It was an ordinary day. Finally decided it was time to begin the clean-up of the hill to the left of my house which has six large English Walnut trees on it. Carol and I had just returned from an 11 day vacation to Antigua with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue and when we left they were just beginning to drop their walnuts.
Two buckets sit in front of an entire lawn
covered with English Walnuts.
Well, it didn't take long to drop the majority of them so I grabbed my large plastic buckets and began to pick up the walnuts from the lawn under them as well as much of the land nearby. About ten years ago I wrote a story telling of doing the same thing, but with 10 more years of growth, the task has grown. Years ago I was approached by a few people who asked if they could have the walnuts if they collected them. I loved not having to spend hours picking them up, but after one year they never returned again. They told me they were transporting then to another state to the west where they would sell them to a candy company. This year I collected 21 buckets of English Walnuts and deposited them behind a fence to the bottom of the hill where the trees stand.
The local squirrel and chipmunk population
uses our fence top to open and eat the walnuts.
Notice the hundreds of walnuts behind the fence.
That was after I spent about half an hour throwing a few hundred behind the fence until my arm got tired. Throughout the fall and winter months the squirrel population in the neighborhood will help themselves to the collection of English Walnuts behind the fence. Many sit on the fence, break them open and after eating them leave the remains on the fence. I must clean the fence a couple of times to keep the layer of shells from growing too high. I have no idea what they taste like since I don't care for walnuts, but if the piles of shells is any indication, they must be good! The cleanup usually takes the better part of a day since I find it such a daunting task as I grow older. Perhaps it is time to hire a neighborhood boy or girl to take over the task for me. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
Our neighbors help themselves to the walnuts and sit on the fence to eat them.
It was an ordinary day. Had just opened an email from Jack Brubaker, aka "The Scribbler", who writes a weekly column for the Lancaster Newspaper. Jack was responding to an email I had recently sent to him asking for his help with a few questions about the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Jack's column "The Scribbler" has been a treasure trove for Lancastrians interested in the history of one of the first inland cities in the United States. I asked a question about a home with extraordinary ironwork on it as well as the fate of the Moravian Church that supposedly was located on Orange Street in downtown Lancaster. I went on to tell him I have loved his column for as long as he has been writing it and try to mimic his writing style whenever possible. He was the inspiration for my blog shortly after I retired from teaching school. I included a link to my blog just in case he wanted to take a look at it. Well, within a day or two I got my response giving me information about the house with the ironwork and the Moravian Church, which happened to be on Chestnut and not Orange Street. He also told me he had read some of my blog stories and found them interesting. He went on to tell me that he would like to mention my blog in one of his "The Scribbler" stories. He said he would mention that I had a large following from Russia leading up to the last Presidential election as well as the mid-term election. He wanted to know how I knew my readers were Russians as opposed to anyone else? My following letter to him included a screen shot showing him how I can tell my readership from the top 10 countries.
LDub holding his MacBook Air. (by Dan Marschka)
Changes all the time, but before the election I was having a few thousand readers a day reading my blog from Russia. The following summer I had a three day period when I had a few thousand Germans reading my blog. Why? I have absolutely do idea. Well, wasn't long before newspaper photographer Dan Marschka arrived at my rear door with his Nikon camera. Dan had made numerous visits to speak to my photography class at Mannheim Township High School about journalistic photography when I was teaching. We spent the next hour or so catching up on family activities and then he took a few photographs of me.
Dan showing Carol the results of my photo-shoot.
Lighting and composition are some of the reasons for his excellence in taking photos and he spent about 15 minutes making sure he had the proper place in the house with the right amount of light and positioning me for the best composition. Five days later I opened the morning newspaper and there on page 3 was "The Scribbler" column with my photograph heading a story about blogging, recycling and the Russians! His usual amount of humor made his story interesting, even for me who was the theme of his story. Jack had been an inspiration to me for years. I just love his writing style and try to imitate it wnenever possible. A big thank you goes out to Jack for giving my blog a boost and to Dan for making me look so good. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - check out the story at: https://lancasteronline.com/features/are-the-russians-watching-how-we-handle-our-recyclables-the/article_0e22d79a-5ad1-11e9-a3d0-87d9b3ac2a0d.html
It was an ordinary day. Talking with my wife about an issue we had just seen discussed on cable TV. Story talked about how many Russians may go to work every morning searching online for information that can be used to infiltrate the fiber of our life in the United States as well as other nations. They search for issues that may be current topics in our social life as well in in our political life. They set up fake FaceBook pages where they target issues and people who show interest in these issues. And then...all of a sudden...it hit us!
