The "Strasburg, Pennsylvania - Part II: Americana Personified" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading the "Strasburg Heritage Society" website and learning so many facts and interesting tidbits that I never knew before.  I have lived my entire life in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and still feel I know so little about the history of the county.  Yesterday's story dealt with the establishment of the town of Strasburg which has been voted one of the ten most historic and picturesque town in America.  In the early 1800s the town drew travelers, immigrants and craftsmen who honed their skills in trades such as blacksmithing, carriage making and tanning.  

The Limestone Inn from 1786.

Wasn't long before houses of logs, stone and brick lined both sides of Main Street.  Inn keepers and taverns drew those traveling along the Conestoga Road, the first frontier road in Lancaster County.  Strasburg's first tavern was built in 1729 by Edward Dougharty. The Edward Dougharty family and the Christian Herr family, who both owned considerable property, subdivided their vast land acquisitions in 1751 into 300 one-acre lots.  By June of that year 210 of the 300 lots changed hands.  Before long there was a shopkeeper, two innkeepers, two blacksmiths, one cooper and one weaver on the tax roles.  By the end of the 18th century, Strasburg was the second largest town in Lancaster County.  

Front view of the Limestone Inn.

Then in 1794 the Philadelphia to Lancaster Turnpike was finished and that paved road drew traffic away from Strasburg.  By 1815 Strasburg had dropped to the fifth largest town in the county. As I walked along Main Street today, taking photographs of the many original houses and watching and hearing the many Amish buggies pass by me, I wondered if the town has really changed all that much since its inception in the early 1700s.

Plaques tell the story.  Click to enlarge.

 I realize its not the same as it was centuries ago when Native Americans lived and hunted the acres and acres of land all around me, but is it really that much different.  Sure, there are macadam streets, power lines and automobiles, but life in Strasburg still has that country atmosphere to it.  As I stopped in front of one old home that displayed a sign in the window telling it was a printing company and focused my camera, a gentleman came from along the side of the house to ask why I was taking photos.  After I told him he invited me into his home to talk and see the presses he has used for years and years.  My wife was waiting in the car so I had to turn him down, but told him I would take him up on the invitation in the near future.  Further down Main Street another gentleman greeted me and told me he loved when people took photographs of his town.  When I returned to the car my wife suggested he may have been the Mayor.  Sorry I didn't think to ask him.  Well, time to show you some of the neat houses that line Main Street in this historic town known as Strasburg, Pennsylvania.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

A row of houses built in 1793.

The row of homes bears the plaques from The Strasburg Trust and the Lancaster County Historic Preservation Trust.

This stand-along brick home is in remarkable condition.

It too sports the plaques that tell of the 1874 home.

A favorite of mine.  Love the color combination.  Can't imagine how ofter these houses must have to be painted.

Closeup of the front door.

This home is dated 1887.

Just a beautiful home with stone wall around it.

Dated 1903. 

I love the door and window panels along either side of the door.

This is the Homsher Printing Company at 140 West Main St.

1858 displayed on the plaque.

This semi-attached home at 53-55 East Main is in remarkable condition.

It is dated 1852.

  

The "Strasburg, Pennsylvania - Part I: Houses From The Past" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Close to zero degrees and I'm standing in the middle of Main Street taking photos of one of the most amazing log cabins in downtown Strasburg, Pennsylvania.  Was sitting at home most of the day when I asked Carol if she was up for a photo shoot for a story I wanted to write about the historic town of Strasburg which is about a twenty minute drive from Lancaster.  "Sounds like fun as long as I don't have to get out of the car," she told me.  Strasburg is located in southern Lancaster County to the southeast of the city of Lancaster.  Sits smack dab on the intersection of Routes 896 and 741, just south of Route 30.  It was in 1693 that French hunter and fur tracer, Pierre Bezaillion, established a trading post and began trading with the local Delaware Indians.  Soon more French Huguenots arrived from France's Alsace region.  

The center of town: Main and Decatur Streets.

Strasburg didn't get its name until the mid-1700s when the French settlers named the town in honor of Strasbourg, the cathedral city of their Alsace homeland.  Strasburg prospered as a stagecoach stop between Philadelphia and Lancaster with crude log homes, taverns, overnight accomodations and entertainment.  The Conestoga Wagon traffic and trade led to a growing economy.  In the late 1700s the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, or modern day Route 30, was built, bypassing Strasburg and causing it to become more a town than a stopping point on a journey to another location.  By the early 1800s a church, school and post office could be found in town. By 1815 there were 90 houses with about half of them being two stories which signified a prosperous population.  Log, brick and stone houses dotted the landscape.  

Banners on many of the telephone poles.

