The "Happy 4th Of July To You!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened my weekly Saint James' "Headlines & Happen- ings" and found a very special event that I hadn't heard about.  Our minister, Father David Peck, reported that as part of our 4th of July celebrations and weekend worship, he would preach on our history and spirituality arising out of the parish along with insights from Paul's Letter to the Romans.  Dr. Cordelia Moyse, St. James Historian and Archivist, was launching a new timeline that gives all St. James members a fresh understanding of how our parish was formed by the American Revolution and played a key role in the survival of Anglicanism in a new nation and the creation of the Protestant Episcopal Church.  As part of my visual weekly newsletter was a section known as "Making History at Saint James."  It told us that... 
This weekend we celebrate the founding of our country following the publication of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 in Philadelphia. At this time we remember those who advocated, fought and died for revolutionary ideas like equal citizenship and the rights of all people to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”  The Declaration and subsequent war against Great Britain not only gave birth to our country but also, it may be said, to the Saint James we know today. While our famous patriot parishioners such as George Ross and Edward Hand rejoiced at this news, others identified as British subjects.  

Rev. Thomas Barton. 

Our rector, Thomas Barton, remained steadfast in his duty to pray for the King. As a result of these profound divisions, there were no church services for 5 years and the church was boarded up. When church life resumed in the 1780s, Saint James was a Protestant Episcopal church, using an American prayer book with American priests and bishop.  To put some of our history in context, we have created a timeline on our website, running from 1744 (the meeting of the first vestry) to 1800. There you can find information on some of the most significant events and parishioners. Over the summer, we will be extending this timeline to the present day.  

I am anxious to view this history timeline and will perhaps share some of it that I haven't written about already.  I will also have to contact Dr. Moyse and see if I can offer any help that she may find interesting.  For those reading my story today who are citizens of the United States of America, I wish you a Happy 4th of July Holiday.  Today my family will celebrate the birth of my second child, Brynn Ann Woods.  She has now changed her name to Brynn Ann Mencarini after marrying her husband Dave in 1998.  But, to Carol and I, she will always be our 4th of July little girl.  She and her family will be visiting from Maryland tomorrow for a picnic and birthday celebration.  And, although our grandchildren are all in their mid to late teens, we will still celebrate the Easter that we missed due to the Coronavirus with an Easter egg hunt.  Can hardly wait!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Born On The Fourth Of July!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  But, for my daughter, Brynn, it's an extraordinary day for you see today is her birthday.  Yep...she was born on the Fourth of July.  A real firecracker so she was.  And, her birthday is so easy to remember, since the entire family almost always gets together on her birthday to celebrate her birthday as well as one of our Nation's major Holidays.  Some of you may not know a few of the following items about July 4;  

one major item is that the Declaration of Indepen- dence wasn't signed on July 4.  And, it wasn't even signed in Phila- delphia as so many people believe.  The Second Continental Congress voted to declare independence from the British on July 2, which is the day that John Adams wanted to celebrate as the actual holiday.  The actual document was finalized and dated on the date we celebrate as Independence Day, but there is more to the story than that.  Most delegates didn't add their names until August 2 and the full list of names of those who signed the document wasn't complete until January of the following year.  And, the first celebration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence wasn't until July 8 in...yes, Philadelphia.  There was a big parade and guns were fired, but the Liberty Bell was silent.  It wasn't until 1781 that Massachusetts became the first state to actually celebrate July 4 as a Holiday for the first time.  And, they did it by serving poached Salmon with Egg Sauce along with the first new potatoes and early peas.  A trivia question for you on this day would be...Who are the three Presidents of the United States that died on the Fourth of July?  It was exactly 50 years after signing the Declaration of Independence that Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died, just hours apart on July 4, 1926.  Then five years later, James Monroe died on Independence Day.  So, that would make it three of the first five presidents died on July 4.  Might be a bit scary to other Presidents when July 4 came around each year.  But, none have died since on the 4th, even though Zachary Taylor came close, dying on July 9 after ingesting an abundance of iced milk and fruit at an Independence Day party in 1850.  Calvin Coolidge has the honor of being the only President born on the Fourth of July.  But, I keep telling my daughter that she should run for President so she can claim to be the first female President born on July 4.  Will she listen to me?  Nah!  She's happy being the only one in the family born on that day.  Happy Birthday, Brynn Ann Woods!  Love, Mom and Dad!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Brynn Ann Woods was born on July 4, 1974.  On July 4, 1978 this photograph
appeared in the local newspaper with a headline that read...
4 on the 4th.  Helps to know most of the local newspaper photographers!

The "Making A 'Zoom' Call" Story

It was an ordinary day. That is if you consider Easter Day an ordinary day.  This year it seems to be just that, since most places of worship are closed due to the coronavirus.  We have been told by the Governor of our state to stay indoors if at all possible and if you must go outside, stay at least 6 feet away from everyone you see.  It really is a matter of life or death.  I know, some churches may be open, but if it my church was open, I wouldn't want to take the chance that I could die if I went to church today.  Not my idea of using common sense, no matter what day it might be.  Since we couldn't head to church or visit with our family this Easter Sunday, we opted to participate in a "Zoom Call Meeting."  Personally, I had no idea how to make one, but that's what wives are for!  Carol is pretty tech savvy as are our children, so she arranged with our daughter and daughter-in-law to create a meeting with four different families.  At 1:00 PM on Easter Sunday the process began.  

