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

Book 1 Volume 29

 Our Butternut

    At this time I want to acknowledge the deep debt of gratitude to all those who have supported me in this endeavor. My wife Queen is my mainstay and greatly augments my efforts. I realize that I sometimes must drive her nuts with my ravings and antics. Her support has been my backbone.
    My son George, grandsons; Andy and Jason have been instrumental in making this thing appear at all. They all suffer an old fool well, my thanks to them all. I also deeply appreciate the responses from my readers. They have been wonderful. I appreciate you all. Bob


 
Saturday, June 05, 2004, 7:55 AM 55 deg at LVIA and 56.8 in the bus stop.
    Well. It is Saturday and it is raining, big surprise Ha!! This afternoon the Lafayette Avenue Elliston’s will be heading back to Wilmington, Delaware, known by some as the armpit of the east coast. I guess it gets darn bad down there with all the odors and humidity during the summer.
    As usual, I read Saturday’s Times News. It has some darn good stuff in it today. Pattie writes about winning the lottery and her feelings about life and what is important. I can relate to that because I won the lottery big time when my Queen decided she would marry me. I have never been sorry.  It is very good and well worth reading at http://www.tnonline.com/online/frontopinion.html  I also enjoyed Bob Urban’s trip to Baltimore Md. and Camden Yards to a Yankee-Orioles baseball game given as a belated gift by his son. It is obvious that Bob loves baseball and all it’s facets.
Then, there was Ginny Smith’s story about families living in varying degrees of proximity to one another. All were very good.
 
He found he could get up there and eat all the sunflower seed he wanted without causing his weight to close the door, as it does with squirrels. However, an old pizza pan seems to have stopped him cold.
We are both tired today. Queen has been working very hard lately. Oh, I know I can’t change her. It is the old “I’m me, and you are you trick, however, she always gives any job all she has got. Many times my entreaties seem to fall on deaf ears. Me, I am good at loafing!
It is not an awe-inspiring day today. There was neither swimming nor any walk today. We miss getting out. It is too damp and chilly to sit out in the tent today.
The Elliston’s stopped by on their way back to Delaware after lunch. They picked up my other computer and took it back to the “shop” for necessary repairs and upgrading.
Honestly, we didn’t do much of anything today. We never got the car out or left the patch.



 Sunday, June 06, 2004, 7:20 AM 55 Deg at LVIA and 53.7 in the bus stop
    This morning the weight is 202 and the blood glucose is145. It is still cloudy and cool outside.
    We went for a walk this morning. That is something we both missed yesterday. It wasn’t a lovely day, but it was wonderful just getting out and walking.
    Since today is the 60th anniversary of operation Overlord or D-day I found many interesting sites, history buffs may enjoy. It is http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/ww2/C54665   It looks very interesting. Then for the cooks, here is a recipe site: http://www-2.cs.cmu.edu/~mjw/recipes/  
    It doesn’t look very promising today for much in the way of any swimming, at least not for this old geezer.
    Here is a shot of the area near the Palmerton Supply Co building in the upper left. Later to be the Palmerton Printing Co. and now Pencor’s corporate offices. In addition, the old firehouse and Chestnut Ridge train station can be seen. On one way, the steam engine pulled the cars and then pushed them on the return trip.
I have been looking at the old 1915 picture of town and blowing up sections for these pages. It certainly amazes me in it’s detail for its day. Looking at this picture, it appears to me to have been taken somewhere before noon. Look at the shadow beneath the bridge on 3rd Street.
 

    Tonight for supper Queen had a boneless pork chop each, half of a baked potato, broccoli for her and cauliflower with a bit of cheese on it for me, as well as our usual cottage cheese and a bit of leftover cranberry sauce. She finished it with a slice of Rhubarb crisp with a dollop of ice cream and coffee. It was an excellent meal.
    This evening Queen and I sat and watched the History channel. It had marvelous footage of D-day and was stuff I never saw before. The scaling of that French cliff at Pointe du Hoc was a display of absolute guts and bravery. http://www.abmc.gov/ph.htm
 
