The "You Won't Believe This Story!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading a story that told how professional baseball prepares their baseballs for a game.  They don't just open a box and hand half-a-dozen to the umpire.  Now...I have played and coached  midget-midget league, junior-midget league, midget league and Legion League baseball for years and years.  I have been lucky enough to have won many tournaments as well as league championships over the 50 plus years I coached and played.  One of the last things I ever took notice to while coaching was the consistency of the baseballs that we used to play the game of baseball.  Hey...it's a little round white ball with red stitches and usually something stamped on the side of the baseball telling who made the balls we were using.  Well, if you are a baseball fanatic and love professional baseball, you know that how baseballs are made is more than just something simple.  There are standardized procedures that need to be followed when making baseballs for professional baseball.  And...it seems that some of the teams and players aren't happy with the baseballs this year.   Major League Baseball has been working on standards over the course of this current season in response to feedback from players.  As of Tuesday, July 5, 2022, there is an update to baseball storage and handling of major league baseballs.  Goes like this..."A minimum 13 dozen baseballs are readied for each game.  Use of a humidor is necessary for all 30 teams.  Major League Baseball is mandating a ball be stored in a humidor for at least 14 days before game use, and ball storage must be recorded by the home team's game day compliance monitor and then certified in a signed form by the clubhouse manager.  All baseballs projected to be used must be mudded within three hours of all other baseballs being used in that game, and must be mudded on the same day that they are going to be used."  Got that?  You can no longer take out a half dozen balls from the trunk of your car and tell the team to rub a bit of dirt on each one to make it look like it has been used in the past.  And, if you're not sure what mudding might be, it is the process of removing gloss from new baseballs to give pitchers a better grip.  OK...there is more...Baseballs should not be out of the humidor for more than two hours at any point prior to the first pitch, and if it will take club staff longer than two hours, the baseballs should be pulled out of the humidor in smaller batches.  And, each team must make a video of the balls being rubbed!  Give me a break!  You know the teams are going to have to hire more workers to do this which means your tickets to the game will be a few bucks higher.  Well, it seems like some teams have been upset that quite a few of their players are being hit by pitchers and they are blaming it on the baseballs.  DUH!!  Did they ever think that the pitchers were intentionally trying to hit the batters?  This past weekend, a Seattle player was hit in the head.  And, Mets players were hit by pitches 19 times in their first 20 games and 50 times total entering the past Tuesday.  That means that they will be hit 117 times by the end of the season which would break the Major League record.  So you think that all this is due to the baseball?  Could it be that no one likes the Mets?  As I read more of the story I read that fewer people per game have been hit so far this year,,,if you remove the Mets statistics.  I never coached a team that had that many players get hit in a game or season.  And these are kids who have a hard time holding on to the ball that was never in a humidor.  Ah Ha!  That's the answer.  Don't put them in a humidor in the first place and the Mets probably won't get hit anymore.  And if they do, it's not because of the baseballs, but the fact that no one likes the Mets!  You know they could switch to softballs instead of hardballs so if they are hit it won't hurt as much since they are softer.  But, then they would have to buy larger humidors and the Mets are already humorous enough.  Go Phils!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  Did I mention...Go Phils! 

The "Riding My Father-In-Law's Harley" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Riding on my father-in-law Charlie's Harley-Davidson Touring Motorcycle.  Neat bike while you are moving, but quite heavy when you come to a stop if you have to hold up the bike for any length of time.  Carol and I often took rides on the weekend when Charlie wan't using the bike for his own pleasure rides.  A few years earlier I had a Honda 90 which seemed to be like a children's version of a Harley.  Fun to take just a short drive, but nothing like the Harley that Charlie had.  Harley-Davidson Inc. was founded in 1903 as a joint venture between Harley (Williams) an three Davidsons (Walter, Arthur, and William). William Harley was always listed first since he led the effort to design an engine for what was, at first, a motor bicycle.  His friend, Arthur Davidson, helped him build his prototype motorcycle and eventually brought his brothers into the enterprise.  The 1913 model claimed to be the first motorcycle with a kick-starter.  Up until then, motorcycles had to be put on a stand and pedaled like a bicycle to build up compression in the engine before it could start.  Now, the machine can be started with rider in the saddle and both wheels on the ground.  By 1921, Harley-Davidson was the world's leading motorcycle maker.  Today, it has put a third of America's 8.5 million motorcycles on the road.  They're being joined by Harley's new electric motorcycles, which can go from zero to 60 in three seconds.  Quite a feat for an electric device.  But, does it have that good ole Harley-Davidson sound to it!  Can't be called a Harley if it doesn't have that Harley sound to it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

1914 Harley advertisement

 