"Do you think that's why for the past year or so all those Russians have been reading your blog!" Carol said. "Maybe they read your blog to see what types of issues and things you write about so they can use that against us." Wow!! While on vacation two years ago I noticed an extraordinary amount of readers accessing my stories. On "Blogspot" I can visit a link titled "Audience" which lists pageviews by country. For days, sometimes weeks, at a time the majority of readers were from Russia. Not just a hundred or so, but a few thousand viewers were from Russia. Why? And then in the spring and summer before our Presidential election, the same thing happened once again. During the month before our election over 50% of readers on my blog were from Russia. I asked Carol if she thought I should call the local police department, but after talking about it we decided they couldn't have done anything about it anyway. Perhaps they were using my blog to learn how to read English! Must admit I was thrilled to have them read my stories, but they certainly weren't going to learn the English language by reading my stories. As you may remember I have written quite a few times that I was not an English teacher. And, just as we had determined that the links that the Russians had to my blog where nothing but a coincidence, Carol reminded me that a few years after I began writing my blog I had a few thousand readers each day for over a week from Germany. Once again...why? So, until I have other evidence of wrongdoing, I welcome readers from all over the world. Pretty neat to see readers from nations and locations that I had never known existed. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Talking on my smartphone. Doesn't everyone talk on the phone ... all the time ... everyday! It sure seems like it to me. You do realize that it's been 10 years since Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone in 2007. The smartphone has become the friend, perhaps the best friend, of so many individuals of all ages. Good or bad? For many it has been a godsend. If you know how to use the GPS on your phone the chances of getting lost are pretty slim. But, that's if you know how to use it. Just when I think I know what I'm doing, I hit the wrong key and presto! I end up on a dead end street. Now, I'm pretty good with the camera part of my smartphone and I enjoy using the set of gadgets I purchased that give me either a fisheye, wide angle or closeup photograph through the use of an adapter that I clip on my smartphone over the camera lens. Takes a few seconds and they are sent to my laptop so I can share them with you. Also use it for taking panorama shots and plenty of photographs while on vacation. Someone asked me if I hold my smartphone horizontal or vertical when taking photographs. Do you know that 94% of people hold their smartphone vertical when taking photos and videos. Do you also know that filmmakers in Hollywood generally hold their cameras horizontal. Been doing that since the 1930s. So why don't people shoot video or take photos holding the smartphone the same way? Hollywood says that vertical is great for capturing personality while horizontal is good for most other items. Also know how to use my timer while cooking steaks on the grill and how to turn on the flashlight, but there are still many features on my smartphone that have outsmarted me for as long as I have had the phone. I understand that the new version of the smartphone will be able to recognize my face or my fingerprint when I want to turn on my smartphone, but why do I need my phone to know who I am? Starting to get a bit too personal. All this smartphone stuff has begun an entire new generation known as the iGeneration. Duh! People no longer talk to one another face to face. They would rather sit in a room by themselves and text or talk to others without human contact. They do it all day long and into the night, stopping to eat a bite or get a few hours of sleep. And, that's where the problems begin. Fewer hours of sleep, too much time on the phone and we are growing into a society of hermits. And this App thing ... there's apps for everything. An app for the weather, an app you can use to buy groceries online, an app that will help you understand how to get an app, etc. Many use their phone continuously while driving the car. I love to blow my horn when someone obviously is using it when the light turns green. Scares the crap out of 'em. And, someone using their phone more than likely hit my mailbox with their car and took off. It was back in 2006 when Jimmy Buffett recorded his song "Everybody's On The Phone". Boy, how did he know what was going to happen? Interesting lyrics that makes me wonder if he really knew over 10 years ago what was going to happen. I will end with the lyrics for you to check out and also a YouTube video so you can listen to the song. Think you can stay off your phone long enough to read and listen to the song? I certainly hope so. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
"Everybody's On The Phone"
Message in a bottle, rhythm of a drum
Smoke signals and telegraphs make the airwaves hum
But that's all ancient history like bongs and Lincoln Logs
Now we livin' like the Jetsons in a wacky wireless fog
Talkin' squawkin' hawkin' who knows if anybody's gettin' through
Toasters talk to crackberries, Boston to Bombay
Teenage schemes and Ma-bell's dreams as minutes tick away
We act like crazy people talking to ourselves
Crashing cars in conversation while that shit flies off the shelf
The information superhighways locked up like a L.A. traffic jam
Everybody's on the phone
So connected and all alone
From the pizza boy to the socialite
We all salute the satellites
Let me text you with your master plan
You're loud and clear but I don't understand
I'm a digital explorer in analog roam
And everybody's on the phone
Do you remember dialing up?
Yes I remember well
Now I just can't go anywhere with out that sacred cell
I think that I might die if I miss anything at all
Text me, send me an e-mail, link me up, give me a call
I'm ADD on AOL tryin to read the writing on the wall
Everybody's on the phone
So connected and all alone
From the pizza boy to the socialite
We all salute the satellites
Let me text you with your master plan
You're loud and clear but I don't understand
I'm a digital explorer in analog roam
And everybody's on the phone
Now I'm a real jungle jumper
I'm a megahertz man
I swing from tree to tree on the very latest plan
On the download In the dropout zones
In every major city 'cross the land
I got my Marley on my ringtone, get up, stand up, reach out, touch somebody man
Foreword: Have a few tales to tell that are sort of interesting and sort of very short, so I thought I'd have them share a day in the life of an ordinary guy. For those that haven't been reading my alliterative nonsense for the past 7+ years, my first story will give you the reason why I begin each post with the same sentence. The other two stories are just some nonsense that I thought I'd share.
Stuart Woods
Story #1. It was an ordinary day.Story #1. Time once again to rehash the reason for my beginning my stories with the same sentence as I have for over 2,700 times. Doesn't seem like I have written that many stories, but it's true. My blog began after viewing the movie "Julie and Julia" which was about a young girl who loved cooking and decided to write a daily blog using Julia Child's cookbook as her inspiration. As for me, I decided to write a blog for something to do as well as to document my life's experiences so Ancestor.com had my history for those that want to know about my life's experiences. Well, the blog began at a time when I had been reading Stuart Woods novels. He began every book with ... Elaine's late! Always thought that was interesting.
Elaine's in New York
Elaine was an actual person who ran a restaurant in New York on the Upper East Side and who, evidently, was late from time to time to converse with her patrons. The real Elaine died in 2011 and if I remember correctly, Stuart ceased from using that tag line anymore. Since I enjoyed Mr. Woods' method of introducing his readers to his latest novel, I picked out ... "It was an ordinary day" as my introduction to my stories. I spend web time viewing a travel site where one person recently posted: At various times, I have come across a blog where every entry starts with "It was a typical day,". Very interesting. Unfortunately, I can't find it. If you are familiar with this blog, would you please post the URL for the blog? Thanks ... Well the next person posting gave the poster the link to my blog since they evidently read the stories. So you see, my tagline helped me gain a reader.