     As an old history buff, I enjoyed it very much. My God, what those men endured is almost beyond belief! That was an amazing display of sacrifice, much of it by young men 18 to 20 years of age. I could see that some of the veterans interviewed, for the program who are now old men, had great difficulty keeping their composure telling their stories.
This occurred just before my graduation from High School in 1944. Hey, those were men my age. There, but for the grace of God, went I.
    I hope this emphasis on D Day will engender a better understanding of what is going on in Iraq and what they are enduring. Times chance, circumstances change, weapons change, wars change, but as General William Tecumseh Sherman of the  Civil war said “War is Hell” and nothing has changed that!
I thought this was a good time to celebrate the 60th anniversary of that momentous day. As an example here is something interesting and a bit off beat that I saw on the news wires:

“3,000 gather at D-Day Memorial  6/06/2004 Associated Press
About three thousand people gathered at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford Virginia yesterday to observe the 60th anniversary of the Allied invasion of France in World War Two. Some attendees sought out 81-year-old Charles Chibitty, the last surviving Comanche code talker. Chibitty and 16 other Comanche Indians are credited with saving the lives of countless Allies by translating Army messages in their native languages so enemy code breakers couldn't intercept them. People stood in line to get Chibitty to sign their books, bookmarks, posters and programs from the observance. Many said they just wanted to thank him. Speakers included Virginia Sen. George Allen, who said lessons from those who stormed the beaches of Normandy are inspiring and make Americans remember that there are times when sacrifices are needed. “


Monday, June 07, 2004 7:23 AM 55 deg at LVIA and 57.2 in the bus stop.
    This morning the blood glucose is 138 and the weight 202. It is still cloudy this morning but it is supposed to get hot.
    I was up in the tent with my coffee when Marlene and Lee Bollinger walked down Columbia Avenue. We exchange waves. This morning I must go to Dr Nicholson’s office to have them call in a prescription and then go get a prescription that is ready for me at Rite Aid.
    Today is washday and Queen will be busy. At least it isn’t the biggie today. She is now downstairs and we shall go for a walk soon. <Later>. We are back and breakfast is over.
    This morning I fed the tomatoes and tied up a tomato plant and put a cage over three others.
    I accomplished my errands and came home and decided to paint the lower park bench. The need for this had been broadly hinted many times before, but for some reason I decided today was the day to do it, there was no overt pressure from the Boss to do so. Ha!!


        I went into Shea’s and asked for a suitable paint. Young Mr. Shea showed me several colors but I kept asking for something very red. Well, this is it. This also is no professional job, but Queen and I both think it definitely looks better.    
    Gee, I see that Harrison Gruber died yesterday. He was 87. He, too, was a neighbor of mine when I was a kid. He and his family lived up on the north side, in the corner house at 501 Columbia Ave.
    Then, Pauline Balliet, 72, of 253 Princeton Avenue above us died. She was the widow of Jim Balliet, W3BBS, who died a short time ago. We saw her just a few weeks ago in Rite-Aid. We were unaware she was that ill.
    Today being washday, we dined in God’s restaurant once again with Queen’s homemade spaghetti. As usual, it was beyond compare and without peer. Coffee and a part of  her ice cream bar finished the meal. As usual, I saved a bit of spaghetti for lunch for tomorrow.
    Tommy stopped over tonight to see if I was crazy enough to go to the pool this afternoon. I did call them this afternoon and 68 degrees is too cold for this old geezer. I may be nuts, but not THAT nuts. It is a long season.
 