Our "Zoom" call participants.  Bottom left: son Derek,
daughter-in-law Barbara, grandson Caden; bottom right:
Barb's sister Joy and mother Etta; Top right: Daughter Brynn,
son-in-law Dave, granddaughter's Courtney and Camille;
Top left: LDub and wife Carol.  Really neat idea!

Carol and I sat at our kitchen counter with her iPad in front of us.  She opened a link to the "Zoom" website, punched in a code and password and shortly we were one of four panels on her computer screen.  One screen had Carol and myself, another had our son, daughter-in-law and grandson on another, our daughter and her husband and our two granddaughters in another panel while in the final panel on our screen was our daughter-in-law's mother and sister.  Pretty neat!  The only one who couldn't participate was our other son, but he wasn't able to participate due to his phone not working properly.  We could all see each other and hear each other.  We spent the next 45 minutes catching up on each other's lives as well as sharing Easter wishes.  Much the same as having them all in the same room with us except we were practicing "Social Distancing".  As we were coming up on the 45 minute mark, we began to wrap up or discussions when all of a sudden the screen went blank.  "Wasn't me!!" I said to my wife.  "I didn't touch anything!"  Then it struck her..."We were supposed to finish our visit by the end of 45 minutes," she said.  She grabbed her cell phone and in no time we were all OK with having it end when it did.  At times, technology can be a pain in the neck to understand and use, but making a "Zoom" call gave us a chance to share part of our Easter holiday with the family.  Now, all we have to do...or should I say, all Carol needs to do is prepare our Easter meal.  She didn't want to have Easter without ham and scalloped potatoes, so she will begin soon to prepare a small evening meal to end our Happy Easter Day!  She will make sure our son, who couldn't participate in today's talk, will have a plate of our Easter meal.  So, from our family to your family, I hope you enjoyed your Easter Sunday, even if you couldn't attend your church on Easter.  Remember, there's always next year!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Is 'Thanksgiving' An American Holiday Only?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  It was a week or two before our Thanksgiving holiday in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and I was corresponding with a friend via email that Carol and I got to know who lives on the island of Sint Maarten.  Barbara Cannegieter and  her husband Dee live on a hill overlooking the capital of the Dutch side of the island, Philipsburg.  Barbara at one time lived in Williamsport, Pennsylvania so I was interested as to whether she and Dee celebrate Thanksgiving as she did when she lived in Williamsport many years ago.  She returned my email and told me the island does not celebrate Thanksgiving as we do in the United States, but that they have so many visitors from the United States to the island in the Caribbean that many of the restaurants will serve the traditional Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day.  Great for business and gives those from the states a chance to have a celebratory Thanksgiving meal.  Carol and I began to talk and wondered if there are any other countries that celebrate the holiday that I assumed was an American holiday since it was the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians that shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies.  Well, it seems there are eight other countries that celebrate Thanksgiving, or at least a form of Thanksgiving.  They are as follows:

1. Liberia.  Liberia brought the Thanksgiving tradition directly from America, owing to its beginnings as a resettlement colony for freed black Americans. The West African country declared its independence in 1847, but it American connection is still seen in its national flag which mirrors the U.S. design.  They celebrate Thanksgiving on the first Thursday in November.
2. Canada.  Canadian Thanksgiving is celebrated on the second Monday of October and integrates a number of traditions, including turkey although regional dishes such as salmon are common.  They also connect their holiday with the fall harvest, since their homeland is separated from America by just a border line.  They also celebrate the day with a football game and a big parade.
3. Australia.  Their Thanksgiving is just like American Thanksgiving with a turkey dinner.  It really is celebrated as a direct result of sailors and whaling ships bringing the tradition to Norfolk Island, which is an Australian territory.  They celebrate Thanksgiving on the last Wednesday of November as well as in July when they have Thanksgiving and Christmas-style festivities because that's when the weather Down Under is closest to that of winter in Europe and America.
4. Japan.  Japan has what is known as the harvest celebration of Niiname-no-Matsuri, which was a Shinto ritual enacted by the Emperor.  It got the name of Labor Thanksgiving Day during the post-World War II occupation of Japan by the United States.  Their interpretation of the holiday commemorates labor , production and peace.  School children make card for public servants like health care workers, police, firefighters and members of the Japanese Self-Defense Force and Coast Guard.  
5. United Kingdom.  The harvest Festival of Thanksgiving is the closest thing to the American Thanksgiving.  The official date is set for September or October and collecting food to donate to charities is a common activity.  The celebration, which goes back to ancient Britain, is in the form of a community gathering.
6. Germany.  Erntedankfest is celebrated on the first Sunday of October.  It too is a harvest celebration, but is largely religious in nature.  The holiday is a debate, gratitude-oriented affair.  
7. India.  The Harvest Thanksgiving Festival of India is called Thai Pongal (or Ponkal).  It is a four-day affair held in January to praise the Sun God.  Its history goes back ten centuries.  Rice is central to the celebration with the boiling of the first rice of the harvest season.
8. Philippines.  As an American colony they held their American version of Thanksgiving.  During WWII, when Japan occupied the islands, the celebration went underground.  Then President Ferdinand Marcos reinstituted it as a September observation under his reign.  When he left in 1986 it was discontinued, but brought back by the SM Supermalls chain of shopping centers.  They now offer big Thanksgiving sales around September which is the kick-off to the Christmas Season.  And, we think we overdo it at Christmas!

