party-hardy and "me" generation.  They ushered in "free love" and "non-violent" protests which in turn triggered violence.  They believed in themselves and buy it now, pay for it later.  They were too busy for neighborly involvement, but wanted to reset or change common values for the good of all.  Women began to work outside the home, thereby changing the entire nation by having children raised in a two-income household.  They were the first TV generation as well as the first divorce generation. Homosexuality was accepted.  They tended to be more positive about authority and traditions.  They envisioned technology and innovation as requiring a learning process.  The Baby Boomers were one of the largest generations in history with 77 million people.  They were said to have introduced the word "retirement" to mean being able to enjoy life after the children had left home.

Generation X - The generation which included those born between 1965 and 1980. They were the "latch-key" kids who grew up street-smart, but isolated, since many had both parents working.  Their parents were at times career-driven or divorced.  This generation is considered entrepreneurial and very individualistic.  Government and big business mean little to them.  They feel misunderstood and cynical of major institutions which failed their parents.  They really want to make marriage work and to be there for their children.  They claim to not feel like a generation.  They were raised in the transition phase between written knowledge and digital knowledge.  Most remember school without computers.  They are more committed to self rather than an organization or specific career, averaging 7 career changes in their lifetime.  AIDS was part of their generation and individual rights prevailed over the common good.  They were raised by money conscious Baby Boomers and had to survive the Vietnam War.  Their school problems involved drug use and sex.  They married late and were quick to divorce.  The wanted what they wanted and now!  They carried the most credit card debt of most generations.  They did more TV watching, video gaming and movie going and were short on loyalty and commitment.  They were self-absorbed and suspicious of all organizations; very self-reliant.

Generation Y/Millennial - Born between 1981 and 2000.  They are also known as the 9/11 Generation, Echo Boomers and America's next great generation.  It is a sharp departure from Generation X.  They are being raised by caring and optimistic parents.  They seem to respect authority.  Crime rates seem to be falling as is teen pregnancy.  They do have to live with the thought of school violence and have lived all their life knowing that the world is not a safe place.  They tend to schedule everything and feel enormous academic pressure.  They feel their generation has high expectations for themselves.  Digital literacy is everywhere and they tend to know much more about the digital world than any previous generation.  Luckily, they are willing to share that knowledge with the older generations.  They envision the world as a 24/7 place and want fast and immediate processing.  They have been told over and over that they are special and they now expect the world to treat them that way.  They do not live to work, but prefer a more relaxed work environment with a lot of hand holding and accolades.

Generation Z/Boomlets - This generation is part of the current one and is for those born after 2001.  What can I say about them?  Well, in 2006 there were a record number of births in the USA with about half of them born Hispanic.  The most common name is now "Rodriguez" instead of "Smith".  This generation will more than likely be the largest in number than any in history.  There are actually two groups within this generation: Tweens and Toddler/Elementary school age.  Tweens are ages 8-12 and with an estimated 29 million by 2009 while toddlers are about 61% of children between 8-17 and have televisions in their rooms.  35% have video games (Now this I find unreal, since I suspect close to 75% probably have video games in their home).  4 million have their own cell phones and have never known a world without computers and cell phones.  They are said to have Eco-fatigue after hearing about the environment and the many ways to same it all their life.  Children now leave toys behind at a younger age.  Mattel Company knows that since in the 1990s the average age of a child in their target market was 10 years old while now it has dropped to the age of 3.  This generation is so savvy in electronics it makes me sick.  Some days I wish I was 10 again, since I would know so much more about the MacBook Air that I am typing on at present than I do not at the age of 75.  But hey, I'm still here to hit the keys and I actually can still type about 40 words a minute as I did in high school.