Wayne Carini in one of his automobiles
Story #2: It was an ordinary day. Waiting in the Miami airport for a connecting flight to some exotic island in the Caribbean when I needed to take a walk and stretch my legs. Slowly walked past other people reading or dozing and as I passed this one fellow I slowed and finally stopped. I knew the face who was buried in the USA Today newspaper, but couldn't place it. Then it struck me ... Wayne Carini, who happens to be the star of "Chasing Classic Cars" on the television Speed Channel. I said, "Wayne, I love your show." He slowly put the paper down and smiled. I knew right away it was him, but he quietly said, "You must have the wrong person," and continued reading his newspaper. To this day I know it was Wayne Carini, an absolute legend in the car industry. I watch his show all the time and just know it was him, but I realize that he gets that all the time and it probably gets old being a TV star and having people stop and want to say "Hi" all the time. Story #3: It was an ordinary day. Finishing typing a story for my blog about a woman who had been born on Valentine's Day and happened to die on Valentine's Day. What are the chances of that happening? I read years ago that some people believe that if you are born and die on the same day, it is a gift from God. It tells the whole world that God was pleased with the efforts of this person. Do you believe that being born and dying on the same day has anything to do with God or religion? I'm not sure what I believe in this instance. In the case of the woman I was writing about, she died on Valentine's Day which is a pagan holiday, so how can that be a gift from God?
Story #4: It was an ordinary day. My brother had just emailed me a note telling me to take a look at the drink menu that he had sent to me. Seems the place had a mixed drink called a "Little Larry" that was a Mini-Classic Frozen Margarita topped with Grand Marnier. He thought I just had to have one the next time I visited the place. Didn't sound good to me plus I had no idea what the name of the place may be and neither did my brother. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Posting another story to "Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy." Somedays, after feeding Creamsicle the cat and eating breakfast, I manage to post my daily story before I head out the door to one of my few part-time jobs, but at times my mind is on something else and I don't post it until I get home around noon. Then there are the days when I sit down with my laptop after supper and forget I haven't posted anything at all that day and quickly add a story. And, every so often I don't post at all. Those days are usually when I don't have access to the internet, may be on vacation or visiting with friends or perhaps sick with one illness or another. Hasn't happened often, since I have missed posting a story only 23 times in the past seven years! I don't always write a story each day, but find time some days to write a few stories and keep them in queue until I may need them for a day when I can't find time to write. The majority of my stories are typed on either my MacBook Air laptop or my desktop MacIntosh. Even after seven years it is still fun to click on the icon on my desk that takes me to my blog so I can either type a story, post a story or get into Blogspot and check on my blog overview which lists "Stats", "Traffic sources", "Audience" and a few other blog background menus. Under "Stats" I can see how many pageviews the blog had today, yesterday, last week and all time. Some days I get as few as perhaps 80 to 90 while other days it may be in the thousands. Under "Traffic Sources" I can see referring URLS (Uniform Resource Locator or a reference, or address, to a resource on the Internet) which are how people found the blog such as Google, Bing, Yahoo, Facebook, etc. Under "Audience" I can see how many pageviews I have had for the day, month, year or all-time by looking at a map of the earth with those areas where I might have a reader highlighted in green; the more people, the darker the green.
There is also a graph showing me pageviews for the day, week, etc. that lists the top 10 countries with how many accessed the blog and from where in the world they live. I am amazed at countries that have been listed from time to time; the usual such as United States, France, Russia and China are listed often, but then there are others such as Ukraine, Mauritius, Guatemala, South Korea, Jamaica, Macedonia, Pakistan, Singapore, Kenya, Fiji, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Antiqua and Barbuda, St. Martin, Sint Maarten, Australia and even Kazakhstan. The last few areas I access show me layout, templates I can use, settings and earnings. At one time you may remember I added ads to my blog. I was told that for every time someone clicked on an ad I would receive a certain amount of money. Well, after over a half-year of having ads, I had accumulated a total of close to $25 in earnings. Wasn't worth all the hassle I had to do to keep the ads in place so I removed them from the blog. As I start another year I hope to be able to continue writing and sharing my life's stories in order to document my life's history as well as to continue what has become a hobby. And, I'm having the best time sharing with everyone! Thanks for tuning in! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. September 2, 2009 and I had just posted my first story on "Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy." Well, it's been seven years since I first posted the story about the white rats that my grandpap bought for me when I was a young boy at a farmer's market in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania known as Root's Farmer's Market and Auction. Story about how they escaped in the family basement while we were at church and how we managed to catch all of them. Click on the link along the page for 2009 and read it if you care to. Today begins the eighth year of stories and I want to thank you for reading a few over the years. Some of the stories were about ... crash landing while taking a hot air balloon ride, visiting downtown Lancaster to see Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy, watching the birth of my children, traveling with friends Jerry and Just Sue to some of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, setting up a print shop in a pup-tent in my back yard when I was a young boy, buying my first car and eating French croissants for breakfast every morning for three weeks while on the island of St. Martin. But, perhaps my all-time favorite story I have written, which I still tell today to friends, or anyone who will listen to it, is about a young boy named Noel and the good laugh we had one day during Photography class at Manheim Township High School where I taught for years. So, you know what's coming ... don't you? Just one more time for good luck, as they say. So, here is the story, just as I posted it on Friday, September 11, 2009 ......... It was an ordinary day. My 1st period photography class was just about over. Today I had Noel Y. in class. Years before I had coached Noel in Little League baseball. I always pitched batting practice to my 13-14 year old players. One day Noel hit a line drive at me and broke my finger. The next day at practice I told Noel, "One day I'll get even with you!", just joking with him. Well, here we are in 1st period class with a few minutes left before the bell. "Tell us a story, Mr. Woods" someone said. The students always loved to hear my family stories, since I had all 3 of my children in class and all my students knew at least one of them. I told the story of how all three of my kids were ill at one time or another with mono. "My youngest son was in the hospital for a few days because he was so ill, my daughter missed over a week of class because of her illness, but my oldest son really had it bad. He was in the hospital for a few days and when he came home he developed a large lump the size of a softball on his neck from the mono. Back to the hospital where they drained the lump and put a tube in his neck so it could be re-drained when necessary. It was so gross that my wife had to....." Just then I heard a crash next to me. Noel Y. was on the floor. The room went quiet. I sent a student for the nurse and cleared the students from the area around Noel. I got down on the floor to examine him to see if he had hurt himself from the fall off his stool. No visible marks so I wiped his forehead with my handkerchief. He opened his eyes and looked at me and apologized for passing out. It seems he had no breakfast that day and the story was too much for him. After realizing he was going to be fine I helped him to a sitting position so he could rest against the cabinets until the nurse arrived. I looked him in the eye and said, "Now we're even!" The students were astonished I would say something like that to him, but Noel got a big smile on his face and said "Yep." Just another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. Since that story about eight years ago I have written over 2,500 more stories and almost half a million visits to my blog have happened. And that is only after I added a counter to my blog about four years after I started it. Remarkable is all I can say! Thank you so much for visiting and reading the stories of my life and the adventures of my family and friends. I'm aiming for many more or until my fingers can no longer push the keys on my Apple. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Remembering back to when I started this blog years ago. Up until the time when I put "pencil or pen to paper", or should I say "fingers to keys", many of my friends and relatives told me I should write this story or that story of what has happened to me and my family during my lifetime. Seems I had experienced many events, lessons, occurrences, vacations ........ during my life and many enjoyed hearing me tell about them.
