The "The Story Of The Legendary Harriet Tubman - Part I" Story

Harriet Tubman

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a young woman by the name of Harriet Tubman who was one of the best known activists on the Underground Railroad.  Harriet was born Araminta Ross on Maryland's Eastern Shore sometime around 1822.  She was born enslaved and as a child was rented out to neighbors as a domestic servant.  She eventually escaped to Philadelphia and later returned to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania area to help her family and friends escape slavery along the Underground Railroad.  It was said that she helped close to 70 slaves escape along the Underground Railroad to freedom during her nine decades of heroism.  But, she was more than just someone who helped others escape slavery.  She was also a spy and nurse for the Union during the Civil War.  She also helped Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton in their struggles for woman's voting rights.  She also cared for battered women and children and raised money to build schools for those that had been recently freed from slavery.   She founded the Tubman Home for Aged and Indigent Negroes as well as a nursing home for African Americans who had no where else to go.  She was a true humanitarian who never got the credit she should had received during her lifetime.  It has been close to 200 years since her birth and historians still are attempting to unravel the secrets of her life.  Today she has two national parks named in her honor; one in Auburn, New York and another in Dorchester County, Maryland.  She is the only African American as well as woman to have two named national parks.  Her story begins in the open fields of Dorchester County when as a young woman she found the courage to escape her slaveholder....alone!  In 1849 her "master", Edward Brodess, tried to sell her, but found no buyers due to the fact that she had a brain injury which she had suffered while helping another slave run away.  The overseer aimed a two-pound metal weight at the man escaping in an attempt to make him return to work, but it struck Harriet, who was only 13 at the time.  In later life she would have constant migraines, narcolepsy and vivid dreams she would interpret as divine visions.  Her enslaver died shortly after in 1849 so she and her brother fled.  They were caught, but that didn't stop her from trying again.  This time she tried leaving on the Underground Railroad which was a network of safe houses and routes established by Black and white abolitionists that guided enslaved people from the South to freedom in the North...usually through Philadelphia and then to Ontario, Canada after the Fugitive Slave Act became law in 1850.  This act threatened imprisonment for anyone caught helping fugitive slaves.  At the time, she had met a free Black man, John Tubman, who married her, but refused to flee with her and eventually remarried someone else the following year.  To this day...there is still so much that historians don't know about Harriet Tubman's life.  Today she has become an American folk hero with legendary status.  Check out my story tomorrow as I tell what else I could find out about the legendary Harriet Tubman.  She was, and still is, an American folk hero!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Visit To Woodcrest Villa And Exploring The Publication 'fig'" Story"

It was an ordinary day.  Just returned from a visit to Woodcrest Villa which is a retirement community for retired folks like my wife and myself.  Fantastic place that has just about everything Carol and I could ever want in a retirement community.  One and two bedroom apartments as well as one and two bedroom condos which have one and two car garages attached to them and are available to purchase.  The complex is one of a few in Lancaster County that are for those over the age of 65 years old.  We have visited a few different communities in the past year or two, but seem to gravitate back to Woodcrest Villa which happens to be the closest complex to where our children live.  Our trip today was to visit a few different units that we had not seen in the past as well as to learn about a few more services they offer that we had not known about during our other visits we had taken.  We have placed a deposit on a unit, but do not have to decide on which unit until they have a few that are available that we can look at to see if we like the unit as well as the location it occupies on the campus.  After our afternoon visit we headed home, still unable to decide what we really want as our home for our "Golden Years."  When we returned home we grabbed the mail out of the mailbox and headed back into the house.  Naturally, our two cats were waiting for us, wanting to know where they may be moving in the next couple of years.  I grabbed the mail and opened a small publication known as "fig" which is an 8"X8" 100+ page booklet that is primarily advertisements for Lancaster County.  

The cover of "fig"

I love to look at the colorful booklet and see whom has advertised in the latest quarterly issue.  I got halfway through when in front of me was a page that read at the top "Woodcrest Villa."  The page featured a couple that we had the chance to visit with the previous time we had visited Woodcrest Villa a few months ago.  We were interested in a unit about the size in which they live and they had volunteered to show Carol and myself their home and how they had it decorated so we would have a chance to see how much furniture we could bring with us when we become residents of Woodcrest.  

A page from "fig" telling about David ad Ester

David and Esther had used Ester's artwork to fill the walls and they showed us the wall that they had covered entirely in cabinets and shelves to add extra space for displaying their past memories.  We loved the place and right away got ideas as to how we could personalize a unit for ourselves.  They were in a two bedroom apartment that also had a small room that could be used as an office.  Their apartment had two full bathrooms, laundry room and storage space.  After we walked throughout their unit, we met their young granddaughter who was visiting with them.  Their apartment was beautiful and the personalized artwork gave us a chance to see what we could do with the many pieces of art we have gathered during our married lifetime.  We realize that the 100+ pieces of art we have hanging in our home today will have to be whittled down a bit, but we believe we can pick our favorites and still not have too get rid of too many.  I showed Carol the article in "fig" that I had just seen and we talked more about our hosts, David and Ester, and how they had helped us make a few decisions for when we are ready to move.  I have added a few pages from the publication so you can see the artistic approach that "fig" offers to those that receive it 4 times a year.  This is one publication that I view every page and some pages more than once.  It is a perfect size, easy to read and has content in their advertisements that is interesting to me.   Check out the pages I have attached so you can see what an advertising publication can do without being filled with page after page of boring advertisements.  Click on pages to enlarge them...

