The "You Know You'll Drown If You Don't Wait! Story

Brookside's dual swimming pools in Manheim Township.

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished lunch at Brookside Swimming Pool along Harrisburg Pike in Lancaster, Pennsyl- vania.  My mother would often take my brother, Steve, and I swimming in the summer months at Brookside, and after eating we were made to sit and wait an hour before we got back in the pool.  "You'll drown if you don't wait an hour!" she would tell us.  And...I believed her.  Not sure if my brother did, but he didn't listen to most of what she told him anyway.  Summer vacation was usually a week or two at Crystal Beach in Maryland.  We would share a cottage with my Aunt Lillian and my two cousins, Judy and Georgie.  And...once again, after eating lunch on the beach, we all had to wait an hour before we jumped back in he river.  We were always told that if you didn't wait an hour for your food to digest you might drown.  And...I actually believed that!  

A day at Crystal Beach.  Left-right: My Aunt Lois who was my mother's sister who
was only a year older than me, cousin Judy, cousin George, me standing next
 to my mom, Mom and my brother Steve.  The beach is on the upper
Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Elk River.

So, is there any truth to the myth that you have to wait an hour before getting back in the water?  Hey, in 1908 the Boy Scout Handbook had a section in it warning scouts to not go swimming for at least 90 minutes after eating.  It read, "If you did end up drowning after eating, it would be your own fault."  Actually said that!!  Must have scared the crap out of scouts for years until they wrote another Scout Handbook.  So, did you believe you had to wait an hour after eating?  Seems that most of us who grew up in the 40s, 50s and even the 60s believed the One Rule of Summer: Thou shalt not swim for exactly one hour after eating.  When I got married in 1967 my wife Carol told me that throughout her childhood, so also was told not to swim for an hour after eating.  So, we told our children the same thing...until we began to hear otherwise.  Seems that after eating, blood is sent to the digestive tract to help in the digestion of your food.  Without enough blood flowing to your arms and legs it may be tougher to stay above water.  So, would you drown in that case?  Nah, you may get a cramp, but you're not going to drown.  Seems it's been a myth for ages.  A couple of years ago Carol and I made a visit to my brother and his wife, Kathy, who live in nearby Ephrata, PA.  They had just put a new pool in their backyard and were having a picnic to celebrate.  Their children and grandchildren were there along with Carol and myself.  We swam for an hour or so and then had a great meal of burgers, chicken corn soup and Carol's famous Wacky Cake.  Wasn't more than 2 minutes after the kids had finished that they jumped back in the pool.  I yelled to my brother to get them out of the pool so they wouldn't drown.  "Nah, they won't drown.  I never did when I went in the river years and years ago at Crystal Beach.  He knew I was joking when he saw the big smile on my face.  Some myths will never go away!  But, that's OK, since it makes good fodder for stories. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another neat aerial photograph of Brookside's Twin Pools

   

The "The Taco Liberty Bell" Day

It was an ordinary day.  Writing one more time about one of my favorite items to eat, Spam.  My wife makes a real mean Mac and cheese w/Spam that I love to cover with stewed tomatoes.  Makes a great meal for lunch or supper.  Now my latest discovery is Radiant Farms Unicorn meat.  

Hoping to get a can of that on the next trip to the grocery store and have Carol substitute the unicorn meat for the Spam.  If you are still with me by now, I assume you know what day it is today; April fools' Day...right?  Yep, I really don't think I will find unicorn meat at any store.  Just a joke!  Isn't that what you're supposed to do today?  A bit more about today in history tells us that April Fool's customs began in France when April 1 was listed as New Years Day on their calendars.  It was said that people who celebrated New Year's Day on April 1st rather than January 1 were April fools.  Another French April fools trick is for children to tape a paper fish on the back of their friends and when the friend discovers the trick they yell "Poisson d'Avril!"  In Scotland April fools lasts two days with the second day called Daily Day and involves pranks of the backside, such as a sign saying "kick me!"  Canada and England only play pranks in the morning of April 1.  In 1985 Sports Illustrated ran a story about New York pitcher Sid Finch and his 168-mph fastball.  The skinny Finch credited his speed to meditations in Tibet, carrying a French horn with him at all times and wearing one hiking boot while pitching.  People actually believed it until they found out Tibet didn't have meditations.  Every April, since 1986, sees the New York newspapers telling of the April Fools' Day Parade which to this day has never been held.  The papers also claimed that New York had purchased the Liberty Bell from Pennsylvania and were going to rename it the Taco Liberty Bell.  In 2004 the Post Office told of being able to keep your same Zip Code no matter where you moved.  Never found out how that worked out.  Two years ago the BBC ran a story on April 1 about flying penguins as part of their series "Miracles of Evolution."  Said the penguins escaped the cold Antarctic weather by flying to tropical rainforests in South America.  In 2013 The Guardian announced the launch of its own reality device, Guardian Goggles, that will beam journalism directly into the wearer's visual field.  And then on April 1, 2010 online retailer ThinkGeek announced a new product, canned unicorn meat.  Called the new white meat an excellent source of sparkles.  Hey, if I'd had known about it, I would have purchased a can so Carol could mix it with Mac and cheese.  It seemed so true that customers in Germany got upset they couldn't buy it.  So, a few months later ThinkGeek actually began selling unicorn meat for real.  Only problem was the sale was halted by German customs officials who said the product fell afoul of regulations banning the importation of meat from "rare animals."  I'm still looking!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Legend Of The Albatwitch...It Really Is True! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Walking through the wooded hills along the west bank of the Susquehanna River in Columbia, Pennsylvania.  A bit to the north is the town of Marietta while Columbia lays to the south.  In the past I have written about the small park along the Susquehanna known as Chickies Rock County Park and the beautiful views one has of the mighty Susquehanna River from that location.  It's a short drive from the main highway to the park and the photographs you can take are remarkable.  But, there is a second parking lot along the main road which requires you find your way through the dense woods to the top of Chickies Rock.  And, that densely wooded area is said to be home to the dreaded Albatwitch (alba - twitch).  Now, I realize that the Albatwitch is just a local legend, but if you find you must walk through the woods, he becomes more real with every step and noise you experience.  

