Founded December 17, 1912             Ceased Publication Thursday February 1, 1951

Book 1 Volume 27

Original Volume 27 republished using KompoZer.

At this time, I think it would be wise to make some kind of a statement as to the motives, as well as the purpose behind this web page.

            Recently son, George, and grandsons Andy, and Jason, encouraged me to turn this from a letter into a web page. A web page offers a vast new opportunity to display pictures along with text. They set it up and instructed me how to put it on line every week. Bear in mind, for this old geezer, this represents rocket science.

I do have an agenda. I try to write an upbeat page with a bit of humor and not get too confrontational in my opinions. I do have some very firm opinions that have a way of working their way into these pages. I am also very much computer oriented and try to do as much as I can to encourage their use. I do regret that most of the pictures have to be reduced in size due to web space limitations from Prolog thus limiting their quality.

I hope to reach out to former Palmertonians as well as other friends and relatives with whom I would like to maintain contact. We may not agree on everything however my intentions are honorable.

I suppose the on going saga of the adventures of Queen and Bobby is about as fascinating as watching paint dry or grass grow. We don’t lead a very fast paced life. However, with us what you see is what you get. I really must say that there is a lot of love in this household.

 If anyone is offended by my content I am sorry but at 77 years of age, I am doing something I enjoy very much. I am not about to change my ways now. As our late son Jack said, "I am me and you are you." Phrased more succinctly, "Tough beans" There is always the delete key. Ha!!

Our Butternut

Saturday, May 22, 2004, 6:51 AM 70 deg at LVIA and 67.3 in the bus stop.

Saturday morning and last week’s web page has not gone on line yet because I can’t gain entrance to Prolog’s website. Oh, well!!
This morning the blood glucose is 134 and the weight is 202. I went up to the “park bench” this morning with my coffee. It is quite warm outside. I want to cut the grass this morning as soon as some of the dew dries.
Gee but it looks better now with it cut. I just cut it on Monday. It grows very fast. Too fast!! Of course it was wet and I got my feet soaked but that is easily remedied.

Golly but we got a lot accomplished today. I got the grass cut. It was as usual with the loaf and rest trick. It will look very nice now for a couple of days.
Then I applied the weed killer to the weeds coming up at the sidewalk area next to the street. After that we went to Super Fresh for coffee that was on sale and stopped at K mart for another bag of Cedar mulch.
Later this afternoon after our rest and the area was in the shade, we applied the stuff to the upper flower bed. Now we are finished there. This is the result.

      

These are the fruits of our labors.

         

Our helpers. For some reason Queen thinks the one stretched out looks like me!

It is muggy tonight and rather uncomfortable. We are both just sitting here with the fans on.

These are from Bob Green. Good stuff!!

A life motto for us older folks:

"LIFE IS NOT A JOURNEY TO THE GRAVE WITH THE INTENTION OF ARRIVING SAFELY IN A PRETTY AND WELL PRESERVED BODY, BUT RATHER TO SKID IN BROADSIDE, THOROUGHLY USED UP, TOTALLY
WORN OUT, AND LOUDLY PROCLAIMING:
WOW....
        WHAT A RIDE !!!"

 Amen, Brother.

Here are the top ten comments made by sports commentators that  they would like to take back:
   
     1. Weightlifting commentator at the women's Olympic Snatch and Jerk Event:  "This is Gregoriava from Bulgaria. I saw her
     snatch this morning during her warm up and it was amazing."
   
     2. Ted Walsh - Horse Racing Commentator: "This is really a lovely horse and I speak from personal experience since I once
     mounted her mother."
   
     3. Grand Prix Race Announcer: "The  lead car is absolutely, truly unique, except for the one behind it which is exactly
     identical to the one in front of the similar one in back."
   
     4.  Greg Norman, Pro Golfer: "I owe a lot to my parents, especially my mother and father."
   
     5. Ringside Boxing Analyst: "Sure there have been injuries and even some deaths in boxing - but none of them really that
     serious."
   
     6.  Baseball announcer: "If history repeats itself, I should think we can expect the same thing again."
   
     7. Basketball analyst: "He dribbles a lot and the opposition doesn't like it. In fact you can see it all over their faces." 