The "50th Anniversary Of Tropical Storm Agnes" Story

It was an ordinary day.  July 4, 1972 and the aftermath of Tropical Storm Agnes had just passed, leaving story after story to be told by everyone who lived in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  I have written before about my wife and I heading to Pitney Road in Eastern Lancaster to help my Aunt Lillian move all her furniture to higher ground before the rising waters of the Conestoga covered all but the top few feet of her chimney.  At the time I knew the storm was bad, but not quite as bad as it proved to be according to the Lancaster Newspaper the following few days.  Story after story told of houses being destroyed or friends and neighbors losing their lives due to the Tropical Storm.  Being this is the 50th Anniversary of the destructive storm, our local newspaper printed in their Sunday, July 3 issue, a variety of stories telling about not only tragedy and doom, but stories of neighbor helping neighbor and even a story of love.  On June 23 of 1972 a young 18 year old young man named Bob was part of a crew that entered a home in nearby Columbia, PA to help pump the water from the basement of the home.  While they worked, Bob noticed a 17 year old young girl named Sylvia who lived in the home.  He and his buddies made a bet on who could ask her out first for a date.  She evidently said no to all of them, but Bob kept asking and asking.  He asked her out for five months until one of Sylvia's friends told her "Just go out with him already, just one time."  They went bowling!  Well, Sylvia graduated from high school the following year and got married on June 23, 1973, the day after she graduated.  Today they have two children living in Lancaster and a few grandchildren.  Another story told of a young woman who lived on a farm along the Conestoga River.  They had watched many floods over the years, but this one was different.  The water was relentless and slowly climbed up the sides of the white barn until it crested at the second floor window.  The high water mark was 28 feet above the riverbank.  The cleanup was another story according to them.  One final story told about a fellow who was on a job assignment in Marion, Indiana when the rain and flooding hit Lancaster County.  He had been sent to Marion by RCA Corp. to help assist other engineers in product development.  When the storm came, he was on the phone hourly with his spouse to check on flooding.  Local fire companies were attempting to keep the houses from flooding.  But, they couldn't keep up with the storm.   Management said he should return to Lancaster immediately to check on the safety of his home and family.  He caught the last plane back to Lancaster before the airport closed due to flooding.  His home was covered with just 6 inches of water.  I can still remember some water in our basement on Janet Avenue in Lancaster, PA, but I guess we were some of the lucky ones during Agnes.  So glad my memories weren't  as bad as many of the stories in my Sunday Newspaper today.  I guess my wife Carol and I were some of the few lucky ones who survived with very little damage.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Trying To Live A Healthy Life: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.   Watching our two feral cats, The Gray Lady and Snickerdoodle, play together.  Snickerdoodle is perhaps twice the size of The Gray Lady, but The Gray Lady never gives up and continues to play, or whatever you might want to call it, until she has the upper hand.  My wife Carol and I have the most fun watching our two four-legged family members.  One, or both of us, may have had a bad day, either physically or mentally, but our two four-legged friends always help us through the day with their antics or loving rubs.  An article in a recent magazine I just read said..."Pets May Be Good For Brain Health."  How true!  One of them always seems to want to be sitting or napping on your lap or somehow making contact with us.  As I type this story, The Gray Lady is sitting between my legs as I have them extended on the foot of my recliner.  It was about four years ago that they both showed up at our back door, wanting out of the cold winter weather.  Didn't take long before we doubled the size of our family.  The Gray Lady is primarily Carol's feline friend while Snickerdoodle is my feline friend.  And...their bonding with us has helped not only them but us.  Our three children had left our nest years ago and we were ready once again for a few children (felines) to enter our lives.  The bond has been a big help to us due to a variety of medical problems we have experienced in the past.  The emotional connection that develops between our cats and ourselves is hard to describe unless you too might have experienced the same bonding.  Seems that a new study that was presented at the American Academy of Neurology suggests that owning a pet may slow cognitive decline in older adults.  Little is known about the long-term impact of pet ownership on cognitive health.  At least 50% of older Americans own pets and studies are being performed to try and learn how long term brain health is affected for those that have pets, be they cats, doge or any other pet.  Studies are now taking place to investigate the long-term health, social and economic implications of aging with or without a pet in the house. So far, researchers have found that people ages 65 an older who own pets for more than five years scored higher on cognitive tests than those without pets.  The increased physical activity, reduced stress levels and socialization opportunities that often come with owning a pet may be possible buffers against cognitive decline.  But,  more research needs to be done before everyone should go out and buy a pet!  You also need to consider financial, emotional and social commitment involved in caring for an animal.  A study was made that examined the effects of pet ownership on human health, including for people with post-traumatic stress disorder and older people experiencing the isolating effects of COVID-19.  So far, there is increasing evidence that people who interact with their pets experience less stress.  Some evidence includes lower blood pressure in people who are around animals.  Testing seems to be encouraging that owning a pet helps with cognitive health.  Some support pet ownership and suggest policies that would eliminate pet fees in rental housing, expanding pet foster care programs when owners are hospitalized unexpectedly, and lowering costs of veterinary fees for pets of older people.  The use of animals to support older people seems to provide much needed compassion and companionship.  I would certainly be in favor of having a pet as you age.  We have the best time with our Snickerdoodle and The Gray Lady and can't imagine what life would be like without them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Trying To Live A Healthy Life: Part I" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading an article in the "Brain & Life Magazine" called Coaching about Parkinson's disease.  Story tells how 63 year old Paul Caldwell, who was a high school physical education teacher as well as a coach, managed to lift himself out of a depression after a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.  All his life he has been an active high school teacher and coach, teaching both biology and physical education.  But, in his early 50s he developed plantar fasciitis which caused both tremendous pain and inflammation of the fascial tissue that connects the heel to the toes.  His doctor recommended that he visit a neurologist because it looked as if Paul had Parkinson's disease.  Being that he had been a biology teacher, he knew enough about the disease to know it wasn't good news.  After a year of depression he saw a segment on 60 minutes that changed his life forever.  The segment presented a therapy program called Rock Steady Boxing that was developed especially for people with the disease he had.  The program motivated him to research how exercise can help  slow the progression of symptoms.  In 2017 he retired from teaching and coaching and started teaching fitness classes.  He is strong enough now to teach an hour-long, high intensity interval training class over Zoom three times a week.  He also participates in two Rock Steady Boxing classes with his friend Ted, lifts weights and walks with his wife Jenny.  Because of his medication regimen and daily commitment to exercise, his symptoms have decreased.  He says that not every day is perfect, but the coach and teacher in him keeps him going, even on bad days.  Today he is physically and mentally stronger and more devoted to staying in shape.  He is now trying to help others stay as active as possible such as he is now.  He also tries to read stories such as this and realize that he too can do the same if he can just overcome the pain he has in his back and feet.  "I haven't given up and by reading articles such as the one about Paul, I'm convinced I too can conquer my physical problems."  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.   