 I hope you have enjoyed visiting with Carol and myself at Woodcrest Villa as well as seeing some of the pages in the publication known as "fig".  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Sundial Made By A Friend" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Cleaning the sundial that has been on the back deck of my home for the past 20 years.  It was made for Carol and me by a friend and fellow teacher at Manheim Township High School.

My sundial.  The base is copper while the part that stands up,
which is known as the gnomon, is brass.

John Shultz was a high school mathematics teacher who loved anything related to numbers.  He got the idea that he could make a sundial for he and his wife and when he saw how neat it was, he decided to make a sundial for some of his friends.  Wasn't long before he stopped in my classroom and gave me one of his copper sundials.  It has been on my rear deck, telling the time of day ever since he gave it to me over 20 years ago.  What's neat is that I have never had to change the batteries since he gave it to me...since it has none!

  

The date Carol and I were married.

In the booklet that he prints with each sundial, he tells how he became interested in sundials when he saw a table representing the equation of time and was curious why the correction was zero on his birthdate (September 1).  Since he began making sundials he has given presentations on the mathematics of the sundial to fellow mathematics teachers on the state and regional levels.  As a hobby, he began constructing mathematically correct copper artilleries an other types of sundials.  He has made sundials for locations all over the United States and many foreign countries.  He does post an address of shultzsundials.com in case you may be interested in one for yourself.  

The booklet that John gives with each sundial.

The base of his sundial is copper with the gnomon being brass.  The gnomon is the part of the sundial that is perpendicular to the bottom part of the sundial.  The sundial can be polished using metal polish.  John gets his copper from Rancocas Metals Corporation in Rancocas, New Jersey and his brass from Enco in Fernley, Nevada.  He likes the freedom copper and brass give him as an artist, and enjoys the aesthetics these metals bring to his sundials.  He writes in his booklet:  “There’s no rust, the oxidizing makes it look nicer, and the shadow is much easier to read.”  His armillary spheres are made of rings shaped from copper while the incorporated arrows are made from brass.

Page 1 inside his booklet he give to you.

“And in time, the brass looks black, while the copper looks green,” Shultz says about the coloration lure in the sun-swept pieces. “People who order these like the precision idea involved; a lot appreciate the beauty, but I think around one-third of those who buy them are really interested in telling time.” He also writes... Personalized sets of words stretch across the bases of the sundials, with names of homes, pets and anniversary dates as just a few samples of what people ask to have custom-etched into the sundials they order.  He also writes that many take the time to send him snapshots of their sundials and armillary spheres in place. In fact, John now keeps a photo album of them all, with hundreds of pictures tucked inside its pages. He’s seen them mounted (often modifying them to mount as the person prefers), used as centerpieces in homes, set on mantels, placed on windowsills, arranged on small tables near entryways and attached to the tops of chimneys aside from just perching outside in people’s yards.  Carol and I have placed our sundial on the table we have on our back deck.  It gets plenty of light and never is in the shade.  It really is interesting and it's amazing how accurate it can be as long as someone doesn't move it around on our table.  Even though it is rather heavy, the squirrels still enjoy moving it around the table while searching for peanuts.   Take a look at the sundial John has made for Carol and I and you will see the craftsmanship that John has placed in his work.  Truly a masterpiece of time!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "TUMS For The Tummy" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about one of our nation's favorite tablets that has been providing relief to aching tummies for close to 100 years.  Does the word "TUMS" come to mind?  The little round tablet was invented by James Howe, a pharmacist, whose wife had planned for the two of them to go on a cruise and had decided that they should try and take something along in case they overeat or eat something that doesn't agree with their stomachs while on the cruise.  So, in 1928 James, a Missouri pharmacist, invented a product for he and his wife that would help them on their cruise.  

It's name of TUMS came from a nurse at a local  military base, Jefferson Barracks, through a company-sponsored radio contest.  His invention was originally sold in gold colored tubes labeled Tums for the Tummy which cost 10 cents.  A few early ads for TUMS included phrases such as: "Like Good Food? Don't Appear Rude: Always Carry TUMS" and "Even Hamburger Doesn't Faze Me Now."  The TUMS song debuted in 1981 and was called  "Tums, Tum-Tum-Tum, Tums!"  Even though TUMS was invented in 1928, they weren't brought to market until 1930.  It was around the same time that Scotch tape, Wonder bread and Hostess Twinkies were introduced.  Now, if TUMS seem to be chalky, it's because they are actually made of chalk.  They use calcium-carbonate which is a form of mineral calcium found in limestone, chalk and marble.  TUMS begin with a ton of sugar and calcium carbonate which is mixed with water and starch.  When the mix dries it is fed into compressors that squeeze it into tablets by using about five tons of force.  