I would have never guessed there were this many countries that celebrate Thanksgiving.  Perhaps America stole the term from one of these eight countries, since many of them seem to be older than the United States of America.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Thanksgiving Turkey From Heaven" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Starting to think about where I might want to buy my Thanksgiving Day turkey this year.  For those reading this who are not United States citizens, the holiday known as Thanksgiving is often traced back to the time when the Pilgrims and Native Americans broke bread together, but the holiday wasn't truly established until 1863 under President Lincoln.  A few traditions continue from that first "feast" in 1621.  One is the gathering of family and friends around the dinner table when a Thanksgiving prayer is offered and the traditional feast is consumed.  For most Americans, that feast includes turkey and all the fixin's.  We in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are very lucky to have several excellent places to buy a fresh holiday turkey rather than a frozen one.  Places such as Doorstep Dairy in nearby Terre Hill, Lancaster Farm Fresh in East Hempfield Township, Livengood Family Farm in West Lampeter Township, Meadow Run Farm in Ephrata Township, Shady Acres Farm in Mount Joy Township, Weaver's Turkey Farm in Leola, Stauffer's of Kissel Hill Fresh Foods with several locations and my personal favorite, Esbenshade Turkey Farm in Paradise.  

You really can't go wrong with a turkey from Paradise.  Esben- shade's turkeys are farm-raised, broad-breasted, all-natural with weights from 10 to 30 pounds.  The senior member of Esbenshade's is 89 year old Bob Esbenshade who has worked on his family farm for more than half of the farm's existence which dates back to the Civil War.  He still manages the birds on the farm which was founded in 1858 and considers itself the country's oldest turkey farm.  

Bob and his turkeys.  Bob's the one with the blue hat!

He was born on the farm as were his dad, granddad and great granddad.  Today it is solely a poultry producer.  They have produce approxi- mately 8,000 Broad Breasted Whites a year in turkey houses for the past 40 years.  Bob's father used to hatch the turkey eggs himself, incubating then in a garage and the stripping room of the tobacco cellar.  Today the farm, which is on either side of the historic Strasburg Railroad line,  has the birds delivered as poults from a hatchery in Michigan.  

The young turkeys.

They receive the poults a day or two after they have been hatched.  Once on the farm they live in well-lit wooden and cinder-block floor houses and feed on alfalfa hay.  The feed comes from White Oak Mills in nearby Elizabethtown, PA.  They pride themselves on the quality of the birds they sell.  They are grown to 10 to 30 pounds and killed in the fall.  After the feathers are removed, the carcases are drained of excess water in metal-grate wheelbarrows.  

This one has been invited to Thanksgiving dinner!

Then the giblets are stuffed in the bird and the birds are bagged.  A machine shrinks the wrapping around the bird and it is weighed and put in an individual box.  The turkeys are stored in refrig- erated trailers until the customer comes for it.  They only begin to kill them two weeks before Thanksgiving and then again at Christmas.  Bob reported that he has a customer who comes from Illinois to buy a fresh turkey.  Turkeys not sold after the holidays are frozen to be sold throughout the year.  My wife, Carol, usually prepares turkey with stuffing (known to many as filling or dressing), both regular and oyster stuffing, asparagus wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn puddin', applesauce, cranberry sauce, warm rolls and pumpkin bread.  For dessert there was always pumpkin pie, cherry pie and ice-cream.  No one ever left the table with an empty stomach!  So, for those whom do not celebrate the holiday of Thanksgiving...I'm sorry to say you are missing a great meal with family and friends.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Veteran's Day 2019: A Hometown Hero" Story

Harold Billow as he appeared in 1943 in uniform.

It was an ordinary day.  Driving through the small town known as Mount Joy which is a bit over 10 miles to the east of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  I have visited the town in the past to buy ice hockey supplies, to eat with friends and to watch my grandson play baseball.  But, today I am on another type of visit...to take photographs of the front of the home of Harold Billow who is the last remaining survivor of the WWII Malmedy Massacre which took place on December 17, 1944, at the Baugnez Crossroads in Belgium.  His front yard is home to 87 small American flags to honor the men who died due to the massacre which was part of the Battle of the Buldge.  

Harold Billow in uniform.