The "A Place To Eat For Over 50 Years!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in the Brickerville House having lunch with my wife Carol and her friend Debbie.  It's seems like its been ages since we last ate at the Brickerville House which is in the Northern part of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.  After we were seated I began looking around the restaurant which was established in 1753.  Neat place with the most inviting interior of most of the restaurants in Lancaster County.  As I opened my menu I noticed a full page story titled "The Brickerville House" which told the story of the restaurant.  When our waitress brought water glasses to our table I asked her if I could have a copy of the full page story that was on the inside of the Brickerville House menu.  A minute later I had my copy on the history of the place in which I was about to eat my lunch.  The Brickerville House has deep roots in Lancaster County being that it started in the mid to late 1700s when a Prusian immigrant by the name of John Bricker bought a large piece of land in northern Lancaster County.  John and his wife built the building in which I was sitting, waiting for my lunch, as well as where travelers stopped to rest and tend their horses.  The building continued to operate as a restaurant and hotel for another 75 years after Mr. Bricker died.  It wasn't until 1923 that Mr. Wayne Weidman purchased the property and turned it into a general store. It also served as a hotel for travelers.  Mr. Weidman operated the building as a general store and gas station as well as a barber shop with a pole sitting along the road.  The place also served as a polling location on Election Day.  It wasn't until 1972 that William and Peggy Lawton purchased the now vacant building and spent a year renovating the old house.  The following year the Brickerbille House antique and gift shop opened.  Eventually a popular German themed lunch-only restaurant opened at the end of 1973.  In 2008 the Agadis family purchased the Brickerville House and the specialty shops that sat near it.  It took a few months to renovate and update, but the place opened once again as a restaurant in November of 2008.  Today the stone house that was built in the 1700's has survived and still serves one of the best meals you can get anywhere in Lancaster County.  And, it not only is a restaurant, but has become a thriving village of locally owned businesses.  If you are ever in the neighborhood, check out the place and see if you can leave without buying something.  My guess is No!  As for my lunch today...well I had egg salad with the trimmings.  And...there was a no way anyone could finish that monstrous salad!  My bill for my lunch and drink was a bit under $10.  And, after typing this story I will sit down for my wife and east the remainder of the salad I couldn't handle at lunch.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "The Life Of The Mormon Cricket" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Looking at a picture of a Mormon cricket.  Had never heard of one until I was looking at the website for Longwood Gardens which is near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Seems they had a Mormon cricket a few weeks ago and it drew a big crowd who had an interest in it.  The Mormon cricket is a large insect that can grow to almost 3 inches in length.  It lives throughout western North America in the range land dominated by sagebrush.  Even thought it is called a cricket, it is really a shieldbacked katydid.  It takes its name from Mormon settlers in Utah, who encountered them while pushing westward.  They are flightless, but are capable of traveling up to two kilometers a day in its swarming phase when it is considered an agricultural pest and traffic hazard.  The Mormon crickets have a variable coloration with the overall color being black, brown, red, purple or green.  

The Mormon cricket

It has what is known as a shield or prothorax that covers its vestigial wings.  An area behind the head may have colored markings.  The abdomen appears to be striped.  Females have a long ovipositor, which should not be mistaken for a stinger. Both sexes have long antennae.  The Mormon cricket undergoes morphological changes that are triggered by high population densities, similar to those seen in locusts.  The biggest change is in coloration when it may have green or purple coloration, while swarming individual crickets are often black, brown or red.  The eggs of the cricket hatch mostly in the spring after they are laid, although in some areas they may take as many as five years to hatch.  Hatching begins when soil temperatures reach 40 degrees F.  The nymphs pass through seven instars before reaching the adult stage which is usually 60 to 90 days.   Breeding begins within 10 to 14 days of reaching the adult stage.  The male will pass the female a large spermatophore which can be up to 27% of his body weight.  The spermatophore is mostly food for the female to consume but also contains sperm to fertilize her eggs.  The nuptial gift causes swarming-phase females to compete for males, a behavior not seen in solitary-pose females.  The female lays her eggs by thrusting her ovipositor deep into the soil. Each female can lay over 100 eggs, with individual eggs having the appearance of a grain of rice with a gray to purplish color.  A most interesting insect if you can find one to view.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "'Boramy' Earns It's Freedom" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a fish named "Boramy" or "full moon" that was caught on June 13 in the Mekong River in Cambodia.  It became the world's largest freshwater fish in history to be caught.  It was a stingray that measured almost 13 feet from snout to tail and weighed slightly under 660 pounds.  Can you imagine catching a fish that large.  If it gave a big tug it more than likely would pull you into the water and perhaps into its waiting mouth.  The information about the fish was passed along by Wonders of the Mekong, a joint Cambodian-U.S. research project.  The previously largest fish was a 646 pound Mekong catfish discovered in Thailand in 2005.  I can still remember swimming with rather large sharks in the Bahamas.  

The stingray known as "Boramy"

Catching a huge stingray that weighed over 600 pounds would have to scare the crap out of you, especially if it could wrap itself around you.  The stingray was snagged by a local fisherman south of Stung Treng in northeastern Cambodia.  The fisherman alerted a nearby team of scientists from the Wonders of the Mekong project, which publicizes its conservation work in communities along the river.  Scientists arrived quickly and were amazed at what they saw.  Being caught in freshwater rather than saltwater makes the size of the fish even more amazing.  The size of the fish is a good sign for the Mekong River, since dam building on the river was thought to disrupt spewing grounds.  Big fish naturally are a high-value species.  They take a long time to mature.  A lot are migratory and need large areas to survive.  Fishing has also threatened Mekong species.  The team that made its way to the fishing site inserted a tagging device near its tail before releasing it.  The device will track the giant stingray named "Boramy" meaning "full moon" because of it's shape.  The lucky fisherman who caught the fish was given market rate for his catch which amounted to about $600.  Pretty neat to be able to catch your supper and get paid for it...and then let it go!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.     

