The "The Three Octave Phenom: Roy Orbison" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working at the gallery where I help a former high school student of mine do matting and framing of just about anything that comes in the door at Greginger Gallery.  And...I have been known to work much better when I am listening to music.  Today, the songs on the old portable CD player that was my mom's at one time, are some of my favorites from a guy known as Roy Orbison.  

Roy Orbison

Roy died over 30 years ago, but his voice and song lyrics still have meaning and inspiration for me as I work.  Songs such as "Only the Lonely" from 1960, "Running Scared" from 1961, "Crying" from 1961, "In Dreams" from 1963 and "Oh, Pretty Woman" from 1964 are some of my all-time favorites.  Not just from Roy, but from any artist living or deceased.  Roy was eight years my senior, but I just loved his singing style, song structures and dark, emotional Ballards.  He and his music has been described as operatic and gaining the nickname of "the Caruso of Rock" and "The Big O".  He didn't dance around the stage, wear flashy clothes and shout instead of sing; he performed standing still, wearing black clothes and dyed hair as well as dark sunglasses.  I often tried to sing along with him, knowing the lyrics to just about every song he ever performed, but just when I was at the top of my vocal range, Roy would top me with a note I could never hope to hit.  

Roy when he sang for Sun Records.

He began singing in a rockabilly and country-and-western band in high school, and was given a record contract with Sun Records in 1956.  A few years later he was signed by Monument Records where he enjoyed much of his success.  From 1960 to 1966 he had 22 singles reach the Billboard Top 40; most of those having been written or co-written by Roy himself.  Many of his records reflected on his personal life.  His distinctive three-octave voice and unorthodox songwriting technique was his unglamorous style which has been called "geek chic."  

Roy begins to wear his distinctive dark glasses.

As a child he had poor eyesight which was why he wore those thick corrective eyewear.  In 1963, while touring with the Beatles, he left his glasses on the plane which forced him to wear his unsightly prescription sunglasses for that night's show.  It later became his trademark.  From the mid-1960s he suffered a number of personal tragedies and his career faltered.  His wife was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966 and two years later his two oldest sons died in a house fire. Roy entered a dark period in both his personal and musical life.  

Roy in 1965

In the 1980s he experienced a resurgence in popularity following the success of several cover versions of his songs.  It was in 1988 that he co-founded the Traveling Wilburys, a rock group that featured George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.  What a group it was, but Roy only got to sing with the superstars for a few months before he died of a heart attack on December 6th of that year at the age of 52.  A month later his song, "You Got It" was released as a solo single and became his first hit to reach the U.S. Top 10 in nearly 25 years.  Roy is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987), the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (1987), The Songwriters Hall of Fame (1989) and the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum (2014).  Rolling Stone placed him at number 37 on their list of the "Greatest Artist of All Time" and number 13 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time."  In 2002, Billboard Magazine listed him at number 74 in the Top 600 recording artists.  Pretty impressive credentials!  But, what has impressed me the most about Roy is his falsetto voice which seems to come from within him.  He told Rolling Stone Magazine that he likes the sound of his voice, I like making it sing, making the voice ring, and I just keep doing it.  It was said that when Elvis Presley heard "Only the Lonely" for the first time, he bought a box of copies to pass along to his friends.  

Roy in 1987, a year before he died.

One of my all-time favorites of Roy Orbison is "Running Scared" when he hits the final high note.  Just gives me the chills.  The song was about an emotionally vulnerable man facing loss or grief, with a crescendo culminating in a surprise climax that employed Orbison's dynamic voice.  I have also read that what separates Orbison from so many other multi-octave-spanning power singers is the he can hit the biggest notes imaginable and still sound unspeakably sad at the same time.  All his vocal gymnastics were just a means to a powerful end, not a mission unto themselves.  Roy Orbison didn't just sing beautifully...he sang brokenheartedly.  Roy's voice will live on forever.  It was once said that, "When you were trying to make a girl fall in love with you, it took roses, the Ferris wheel and Roy Orbison. Amen!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.