The "'One Terrific Granddaughter!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my granddaughter Courtney who was Carol and my first grandchild and was born in 2002 to our daughter, Brynn and son-in-law Dave.  She is a senior in high school in nearby Urbana, Maryland, about two hours from our home in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Courtney will soon be 18 years old and will be heading off to college.  This intelligent young woman has chosen nursing as her choice of careers and is searching for a college that will offer nursing in their curriculum.  One of the main reasons for her choice of possible careers is the fact that at the age of 8, she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, aka Juvenile Diabetes.  Being this is World Diabetes Awareness Month, our daughter Brynn posted a story about her daughter Courtney on her Facebook Page that reads:

 This girl is so strong, brave, and mature. 9 years of living with Type 1 diabetes is 3,285 days of finger pricks, shots, pump site changes, CGM site changes, lots of highs and lows, and plenty of tears (from mom too).  She reached a diabetic management goal her endocrinologist set for her this summer, and she was able to get the tattoo she has been wanting. It means I AM GREATER THAN MY HIGHS AND LOWS.  All of her interactions with health care providers has brought her to the decision that she wants to become a nurse. She even got to remove the drain from her dad's recent neck surgery.  She was awesome!  She doesn't like to talk about it, and she doesn't share her struggles with many.  The thing about T1D is you would never know by looking at her that she makes life and death decisions everyday. We have said from day one that she IS diabetic, she doesn't HAVE diabetes. It is a disease with no cure, but it does not define her.

Top left - Courtney; Top right - Tattoo
 meaning "I am greater than my
highs and lows"; Bottom: Courtney
taking the drain from her father's
neck.  Click to enlarge!

Brynn's story about her daughter brought tears to my eyes.  Courtney is no average young woman.  She is a super young adult who will be an asset to any medical practice when she becomes a nurse being that she can understand the problems of those who face Type 1 diabetes on a daily basis.  Being diabetic can be emotionally draining and cause fear, anger and frustration.  But there are steps that can be taken to relieve those stress levels and anxiety.  Someone who has had to endure diabetes as long as Courtney will be able to help those with the incurable disease cope with it when she becomes a nurse.   A good support system is essential to coping with type 1 diabetes and having a nurse who can understand and who has lived with the same disease most of her life will be a definite help to any patient.  The theme for diabetes awareness month and World Diabetes Day this year is Family and Diabetes.  Courtney's immediate family has been living with the disease along with her, but only she experiences the effects of the disease on a daily basis.  Picking nursing as a career will help not only her, but those to whom she nurses.  Carol and I wish her the best as she decides upon a school to become a nurse.  And, a good nurse she will be someday!  How could a good-looking young woman such as Courtney be anything but the best!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Top Scholastic Art Winner 25 Years Ago" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Thursday, March 3, 1994 and there on page 5 of the "Teen Weekend" section was a large photograph of a young man holding a sheet of negatives toward the light while his teacher looks over his shoulder pointing out one particular negative that may be a good one to print.  The reason I know so much about what happened that day was because I was that teacher who was examining the sheet of negatives that his son was holding in front of him.  All my children shared my love of photography with me and every one of them won special awards in the National Scholastic Arts Competition during their high school careers.  I know...it looks fishy that they would all win awards and I'm their dad and teacher, but they really did it all on their own.  If anything, I was a bit tougher on them than on my other students I had in my photography classes.  

Lancaster newspaper photograph of Tad
examining negative with his dad pointing
out a few negs he should print.

