GHOSTS OF HALLOWEEN!

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST., 2018
             GHOSTS OF HALLOWEEN!

      My wife and I stopped by our grandson's
Pre School on Wednesday to watch as he and
his classmates marched in their annual
Halloween Parade.
       It brought back some memories from
my grade school days back in my hometown.
I remember that walk around the school. Pretty
much the same thing the kids do now.
       My biggest memory though was of the
Halloween parties we had right there in the
classroom of our neighborhood school.
       The rooms were, of course, decorated
for the holiday and the parties were a break
from the daily grind of learning ABCs and
addition and subtraction.
        I guess there's some kind of law
requiring the food and beverages at Halloween
parties to come in colors reflecting the holiday.
There were cup cakes with orange icing and
then there was that "orange drink." I'm still
not really sure what it was. Certainly not
soda (although I believe that showed up by
the time we hit 4th grade. Orange of course.)
        Then there was Candy Corn! I always
liked it when it was offered at a party or
available by the handful at somebody's
house. I don't think, however, that I ever
went out an intentionally bought the stuff
myself. It was usually part of the candy we
got at those school classroom parties.
        I believe we got to go home right after
those parties which was a smart more on the
part of school officials who knew what
classes would be like after all the sugar we
kids had consumed.
        Those of us who survived the orange
drink were able to go out "Halloweening"
that evening to obtain still more candy...
enough to keep most of us going till
Christmas.
         Those parties left a legacy with me.
I still refuse to drink anything with an
orange color except pure orange juice!
          Hope your little ones got an ample
supply of  "energy" last night and that
all your NEWS is good.

"HALLOWEENING!"

    TUESDAY, OCTOBER 31ST., 2018
            "HALLOWEENING!"

     

     Halloween. It may have been my

Mom's favorite holiday with the

exception of Christmas.

     When I was a kid Halloween

parties were common at my house.

I would sit around our dining room

table with my friends. My Mom would

turn out the lights then begin to

narrate a scary story about a madman

who killed and dismembered his

victims.

     As she spoke the "body parts" had

to be passed from one guest to the

next. The heart was, in reality, a

chicken liver. The eyes were actually

grapes. After her tale ended those

who made it through the sitting

were able to see the innocent parts

they had held.

      I suspect some of my buddies,

at or near 70, can attribute some of

their fears and nightmares to those

Halloween stories at my house! 

      After the party we set out to

roam our neighborhood in search

of some candy and, if we were

lucky, a few coins here or there.

We didn't call it "Trick or Treating."

Back then we just went out

"Halloweening!" Maybe it was a

Hazleton thing.

      More often than not our

costumes were home made, perhaps

enhanced with a mask of some sort.

And we were usually expected to

sing, recite a poem, or tell a joke

before we got that treat!

       Candy didn't have to be X-rayed,

and a quarter would buy a comic

book and a bottle of soda. And you

could get two cents of that quarter

back when you returned the empty

bottle to the store!

       I guess that's what we mean

when we speak of the "good old

days!"

       Hope you have a Happy

Halloween and that all your

NEWS is good!

        

 
 

A CHILLING NIGHT1

    TUESDAY, OCTOBER 30TH., 2018
           A CHILLING NIGHT!

    I know. Halloween is Wednesday. But
in many ways this night could make your
blood run cold!
     You see October 30th is "Haunted
Refrigerator Night!"
      Those of you who are brave souls
and encouraged to head to the "fridge"
tonight, best be with a friend, and search
the rear and lower shelves to see what
horror may be lurking there! You know,
those Tupperware containers in which
you saved a leftover from some meal
long ago and far away! Perhaps there
are items put away with good
intentions then forgotten over time.
       You should prepare yourself for
whatever you may find! Perhaps a
medical mask and a couple garbage
bags.
        You're not likely to find this
"holiday" on your Hallmark calendar.
It's one of many created by Thomas
and Ruth Roy and copywritten as
"Wellcat Holidays and Herbs."
      Still the whole idea of busting
any ghosts in your refrigerator is
probably a smart move anyway!
       Hope you're not frozen in fear,
and that all your NEWS is good!


     
     
     

PRETTY CRAFTY!