  

The "Another Good Guy Leaves The Building" Story

"QUIGS

It was an ordinary day.  Got a call from a friend telling me about the death of another fellow whom I worked with at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  Fellow by the name of Dan Quigley, aka "Quigs".  Dan was a special type of person who was loved by both his piers as well as the student body.  Dan died last Wednesday at the age of 58.  He died of heart problems.  He is survived by his wife and two children who both are still students at Manheim Township.  Dan was a Philadelphia native who began his 35-year educational career at Harrisonburg High School in Virginia before coming to Manheim Township in 1989.  

Dan and the coach whose life he saved in 2015.

Both schools where Dan was the athletic trainer used the same moniker of "Blue Streaks".  I retired from the high school in 1999, but still got to talk to Dan from time to time when I would visit to work in the print shop.  He seemed to know everyone by their first name and never forgot it.  Quigs actually knew most of the coaches and a few of the players of MT's opponents.  Mike Melnyk was the football coach at MT from 1999 thru 2011 and told the story how Quigs always made his two young sons feel special while working as ball boys for the team.  

Dan and head football coach Mark Evans.

Dan knew every kid, not just the "All-Stars."  And, he treated them all the same.  I can remember visiting him one day in the trainer's room when my daughter had injured her toe.  He actually talked her into feeling it was better by the time she had left his office.  After retirement I continued to do the in-house printing and made visits often to the athletic office.  Dan was a regular in the office talking with the Athletic Director and his secretary.  In 2015 Dan won the National Athletic Trainers' Association Athletic Trainer Service Award.  Six months later he put his training to use when he save the life of Township's Girls assistant Basketball Coach Mike Hackman.  Mike had collapsed at a practice on a Friday afternoon and Quigs was notified instantly.  Dan ran to the gym and began CPR and then used an Automated External Defibrillator unit which he was responsible for getting it place in the high school.  He shocked Mike's heart with the unit until his heart began to beat once again.  The head basketball coach said he stood next to the two of them on the floor watching him do his thing and bringing him back to life.  Dan was calm, cool and collected the entire time.  

Dan greeting students at a sporting event.  

Current head Football Coach Mark Evans said of Quigs, "He was a father, friend and confidant.  He did a lot of things for a lot of people.  That continuity of care, it's pretty heavy in my world.  He was a good man who cared about others.  His life was well-lived even though it was cut short."  His obituary in the Lancaster Newspaper said if anyone wanted to give in his honor, they should give to "The V Foundation" at v.org.  An online story about Dan had garnered  many comments about his humanity and loyalty toward his family and the student athletes at MTHS.  He had a great influence on my children when they participated in sports at MTHS.  Dan Quigley "Quigs" exuded Manheim Township.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dan Marschka: Part I - Frankie Was A Lucky Guy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with a fellow I had the pleasure of meeting years ago by the name of Dan Marschka.  My family actually knew his mother long before I got to know Dan, since she was a school nurse at Nathan C. Schaeffer Elementary School where my children went to elementary school.  As a teacher in the Manheim Township School District, I invited Dan to speak to my photography classes on a yearly basis during the few weeks that we studied occupations in photography.  

Dan preparing for a local art show.

He always accepted my invitation and my students loved his presen- tations.  Well, the reason for my call to Dan was to ask if he would mind if I used an article that recently appeared in the Lancaster Newspaper that he had written about his cousin Frank.  Every week the Lancaster Newspaper features a story in the "Local" section titled "Through the Viewfinder" which shows the work of one of the photojournalists who work for the paper.  We in Lancaster are so lucky to have a staff of fantastic photographers who report the local news through the lens of their camera.  Many have spoken to my photography classes over the years which has led to quite a few students becoming professional photographers.  Dan's story in the April 15th newspaper tells of his cousin Frank who recently died at the age of 59.  Dan wrote, telling that his Aunt Charlyne asked him about 12 years ago if he would consider being Frank's guardian if both she and her husband Ed passed away before their son Frank did.  He accepted, considering the request an honor and family obligation for you see Frank was born a special needs child in 1960.  He had extra genetic material from chromosome 21.  Down syndrome results when abnormal cell division involving chromosome 21 occurs.  Dan wrote that "Yes, he was "special" in a way many of us are fortunate to recognize."  