About half of the log homes survive today as well as 12 of the brick houses and all four of the stone homes.  As of 2000 the population included 2,800 people with a racial makeup of: 97.64% White, .5% African American, .07% Native American, .86% Asian and the rest from other races.  I have traveled to Strasburg for years, since my Aunt, Uncle and cousins lived there and my Uncle's family farmed on the outskirts of town.  Today I'm only concentrating on about half-a-dozen blocks on Main Street which runs east to west and crosses at the center of town on Decatur Street.  I have chosen to show some of the original houses that have survived since the 1700s with all displaying a plaque presented by the Heritage Society of Strasburg.  Hope you enjoy the houses as much as Carol and I enjoyed visiting them. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This beautiful stone home is one of many stand-along homes in Strasburg.

The home is dated 1754 as shown on this wall plaque presented by the Heritage Society of Strasburg.

This is the only church I found along Main Street.  It is St. Michael's Evangelical Lutheran Church and was founded in 1806.  To the side of the church sits their cemetery.

A Lancaster County plaque and Strasburg plaque are underneath the church plaque on 40 East Main.

One of two log homes I photographed.  It is in beautiful shape.

More detail can be seen in this photo.  I wish I could have seen inside the home, but didn't ask.

Very simple front door with nothing more than a small bannister to help you step into the house.  

This log cabin also has not only the Strasburg Heritage Society plaque, but the Lancaster County Historic Preservation Trust Plaque.  

This log cabin was painted white and I didn't realize it was a log cabin until I got closer to it.  It too is in great condition and another original home from when Strasburg began. 

Extremely plain door with lantern next to the door and plaque on the opposite side.

This home is dated 1776, perhaps one of the first homes in Strasburg.

It has a boot scraper next to the front door on a stone slab.

The "Superstar In The Making" Story

My brother Steve #43 flying toward the basket in 1967.
He scored 43 points in this game.  In 1967 there was
no three-point line so it was truly a fantastic game for him.

It was an ordinary day. On a recent holiday visit with my brother Steve in Ephrata, Pennsyl- vania, he brought out a container with photos from our past.  We often talked about his high school years when he played basketball and was good enough to earn a partial scholarship to play in college.  Well, Steve found a few memories recently and wanted to share them with me.  

Dribbling down the court in another game.

Photos taken when he was a high school senior at Manheim Township High School in Neffsville, PA.  Steve was a talented athlete, staring in both basketball and baseball.  He had a sweet left-handed shot from the baseline corner as well as a super fastball on the mound.  Only problem was … he didn't care for with either coach.  He only began his basketball career as a senior since he didn't like the Junior Varsity coach and therefore didn't try out for basketball until he was in 12th grade and could only play varsity basketball.  

#43 shooting from the corner. In this photo my girlfriend
and I are sitting in the center of the photo.  I have a white
shirt on while she has long dark hair and a gray top.

Same goes for the baseball diamond.  He was a power pitcher who still holds the school record for most consecutive strikeouts with 15 as well as a great shooter who still holds the record for most points in a game with 43.  All this while only playing basketball and baseball during his senior year.  Actually he struck out all those batters during the span of a few games, since the coach would only allow him to come in as a relief pitcher.  

His away uniform number was 33.  Here he takes a shot.

Anyway, my girlfriend Carol, the same girl I eventually married, and I went to see just about every basketball game that my brother played as a senior.  I tell you this because when Steve showed me the couple of photos he had from his senior campaign, there in the stands were Carol and me.  Neat photos of Steve driving to the basket on a shot or two as well as taking his soft-shot from the corner in another one.  

Tournament in which Steve scored 43 points
in one game against Cherry Hill High School.

We had the best time reliving his senior year as we sat in the living room of his daughter and son-in-law while the rest of the our families were having a good time playing some other game around the kitchen table.  I asked if I could take his photos home and scan them to share with my readers and he said he was wondering when I would ask.  He still is a pretty good shot when he takes on his son in a game of basketball in the swimming pool.  Steve graduated and went to South-East Louisiana State College to play basketball.  Stayed a year until a Marine recruiter talked him into joining the Marine Corps.  He ended up on a base in Japan where he was the heavy-weight boxing champion until he was sent back to the states.  The stories he tells are like reliving my life all over again along with him.  Actually, I hope it never ends!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Yesterday .... All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away! : Part III - My Decision" Story

Foreword:  Previously I told of the day I found that I had prostate cancer.  I have decided to take you along with me on my journey to try and conquer the disease so that if you are a male or have a spouse or close friend who is a male, you may better understand what they are experiencing and can help your loved one with their journey through the disease.