The "When The Rain Refused To Stop - The Angel With A Bucket" Story

It was an ordinary day.  June 14, 1959 and the skies were filled with water from the Hurricane known as Agnes.  I have written a few stories in the past telling of my wife Carol and I heading to Pitney Road to the east of the city of Lancaster to help my Aunt and Uncle empty their house since the water was projected to rise over the top of their house.  Click on the left-handed arrow at the top of this story and type in "Agnes" to find other stories that I have written about during the once-in-a-lifetime-flood. All are worth reading, but I just have to add one more story that recently appeared in the local newspaper.  The story was part of the column called, "I KNOW A STORY" and appears every Sunday in the newspaper.  The story was written by Heidi Shelly Keller and tells her harrowing story of the evening when the rain refused to stop.  She wrote of her encounter from 50 years ago when she was using Buckets for Church World Services at her church.  She described her experience that June night in 1972 when Hurricane Agnes was making devastating history in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  She had stayed up all night, sitting cross-legged on her old cedar chest in her new apartment in Manheim, PA watching the weatherman on Channel 8 tell of the 11 more inches of rain that were expected that evening.  She was in deep trouble!  "I moved the chairs, photo albums, and family Bible upstairs and waited.  When the water started to come in my back sliding door, I grabbed my little puppy and purse and stepped out the front door into knee-deep water.  Due to high waters and detours, I had to drive 52 miles in order to reach a family member's home about one mile north of Manheim.  The next day I drove part way into Manheim on Main Street to see if my apartment was still there.  There were 18 inches of water on the first floor of my apartment, and no electricity.  When the water receded, men came with big flat grain shovels to scrape the mud out of the apartment rug.  Then it happened: I heard a gentle knock on the front door.  When I opened it, there stood a lady holding a bucket.  I do not remember seeing her face at all.  She asked if I needed any help.  I had never needed this kind of help before, so I started to say "no," but shook my head and said "yes."  That was hard to say.  She came in to help me clean my apartment.  Then, she seemed to disappear.  I never saw her again.  It was like she was an angel with a bucket who came to impress upon me the need to be humble enough to accept help."  Today Heidi lives in nearby Lititz, PA.  Her story can probably be retold by a multitude of other people who experienced Flood Agnes that June night in 1972.  I know that my wife and I will never forget that evening and the changes it made to those of us who experienced it.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "That Plant Is How Big & Smells How Bad?" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Watching a Corpse flower bloom!  Not something that happens often, since the 6 foot tall flower opens for 24 to 36 hours and that is the end of it.  The flower that bloomed was at Longwood Gardens.  The extremely rare plant is one of the largest plants in the world.  It is known as the Titan arum plant and is described as hot garbage!  Once it blooms it will last 24 to 36 hours and then dies.  The scent disappears before the bud on the flower disappears.  

The plant belonged to the U.S. Botanical Garden who had it on display at Longwood Gardens.  After the recent show at the Gardens it was given to Longwood Gardens.    The plant was placed along Flower Garden Drive and before long darkened to a dark burgundy  and opened this past Friday.  A member of the garden staff described the plant's odor as "a full garbage can that had been left all day in the sun."  But wait!  There's a reason for the awful smell of the huge plant.  The scent, along with the plant's heat attracts pollinators like flies and carrion beetles.  After 36 hours the plant's smell vanishes.   The plant is native to the Sumatra island of Indonesia.  It take years to bloom and the flowers last only a day or two.  They are a big attraction at flower shows and gardens.  Many people visit hoping they will get a chance to see the huge plant open while they are there.  In July of 2020 a corpse flower named Sprout bloomed in front of a live camera at Longwood Gardens.  It drew lines of curious gardeners.  The plant that just bloomed had no name, but did measure 76 inches tall so there is talk around Longwood Gardens that it's name may be connected to the nearby Philadelphia 76ers basketball team.  I'd love to see one of these jewels sometime.  Can't imagine how big they are and would love to get to smell the scent of the flower as it opened.  Catching the flower as it opens would be interesting and more than likely hard to do.  Just a hit or miss occurrence.  Hey...how about "Hit or Miss" for the name of one of the flowers?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The: "Thoughts and Helpful Hints On Writing," Story

 It was an ordinary day.  Trying to decide what type of story to write today to share with you.  A blank page can be a scary sight when you first begin to write. Where do you start? For whom are you writing?  If you are in doubt about your skills as a writer...just begin to write and see what happens.  That's how I began a few year ago when I started writing "Extraordinary Stories From An Ordinary Guy."  After a story or two I felt like a pro.  May not be a pro yet, but I'm having the best time of my life sharing my stories with anyone that will take the time to read them.  I usually try to write using one of my experiences as the topic so at least I know a little bit about the topic.  I also have read many articles on how to write and how not to write.  Not sure if any of the articles rubbed off on me or not.  I recently came across an article that was titled "Thoughts on Writing' which I found very informative and helpful.  I actually tried some of the ideas when I wrote a few stories.  The article was titled "14 thoughts on writing."  I couldn't find the author's name, but the thoughts really gave me some ideas on how to compose a story.  I have included the "14 thoughts" for you to read and perhaps try for yourself if you have an inkling for writing.   They follow:

1. There are a thousand thoughts lying within a man that he does not know till he takes up the pen to write.

― William Makepeace Thackeray

2. You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence. It's just so easy to give up!

― Octavia E. Butler

3. If you have a limited amount of time to write, you just sit down and do it. You might not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.

― Jodi Picoult

4. Don’t be nervous. Work calmly, joyously, recklessly on whatever is in hand.

— Henry Miller

5. You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page.

— Annie Proulx

6. Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade, just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.

— Truman Capote

7. The first draft is just you telling yourself the story.

― Terry Pratchett

8. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven's sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.