Dan's cousin Frankie in his room of photographs.

The photograph in the "Through the Viewfinder" featured a photograph of Frankie taken by Dan in 1991 in his Maryland home.  At the time Frankie was very enthusiastic about pictures, much like his cousin Dan.  But, Dan understood later there was a deeper meaning to Frankie's love of photographs.  Frank had a fascination with Polaroid photographs and the fact that he could see them appear instantly after being taken.  Frankie often would go on photographic binges with his Polaroid disregarding the cost of materials which his parents happily supplied.  Dan wrote "Frankie was driven to create something that emerged from a place of innocence.  It was a pure form of compulsion.  I think he simply wanted to remember moments, places, objects and especially people.  People made him happy."  Frankie was extremely lucky to have had a cousin as understanding and loving as Dan.  Dan said he wonders how different each of us are when we feel compelled to create something without knowing why.  We are probably more distracted than Frankie had been.  The ending to Dan's story in "Through the Viewfinder" was touching and brought a few tears to my eyes as well as many readers, I am sure.  Dan wrote in "Through the Vewfinder that "Frankie's inspiration represents what many of us forget: how to see and recognize the messages we need to share like we did when we were children.  On March 4th, this gentle, loving soul passed into the arms of Aunt Charlyne and Uncle Ed.  I have been privileged to enjoy Frank's vision of this world and his example of love for others."  Frankie must have been a great guy and I only wish I might have had the chance to meet him.  His cousin Dan is much like him in that he has compassion for others which is reflected in the photography that he has taken for the Lancaster Newspaper for many years.  Dan's retirement from Lancaster Newspaper was announced in the Sunday LNP's Living Lancaster section May 3.  Lancaster is going to miss him and his storytelling through the lens of his Nikon.  But, with his fascination for photograph, I'm sure we will see many more of his photographs in the future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Celebrating Philadelphia's Now Gone Veteran's Stadium" Story

Connie Mack Stadium at 20th and Lehigh in Philadelphia

It was an ordinary day.  April 10, 1971 and the Philadel- phia Phillies had just opened their new Veterans Stadium.  The $50 million stadium was to be home to the baseball Philadelphia Phillies and the football Philadelphia Eagles.  Fans had waited for years to watch a game in the new stadium, but to tell you the truth, I enjoyed watching them play at Connie Mack Stadium where they played from 1938 to 1970.  I can still remember getting on the train at the station across the street from where I lived in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and heading to Philadelphia.  We made a stop or two along the way to pick up other Phillies fans and when we reached 30th Street Station we would get off the train and walk to the ball park.  I can also slightly remember the Whiz Kids who had Hall of Famers Richie Ashburn and Robin Roberts on the team.  In 1950 they were leading most of the season until one of their best pitchers, Curt Simmons, had to report for National Guard duty and the team lost 8 of their next 10.  On the last day of the season the Phillies hung onto a one-game lead when Dick Sisler's dramatic tenth-inning, three run homer against the Brooklyn Dodgers clinched the Phil's first pennant in 35 years.  But, the hated Yankees beat them four straight in the World Series.  At the time, Philadelphia also had another baseball team called the Philadelphia A's.  The A's finally moved, in 1954, to Kansas City leaving the Phillies the sweethearts of Philadelphia.  When I met my sweetheart, she and her mom and dad as well as myself traveled by train to see a game or two and got to see a game that should have been two games.  Ended in extra innings with the Phils scoring over 20 runs.  Not sure of the final result, but the game seemed to drag on forever.  

Aerial view of Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium during opening day on April 10, 1971.
The $50-million stadium was home to the Phillies and Eagles.  At the center you can
see the Spectrum indoor arena which was home to the Flyers.  At the very top
you can see JFK Stadium.  The Philadelphia Naval Yard is in the background.