And then they began to tell me I ought to write a book of stories to share. Well, this blog is the best I can do so all those people will have to may do with it. But, you know, this is something that everyone should do to share their life experiences for future generations. All you have to be is interested and not afraid to try! Hey, I found it to be a simple and a fun thing to do. As you can see, you don't have to be a language major for your computer's spellcheck will make you look like a wizard with spelling. As for punctuation, just throw in a few commas and explanation points here and there and people will think you were a whiz in high school or college English. No one will grade what you write or judge your writing. If you have lived as long as I have, you more than likely will have more stories to share than you will ever have a chance to write.
Start by thinking back to your childhood. There has to be a few stories that you can remember! No one can tell your story as well as you can or the way that you can. And, when you begin to write, more stories or memories will pop into your head. Many people, such as myself, began to write so I could pass my stories along to family, but if someone else enjoys it, so be it. Some stories will be humorous, while others may be emotional or life-changing, but all still need to be told. All you have to do is find your own personal writing technique for the way you write. Base your technique on a favorite author you may have. Stuart Woods, no relation to me sorry to say, is one of my favorite authors who at one time began all his books with .... Elaine's late. So, I decided to start each story with .... It was an ordinary day. At first I would write a story, have my wife read it, make suggestions, and then I'd decide on what my final draft would be. Now, my wife has gotten tired of listening to the stories, telling me that she lived through most of my stories already and she doesn't want to live through them again. Hey, writing and sharing your stories is a very inexpensive hobby. While reading the local newspaper, I noticed that many retirement villages and homes offer classes or help in "Life-Story Writing." I find that putting words onto paper, or in my case onto my computer screen, is very therapeutic. Well, it's your turn now to give it a try. Pick out an era of your life, write a life story, read it aloud, take constructive criticism, but don't change anything if you feel it doesn't need changing. After all, it's your story!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - If you are a reader of my blog and decide to start one of your own, make sure you send me a comment with the link to your blog so I can follow your life stories.
It was an ordinary day. Sitting in my leather lounge chair reading two very interesting stories written by Robert M. Olson in what will perhaps be the new SENIOR LIFE section of the Lancaster Newspaper. One story he published is his life story titled: "Adrift after sailing, I found a new purpose for my life." Story tells the life of a retired pastor, hospital chaplain, university teacher, family therapist, storyteller and sailor who sold everything after retirement and bought a boat to do some exploring with his wife. He told of a life rich in experiences, but poor of wealth. He eventually moved back to solid ground and
the day came to try something different. Lancaster Newspapers has given him that chance by working with seniors to tell their stories. He tells: I would like to teach you how to tell your story so that your children and grandchildren have your life's legacy to pass on to their children." Well, I have just sent an email to Bob telling him of my experiences after retirement and how this blog has given me the chance to share my life's experiences, both past and present with anyone who may happen upon my stories. It's been almost eight years since I began this adventure and at times I thought I would put a stop to it, but it has become addictive and I'm having some of the best times of my life. I anxious to see what Bob has in store for the readers of the Lancaster Newspaper. I'm sure a few more seniors will find the enjoyment and excitement that I found eight years ago. Once I see some results, I'll pass a link along so you too may see the stories that other seniors find important and inspiring in their lives. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Looking through my little orange writing booklet that has gone with me on story after story over the past year. My wife bought me the booklet, that measures about 5" by 8", last year while we were visiting Cape May, NJ during our annual family trip to nearby Ocean City, NJ. At the south corner of Washington Mall in Cape May stands this really neat little store. Kind of nondescript, but they have a variety of unusual items for purchase. One of these items, this little orange writing booklet with the statement "Remember, ideas become things", caught my eye and wouldn't you know it, my wife gave it to me as a gift after we returned home from vacation. No special reason, just gave it to me because she is so nice! The booklet is filled with ruled pages, good for taking notes and writing stories. Between every so many pages is a page filled with special tidbits of knowledge. One page tells about plagiarism and how "Nothing is original."