    MONDAY, OCTOBER 29TH., 2018
               PRETY CRAFTY

    I'm not saying it was witchcraft, but my
wife, edged on by her sister, persuaded me
to go to an auction Sunday night.
    The last auction I was lured to featured
all kinds of items but mainly food. I guess
food must be a part of auctions because
the one Sunday night highlighted Apple
Dumplings. Everyone, they said, would
get one free!
      Of course to get to the dumplings I
had to sit through about an hour of
bidding for craft items!
      I think crafts are neat and the people
who make these things, including my
wife, are very talented! Occasionally
I've even purchased a craft of one sort
or another. But 60 minutes of auction
on home made "get well cards" or
painted wooden Christmas trees or
Santas was getting a bit boring to be
honest.
       Thankfully "half time" came and
there was my apple dumpling, complete
with a scoop of ice cream.
       My wife bought a couple items
and the price was certainly right. And
I won a drawing!
        Seems the ladies in the church
holding the craft auction had made a
limited number of packaged apple
dumplings. So, some 26 of us had
our names drawn which entitled us
to but one of those packages. I guess
that makes me a winner!
        Hope I can come up with some
ice cream and that all your NEWS is
good!

YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME!

   SUNDAY, OCTOBER 28TH., 2018
    YOU'VE GOT A FRIEND IN ME

    Family and friends of Peg Biscombe
gathered in Camden, New York Saturday
to celebrate her life. Peg passed on in
August and Saturday's service offered a
chance to share our loving memories.
     As noted in an earlier blog Peg's
husband Bob has been my friend since
Grand School. As such Peg and I along
with my wife have become close friends
as well.
     I shared some of my thoughts, not
\without tears, at the service and also
noted the fact that Peg was probably
always a bit amazed that Bob and I had
such a close relationship for so many
years.
     To some extent we're pretty much
opposites. Bob was always thrifty. In
my efforts to support a strong economy
I  tried to put most of the money I made
bad into circulation as quickly as
possible!
     Bob was always smart. Straight A's
as I recall. In that we were similar. You'll
recall me reporting that I got an A one time
too.
     I suggested to the gathering that Bob
and I were a lot like "Toy Story's" Woody
and Buzz Lightyear! I told them that they,
and you, can determine which roll each of
us would play.
     That brought some laughter among the
tears and I'm certain that's the part Peg
would want remembered!
      It was a wonderful celebration of life
and a reminder to all of us that we should
share our love and laughter as much and
whenever we can!
      Hope you'll make that effort. If you
do I have no doubt all of your NEWS
will be good!

WHAT A CATCH!

   SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27TH., 2018
                WHAT A CATCH!

   I was a bit surprised when my granddaughter
Kara announced her intention to join the Color
Guard during her Senior year at Wyoming Area
High School. Her decision brought me back to
the Football stadium for the first time since her
older cousin played in his Senior year at Holy
Redeemer. She made a good choice!!!
    Since the band and color guard perform before
the start of home games we had to show up early
to watch her and them on the field. I suppose we
could have left as soon as their performance had
ended. But I quickly noticed something. Wyoming
Area's Football team looked really good!
     I found myself looking forward to the game
as much as the band and color guard's great show.
And the team kept winning!
     Friday night marked her and the Football team's
last regularly scheduled appearance. And, it was
against Wyoming Area's big rival, Pittston Area!
     Since it was an "away game", at Pittston that
is. the band and color guard took the field at
half time.
      The game, that was billed as a close one by
the "experts" turned out to be another Wyoming
Area blow out with a final score of 40 to 0.
       It's the first time I watched a team's
undefeated season and the first time a cheer
leader made a pass at me! In this case, however,
the cheerleaders were tossing out mini footballs
and, even with my gloved hand, I snatched the
one tossed my way! Best pass I've seen all
season and, if I do say so myself, a great catch!
       Hope they continue their winning ways
in the playoffs and that all your NEWS is good!

MARY'S BABY!

         FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26TH., 2018

                    MARY'S BABY!

    50 years ago this month the horror movie

"Rosemary's Baby" hit the silver screen.

     Today, Plains Township native Mike

 Rutkoski brings Mary Shelley's "baby"

to the screen here in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

For those who may have forgotten, Mary

Shelley is the woman who wrote Frankenstein!

      Rutkoski created the movie "Baby

Frankenstein" which has its northeastern

Pennsylvania premier at R/C Movies 14

today.