A photograph of an alleged Albatwitch taken
near Chickies Rock near Columbia, PA.

The Albatwitch is alleged to be a small (about 4 feet tall), manlike creature which supposedly lives in the wooded hills along the river.  At one time the Susquehannock Indian tribe roamed these hills and were said to have painted a small apelike monster on their war-shields.  Their home allegedly was at the base of Chickies Rock where the ruin of a village and burial grounds were found at one time.  Could the figure on their shields be the Albatwitch?   But, there have been other sightings of the Albatwitch all along the shores of the river in the area close to Columbia, PA.  The creature is named for the habit it is said to possess; that of being an "apple-snitch."  He, or she, has been known to have stolen apples from picknickers, occasionally throwing them at the startled people.  The creature has been sighted sitting in the treetops, coming down only to look for food.  But, the legend also says that the Albatwithes either became extinct or were driven nearly into extinction in the later years of the nineteenth century.  But, in the 1950s to the 1970s, a small manlike creature was once again sighted in the woods along the Susquehanna.  Plus, the crack of a whip also accompanies the sightings.  Could it be that the Albatwitch has returned?  A vague report concerning the sighting of a hairy humanoid came from Lancaster in 1973 with another report of a sighting in Annville (about 20 miles to the north) in the same year.  Across the Susquehanna, to the west, is the town of Wrightsvile which is part of York County.  They, too, have had sightings while looking across the river during times when leaves were off the trees.  I also read that the Pennsylvania Dutch brought the legend with them when they settled the area around the banks of the Susquehanna River.  The Albatwitch may be nothing more than Germanic folklore.  In the 21st Century, the Albatwitch has become a tourist draw to the area.  Reports of hairy creatures still abound, but nothing like the Albatwitch.  So, a group is now taking people on a "Ghosts of Columbia" walking tour.  That's after they offer them apple fritters, apple dumplings, caramel apples and apple pies.  I sure hope they know what the are doing!  The tour begins as dusk!  To tell you the truth, I don't care much to visit the area by myself anymore.  I make sure I have someone, such as my wife, make the trek with me from the car to Chickies Rock.  Just in case!  It was another extraoridnary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "There's An Old Saying That Goes Like This...!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an email sent to me from The Brickerville House Restaurant and The Silver Springs Restaurant.  I get emails from both of these local restaurants once a week where they advertise their menu items and post something unusual to their message.  This month's message was rather unusual and caught my attention.  They listed well-known sayings you hear from time to time and told what they really mean.  Sayings such as "The third degree" and "Resting on your laurels" were listed with the meaning of each one.  I learned so much from the email and thought I would pass it on to you so you too may know why and from where these statements or sayings originated and their backgrounds.  Follow along as I share a few sayings with you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

"Turn a blind eye"

This phrase is often used to refer to a willful refusal to acknow- ledge a particular reality.  The saying dates back to 1801 during the Battle of Copenhagen.  Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson was a naval officer who's ships were pitted against a large Danis-Norwegian fleet.  His very conservative superior officer "flagged" a message to him to withdraw from battle.  Nelson had only one eye and he supposedly brought his telescope to his bad eye and proclaimed to his shipmates, "I really don't see the signal."  This gave him an alleged reason to continue to fight and he went on to score a decisive victory.  To this day the phrase "turn a blind eye" is credited to Horatio Nelson.

"Running amok"

This saying is commonly used to describe wild or erratic behavior, but at one time was a medical term.  The word amok was derived from "Amuco" which is a band of Javanese and Malay warriors who were known for their liking of indiscriminate violence and who had a morbid fascination for Westerners.  The saying began in the 18th and 19th centuries, when European visitors to Malaysia learned of a peculiar mental affliction that caused otherwise normal tribesmen to go on brutal and seemingly random killing sprees.  In 1772 Captain James Cook noted that "to run amok is to ... hurry from the house and kill the person that attempts to impede his passage."  It was once thought to be the result of being under the spell of evil spirits and today is still a diagnosable mental condition.

"The Third Degree"

This saying is commonly used for long and arduous interro- gations.  It can be argued that the phrase relates to the various degrees of murder in the criminal code.  But, another argument says that a NY City Policeman describes his hard-nosed questioning style as "the third degree".  But, the most likely reason for the saying is the one derived from the Freemasons fraternal organization whose members underwent rigorous questioning and examinations before becoming "third degree" members or "master masons." 