     8. At a trophy ceremony BBC TV Boat Race 1988: "Ah, isn't that nice, the wife of the Cambridge president is hugging the cox
     of the Oxford crew."
   
     9. Metro Radio, College Football: "Julian Dicks is everywhere. It's like they've got eleven Dicks on the field."
   
     10. US Open TV Commentator: "One of the reasons Arnie Palmer is playing so well is that before each final round, his wife
     takes out his balls and kisses them. Oh my God, what  have I  just said?

He supplies me with a lot of good stuff which he allows me to freely plagiarize!!

Sunday, May 23, 2004 7:16 AM 70 deg at LVIA and 68.7 in the bus stop

It looks like a warm one coming up this morning. My blood glucose was 146 and the weight 202.

I noticed that the newly planted grass up in the garden area that I put in place last Monday is growing up through the burlap and whatever excess seed I spilled about that general area is coming up also. I will check it tomorrow. Oh boy more grass to cut. Ha!!

I realize that there are those who probably consider us mentally unbalanced with all this yard work we get into but it gives back far more than it takes out of us. We both love it. Oh we are still looking for easier ways to accomplish the desired effect but we both want to do it as long as we are able. Neither of us is beyond shortcuts toward our goal!

We went for our walk before it got too hot. As we were walking in the 300 block of Columbia a car pulled up and we were pleasantly surprised by Connie Beblavy who was happy to see that I circumvented my problem getting this letter on line. It is very reassuring when I get nice comments when I have been late with my weekly epistle.

So far everything is easy for me to do except getting this thing on my Prolog site. The press keeps breaking down. Shucks!!

I took some pictures of the garden and am happy to see these perennial blue geraniums come back every year.

         

I think Queen got them many years ago at either the Philadelphia Flower Show or on a trip to Longwood Gardens. They are magnificent. I thought the blue color to be rather unusual for a geranium.

Tommy stopped over this morning and decided to look in the birdhouse he gave us. It  is attached to a pole up near the bus stop “tent” area. We could hear birds chattering for quite awhile. We never had any success getting any birds to raise a brood of young in it. Tommy was very careful opening the top. As he did a bird flew out like a shot.  He saw in a clutch of seven eggs inside. We have been noticing that as we sat up in the “tent” there was a lot of bird activity flying about and chattering noisily. A pair of wrens set up housekeeping. She is such a small bird eggs that size must have hurt, I noticed Papa several times when approaching the birdhouse he was out on the clothes line about 3 feet from the house singing up a storm.

             

Naturally I went for the camera and got these shots.

Tommy gave us that house many years ago. It just amazes me what is here in our back yard if we pay attention to God’s blessings.  This is one of life’s minor miracles but a blessing nonetheless. They have added  so much to the joy of that area.
We really didn’t do much of anything today after our output yesterday and last week.
Supper is over and we had an excellent meal. Queen had mock beef tenderloin with mushrooms on top, a small baked potato each, some fresh quick cooked spinach, and an ear of Super Fresh corn each. It was an excellent meal. Then we adjourned to the “tent” and had a cup of 8 O’clock coffee each and we shared an ice cream bar for dessert. It is still hot outside but not bad with the humidity. Oh that will come soon enough!! Here are some more old 1915 pictures from around our area.

This is a part of 1915 picture of The Palmerton Hospital area. Note the garage on Columbia Ave that housed the ambulance. All that remains of the garage is the driveway cut out on Columbia Avenue.


This is a picture of the Lutheran Church on Fireline Road

Monday, May 24, 2004 7:24 AM 68 deg at LVIA and 70.1 in the bus stop.
It is going to be a warm one today. Queen and I went for our walk and were back by 8am. Today is washday. She did some watering while the oatmeal was cooking. The blood glucose is 141 and the weight 202. I planted the last things we had to go into the ground. Then I finished the watering. I also fertilized the tomatoes and a few of the annual flowers. In addition I also removed the burlap from the grass I planted last Monday up in the garden area.

      
It looks very good. This has been an excellent growing season so far.