— Kurt Vonnegut

9. Your intuition knows what to write, so get out of the way.

― Ray Bradbury

10. Close the door. Write with no one looking over your shoulder. Don’t try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It’s the one and only thing you have to offer.

— Barbara Kingsolver

11. Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either.

— Meg Cabot

12. Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere. Start by getting something — anything — down on paper. A friend of mine says that the first draft is the down draft — you just get it down.

— Anne Lamott

13. Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.

— Louis L’Amour

14. And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.

— Sylvia Plath

Well, find anything that might help you become a writer?  Give it a try and see what your readers think.  Send me an address where I can find your work and I will leave you a comment or two as to what I think. Needless to say...you can leave me a comment as to what you think of my writing.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The " Gotta Get Back To The Islands" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Trying to decide what to write about today.  Since I finally retired from teaching as well as working for a former student at a framing shop, I seem to have more and more time to do as I wish.  My wife and I had hopes of taking a few more trips to the Caribbean to bask in the sun, but haven't felt safe enough to do so as of now.  And, due to my recent back surgery, I am not supposed to do physically taxing work, so my iMac keyboard seems to be my choice for passing my free time.  I have quite a few stories in queue on my MacBook Air which I choose from every day to use to post on my blog, but my queue seems to continue to grow as the days pass by.  I never was a scholar when it came to the English language, and writing was one of my least favorite things to do as a high school student.  But, the more I read, the more I enjoy writing.  Sitting with my laptop in my lap a few hours a day gives me a chance to improve my writing as well as spelling skills.  I know I'm still guilty of poor English from time to time, but I'm tying my best...so I am!  I recently had to update my laptop computer since my original one was close to 15 years old and the Apple store was having trouble trying to fix it.  I just love my new MacBook Air.  It is slightly larger than my old desktop MacBook, but I find it easier to locate when I forget where I put it.  After finishing this story, I will read it a few times and decide upon a title for the story.   Then I have to decide if a photograph or a piece of artwork would work for the story.  After getting this far on this story, I began to talk with my wife about the content of the story.  Then we both sort of forgot about the content and began talking about our next trip to the Caribbean.  She suggested I write a note to our realtor whom we met years when on the island of St. Martin.  Perhaps we could discuss about the best time to return to the island when fewer travelers would be on the island.  The weather is really not a problem since the air and water temperatures always seem to be about the same no matter when we visit.  And, all we ever need to pack is a few pieces of clothing and our bathing suit...and that might be optional depending upon the beach we might visit.  As you can see...it doesn't take much to prepare for travel to St. Martin.  Just have to make sure I have my credit card in my pocket.  Seems that when I'm on the island, all my troubles disappear.  Also seem to find so many things to type about for my blog.  Well, it's time to finish my story for today and place a title on it and put my story in the queue of my blog.  Or, perhaps I'll just find an island photograph and hit the enter button so you can be in paradise with us.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - I have added a few photos of the island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten to get you in the island mood with me....

Orient Beach

Happy Bay Beach

Aerial from a kite ride on Orient Beach

Sir Roland Richardson - one of our favorite island artists

Grand Case Beach

No matter where we go, we seem to always have visitors

Looking down on Pinel Island Beach

Orient Beach from the air

The island iguana is always ready for a treat

Plane landing in Sint Maarten Airport

One of many island flowers

Walking along the beach at Philipsburg

The beach at Philipsburg

Arriving at Pinel Island Beach 

   

The "The Oldest Player In NBA History!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about a fellow by the name of Whitey Van Nieda.  His real first name is Stanley, but no one ever knew him by anything other than "Whitey."  Whitey was a resident of nearby Ephrata, Pennsylvania who had lived a long, colorful and memorial life playing the game of basketball.  This past Sunday marked a milestone in both Whitey's life as well as in the game of professional basketball for you see...Whitey turned 100 on June 19th!  He is the first and only NBA basketball player ever to reach the age of 100.  

Stanley "Whitey" Van Nieda

His real name was Stanley, but nobody ever called him that due to his flowing blonde hair which is no longer blonde, but still flows.  He appears to be as lean today as he was during his playing days.  His 6-foot-1 inch body is much the same today as it was when he played in the NBA.  As a basketball player he was what is referred to as a "swingman" which is too quick for anyone as tall as he was as well as too big for anyone as quick.  He played for Ephrata High School where he was the leading scorer in Lancaster County in scoring in 1940.  He then went on to Penn Statee where he played on the freshman team his first year, since freshmen weren't allowed to play varsity at the time.  After a year at Penn State he enlisted in the army and became a paratrooper stationed mostly in Germany during WWII.  While in the Army he met the legendary coach Adolph Rupp who told Whitey to look for him when he came back home.  Eventually Whitey returned to Penn State where he began his professional basketball career playing weekends for the Lancaster Red Roses which happened to draw the attention of the Tri-City Blackhawks of the NBL who eventually signed him in 1947.  He got a $2,000 signing bonus and made about $14,000 a year to play for them.  The team was owned by Leo Ferris who later was known for inventing the 24-second clock.  Whitey played for the Tri-City Blackhawks which were based in Moline, Illinois.  They were known as Tri-City since they were along the Mississippi and Illinois-Iowa border.  The Blackhawks drew large crowds which included Gov. Adlai Stevenson.  

Whitey, #6, playing for the Blackhawks. 