And … "Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination." "Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul." And, a quote from Jean-Luc Godard which says, "It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to." And, another page reads, "What is now proved was once only imagined." This was written by William Blake. After I reach the next orange page in the book that bears a note, I remove it to allow me to once again write on the ruled pages. The next page that I will reach soon says, "Things are only impossible until they are not." I take the booklet when I visit people or locations which I will feature on my blog. Fill the pages with notes that when I return home, I tear from the booklet to organize my thoughts before I write. I also have begun a section in the back of the booklet where I decided I would write ideas for my first novel. Only have one so far. The note reads …. The silence is deafening. Then another bullet explodes, sending shock waves through the air. That's as far as I have gotten on my first novel. We will travel once again, soon, to Ocean City for another yearly family vacation and during that time will take a day trip to Cape May for a relaxing day of shopping and eating at my favorite, The Lobster House. Naturally will stop in the same store and point out to my wife the next booklet that interests me. We'll see what happens next! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Just finished watching an old episode of the Big Bang Theory. If you have never heard of the American TV show or watched it, it features best friends Leonard and Sheldon who are physicists who work at the California Institute of Technology, but are socially inadequate. They hang out with their friends who seem at times to also be socially inadequate except for Leonard and Sheldon's neighbor Penny. The show I just watched featured friends Howard and Bernadette who wanted to get married before Howard went into space so they went to the courthouse, but before they could get married, the Courthouse closed. So .... they all got online degrees to be ministers and perform the wedding for Howard and Bernadette. My wife, Carol, said to me, "You could have performed the wedding had you been there."
Sounds pretty far fetched, but for those who have been reading this site for years, you may remember that I am an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church. My online Ordination took place on December 15, 2010. At that time I became legally qualified to perform weddings, baptisms, funerals and open my own church. More than likely the characters on the Big Bang Theory became fictional ministers in this religious affiliation. If you have ever read about the Universal Life Church you probably know that over 20 million people around the world have been ordained ministers in the church. There are only two beliefs you must abide by: Do only that which is right and all should be free to worship as they see fit. During my five years as a minister I have not once married anyone, baptized anyone or buried anyone. I also never sent my money into the website for my ULC wallet card, my specially engraved letterhead and envelopes, my printed T-shirt or my framed Ordination Certificate. Oh well, I still believe, as more than likely the characters of the TV show do, that "We Are All Children Of The Same Universe." That is after all the slogan of the Universal Life Church. Actually you can leave a comment if you are in need of my services and I will get back to you! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordianry guy.
It was an ordinary day. Reading an online version of AARP Magazine that lists 12 items that I need to ditch if I plan to downsize. Carol and I have been talking about just that thing for over a year now. Yesterday in the mail was an invitation to dinner in Lititz, Pennsylvania at the Moravian Manor downtown office. A little over a year ago Carol and I visited the office to talk with someone about the new campus that they are beginning to develop. I went to a dinner one day to hear their spiel, but Carol couldn't make the meal and presentation because she was needed at work. Well, the same dinner/talk is being offered once again and …. hey, it's a free meal! Years ago we often joked that we could avoid buying groceries for weeks at a time if we went to all the open houses and presentations that were offered in the mail from retirement homes and retirement planners. But, to go along with the joking can the thoughts of what to do with all the "stuff" we have. Just how do we downsize. Recently I wrote about the boxes and boxes of old magazines I placed by the curb for the recycle company. That happened to be one of the items that was in the AARP article I viewed this morning. A few other ideas they gave to "senior citizens" was:
Consider getting rid of the big house and moving into a smaller one. Would save money for taxes, utilities, insurance and repairs as well as less hassle mowing and shoveling snow for a smaller property.
Pay off your debt as soon as you can. Do you owe thousands on credit cards? So you still have a mortgage? The last question is one that I'm not sure of, since our financial advisor suggests not to be in a hurry to pay off a mortgage. If the rate of interest is low enough on a mortgage, it may be best to take any extra money you may want to put towards and extra mortgage payment and invest it another fund where you will gain more interest than the mortgage interest may be.
How about getting rid of some clothes.
Hats I'll never wear again.
We have two large cedar chests that I had made years ago when I taught in the high school woodshop. They are filled with clothes! Not my clothes, but with someone else's clothes! And, how about the boxes of clothes that are in our cedar closet. Stuff that has been out of style or will never be worn again line the racks in the closet. Great way to downsize!
In the garage is shelf after shelf of old small kitchen appliances. We have a really neat bread maker that we haven't used in 20 years. We have two crystal punch bowls that we haven't used since we moved into our "Beach House" and had an open house. May be time to pass these items on to our next of kin or try and sell at a garage sale.
And then the stuff in the coat closet that hasn't seen the outdoors in years. Scarves, gloves, jackets that were at one time in style and now occupy a hanger in the closet. More stuff for the garage sale.
A few years ago I actually did what the article suggests and got rid of some of the memories of the past.
Books I never use again.
For years Carol and I owned a bright red Corvette. Every weekend in the summer my youngest son, Tad, and I would enter a car show somewhere in the area. Every week they would give everyone a small trophy for entering the car show. They really accumulate! Plus the shows where we would place 1st, 2nd or 3rd would give out larger trophies. Some were floor models. I did keep one large one, but the rest I donated to Good Will who recycle them.
Then there is the old furniture that still is usable or the exercise equipment that sits in the basement waiting to be used. The furniture is tough to get rid of, but I did advertise in the newspaper in the "Free Stuff" section and we did get rid of a few rusting exercise pieces.
And, what about the Christmas decorations that haven't been used for years and years. Well, they tend to be placed back in plastic tubs for future use. Some things are just hard to discard. We did move our decorations from an upstairs closet to the basement this year to make it easier to reach when we downsize.
Once a year I go through my office and try to reason with myself that I'll never use that again or that hasn't worked for years, so why save it.
Bottles that at one time held rum,
but now hold sand.
