The "The Sauce Makes The Difference" Story

Marabella's Family Restaurant at 9426 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, NJ.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking about a place to eat our evening meal with my wife, brother and sister-in-law.  For the past few years Carol and I have been invited by my brother, Steve, and sister-in-law, Kathy, to share their week vacation at Stone Harbor, New Jersey with them.  We enjoy spending time on the beach, putting puzzles together at the rental, walking and shopping on the downtown streets of Stone Harbor and eating.  

We were first in line during our visit.  Didn't want them
to run our of their home-made tomato sauce.  Here is
what you see when you enter the restaurant.

We tend to do quite a bit of the latter with a visit to nearby Cape May for lunch at The Lobster House and having a few meals in Stone Harbor.  One of our favorite spots to eat in Stone Harbor is located at 9426 Third Ave. which is about three blocks from our rental this year. Place is known as Marabella's Family Restaurant and they have perhaps the best tomato sauce you will ever eat.  

Many photos adorn the walls of the restaurant.
This one is actor Troy Donohue who comments ...
P.S. You have great sauce!

Whether it is on their spaghetti, lasagna, ravioli, penne, linguine, manicotti or rigatoni, it has the most delicious flavor you will ever taste.  For the past few years, while visiting with Steve and Kathy, we have visited Marabella's for supper and have never been disappointed with our meal.  Years ago, when my mom and dad were still living, Carol and I would take mom and dad to Stone Harbor for a visit with mom's cousin Roy and his wife Susan.  They had a house along 3rd Street and would invite mom and dad down for a long weekend.  Naturally, Carol and I had to go with them, since I didn't want dad to drive that distance.  

Started with my salad  with creamy Italian dressing.

Every year we would treat Roy and Susan to supper at Marabella's.  Place hasn't changed in all the years we have been eating there.  It was in 1972 that Gabriel and Michaelina "Mom" Marabella opened their restaurant along Third Ave. in Stone Harbor.  It is truly a family restaurant with sons Gabriel and Angelo along with Aunt Mary helping to work at the restaurant.  Mom Marabella created menu items from recipes she learned from her Neopolitan mother and grandmother.  The motto of the restaurant has been "Use fresh ingredients, keep the prices reasonable, and maintain a super-clean enviroment and the customers will return."  

I had the homemade lasagna with their tomato sauce.

Wow, how simple can it get?  And, the people certainly return. Many a time we had to wait in front of the restaurant for seating.  And, in my opinion, the reason so many people visit is the tomato sauce.  Mom Marabelli retired at age eighty and the kitchen is now run by her son Angelo.  He has kept Mom's recipes intact and added a few new items to the menu.   Tonight's visit to Marabella's saw Steve and Kathy ordering Spaghetti with meatballs while Carol had Spaghetti with meat sauce and I had Homemade Lasagna with meat sauce.  Can't go wrong with pasta with Marabella's tomato sauce.  The meals come with garlic bread and a salad.  Usually get more than you can eat at a very resonable price.  Give it a try if you ever make a visit to Stone Harbor, New Jersey.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "Reunion Of Friends & Fellow I.A. Teachers" Story

View from Dean's house in Herndon, Pennsylvania.

It was an ordinary day.  Overcast with a slight chill in the Autumn air, but other than that, a great day to visit with old friends and fellow shop teachers.  For thirty-three years I taught Industrial Arts at Manheim Township High School (MTHS) in Lancaster County, PA.  Over that time I got to meet and work beside quite a few great guys.    The chairman of the I.A. (Industrial Arts … or "shop" as it was once known) Department when I first began was a towering man known as Mr. Ehemann.  He had a first name, but he was too big and too old for a young new teacher as me to call him anything but by his last name.  

Dean's A-frame home in Herndon, PA.

My brother Steve, five years my junior, was a student at MTHS when I began teaching at a school on the other side of the mighty Susque- hanna River in York County, PA.  His basketball coach was Mr. Ehemann.  During the winter of my first year at York I asked my brother to ask his coach if they needed any shop teachers, since I was getting tired of driving so far to school each day.  The next night, after practice, Steve told me I had a job at MTHS if I wanted it.  Called the high school principal the next day and said I would take the job in the I.A. Department for the next school year.  Simple as that … no interviews, no forms to fill out or resumes to complete.  Shortly I had signed my contract and that was it.  After a few years Mr. Ehemann became a principal in another building and fellow shop teacher, Dean Lemon, took over as Department chairman.  Well, that was back in the late 1960s and early 1970s.  Over the years I worked with a multitude of guys who taught everything from metal shop to architectural drawing.  