"White elephant"

A white elephant is said to be a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost is out of proportion to its usefulness.  It goes back to when elephants were considered highly sacred creatures in Thailand, but were also considered a subtle form of punishment.  Legend has it that if an underling or rival angered a Siamese king, the king might present the unfortunate man with the gift of a white elephant.  Even though it seemed to be a reward, the creature was so expensive to feed and house and care for that it sent the recipient into financial ruin.  Today the term is said refer to any burdensome possession.

"Resting on your laurels"

This saying dates back to the leaders and athletic stars of Ancient Greece.  During Hellenic times, laurel leaves were considered tied to Apollo, the god of music, prophecy and poetry.  Apollo was usually depicted with a crown of laurel leaves which led to its importance.  Victorious athletes became a symbol of status and achievement.  Eventually the Romans presented wreaths to generals who won important battles.  These Greeks and Romans were thus able to "rest on their laurels, by basking in the glory of past achievements. 

"Read the riot act"

Did your parents ever get mad at you and threaten to "read the riot act" to you?  In 18th-century England the Riot Act was a real document that was read to angry mobs.  It began in 1715 when the British Government was given the authority to label any group of 12 people or more as a threat to the peace and were read the Riot Act.  You had to disperse after one hour or go to the jail.  Even though we have no idea what is in the Riot Act, we still are threatened with it, or threaten others that we will read the Riot Act to them.  But, does anyone ever listen to you?

"Die Hard"

This refers to someone with a strong dedication to a particular set of beliefs.  It at one time was a tern that had a literal meaning.  In the early 1700s, the expression described condemned men who struggled the longest when they were executed by hanging.  Then in the Battle of Albuera of 1811, during the Napoleonic War, in the midst of the fight a wounded British officer urged his unit forward by bellowing "Stand your ground and die hard...making the enemy pay dear for each of us!"  The officer's regiment suffered 75% casualties during battle and went on to earn the nickname "the Die Hards."

My final phrase is one I have never heard before.  

"Crocodile Tears"

Modern English speakers use the phrase "crocodile tears" to describe a display of superficial or false sorrow, but the saying actually derives from a medieval belief that crocodiles shed tears of sadness while they killed and consumed their prey.  Weeping reptiles can be found in Shakespeare, and "crocodile tears" became an idiom as early as the 16th century.

The "Breaking News: There Really Is A Santa, Megan!" Story

Letter Santa and Elf Shimmer sent to Megan
telling her of the loss of her letter this past
Christmas.  Please click on images to enlarge.

It was an ordinary day.  Just received an email from Megan which included a letter she had recently received from Santa and his elf Shimmer.  Story started back in December of 2017 when Megan sent a letter to Santa telling him what she would like to have for Christmas.  Seems that the letter must have been at the bottom of his immense mail bag and he never had the chance to read it before Christmas.  I'm not sure if Megan ever received all the gifts she was wishing for, but if she did she was lucky since Santa never found her letter until a few weeks ago.  I should tell you that Megan is 11 years old and is the oldest daughter of my niece Kelly and her husband Shawn who live in nearby Ephrata, Pennsylvania.  

I'm sure that when Megan's mom and dad gave her the unopened letter recently sent to her, from Santa and his elf, she was amazed.  What are the chances that Santa would do that almost half a year after the letter was written to him.  Even I know that Santa must be something special to take time to send a letter to this young girl almost half a year after Christmas.  Megan shared the letter with her parents and siblings and decided to write her own letter telling of her experience of receiving the letter and her thoughts of Santa.  Trying to figure what a very sensitive and respectful young girl is thinking can be tough, but I have included the letter telling of Megan's impression of Santa after finding out he had misplaced her letter.  Please read it and see for yourself what this young girl's feelings are after receiving Santa's letter explaining why he didn't deliver to her what she had been wishing for this past Christmas.  Megan found and felt the goodness and love of Santa even after he had lost her letter.  What a wonderful story to share with children all over the world.  Christmas is more than half a year away, but for Megan, well she already has the Christmas spirit in her heart!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Megan's thoughts after receiving the letter from Santa.

The "Vic The Pretzel Man" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reviewing all the comments I had solicited on the FaceBook page "The Lancastrian."  My story today is about a guy who sold pretzels way back when in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

Vic holding his signature soft-pretzel.

Many folks in cities and towns all over the world have memories of as well as stories to tell about vendors who walked the streets or had a small stand along a street in their city or town.  My fellow had a name of Vic who stood along the street in the center of the city selling soft pretzels from an old braided market basket that stood on a collapsible stand.  My dad would often walk with me from his business at the corner of North Mulberry and West King Street to the square to buy a bag or two of soft pretzels.  But .... that's as much as I can remember .... so I posed a question to the readers of "The Lancastrian" which read:  Once again I am asking for your help for a story I am writing. What can you tell me about "Vic" the pretzel man who sold soft pretzels on the square in downtown Lancaster.

Vic selling his pretzels in front of the Fulton Bank.