Of course I had to go up to PMPA to see how things were coming along.

      

After the warm weather we have had I bet the water temperature is perfect. I hope so. I went downtown this morning and got the prescription I need from the doctor’s office. Then I went to IGA and got some bananas and cottage cheese while stopping in at the TN office. They all seem well there.
<Later> Golly I had a wonderful surprise. This afternoon about 1 PM Suzy Arner called from the Palmerton Memorial Park and informed us that if I wanted a swim to come up. Larry will be there until 5 PM. I scurried around and found my suit, towel, earplugs, and swim goggles and off I went. Jean Stemler and Harry Brown were already there. If I had any idea of swimming 20 continuing laps without stopping it was quickly dispelled at the fourth lap. I did swim 10 laps but with rests between them. Golly once again I must make more concessions to getting old. I can’t reverse it but I must learn to live with it. That doesn’t mean that I have to like it.
This is a site chronicling the voyage and photos of Hokulea's journey. It is an ancient Hawaiian style canoe. http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/specials/hokulea/  

Tonight for supper we had spaghetti but it was not in God’s restaurant. Queen was tired tonight so I volunteered to make supper. Oh it was satisfactory and was alright but definitely lacked the taste of Queen’s spaghetti. We sure had in the second string cook tonight. I am just glad she lets me do it.

This is a close up of a pansy blossom outside our kitchen door.

We sat up in the tent this evening and had a small dish of ice cream and our coffee. There is usually a breeze up there. It started to rain and not wishing to get soaked, we headed back to the front porch.

My arms are tired tonight. I have been swimming at PMPA for well over 50 years. Lee Bollinger told me he remembers me taking swimming lessons from Tootsie Steinmetz (nee Olivia) while he was a lifeguard up there so that goes back quite a long while, probably in the 1950s. Here is his reply.

“Hi Bob,          
The year was 1952. Lifeguards were Steve Honzo, Bob Blank, Bob Mendsen, Dave Haslam, and Dave's sister, but I can't recall her name, and myself. Norm Kresge was part time lifeguard, ticket collector and groundskeeper. Paul Ziegenfus was a refreshment stand employee. The office GIRLS were Betty Jones and Helen Stefko. Arleigh Leikel was head of maintenance and Bill Wilhelm's boss or so he thought.
Lee”

I checked with Lee and I must have learned to swim at 26 years of age.


Tuesday, May 25, 2004 7:20 AM 61 deg at LVIA and 63.5 in the bus stop
The glucose level was 158 but the weight stayed at 202 this morning. I am using a new bottle of test strips.
We went for a walk this morning. We met Marlene and Lee Bollinger as we walked. It was a great day for a walk. The humidity is down and it is very comfortable walking.
Earlier I sat up on the park bench. It was comfortable there. As I say it is a great place to sit and think.

Once again, I am writing my comments on the world’s events. One must realize we are at war. Not everyone does. Assessing blame has taken place since man walked this earth. I think it more important to look at the kind of war in which we find ourselves. I believe until the western world realizes what is actually taking place, not much good will be accomplished. It is more than just good vs. evil or all caused by the wicked greedy Americans, as many would have us think.

What those in Europe and the west don’t realize is that if we, as the strongest, are defeated, they are next because they, too, are a free society.

       The follow up real question is, what is the best way to beat off this challenge? What do we do next? Obviously cutting and running does not solve the problem. It will return even worse. I think we can expect a Spanish style attack here in this country just before the election for the same reason. It worked in Spain. However, I think they underestimate us Americans. We are a different breed. Yes, we are made up of an amalgam of virtually every culture on earth. We are not Germans, French or any other racial entity. We are Americans. This is truly the “melting pot” at its best. This has been proven repeatedly. Once we recognize that we actually are Americans, we behave far differently from our original roots. Americans are in fact, a different breed of animal.

A free society, American or European, is a complete anathema to the Moslem world. Thus, their clerics have made it a “Holy War”.