The story in Lancaster Newspaper's "Teen Weekend" tells of Paul, whom we call him Tad since he was born in 1976, the Bi-Centennial Year, and we named him after Thaddeus Stevens who was a Lancastrian and member of Congress, deciding to take a photograph of a fish.  He went to the local store and purchased the fish which he took to the school studio where he colored its gills with a rainbow of inks, loaded his SLR camera, set up the lights, and shot a photo without the use of flash.  When he developed the photograph, the fish looked as if it was surrounded with liquid gold.  He liked it and entered in in the Scholastic contest.  The judges evidently liked it also since they gave the photograph a Gold Key, one of five Gold Keys he won in the competition which made him the most honored student in the competition.  His seven piece portfolio of photography was accepted for the national Scholastic Arts Awards show to be exhibited in New York which was another big honor.  Newspaper also said that it didn't hurt to have a darkroom at home as well as having his father as his teacher in Photograph class.  He told the reporter that to him "It's just like having any other teacher, except that I call him 'Dad'."  Tad has had other photographs that have also received  acclaim in the past.  He once took a photo at a football game and used too slow of a shutter speed, but the blurred black and white of the players in motion won a national award.  Another photograph of a cemetery statue of Mary holding Jesus was developed and printed with the print being reshot on litho film which brought out a stark contrast between blacks and whites.  That too won an award.  Tad explains that his mistakes do quite well.  Another Gold Key winner was a photograph he took at St. James Episcopal Churchyard and printed on matte paper and used oil tints to add his own color.  Another winner was taken on Polaroid film and before the emulsion dried within the print's surfaces he altered the image with wooden tools.  Another technique he learned in his photography class.  A final Gold Key winner had him using a slow shutter speed while at the Lancaster train station.  The photo shows people on the platform with streaks of light behind them from the passing train.  

Tad using a large format camera at Antonelli Institute.

Tad had more than his dad to help him with his photo- graphic skills, since both his older brother and sister won awards for their photos in the National Scholastic Arts Competition.  Tad eventually went to Antonelli Institute of Art and Photography in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania to study photography.  He worked for renowned photographer Jerry Driendl for a few years then changed careers and went into the printing trade...which he also took in high school...with his dad as his teacher.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "LNP Living: Paper Trail - Part III" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching the archives of Lancaster Newspapers once again trying to piece together information about my family tree.  My father died a few years ago and he would often tell me about his father who died when he was only 6 years old.  He never had much of a chance to know his father, and then when his brother died in an automobile accident (story posted yesterday) when he was only 11 years old, he became the oldest living male in his direct family.  

Front side of the note I found. Click to enlarge.

Well, during the search of old photographs and scrapbooks to find photos of the first home that my wife Carol and I shared in 1967, I came upon one more member of the Woods family.  A small double-sided note in a plastic sleeve led me to a story about Mr. Maris Woods who I have figured to be my Great Grandfather.  The small note was dated Wed. 15th Feb. (year unknown) and read:  Hi Paul and Dottie (my mother and father).  Here is Pop's article.  Sorry I don't have all of it.  At the end of the note was:  "Pops" birth date, 1863 and in my father's printing read "Died 3-18-1947."  Well the newspaper article began with.....""LIFE BEGINS AT 70 - -"  It continued in headline size type.....Man, 73, Keeping Young Making Children's Toys.  There was a photograph of Maris Woods seated on his chair at the Hubley plant brightening up the models of toys which will be turned out by the thousands.  

Article on my Great Grandfather
Maris Woods

The story told about Maris being a pattern-maker at the Hubley Manufacturing Company in Lancaster.  Also said that he lived at 450 East Ross Street in Lancaster, PA and began working for the firm in 1894 when it made metal trains, banks and horse-and-carriage toys.  He also helped design toy automobiles and airplanes.  His case is typical of the many which disprove the belief that folks past 70 should retire.  He did have difficulty hearing, but he was in good command of his faculties.  In the next paragraph of the newspaper story he says:  "I don't think. there's a man living now, ever did live, or ever will live, that should have all the power that President Roosevelt wants."  And then, the story told me to see "MEN" on page 11.  Well, that wasn't part of what I found in the scrapbook, but I knew exactly where to find "MEN".  I didn't have any dates except the couple on the small note, so I figured out how old he was and when he was born and Viola!  I narrowed it down to 1937 and while looking at the back side of the article saw they had a light snow the day before.  Knew it was a winter month.  Then I read another article on the reverse side of the article with a headline that read "France Takes Over Big Arms Factory" and was dated PARIS, March 13.  BINGO! I pulled up the Lancaster New Era paper from March 13, 1937 and there was the photo of my Great Grandfather working at his bench at Hubley Toy.  My father later worked at Hubley Toy running a stamping press.  One day he got a finger in the way of the stamp and it removed it from his hand.  That was the last day Dad worked at Hubley.  The remainder of the story on page 11 told of a man who was 80 and still operated a truck farm.  He remembered the day that the bridge at Columbia, PA was set on fire to prevent the Confederates from crossing the river and heading to Philadelphia.  A final sentence tells of David E. Binkley who is eighty years old and still feeds his cattle daily.  I love to read the old stories.  Takes you back to a time when the biggest care in the world was how long you would live and still be able to work.  I am so glad I have found the "Archives" page on Lancasteronline.com.  I will be making more use of it as I go through the remainder of my old photos and scrapbooks.  Might be able to do some more research on my family.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "LNP Living: Paper Trail - Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Searching my boxes of old family photographs to see if I could find any photos of the first home that Carol and I shared shortly after we were married in 1967.  