I can remember when they moved to Veteran's Stadium.  Walking into the stadium for the very first time and seeing that bright green artificial turf was amazing.  Then in 1980 the Phils won their First World Series by beating the Houston Astros in five games.  Four of the five went to extra innings.  Then in 2008 they won the World Series once again.  I have written about that before since we were on our way back from a vacation to the Caribbean when they won the championship.  

Opening night at the Vet on April 10, 1971.

The pilot was a Phillies fan and he called the entire last inning over the planes speaker system.  What a thrill.  Almost like being there.  The plane erupted with cheers when the pilot called the final out.  Veterans Stadium was also home to the Eagles who played their NFL games on the notoriously hard Vet artificial turf.  But, that very first season in Veterans Stadium was fun.  The very first game played ended with the Phillies beating the Montreal Expos by the score of 4-1.  Jim Bunning gave up only one run in 7 1/3 innings and Joe Hoerner got the last five outs for the save.  Anyone remember some of the names I have been typing?  During that first game, Boots Day was the lead-off hitter for the Expos and later became the hitting coach for the Lancaster Barnstormers.  Good question for a trivia quiz.  The Phils played their final game in Veterans Stadium on September 28, 2003, then the Phils moving next door to the new Citizen's Bank Park.  I enjoy watching games at the new ball park, but will never match the very first time I saw on that green field at the Vet.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Few Of My Favorite Gifts: Sub-Head - And We Laughed And Laughed" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Christmas morning 2019.  Our friends from State College had just arrived and we ushered them into our living room to exchange presents.  Jere and Sue, classmates of mine from the Manheim Township High School class of 1962, had plans to come to Lancaster to visit with Jere's sister and family and called to see if they could stop to exchange a few gifts the following day.  At this point I must digress and bring you up to date with my past.  Year was in the late 1940s, Christmas day, and my parents and brother and I went to visit my grandmother and aunt (on my father's side) to exchange Christmas gifts.  Aunt Doris surprised me with a new Schwinn bicycle!  Loved Aunt Doris!  Fast forward with me now to mid to late 1950s and I came down the stairs Christmas morning in our home on North Queen Street to find my parents had bought me a new 3-speed bike with hand brakes.  Wasn't more than a few hours later that I took my bike for a ride and stopped at the local candy store, "Eli's", to show Eli my new bike.  He was as amazed as I was about the bike.  Told me to be careful going home on it.  Well, I had to stop quickly at an intersection and mistakenly pulled on the right-hand brake and flew over the front of the bike.  Scratched the handlebar, but was able to hide it so my parents didn't see the scratch.  My next memorable Christmas gift was a 120-bass accordion that mom and dad got me when I was about 14 years old.  Heavy for a skinny young boy, but I loved playing it.  My teacher was a guy by the name of Mickey Sinopoli who had the coolest name and could play the neatest songs on the accordion.  I wanted to be just like him, but after my Spring concert and barely being able to hold the accordion to play "Lady of Spain" for the audience, I quit the accordion.  Along came 1960 and my parents bought me a set of spun-aluminum hubcaps, known as Moon hubcaps, for Christmas for my 1953 Henry J automobile. Didn't take long to get to the car to pop them in place.  I was once again in heaven due to a fabulous Christmas gift.  Well, today wasn't quite as memorable as the days I have just described, but it certainly made me laugh a bit more, for you see I opened a gift from Jere And Sue which was a framed caricature of myself riding a bicycle once again.  The story behind it goes like this.....  This past September, Carol and I traveled with Jere and Sue to the island of Antigua.  During one of our many talks during our evening meal I told them a story that happened during my youth.  At the time I had raised guinea pigs to sell (now that's another story I believe I already told) for a few years and had an arrangement with the nearby Acme Supermarket to save lettuce trimmings for me to feed to my guinea pigs, which numbered close to 75 at the time.  Once or twice a week I would hook a little red wagon to my three-speed bike and head up North Market Street in my sandals to pick up the lettuce.  As I rode my bike I would pull out a cigarette I had taken from my parent's pack of cigs and puffed on it.  Made me look older, so it did!  At least to me, it did.  It was then that one of the others asked what kind of cigarettes I smoked when I was riding my bike.  "I smoked Newports," was my answer, since that's what my mom smoked.  That just about got us thrown out of the place from all the laughter.  One day my mom told me she and dad had something to talk to me about.  Uh, Oh!  I thought they had found my "Playboy" magazine I had between the mattress and box spring.  "We found a few cigarettes in your room and we're concerned about you smoking," Mom told me.  "You know that Grandpap smokes a pipe and we thing it best if you have to smoke, you should smoke a pipe."  Fine with me.  