Tuesday, June 08, 2004 10:14 AM 72 Deg at LVIA and 75.2 in the bus stop.
    I got a late start this morning due to technical problems. When I went to open my mail, anything requiring the cursor to type in anything, started endlessly writing the numbers 123,123,123. I ran every kind of anti-virus on it and they found nothing. I wrote to Andy and he gave me the answer. I had placed something on top of the wireless keyboard that was depressing a key and that caused it to keep writing. Honest to God, sometimes my own labor saving devices come back and bite me in the a*s. Golly!! So far, my web site  has 121 hapless souls on my mailing list. Now, if I only knew what I was doing!
 This morning the blood glucose was 149 and the weight 201.It looks as though it is going to get hot today. We were out watering the tomatoes and flowers this morning.
    Yesterday in my travels, I came upon the men working on the sidewalk at the library. Of course, I stopped to talk with one of the workers and got a few pictures. I think Jeff George is doing the job. It look like nice job. They were replacing the sidewalks with paver blocks.
This morning I had to mail a letter at the Post Office, stop in Shea’s for a new screwdriver, and on to IGA for a few things Queen wanted.
          In Shea’s I saw Paul Koch, the plumber who installed George’s gas line on Lafayette Ave. He looked 1000% better since the last time I saw him. He had chronic back problems and had a disc fused. That really helped him a lot. I am glad for him. He was really hurting.
On the way home, I stopped in at the Times News and saw Sharon and Pattie. Pattie just got back yesterday from a trip to Italy. I guess with jet lag, she was having problems staying awake. I am sure Sharon was glad to see her with all the work that is at hand. She had been alone for the last few days; Joel Kern was out due to a death in his family.
Sharon is very good at what she does, but it can be pretty hectic covering events like school board budget meetings that tend to run up to 11pm in the evening. She often gets home late at night and must get up a 5 am every morning. The crock-pot is an old standby at her home. However, she loves what she is doing. The T.N. has a very good group of reporters here at the Palmerton office. Queen and I like and admire them all.
This afternoon about 3:30, I went to the pool for my swim. I saw Gail Nonnemaker and Shirley Neff leaving as I entered. She said the water was nice, but brisk. That it was.
 The water temperature was 70 degrees. It wasn’t bad. I did 12 laps and stopped. I will do more later. When I entered the water Keith Billig was in swimming. We talked a bit and then I continued my laps. As I was swimming, I saw George Ashman arrive. He too entered the water and went for his over and back underwater circuit.
           He had been down this morning to the 248-Hazard Road intersection to work on cutting the excess weed growth on the ramps leading into town. When it got hot, he had to quit.
He informed me that I had it wrong about the Palmerton Press microfilms being available at the library. They are still in the process of being prepared. Sorry about that. Hey I screwed up. Ha!!  .
 As I left I saw Marci Rehrig coming in. She asked also about the water, my advice was keep moving. As I was leaving the parking lot, Honey Cyr and a few grandchildren were either leaving or arriving.
When I got back I finished installing June’s installment of essential security updates that arrived in the e-mail earlier. There were six of them affecting Windows XP.
Tonight for supper Queen had a Betty Crocker tuna in the pan casserole. It was damn good with some left-over for lunch tomorrow.
 