Tattered article on my Uncle Clair.

Found a few that I will share with you sometime in a future story, but I also found an old sepia and battered newspaper article that partially read:  "Crash Injuries" with a a photograph of my Uncle Clair Woods who died in an automobile accident when he was 16 years old in 1941.  I never had the chance meet him, but the stories that were told about Uncle Clair made me wish I had more information about his life.  Well, that is now possible!  Yesterday I told you that the LNP, the Lancaster Newspaper,  has digitized every newspaper they have ever printed since June 17, 1796.  All you need is the name of the newspaper and a specific date to research just about anything you may want to research.  Well, the taped and battered newspaper article I found about my uncle had a date of December 3, 1931 on the top of the article.  Bingo!  That's all that was needed to find the story about the accident and information about his life.  The article I had was taped and hard to read and part of it was torn and missing.  I opened Lancasteronline.com, followed the directions to the "Archives" and within a few minutes had found the article that was on page 3 of the Lancaster New Era on  Thursday, December 3, 1931.  There was a long headline that ended in "Crash Injuries", but the headline wasn't as important to me as was the article and photograph of my Uncle Clair.  I knew he died when he flew out of the car's rumble seat during an accident, but never knew much more than that.  My dad or two Aunts never wanted to talk about their brother, and I never pushed for information, so reading the story gave me information I never knew.  I printed out the entire article and was able to enlarge just the article to fill the full 8 1/2" X 11" piece of paper.  The following is the article telling about the accident and listing information about Uncle Clair that I never knew until I read it online.  Thank you LNP for giving me a chance to finally fill in family information that I never knew.  I will continue to fill in more blanks in the next few days while using the newspaper's website.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Entire article telling how my Uncle Clair died in 1931.
Click on image to enalarge.

The "A Tattoo Showing Life's Struggles" Story

My daughter, Brynn, with her XXIII tattoo on her wrist.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a photograph of my grand- daughter's wrist on which she just received a tattoo.  It was this past July 7th that I posted a story about my daughter, Brynn, receiving a tattoo on her left wrist which pictured the Roman numeral for the number 23 (XXIII).  Seems that number had a very special meaning to her in that both her daughters were born on the 23rd day of the  month and daughter Courtney was diagnosed with Type I diabetes on the 23rd. 

Granddaughter Courtney

Well, my granddaughter, Courtney, decided she too would love to have a tattoo on her wrist that had a special meaning.  But, she had to have the permission of her parents to do so.  Courtney was diagnosed with diabetes when she was eight years old and has had to endure all the ups and downs that come from this disease.  She has battled on a daily basis the disease that at present has no cure.  She talked to her mom and dad about having a tattoo and they agreed, by way of a written contract, if she could keep her diabetes under strict control for three months, she could get her tattoo. Well, the contract was signed and after three months Courtney won the battle, thus gaining the OK to have her tattoo.  

"I am Greater than my Highs and my Lows."