LDub as a young boy drawn by Mike

Well, by now my story I was telling the other three at our table in the restaurant in Antigua was creating a few more laughs.  I then described how I would ride my bike and wagon to the supermarket with a pipe in my mouth, puffing away as I rode up N. Market Street.  Well, to finish my Christmas story about neat gifts, today I opened a gift from Jere and Sue and found a caricature of myself riding a bicycle with a pipe in my mouth and a cigarette behind my ear and wearing sandals.  Seems Jere's nephew Mike is an artist and does great caricature drawings so Sue called him and gave him my description and he drew one of my gifts that I was given by Jere and Sue.  The laughing was once again out-of-control.   I know...you had to be there to appreciate it!  So, I would be amiss if I didn't add this gift as one of the Christmas gifts that I will remember for the rest of my life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The English Language...With Apologies Too Mrs. Eisenhart!" Story

It was an ordinary day. Wondering if Mrs. Eisenhart, my favorite high school English teacher, will be rolling over in her grave after finding out what I am about to share with you.  I had Mrs. Eisenhart as my English teacher in 11th grade and still vividly remember the day I had to stand in front of my class and read something I had written as an exercise in writing and speaking.  I wrote a story about playing football when I was in 9th grade and when I reached the part where one of my friends broke his leg, I was interrupted when Mrs. Eisenhart banged her hand on her desk and said, "That is not a proper word!"  The class got silent except for a few of my friends who I could tell were laughing.  What word did I add to my story that caused the outburst ... the word "busted."  If you "Google" it today, you may find that it is listed as slang for smashed or broken, but back in 1960, it more than likely wasn't a word as of yet ... at least in Mrs. Eisenhart's class.  

This may be a Middle School book, but

it has helped me with basic English.

Out of all the memories I have of being in high school, the memory of that fateful day in English class is probably on the top of my list of memories along with the memory of my homeroom classmates that would pay me to read the Bible verse for them in homeroom before the start of the day, as was the custom, and perhaps law, in mid-20th Century.  Well, much has changed since the 60s and the English language, believe it or not, is one of them.  Today I could use my "busted" and not be yelled for using it.  A few of the many rules that have changed are: (1) Don't end sentences with stranded prepositions.  You can now say things such as, "Where is this bus taking us to?" or "How long will we be going for?"  Boy would I have heard it for doing that years ago, but not anymore.  (2) Don't split infinitives.  When Captain Kirk, of Star Trek fame, said, "to boldly go where no man has gone before", the adverb 'boldly' is said to split the infinitive 'to go.'  And, that was a "NO-NO" in Mrs. Eisenhart's class, but acceptable today.  (3) Never begin a sentence with a conjunction.  Conjunctions such as "and, but, not, yet, so and nor" should not be used to start a sentence.  But, it seems since writing is communication, clarity can only be a virtue. And, didn't the Bible use plenty of them, such as: And God said, 'Let there be light.' and there was light.  But, I still would have been in trouble in my English class. (4) Another rule is never start a sentence with 'hopefully', such as: "Hopefully, the taxi will arrive soon."  

This is one of my favorite books when I
am writing.  Even though it looks as if it
were written by a relative, Geraldine is
not a relative, just a help with my English.