I know that his last name was Rittenhouse, but I don't remember too much more than that. I do remember going with my dad to buy pretzels from him, but I draw a blank on most other things. What years did he sell his pretzels. Where did he usually stand on the square? Help!!  Well, wasn't long before I had plenty of help about the pretzelman known as Vic.  Seems Vic is related to just about everyone in Lancaster, or at least to everyone in Lancaster who responded to my call for help.  Following are several of the comments which in some cases I have edited:  

• Cathey - That soft pretzel man was my great uncle Vic Rittenhouse :)
• Tom -  That's Vic Rittenhouse, my great uncle.
• Carol - Victor Rittenhouse was my husband's uncle. He sold the pretzels on Penn Square in front of the Fulton Bank.  In fact we have the stand where he sat his basket of pretzels. We had him for dinner many times along with his sister, Erma, my husband's mother.
• Harley - This is my grandmother's Uncle. I never had the pleasure of meeting him, so thank you for posting this!
• Ronald - That was my grandfathers pretzel business.
• Lisa -  Yep....he was my great uncle. He stood outside of the Fulton Bank.
• Laurali - I remember him well, always there, Lancaster Icon!
• Monica - The square was different back in the 60’s - the street corners were more squared off and not nearly as wide as they are now. His pretzels were 3 for a quarter or 10 cents a piece in the 60’s. He sold from a woven basket with handles. I think it was one of the King/Queen St corners closest to Woolworths.
• Fred - He sold his pretzels in front of the Delmonico Cafe. It was located in the Northeast corner of Penn Square between the Fulton Bank and the White Cross.
• Bonnie - I remember it too. The Delmonico hotel was called "The palace of lonely hearts" as some people called it. I would say he was there in the early 60's.
• Keith - His son (also Victor Rittenhouse) is a friend of mine...I’ll see what I can find out...
• Carol - Vic, the pretzel man, was never married and had no children. He had a nephew that was named Victor. Vic, the pretzel man, was my husband's uncle.
• Stanley - As Rector at St. James 1978-1994, I remember we had members with the Rittenhouse name. I am not certain, but I believe the pretzel man was a brother of Mr. Rittenhouse.
• Janet - In 1979 I remember him laughing at my mom when the wind knocked her to the side walk, as we crossed the street. He helped me lift her up. But we couldn't stop laughing because it was so windy out. We had just moved here from NYC and always saw him in front of Woolworth store selling pretzels, nice man in my book.
• Jean - Often shopped for clothes at Adler's when I was in my teens & then would buy soft pretzels from the guy at the square - don't remember his name!  That was almost 60 years ago.
• Karen - I will be 67 this summer, and every time I purchase a pretzel I compare it to those, and never have I found one as good. Yesterday, at the Mud Sale in Bart, the Amish had yummy pretzels and I would say they were the very best for the pretzels they were. But they would not make a childhood memory like the one's in Lancaster, we would go in on the bus on Saturday's for the soft pretzels and a movie.
• Patti -  My mother and grandmother knew him.  They always said that was when downtown was great;  shopping the stores and people selling their things, plus the parades that were great.
• Fred - He was one of the regulars at my parents place, the Lauzus Hotel, where he would come in after the day downtown.
• Deborah - Friday evenings my parents would take us into the city and looked forward to the soft pretzels. Always on the square in front of the bank!
• Janis - I am 66 and I remember those pretzels VIVIDLY! I had no idea so many others did too. There will never be another pretzel like it. In my dreams!
• Bonnie -  He lived at 536 West King Street in the basement with another man named William who was a painter.  They were always quiet and respectful when we spoke.
• Jerry -  I remember Vic well! In the 80's, I used to take him home in my taxi when he was done for the day. He would always give us drivers his leftover pretzels. He lived on Manor St. then.  I think they were Mummaw's pretzels from their bakery on 4th St.

So, as you can see Vic was an icon on the streets of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I wonder if he knew all those who said he was a relative; or perhaps all who said they were related to Vic might possibly be part of the same family.  I do have one more response that came with a photo attached to it.  It reads:

• Cathey -  Vic Rittenhouse when he was in the service (the soft-pretzel man).
  

Lancaster is well known for many things and now you can add best soft-pretzel man to the list.  I know I certainly loved them!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

PS - After posting this story I saw a few more very interesting comments about Vic.  I have added the new replies to the others that are in the original story. Best to do that for the sake of history. 

The "Great Eastern Wizard" Story

Original entrance into Lititz Springs Park.

It was an ordinary day.  Recently read about a colorful guy by the name of Millard "Milford" Linville Dellinger who lived in the little town of Lititz, Pennsylvania and who loved to entertain.  Dellinger was born in nearby York, PA in 1853 and eventually found his way to Lititz at the age of 45.  About twenty years prior to his moving to Lititz, a hotel bearing the name of Park House had been constructed at 20 North Spruce Street, at the edge of the Lititz Springs Park.  The hotel had been built as a place where visitors to the park could board overnight as well as enjoy a good meal.  

An artist's sketch of the Park House Hotel in Lititz, PA.

A saloon eventually was added to the hotel.  Lititz Spring Park was established in 1778 and was under the control of the Aufseher Collegium, or the Moravian Church.  The park was developed at the time so musicians of the congregation could indulge, late into the night, in merry making at the "Big Spring".  Seems there was a Spring Head that was located at the far west end of the park which had a water flow created by three springs that flowed from underground caves.  

The "Head" of the Lititz Springs Park.