All depends on what kind of day I am having as to whether I throw stuff out or not. I have an entire drawer full of old camera lenses that are just too hard to get rid of. And all those old books that tell a Dummy how to use this or that. I just may use them one day since I will still will be a dummy in the future. The dictionary, or I should say dictionaries, haven't been opened in years since it is easier to Google a word. But, the old flowers and mementos from events in the past fill some of the spaces in the books and I certainly want to keep them. Why? I don't know! And all those Ma DouDou Rhum bottles filled with sand from beaches in my past travels. Hey, they are pretty neat and someone else will have to downsize them in the future, since I don't think I can throw them out. Oh yeah, there sits my harmonica that I bought years ago, planning to learn how to play so I could accompany Jimmy Buffett on my CDs. Too tough to downsize that!
But, there was one final item that AARP suggested downsizing, and that was the family car or cars. Does your family really need two or three cars? Do you and whomever lives in your house with you both work? Why do you need both, or in some cases, all those cars and trucks? They cost for insurance, in some case state inspections, registration, and maintenance. And that stuff isn't cheap in most states or countries. Maybe time to narrow it down to just one vehicle. I thought of that when my car died recently. I decided on a short term lease with a real small payment. Would make it easier at the end of the least to maybe downsize at that time.
If you are a senior citizen, such as me, have you found any ideas at all from my story today. You know, you will have to do something at some point in your life. The best way to not have to downsize later in life is to get rid of the stuff that you would put in a closet or store in a chest immediately. When you put something in a drawer thinking you may want to use that in the future, toss it instead. I can tell you that you will never use it again! I know from experience. Boxes, cabinets, drawers, etc. of ordinary stuff fill my house. Time to discard it! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Preparing to finish my final post listing the letters of the alphabet with a few words for each letter relating to my favorite vacation spot, St. Martin in the Caribbean Sea. So, without any other fanfare, let me begin.
T: Ting is a fantastic grapefruit soft drink. Carol and I found it years ago on one of our first trips to the Caribbean with our traveling friends Jerry and Just Sue. Comes in a green bottle and has a sweet citricy flavor.
A few years after we discovered the drink, we found they had Ting in a pink color. Both tasted the same with the only difference being the color. For years I wished I could find the Pepsi product in Pennsylvania and then one day I went into my local Giant Supermarket and there on the shelf was Ting in the green bottle. Now my only problem I find is that I should not be drinking the beverage since it interferes with one of my medicines. A Time Share is one way to be able to partially own a place to stay while on the island. I know quite a few people who own time shares, many on the island of St. Martin. Recently I was offered a chance to buy a time share from a friend. Still haven't decided if I want to or not. I just don't see the big draw in having to pay a monthly maintenance fee and possibly a fee for upgrades as well as pay for the initial cost of the time share.
U: Umbrellas of all colors line just about every beach on the island.
Beach bars line Orient Beach with
a multitude of different colored umbrellas.
Many beaches have umbrellas as well as beach chairs for rent. Many beach bars on the different islands will have a specific color for their umbrellas so as to attract people to their beach bar. Costs vary from bar to bar as well as beach to beach. Some include a drink with the cost of the chairs and umbrella while others will give you a free rental if you eat lunch at their beach bar. Urchin, Sea Urchin or Sea Hedgehog all refer to the small, spiny class called Echinoidea.
The spiny sea urchin.
There are about 950 species so it makes it a whole lot harder to tell you the exact one that I stepped on while snorkeling off Pinel Island a few years ago. They come in all colors including black. Urchins move slowly on the sea bottom and feed mostly on algae. The name "urchin" is an old word for hedgehog which describes the appearance of an urchin. So what did it feel like to step on one? The pain was intense with pain filling my leg to my hip. The fellow running the dive shop where we were snorkeling saw me getting out of the water and knew exactly what I had done. "It'll go away in a few hours," he said. And, he was right.
V: A Vedette is a small Naval launch used for scouting or it could refer to a French mounted sentry who is a lookout for an enemy. I use it here since one day Carol and I were visiting the French capital of the island, Marigot, and saw what looked like a naval vessel tied at anchor in the harbor.
Villa Plage d'Elan pool view.
We questioned a worker at the market who told us soldiers are walking around in the market who came to shore from the vedette. Never saw them myself, but did see the boat. Villa is another name for a home on the French side of St. Martin. It sounds so neat to say we stayed in a Villa while on vacation rather than say we stayed in a house. So much more romantic! We have stayed in vacation homes such as Villa Jeluca, Villa Bonita, Villa Sea Haven, Villa Mayorca and this year we will be visiting Villa Plage d'Elan.
W:
Whitecaps can be seen
in the distance.
Waves is the obvious word for this letter. Some beaches have waves that will knock you down such as Baie Rouge and at times Orient Beach, while other beaches have extremely gentle waves such as the beach at Pinel Island. Whitecaps can be seen at some beaches also, but the whitecaps usually occur in the distance since there are many reefs around the island that cause whitecaps as they break the wave activity and therefore creating whitecaps.
X: Xanadu refers to St. Martin in it's entirety. The idyllic beauty of the island suggests it only exists in a myth. The picture perfect scenes around the island, whether they be of the people, flowers, houses or even the small cities and towns make you wonder why you don't sell your home and move to the island. Not gonna happen, since the island would no longer be our special retreat, but our home. And home just can't be .... well, it can't be vacation. Or, can it?
Y: Yellow Beach is located on the island of Pinel.
Yellow Beach is covered with the
yellow umbrellas on the island of Pinel.
It naturally has yellow umbrellas which you can rent. There is a restaurant closeby where you can purchase beverages as well as lunch. Since there is no electricity on the uninhabited island, the restaurant has their own generators which they use for preparing the meals they serve. There at one time were three places to eat, but one closed a few years ago leaving two restaurants to serve the day trippers to the island. The Yacht Club is located on the Dutch side of the island at the Simpson Bay drawbridge.