It was an ordinary day.  Just got another call from Dr. Seiber who is my urologist and cancer specialist as far as I'm concerned.  He had the results from my genetic testing and thought he would call immediately, since it will make my decision a bit easier as to what I will do to eradicate the prostate cancer from my body.  On my last visit to see him my wife and I talked to him about the advantages and disadvantages of radiation therapy.  We knew he didn't do the procedure, but still wanted to ask his opinion.  He said that many of his patients have chosen radiation and the biggest problem with the procedure is the length involved in the treatment as well as a few side effects that can occur.  We then discussed total removal of the prostate and the side effects that can result from that procedure.  Then I asked him to tell me about another option for treatment which I had read about in a brochure that was offered to me from his practice.  Procedure is known as Cryosurgery or Cryotherapy.  He told us that this is an option that he could offer.  At first I wondered why he had not told me about it until he said, "I don't like to push this option on anyone, since I am the one in our practice who does the procedure and didn't want you to feel obligated to use the procedure."  He then told me that cryosurgery, cryotherapy or cryoablation uses a needle-thin probe or needle that is inserted into the prostate gland.  He would use visual information produced by ultrasound to guide him.  A freezing liquid such as liquid nitrogen or argon gas is infused into the prostate gland.  The intense cold freezes the prostate and destroys any cancerous tissue it contains.  Using the ultrasound he can identify the cancer tissue and limit damage to the normal prostate tissue.  After the cancer cells are destroyed, the white blood cells clean up the dead cells and tissue.  Since the urethra is surrounded by the prostate gland, a warm saline solution flows through a catheter to prevent damage to it.  I told him I had never heard of it before.  He said he has been doing the procedure for about ten years and has had great success with the procedure.  And, I would have no radiation problems.  Naturally there are side effects with any treatment and the same side effects occur with cryosurgery.  He told me that if I had radiation treatments first and they didn't work, cryosurgery can be done at that point, but do not have as good a chance of total cancer removal as if I have the cryosurgery as my first choice.  Well, I headed home once again knowing that I now have another viable option which is making my decision more complex.  Then, the phone call came from Dr. Seiber with the news of my genetic testing.  Seems I have the BRCA2 gene which puts me in a high risk for prostate cancer, breast cancer as well as melanoma.  The %s are much, much higher than if I didn't have the gene and therefore I should make sure my children know so they too can have the genetic testing done to see if they have inherited the gene and can begin annual testing to be on the safe side.  Also told me that the radiation therapy is off the table as far as he is concerned, since the radiation may trigger other cancers due to the BRAC2 gene.  My choice has been made after our conversation.  I have chosen the Cryosurgery/Cryotherapy to eliminate my prostate cancer.  Am I scared or worried yet?  Let's just say I'm concerned .... REALLY CONCERNED!!  Next step .... beginning the treatment.  Follow as I begin the process leading up to the procedure.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.    

The "Time Traveler??" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Carol just closed our front door after accepting a package from a strange man.  I was sitting closeby with our youngest son Tad, when the doorbell rang.  Carol was just coming down the stairs and opened the door and had a conversation with the gentleman that I had just a fleeting glance of before the door closed.  The look on Carol's face was one of astonishment.  She walked towards us and said, "Were we expecting a package?"  We were expecting a package, but the one that Carol was holding was too small to be holding a sweatshirt which is what we were expecting.  "The gentleman said that the package was delivered to him and thought we may need it before Christmas.  He handed me the package and said he's from 1849.  I'm not sure he meant the year 1849 or what!" Then it hit me.  A week ago Carol was cleaning the tub in our second bathroom on the upper level and found that the faucet wasn't working.  I investigated and found the new cartridge that had just been installed by the plumber wasn't working.  I called the company where we bought the faucet and they told me they would send a new part for the faucet.  Must be the new part I reasoned.  Carol handed me the package and found it had no return address on it.  Should I open it?  "You don't think he was really from 1849 … like a time traveler?" she said to Tad and me.  Then, the green light came on and I realized what she meant.  "Nah, he must live at 1849 and they delivered it to him instead of 1949 where we live," I said.  The look of her face was priceless!  "Did he look like someone from the past?" I asked her.  She smiled and said, "Scared me for a moment. He had this deathly look on his face.  White like a ghost!" I opened the the envelope and sure enough it was the new cartridge that was needed for the faucet.  We all had a good laugh, but did talk about the time when time travel will happen and why that may have been a real person from over 100 years ago that had been frozen and came back to life during the Christmas season to deliver a much needed part for our faucet.  Stranger things have happened.  But not this time!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Dying To Stay In Business" Story

Newspaper feature on the 1st day of every year.

It was an ordinary day.  Sunday, January 1, 2017 and I'm looking at one of my favorite yearly features that my Lancaster Sunday News offers in their newspaper on January 1st every year.  Section is titled BusinessReview: These Lancaster County Businesses Have Been Dedicated to Serving You Since ...  Small 2"x2" boxes tell the history of Lancaster businesses since Lancaster began operating as a city in 1818.  I enjoy viewing all the boxes, or ads, which list in numerical order the dates that the businesses in Lancaster were established.  