The 96 year-old veteran of the war has placed the flags on his front lawn for many years in memory of his friends who served with him during that tragic event in 1944.  As I drove down Main Street in Mt. Joy, I passed telephone pole after telephone poll that carried a banner honoring a serviceman who lived in Mt. Joy and before long I saw the banner honoring Harold Billow with his photo from the 1940s on one side and his current photo on the other side.  Harold's story is hard to read at times and the fact that he survived the Malmedy Massacre is remarkable.  In December of 1944, he was a 21-year-old Private with Battery B, 285th Field Artillery Observation Battalion.  He was riding in a convoy of jeeps and trucks en route to the Belgian town of St. Vith.  

Map showing location of massacre.
Click on image to enlarge it.

It was a day after the Germans launched their attack known in history as the Battle of the Bulge.  The Germans had hopes of driving a wedge through the Allied armies advancing eastward toward Germany.  As his convoy was moving out of Malmedy it reached the crossroad village of Baugnez shortly after noon.  As they turned south onto N23, they were suddenly attacked by tanks and half-tracks of Kampfgruppe Peiper which was a tough SS unit led by Lt. Col. Jochen Peiper.  Some Americans in the lead vehicles got away, but the rest were trapped and the men, about 130 of them, were gathered as prisoners by the SS troopers.  They were disarmed, told to put their hands in the air and herded into a field on the east side of the N23 behind the Café Bodarwe which sits in the intersection in Baugnez.  There they stood together, waiting and helpless.  

Remains of soldiers on the snow-covered field of Malmedy.

Billow remembered two Germans setting up two machine guns atop a tank.  Then an officer rolled up in a staff car, stood and drew his pistol.  "He shot a guy to the right of me," Billow said.  "Then he shot a guy to my left."  The officer yelled a command to the two Germans on the tank and "they opened up fire where the rest of us guys were standing.  They were trying to kill everybody because they weren't to take any prisoners," Billow said.  More Germans joined in the killing spree, firing machine guns and small arms into the mass of prisoners.  Wounded men were shown no mercy.  Billow saw a medic  bandage a wounded man and then both were shot in the head.  When the firing began, some men, like Robert "Sketch" Mearig, one of several Lancaster County soldiers in the 285th ran to safety, but many, like Billow, simply dropped face down in the the snow and played dead.  Some got away with it while others did not.  "The Germans went through the field and everybody who showed any sign of life, they point blank shot them through the head," Billow recalled.  

Howard and Vera Billow on their wedding day.

Billow laid in the snow for what seemed like forever.  "I was thinking, 'I hope I survive so I can get back and tell people what they did to us,'" he recalled.  Another Lancaster County man, James Mattera, said, "Come on guys, let's get out of here," and a number of men jumped up and ran.  Billow was one of those who ran.  He still remembers the German bullets chewing up the ground around him as he fled.   They ran into the nearby café, but quickly left when they realized the Germans saw them enter.  He ran west and was later picked up by American soldiers of an engineering battalion.  Many of the other men in the café weren't as lucky, since the Germans set the café on fire and killed the soldiers when they fled the flames.  87 Americans died in the Malmedy Massacre including two Lancaster County men, Luke Swartz and George Steffy.  

On the reverse side of the banner shows
Harold Billow today.  His service to our country
was from 1943 to 1947 in the U.S. Army.

Billow recalled Swartz telling Ernie Bechtold, who had been his neighbor back home, "Ernie, something terrible is going to happen today."  Bechtold told Swartz, "not to talk so dumb.  Swartz died, shot in the head, but Bechtold survived.  Many who did escape traveled to Nuremburg after the war to testify in the war crimes trials of Germans who took part in the killings. I'm positive that Mr. Billow will never forget the horror and killing that took place that day, December 17, 1944.  And, that is why every 4th of July, Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, the front lawn of Billow's home at 206 Fairview St. in Mt Joy is festooned with 87 flags.  " There is a flag to represent each guy who fell that day," Harold W. Billow says!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Happy Mother's Day" Story

Happy Mother's Day, from Larry

It was an ordinary day.  Ordinary for many, but for those living in the United States, and perhaps the country where you may live, today is Mother's Day.  Today we honor motherhood which is observed differently throughout the world.  In the United States,

Anna Reeves Jarvis, the founder of Mother's Day.

Anna Reeves Jarvis of West Virginia help start Mother' Day when on May 10, 1908 she sent 500 white carnations to Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Graftonin in honor of her late mother Ann.   Anne is usually seen as the "mother" of Mother's Day for creating the movement that led to the eventual proclamation in the United States.  Anna also began Mother's Work Clubs to teach women how to properly care for their children.  These clubs later became a unifying force in a region of the country still divided due to the Civil War.  Then in 1868 she organized "Mothers' Friendship Day" where mothers from both the Union and Confederate sides gathered to promote reconciliation.  It was said that these days were the forerunner of our modern Mother's Day.  Two years later abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote the "Mother's Day Proclamation" which was a call to action that asked mothers to unite in promoting world peace.  She actually called for a "Mother's Peace Day" to be celebrated on June 2 each year.  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries Mary Towles Sasseen and Frank Hering worked to organize a Mother's Day thus giving Frank the name "the father of Mother's Day.  