The Yacht Club restaurant can be seen
to the left of the drawbridge.
The bridge begins to open at 8:30 AM for boats leaving the bay area and opens every hour after that for incoming/outgoing traffic. The restaurant at the Yacht Club sits directly along the channel under the bridge. Fantastic chance to see the large yachts as well as smaller boats entering and exiting through the channel. Carol and I make a visit every year to have breakfast as we watch the yachts pass by as we enjoy or croissants.
Z: Zee Best Restaurant has two locations on the island, both on the Dutch side.
The French Toast.
One location is near the airport while the other location in the Simpson Bay area in the Plaza del Lago. We have visited the second location numerous times for breakfast. The table is set with a basket of croissants which are remarkable. I at one time thought they were complimentary, but when the bill came I realized otherwise. They sell savory crepes as well as our favorite Zee Best Original French Toast. Remarkable meal and very filling.
So, I have reached the end of the alphabet. Hope you enjoyed a few of the items I have added to my alphabetical story of our second home, St. Martin. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Carol and I are watching grand- daughter Camille play basketball at the Urbana High School gym in Urbana, Maryland. She is in 6th grade and plays on the Middle School team this year. Her team has lost only one game this year and after watching them play today I could see why they excel. Camille is a point guard who may be small in stature, but certainly is long when it comes to defense.
Courtney(#15) scoring one of her baskets.
She manages to bat the ball away from the other team as well as creating havoc when the other team attempts to inbound the ball. I enjoy so much watching my grandkids play athletics and am sorry I don't get to make the trip from Lancaster to Urbana more times than I do. Earlier today Carol and I watched our other granddaughter, Courtney, who is in 8th grade, play basketball in the Rec league. She managed to score 4 points in her game and grab a few rebounds. Her team didn't win the game, but they still managed to put up a fight till the end of the game. Another reason for our travel today was son-in-law Dave's birthday. We planned the visit for the weekend so we could watch the girls play as well as wish Dave a happy birthday.
Catalog featuring Shoal Bay East.
Trips to Maryland in the winter can be challenging due to the weather, but we usually get to visit a few times. Always find something new to talk about or see while making our visit. While having lunch between games at our daughter's Brynn's home I noticed a clothing catalog on the kitchen island. Catalog was titled vineyard vines and featured one of our favorite beaches in the Caribbean, Shoal Bay East, on the cover. Shoal Bay East is located on the island of Anguilla and is perhaps one of the most beautiful beaches in the Caribbean. Across the island from Shoal Bay East is Rendezvous Bay.
Inside the catalog is featured Bankie Banx at the Dune Preserve.
On it is located the Dune Preserve which is owned and operated by Bankie Banx who is known as the "Anguillan Bob Dylan" and who sponsors the annual Moonsplash Music Festival in March. We have visited with Bankie a few times just to see the stage where Jimmy Buffett has performed a few times. Bankie is featured directly inside the catalog wearing some of the fashions on sale in the catalog.
LDub enjoying his paper and donut.
One of my favorite activities though is Sunday morning trips with Camille to buy donuts and a copy of the Washington Post. We have been doing that for years now and it never gets old. What could be better than a fresh made donut, reading the Post and searching the Second Glance page of the Post's Magazine section! This is the page where two photos are exhibited and you need to compare the two to see how many differences you can find in the two photos that look identical …. until you look more closely. Weekend is always busy, but a good chance to catch up with the lives of our daughter and her family. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
It was an ordinary day. Posting part three of my story dealing with words that fit into the alphabet. Today's story will take you through the letter "S". Enjoy following with me through my journeys as they relate to the English alphabet.
N: Nutmeg naturally is a spice which is very aromatic as well as tasty.
Spice barrels in Marigot market.
It makes my list since it is one of the main spices that always draws me toward the stand in the Marigot market that has barrels of spices for sale. The stand has large barrels of just about any spice in the world and the multitude of smells is at some times overpowering. Nutmeg is not native to the Caribbean, but many seem to buy the spice from the market stand. It is used primarily in powdered form for herbal teas, as an oil in aromatherapy or as an extract. We usually make our yearly purchase before we depart and it lasts until we return the following year. Novels are an important part of our vacation. Carol can read over a dozen novels in a three week vacation while I might be able to reach half a dozen in the same time frame. While on the beach I have trouble at time concentrating on my Kindle. You know ... with all the other activity taking place on the beach. And my last "N" is a good one to follow my last one.
Club "O" beach on
Orient Bay.
Nude Beaches can be found on both sides of the dual-country island of Sint Maarten/St. Martin. On the French side of the island (St. Martin), topless bathing occurs at just about every beach and every resort pool while on the Dutch side is more infrequent. Cupecoy Beach on the Dutch side is a nudist beach, but very few beaches follow suite, even with topless bathing, on the Dutch side of the island. On Orient Beach, Club "O" at the south end of the beach is a Naturist Resort which is usually the busiest beach on Orient Bay.
O: Ocean is a natural here.
The Atlantic Ocean can be seen here.
One side of St. Martin is located on the Atlantic Ocean while the other side is bordered by the Caribbean Sea. Can you tell the difference? Nah! During the time of the year when we travel to the island both the air and water temperatures are about 85 degrees. And the ocean, whether it be the actual ocean or the sea, is an amazing 50 shades of blue. If you have ever been to any island in the Caribbean, you know what I am talking about. And I have to list Orient Beach as another "O" word, since it is usually ranked as one of the "Top 10" beaches in most beach surveys.
Carol relaxing on Orient Beach.