Acres of trees Dean will use for his tree stand at Christmas.

And, today many of us have gathered in a small town along the east side of the Susque- hanna, close to two hours from home in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, for our second annual shop teacher reunion.  The neat A-frame house on the top of a hill in Herndon is home to Dean Lemon.  I not only taught alongside Dean, but knew him as a shop teacher when I went to MTHS as a student.  He arrived as a new teacher in my sophomore year.  Dean grew up in Herndon and later purchased 32 acres of prime farmland on a hill overlooking the river.  On the land he grew Christmas Trees.  Not just a few trees, but over 30,000 of them.  They furnished his supply that he sold near his home in Manheim Township, Lancaster County, at his "Dean's Trees" holiday stand.  Over time all three of my children worked for Dean at "Dean's Trees".  

The I.A. guys.  Front row: Jeff Lefever (Graphic Arts, wood, drawing and metal), Jere Herr (Metal shop and eventual plant manager for the school district, Dean Lemon (Metal, wood, drawing and shop math teacher as well as department chairman), Larry Woods (LDub - Graphic Arts, wood, metal and photography), Rear: Barry Walton (Wood, metal, graphic arts and department chairman after Dean retired), H. Buzz Messick (Wood shop and graphic arts), Hal Hopper (Mechanical and architectural drawing, wood shop).  I want to thank Jim Campbell who took this photo.  Jim is still teaching at MTHS, but began at MTHS when we were all still teaching and didn't want to miss the good times and stories we had to share.  Jim teaches wood, metal, mechanical and architectural drawing and engineering technology.

As Dean and I stand in front of his home today, overlooking his property and the thousands of trees in front of us, he tells me he is preparing for one more year at the tree stand.  I'm sure it gets tougher year after year, but this mountain man with acres and acres of Christmas trees never seems to age.  Soon another car winds it way up the long drive and pulls into a parking spot and it's time for lunch and story time.  After a few hours of  … "remember when so and so did that," we gathered for a photo of those still with us after over half a century of teaching and friendship.  We lost another one of the crew this year when our good friend and fellow I.A. teacher, Clyde Neal, died.  Oh, the stories we had to tell about Clyde this year!  Even though the weather wasn't conducive to having our picnic outdoors, we still had the warmth of friendship and companionship that comes from years and years of working together.  Plans are already in the making for our trip to Herndon next year for more of the same.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "I'm Not A Country Guy, But I Have A Country Gal!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Typing a story or two when a Michael Jackson song began playing.  At first I thought it was on my computer, but then realized it was coming from outside.  Opened the front door and sure enough, the music was blaring from speakers in the distance.  Knew right away what was happening, since the annual Fallfest is scheduled to take place tomorrow in the park about 500 yards from my front yard.  Local country and western radio station, WIOV, has been sponsoring Fallfest since 1992 and has featured musicians such as Tammy Wynette, Ricky Skaggs, Martina McBride, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift, Little Big Town, Gretchen Wilson, Steel Magnolia, John Michael Montgomery, Mountain Road and this year, headliner Adam Wakefield who was the runner-up on the TV competition show "The Voice".  The show used to be held elsewhere, but was moved to Overlook Park, located across the street from me, in 2008 to accommodate the 5,000 to 6,000 fans that show up for the concert.  

For the first time in the history of the show, a fee was charged to come to the show.  For years it was free, with many local businesses as well as radio station WIOV footing the bill for the outdoor concert.  This year $5.00 tickets were required to get into the outdoor concert.  When they first moved the fall concert to my neighborhood, parking was a problem, but satellite parking sites with free shuttle buses now keeps the cars out of the neighborhood.  This year's show featured Adam Wakefield, Gary Allan, Thompson Square, Mountain Road, and The Fast Lane Band.  