The tablets are then bottled or rolled to be shipped.  TUMS are manufactured, and have been manufactured since day one, at one of their seven buildings in St. Louis, Missouri.  It has been said that workers at the factory eat them like candy as they are being made.  One bartender in Chicago mixed fruit-flavored TUMS with a rogue's gallery of gut-boilers including cream, egg whites, red pepper and some spicy sausage oil.  A drink that could give someone heartburn and cure it at the same time!  Before our recent pandemic, sales of TUMS was on the rise, and during the pandemic, some varieties were in short supply since many people put TUMS at the top of their list of antacids.  All antacids use a base.  Acid and bases are put together and their ions bond to form water.  Different antacids rely on different bases, but they all work the same way, bringing hours-long relief starting within five to ten minutes of popping a TUMS in your mouth.  Johnson & Johnson invented a pill called the Papoid, which somehow became obsolete, while TUMS have stood the test of time.  Bet you might have a pack in your bathroom, kitchen or even in your pocket.  I know we do!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,  

The, "A Spider To Top All Other Spiders!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about the 3-inch long spider that has invaded the east coast of the United States.  The Japanese Joro Spider infiltrated the United States in Georgia, but soon found it's way up, and down, the east coast of the United States.  And, they look menacing!  Scientists from the University of Georgia have released a study telling East coast residents that the eight-legged critters are about to become even more prolific and spread up and down the East Coast.  The Joro spider arrived from East Asia.  It has legs spanning three inches, about the diameter of a soup can, and has unnerved just about everyone whom has encountered its huge golden webs.  And, the female of the species is as big or bigger than the Carolina wolf spider which is the largest native spider in the United States.  The Joro spider actually arrived in Georgia sometime in 2013 or 2014.  The hearty and mobile giants more than likely hitched rides on cargo ships headed to Georgia.  They have no natural enemies, reproduce rapidly and scare the crap out of residents whom find huge golden webs on their property.   The only good thing about all of this is that the spiders are said to be harmless to both humans and their pets. Those that have been bitten claim it feels like a tiny pinch.  It is not venomous and poses no threat to any human whom might get bitten.  What is scary is the fact that researchers in the United States believe they will likely spread throughout the East Coast and the South and really don't mind cold temperatures.  What is really neat about these giants is that they use their webs like a balloon or a parachute to glide with the wind.  Doesn't take long to travel from state to state at the rate they are spreading.  One more scary thing about them is that they can fly.  One good thing about these creepy crawlers is that they are master hunters of mosquitos and brown stink bugs which destroy crops.   Right now, somewhere on the east side of the United States, they are catching all the pests we don't want around our home.  

Can you imagine having one of these on your head and being
able to reach from ear to ear across the top of your hear!

A bit more about the giant spider...they originated in Madeira and the Canary Islands with the first one in the UK being spotted in 1879.  They are said to have arrived in the UK via banana boxes sent over from the Canary Islands.  The Joro spider is thought to be the most invasive spider species on the planet.  What makes it scary is that no one really knows if the species is helpful or detrimental to the world.  I live in an area were we may begin to find some of these giants.  I have also read that we should learn to get along with them, since they will be here to stay.  The female Joro spider has yellow and blue-black stripes on their backs with bright red markings on their undersides.  Their male counterparts tend to be a shade of brown.  their three-dimensional webs are golden in color and tend to be higher off the ground than those of other, closely related spiders.  The Joro spider won't bite a human unless they are cornered.  Even then, their fangs aren't large enough to break human skin.  The venom of the Joro is generally harmless to people and pets.   They can be a nuisance since their webs are large and their population is currently booming.  I would love to see one, but perhaps it would be best if I saw one while on vacation somewhere along the Jersey Shore rather than in my home town of Lancaster.  Actually, spiders are an essential part of the ecosystem in most parts of the world since they eat harmful insects.  I must have read over a half-dozen stories about our new guests and would love to see what they look like in person.  Can't imagine having one land on my bald head and have their legs stretching down the sides of my skull.  With all the things I have read about their size, it's entirely possible they might cover your head from side to side.  At least they probably won't be able to get their fangs into my skull since they have tiny fangs that more than likely won't penetrate my skin...at least for now!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Woman I Will Always Remember" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a photograph that appeared on the obituary page of my local newspaper.  The photograph was of a woman that as soon as I saw her photograph, I knew I had known her in the past. Directly above her color photo was the name Ruth Ann Shaffer.  Ruth Ann was one of my student teachers I had when I taught Industrial Arts at Manheim Township High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Ruth recently died at the age of 89.  Her life's story is very interesting, to say the least.  Ruth worked at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA) after dropping out of high school.  After 19 years of working at RCA, she returned to school to obtain her GED.  Shortly after earning her degree she entered Millersville State Teachers College in nearby Millersville where I had graduated with a degree in IA in 1967.  In order for Ruth to graduate she needed to do her student teaching in her college Major.  And...that is where I came into the picture.  Ruth was 36 years old when she entered my classroom as my student teacher.  And...I was a 24 year old teacher at the time.  For a few weeks it was real challenge, but we both survived.  She enjoyed working with me as her supervisor and I enjoyed trying to help her through her semester of student teaching.  After graduation from Millersville she taught Graphic Arts at Harrisburg High School until she retired at 55 years of age.  At that point in her life she found it necessary to take care of her husband until his death in 2000.  She then became a substitute teacher for the Intermediate Unit 13.  Ruth enjoyed teaching and I hope my time as her cooperating teacher was worthwhile for her.  But, as I continued to read Ruth's obituary I found a few more members of her family that I knew well.  I had both of her sons, Russ and Joe, in my Graphic Arts class at Manheim Township before I had her as my student teacher.  Russ and Joe were both very nice fellows who I got to know better because they were members of the APBA Baseball League that I formed when they were in high school.  APBA is a board game that is based on the statistics of major league baseball players.  It was invented in Lancaster and I enjoyed it so much that a friend of mine helped me begin a league of baseball fanatics.  Most members were adults closer to my age, but we did have a few high school students of which Russ and Joe were two of the members.  I did get to meet their mom through the APBA league.  I had lost track of Ruth until I saw her photograph on the newspaper obituary page yesterday.  My deepest sympathy goes out to Russ and Joe and their families.  Their mom was a great woman who wanted nothing but the best for her family.  She was a hard worker who treated me with great respect when I had her as my student teacher years ago.  She lived a long fruitful life and raised a great family.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Life Of The Oldest Living Creature" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking through the scrapbooks that Carol and I have made for the past 20 plus years of our vacations we have taken.  Trips to exotic sites in the Caribbean, visits to the islands in the state of Hawaii, travel to beaches in Florida and family vacations to points along the Jersey shore.  All the scrapbooks are fun to view and Carol and myself love to try and remember each and every vacation we have taken since I retired from teaching in 1999.  While looking at one of the trips to the New Jersey shore we noticed a few pictures of horseshoe crabs that were along the edge of the water in some of the photos.  Neat animals?? that are a bit scary, but make you wonder exactly how long they have been inhabitants of the Jersey shore.  Seems that the American horseshoe crab is also a common sight along the beaches of Florida.  Also read that the horseshoe crab is found up and down the Atlantic coast from Maine to Mexico.  They are not really crabs, but are more closely related to spiders and other arachnids than they are to crabs or lobsters.  There are four species of horseshoe crabs that have been around for at least 445 million years, way longer than dinosaurs have been around.  The horseshoe crabs have one species that is found in North America along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts while the other three species are found in Southeast Asia.  The body structure of the horseshoe crab is just about the same today as it was years and years ago. The Horseshoe crab has a tank-like structure with a front shell called the prosoma, a back shell called the opisthosoma, and a spike-like tail called a telson.