Julia Ward Howe wrote the "Mother's Day Proclamation"

Then came that day in May of 1908 when Anna sent the flowers to the Methodist church in West Virginia.  Happened to be the same Sunday that thousands flocking to a Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia for a retail event.  Well, Ms. Jarvis, who never married or had children, was so excited about the turnout that she pushed for Mother's Day to be added as a national American holiday.  Four years later states and towns adopted the event as a holiday and finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a measure naming the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.  Families began celebrating by giving the "Mother" in the family a day off from activities like cooking and household chores.  I have no doubt that retailers and florists pushed for the day to be made a holiday.  Today Mother's Day is celebrated in many nations around the world.  Everywhere from Thailand to Ethiopia families gather around the matriarch of the family in celebration of motherhood.  Then in 1968 Coretta Scott King, wife of Martin Luther King Jr., hosted a march on Mother's Day in support of underprivileged women and children.  In the 1970s women's groups throughout the USA used Mother's Day as a holiday to highlight the need for equal rights and access to childcare.  Hopefully today you will honor your mother with at least a card or kind words.  Anyway, where would we be without all the mothers in the world?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Happy St. Patrick's Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Spring will arrive soon and that can mean only one thing around LDub's house...going to little league baseball games to watch my grandson play.  Every year since our grandson has turned 8 years old, he has played spring baseball and my wife has spent time searching every field we walk across for four-leaf clovers.  

The four-leaf clover.  Have you ever found one!

To some they are known as shamrocks and will allegedly bring good luck to those who bear them.  Carol can find a four-leaf clover with her eyes closed and most every time we walk across a field to a ballgame, she will spot that special clover.  She generally takes them home, sandwiches them between layers of wax paper and tapes the thing shut, waiting for our grandson's next game.  At times, Caden will put the clover in his pocket and have a fantastic game.  Other times he may drop a pop-up.  So, does the four-leaf clover really work? Now, I tell you all of this since today is St. Patrick's Day and the shamrock is thought to be the teaching tool that he used on many occasions.  St. Patrick's Day is always celebrated on March 17, since St. Patrick died on that date sometime around 460 or 461 AD.  Not sure how they know the exact day when the exact year is in question.  But, anyway, St. Patrick wasn't Irish and St. Patrick wasn't really his name.  His birth name was Maewyn Succat.  At the age of 16 he was kidnapped from his home in Roman Britain and taken to Ireland to become a slave who worked as a shepherd.  Six years later, after a dream from God, he escaped on a ship to France in 408 AD.  He spent the next 15 or so years in a monastery, preparing for his missionary work that God had called him to do in a dream.  

Stained glass window of St. Patrick.
Notice the Shamrock in his hand.

It was when he became a deacon in the Catholic Church that he took the name of St. Patrick.  Later God led him to return to Ireland with a group of monks to preach the gospel.  There were very few Catholics in Ireland at the time, but Patrick spread Christianity throughout the land.  By the time of his death, he had founded 300 churches with approximately 120,000 converts.  Now for the four-leaf clover, or Shamrock as it is known; St. Patrick used it as a symbol of good luck in the Irish culture.  The leaves of the four-leaf clover represent "hope", "faith", "love" and God then added the fourth leaf for "luck".  Today many say the four leaves are for fame, wealth, love and health.  A few other St. Patrick's Day facts are: (1) Blue was the color originally associated with St. Patrick instead of green; (2) St. Patrick's Day is the traditional day for planting peas; (3) and cabbage seeds should be planted today to make them grow well...and it works even better if you plant them wearing your nightclothes.  And, I didn't make that up!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   PS - Amah has already been looking for four-leaf clovers for you this year Caden.  Just in case!

The "The USA Celebrates Their Leaders Day" Story

It was an ordinary day.  President's Day 2019 and today we celebrate all U.S. Presidents, past and present. President's Day was originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington's birthday.  It is now celebrated on the third Monday in February after the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was passed in 1971.  The Act was meant to create more three-day weekends for the nation's workers.  Actually, some states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Lincoln and other figures.  The special day began in 1800, following the death of George Washington in 1799.  His birthday, February 22, became a perennial day of remembrance with events in 1832 to celebrate his 100th birthday and in 1848 to celebrate the start of construction of the Washington Monument.  It wasn't until the late 1870s that his birthday became an official federal holiday.  The measure was signed into law in 1879 by President Rutherford B. Hayes.  Originally the holiday was meant for the District of Columbia, but six years later was expanded to the entire country.  At that time there were four other federal holidays in Christmas, New Year's, Fourth of July and Thanksgiving.  Washington's birthday was the only federal holiday that celebrated an individual American until 1983 when we began to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Then in the late 1960s Congress proposed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act.  The Act included a provision to combine the celebration of Washington's birthday with that of Abraham Lincoln, which fell on February 12.  The Act took effect in 1971 following an executive order from President Richard Nixon.  Eventually Columbus Day, Memorial Day and Veterans Day were moved from their traditional dates to Mondays.  Seems people love the three days off they may get due to the holidays.  For many workers it doesn't matter what day the celebrations may occur, since they have to work on all holidays.  I did find a rather unusual fact:  President's Day never falls on the actual birthday of any President.  Four Presidents (Washington, Harrison, Lincoln and Reagan) were born in February, but their birthdays all come either too early or too late to coincide with Presidents Day which is now always on the third Monday of the month.  Presidents Day and Independence Day are viewed as a time of patriotic celebration and remembrance. 