If I care to hear the show I can sit on my front porch and hear just about every note and word, but today I chose to walk to a nearby field high above the bandstand to take a few photos.  The weather is cool and overcast with a chance of rain, but the energy of the crowd will help keep it warm.  Got there just in time to hear Adam Wakefield.  I must admit I enjoy just about any music genre, but Country and Western isn't my favorite.  My favorite music is old-time Rock and Roll, but some of the old-time rock and roll artists were borderline country artists such as John Denver, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and even Elvis.  

Adam Wakefield

I sat on the hill overlooking the bandstand, took a few photos, watched the crowd and listened to Adam sing "Lonesome" and "Broken and Blue."  His songs do have a sort of rock and roll, R&B and Country vibe to them, but I doubt if I would buy any of his CDs.  As I stood and began my walk back home, the sun broke through the gloomy sky and warmed the concert goers.  My grandson and his mom were part of the cleanup crew at the concert, since his scout troop receives a stipend for their efforts.  The crowd has always been great and appreciates the fact they can listen to their favorite performers at such a low cost.  Judging by the applause, they certainly are enjoying Adam.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Jalopy Racers And The Tales They Tell" Story

Poster from the Lancaster Speedway
which is part of Tom's collection.

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting around a wooden dining room table in a home on the outskirts of the city of Lancaster talking with friends Jere Herr and Tom Brooks about stock car racing in Lancaster.  Both are racing fans and both raced stock cars at various venues throughout the area, but neither were old enough to have ever raced at any of the racetracks in Lancaster County. There were a few dirt race tracks in Lancaster County that held races as early as the 1930s. Perhaps the best of the tracks, Lancaster Speedway, was located off SR272 in Willow Street, PA.  Lancaster Speedway began operations in the late 1940s and ran races into the mid-1960s. One morning, a month or two ago, I opened the Lancaster Newspaper and there was a photograph of Tom showing his impressive collection of memorabilia from many of the race tracks in Lancaster as well as other nearby counties.  

Old racetrack located on Manheim Pike near what
is now known as Route 30.

He had presented a talk at the Millersville Historical Society about stock car racing, with an emphasis on the Lancaster Speedway.  Lancaster Speedway was located near the intersection of Herrville and Shiprock roads to the south of Willow Street.

This shows where the track in Landisville, PA was located.

When Jere and his wife Sue were visiting recently, I showed Jere the article from the paper and we decided a call was in order to Tom to see if he could sit with us and show us his collection of memora- bilia from not only Lancaster Speedway, but from other tracks where he and Jere raced in the past.  Well, while sitting around the table, Tom opened one scrapbook after another, showing photos and articles of cars belonging to other friends and racers of he and Jere.  

This is an aerial view of Lancaster Speedway in Southern
Willow Street.  It was on the corner of Herrville and Shiprock Roads.

Many of the cars Tom worked on and painted in his auto restoration shop on Madison Street in Lancaster.  I sat and listened to racing stories that the guys told as if they had just happened yesterday.  Story about how one racer purchased a shorter frame than the body of the car he had so Tom and his brother Harry had to shorten the car body.  

Another view I found of the Lancaster Speedway.

And the story about another driver, Joe Dennison, who drove a Ford and seemed to have the knack of frequently crashing it.  Finally decided to put his car's advertising on the bottom of the car rather than the sides since the car was on its sides more that being upright.  Jere and Tom talked about the racetrack off of Manheim Pike that was on the property of Lancaster's first airport.  The judges for the races at that airport were stationed in airplanes that flew over the track.

Car #20 belongs to Joe Dennison.  Since it was frequently in
accidents, he put his car advertisement on the bottom of the car.

One of the cars that raced at that dirt track had a large iron wheel welded in place behind the driver and if it would be hit and begin to turn over, it would continue turning until it was upright once again.  My friends talked about Landisville Speedway that was across from Herr Park in Landisville and operated from 1932 to 1938.

Tom and Harry's #17 car.

That particular track was across from the sandlot football field where the Salunga Indians played.  During halftime the fans would walk across to the racetrack to watch racing before returning to the football game.  The football field eventually closed, since more and more people turned out for the races than the football games. Also mentioned Central Speedway located in Bird-In-Hand from 1935 to 1937.  

Jere's #71 car.  Tom and his brother Harry sponsored
Jere's car so it has the same advertising on it that
their car had.