Her design was to be placed on her right wrist and show the mathematical symbols for: I am greater than my highs and lows, with reference to her blood sugar readings she has to check many times a day.  She emailed me a photo of the tattoo after she had it placed on her wrist, telling that it hurt more than she thought it would, but realizing she couldn't stop with the design part way through.  I hope and pray that someday our medical scientists will discover or create a cure for diabetes and Courtney will be able to live a normal life like the rest of her family.  What she has had to endure for the past nine years shouldn't be part of anyone's life, let alone a young girl's life.  But, perhaps now, when she has a bad day, she can look at her wrist and realize that she will get past her highs or lows and be a stronger person for it.  It was another extaordinary day in the life of a ordinary guy.

The "Jack The Flash" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out all the trophies and medals that my niece Kelly's son Jack and daughter Megan have accumulated in the past few years while swimming for both the Ephrata Swim Team and the Lancaster Aquatic Club.  

Megan and her many awards for swimming.

Megan showed me her trophies as well as about two dozen medals that hung from a display area made for her by her dad.  When I walked into Jack's room I was amazed by the hardware that adorned his display rack.  I'm not sure how the rack could hold all the metal that rested on top of and hung underneath it.  Both Megan and Jack began swimming for the Ephrata Swim Club in the Fall of 2014.  Jack just finished swimming in the 9-10 year old division while Megan finished swimming in the 11-12 year old division.  Megan is a very good swimmer, but her brother Jack is the topic of my story today since he just finished a record-breaking winter swim season.  

Jack's hardware hangs from his bedroom wall.

Last year Jack attempted to qualify for the Junior Olympics but missed the cut in the freestyle by 0.01 of a second.  This past year he was determined to quality and did so in 11 individual events!  But, he ended up with strep throat shortly before the meet and could only swim a few events.  

Jack with one of his favorite trophies.

He was able to swim well enough to be part of a record breaking relay team.  Then in March, while swimming with the Lancaster Aquatic Club in a meet at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he broke the 18 year old Lancaster Aquatic Club record in the 9-10 400 Individual Freestyle Long Course with a time of 5:32.46.  He broke the old record by almost four seconds which was recorded in 2001.  A teammate , Brody Reber, also beat the old record by coming in a few tenths of a second behind Jack.  I can still remember years ago when Jack was a very young boy how much he hated to get in the pool at his Grandparent's home which is next to his house in Ephrata, PA.  

The Kunkel Aquatic Center at Franklin & Marshall College
in Lancaster, PA where the Lancaster Aquatic Club swim.

He finally lost his fear of the water and is now at home in the pool.  His Uncle Matt coached the swim team at nearby Cocalico High School for years and I'm sure has given him a few tips that have helped him become the flash that he is today.  He seems so much at home now in the pool that he, as well as his sister, may perhaps swim for the high school team in the near future.  I'm sure we will be reading about the heroics of Jack once again in the newspaper.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Jack after breaking the Individual Freestyle record at UNC.

Jack showed me one of his favorite trophies.  This is the plaque at the base of the trophy.

Jack, Abby and Megan.

Kenny Williams, graduating senior on the men's basketball team at UNC stands for a photo with some of the winning swimmers in North Carolina.  Jack is to his immediate left and Megan is second from him on his right.

The "Just One More Time...Take Me Out To The Ballgame" Story

My all-time favorite baseball player
The "Say Hey Kid" Willie Mays.
Click on images to enlarge them.

It was an ordinary day.  Thought I would write about my love of baseball one more time.  I know...you're getting sick of reading about baseball, but this is the time of the year that I get to watch my grandson play the game that I loved so much as a child and still continue to love.  Sitting in a lawn chair at one of the many baseball fields in Lancaster County is now one of my favorite past times during the summer months.  For years I played little league and was fortunate enough to be on a team known as the Young Republicans who captured the Pennsylvania State Title in the 13-14 year old age bracket.  I eventually began to coach the sport and was lucky enough to coach both my sons and win the Lancaster County New Era Tournament when my youngest son was 15 years old.  