Abraham Lincoln postcard from 1909.

Some states require that their schools spend the days leading up to President's Day teaching students about the accomplishments of all Presidents with a focus on Washington and Lincoln.  I recently read a story from a person in Lancaster, Pennsylvania where I live that said as an elementary student his class covered the bulletin board with rail fences and log cabins of construction paper for the 12th, then replaced them with cherry trees and cannons for the 22nd.  Included in the online story was an unmailed postcard that commemorated Abraham Lincoln.  It was believed to have been printed in 1909.  So, today, let us all remember all Presidents of the United States on this, their special day of remembrance.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Gift For My Brother" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Getting ready to head to my brother's house for our annual after-Christmas party.  My brother Steve and his family, as well as my family, all gather annually at his daughter Kelly's home in Ephrata, Pennsylvania on the evening after Christmas day.  

Our Nannan with Steve (left) and me (right).

We usually celebrate with pizza, drinks and plenty of Christmas cookies.  We usually bypass Christmas gifts due to the 20 or so people.  But, this year I will have a special gift to give to my brother.  All began about a half-year ago when Steve gave me a small black and white photo of our Grandmother, whom we have called Nannan all our life.  Her real name was Grace Mae Woods.  Her husband, Joseph, died when killed in an accident at the local post office where he was employed.  

My brother (right) with cousins George (standing) and
Judy seated at Crystal Beach Manor in Maryland.

My dad was six years old at the time.  Our other grandmother, Anna Cochran, died when I was about 12 years old and Steve was 7, so we barely got to know her.  Nannan was the one who babysat for us when we were young and we always had a great time.  When Steve gave me the photo of her and the two of us, which was taken at Crystal Beach Manor, Maryland, I had the intention of making one for myself.  But, I thought Steve might want a slightly larger copy so I made two 5x7s and framed one for Steve for Christmas.  

Steve's framed Christmas present.

Steve and I always had a grand time with Nannan and she was a real treat for the two of us.  We learned how to swear from Nannan, since she did quite a bit of it when we played board games with her.  She always made us promise not to tell our mom and dad though.  We spent many a fun summer vacation at Crystal Beach with my mom and dad, Nannan, Aunt Lillian and her two children, our cousins, Judy and George.  The treasures we shared with Nannan were priceless and I know Steve will cherish the present.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Steve and me when we were about 5 and 10 years of age. 

Steve and me a year or two ago by his pool in Ephrata, PA.

Steve and me looking for Cape May diamonds a few years ago.

Steve and me dunking our Christmas cookies.

I had to add this photo since it is one of a very few where I am on the left side of the photo.
This was taken at his son's wedding.

The "A Special Gift For The Holidays" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished a few Christmas tree ornaments for family members.  Over the years we have been given ornaments to hang on the Christmas tree that were purchased of made by friends and relatives.  They are some of the most cherished holiday gifts we have received during our marriage.  I'm sure you, too, have received special gifts during holiday seasons that you cherish as much or more than others.  From time to time we also make hand-made ornaments to give.  This year I made a special ornament for our youngest granddaughter as well as ornaments for my sister-in-law and our niece.  Thought I would share with you how I made them and what they look like after being finished.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This was one of the field hockey balls that was used during the 1988 season that I made into a Christmas tree ornament for my daughter when she was a freshman goalie.  I show you this since I once again made an ornament much the same except for my granddaughter after finishing her freshman season as a goalie this year.

I also made one for my daughter after her senior year when she was still the goalie and whose team made it into the playoffs for the first time in many years.  

Granddaughter Camille was the goalie this year for the school's Junior Varsity team.  The team went undefeated and unscored upon throughout the season.  The first time ever for the school coach!

I made this stained glass ornament for my niece who will host a party this evening for the entire family.  We appreciate the time and effort she and her husband make for the family party so Carol and I thought she would like something for the Christmas tree.

My sister-in-law loves penguins so I made her a stained glass ornament to hang on her tree.  

The "Christmas Customs: Ringing The Bells" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Christmas Eve in the mid-1950s and I am seated in the choir stalls in St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Big deal for a young boy to be up that late surrounded by candlelight as I walked down the center church aisle singing the opening hymn as a few hundred parishioners watched.  The dark Christmas Star sat high above the altar surrounded by the stained glass windows that were illuminated from lights outside the church.  I can still feel the excitement as I passed pew after pew until it was time to turn right while my walking partner turned left into the waiting choir stalls.  

Choir boys with their fathers in the St. James choir.
My father, Paul, and I are in the back right.