       That's especially appropriate because

the last Friday in October is an unofficial

holiday called Frankenstein Friday! It was

created, the holiday that is, by Ron MacCloskey

of Westfield, New Jersey in 1997. He picked

a Friday in part because it begins with FR, and

also because it's the best day of the week to 

party.

        Every year MacCloskey,  awards "The Franky"

to someone who has made a significant contribution 

to the promotion of Frankenstein. I'd suggest that

Rutkoski would be a good nominee for that trophy

at next year's presentation!

        Years ago when the Capitol Theater was the
showplace of Hazleton the manager brought a
Frankenstein stage show to town for a Halloween
matinee. My Dad was the projectionist and I was
always hanging around. The manager wanted me
to go on stage and have the Frankenstein monster
grab me and hold me up while I pretended to try
to keep running. Scared of Frankenstein since the
first time I saw the movie I simply ran from the
offer.
          I'm told "Baby Frankenstein" is far more
comedy than horror so I'm anxious to see this
one especially since it was all filmed around
our area. Just for the record I'll be out of town
for the premier so I'm not running away this
time!
          Hope it's a big hit...and that all your
NEWS is good!

A PENCE IN THE NECK!

   THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25TH., 2018
           A PENCE IN THE NECK!

     I got two shots during my visit to our
family physician Wednesday. One in the
arm and another a little lower and in the
back. I was looking forward to getting
home quickly and resting for the rest of
the day.
     We left the doctor's office for the
short drive to the Cross Valley Expressway
only to find it blocked by several Police
cars. The logical detour in our case took
us a couple miles out of the way which
wouldn't have been so bad were it not for
the extremely heavy traffic! All the
rerouting suddenly crowded secondary
streets in the area and the flow slowed to
a crawl!
      Had there been a accident that tied up
our major river crossing? Nope.
      All the tie ups were caused so the Vice
President would have clear sailing for his
campaign stop on behalf of a congressional
candidate. For me, and hundreds of others
going about the daily lives and business, it
was just a "Pence in the neck!" Or a little
lower and in the back!
       Now while I use this specific case as
my platform let me say my position on this
issue would be the same whatever party
and whatever "high official" was visiting.
I'm sure many of you have run into the
same kind of tie ups when some big wig
Democrats have come stomping for
somebody.
       If a major political figure is coming
to my town on official business I say clear
the runway! But when he or she is coming
as part of an election campaign I say...…..
please stay home!
        The idea of tying up traffic, commerce,
and my life so you can pat a fellow politician
on the back is nonsense! If you like the guy
that much do his commercials! Buy him
billboard, or lunch.
         I'd rather see our local Police officers
clearing up crime than clearing the way for
endorsements!
         Maybe our candidates, again both
parties, should consider running on their
own merits! Hope they have a few to
offer.....and that all your NEWS is good.
       
         

WHO'S ON FIRST?

     WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH., 2018
                   WHO'S ON FIRST?

   A funny thing happened to me while I was
watching TV Tuesday night. "This Is Us" had
ended so I started to surf the few channels I
now receive. I almost couldn't believe my eyes!
As I came across the Fox channel there were
two teams playing baseball!
     Turns out it was the World Series!
      Now this wasn't the World Series I
remember from my youth . although one of
the teams was the Dodgers. At least the
announcers said they were the Dodgers. But
the Dodgers I remember had Brooklyn
written on their shirts.
      The other team was the Boston Red Sox.
When I saw that I thought I might have
accidentally pulled up an episode of the
Twilight Zone.
      The series I used to watch always
had the Yankees and, very often, the
Dodgers.
       Up until Jr. High School they used
to have a TV set up in the auditorium.
Those is study hall or with teachers who
cared were allowed to watch those
afternoon games right in school.
       I still follow baseball but not as
closely as when Mantle, Snyder, and
Mays were in the headlines. I honestly
didn't recognize most of the names I
heard as the game progressed. Maybe
"I Don't Know" is actually playing!
        I'll watch a lot more closely when
the Yankees are in it again.....next year!
Till then I hope all yours NEWS is good!      

AMUSEMENT MEMORIES!

    TUESDAY, OCTOBER 23RD., 2018
         AMUSEMENT MEMORIES!