This is one adverb that my English teacher said should not be used to start a sentence.  Not sure why, but it was verboten. (5)  Clichés should be avoided like the plague.  Even thought they can be an easy way to express yourself, they are for the lazy person when writing something.  If you're not sure what a cliché may be, here are a few examples:  Never a dull moment, Sands of time, Long arm of the law, Cool as a cucumber, Writing on the wall and Hook, line and sinker.  I recently read the 5 easy ways to improve your grammar which I found to be easy in themselves.  They were: (1) Learn the parts of speech, (2) Read all the time, (3) Listen to how others speak, (4) Play grammar and word games, and (5) Take a class.  I'm sure Mrs. Eisenhart would be thrilled if I did.  And, if you have been correcting my English grammar while reading this story, just keep it to yourself, since I know darn well there have been plenty of mistakes.  But, (did you catch that mistake?) if Mrs. Eisenhart were still alive today she would be so proud of me for having written this blog for over 10 years now.  Even though it is filled with grammatical as well as spelling mistakes, she would have been proud.  But, I no longer have anyone to correct me when I make a mistake.  And, may God bless your soul, Mrs. Eisenhart and I'm sorry for saying so many nasty things about you!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - Yes, I do know my story title is incorrect!

The "Country Names With Meaning" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue about where we may want to visit the next time we travel together.  We have traveled to Hawaii a few times as well as to quite a few islands in the Caribbean.  We have also taken a few cruises, one being a trip through the Panama Canal which was really interesting and fun.  So, do we want to revisit a favorite spot from the past or try some place new?  I grabbed my scrapbooks and began looking through them and Googled a few of the locations to see what we might have missed on a first or second visit to an island or location.  We traveled to Jamaica years ago.  Would another trip be as much fun and what else could we visit if we went back to Jamaica?  

Rafting on the Martha Brae River in Jamaica. Click on images to enlarge them.

Climbing up Dunn's River Falls, Rafting on the Martha Brae River and seeing where James Bond battled evil Dr. No were events we have already accomplished while on the island.  As I read I found that Jamaica was home to the Taínos who were indigenous Arawak people who lived on quite a few of the Caribbean islands.  When Columbus traveled to the island in 1494, his second time to the island, he found the island was called by its Taíno name, Xaymaca, "the land of wood and water."  Thus, it became known to visitors as something similar.  Made me think about how many other locations we have traveled to whose name really meant something.  The Caribbean gem known as Barbados is the birthplace of rum and has over 80 white sand beaches.  

Bottom Bay Beach in Barbados.

One of my all-time favorite beaches, Bottom Bay Beach, is on Barbados and we have been there both times we have visited Barbados.  This island's name comes from the bearded fig tree.  The Portuguese sighted Barbados in 1536 on their way to Brazil and called it Los Barbados which meant "the bearded ones" in reference to the bearded fig trees that grow on the island.  We also made a few stops at small towns and islands on or close to Mexico.  Found out that the Aztecs believed in many gods, including Mexitli, the god of war.  His name came from two words: metzli and xicdli; moon and naval.  Together, with the suffix ...co, which means "the place where", Mexico means "the place in the naval of the moon.  

The "Land of the Rising Sun"

Have you ever heard Japan called "Land of the Rising Sun"?  In the seventh century a Japanese envoy changed the name to Nippon which is a translation of "origin of the sun."  Since the sun is central to Japanese mythology the name highlighted that importance.  But, how the name Nippon turned to Japan is questionable.  The final "island" that has a special meaning to it's name is Italy.  

A one day side trip during our visit to Italy was to Venice.

Carol and I visited Italy with our church many years ago.  One of the neatest experiences we have ever had!  Originally it was called Vitalia, a word rooted in Latin which means "Land of Cattle."  When the Greeks took over the area they changed the name to Italoi which is the Greek word for Vitulus (calf).  Later the Romans extended the name to cover the entire peninsula.  Many more locations thorughout out the world have names with a meaning.  You may be able to name a few.  But, our final choice for our next trip is Antigua which is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.   Their name means "Land of 365 Beaches."  We have visited Antigua once before and never found those 365 beaches.  So...why not try to do so!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Oh, The Stories We Can Tell...Over & Over!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting on the back porch of Jim's home in Manheim Township waiting for the drunken chicken to finish cooking.  Arrived about an hour ago with my longtime friend Jere for the annual Manheim Township Industrial Arts (IA) retired teacher's picnic.  We have been gathering for quite a few years now and enjoy telling the same stories over and over, year after year.  It was in 1967 that I joined the Industrial Arts staff at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Same school I had graduated from five years before.  At the time I was the new guy on the block, so to speak, with four other IA teachers already part of the department.  Before long I was one of the older guys with quite a few new teachers in the department.  