Whitey mistakenly called him "Alibi" Stevenson who luckily got a big kick out of it.  The coach of Whitey's team was a fellow named Red Auerbach who later coached the Boston Celtics to nine NBA titles.  Whitey said he didn't think Red was as good a coach as he was a recruiter.  Eventually, in 1949, the NBL merged with the Basketball Association of America to form the NBA.  Whitey scored 14 points in his first NBA game when Tri-City played the Denver Nuggets on Oct. 29, 1949.  Whitey sustained an eye injury in the 1949-50 season which dropped his playing time and caused a trade to the Baltimore Bullets.  It was there that he played his final professional game.  Shortly after he became the head coach of Elizabethtown College in Lancaster County where he coached for three years.  He did continue to play pro and semi-pro games including alumni games at Ephrata High School until he was in his 60s.  He eventually worked at the Black Angus restaurant in Ephrata as well as writing a trivia-column for the local Ephrata Review.  Today he loves watching NBA and college basketball on TV.  A few months ago Whitey had a fall and is now at the Masonic Village in nearby Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania were he and his wife now live.  Seems he's not too happy about being confined, even at the age of 100.  He says he will be up and getting around soon.  Good luck on that Whitey.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Mice Were Lucky Back In The Good Ole' Days" Story

An early mousetrap!

It was an ordinary day.  Standing in the Lititz Museum, taking a photograph of an early mousetrap that has found a home in the Museum.  The mousetrap was designed by David Tannenberg who happened to be the most prominent organ-builder in America at the time.  He and his family had recently moved to Lititz, Pennsylvania's colonial woods.  One of the first things he was thought to have built after moving to Lititz was a mousetrap.  The story goes like this....In the late 1990s, a Massachusetts man sent a photograph of a mousetrap to the archives committee of the Lititz Moravian Congregation.  A tag on the trap said it was an early mouse trap made in Lititz by David Tannenberg about 1765.  There were only two such traps in existence at the time.  But, there was no sure way to tell who actually made the mouse trap.   It was assumed that David built the trap based on the woodworking skills of David and the design of the trap.  The trap was a deadfall trap with wooden pulleys on it's trigger mechanism.  As soon as the mouse would trip the trigger, the suspended piece of wood would fall on the mouse, killing it.  Eventually Mr. Tannenberg died and his collection of pieces was sold leaving the Lititz Museum with noting but photographs which had been taken of the trap. Recently, a local craftsman, Mr. Robert Key, used the photographs to create an exact model of the original mousetrap.  He in turn donated the trap to the Lititz Museum.  The newly built trap has never caught a mouse in it, but it remains a very good replica of the original mouse trap.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. PS - Perhaps a cement block on the top of the trap may have worked a bit better!  But, did they have cement blocks back then?  They certainly had mice!

The "The Painting Is On The Wall!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Driving South on N. Mary Street when I came upon a rather interesting site in the 300 block of N. Mary Street.  The two story house had a fresh coat of paint on to which was a sprouting garden of flowers.  Snapped a few photographs and a few days later there appeared an article in the newspaper telling about the house and those that had painted the house.  The article in the paper was titled "Art With Heart."  Indeed it was!  The mural that was recently painted on the house was to illustrate a new purpose after a major life change.  The house is owned by Colin and Julia Morrell who asked the Friendship Heart Gallery & Studio at 118 N. Water Street in the city if they could paint a mural on their home.  The Friendship Heart Gallery & Studio is a creative arts group located at 118 N Water St. in downtown Lancaster.  Colin and Juia enjoyed seeing their house's exterior walls sprout a garden and become a local landmark.  Actually, the N. Mary Street mural was the brainchild of Colin Morrell.  It served as a way to help the Friendship artists connect with the community, but it also helped Colin find a new purpose after a major life change.  Colin and Julia owned Aussie & the Fox Restaurant in the City of Lancaster, but decided to close the restaurant in 2018.  They chose starting a new family over trying to run the restaurant which was a big chore for the both of them.  A buyer showed up just at the right time!  Today daughter Phoebe is 2 years old and son Wesley is 6 months old.  They found that selling the business has become hard and at times depressing.  They miss the interaction of working with the staff and customers at the restaurant.  

House in 300 block of N. Mary Street

Colin remembered how much he enjoyed the paintings that were displayed at the restaurant.  The restaurant paintings were done by 52 artists from the Friendship Heart Studio as well as half-a-dozen professional artists.  Home Depot helped with the paint and Lowe's contributed the painting tools.  Mast Film Co. produced a short documentary about the project known as "The Garden."  After the mural was completed, it was protected with Mural Shield which is a non-toxic coating.  Colin negotiated on behalf of the Friendship Heart group to work on a new project at Rachel's Ceperie.  That will begin in September.  As for the Morrell family, they are planning a move to Australia by the end of the year.  And...as for the mural on their home...a real estate attorney will make sure the mural remains forever.  Mr. Morrell may have to return from time to time to help in it's preservation, but he will do just that to keep it in perfect condition.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Buying Space Above & Below Space! Story