    My weekly program on Electric City
Television this week focuses on a pair of
area brothers who are working on a
documentary on the old Hanson's Park
at Harvey's Lake.
     It got me to thinking about all the
area amusement parks that are now
"used to be's!  There's a long list of
those I actually visited and probably a
longer list of those that disappeared
before I was born.
      I wonder how many you might
remember?
      Hazleton had Hazle Park, It was
down to just a few rides when I was
a kid. There was a merry-go-round
and, I think, bumper cars or a whip.
It's a little too long ago to have clear
memories. But it was there.
     Angela to the north of the city\came
along later and lasted a lot longer too.
     There was a small park featuring a
merry-go-round and train ride at what
I remember as Toby Park along Route
115 not far from the intersection with
Route 940.
      San Souci was the popular park
for folks in the greater Wilkes-Barre
area. The ultimate insult to kids was
to have the park replaced by a school!
       Rocky Glen was Scranton's San
Souci. That became Ghost Town In The
Glen before it became an actual ghost
town.
        Croop's Glen was another park in
Luzerne County while the handful of
rides in Scranton's Nay Aug Park
entertained kids for many years there.
         Knoebel's is the only survivor of
the golden age of amusement parks
around these parks and we're lucky to
have it!
          Hope the memories make you
smile and that all your NEWS is good!
 
     

AH NUTS!

    MONDAY, OCTOBER 22ND., 2018
                       AH NUTS!

        October 22nd is National Nut Day. So

I'm pretty sure a lot of my friends out

there will be celebrating. I know a lot of

Nuts out there! Several are probably

reading this!

    Unless, of course, this is a day that refers

to the food we know as "nuts." I suppose

that's more likely.

     Nuts are said to be nutritious and healthy.

I probably don't eat as many as I should. But

I do buy Chocolate Almond ice cream. And,

of course, I do so for the health benefits!

      When we were in Hawaii a few years ago

I picked up some Macadamia Nuts. I bought

them because they were Spam flavored! Span

and nuts! How healthy can a guy get?

       I know I had some peanuts this year

too. Problem is....Peanuts are not nuts!

They are Legumes, a member of the "Pea"

family. You could have fooled me. I always

thought Mr. Peanut was a "Nut!"

       There are still plenty of nuts to choose

from so buy a bag or a can and enjoy this

special day even thought there is no

documentation to support the claim this

is a "'National" holiday.

       Hope it's not just a "shell game" and

that all your NEWS is good!   

  

FLANNEL FOOTBALL!

     SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20TH., 2018
              FLANNEL FOOTBALL!

      I've been enjoying a lot of Friday night
football this season. Truth be told I showed
up at the stadium to watch my granddaughter
preform as part of the Wyoming Area Color
Guard. The marching band there is great. The
cheerleaders are first rate. The concession
stands are wonderful. Then I noticed something
else. The Football team is fantastic!
      They say everybody like a winner and I
guess I'm no exception. I found myself wanting
to stay to actually watch the games!
       That was very easy up until this Friday
night. You see the frost has finally hit the
pumpkins and I realized it would take more
than touchdowns to warm my bones.
         I pulled out a long sleeve shirt, a sweater,
one of my warmest jackets and those flannel-
lined blue jeans I put in the back of the closet
sometime just before last Spring showed up.
I added a hat and the combination did the
trick! It wasn't like September but I was
comfortable and the team won......again!
           I'll keep this outfit handy as the
season begins to wrap up.
           Hope I can keep the long underwear
packed away a little longer and that all
your NEWS is good!          
 

WE ALL FALL DOWN!

     FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19TH., 2018
           WE ALL FALL DOWN!

    We've all recited it as kids. That old
rhyme that ends with the words "Ashes,
ashes, we all fall down."
     It came to my mind Thursday as my
wife and I sent some time with our 3-
year-old grandson at one of the many
area playgrounds we visit from time to
time.
     It occurred to me that falling down
has become a lot easier at playgrounds
these days. Well, not so much the
falling as the landing!
      The place we played at was all
built around a sort of cork floor! It
literally gives as you walk on the stuff
so hitting it with your backside really
doesn't hurt!
       Many other playgrounds have a
base made up of a mulch that helps
absorb the impact!
        The playgrounds near anywhere
near my house when I was growing
up were usually built on another kind
of material. We called it "dirt." That
was the unofficial name of course.
Officially it was just "the ground"
which consisted of the earth, small
stones and pebbles and, if you were
lucky, some grass!
          Today's swings are a type of
rubber. Ours were wooden. Catch
one of ours near your nose when you
were pushing somebody and there
would be blood. In speak from first
had experience!
           I think we fell as often then
as kids do now. But we sure landed
harder! Then there was the treatment!
Usually Mercurochrome! Not only
did it sting, the stuff was loaded with
mercury! It's a wonder we lived!
           I'm glad the places are safer
now. I'm sometimes asked to play a
bear and chase my grandson around
the playground. Even Grizzlies fall
down from time to time so it's good
to know the landing will be softer!
           Now if they can only come
up with a way to make it easier to
get back up!!!!
            Hope you play safe and that
all your NEWS is good!
           