12 year old LDub playing for Schick.

I then began playing slow-pitch softball as well as being an umpire in baseball.  Today I find that sitting in that lawn chair is just about all I can handle.  But, I have never lost the love of one of the greatest games ever invented.  Baseball originated before the American Civil War when the game was called "grounders."  It was the forerunner of cricket which I also enjoy watching and saw a few matches a couple of years ago on the island of Barbados while on vacation.  I recently read that more people know that Roger Maris's 61 home runs broke the record of 60 by Babe Ruth from 1927 than know the fact that Ronald Regan's 525 electoral-college votes in 1984 broke President Franklin Roosevelt's record of 523 in 1936. In 1871 the first pro baseball league was formed and by the start of the 20th century most eastern states had at least one professional team.  

Playing for the Young Republicans in 1957. Middle on right.

At that time they had just the National and American leagues.  One of my best childhood friends, Bill, loved the American League New York Yankees with Mickey Mantle while I loved the National League New York Giants who had the Say Hey kid, Willie Mays on its team.  I even got to see him play when he was in the minor leagues and played in Lancaster who had the Lancaster Red Roses as a minor league team.  

Program from the Red Roses

And then there was the collection of baseball cards that all the guys in my neighborhood collected and traded with each other.  The cards that you had more than one of and that nobody else wanted in a trade became the motor for your two-wheel bike.  Fasten it to the frame with a clothes pin and when the spokes of the wheel struck the card, it sounded like a motorcycle.  When my grandson began playing baseball and my oldest son became his coach, I was in heaven!  Going to games meant not only getting to visit with the family, but getting to watch my favorite sport.  My dear daughter-in-law was not an athlete, coming from a family that was not sport's oriented, but over the years we have trained her to the point that she knows that the letter "K" stands for a strikeout and DP stands for a double play.  

The team I coached to the Lancaster County Midget title.
I'm far left top and youngest son Tad is 7th from left, top row.

She has become a first-class "baseball mom" and wouldn't miss a game.  Even her mother and sister, who know more about playing the bells in church than baseball, are beginning to learn the fine points about playing baseball.  As far as my favorite song at a baseball game, well it has to be "Take Me Out to the Ball Game".  I know I should love our National Anthem, but it doesn't have the word "ball" in it.  

My oldest son pitched for Div. I Villanova.

Other baseball related things I love are "Casey at the Bat" which was a baseball poem written in 1888 by Ernest Thayer and  watching Abbott and Costello do their "Who's On First" routine.  While on a recent vacation to St. Martin, I knew I would miss a few of my grandson's games, so I found I could get an App titled "Game Changer" and watch a simulation of his games on my phone or laptop.  The waiters and waitresses at the restaurants where we ate on game nights found they were cheering for my grandson just as Carol and I were.  I know that baseball might not be everyone's favorite sport, but what do they know.  I will watch it until I'm no longer able to yell at the umpires!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Part of my grandson's team in the Under-14 category this year is l-r: Ethan, Pete, grandson Caden, Noah and Cody.  All these "boys" are almost six feet tall...and they are 14 years old or younger.  They seem to get bigger as the years go by.