It was an ordinary day.  Reading about "air rights" and how they are used or perhaps abused.  Air rights is a property right to the space above or below the surface area or object.  The ownership of a property extends all the way down to the core of the earth and up to the heavens according to a Lancaster attorney.  And you can sever the mineral rights or the air rights and sell those separately.  Builders in big cities such as Philadelphia  and Pittsburgh have used air rights sales to build over or around existing buildings for decades.  One common application of air rights could be walkways that connect one building to another.  The developer whom builds the walkway owns the rights of the space where the walkway passes through, but not the land underneath it or above it, unless they buy those rights.  Understand yet?  The Red Rose Transit authority in my home town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania built condos above the Red Rose Transit Authority's Queen Street Station Parking Garage.  The Transit Authority bought the air rights above the parking garage, but not the land on which the parking garage has their parking spaces.  How about another example...in 1798 an agreement between the Masonic Lodge of Lancaster and the borough of Lancaster called for the construction of the Masonic Hall on West King Street next to Old City Hall, with arches and pillars to support a market house below.  The Masons would pay for and control the space above the market, but the borough of Lancaster would still have control over Market Square and the market space beneath.  It was a rather unusual circumstance, but the Masons wanted a space to meet and the only way they could do it was to build above the market house.  Lancaster City owned the market and the Masons owned the space above it where they had their meeting room.  And...it is the same way today as it was years ago.  I remember taking photos for a story in the Masonic Hall a few years ago and to get there I had to walk up the steps of the old market house.  Since that time 224 years ago, Lancaster is still working that way.  In 1970, Lancaster Parking Authority bought the air rights to 150 rooftop parking spaces in the Lancaster Square renewal project.  The parking spaces were planned for the top of Brunswick Mall, the current location of the Christian Street Garage, and a planned department store where the county building stands at 150 N. Queen Street in downtown Lancaster.  Not too long ago a developer petitioned Lancaster city for air rights so he could build a walkway between two buildings for a proposed racquetball club at 130 and 131 E. Grant Street.  That one never worked out.  Land ownership in the United States means control of a space beyond a two-dimensional set of lines in the air.  The ownership of a property extends all the way down to the core of the earth and up to the heavens, and you can sever the mineral rights or the air rights and sell them separately.  Same goes for a sewer easement.  The sewer utility has the right to possess the land below the surface and occupy it, and the property owner has the right to do whatever he or she wants above so long as the sewer utility can get in and under that.  Same goes for power lines.  Whatever entity owns the power lines that extend to any house or property essentially also owns the rights to the physical space it uses in order to deliver electricity.  There is no distinction between easements and air rights or "mineral rights", the area below ground.  One common application of air rights are walkways that connect one building to another.  A developer like the one that wanted to put in a walkway for the racquetball club needed permission from the owner of the publicly-owned road to own the area above the street for a walkway.  A few years ago I had the chance to see the original handwritten agreement between the borough of Lancaster and the Lodge from 1798.  After 224 years, the building still stands at 7 West King Street.  The Masons took ownership of the building over a period of years, but have now given the property back to the city of Lancaster.  As far as the Queen Street Parking Garage is concerned, it is not yet decided how that property will be handled.  A builder wants to build a four to six-story apartment building atop the parking garage that would include 70 to 90 studio and one-bedroom apartments.  In that case, the developer would buy the South Central Transit Authority's air rights for $790,000.  How would you like to own some "land" that you really don't own?  All you own is air space! There has to be something wrong with that idea!  You wouldn't be able to walk on the actual ground on which your property was built!  Glad I'm not the one who decides how that is handled.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

The "Having A Dungeon In Your Basement" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my car in front of a home in nearby Marietta, Pennsylvania.  Home is pretty neat with it's wood siding, what appears to be wooden shingles, a wooden gate, a tall wooden fence, a dungeon in the basement and a cave at the end of a long stairwell off the living room.

Front of the home in Marietta, Pennsylvania

If you love wood...this is the place for you.  T'he home has belonged to Whitney and Shawn for over 20 years now and they have decided that it is time to put it up for sale since they are moving due to a job change.  The home is in Marietta, Pennsylvania, about five miles from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Years ago, Whitney spotted the home with the dungeon basement and before long she and her husband, Shawn had purchased it.  

In the living room is a door heading into the cave.

When they moved into the house, it had two bedrooms, one bathroom and damage from a leaky roof.  It also had a long ramp off the living room that stretched to the end of the property's backyard.  They moved to the house with their son in 1998.  It was the couple's first family home with a most unusual history to it.  

Another look into the cave.

The family grew and so did the house.  They raised the ceiling and added a large picture window on the front of the home.  They also aded a third bedroom, a second bathroom and replaced the narrow spiral staircase.  While during the reconstruction, they found a sign congratulating them for buying the home.  The sign was from the former owners.  As far as the basement was concerned, they added railroad ties as steps which replaced an earthen ramp.  They also added lighting down the pathway.  

Living room with door to cave on the left.

They talked about adding an underground swimming pool with a billiards table nearby.  Perhaps even a skating park might work!  While talking to a neighbor, they found that the place was a horse stable and beer distributor and the cave was a cold cellar to store the beer.  Some one told them that the underground area was meant to be a bomb shelter.  They did find an artillery shell in the cave.  The history of the house was traced in the newspaper archives back to the early 1800s as one of the parcels that a Mr. John Myers laid out.  In the 1950s the home had four frame garages, but the home's history ended in 1918 with a bankruptcy case of a Mr. John A. Mouk in 1918.  Mr. Mouk was a farmer who owned nearby Chickies Park.  He operated a coal office in Marietta and could be that he stored oil in this cave they found.  Mr. Mouk was a notable bee-keeper who had hives near an old Brick Tavern.  He harvested about 1,000 pounds of honey each season so perhaps part of the basement was used for honey storage.  Shawn did find two vents in the home's backyard which might have gone to the far end of the cavern which may have caved in at one time.  Across the street from the home was a silk mill where there was a similar archway that's now sealed.  The more they found, the more they wondered what could have been there.  After Whitney's death in December, most of the McGrew family is ready for a slower pace and are moving south to a spot with fewer neighbors and lower taxes, according to Shawn.  An auction this pst December only drew one bid which was way to low.  The property is still up for sale at present.  The cave still remains and perhaps someone will make it into a man cave in the near future.  The address for the house, just in case you may want to view it, is 434 E. Market Street in Marietta, Pennsylvania.  It has 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and is 2,178 square feet in size.  Oh yeah!  It has a cave with it!  The listing price in the newspaper as of April 29, 2022 was $297,000.  Perhaps you may love a house with  a cave and a long ramp.  Doesn't everyone?  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