To me, it boils down to the fact that the mid east Moslem cultures fear us because they fear their culture is threatened by the Americanization and emancipation of their women. They do not want them subjected to western ways. A free woman’s life in their society would force the men to lose control of their social structure of complete domination. Thus they have every reason to fight it tooth and nail. There have been Moslem women who were exceptions to this, but I suspect they are token and allowed to happen. They are rare. Were they to win, you can bet all American women would wear those unshapely Burkas damn fast!!

          I watched the President’s speech the other evening and I think his overall plan is a coherent one, however, it is in a state of flux as circumstances change I think he has an overall plan. I certainly have not heard anything better from Mr. Kerry!!

Here is an old picture of town

This morning we went up to Big Lots for a look around. Then this afternoon I called the pool and Larry was there doing paper work. Come on ahead so I went up for a swim. Jean Stemler was there also. I stopped between laps and spoke with her for a time. We both love that place. She is very active in lots of sports but she said she loves swimming best of all. Amen!! I told her that I am trying to become more aware of my surroundings and am trying to look at the innate beauty that is all about us. On the surface up there it all looks the same. Nothing has changed. Oh, but things have changed. The trees have grown taller and the general area has many different features that are not readily apparent, if we but look.

It is crystal clear

         
The never-ending paper work                             All is in readiness.

I decided to go at it a bit harder today in my swimming. I swam my 5 laps and then rested. After that I went up to 10. After a short rest I swam six more. I am gradually improving. I found that the first four laps my arms were like lead weight, then when I got past the first four laps things began to loosen up a bit and it was beginning to get easier as I went along. The arms are not sore tonight. The problem never was in the strength department but with endurance. The old geezer runs out of steam. The old boiler does not get back up to full throttle until the next day. However, I do know the more I do, the more I can accomplish!!!
Here is a site where you are able to view the public papers of all the presidents of the United States of America. http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/publications/presidential-papers.html

Wednesday, May 26, 2004 7:18 AM 61 deg at LVIA and 60.6 in the bus stop
The blood glucose level is 150 the weight 202. It looks like it could pour any moment outside. Butternut was out but not I. As soon as the coffee is ready we will both go out.

Golly I had to take an umbrella to go up to the tent. He wanted back inside. Smart dog.It was great sitting up there with the rain falling on the roof. Since it hadn’t start to blow and rain hard, I was able to enjoy my 8 O’clock coffee. All of these are some of life’s little bonuses that many ignore or take for granted. Hey it is later than you think!!! Try sitting five feet from a graveyard for some perspective on life!!

As I sat up there I can see that the grass will need mowing again soon. I realize that the mowing is very much a necessity but it really is the little touches that Queen does is that makes the place look nice.  From trimming the dead blossoms the removal of old growth on plants and shrubs to her picking up of Butternuts recycled dog food are really the touches that gives the place the appearance that someone lives here who really cares.

I really feel good this morning after yesterday’s swimming exercise. Gradually my endurance will improve with time. The only way to achieve it is to do it. However not too much too soon is a good motto. I have found that 20 laps every day will be plenty for the old man. Other “old men” swim up there but there aren’t many. At 77 years I don’t have to prove a damn thing to anyone. I do it because I love swimming and the water in general. The fact that it is good for me is a pleasant bonus.

This afternoon at 1:30PM I go back to the audiologist in Lehighton for another adjustment of my hearing aid. I do have a few issues I hope she can resolve.

We stopped down at the The Times News this morning on the way home from Queen’s visit to Rite-Aid for a prescription. We saw Pattie and the girls, Linda and Sharon as well. Joel was out.

This afternoon we went to Lehighton to Beltone for the hearing aide adjustment. She really helped one problem. She said that I had a lot of wax in that ear up against the eardrum and it needs to be cleaned out. I go to Dr. Nicholson’s this Friday to see the nurses. I shall ask if they can remove it. I must say that my hearing is noticeably improved thank God!!

We are having a thunderstorm as of now. 8:00 PM

Queen is making out our shopping list for tomorrow.

Thursday, May 27, 2004 7:18 AM 61 deg at LVIA and 660.6 in the bus stop.
The blood glucose was 142 and the weight 202. It is very wet outside this morning. I took the garbage to the alley just in time.
We went for our morning walk first thing. It must have rained quite a bit over night. I haven’t installed my rain gauge yet so I don’t know how much we got here.
We will be leaving shortly for our weekly food-shopping trip.