The horseshoe crab

And...the crab is totally harmless to humans.  The horseshoe crab has a hard shell, 10 eyes, a pair of compound eyes on the prosoma and "photo receptors" in other areas, primarily along the tail.  You should never pick up a horseshoe crab by the tail as it can harm the animal.  Instead, gently pick it up by both sides using both hands.  Horseshoe crabs are known to gather in large nesting groups on beaches in the mid-Atlantic states such as Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland in the spring and summer.  

A pair of horseshoe crabs mating.

Their populations are largest in the spring and summer, but they can nest year-round in Florida with their peak spawning occurring in the spring and fall.  When mating the smaller male hooks himself to the top of the larger female's shell by using his specialized front claws, and together they crawl to the beach.  The male fertilizes the eggs as the female lays them in a nest in the sand.    Horseshoe crab larvae emerge from their nests several weeks after the eggs are laid.  The young and adult horseshoe crabs spend most of their time on the sandy bottoms of the inter-tidal flats or zones above the low tide mark and feed on various invertebrates.  The Horseshoe Crab is an important part of the ecology of coastal communities.  Their eggs are the major food source for shorebirds migrating north.  The shorebirds have evolved to time migrations to coincide with peak horseshoe crab spawning activity, especially in Delaware and the Chesapeake Bay areas.  Many other types of fish as well as birds feed on horseshoe crab eggs in Florida while the adult horseshoe crabs serve as prey for sea turtles, alligators and sharks.  Horseshoe crab numbers are beginning to decline so the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission

A large number of crabs gather for mating.

developed a management plan that requires all Atlantic coastal states to identify horseshoe crab meeting beaches.  The horseshoe crab that we find today isn't that much different than the horseshoe crab found millions of years ago, even with horseshoe crabs living to be only about 20 years old.  When I find one along the coast line I look at it and wonder if I should touch it.  Well, it seems that they don't bite or sting.  They do look ferocious with the sharp, pointed tail and rough edges along their body, but they will not harm you.  If you would ever try to pick one up, make sure you pick them up by holding them along either side to do so...don't pick them up by the tail.  They feed on small clams, crustaceans and worms and may also eat other small animals as well as algae.  They crush their food between their legs before passing it to their mouth.  They also have gizzards for grinding food before it reaches their stomachs.  The horseshoe crab has a blood-clotting agent known as Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) which clots in the presence of certain groups of bacteria.  The FDA requires the use of LAL to test all injectable and intravenous drugs produced in the USA and the good news is that up to one-third of a horseshoe crab's blood can be removed without killing the animal.  If you ever find what you think looks like a dead horseshoe crab on the beach, please pick it up gently along the sides of the shell and release it back into the sea, since they may still be alive.  The horseshoe crab plays a vital role in ecosystems along the eastern coastline of the United States.  They do live most of their lives unseen in the water, but emerge in droves during full and new moons during mating seasons to lay hundreds of thousands of egg to Endre this long-lasting species' existence for future generations.  The horseshoe crab is one of the most experienced species on the planet.  They are often called "living fossils," and have ancestors that can be traced back through the geologic record to around 445 million years ago, 200 million years before dinosaurs existed.  Being that they have 10 eyes they see everything!  They also have 10 legs, but are not actually crabs but arachnids as are spiders and scorpions.  When they do come to shore they come in droves.  The female can lay about 4,000 tiny green eggs in an evening and continue to do the same the next day until she has laid over 100,000 or more.  And, even though shorebirds eat plenty of the eggs, there are still many left over to keep the species alive for many more generations.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "Why Would Anyone Do This To Themselves?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking through page after page of photos, sketches and hand-drawn artwork for images that I can add to a few of my stories.  I have always enjoyed stories that are illustrated and therefore I strive to find artwork to accompany my stories whenever possible.  Many times while searching for artwork I come across websites that feature tattoos.  Some of the tattoos are interesting and have real meaning while others are tasteless and tend to destroy the person whom has placed it on their body.  The first few tattoos that I am posting today  belong to my family members while the remaining tattoos....are....well, you decide for yourself what you think!