Bachman Funeral Home in Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

For years The Bachman Funeral Home, Inc. in Strasburg, Pennsyl- vania has been one of the oldest surviving businesses in Lancaster County.  Today it was listed as the oldest business, still in business, having been established in 1769.  Eight generations of Bachmans have been providing funeral services for Lancaster County since that date.  

Bachman's neat hearse.

The funeral home is located at 7 South Decatur Street, a house from the square in Strasburg.  Beautiful brick house with a sweeping porch across the front of the home and three dormers on the slate roof.  Above every window is a keystone, the architectural signature of Pennsylvania.  The funeral home is a family owned and operated business for over 246 years.  

This is Groff's Funeral Home as I first knew it at 234 W. Orange.

Another business listed 16th on the page is Groff Funeral & Cremation Services located at 528 W. Orange Street and established in 1896.  For years the Fred Groff Funeral Home was located at 234 West Orange Street, but was sold and yet kept the same name.  

The Groff Family Funeral I Cremation Services at 528 W. Orange.

Part of the original Groff family then opened The Groffs Family Funeral & Cremation Services Inc. at 528 W. Orange.  The later business, which I consider the original business, was my choice when both my father and mother died.  In 1794 the newspaper that I am reading was established and is shown in my paper as the second oldest business in Lancaster County.  It is also the 7th oldest newspaper in the United States.  

LPN offices on West King Street.

It was first known as the Intelligencer Journal, Lancaster's morning Democratic paper, then joined The Lancaster New Era, the Republican newspaper, in 2009 and finally rebranded and renamed LNP in 2014.  Three of the earliest established businesses in Lancaster County were newspaper publications.  Speaks well for the written word in Lancaster County.  Also in the top 30 longest lasting businesses in Lancaster County are two glass companies.  Lancaster Glass, first at No. 5 & 6 South Queen Street and now on Ross Street in the city, and Howell's Glass Company at 114 South Queen were both established by 1924.  The youngest business listed in today's paper is called Escape Room having been founded in 2015.  The four pages listed over 150 businesses that call Lancaster County home.  Neat feature which I will most certainly browse next year on January 1, 2018.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The original Lancaster Paint and Glass Co. in downtown Lancaster.

Howells as it appears today on South Queen Street.

The "Lancaster When It Was .... Well, You Decide" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a Lancaster Facebook page which features stories and photos from the past.  Since I lived in the past, I thoroughly enjoy the page as well as those who frequent the page.  A few days ago I saw a photograph that was posted on the page which featured a building on West Orange Street in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Place was called Harvey Williams and they sold bicycles.  What's neat was my Aunt Doris bought me a bicycle at Harvey Williams for a Christmas gift when I was 8 years old.  Neat red bike with white-walled tires, a horn and small fake leather bag that was attached to the rear of the seat.  No hand brakes or different speeds; just a neat old bike that I loved.  The photo that was featured on Facebook was from 1915, a few years before Aunt Doris bought my bike.  Actually, quite a few years!!  The building at 626-628 West Orange Street was owned and operated by Harvey R. Williams from before World War I until he died in 1940.

Bike with a Harvey Williams sticker on it.

Harvey raced motorcycles as well as bicycles and sold Indian brand motorcycles, manufactured from 1901 to 1953, at his store for a few years.  Also sold Goodyear tires as well as had a pump to sell gasoline.  The store in the photograph was allegedly built in 1902.  It was in 1952 that my mom and dad took my brother and me to visit my grandmother, known to everyone as Nannan, and Aunt Doris on Christmas day and when I walked in the front door at 145 North Pine Street, a few blocks from Harvey Williams, I saw this really neat red Schwinn bike with a big bow on it.  Being that my brother was only 3 years old at the time, I knew the bike was for me.  Santa had left it for me as a Christmas gift.

The new facade on the old Harvey Williams shop.
Which Harvey William's storefront do you like?  Me too!!

I remember making visits to Harvey Williams from time to time for bike repairs or to pick up a spare tube for my red bike.  It was years later that a new facade was added to the front of the building and a new business moved into the place.  Really ruined it, according to my dad.  Well, today I was driving west on Orange Street and passed the old store.  It now houses a dry cleaning business.  I just had to stop and walked in the store and there behind the counter was an old-timer, just about the same age as me.  We got talking about the Lancaster that used to be and both agreed that the store we were standing in wasn't half as neat as when it was Harvey Williams.  Funny how things change so fast and not always for the better.  That is according to a couple of old guys standing in front of 626-628 West Orange Street chewing the fat.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Meeting Of The Theatrical Minds" Story

Rob Broucht and Debbie Reynolds taken in 2010 at the Fulton
Theatre in Lancaster, PA.  Taken from Rob's Facebook Page.