After the 20 or so choir boys entered the choir stalls, the men, many being fathers of the choir boys, filed in behind us on both sides of the altar.  Mr. Frank McConnell, the choir organist and choirmaster, for what seemed like eternity to me, was gliding over the several level keyboard pipe organ with his white vestment's sleeves making him look like an angel in flight.  When the first hymn ended, Reverend Batchelder stood in front of the altar and addressed the congregation.  It was the start of St. James' Christmas Eve service.  I was in the boy's choir for perhaps half a dozen years until my voice changed and I will never forget any of those inspiring Christmas Eve services.  Brings tears to my eyes just thinking about those "good ole' times" as I punch the keys on my MacBook Air.  The Christmas Eve service seemed to be always timed so that when the clock struck midnight, the bells could chime and the final prayer would be offered and we would head back down the aisle, through the lit candles, to the rear of the church where we stood, singing, until the hymn ended and the final blessing was said by Rev. Batchelder.  There were so many exciting parts to that service for a young boy, actually for a person any age, that were neat, but for me it was always the bells that chimed when Rev. Batchelder said, at the stroke of midnight, "It's Christmas Morning, let the bells ring out!!"  

Mr. McConnell at the church organ.

And, boy did Mr. McConnell hit the keys on his organ!  He had a special button among what appeared to be a hundred buttons (found out years later they were called stops) that when he pulled it would make the organ sound like a bell.  After a few minutes of what appeared to be pushing every key on his multi-level keyboard, he would stop and the church service would continue with the blessing.  Bells traditionally have been associated with Christmas for many centuries.  At St. James, as is the same with many Anglican and Catholic churches, Christmas day begins at midnight when the bells are rung in celebration.  Bells go way back to the Victorian times when it was fashionable to go carol singing with small handbells to play the tune of the carol.  Handbell ringing still plays a big part in the service at many churches.  Perhaps the most famous Christmas bells are those in the song "Jingle Bells".  The song was originally known as "One Horse Open Sleigh" and was a Thanksgiving Day song, but soon became associated with Christmas because of its "snowy" lyrics and was sang more at Christmas that Thanksgiving.  And, Jingle Bells was the first song to be broadcast from space when in December of 1965 astronauts Stafford and Schirra called back to the USA that they had spotted a sleigh in space and began to play the song with a harmonica and sleigh bells that they had smuggled onto Gemini 6.  So, enjoy the bells this Christmas.  I know I will as I think back close to 70 years when those bells began Christmas at St. James.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Emmaus Creche Is Moved To Avoid Lawsuit" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving home from a visit with a few of my fellow retired teachers to the Cabella's store in Hamburg, PA.  While passing through the square in the town of Lititz and seeing the Christmas Nativity display in front of the Bank, I told my fellow travelers about a newspaper article I had read a few days ago.  Story about a nearby town in Pennsylvania with the Biblical name of Emmaus that was warned to remove a Christmas Nativity scene from their Public Library lawn five days before Christmas of 2017.  

The creche as seen in Emmaus, PA

The warning letter that was sent to the city's Mayor was sent by the Americans For Separation of Church and State which is a nonprofit group.  They did not threaten any legal battle, but did site a list of legal precedents showing why Christian Nativity scenes, that stand alone, without displays representing other faiths, violate the First Amendment's establishment clause.  The Mayor didn't want to create any problems so he agreed to abandon the yearly tradition starting this year.  The event upset many people, especially since the town is named Emmaus which in the book of Luke in the Bible and is the town through which Jesus and his disciples travelled to leave Jerusalem.  Some in town saw it as part of a broader way to exclude people of faith from the public square.  Well, this year the Borough Manager asked the Emmaus Moravian Church if they would like to have the display in front of their Church which is only a few blocks from the library.  Being that the church is the most prominent building in Emmaus, it was a perfect fit.  It was the perfect answer and suited just about everyone in town.  Now, the reason I mention all of this is because in the early 1990s the same thing happened in Lititz, PA.  The American Civil Liberties Union contacted the Mayor and told him to take down the creche which featured a stable with Mary, Joseph and the baby Jesus.  

The creche in the square of Lititz, PA.

Shortly the creche was moved to the nearby Lititz Moravian Church.  But then it was determined that the small triangular piece of ground in front of the bank in the center or town actually belonged to the Moravian Church who settled and owned much of the town when they organized the town years ago.  Wasn't long before the creche was rededicated on the small piece of ground in the center of town.  Close to 3,000 people showed up for he ceremony.  So, not only all is well in Lititz, but it seems to be that way once again in Emmaus, PA.  Our country was built on freedom of religion for all and designed an amendment to help ensure that freedom.   Who would have thought lawsuits would have to be filed to keep that freedom.  Keeping church and state separate has been a constant job, but in most cases has been done by civil means.  There have been a few cases where religious displays, plaques or monuments have been ruled by the courts as admissible.  Just not in the little biblical town known as Emmaus.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "I'll Have A Head Of Lettuce With My 'Halleluyah Chorus'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Had such a great time reminiscing with old friends while partici- pating in the Lancaster County "Hallelujah Flash Mob" in preparation for the upcoming Christmas Holiday.  Three years ago I had the privilege of singing in a "flash mob", which is an informal gathering of people who gather to sing and bring joy to others during the Christmas season.  