But, Lancaster Speedway, also known as Pequea Valley Racetrack, seemed to be the most dominant raceway in the county and drew the most fans on a Saturday night over its years of existence. It was a half-mile dirt oval behind the Pequea Valley Hotel.

The cover of a souvenir program
for Lancaster Speedway in Lancaster, PA.

Prize money for winning a race back then might have been $65 to $75 for winning a feature race.  The speedway was in operation until crowds began to dwindle and it wasn't profitable anymore.  Motorcycles and the Joie Chitwood thrill show used the track for a short time, but it eventually went back to farmland. The more I listened to their stories of racing the more I wished I had done the same during my younger years.  The excitement in their voices and eyes as they went through scrapbook after scrapbook told a story in itself.  These two good friends from the past seemed to know every car and racer that ever frequented any of the racetracks in Pennsylvania and also had some good stories of racing against each other from time to time. Old time stock car racing, or jalopy racing as it was known, is now a part of Americana today and the memories that were created during those years will never be forgotten. Just ask Jere and Tom! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Pilfering Pneumatic Canisters" Story

Mr. William Murdock
Inventor of the pneumatic tube system 

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back from the bank after making a deposit at the drive-through.  Turned off the engine and reached for the deposit slip on the passenger's seat only to find I had the entire drive-through canister sitting next to me.  What's bad is it isn't the first time that's happened.  For some reason when I stop at the drive-through and have other customers behind me in line, I try and hurry my transaction and that's what happens.  I have always returned the canister the following day and taken it into the bank.  I"m always thanked and told that I'm not the only one who does it.  

Women making change at a pneumatic system.

Now, my story today has to do with the canister and the system that is used to deliver the canister into the bank and back to the car again.  Called the pneumatic tube message system and was invented in England in 1836 by William Murdock who also was given credit for inventing the oscillating cylinder steam engine, gas lighting, steam gun and made a number of discoveries in chemistry.  

A drawing of an experimental pneumatic elevated
subway from 1867.  The beginning of the subway system?

It was in 1854 that Josiah Clark was issued a patent "for conveying letters or parcels between places by the pressure of air and vacuum."  In 1893 the first pneumatic system was established in the U.S. in Philadelphia by Postmaster General John Wanamaker who had previously employed the system in his department store.  The U.S. Postal System utilized the pneumatic system of office mail delivery in many U.S. cities until the last system in St. Louis was stopped in 1953.  In 1861 the London Pneumatic Despatch Company built a system large enough to transport people.  

Photo taken in Lancaster, PA showing women making
change and using the pneumatic tube system at a local store.

In 1865 the Duke of Bucking- ham, the chairman of the company, was blown through the tube to Euston, a five minute trip.  By 1870 an actual subway beneath the streets of New York began working.  Known as the Beach Pneumatic Transit and featured one car that ran a city block.  As for me, I can remember the use of pneumatic tubes or canisters in many of the department stores in downtown Lancaster, PA.  I loved going to Watt & Shand's or Hager's or Garvin's Department Store and watch my mom pay for her purchases with cash and the clerk putting the money in the canister and sending it to who knows where.  

This is a view inside Lancaster's Watt & Shand Department Store in downtown Lancaster.  It's listed on the photo as being the basement of the store where the pneumatic tubes would lead and where change would be made and sent back to the customer in the department above. 

 As I stood next to mom, I could here and perhaps tell where the metal tubes were moving in the ceiling.  In about a minute or two the canister would return with mom's change.  How that tube knew exactly where to go and return to still boggles my mind. All those stores are now gone from downtown Lancaster as well as the pneumatic tube systems they once used, but the local hospital, newspaper and banks still employ the pneumatic systems.  And, I'm sure they have an extra supply of canisters for customers like me that forget to put the tube back in the system and drive away with it.  Seems they were never able to patent a unit that would stop the pilferage of their canisters by customers such as me.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Oh yeah!  This is the pneumatic tube system that I have pilfered the canister from a few times.  They know by now that they may have to replace the canister when the little white car with the bald guy goes through it. I usually return it the next day!