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at my Facebook page and there is Rob Broucht staring back at me standing alongside Debbie Reynolds.  Photo of Rob and Debbie was taken in 2010 when she came to Lancaster to appear at the Fulton Theatre in "Debbie Reynolds: An Evening of Songs and Stories."  

Rob's autographed program from 2010.  Facebook Photo.

I have written a few stories in the past which tell of Rob and his "Hole In The Wall Puppet Theater" which was recently renamed the "Lancaster Marionette Theatre" located on North Water Street in downtown Lancaster, PA.  I have known Rob for years since his mother was the assistant minister at St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster.  When my three children were school age, Mary Lou was the director of the Sunday School and Rob helped his mother produce musicals which they took on the road to foreign countries to share with other churches in the world.  

Rob and his mother Rev. Mary Lou Broucht.

Carol and I traveled to Italy with Mrs. Broucht and Rob in 2010 with an adult group and celebrated Rob's birthday in San Gimignano.  Rob has been part of the theatre for about as long as we have known him so it didn't surprise me that he knew Debbie Reynolds even though he was probably closer in age to her daughter Carrie Fisher than he was to Debbie.  The reason the photo was in the Lancaster paper was due to the death of Debbie Reynolds, just days after her daughter Carrie died.  

The Lancaster Marionette Theatre.

Rob states in the newspaper article that Debbie was a major influence on his career path even though he had never met her until their meeting in 2010.  He said his first exposure to musical theatre was "The Unsinkable Molly Brown" which Debbie Reynolds did in 1964.  He said he always felt he knew her.  I remember Debbie Reynolds best for her 1957 film "Tammy and the Bachelor" when she sang the song "Tammy" which reached #1 on the Billboard music charts.  It was part of my 45 record collection when I was a collector.  

LDub at the Lancaster Marionette
Theatre.  I'm wearing a pair of Rob's
marvelous colored framed glasses.

As for her daughter Carrie, I remember her most for her roles as Princess Leia in George Lucas' science-fiction film Star Wars.  I'm sure there will be many feature news stories an maybe even a short TV program about Debbie Reynolds and her daughter Carrie Fisher and perhaps Rob will once again get to relive his memorable experiences with one of his favorites.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Yesterday .... All My Troubles Seemed So Far Away! : Part II - Decision Making Time" Story

Foreword:  Previously I told of the day I found that I had prostate cancer.  I have decided to take you along with me on my journey to try and conquer the disease so that if you are a male or have a spouse or close friend who is a male, you may better understand what they are experiencing and can help your loved one with their journey through the disease.

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the examination room at Ann B. Barshinger Cancer Institute waiting for Dr. Romito to make a visit with Carol and me.  I did some research on Dr. Romito after my last visit to my urologist and found Dr. Romito to be Dr. Roseann Romito, radiation oncologist.  She treats cancer and other diseases with radiation or high-energy X-rays.  She went to medical school at George Washington University School of Medicine and interned at Walter Reed Army Medical Center as well as having done her residency at the same location.  Extremely well certified to be talking to me about my prognosis of prostate cancer.  But, I'm not totally sold on radiation ... yet!  She entered and introduced herself and began to tell me about herself and how she can help me.  She explained to me about the Gleason numbers on my biopsy and how serious my cancer was.  Seems I have been diagnosed at a very early stage and one of my choices could be just watchful waiting and doing nothing except returning to my urologist in six months to be tested once again by biopsy.  Seems I heard the same thing from my urologist a short time ago.  She did tell me that she did not do surgery, but my urologist, Dr. Seiber, did perform surgery on the prostate.  Her mission was to try and eradicate my cancer through radiation therapy.  One of the other doctors at the Barshinger Cancer Institute could treat me using the CyberKnife, but she doesn't treat patients with the high-dose radiation associated with the CyberKnife.  She said that if I were her brother, she would never recommend the higher dose treatments.  If, after I talked once again with my urologist, I chose the lower level radiation I would need to have a colonoscopy to be sure my colon was healthy enough for the treatments.  After that I could begin 43 treatments; five days a week with weekends off so my body could rest.  The difference with the CyberKnife is that it only takes 5 treatments, but with an extremely higher dose of radiation.  Side effects for the 43 treatments would be loose bowels as well as being tired. Could also do damage to the colon, damage to the bladder, damage to the .....etc.  Once you start, you really need to finish to make it worth while.  So, what to do?  I will wait until my visit next week with Dr. Seiber and make my decision at that time. So far I feel I am still in control of my life since I caught the disease in an early stage and the fact that prostate cancer is a very slow growing cancer, at least in most people.  But ....!  I have also sought out those who I know who have had prostate cancer and asked what they choose for treatment and why.  Did they seek a major cancer institute because they are better?  What were their results?  Do they still have a good quality of life.  I am telling you this so you may have one more person that has gone through the procedure if and when you would ever have prostate cancer or have a relative that would have the disease.  More to follow as my journey unfolds. It was an ordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Did You Know About Spooking Horses?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with my friend Jerry who lives in State College, Pennsylvania.  You know ... the same place where Penn State University is located.  I bring this up because today is the day that the Nittany Lions will be playing in