"An Award Winning Documentary Featuring A Good Friend" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just finished watching filmmaker Alexander Monelli's very interesting one and a half hour long documentary of Rob Broucht and his now closed Lancaster Marionette Theatre on WITF-TV.  The film won the best documentary award at the Northeast Pennsylvania Film Festival this past April.  The film documented Rob's journey through life as a fantastic artist, performer and gay man.  My wife Carol and I have known Rob for many years.  His mother, Mary Lou, was the assistant minister at St. James Episcopal Church in the city of Lancaster, Pennsylvania for many years.  My family got to know her family, since she and her husband Bob were very close in age to my family.  Her husband Bob seemed to be a fixture around the church who helped with all the meals served at the church as well as being a good friend to all the young adults of the parish, my family included.  In 1999, Mary Lou and her son Rob took a trip to Italy with my wife Carol and I and a busload of our friends.  The trip was sponsored by our church, St. James Episcopal in downtown Lancaster, PA. and Mary Lou was the leader of the group of about 30 people.  I have written about the trip a few times in the past and Rob has been part of the stories on a few occasions.  Rob has spent his life as an artist who specialized in film making as well as performing.  He began the "Hole-In-The-Wall Puppett Theartre, now known as the Lancaster Marionette Theatre, in downtown Lancaster over 25 years ago.

Photo of Rob and his mother Mary Lou at the puppet theatre.

Bob, Mary Lou's husband and Rob's father died in 2004.  At first, most of the shows at the theatre were performed with puppets, but now the performances are done using marionettes.  Quite a few times I would stop at the theatre for a visit and to see how Rob made his puppets and built his sets and scenery.  I even did one of my hand-altered Polaroid prints of the front of the theatre which sits along North Water Street in downtown Lancaster.  

Rob working at his theatre on North Water Street.

Well, today when Carol and myself watched the documentary on WITF-TV, we were amazed to learn so much more about Rob, his mother and Rob's business with the Marionette Theatre.  Rob's story was traced back to the time when he and his mother first bought the property on N. Water Street in downtown Lancaster.  

Photo of the exterior of the theatre from this past winter.

His story also tells of his coming out as a gay man and his success with the puppet theatre.  I sat in front of my TV, glued to the screen, as I learned so much more about Rob and his profession as an entertainer and puppeteer.  An hour-and-a-half later the show ended.  I wanted to learn more about Rob and his puppets, but there was no more.  Luckily my wife had recorded the show so that we could watch another time or two when we were ready.  Filmmaker Alexander Moneli's moving portraiture of Rob was amazing.  I could see how he won the award for best documentary with his portraiture of Rob.  The story told by Alexander did tell that Rob has closed the theatre.  I must stop soon to see how he and his mother are doing.  Evidently both Rob and Mary Lou have decided to retire.  I'd love to hear how they are doing and what is in store for them next.  Perhaps another trip to somewhere exciting!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Photo of me standing in his workshop at the puppet theatre.
Notice the red-rimmed glasses that I am wearing.  They are
a pair that Rob wears from time to time. 

The "Boy...Am I Sorry I Missed This One!" Story

 It was an ordinary day.  And, that was the problem...!  If I had only known a few days before, I might have been able to bid on some of Theodore Rossevelt Stillwell's really neat collectable pieces that had sat in a trunk in the third floor of his home for years and years.  Mr. Stillwell worked for the Ephrata post office for 36 years.  At one time he had written a letter to Jackie Robinson asking him for a signed baseball.  He did get a response from the new Brooklyn Dodger telling him..."If it was at all possible for me to send a ball I would but being new to the club I can't start out asking for balls.  I'm sure you understand that.  That letter sent to Mr. Stillwell was expected to bring between $5,000 and $10,000 when it was auctioned.  I'm sorry to say I wasn't the top bidder and don't know how much it brought at auction.  Boy...if I had only read about the sale in the newspaper a week or so ago, I might be the new owner of the letter.  Then again...I really don't need the letter as much as I need the money I would have spent on the letter.  There were supposed to have been hundreds of other autographs, letters and photos auctioned off from Mr. Stillwell's collection.  Mike Keller, from Lancaster auction company H.K. Keller said that this one trunk must have been overlooked when the house was searched some time ago when talking about an auction.  Then, Stillwell's daughters, Gloria and Nancy found the chest.  The two daughters, now in their late 80s, had moved into a  retirement home.  Their old white two bedroom, one bathroom house on Fulton Street in the small town of Ephrata was being prepared to be sold and for some reason this trunk was saved from the trash.  Lead auctioneer, Mike Keller, for some reason decided to open the chest.  And then...well I'm sure you realize what he must have thought when he opened it!  The daughters knew about the stuff in the trunk, but thought no one would want that old stuff.  To them it was just their dad's old hobby.  Mr. Stillwell died in 1975 at the age 67.  His wife died in 1988.  By the time the trunk was discovered, the auction company had purchased the house and contents.  Luckily for the daughters that the auction company decided to split the profits from the stuff in the trunk with them.  A few of the items in the trunk the daughters had remembered,  and asked the auction company if they were still in the trunk.  Yep!  A signed book by President Eisenhower, typed letters from Mamie Eisenhower, a letter from J. Edgar Hoover, letters from Howard Hughes, letters from Ella Fitzgerald, a card from baseball player Honus Wagner, letters from the Andrews sisters, letters from boxer Joe Lewis, a letter from baseball great Honus Wagner and many more were part of what was in the trunk.  It would be hard to come up with an equivalent to match Mr. Stillwell's collection.  Perhaps a letter from General Patton may be the best!  Or maybe the letter from baseball great Lou Gehrig!  Mike Keller finds it hard to come up with a modern equivalent of Mr. Stillwell's hobby!  He wonder's what the autograph-signers were thinking.  "There's a lot of pressure high up in the military and I'm sure they appreciate those little notes like the ones they evidently got from Mr. Stillwell.  I guess we will never know.  And, unless I can locate a listing of what all the items brought at auction, we will never know what the collection was worth!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Mike Keller holds an Amos Stage football while Tim Keller is holding
an autographed 1950 Honus Wagner autographed photo.

Autographed photo of Richard Nixon.