The first tattoo is one that my youngest son had placed on his arm to celebrate his grandfather's time in the service.  His grandfather's initials, birth and death dates are also part of the tattoo.

This tattoo features his grandmother, my mother, whose nickname was "Dot."  He wanted me to go with him when he had it done and when it was finished, he asked if I would place the last "dot" on the tattoo.

Placing the final "dot" on my son's leg.

My daughter also has a tattoo that features the Roman numeral of XXIII (23) which signifies the birthdays of both her daughters.  

One my granddaughters happens to have a tattoo on her arm that signifies her daily struggle with diabetes.  It reads: I am greater than my highs and my lows.   Great tattoo with more meaning than you could ever imagine!

Well, I thought it time to share with you some of the tattoos that I have been saving for some time.  See what you think about them.  Am I out of line in thinking they have overdone the use of their body as a drawing board.  I know at times tattoos can be removed, but not when you go to the outlandish extreme that some people have gone to.  I know...I'm so behind in what is acceptable anymore, but someday, one of the people shown, will look at what they have done and the tears will flow knowing that they will never be able to see the beautiful skin that at one time covered their bodies without ink all over it.  Check them out...with no more comments from me...except for the final one!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

This one I actually think its pretty neat!

The "The Revere Family Cast Some Fantastic Pieces" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Reading several stories about a bronze bell that was allegedly cast in 1834 at Paul Revere's Massachusetts foundry.   Paul Revere opened a foundry in 1792 in Boston and became one of the few competent bell makers in the United States at the time.  Between the years 1772 and 1828 the foundry cast a total of 398 bells that varied from 500 to 2500 pounds.  Most of the bells had pleasant tones and were used in schools, on ships and for communication.  

Bronze bell forged in 1834 by Paul Revere's son Joseph Warren Revere.

Bells were rung to let the community know of a weekly church service or perhaps a wedding or funeral.  One of the bells that was cast at the Revere Bell foundry was used at the Bath City Hall beginning in 1936 and was rung daily; morning, noon and evening as well as to announce hours of religious services and alarms of fire, tolling for departed citizens and pealing in honor of independence days and other occasions of joy.  The historic bronze bell that was cast in 1834 has recently returned home after a nearly two-century, cross country odyssey that saw it hauled by oxcart from Boston to churches in Ohio before spending decades in a California garage.  Finally the historic bell was returned to the site where it was created 188 years ago at the foundry in Boston.  The original bell was made by Paul's son, Joseph Warren Revere, who took over for his father in 1804.  Then, 32 years ago, real estate agent Jeannene Shanks became the bell's accidental owner.  She had helped broker the sale of what at one time was the First Baptist Church in Vermillion, Ohio.  A fitness center had purchased the church and found it didn't need the heavy bell so Jeannene, not wanting to see it scrapped, made a $1,000 donation for the bell.  When Jeannene and her husband retired to Chino Hills, California, they hauled the 1,000 pound bell with them.  For the next couple of years they would open the garage door on the Fourth of July and ring the bell for the neighborhood where they had moved.  When the Shanks died their daughter, Amy Miller, moved the bell to her garage where it sat since 2009.  Eventually a Texas collector offered her $50,000 for the bell which happened to bear the Revere's marking. The buyer said if he didn't want it any longer he would melt it down.  Amy Miller did some online investigating and after finding out it was cast in Boston decided not to sell it to the Texas collector.  But, she decided she didn't need it in her garage so she donated it to the Massachusetts Museum in Canton, Massachusetts.  She realized that the bell had a story to tell that was never going to be told in her garage.  The bell represents what our history and our country are all about.  It needed to go back to where it had once begun it's life as an ingot of bronze.  Interesting story of a bell that at one time was a block of metal in a foundry in Boston and today has found it's way across the country to a new home at a museum in Boston.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Hero To Many Who Died Long Before His Time!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a young man who recently had a 12-foot bronze statue of himself placed just south of Philadelphia's City Hall.  It is the first of its kind in the city's history.  Throughout the city stands statue after statue that tells the story of one of our most famous cities in the history of our country.  As of 2017, one more statue now stands along the city streets in Philadelphia.  The statue was commissioned  a memorial to Octavius Valentine Catto, a civil rights activist, educator, abolitionist and baseball pioneer.  He was born a free man in February 1839 in Charleston, South Carolina and was raised in Phiiladelphia.  He graduated from the Institute for Colored Youth, which later became the country's first historically Black college, Cheyney University.  Though he traveled to Washington, D.C. for postgraduate studies, Catto returned to the institute a year later and was hired as a teacher.

Octavius Valentine Catto

Before Catto moved with his family to Pennsylvania, he lived in Baltimore where his father, William, was an ordained Presbyterian minister and had planned to leave for Liberia as a missionary.  But, it was discovered that William had written a letter that the Charleston Prebytery believed explained his intent to "excite discontent and insurrection among the slaves" and the family fled north to avoid William from being arrested.  William earned his freedom by becoming a minister and Octavius learned the foundation of his abolition activism from his father.  Catto served as a Major in the Pennsylvania National Guard during the Civil War and then joined Frederick Douglass and other Black leaders in the fight for emancipation and the abolition of slavery.