Wednesday, June 09, 2004 7:16 AM 64Deg at LVIA and 66.2 in the bus stop.
    The blood glucose is 143 and the weight 201. It is going to be a hot one today. I am about to go up to the park bench with my coffee.
I got this from neighbor, Mike, this morning:
“The World According To Ronald Reagan
 "Recession is when your neighbor loses his job. Depression is when you lose yours. And recovery is when Jimmy Carter loses his."
"The most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help."
"Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it."
"Government is like a baby: An alimentary canal with a big appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other."
"Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth!"
"A friend of mine was asked to a costume ball a short time ago. He slapped some egg on his face and went as a liberal economist."
"The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but
doesn't have to take the civil service examination."
"Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself you can always write a book."
"Before I refuse to take your questions, I have an opening statement."
 "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first [My favorite]
"When you see all that rhetorical smoke billowing up from the Democrats, well, ladies and gentlemen, I'd follow the example of their nominee (Bill Clinton): don't inhale."
"I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress."
 "I've noticed that everybody who is for abortion has already been born."
"How do you tell a communist? Well, it's someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-communist? It's someone who understands Marx and Lenin."
"The other day someone told me the difference between a democracy and a people's democracy. It's the same difference between a jacket and a straitjacket."
"History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap."
"I hope that when you're my age you'll be able to say, as I have been able to say: we lived in freedom; we lived lives that were a statement, not an apology."
Ronald Reagan
-    
Queen and I went for a walk this morning before it got really hot. Later this morning, we must go to Rite-Aid to pick up a prescription and Queen wants to get an anniversary card for George and Kathy’s upcoming big day. Then this afternoon, we go to Lehighton to my audiologist, to check out my hearing aid.
Last night about 3 am, the fire siren awaked me. They must have blown it twice. After a trip down the hall for other essential matters, I looked out the window on the east side of the house and saw a red glow in the sky. This is what caused it.
A garage burned to the ground. As Sharon wrote in the Times News, it was at the home of Keith Frank, at 562 Franklin Avenue. It is about four houses from the corner, practically opposite what used to be Heimbach’s garage, now Bennett Ford. When we went into Rite-Aid, they had just gotten their power back but the phone lines were out. All transactions were done basically out of a cigar box. It was a real mess for their records system.
         I was talking with some of the utility workers and they said a lot of splicing had to be done. Some won’t get phone service back until tomorrow, Thursday.
The house is quite cool now with the air conditioner on here in the family room. After we got home and just before lunch, we sat up on the glider for awhile. Soon, we will be leaving for Lehighton.
         <1:25 PM> We are back. Lehighton’s downtown is like a furnace. The air-conditioned car was a real blessing. I guess things are about as good as they are going to get with the hearing aid. Now, I must get used to it. I told the audiologist it is a love hate relationship that  I have with the thing and I must learn to make the best of it. Phooey!!!
I went to the pool about 3:20 this afternoon. Once again, I met Honey Cyr as I was entering. She said Howard is very busy at his new “hobby” of masonry work. We both commented on the fact that he is now working harder physically than he ever did as a dentist. He is a good man. Thank God, my hobby is not that taxing!
      The pool was well attended with swimming lanes at a premium. The water temperature had reached 76 degrees. That is quite a jump.
 George arrived after I had finished my laps. Then it was home to Queen’s strawberry shortcake. It was wonderful!!
I had been speaking with Larry Arner about all the bottled water I saw stashed in their outdoor storage shed. He said it is a big seller. In fact, George Ashman said it is a big money maker for them. Honest to God! Then people complain about the price of gasoline. When I was a kid, if anyone ever told me they could actually sell water in small bottles, I would have said they were off their rocker! Golly!!!
George and I were both lamenting aging. Neither of us have the steam anymore to do all we would wish to do. Hey, we are not the only old people. I tell Queen that some day we will have to give serious consideration on old age. Ha!! It goes with the territory. So far, it beats the alternative.
 

Thursday, June 10, 2004 7:22 AM 68 Deg at LVIA and 70.8 in the bus stop.
    This morning the blood glucose is 133 and the weight 200. We are supposed to have thundershowers all day today off and on .
    This morning we went on an abbreviated walk. It is too humid for too much of that for Queen, however, we did get out and do something. I think we will forgo shopping today, due to the humidity.
    We have been following the State funeral for Ronald Reagan with great interest. As I watched the funeral cortege with the old Artillery caisson pulled by a team of immaculately kept horses, the drummer with his funeral cadence, followed by the beautiful black horse with the backward boots in the stirrups I was very moved. I learned that the boots were actually Reagan’s boots. I couldn’t help but think as I watched that riderless horse whose handler was having a bit of a problem with the it. The horse was a bit skittish about his part in the ceremony. I suspect the animal would rather have been somewhere else. It was very much like the man under the flag draped casket. He, too, I think would have preferred to be somewhere else.
     Oh, I heard the speeches by all the important dignitaries and the very emotional meeting of Nancy Reagan with his casket in the Capital rotunda. It was very moving. But for me, the sight of the public filing by his bier was the most moving of anything I have seen, so far. We watched much of it on the news channels with their commentary. C Span carried very little commentary and let the pictures speak for themselves.
 Last night, about 4:30 am, I had a bad dream and woke up with a start. I had trouble going back to sleep so I turned on the TV. As I went around the dial I came upon C-Span. They  had live coverage of the mourners filing by the President’s bier.
          Many who walked by I am sure simply wanted to see, and be a part of history. There was no laughing or joking just the line slowly filing by. Somehow, they all seemed to act as though they were in the presence of greatness.
 Occasionally the director must have seen someone interesting and the camera would come in for a closer look. It was apparent that many were very deeply moved. Those of the Catholic faith crossed themselves, but occasionally some people would stop and wipe away tears. I saw an old man in full dress uniform with medals on his chest stand there, tears streaming down his cheeks and saluting before moving on. This was not staged, it was real. Just about everyone was casually dressed. They must have been in line for hours. People, black, white, and folks of every race were there. These were Americans. There were beautiful women, and plain women. The men also, were all were very much impressed with what they saw before them. A small boy about 10 or 11 years old, who I am sure did not gather the import of what he was there to see with Mom and Dad, gazing up at the dome absorbed with the immensity and vastness of the place. Believe me, years later, he will remember this trip for the rest of his life. This was a cross section of America. They were not Democrats, Republicans, nor anything else. There were Americans. Watching this is why this country is so great. We may have many faults we are not perfect, but I can see why the terrorist will never win. We are all Americans and damn proud of it. This really restores my faith in this country and its people.
 