 

The "One Of My Favorite Pastimes: Part III - My Favorites #2" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Posting my final edition of vehicles that I enjoyed at the Manheim Township Rotary Club car show held at Neffsville Community Park in Neffsville, PA. I enjoyed myself immensley as I walked the grounds of the park looking at the 600 vehicles that were part of the 15th annual show.  I chose about a dozen of the cars and trucks to post on my blog, not necessarily because they were the best cars in the show, but because they were the most interesting to me.  The owners of each vehicle were quick to talk with me about their vehicle and were fun to listen to as they described how they acquired their car or truck and added the needed restoration, if necessary.  I still remember when I had my 1987 Vette and was in their shoes when someone would approach me asking questions about my car.  My time at the show was not only informative, but fun.  Great Saturday afternoon on a beautiful fall day.  Now, check out the final cars and one bus that I have posted today.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Mr. John K. Stauffer was a very knowledgable fellow, but somewhat elusive and hard to follow.  He told me he built this car from scratch from parts he obtained and made.  His car was listed on his windshield car description as a 1933 JKS LeMans C.R.  My guess is that the JKS referred to his initials, but the rest is anyone's guess.  Parts of the car's hood were wood.  I searched on "Google", but came up empty-handed.  Check out the photos and enjoy the car.  If you have any ideas that could help describe the car better than what I have listed, please leave me a comment.

A partial side view of the JKS car.

Interior of the car.

Rear view of the 1933 JKS LeMans C.R.

This 1913 Ford Model T belongs to Rich Meier.  I talked to Rich's wife who told me they had to travel about two miles to get to the show.  They live close to my home in Manheim Township, but I have never seen this car before.  The car was in remarkable shape and a wonderful antique show car.

The hood ornament was interesting.

On either side of the front of the cab were gas lanterns.  The car still had headlights.

I asked Rich if he had converted the car to electric start, but he told me he still starts the car with the hand crank.

Interior is rather stark with three metal pedals, and a handbrake.  The leatherwork was pristine.

There was only one lantern on the rear of the car.  It did have a red glass dome on it.  Here you can see the wooden spoked wheels and leaf springs that cushioned the ride.

This photograph shows Joe Grosso with his sandals resting on the back of his 1955 Buick Special.  I can still remember my Grandpap's 1955 Buick and taking trips to Root's Sale to bid on boxes of animals that he won for me to take home.  This gray and white '55 is in great condition and Joe enjoys telling people about it.  

The interior of the car is in great shape, but does feature a large amount of speciality gauges and levers which were evidently used for drag racing this car at one time.  

The grillwork is much the same in the 1955 and 1956 Buick.  When I lived in Grandview Heights, my next door neighbor had a 1955 green and white Buick.  She could no longer drive the vehicle and told me to take drives in it to make sure it was still in working condition.  I drove it a few times to the school where I taught and even had my yearbook staff gather around it for a shot we used in the school yearbook.  A true classic car for the 1950s.

The last car I will feature also brings back memories from the past.  Carol and I owned a VW Bus for a few years while our children were growing up.  The bus was used for quite a few vacations with two bikes strapped on the front and three more on the back.  Luggage was strapped to the roof and the rest was inside along with the kids.  We needed to go as fast as possible down hills to be able to get to the top of the next hill.  Turning left was always fun since the horn would blow every time you pushed the turnsignal down.  And, when you turned on the heat, smoke would come out of the window vents.

This is a 1961 Type II, 23 Window Deluxe Samba VW Bus which belongs to Greg Falk of Lancaster, PA.  He bought it in 2012 and had it restored the following year in California.  It is in beautiful condition.  I love all the roof windows which were not part of my VW.  The two front windshield windows can be opened.  The interior was immaculate as was the rear engine compartment.

A few more features of this remarkable car are: 1 of 8095 sold worldwide in 1961, a "hump back" bench seat and rare ambulance fans.  The wheel rims and trim rings have the original date stamped on them while the engine sports 40 horse power and a 6 volt battery.

The "Still Healing From 'The Happening'" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the full page "Remembrance" that my local newspaper placed on the back of the front section of the newspaper.  A misty white heaven overlooking five young trees along a quiet pathway near where the West Nickel Mines Amish one-room schoolhouse stood at one time.  