The first Tournament of Roses event in California. Click to enlarge.

the Rose Bowl against the University of Southern California Trojans.  The 5th ranked and 9th ranked college teams in the nation will go head to head in the Rose Bowl football game.  We talked about watching the game and the fact that the game wasn't played January 1st as it always is.  I told Jerry that I thought it might have something to do with the fact that the National Football League was playing their final games on the 1st and didn't want to conflict with the pro games.  

Chariot races in 1911 were part of the original events.

Then Jerry said, "Sue said it has something to do with the Rose Bowl Parade and the fact that the game and parade are never played on Sunday, since the parade sponsors wanted to avoid spooking the horses that would be hitched outside churches along the parade route."  Wow, I never heard that before!  Didn't argue with Jerry since I had no idea that was the reason.  Actually thought Sue may have made that up to kid Jerry.  Anyway, I had to pull it up on my MacBook and find out about the history of the parade and game and see what was the real reason for no parade or game on Sunday when that happens to be January 1.  

The front of the Rose Bowl which was built in 1923.

Well, the events both began in 1890 when those living on the West Coast decided they wanted to promote the "Mediterranean of the West" so they invited their East Coast neighbors to spend New Year's Day with them to watch games in a warmer climate such as chariot races, jousting, foot races, polo and tug-of-war in Pasadena, California.  Since there happened to be an abundance of blooms in the area, they proposed a parade to precede the events planned.  During the next few years marching bands were added to the mix as well as floats.  The town's lot where the event was held was eventually named in 1900 as Tournament Park.  

Floats as they appear in the parade today.

That year ostrich races, bronco busting  and a race between a camel and an elephant were added.  Reviewing stands were built along the parade route and the rest is history as they say.  The first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902 and not even played on New Year's Day until 1916.  It was played to help offset the cost of putting on the parade.  The Rose Bowl Game was the first post-season football game in the nation and after the 1902 game was replaced with chariot races until 1916 when football returned.  

Aerial view of the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California.

The current Rose Bowl Stadium was built for the 1923 game.  This year's parade will feature 44 different floats, more than 400 horses and 22 marching bands.  All floats in the parade are required to have all exterior surfaces covered in organic materials such as flowers, fruits, bark, etc.  And, the game between USC and Penn State will still be held in the Rose Bowl Stadium as in the past 93 years.  Sue was most certainly right when she said the parade and game are never held on January 1 when it falls on a Sunday due to the fact that way back years ago, when it started, they didn't want to spook the horses of those in nearby churches when the parade passed by.  Learn something new every day.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "The Tradition Continues" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Making sure the table is set for six for New Year's day dinner.  Our two sons, daughter-in-law and grandson will be joining Carol and me for sauerkraut and pork, our New Year's traditional meal.  Don't think I could survive the entire year if I didn't have sauerkraut and pork on New Year's Day.  There are usually half-a-dozen churches and maybe the same amount of fire companies or clubs that serve the meal on New Year's Day in and around Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  Our daughter lives in Urbana, Maryland and still makes sure her family eats some sauerkraut and pork on January 1.  After all, it brings you luck and heavens knows Carol and I need some good luck after the atrocious year we just lived through (another story about that to come soon).  

Sauerkraut on mashed potatoes with roast pork are a
necessity on the table on New Year's Day.  Only thing
missing here is the side of applesauce and a hot dog or two.