Since we are not shopping today, I decided to cut the grass this morning. It was dry and not too uncomfortable to work outside. I took numerous breaks resting for the most part up under the tent. I never am in any hurry. Once I went inside for a pit stop, I was called to the front door to be greeted my two women from “The Jehovah’s witnesses” who were concerned for my eternal soul and had my salvation in mind. I thanked them and let it go at that. Hey, they went go to all the trouble to do what they consider their calling. At least, I can be courteous. If they don’t get too pushy, it is the least I can do, but if they push, that is a different story.
Then I went back and finished up the job at hand. It is quite uncomfortable outside but not too bad for me. For Queen it is a different story. She has been a bit under the weather all day today. So, we just took it easy. Since we want to see the services at Washington National Cathedral, I doubt if we will be going shopping until Saturday morning.
Tonight for supper Queen had a boneless pork chop each, stewed potatoes, and fresh green beans. As usual with cherry tomatoes and cottage cheese to complete the meal. Then we sat on the front porch with our coffee and a shared ice cream bar. It was raining hard, so no tent for us. Earlier, we ate in the bus stop, but even then we carried our plates out in a light rain. As I am working on this Queen is busy on her computer.


 
Friday, June 11, 2004 7:14 AM 59 deg at LVIA and 60 deg in the bus stop.
    It is a cloudy much cooler day, today. I will be heading out as soon as I start today’s journal and the coffee is ready. The weight is 200 and the blood glucose is 157.  
     Last night after I went to bed and this morning before I got up I watched the procession in the Rotunda in Washington, DC pass the funeral bier. It is an utterly amazing site. It was well worth watching. I know every nation has it’s pomp and circumstance show of national identity. The British ceremonies in St. Paul’s Cathedral of a coronation or royal wedding are very impressive of their way. But right here in this rotunda, one can see America at it’s very best. To the casual viewer, it looks like just a boring line of slowly walking people, but it is much more than that. C Span has done a marvelous job of closing in to view individual people who have no idea that they are on television.
 
Last night I watched a father and son slowly filing by. The son was in his Boy Scout uniform with all of his merit badges. The camera followed their expressionless faces during their transit. As they got opposite the coffin they both saluted it and at the end of the bier as they went  to depart they turned directly toward it, saluted and walked on. One just can’t help but be impressed with the simple but very obvious display of respect and love of the American people.
    This morning it was an entirely different scene depicted. Oh the line was the same and the people did as they did previously, but not the whole Rotunda is bathed in morning daylight and the scene looks much different from last evening.
    Now at 11:08 AM we got back from a short shopping trip downtown. Now we are watching the funeral procession and service at the Washington National Cathedral.
    It was very impressive. It all took place during the rain. Apparently it rained quite hard for a good bit of the time. The honor guard stoically stood straight as ramrods through their entire part of the ceremony. Of course I am a great big softie when a ceremony like that has  moving music. When the band struck up Hail to the Chief and then Eternal Father, the navy hymn I was a goner. My emotions got the best of me and I simply started to cry. As usual the music did me in.
I never realized the ex-senator Danforth was as fine a clergyman, as he appeared to be today. The eulogies were great, but Margaret Thatcher’s was the high point of the oratory.
After the service concluded we went shopping. We managed to get it done in record time. We got home about 3:15 pm. It is still cloudy and dripping so there is no swimming for me. After our rest I am finishing this epistle and sending it to the censor and proofreader.

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

 "Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resemblance to the first”, Ronald Reagan