The most recent statue in Philadelphia
of Octavius Valentine Catto

But, one thing a bit different was that Catto helped Jacob C. White Jr. found the Pythian Baseball Club of Philadelphia in 1865.  The Pythians were primarily composed of middle-class professionals from the Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York areas.  Catto was the captain and star fielder for the Pythians who were an extremely talented and capable baseball team among Black ball clubs.  They attempted to gain equal consideration from the white clubs.  Catto believed that Black credibility and acceptance could be promoted by competing against white teams on a baseball diamond.  Baseball was growing in popularity and helped drive his civil rights efforts.  In 1869, the Pythians issued a challenge to every white team in Philadelphia which was finally accepted by the Olympics team from Philadelphia which was one of the oldest white baseball clubs in Philadelphia.  Well, it didn't go well for the Pythians and they lost 44-23, but did show that they were worthy competitors.  In October of 1867 the club applied for membership in the Pennsylvania State Association of Base Ball Players with a white team as their sponsor.  The team was told to rescind their application or risk being blackballed so the team decided to try to gain admission to the National Association at their annul meeting held in Philadelphia that December.   Catto and his team's efforts proved futile.

A street sign telling the story of Octavius Valentine Catto

James Brunson, a professor at Northern Illinois and the United States preeminent expert of 19th century Black baseball told Catto that he needed to use his political and social connections with white businessmen in order to get his club, as well as other Black ball clubs, to join white organizations.  Catto was a tireless champion of the 15th Amendment and found it was as much politics as it was baseball. He helped African American men get the right to vote, but Philadelphia was filled with violence and unrest as some tried to prevent them from being able to cast ballots on Election Day, Ocober, 1871.  Catto at the time was a member of the state National Guard and he believed he would need to be of service amid the unrest.  White intimidation of Black voters included riots and murders, and Catto saw it as his duty to keep peace and help Black Americans safely cast their votes.  After purchasing a firearm, he headed home to retrieve his uniform for a game.  As he neared his home, Catto was shot and killed in the street at close range.  

The murder of Octavius Valentine Catto

The bullet went through his heart.  The funeral was the size of which had never been seen for a Negro.  All city offices and most schools were closed.  Members of the city council, the state legislature, city employees and many others marched in sympathy at the passing of their fallen leader.  He was eulogized many times over.  It was spoken by Mr. Du Bois, local politician, "And so, closed the career of a man of splendid equipment, rare force of character, whose life was so interwoven with all that was good about us, as to make it stand out in bold relief, as a pattern for those who have followed after!"  After Catto's death, the Pythians Baseball Team disbanded.  But the team name continued to be associated with agitating for change and inclusion.  An iteration of the Pythians went on to become a charter member of the short-lived National Colored Base Ball League.  PS - Much of what you have just read was written by Shakeia Taylor who is a freelance baseball writer who has a special interest in the Negro League and women in baseball.  She was a 2020 SABR award nominee and has had her work appear in Fangraphs, SB Nation and Baseball Prospectus.  

The tombstone of Octavius Valentine Catto.

I believe it was a long time overdue to place the statue of Octvius Valentine Catto near Philadelphia's City Hall.  He was a hero to many, both politically and athletically.  May he "Rest In Peace" and thank goodness his sculpture now stands in Philadelphia for al to see.  Should have been placed there years ago!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Can We Stop At The Candy Store? Please!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Heading through the small town known Neffsville, Pennsylvania.  The building where I went to Junior High as well as High School is located in Neffsville as is the building in which I taught High School for 30 years.  If you are coming northward from the city known as Lancaster, you would find Neffsville which is located on Route 501N.  My story today has to do with a small candy shop that at one time sat on the east side of 501N, about 100 yards from the original Manheim Township High School that sits on East Valley Road.   The candy shop was operated from 1979 to 1994 by a woman known to everyone who entered the store as "Oma," which is Grandmother in German.  She was actually a dressmaker who learned the craft in Goppingen, Germany.  Her consignment shop in Neffsville was called "Petra's Variety Shop," but to those youngster's who had not interest in sewing, she was known as "The Candy Lady."  Before school or after school...it didn't matter, since her shop was filled with children looking for their favorite candies.  Petra died November 9, 2014 at Lancaster County's Conestoga View. The building no longer stands, but that's probably the best since the store will never be the same after a few generations of "The Candy Lady."  Before "Oma" ran the store, another woman by the name of Betty Krick was "The Candy Lady."  She ran the store when I was a student at the Jr. High in 1956 and was still there when I graduated from Manheim Township High School in 1962.  Betty ran the "mom and pop" store until she sold the store to "Oma."  I can still remember looking in the front door or big window to see how long it might the before I could get my candy choices.  As a child, I had my favorites and I knew she would have them waiting for me in her glass cabinet inside the front door.  The original store was called "Kricks" and everyone who went to school with me knew where it was located and who Mrs. Krick was.  I know I probably rotted a few of my teeth on the sweets, but you're not a child if you haven't rotted a few of your teeth eating candy.  Well, the candy store no longer sits along Lititz Pike.  It was demolished and is now a plot of green grass.  Why would someone do that to a perfectly good candy store?  Don't they know that kids like me or like my children need candy from time to time?  I'm not sure where you can buy loose penny candy anymore.  And, you will never replace Petra Long and later Betty Krick.  And, every time I pass that open spot on Lititz Pike in Neffsville I will shed a tear for the many times I visited the store to buy candy for myself and later for my children.  Somethings are never forgotten...and this is one of those things for me.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Highlights Of 'Oyster Bay Beach Resort' In Sint Maarten" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a few online sites that I visit frequently to try and get my daily allotment of the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten.  I have written many stories about the island as well as stories about Carol and my visits to the island in the past dozen years.  After visiting a few island sites I opened my blog and typed in "Sea Haven" in the white box on the top left of the page.  