<Later> We were back home by 11 am. It was not crowded at all for our trip. We stayed out of Walmart. That is why we are home sooner.
Later this afternoon I decided to cut the grass.  Queen was cleaning up the yard as well as watering the plants. George Ashman was over in the graveyard cutting weeds using the electric weed whacker and generally cleaning up the place. As usual with me it was work awhile loaf awhile. It certainly looks better now. Tomorrow after I get back from the Dr’s office, I want to use the weed whacker on our place. We are beginning to get poison ivy coming up all over the place. I learned my lesson and I am not going to pull it out or cut it by hand but I found that if I keep it whacked, I am able to stay ahead of it.

Tonight for supper we had a filet of salmon, a baked potato each, green beans, tomatoes, cottage cheese, and a cup of 8 O’clock coffee and some of her peach cobbler with a dollop of ice cream on it. That we consumed on the front porch. Then we went up to the glider for a wonderful hour of conversation and just rocking and holding hands. Hey it doesn’t get any better than this.

Now this really is on the mark. It is an editorial in the Wall Street Journal. It addresses a serious flaw in our society today and is right on the mark!!!

“Bill Cosby live!!  

May 25, 2004; Page A16

He's not backing down. At Stanford University Sunday, after a speech to teachers, Bill Cosby didn't mince words when he spoke of parents not doing right by their children. "Some of these children," the San Jose Mercury News quotes him as saying, "have been raised like pimps."

This strong language about irresponsibility and bad behavior comes scarcely a week after the comedian found himself at the center of a firestorm for remarks he delivered at an NAACP dinner commemorating the 50th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education. Just what did he say that ruffled so many feathers? We'll let Mr. Cosby speak for himself:

Lack of responsibility: "Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for their kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.'"

Lack of English skills: "I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' ... And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. ... Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. ... You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth."

Crime: "These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?"

By week's end Mr. Cosby had issued a statement pointing out that most of the news accounts dropped the context within which his remarks were delivered: a 50% high school dropout rate for inner-city African-American males that he rightly characterized as an "epidemic." In other words, Mr. Cosby's argument is that 1) a 50% black dropout rate ought to be regarded as a national scandal in a post-Brown America; and 2) dysfunctional behavior is dysfunctional whatever one's skin color.

                                         
There is a lovely rosebud forming                            In addition, this Iris is out on the bank

We went for an abbreviated walk due to my impending visit to Dr. Nicholson’s office this morning.  

I am back. The weight was the same as my last visit and my blood pressure was good. They were very busy this morning so since I was only to see the nurse, I had to forgo the earwax cleaning. She gave me some stuff to see if I couldn’t loosen it and get it out by myself. We shall see.

This weed covers the cemetery every year. It is a real nuisance. We must be vigilant or it will invade us also.

I ran the string trimmer this morning and it helped a lot. It whacked down a lot of the poison ivy as well as many other weeds in general. It was too wet yet to properly get out on the bank to do a good job however it looks much better. In the meantime Queen was running the plow upstairs. I cleaned up around my computer area. I threw out a lot of junk shredded some of the other personal stuff and it does indeed look better here now. I got a quick swim this afternoon but had to quit at 10 laps because of thunder so I came home. Queen wanted to go to Lehighton again and we did so.

Well it is about time to end this for the week.

Please love one another, Mom and Bob [Queen and Bobby]

Quotations attributed to Ben Franklin
A countryman between two lawyers is like a fish between two cats.

Admiration is the daughter of ignorance.

Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do.

At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgment.

Be civil to all. Sociable to many. Familiar with few.

Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.
 
Creditors have better memories than debtors.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote!

Despair ruins some, presumption many.

Diligence is the mother of good luck.

Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of.

Genius without education is like silver in the mine.

Half the truth is often a great lie.

He that composes himself is wiser than he that composes a book.

He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.

He that waits upon fortune is never sure of a dinner.

He that won't be counseled can't be helped.