LDub on left and Eddie on the right.

Enjoyed it so much that I did it last year as well as this year.  The organizer of the "flash mob" is David who is a bundle of energy who loves to sing and talk with anyone willing to talk with him.  This year we had two practices which were attended by about 50 singers each evening.  During the second practice he told everyone in attendance that the local Fulton Opera House singers would join us as well as another Lancaster County music ensemble who also asked if they too could join with everyone to sing.  Saturday, December 22 arrived and my wife Carol and I headed to Lancaster Central Market in the center of town for our first performance.  Lancaster's Central Market is the oldest market house in the country.  

David directing the Halleluyah Chorus on the square in Lancaster

The place was filled with holiday shoppers and at 9:00 am the "Flash Mob" broke into song as the shoppers stood and enjoyed our group's A cappella rendition of Handel's Messiah's Hallelujah Chorus.  As a child I sang in St. James' Episcopal Church's boys choir.  There were about 20 boys who sang every Sunday during church as well as making visits to other locations to perform Christian music.  

On the square in downtown Lancaster, PA.  LDub and his
daughter-in-law's mother Etta (both with red hats on) sing along.

I have lost touch with most of those friends from the past, but this year I had the pleasure to reunite with two former choir members, Doug and Eddie.  I invited both to join me in the "Flash Mob".  Doug chose to come and listen while Eddie joined the group, just as he had done last year.  After our market performance we walked to the nearby Marriott Hotel on the square in Lancaster and sang once again.  

Friends Eddie (front row 2nd from left), Doug (front 4th from left) and LDub (next to minister on front right).  Photo from 1958.  Click on image to enlarge.

A third appearance was around the huge Lancaster's Christmas tree in the center of town.  A bit windy, but the music sounded great once again.  Under David's direction, the singers performed while cars slowed down to listen to the 3 minutes and 53 seconds of beautiful music.  

Photo of the boy's and men's choir of St. James.  Doug is 4th boy from left if front while LDub is the cute kid in the dead center-front with his hair falling on his forehead.  Eddie had missed the photo.

Eddie wished me a Merry Christmas as he had other commitments while Carol and I headed to Whole Foods supermarket for one more round of halleluyah's.  We arrived and there was Doug and his wife who came to listen to the final performance of the morning.  The produce department of the supermarket was filled with shoppers who all stopped their shopping at approximately 10:45 to listen to Handel's Halleluyah Chorus.  We sat with Doug and his wife and Carol's friend Marg and her husband as we enjoyed a muffin and beverage from the store.  The day was a true success and meeting some of my good friends from the 1950s made it that much more enjoyable.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - Enjoy the Lancaster "Flash Mob" 

The "Are You A Tinsel Lover...Or Not?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Late 1970s and Christmas was right around the corner.  Our oldest son was close to 10 years old and loved just about everything about the holidays.  We bought a live Christmas tree at the stand run by a fellow I taught school with and we placed the tree in the living room of our home on Janet Ave. in Lancaster, PA.  To make sure he, nor his two siblings nor our two cats we had, didn't knock over the tree, I fastened the tree stand to the floor with screws and fastened the top to the wall with wire.  We were ready for decorating.  Lights, balls, ornaments and of course the final touch.....tinsel.  

Tinsel to make your Christmas tree reflect light.

My wife just loved to dangle tinsel from just about every branch of the tree.  Very festive, so it was.  But, there was also one other member of the family that loved the tinsel, namely Ivy, our cat.  She would eat the tinsel and then poop it out.  A few times we had to help her since it would come part-way out and then just hang there.  Kids thought that was not only gross, but funny.  Well, that brings me to the theme of my story for the day, tinsel.  Was invented sometime in the early 1600s in Nuremberg, Germany, the same country that created the Christmas tree.  The word, tinsel, comes from the French "estincelle" which means "spark".  No one is quite sure why people decided to drape it on a Christmas tree.  One thing that is known is that tinsel used to be real silver which made beautiful tinsel sounds when the air caused it to be rustled while on the tree.  But, with real candles still in use as ornaments on a tree, the flame would tarnish the tinsel.  Eventually, due to the cost, tinsel was made from aluminum.  

A beautiful tree with tinsel.

If you do a search online you may still be able to find pure silver tinsel, but at a premium price.  Tinsel which we are used to seeing on Christmas trees during our lifetime was partially lead until 1972 when the FDA said that it was too harmful for children to be near and was taken off the market.  Tinsel you can buy today is probably made of plastic or mylar.  Just doesn't lay on the tree like it used to years ago.  One tinsel producer today has the name Brite-Star.  It is a Philadelphia based business that makes about 80% of the tinsel made in the USA.  It makes its tinsel 1/16th of an inch wide and 18 inches long.  The company claims to have made enough tinsel to reach the moon and back which is about 1.6 billion strands of the stuff.  One way or another, if you lived in LDubs house back in the late 70s to the mid 80s, the tree wasn't going anywhere and was strung with the shiny stuff to make it look gaudy.  That was until Ivy consumed so much that she began to glow in the dark.  That was the end of our use of tinsel.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.