It is a busy beach with water sports of all kind taking place and beach umbrellas of all colors lining the beach in front of a large variety of beach bars. The main beach bars are Kontiti, Kakao, Bikini Beach, Waikiki and Coco Beach. They are referred to as the "5 Stars of Orient Bay", but they are only a few of the many that dot the coast along Orient Bay. A trip to St. Martin is not complete if you haven't made a stop at Orient Beach.
P: Philipsburg is the capital of the Dutch side of the island. It to was at one time protected by a fort: Fort Amsterdam.
Fisheye view of the Boardwalk
at Philipsburg.
The fort was at one time a great tourist attraction, but over time has been neglected and is not longer a big draw. The town has two main streets; Front Street, which runs along the Great Bay waterfront, and Back Street which runs parallel to Front, but one block away from the water. On the other side of Back Street is the Great Salt Pond. More shopping takes place in this town than in any other town I have ever been to in the Caribbean. And, Carol and I have been part of that shopping extravaganza. Pinel Island is a short ferry ride from French Cul De Sac. It is a beautiful island with no running water or electricity.
From the top of beautiful Pinel Island
looking toward St. Martin.
The island is uninhabited except for the very large iguanas which wait by the two beach bars for scraps to be thrown to them. A small gift shop sells some great products and the bathing here is remarkable. Their are no waves at all and the sandy beach is only waist deep 30 feet into the ocean. Another must trip for vacationers.
A Pareo on display at Pinel Island.
A Pareo is a wraparound skirt. It was originally used only to refer to woman's skirts, but today it is used as a term for any piece of cloth worn wrapped around the body whether it be a man or a woman. There are many times made of silk in bright colors featuring beach scenes or animal scenes.
Q: Quiet time is always appreciated while on vacation. Relieving stress is important to all and what better way to do that then to go on vacation. Carol and I love the beach and all that goes with it, and our stress level while on vacation is at a minimum, but for many others on vacation, quiet time is achieved in a variety of other ways.
R: Ravioli is one of my favorite meals.
My favorite meal.
Being that we travel to one of the best islands in the Caribbean for food connoisseurs, I can find my favorite many places on the island. Il Netuno has the best butter sage ravioli on earth, but there are many others that come close with a variety of different sauces on the ravioli. Round-a-bouts are a real challenge, but a pretty neat way to alleviate traffic problems at intersections. Luckily in St. Martin you drive on the right side of the road as you do in the U.S. The real challenge comes when a country, such as Barbados or St. Thomas, has round-a-bouts and you have to try your luck with them. The U.S. should have more of them and traffic would proceed through busy intersections much quicker. Rhino Boats are one of the tourist attractions that Carol and I tried a few years ago.
Carol and I on our Rhino Boat.
The boats are big rectangular inter tubes with a solid bottom and a outboard motor at the rear. It is meant for two people, I believe, and you sit on a center seat with your legs straddling the seat. At times you take flight after hitting a wave. Flying across the water in one of these Rhino Boats is a thrill of a lifetime.
Roland signing our print.
Carol and I took the Rhino Safari Excursion and had fun in the boat as well as snorkeling at various spots on our excursion. Roland Richardson, knighted by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands in 2007, was born on St. Martin to a family whose French Caribbean heritage dates back to the 1700s. He paints "en plein air", working in the field, always from a living subject. This quirky artist has a gallery/home in Marigot where he paints many days so you can view him at his work. Carol and I purchased one of his canvas prints a few years ago which we prize as one of our favorites. Meeting him and talking with his was as much fun as buying the canvas.
S: The Sugar Bird, also known as the Bananaquit, is a species of passerine bird.
Sugar birds eating our sugar.
It is about the size of a finch and has a black head with white stripes, black wings and a yellow body. When we shop at the grocery story after we arrive in St. Martin, we always buy a box of granulated sugar to feed the sugar birds. They are a nectar eating bird, but do love to eat the sugar. A bowl of sugar will find a gathering of sugar birds as long as it is filled with sugar. They also enjoy a cup of water which they will drink, but will also use to take a bath. Oh, the things that can entertain a couple of old folks is unlimited. Sunglasses and Suntanning Lotion are necessary items in the Carribean.
The sun's rays can be very damaging to skin as well as eyes. Since I wear glasses for my vision, I have glasses that tint when subjected to sunlight. They work very well to protect my eyes as well as to make it easier to see. Carol uses sunglasses at all times as well as tinted reading glasses for the beach. We used a very high SPF when we travel to St. Martin since it is closer to the equator and the sun's rays are more intense than at the New Jersey Shore where we travel in the summer with our family. The Swing Bridge is a new addition to the island two years ago.
The Swing Bridge.
It crosses Simpson Bay and helps funnel the traffic away from the busy Dutch side of the island. It cuts the time for us from the airport to the Orient Beach vicinity by at least 15 minutes or more. It also relieves the stress that goes along with driving in another country.
St. Maarten of Tours Catholic Chruch.
The St. Maarten of Tours Catholic Church sits between Front Street and the Boardwalk in Philipsburg. It is the most beautiful church on the island with its bright yellow stucco walls and impressive statues that stand in their courtyard. I have taken a multitude of photos of this church over the years. A few years ago, when they rebuilt the Boardwalk entrance to the church, I took a series of photos showing how it was completed.
Shirt designs at Secret Spot.
Secret Spot is a stand in the Marigot market. Carol and I have been visiting it every year and making purchases for ourselves and friends. Secret Spot sells hand printed silk-screened T-shirts that are designed and printed on the island. Really neat designs that you won't find elsewhere on the island. I enjoy talking to the owner about their procedures in printing since I too used the same procedures when I taught graphic arts in high school.
Well, today's alphabet is finished. There were so many items I could have listed for each of the letters, but I decided on those that would show you both sides of the island as seen through a traveler's eyes. Tomorrow will complete the alphabet and hopefully give you most of the ABC's of the island. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