The water flowed gracefully eastward and was known as the Lititz Run Stream.  This stream ran through the park as it does today.  In 1856 sandstone from the nearby Furnace Hills was transported by horse and cart to the park to keep the stream flowing in a controlled manner through the park. Over the stream was constructed an Arched Bridge from the same sandstone.  Well, when Dellinger came to Lititz he bought the Park House Hotel.  Visitors to the park could rent a room at the Park House for the night, paying between $.50 to $1.00, and enjoy their day at the park and not have to worry about finding their way home after a night of merry making.  

The original Arched Bridge over the
stream that ran between sandstone
walls.

Seems that Dellinger supplemented his income by selling Victrola talking machines and 78rpm records from the music room of the hotel.  Mr. Dellinger was not only a hotelier, but had a hobby of magic, hypnotism, and fortune telling.  A few years before he moved to Lititz, he performed his first magic show at Red Front Park in nearby Manheim, PA. where he amazed his audience with his tricks and sleight of hand.  Known as "Professor M.L. Dellinger, the Great Eastern Wizard", he gained a large following in the area with his performances.  He eventually ran a mail order business where customers could write to him at his "Magic Temple" in Lititz.  A 1905  advertisement read thus:  The Magic Temple — Having spent many years in research and study of the occult sciences, and the reading of character as indicated by the physical characteristics of the head, face, hand and handwriting, I am prepared to give lessons in sleight-of-hand, hypnotism and the study of character as revealed by the head, face, hand and handwriting.  

The Arched Bridge after being rebuilt.  It looks very close
to this shape and condition today.

An energetic young man who has inclinations for occult science and its mysteries can secure employ- ment as an assistant, or may buy my entire parapher- nalia at a reasonable price, as old age demands my retirement. Call on or address:  M.L. Dellinger, Dealer in all kinds of Magic and Conjuring, Apparatus, Toys and Novelties,  Lititz, Penna.  Millard eventually gave up the hotel business and performing in the 1920's and moved to 226 S. Broad Street in Lititz and became a laborer at the Express Printing Company.  

The Park House Hotel can be seen in the distance, standing
a few hundred feet from the water's edge.

As far as the Park House Hotel, it no longer was a boarding house by the late 1930s, but did become an auction house until it was demolished in 1957.  Today, a smaller version of the hotel can be seen across from the entrance to the park on North Broad Street.  Mr. Dellinger's wife Rebecca gained notoriety by being the first woman in Lititz to cast a vote in the 1920 presidential election between Warrne G. Harding and James A. Cox.  Seven years later she died and Dellinger eventually took to performing once again.  In 1931 the local newspaper reported:  Up To His Old Tricks — That M. Linville Dellinger, who many years ago astonished the folks in these and other parts with his feats of magic, has not lost any of his deftness as was demonstrated Sunday a week ago when he entertained a large group of relatives and friends at Pleasureville in York County with his tricks.

Looking at the hotel from the west.  It can be seen on the right.

Mr. Dellinger left here Thursday to visit in that section, and on Sunday he was the recipient of a birthday dinner given by his niece, Mrs. Geo. Hess at Pleasureville in honor of his 78th anniversary. Following the dinner, the party repaired to the town park where an impromptu program was staged with Mr. Dellinger entertaining the guests for more than an hour.  It is unclear how much longer he performed, but he did live to the age of 97.  You may try to Google Dellinger's "Magic Temple", but you will more than likely be disappointed.  The story of the "Great Eastern Wizard" is now folk history and the story of this Mr. Dellinger and his magic act is being passed down from generation to generation.  He is one of the legends of Lititz, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.      

The "Fun With Dick And Jane" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Began like this ... "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away.... a young boy picked up a book written by Elson-Gray and read ... See Dick Run!  Page two was similar ... See Jane Run!  Wow, you mean you don't remember that?  How can that be!  That's exacty how I learned to read.  The main characters in the book were Dick and Jane with a supporting cast of characters which included Baby, Mother, Father, Spot the dog, Puff the cat and Tim the teddy bear.  You have to remember them!!  The books relied on the whole word or sight reading method as well as repetition.  Over and over again.  Dick and Jane; Dick and Spot; Jane and Puff; etc, etc. And, the phrases like: Oh, see.  Oh, see Jane.  Funny, funny Jane.  

The early illustrations were primarily done by artists Eleanor Campbell and Keith Ward, while Robert Childress began doing the illustrations in the 1950s and Richard Wiley took over the illustrations in the 1960s.  Yep, they used these books into the 1960s.  It wasn't until the 60s that Black characters and characters from other races and cultures were placed in the books.  Then, just like that, the books disappeared when phonics began to be used as a more effective method of gaining literacy.  But, it was about ten years before that Rudolf Flesch criticized the Dick and Jane series in his book Why Johnny Can't Read.  Well, I had to Google the Fun with Dick and Jane book and found they are going for close to $50.  Wonder what ever happened to all those books we read at Brecht Elementary School years ago.  Boxes and boxes of books that probably were burned or found a home in the dump.  The original characters in the book were devised by Zerna Sharp, a former teacher.  She came up with a core cast that were easy to remember.  Worked, didn't it.  At least with me.  Although she didn't write any of the books, her cast of characters were used.  Ist grade books contained about 300 words while by the time students reached 3rd grade they were given 1000 more words and 4000 more by 6th grade.  