The combination of sauerkraut, pork, mashed potatoes and applesauce have become customary in LDub's family home  since it was first started in 1967.  I must admit that Carol adds a few pork hot dogs since they taste fantastic when roasted in the oven with the sauerkraut and pork.  So why do Lancasterians eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day?  Well, first of all the old adage says that "pigs root forward into the future" which symbolizes future progress and sauerkraut is a German and Pennsylvania Dutch tradition and since Lancaster is heavily populated with Amish and German Mennonites who settled in Lancaster County in the 18th and 19th centuries, it is only common sense that we eat pork and sauerkraut on New Year's Day.  Other parts of the country have traditions just the same as Lancaster County does.  In Spain and some Latin American countries it is considered lucky to eat one grape for each strike of the clock on New Year's Eve.  Great way to push the sale of grapes in the country.  In Denmark the scales on fish are said to represent coins so to gain wealth means to eat fish on New Year's Day.  In Greece the Greek Orthodox tradition is to have a New Year's Day cake with a coin baked into it.  The person who gets the coin will be prosperous during the year.  The Dutch have a tradition of making molded sweet cookies that feature the shape of an eagle or famous person in the mold.  On New Year's Eve in Japan, eating Soba noodles, made with buckwheat flour, will bring you long life.  And, in many of the Southern states in the USA it is the tradition to eat Hoppin' John on New Year's Day to bring prosperity to the family.  Hoppin' John is a dish brought to the south by West African slaves and is made with rice, black-eyed peas and a meat such as ham, pork or bacon.  I could go on and on, but I suspect I may miss you traditional New Year's Eve or Day traditional meal so I will stop at this point.  Just hope you eat something that will make you healthy, wealthy and wise.  That's my objective for the year.  So, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "2016 Really Sucked!!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just watched the final 2016 episode of "The Price Is Right" which is one of my three favorite quiz shows on TV.  It all came down to the "Showcase Showdown" which pitted the two contestants who won the most on the 'Wheel' during the show.  Both contestants had fantastic showcases on which to bid; one featuring a BMW Sedan while the other featured a trip to Bala along with a bright red Mazda Miata.  Wouldn't you know it, both overbid and nobody won!  Kinda been that kind of year for Carol and me this year.  

Creamsicle helping with my story for today!

Early in the year we found our cat, Creamsicle, had eating problems and was told it was a kidney disease.  After over $1,200 in tests, we brought him home to be with us for what we thought was the end of his life.  One of the few good highlights of the year was the fact that he is still with us at the end of the year.  End of January I had to have two kidney stones removed after discovering them at the end of the previous year and after not being able to pass them.  Not much fun!  Not long after Carol went through a month of pain with a gall bladder attack and eventual removal of it.  Not long after the gall bladder was removed that she had pain again and found she had appendicitis.  Happened five days before our spring trip to St. Martin.  The surgeon in the ER said it could be treated with antibiotics and we left for vacation as scheduled, but with a funny feeling that it might happen again.  While on vacation I was having trouble walking due to a severe pain in my left foot.  After returning home I found I needed a few shots for plantar fasciitis.  For those who have experienced the malady, you know the pain associated with the shots in the heal of the foot.  Sometime after returning from vacation I lost close to 80,000 photographs from my desktop when I pushed the wrong key on my computer.  Went to the local Apple store and they said they could reboot my entire computer, but I would lose anything I hadn't saved, so I opted not to do that for fear I would lose something more than photos.  Shortly after, while mowing the grass at home, I was riding down an incline when the steering wheel pulled our of the mower.  Managed to get it stopped, but found the front axle was broken and needed replaced.  Could have just about paid for another mower for the cost of repairs.  Then I began an ongoing problem with headaches, blurred vision and sinus pain.  Went to the eye doctor a few times and finally told it wasn't my eyes.  Went to the family doctor who ordered a scan of my head and that didn't show anything abnormal.  Still fighting the headaches.  Early October I found I have prostate cancer and will need to begin treatment in the near future.  We decided to take our scheduled vacation to the Turks & Caicos Islands anyway and halfway through the vacation Carol's appendicitis returned and she had to have her appendix removed on the tiny English island of Provo.  After returning I went to an eye, ears and nose doctor for the headaches and was given 20 days of antibiotics for an infection in the sinus cavity.  That didn't work and before long I was back for another visit and 20 more days of antibiotics. As of the end of the year, I still have the headaches.  Then, with two turkeys in the freezer of our garage refrigerator, it stops working.  Call and find we need a new part for the three-month-old fridge, but manage to keep the turkeys cold enough until Thanksgiving.  Naturally the new part and service isn't part of the limited warranty; thanks Frigidaire!  Then in early December, Carol gets pain in her right side near her kidney once again.  Can't be the gall bladder or appendix, since those organs are no longer in her body.  Diagnosed as bladder infection, but scan given anyway to make sure it isn't kidney stones.   Then we find the family won't be together for Christmas for the first time since our grandkids were born.  Didn't matter anyway since quite a few of the remaining members became sick during Christmas anyway.  Carol and I still enjoyed Christmas with visits from the kids at various times.  Then, two days before the new year, we get a call asking if we could try and locate the Ugg's boots we gave to one of our granddaughters. She had forgotten then when they left for their home in Maryland.  Found them and were able to find a way to get them to her.  Throughout the year the nerves in my left foot have become more numb caused either by my shingles I had two years ago while on vacation or because of the three back surgeries I have had.  No doctor wants to make a guess which one is the culprit or how to solve the problem.  And, oh yeah, the back pain seems to be returning.  Then to top all that off, my placard to allow for handicapped parking ran out and no one will renew it.  And, of course, there was the Presidential election!  So, we are so glad that 2016 is over. It really sucked!!!  It can only get better … we hope and pray!  Happy New Year anyway!!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Gift For The Ages" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just called my brother, Steve, to give him the bad news.  My story today started last evening when Carol and I were visiting with my brother, Steve, and his family who live about twenty minutes to the north of Lancaster in a small town known as Ephrata.  We always get together the evening after Christmas Day to celebrate the holidays with pizza and cookies.  