Former Industrial Art teachers are: front (l-r) Barry Walton,
Dean Lemon, Jere Herr, top: Jim Campbell, Jeff Lefever,
Larry Woods, Hal Hopper.  All members of the old IA Club.
Click to enlarge.

One of the older teachers, Dean, who was my department head for many years, was also at the picnic today and one former student, who eventually became a teacher in the district, Jeff, is also waiting for the meal to begin.  My friend Jere was a classmate of mine at Manheim Township, having started in 1st grade with me and graduating from the school the same year.  He went in the Navy and after serving, returned to college and eventually became a teacher at the high school.  Barry had taught almost as long as I had at the high school and took over Dean's job as department head when Dean retired.  The final two guys sitting around the table at present are Hal who came a few years after I did and Jim who is the youngster of the group who still teaches at the high school.  He plans to retire in another year, but he has said that before.  A great bunch of guys who enjoy meeting every year and telling tales about our time together teaching the students of Manheim Township skills in woodworking, metal working, graphic arts and mechanical drawing.  Many former students have returned to tell us of their success in life due to the knowledge they gained in the Industrial Arts courses they took in school.  We used to be a much larger group, but over the past few years have lost some of our treasured friends.  Tough knowing that maybe next year one of us will no longer be able to enjoy a meal together.  Dean has to travel from Herndon, Pennsylvania to come to our picnics while Jere has to drive down from State College for the reunion.  Neither would miss seeing the guys just one more time.  The food and drink is great, but the friendship is a treasure.  After the meal we began story time with the usual ... remember when so and so cut his finger off on the table saw, or remember when so and so caught this guy in the back room with another teacher, or ... well it goes on and on.  Same stories every year, but they still must be told so we can all laugh and wait for our turn to tell our story.  I swear some of the stories change just a bit each year in order to outdo the person telling his story in front of you.  When the stories wound down we headed to visit Jim's new shop he was building at his new home in Manheim Township.  He and Hal have been setting up all the equipment and getting it ready for Jim's retirement someday.  Great equipment and plenty of space for working.  As the evening wound down we all departed, asking who will have the picnic next time.  You know there will be one ... but will everyone be there?  We are not getting younger, but what time we still have left will have to be spent, at least one day of it, with all the old shop guys.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

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 "Join The Tradition" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol and I are visiting with friends Jere and Just Sue in State College for the weekend.  Saturday, and our mission today was a trip to the 145th Annual Centre County Grange Fair in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.  We have made several journeys from Lancaster to State College for this event, but never tire of the excitement, good times and plenty of good food during fair week.  Picked up a brochure and read that the fair takes you out of the day to day bustle, to a time when life moved at a slower pace.  And...that's exactly what it did for the four of us on this beautiful day in late August, 2019.  Sitting a short distance away are 2,500 canvas tents and RVs which seem to spring up overnight the day before the fair opened a little over a week ago.  Families and friends reunite at these homes-away-from home reunions and tend to develop lasting relationships with campsite neighbors.  The four of us are just a minuscule number of the close to a quarter million visitors to the fair every year.  Food, equine events, carnival rides, farm animals, music festivals, motorsports, 4H contests, exhibit competitions and naming of the annual Queen are all parts of the Grange Fair.  To try and take in all of that on one afternoon is impossible, so we just wandered around the 264 acres of mass confusion and humanity for the afternoon.  I enjoyed snapping a few photographs to share with you of this year's Grange Fair.  Hope you enjoy them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This cute little girl was interested in my camera.
Click on images to enlarge them. 

Cattle are naturally part of the farm scene at any Grange Fair.

Would love to be a judge for one of these competitions!

At first I thought these were strawberries, but found they were peppers.