The books were said to use the "look-say" method to teach reading since they would stress:  Look, Spot. Oh, look, look Spot. Look and see. Oh, see.  Repetition, repetition, repetition!  By 1950 about 85 million American first graders plowed though Dick and Jane readers.  Then along came aforementioned Rudolf Flesch who claimed that the average Russian 4th grader commanded a vocabulary of nearly 10,000 word while American children had mastered only 1,800 at that level.  So, Dick and Jane bit the dust, so to speak.  Along came Theodore Seuss Geisel who began writing his Cat in the Hat and other stories.  Finally Dick and Jane were dead.  That is until people began to ask ... What ever happened to Dick and Jane.  Well, friends, they are going for $50 on eBay.  Get one before they are all gone.  Now, my next story will have to be ... "What ever happened to cursive writing?"  Remember that?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Work Of The Devil" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with someone about a fellow teacher who I taught with many years ago.  Guy taught metal shop in a classroom about fifty feet from my graphic arts shop.  He was well liked by his students, since he often did a magic trick or two at the end of his classes.  Tell you the truth, I enjoyed many of his magic tricks, since I could never tell how he did any of them.  In his spare time he actually was a professional magician, traveling to the Atlantic City, NJ Boardwalk each summer to perform in front of large crowds.  Called himself Professor Funfoolery and not only was a magician, but could do juggling and was a puppeteer.  His wife often assisted him in his performances.  When my youngest son celebrated an early birthday, Carol and I invited Lavelle to the house for a performance in front of the boys we invited.

Poster telling about Howard Thurston in Lancaster, PA

He eventually left teaching to concentrate on his performing and I lost track of him after that time.  Recently thought of him once again while surfing the web looking for historic photographs of Lancaster County.  Came upon a cardboard poster for one of the two best magicians of the 20th century, Howard Thurston.  At the time, magic was still a mystery and a sleight of the hand trick at times was called the work of the devil.  Mr. Thurston's biggest competitor was a fellow by the name of Harry Houdini.  Remember that name?  While Harry was thrilling audiences with his death-defying escapes, Howard captivated the attention of a nation with his spectacular shows.  

Thurston performing his levitation trick.

And, the cardboard poster I found online today was for a show being held at Lancaster's Fulton Opera House on Monday, October 23; year unknown.  It was listed as his 23rd Annual Tour with tickets costing anywhere from 25 cents to $1.50.  Mr. Thurston was born in 1869 in Columbus, Ohio.  As a child he ran away and joined the circus where he became friends with Harry Kellar who eventually became his partner.  As time went on his traveling magic show was the biggest of all and was so large that it needed eight train cars to transport his show.  His card tricks were what made him, while his floating lady illusions were what made him famous.  The trick was known as the "Levitation of Princess Karnac."  

Another Thurston poster.

He died in 1936 when he suffered a stroke due to pneumonia.  If you have ever thought of names in the field of magic, my guess is Howard Thurston wasn't on the top of the list.  Maybe Houdini or even David Blain, but not Thurston.  And, if I hadn't been searching for old photographs from Lancaster I may have never come across the cardboard poster which featured Mr. Thurston.  As far as I'm concerned, I'll still stick with Professor Funfoolery who was the best magician and illusionist in the history of Manheim Township High School where we both taught school.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "So Why Did You Watch The Superbowl Game? Story

It was an ordinary day.  Superbowl Sunday!  For most I realize it isn't an ordinary day, but since my Eagles aren't playing in the game, it is just an ordinary day.  For those who don't follow football or have that sport in your country, the Super Bowl is the annual championship game of the National Football League, the highest level of professional football in the world. The type of football that isn't played with a round ball and players tackle one another.   

The Superbowl officially began in 1970 and was meant to be the champion- ship between the National Football League and the American Football League.  The winner was to be declared the World Champion.  Even though the game isn't listed as a national holiday, many believe it should be.  I must say I'm not one of them.  Super Bowl Sunday is the 2nd largest day in the year for food consumption in the USA; Thanksgiving being the largest.  The game itself is said to be the most-watched American television broadcast in history with an average annual audience of about 114 million viewers.  The show that held the record before the Superbowl gained the top spot in 2010 was the final episode of M*A*S*H which was an American television series developed in the late 1960s to the early 1970s and was based on the 1968 novel MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors.  Since most everyone in the world seems to be tuned to the Superbowl, commercial time is extremely expensive, costing in the millions for a 30-second commercial.

I find I enjoy the commer- cials some years more than I enjoy the football game.  I wrote a story a few years ago about my favorites which include the Budweiser Beer commercial that features the Clydesdale horses being my favorites. Back in 2010 a survey was conducted and it was found that more people tune in to see the commercials than to watch the game.  Perhaps one of the best commercials was the 1984 Macintosh computer commercial.  It was said it changed the way that Super Bowl commercials were made.  That one-minute movie commercial promised that  the new Apple Macintosh would put an end to conformity and spark innovation and individuality.  The epic commercial was based on George Orwell's 1949 book "1984".  I guess you have to decide for yourself how iconic that ad was.  Another iconic Super Bowl commercial was the 1984 Wendy's "Where's The Beef?" commercial where three older woman examine a rather large hamburger bun and find a small beef pattie and one cries out, "Where's The Beef?"  Still funny after all these years.  Then there was the 1993 McDonald's ad which featured basketball stars Larry Bird and Michael Jordan who tired to outshoot each other in a game of HORSE for a Big Mac.  I think the earliest Super Bowl commercial was the 1976 ad which featured a monk using a Xerox 9200 copier to make 500 copies of an old manuscript.  This ad set the standard for all Super Bowl ads that followed.  Well, there you have it.  Any idea who might be playing in the game this year?  All I know it isn't the Philadelphia Eagles, my favorite.  One thing I can tell you though, there's bound to be a Budwiser commercial which features the Clydesdale horses.  If not, I'll have to watch reruns of House Hunters International next year ... unless the Eagles are in the game.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

PS - Well the game is over and my team lost.  And ... the advertisements were boring.  I really don't remember any of them they were that bad. Oh yeah, I did see the Clydesdales ... for maybe 3 seconds in one commercial.  If I had blinked, I would have missed them.  You know, maybe I just imagined I saw them.  