My new Rocky Springs shirt.

And, Steve and I have the best times reminiscing about all the relatives and times past.  Wasn't long before Steve pulls out a Christmas shopping bag and hands it to me.  "Merry Christmas.  Here's a gift I know you'll love!" Steve tells me.  We decided years ago that we'd no longer exchange gifts since it was tough enough buying presents for all our own kids and grandkids let alone buying gifts for each others kids and grandkids.  We stopped that practice a few years ago, but he just couldn't stop from buying me a gift when he saw it this year.  Steve is five years younger than me and we very seldom did much together after I began high school.  Seems we have been making up for that in the past dozen years or so with frequent outings and parties at each others homes.  And now a gift from him.  "You know, I bought you a gift also, but didn't bring it at the last minute since I thought you'd get upset when I gave it to you," I told him.  "Nah!  This isn't really a gift, just something I knew you'd love so I bought it for you," he replied.  Pulled it out of the bag and there was a t-shirt that must have been twenty-five or more years old.  "I found it today at the antique market when I went to look around.  Knew you'd just love it," he told me.  Sure enough, I know I had a big smile on my face when I saw the front of the t-shirt which read "Rocky Springs Park, Lancaster, PA".  

"Wow, pretty neat," I said to him. "I've never seen one like it."  Steve is a "Picker" in that he loves to find old items, bargain for them and resell them.  He knew that I made visits to Rocky Springs Amusement Park just about every week when I was in high school and first couple of years of college. Worked at the Acme Supermarket with a fellow whose grandfather ran the "Wildcat" roller coaster at the amusement park and we frequently made visits to the park to ride the coaster after work.  His grandfather would allow us to remain on the coaster as long as we wanted and never asked for a ticket.

If no one was standing in line and we were the only ones on the ride, he wouldn't even stop the coaster when it returned to the station.  Spent many summer evenings riding and riding that coaster.  Well, Steve had the biggest smile on his face when he gave it to me.  Knew I would love it. I never opened the package with the shirt in it until later in the evening when we had returned home.  Held it up and asked Carol if she thought I could fit into it.  She looked at me holding the shirt and said, "That's either a woman's or a child's shirt!" "I kinda thought so myself.  It's marked large, but must be a woman's large.  Figured it that way because of the sleeves" I responded.  "Steve's gonna be disappointed when I call him tomorrow."  Yep, he was rather upset that his find would not fit me, but told me to give it to someone else in the family or bring it back to him and he'd give it to his daughter-in-law who could wear it.  The thought was well received by me, and I know I could find someone to wear it, but I'll return it to him and he may be able to get his money back to spend on something else.  I know he will search high and low for something for me for he's that kind of brother everyone should have.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Best Present Of 2016" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at the multitude of gifts I received this Christmas from my wife, children and grandchildren.  Gift cards seemed to be the item that most gave me, since I already have just about everything I need in my life.  Cards for food, books, and car washes were fantastic gifts, but perhaps my most favorite card was the card my wife gave me that will allow me to explore President James Buchanan's home on President Ave. as well as the many rooms and files in the Lancaster Historical Society on President Ave. in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

Every since I began writing my blog I have made a few visits to LancasterHistory.org for information or to take photos of their public displays, but I have never had the chance to explore their vast array of old Lancaster County photographs and memoribilia they have on their large ten-acre campus which features the historic grounds and gardens of Wheatland, President James Buchanan's Lancaster home, as well as the Louise Arnold Arboretum.  Many times I made visits and was able to see the special events they featured, but was never able to enter the research library or archives.  Now I will have free reign when I enter the main building and show them my LancasterHistory.org card that Carol got me for Christmas.  A friend of mine from church has a daughter who is in charge of historical photographs and on my first visit I will ask for Marianne to show me the library of photos that will give me a better chance to document stories that I have planned for future blog stories.  In the basement of LancasterHistory.org are some of the neatest rooms that hold the key to historical events in the city of Lancaster and surrounding areas.  Anxious for my first visit so I can see Marianne's photographic exhibit titled "The Great Fair."  Hopefully I will be able to give you more insight into one of the most historical cities in the young United States.  All this is possible because of my most favorite Christmas gift this year.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.