It has been ten years since Lancaster County felt the fear of terrorism that fall day in 2006.  On that fateful day in October a deranged Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the Amish one-room schoolhouse and shot 10 little Amish girls, killing half of them and then taking his own life.  Shortly the school was torn down, five trees were planted as a memorial to those murdered and a new school, called "The New Hope School" was erected.  The Amish community now refers to that fateful day as "The Happening".  Today's newspaper devoted page after page of heart-breaking as well as heart-warming stories and devoting a full page with Oct. 2, 2006 in bold and Remembering Nickel Mines under it.  Thank you Lancaster Newspapers for such a stirring remembrance of perhaps the worst event in Lancaster's history.  Their lead story told of Marie Roberts, the wife of the shooter, who looked out the window in her parents' home and saw a group of Amish men walking toward the house.  She feared what they would do until her father went outside to face them and found they had arrived because they were concerned about her and her children.  They wanted her to know that they had forgiven her husband and were extending grace and compassion to her family.  Another story dealt with Terri Roberts, the shooter's mother and how she has had to cope with the experience.  Tells how she has taken one young Amish girl who has survived, but with severe injuries, and treated her as if she were one of her own children.  Very sad story which was tough to read, let alone write.  Another story tells of the five survivors and their physical and mental conditions ten years after the slaughter.  One story tells how one of the first responders has dealt with the aftermath of the horrendous massacre while yet another story tells of the guilt still felt by one young Amish boy who was in the school at the time and feels he should have done something to help the young girls.  

The fateful one-room school house before being demolished.

The majority of the newspaper coverage deals with how Marie Roberts, now remarried and known as Marie Monville, is handling issues such as forgiveness, faith and a remarkable kinship she has developed with the families of those killed on that awful day.  The Amish community is extremely forgiving and rely on their faith in God to help them heal.  Suzanne Cassidy, editor of the Lancaster newspaper's Opinion Page, tells of the challenges that face everyone associated with this terrible tragedy and how some will never be the same.  The family who lost two young girls, one 7 and one eight; the words found in Matthew's Gospel that help healing; the book written by the shooter's wife; and the yearly published stories that will never end.  I commend Suzanne and Lancaster's LNP Always Lancaster newsaper and its staff for so many interesting, yet heart-wrenching and disturbing stories that were included today reminding everyone how this one event has affected and touched so many people in the Lancaster community.  Here's hoping it will never happen again.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "How You Know You're From Lancaster" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just opened my Facebook page and saw a post that my daughter Brynn and her friend Marie had made. A list of "20 Things You Know If You're From Lancaster County."  Pretty neat list so I thought I would pass it along to all those who will always have 717 as their area code and love Lancaster County as well as to those who enjoy reading about the part of the world that I call home.  So ... here you go.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1.  You always leave the house 10 minutes early on Sunday's because you know you will get stuck behind an Amish buggy.
2.  You know exactly what the foods sweet bologna, scrapple, birch beer and Long Johns are.
   
3.  Blue Ball, Intercourse, and Bird-In-Hand are all just town names to you.
4.  You were excused from high school for the Pennsylvania Farm Show and the first week of deer hunting season.
5.  It really gets under your skin when people say "Lan-cas-ter or Lang-cas-ter" when it should be "Lang-cas-ter."
6.  You live within a mile of an Amish farm and are used to the smell of manure.
   
7.  You are used to not being able to buy beer and wine from the same store.
8.  You know that Wilbur buds are 100 times better than Hershey Kisses.
   
9.  County Fair season is your favorite season.
10.  You ate dippy eggs more often that not as a child and had no trouble ordering them in any restaurant in Lancaster County.
11.  You aren't surprised when you see things are cooked in lard.
12.  Your heart broke when the Freez-and-Friz across from the Lancaster Airport closed its doors.
    
13.  In the summers you probably meet up with your high school classmates at Marion Court.
14.  You get a free birthday breakfast from Shady Maple every year.
15.  Root's Country Market and Auction and the Green Dragon are two of you favorite places to shop.
16.  All family gatherings aren't complete without whoopie pies and shoofly pie.
    
17.  You buy your produce from Amish stands, not the grocery store.
    
18.  You drive winding roads so often you can no longer drive in a straight line.
19.  You've been asked if you're Amish.
20.  And even though strange things happen in Lancaster, you will always call Lancaster home.