Winners in the Gourds category. 

Plenty of flowers to enjoy.  Even those that didn't win were fun to view.

I'm not sure if this woman had real or artificial flowers.

16 year old Anna took second place in the painting category.

12 year old Audrey made this dish collage and won 1st place. 

My wife enjoyed this display the most!

How can anyone not pick this poor soul for first place?

Cheyanne Storm won first place with this photograph.

Jane from Spring Mills won a first place with this Amish Buggy photograph.

Joy from Centre Hall took 1st place in the Domestic Animal colored photograph category.
I, too, really enjoyed this photograph.  Good choice for 1st place!

Amish enjoy visits to the Grange Fair.

A very unique chess set made by Jean of State College which won a first place ribbon.

Chris from Pleasant Gap made this beautiful leather gun belt and holster.

Sue taking a selfie of her and Jere while my wife looks on.  We are sitting in
a tractor-pulled wagon which serves as transportation around the fairgrounds.

A sea of automobiles, campers and tents at the Grange Fair in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.

There were commercial stands where you could buy items.  These are small angels
with a few flags that would glow after hit by the sun.

Not sure what this chicken is doing in this photograph.  Perhaps the chicken dance.

One of the many aisles with tent homes along both sides.  Vacation for many!

The "Oh, The Memories Of That Old Organ" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, July 14 and today was the last day that St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania would use their historic four-manual organ that was installed 71 years ago.  The James Hale Steinman Memorial Organ was played for the last time at the 10:30 a.m. service at St. James.  The organ has become too expensive to maintain and doesn't use the current technology that is available in today's church organs.  Mr. Steinman donated the organ to St. James in 1948 in memory of Caroline Morgan Hale Steinman.  James Hale Steinman was the publisher of Lancaster Newspapers, now LNP Media Group.  The organ was built by the Gundling Organ Company from Lancaster and was a major upgrade from the previous organ.  In 1968, the organ was rebuilt with a gift from members of the Steinman family.  The rebuild included new organ pipes that fill three rooms behind the large organ.  Then in 1994 the Steinman Foundation gifted another $50,000 to help extend the life of the organ for another 20 years.  But, now the console, mechanical pipes and analogue technology has become too hard to maintain.  

Mr. George Rodgers playing on the church organ pre-1948.

My father, Paul, used to tell me stories of the church organist and choir- master, Mr. Rodgers, who could make the keyboard come alive with music when my father was a young boy singing in the St. James Boys Choir.  Mr. George Rodgers spent 32 years at the keyboard of the old organ before the new one was installed in 1948.  

Mr. Frank McConnell at the keyboard of the
James Hale Steinman Memorial Organ.  I used
to turn the pages for Mr. McConnell as a child.

Later, Mr. Frank McConnell became the organist and choirmaster at St. James and I had the same experience that my father did as a child when I sang in the Boys Choir as well as adult choir and had the chance to watch Mr. McConnel's hands fly over those keys as he reached for stop after stop to enhance the music as well as watch his feet walk across the foot pedals to add more bass to the organ piece he was playing. I was one of the lucky choirboys who had the honor to turn pages as Mr. McConnell would play the Saturday organ recitals during the Easter season.  

The cassette tape insert of Mr. Frank
McConnell at the keyboard of the James
Hale Steinman Memorial Organ.  I took
the photo as well as printed the inserts.

My three children also had the chance to be members of the youth choir and once again watch as Mr. Mcconnell made that old organ come to life.  I still have a cassette tape that I printed the insert for that features Frank McConnell at the St. James Organ.  Oh, the memories of that old organ that will never be forgotten.  My wife and I were married at St. James Church and for the recessional Mr. McConnell played the Toccata and Fugue in d minor by Johann Sebastian Bach.  We will never forget the chills we felt when Mr. McConnell began playing and we turned to walk down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs.  The old organ was a part of my life from 1948 until a few days ago.  After Mr. McConnell retired and the choir gained a series of new choirmasters in the past several years, the one constant was that old organ.  How I will miss that old piece of wood, metal and ivory.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.