The "You Have How Many Children?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I were visiting long time friends and traveling companions Jere and Just Sue in State College, Pennsylvania.  Spent the weekend with them and had a good time walking through an extremely large antique store in Milroy, PA on Saturday afternoon.  The next morning I awoke and made my way to the living room where their Sunday Centre Daily Times greeted me.  Sat in the green chair by the light and began to peruse the front page of the newspaper.  A story about a struggling fire company caught my eye as did a story about the local school district having to add a week on to the school year due to missing too much school due to winter snow storms.  Then, in the bottom right of page was the story that really caught my attention.  In what appeared to be 48 point bold type was the headline: After donating sperm in State College, one man found his offspring decades later.  Unbelievable!  As I began to read the story I realized that the man in the story had originally written a similar story on September 28 of last year for the New York Times "Modern Love" column.  Googled the story and found it just as interesting as the story in the Centre Daily Times.  My story today is a condensed version of both his story and the article in the State College newspaper written by Lauren Muthler.  Back in 1984 Aaron Long graduated from State College Area High School.  The next ten years of his life remain a blur for readers, but in 1994 he returned to State College after teaching English abroad.  He left Europe, leaving his girlfriend in Germany, and moved in with his mom. Being in need of money, he began driving a taxi for Handy Delivery and also began "donating" sperm twice a week at the Fairfax Cryobank for $40 a pop, as he says.  The sperm donation was confidential, and at the time, DNA testing wasn't as available as it is today.  He was never asked to provide information except for college major, hobbies and family health history.  He had signed a nondisclosure waiver and assumed there would never be a way for him to find what might have happened to his sperm.  The next ten years saw him traveling between the West Coast and State College before making a home for himself in Seattle, Washington.  And then the Internet happened, as he says.  In the early 2000s he discovered the Donor Sibling Registry, but didn't see any of his offspring visiting the site.  He later found that his progeny (descendants) began to use the site in the 2010s as teenagers to try and find each other.  A few years ago he began to explore the site 23andMe, a service that analyzes your saliva and provided you with information about ancestry, health and DNA relatives.  He signed up for the service and nine months later got his results back and on the top of the list was the name Bryce Gallo, 22, son.  Aaron Googled him and after much consideration, wrote to him telling him he was his father.  Bryce replied almost instantly telling his dad that he wanted to meet him and that he was one of six children that he knew existed on the 23andMe.  Aaron was surprised at the results and even more surprised when Bryce had called him "Dad."  And, he had SIX children.  Bryce connected him with a daughter Madalyn, 19 years old.  Then a few months later another relative appeared on the website: Alice, age 11.  But, this time it was Alice's mother Jessica who wrote the note.  She and her female partner had each given birth to a daughter conceived with Aaron's sperm.  They broke up years ago, but have been raising both girls together until recently when the former partner and daughter moved away.  He and Jessica began to chat online and she told Aaron that she now had a boyfriend named Aaron.  Wasn't long before Jessica, Alice, Bryce, Madalyn and Aaron went on a vacation together to get to know each other better.  I should tell you that I have viewed the photo of the five of them which was in the State College newspaper, but which I don't have the right to publish, and...they really do look like their dad.  Jess and Aaron hit it off and Jess and Alice moved in with him in Seattle.  A year later Madi asked if she could move in with them.  Bryce is currently in the Air Force, but keeps in touch.  So far Aaron has met four of his biological children and knows of six more he hasn't met yet.  Jessica and Aaron are still a couple living in Seattle where Aaron works as a writer.  Now, how do you feel about the entire story you just read.  What do you think of sperm donation?  And, should Aaron be financially liable for the possible large quantity of children he might have produced?  I wish them well, but I personally am not sure how I would answer my own questions.  If you care to look at a photo of Aaron and his new family, Google the State College Centre Daily Times and look for the story from Sunday, February 24, 2019.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Flashmobs Abound Around The World" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a few flashmobs videos that were sent too me after posting my story about myself singing in the Lancaster Hallelujah flashmob this past December.  Participating in a flashmob is both fun as well as amazing.  I had passed the word to a few of my friends about singing and this past year about half a dozen of them sang along with me as we sang at four locations around Lancaster city and county.  If you're not familiar with the term flashmob, Wikipedia describes it as: A group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and unseemingly pointless act for a brief time, then quickly disperse, often for the purpose of entertainment, satire and artistic expression.  That's pretty close to what we did when we sang the Hallelujah Chorus this past holiday season.  Evidently many enjoyed the story since I received quite a few emails telling me to check out this video or that video on YouTube.  The following are a few of the emails that I enjoyed the most.  As you will see, not all flashmobs have to be just singers.  Enjoy!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.