PSS - check out some of the older commercials ... commercials that you will certainly remember.

The "Faces Of Strangers: #41" Story

Effem "Egghead" Stubbs

It was an ordinary day.  Walking into the Grace Bay Supermarket on Leeward Highway in Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands, when this fellow who was sitting close to the entrance smiled at me and said, "You look a spry 35 years old today, Sir." I smiled at him and continued to follow my wife into the supermarket.  Once inside I decided I needed to call the car rental company and tell them I had just run over a curb in the parking lot of the supermarket and that the tire was now flat and I had damaged the hubcap.  Talked to Amos, who had rented me the car about 15 minutes ago, and walked back outside to wait for him to arrive.  As I exited the supermarket I saw the fellow who had talked to me before and walked his direction.  Introduced myself and started a conversation with him to kill some time until Amos arrived.  Guy's name was Effem Stubbs and he had been born on the island 37 years ago.  Very likeable fellow and I immediately knew I was in for a real treat.  Effem had been in a severe automobile accident in his late teens and had been severely injured.  "My own fault since I wasn't wearing a seat belt.  I spent quite a bit of time in the hospital and then spent the next couple of years on my back with what they thought was a spinal injury.  Then they realized it was a brain injury that affected motion in my back and after some time I was able to walk again.  Eventually traveled to the States to study Architecture in college.  Was back on the island for a visit when I was in another accident and injured again."  The entire time Effem was telling me his story he was commenting to customers entering the store.  "Sweetheart, you look fabulous today," he said to one young woman.  To another woman he said, "You don't look a day over 20 today."  Effem is now 37 years old and this personable guy still has some physical problems that prevents him from working.  His main reason for being at the store is to ask for financial help.  I said to him, "Allow me to take your photo and I'll donate to your rehab."  Gave me a good pose just as Amos arrived in his pickup truck.  Amos and Effem were good friend I found out and after showing Amos where I was parked, he followed me in his truck to my rental car.  "You know Effem?" I asked Amos.  "Sure, but I call him "Egghead".  We've been good friends for years.  Nice guy who's had plenty of bad luck during his life."  Well, the tire only needed air and the hubcap had already been damaged.  Lucky me.  I thanked Amos and told him I was sorry to bother him and made my way back toward Effem.  "He told me your name's Egghead," I said to him.  Brought a big laugh as he called out to another young woman.  I thanked him for his conversation and headed back into the store to see what my wife had in the shopping cart by then.  My day had been a success already having gained a new friend in Effem.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Nanny Lou And Her Stories" Story

The Lancaster Marionette Theatre, formerly
known as "The Hole In The Wall Puppet Theatre"

It was an ordinary day.  Standing inside the front door of Lancaster Marionette Theatre on Water Street in downtown Lancaster talking to Mary Lou Broucht.  Mrs. Broucht, as I always called her, was for many years the assistant minister at St. James Episcopal Church which is located a hop, skip and jump from the home in which she lives above the theatre.  One of Mrs. Broucht's responsibilities at the historical church on North Duke Street was coordinating the Sunday School as well as working with the church's high school youth group.  All three of my children had the chance to get to know Mrs. Broucht during their high school years at St. James.  

Mary Lou Broucht and her son Rob.

She in turn enjoyed my kids, but seemed to favor our youngest, Paul, or as we call him Tad, since he was born in our nation's Bi-Centennial year and carried the middle name of one of Lancaster's Patriots, Thaddeus Stevens.  Recently Mrs. Broucht wrote a book dealing with her time as Sunday School teacher and director titled "Pizza & Post Cards - Revelations of a Church School Teacher."

Mrs. Broucht's newest book.

The 60-page softbound cover book tells the exploits that filled her life during the years she served the church as a teacher, director and coordinator of the youth of the church as well as the many trips she coordinated and took with the youth to such exotic locations as Great Britian, Japan and Italy.  To finance the trips, Mrs. Broucht introduced her traveling troupe of Sunday School students during Chapter 5 in her book.  Chapter was titled "Show Biz" and told how the St. James students were "giving back" by way of performing in order to raise the funds to travel.  The first big production for the church group was a take-off of the stage show called "Cats" which the St. James youth performers called "Episcocats".  After hours and hours of practice the group took the show on the road to local retirement and nursing homes with  fantastic applause.  

A photo taken in Japan of the parish who sponsored the
group that Mrs. Broucht took there to perform and tour.