Sea Haven from the beach near Oyster Bay Beach Resort.

We visited "Sea Haven" over ten yers ago and often think about those two weeks we spent in the place high up on the hill overlooking the Dutch side of the island.  Directly in front of our lodging that year sat a beautiful resort about 100 yards off the coastline known as the Oyster Bay Beach Resort.  Now, I should tell you that it was a beautiful resort with 180 rooms, but it wasn't anywhere as neat as the place we had rented that year that was perhaps the nicest place we had ever rented anywhere.  Then again, it was perhaps twice the price of any place we had ever rented and knew that we needed to really enjoy our place, since we would probably never be back there again!

Oyster Bay Beach Resort from close to Sea Haven.

Our friends Norm and Betty owned a few weeks in the Oyster Bay Beach Resort (OBBR) and at times we were both on the island at the same time.  We would often meet for our evening meal or to visit a particular place on the island, but we never did visit with them at their condo unit.  When I recently visited the OBBR site to see what they might have to offer Carol and I in the near future I found several articles on the place that has a large sign about their Infinity Bar that reads "Laissez les bons temps rouler" which is an old French refrain that says "Let the good times roll." Norm often told me about OBBR where they stayed in the 180-room resort that straddles St. Maarten's Oyster Pond and the Caribbean Seas.

Another view from high atop the hill near Sea Haven.

It is said to be one of those legendary places to stay in the Caribbean, the ones for Caribbean aficionados.  The place that is perched about the ocean with a stunning view toward St. Barth, at the edge of the comforting sands of Dawn Beach.  From the swimming pool at Sea Haven, we too had the same view, but without the many restaurants, beach facilities and waiters to take care of you.

A close-up of the pool area at OBBR

Many of the rooms at OBBR had ocean-view hot tubs with some of the most spectacular rooms on the whole island.  They have recently put in a putting green and a new Veranda Market and Bistro.  The place sits right at the edge of the Dutch-French border, meaning it's an easy trip to both sides of the island with the Dutch Capital town of Philipsburg closeby as well as the beaches of Orient Bay nearby and the French culinary town of Grand Case a short drive.  It has the best of both sides of the island nearby.  One of their best attractions is a young woman named Wanda who has been at OBBR for 16 years.  She too loves the place where she works and makes her famous Guavaberry Colada.  

Wanda and her signature drink

She makes them using local Guavaberry Liqueur, dark rum, pineapple and Coco Lopez, and is almost impossibly delicious.  OBBR has developed one of the most impressively loyal followings in the Caribbean.  Check out the Oyster Bay Beach Resort website and perhaps you may like to visit as soon as the COVID-19 has departed.  And, don't forget to try Wanda's famous Guavaberry Coladas.  It was another extraordinary  day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Lancaster: The Most Religiously Sweet Place To Live" Story

It was an ordinary day.  And...there it was...on the front page of the morning paper.  "RISING DOUGH," in all capital letters was much more important than "Russians shell city; talks fail."  Over half of the front page was devoted to making fasnachts with perhaps another one-eighth devoted to the Ukraine War between Ukraine and Russia.  Wasn't even a photograph to show what has been happening in the Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv.

 So, what's the big deal?  Well, yesterday was Shrove Tuesday on the Christian calendar and fasnachts are a celebratory food eaten in anticipation of the fasting of Lent.  Traditionally, in Christian denominations that observe Lent, Shrove Tuesday was meant as a means of celebrating with indulgent foods, using up one's remaining sugar and lard, before fasting season.  For some, Shrove Tuesday is also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras.  The old theory was "waste not, want not!'  And...what better way to use up all your left over remaining sweet ingredients than to make something sweet.  In Lancaster County, fasnachts, which many of you may call donuts, seem to be made and eaten by just about everyone.  The photograph on the front page of the newspaper was taken at the Bird-In-Hand Bakery, located in no where else than Lancaster's small town known as Bird-In-Hand.  The bakery has been busy making their fasnachts for the past couple of days in hopes of having about 2,500 dozen fasnachts ready for sale on Shrove Tuesday.  As Carol and I were heading home from shopping along Route 501N we noticed a large sign in the Lancaster Shopping Center's parking lot from the Bird-In-Hand Bakery that told everyone that they were offering fasnachts beginning at 7:00 AM on Tuesday morning.  Carol and I love to celebrate Shrove Tuesday, or any day to be exact, with anything sweet, so I told her I would make sure to get up early so I could get in line before they were sold out.  Well, by 7:15 AM I was dressed and ready to head out the door for our fasnachts.  I yelled to her, asking if she wanted plain, powdered, sugar or glazed. Her return answer was powered, just like we almost always get.  Well, I steered the car in the direction of the sweet smell and before long I was in line at the shopping center, waiting for my fasnachts.  The price was $1.50 for one, $6.50 for half--dozen or $12.00 for a dozen.  Finally pulled to the front of the line in my car.  Time was 7:50 AM and I asked for a half-dozen of the powdered.  Handed the guy $7.00 and within 10 seconds he yelled to me that they only had sugar and glazed.  "Make it glazed," I yelled back to him.  Less than a minute later I had my fasnachts, put my window back up and off I went...minus my 50 cents change.  Oh, well!  I'm sure I wan't the only one that they forgot to give change to.  In Lancaster County there are 11 bakeries that were planning on selling fasnachts today.  I'll bet that all of the bakeries were sold out by noon.  One such bakery, Shady Maple Farm Market, told the Lancaster Newspaper that they had plans of making 69 batches of dough which hopefully would make 2,500 dozen fasnachts.  Also needed was 500 pounds of oil daily during their cooking days while using 40 pounds of flour each day, 9 pounds of potatoes each day, 10 cups of eggs and 1.5 pounds of yeast.  And...this is one out of 11 places that had plans of making fasnachts.  And...this was all done due to the coming of Lent!  I'll bet if Lent had been called off, they still would have made fasnachts!  Next week it will be Long Johns.  The following week it will be creme-filled donuts.  The week after that it will be sticky buns.  Etc, etc, etc!   In order to live in Lancaster County, you just have to have a craving for sugar all year long.  And, what's neat about eating all this sugar is that we do it in the name of Jesus!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS:  Our half-dozen fasnachts were gone by 10:00 AM.  