Reading her book and looking at all the photos brought back so many memories from the times when my three children participated in the perfor- mances.  Mrs. Broucht then tells, in Chapter 7 (titled "Sayonara"), of our sister Episcopal church in the diocese of Kito Kanto offering to  host the youth group at St. Paul's boarding school.  My son Derek was so excited and even missing a week of high school baseball didn't stop him from being part of "Side By Side," the Noah's Ark show they performed.  A few days of the trip were spent with a host family which in Derek's case was spent with a family that spoke only Japanese and ate only fish.  Being that Derek didn't like fish or couldn't speak anything but English made for a rather long couple of days.  Came home weighing a few pounds less.  Our daughter Brynn had the chance to travel to Italy with Mrs. Broucht as did our youngest son, Tad.  

Photo from the book shows Rob Howry (left) with my son
Tad and another member of the group that went to Italy.

On page 42 of her book, in the chapter titled "Pizza", she tells of this one young boy who was traveling with the group that wanted to have MLB, Mrs. Broucht's initials, carved in his hair on the back of his head.  "It took a lot of pointing and hand language to convey this to the Barber of Assisi ......."  That young boy was my son Tad!  She also tells a few touching stories in her book, one being about Rob Howry, the youngest son of friends who traveled every summer with my family on vacation to the Chesapeake Bay.  At the time the troupe was practicing for The Passion Play and on Palm Sunday, Rob happened to be at home with his father when he suffered a fatal heart attack. Rob felt it better to go to practice that Sunday afternoon to be with his friends to help him with his grief.  

Interior lighting at the Lancaster Marionette Theatre.

I talked with Mrs. Broucht for a few more minutes and than asked if she would autograph my copy of "Pizza & Post Cards - Revelations of a Church School Teacher." I told her it would be a gift for Tad for Christmas and she smiled as she wrote: For Tad, One of my very favorite church school students.  Love and God Bless.  Mary Lou Broucht.  Finally, it was time for me to depart, since Rob, her son and owner of Lancaster Marionette Theatre, was opening the front door to those who were going to enter for the evening's puppet show and be listening to "Nanny Lou", Mrs. Broucht stage name, introduce the show and tell the children and their parents about the puppets, that were all made by her son, and how they worked.  Fantastic place to visit and if you are ever in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, visit the Theatre and see one of Rob's original productions.  You will be amazed and will thoroughly enjoy your visit and get a chance to purchase your own copy of Mrs. Broucht's new book. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Telling Your Life in Story" Story

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.

The "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Graduation" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Working over the weekend at Manheim Township High School where I once taught Graphic Arts and Photography.  Running the offset press, printing the graduation program for the upcoming Graduation Ceremony.  This is probably one of the most intense printing jobs I do during the year, due to the time restraints of the program.  Finals finished Friday and teachers had to have their failure lists into the office by noon.  I am then given the list of those students who will not graduate and I must remove them from the Indesign file I have already prepared on my computer.  Sounds simple except for the fact that the teachers never have their failures in on time and when late afternoon rolls around, the office staff starts to freak out.  

I must print the program in a timely manner so those who have a program at graduation don't get wet ink on their hands and clothing.  Well, I am on time with running the press, but something always seems to go wrong.  Nothing different today, since the 35-year-old press began to act up and send paper into the feeding system.  Time to clean the rollers and put everything back together again.  Then the press decided to send paper into the water fountain rollers.  Clean the press once again and give it another try.  Eventually I had the program finished and was ready to clean the press once again before I folded and assembled the program.  Now, I have been printing the graduation program for close to half a century, but never had what happened next, happen before.  I prepared for clean-up by putting rubber gloves on my hands to try and keep from getting covered in ink.  I thought to myself that perhaps I should visit the restroom before I begin clean-up, so grabbed my keys and headed across the hall to the faculty restroom.  The school is totally empty today, being a weekend, with an eerie feeling and hollow sound to the vacant halls.  I unlocked the restroom, placed my keys on the towel holder and completed my mission.  Washed my hands and headed out the door, heading back to the locked print shop.  Then it hit me!  My keys!!  I had locked them in the restroom and couldn't get back in the print shop.  Actually couldn't do anything, since my car keys are also on my keychain.  Here I am, standing in this huge high school that is home to close to 2000 students and teachers and I'm lost as to what to do.  Call my wife was my next thought, but what could she do?  I decided to wander the halls of the partial three-story school to find someone who could help me.  After 30 minutes of roaming areas I had access to without a key, I decided to head back to the print shop.  Just as I got back I saw a custodian enter a door.  I called to him and headed his way.  Now, I haven't taught in this building for 17 years now and I don't know many of the custodians.  This one was one of them.  He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me standing there with rubber gloves on my hands and a strange look on my face.  "Where's that music coming from?" were his first words.  I replied, "I was listening to Roy Orbison while I was running the graduation program on the printing press in room 308, so I had to have it pretty loud."  He still looked puzzled, since they changed the room numbers a few years ago.  "Can you open the faculty bathroom across the hall so I can get my keys?  I locked them in there and need to finish the graduation program."  He looked unsure, but he followed me toward the restroom.  Then it struck me that I was wearing the gloves and he might be firghtened, so I stood back as he opened the restroom and retreived my keys.  By now he was beginning to believe me, I think.  I thanked him as he watched me head across the hall to the print shop and use the keys to open the door.  My day was uneventful after I reentered the print shop, but I'm sure I'll hear about my day the next time I walk back into the school.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.