The "A Few Bits & Pieces From The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a few of my reliable websites where I can usually find something interesting to share with you.  Sure enough, I did find a few items, but the stories to go with the photographs weren't quite as big as they usually are and this they don't take up as much room as my stories usually do.  So, rather than discard them and miss showing you a few bits of Lancaster County history, I just made it an additional story for today.  Check out the trio of photos and my descriptions that give you an idea of Lancaster in "Days Gone By!"  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

An engine leaving the original train station that was located on
what today is East Chestnut Street in downtown Lancaster.
Across from the station was the old Brunswick Hotel.  Many
happy memories from the past. 

Edward Neff of Washington Boro ran his own taxi service
from Washington Boro to Columbia, PA  Circa 1920's

Approximately 100 years ago, Levi Yerger of Lititz, PA ran a very
successful business.  If this photograph is any indication, each item was
stacked and packed just right in order to ensure that noting broke
while being transported.

The "Did You Know That George Washington Was Born Twice?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story titled "Why does George Washington have two birthdays!?!  Seems that most people know that George Washington was born on February 22, 1732 near Pope's Creek, Virginia.  He was the oldest son of Augustine Washington and Mary Ball Washington.  Sound correct so far?  Well, as I read on I read that according to his diary, he often celebrated his birthday on February 11.  After a party in 1794 on that particular day, he wrote in his diary that a party was held for his birthday at Nathan Griffith's Tavern, near Baltimore.  Of the fifteen toasts given on this occasion, one for every state at that time, the first was made to "The President of the United States."  Then in 1799, Washington  noted how he went to Alexandria to celebrate his birthday again on February 22.  

George Washington by Charles Peale, 1779

He wrote..."Went up to Alexandria to the celebration of my birthday.  Many Maneuvers were performed by the Uniform Corps and an elegant Ball & Supper at Night."  If you check out just about any historical record you will discover that Washington was born on February 11, 1731.  So, why was it changed to February 22?  Well, the switch has to do with adopting the Gregorian calendar from the old Julian calendar.  And...if you begin to get confused at all while reading my story, just skip to the end and read the final sentence!  It was during the Middle Ages that it became apparent that the Julian leap year formula had overcompensated for the actual length of a solar year, having added an extra day every 128 years.  But, adjustments were never made to compensate and by 1582 seasonal equinoxes fell ten days "too early" and some church holidays, such as Easter, didn't always fall in the proper seasons.  In that particular year, Pope Gregory XIII authorized, and most Roman Catholic countries adopted the "Gregorian" or "New Style" Calendar.  

Pope Gregory XIII (artist unknown)

To accommodate the change, ten days were dropped from October, and the formula for determining leap years was revised so that only years divisible by 400 at the end of a century would be leap years.  January 1 was established as the first day of the new year.  Protestant countries, including England and its colonies, not recognizing the authority of the Pope, continued to use the Julian Calendar. Between 1582 and 1752, not only were two calendars used in Europe, but two different starts of the year were in use in England.  Although the "Legal" year began on March 25, the use of the Gregorian calendar by other European countries led to January 1 becoming commonly celebrated as "New Year's Day" and given as the first day of the year in almanacs.  Are you totally confused by now?  And, think how you would feel if you were a child and your birthday was missed for 6 or even 8 years in a row.  I'm only hoping that I have typed all this stuff correctly so far.  Well, to avoid misinterpretation, both the "Old Style" and the "New Style" years were often used in English and colonial records for dates falling between the new New Year (January 1) and the old New Year (March 25), a system known as "double dating."  Hey, I did that a few times in high school.  Such dates are usually identified by a slash mark [/] breaking the "Old Style" and "New Style", for example, March 19, 1631/2.  Occasionally, writers would express the double date with a hyphen, for example, March 19, 1631-32.  Double dating was more common in civil than church and ecclesiastical records.  Under the 1750 act of Parliament, England and its colonies changed calendars in 1752.  England's calendar change included three major components.  The Julian calendar was replaced by the Gregorian calendar, changing the formula for calculating leap years.  The beginning of the legal new year was moved from March 25 to January 1.  Finally, 11 days were dropped from September 1752.  And...that's why I feel younger that I really am.  As a result, Washington's old birthday on February 11, 1731 jumped to February 22, 1732.  However, he always enjoyed celebrating his birthday on both dates.  So...did we celebrate his birthday on the correct day this year, or will we have to do that next year?  Think of all the presents you could get with having two birthdays every year.  And, to top that off, perhaps you might be able to squeeze in two Christmas' each year.  You do have to make sure that your birthday doesn't fall on the same day as Christmas as did my Aunt Doris.  Now...if you can understand everything I just typed...you are very good with numbers. I just have to hope I didn't make 2 many mystakes when I typed all this noncense.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.