HIT THE BRICKS!

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH., 2018
               HIT THE BRICKS!

    The meaning of the idiom "hit the bricks"
has changed over the years. It was originally
a term used by unions as they called their
members to go on strike.
    More recently the term is usually used as
a warning to "get out of here" or "go away."
     Around my house it's a phrase accompanied
by sadness. You see the bricks in my yard form
a sort of patio on which my wife places a small
bench I bought her a few years back. But that's
throughout the summer.
      When the leaves begin to show their colors
and those cool frosty winds start to blow the
bench gets packed away and the bricks become
a "landing pad" for my little red Miata.
      Once it's parked there it is, essentially,
stored away under cover for .....oh I hate to
say this.....the winter! It's like surrendering
to the weather. Neighbors may have heard me
crying as I backed it onto the bricks.
      It doesn't seem fair. There's been so much
rain this year the sport car's top has been up
more than down and it's been parked more
than driven. It's enough to make me want to
go on strike and hit the bricks with picket
signs against the forecasters!
       Hope we get a good, warm, and long
Indian Summer, and that all your NEWS
is good!

TIME IN THE YARD!

    WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 17TH., 2018
                TIME IN THE YARD!

    I remember all those old prison movies from
the 40's and 50's. All the inmates got to spend
some time in the yard each day. It was easy time
for the cons. Just standing around, having  a smoke,
and planning their escape!
    Those scenes ran through my mind Tuesday. My
wife had just announced her intention to "get a few
things done in the yard" and said she might need a
little help. As a "prisoner of love" I agreed to pitch
in.
     The "things" she had in mind involved placing
the wooden frames holding plastic wrap coverings
over the screens on our front porch. Time and
weather has taken a toll on those frames and they
no longer slide into place the way they did when she
herself constructed them several years ago. They
are large, wooden and a little hard to handle!
      To demonstrate just how serious she was
about getting this task done I was even allowed
to use a hammer and climb on our ladder. Tools
are usually not allowed in my hands. And for good
reason! I'm also not a big fan of ladders! I don't
have too much trouble climbing them. My concern
involves getting back on them once I've stepped off
onto the huge storage shed that gives us access to
two of our large screens.
      I thought I had one of the troublesome panels
installed, though it didn't fit perfectly, when my
wife observed it was probably upside down. Back
to square one!
      After both of us struggled to get all 9 units
in place I fully understood the inmates desire to
use his yard time planning an escape!
     Oh well, at least I've got Trustee status on this
project until spring when they'll all have to be
taken down and packed away.
     Hope "the warden" is happy, and that
all your NEWS is good!

LOOK UP ENDANGERED SPECIES!

   TUESDAY, OCTOBER 16TH., 2018
  LOOK UP ENDANGERED SPECIES!

   October 16th., for those of you who don't
already know, is "Dictionary Day."
   The date is actually a tribute to Noah
Webster who was born on October 16th.,
1758. He's considered to be the Father of
the American dictionary.
    I'll bet a lot of you, somewhere in your
past, had questions about how to spell a
particular word. Chances are somebody,
probably your teacher, told you to "look it
up in the dictionary."
    If you're like me your response, at least
in a stage whisper, was "how  can I look it
up when I can't spell it!" Accidentally or
not I usually found what I needed after a
lot of lost time searching..
    Today we're typing on laptops. If we
misspell a word it's automatically underlined
in red and a list of words similar to the one
you typed shows up on your screen so you
can correct your error. It's not perfect. The
automatic spell check  still can't determine
if you meant to type to, too, or two.
     Checking a definition is as simple as
entering the word in question in the
"Search line" of your computer and
it, along with all options pop up for you
to see.
     It seems the dictionary we're "celebrating"
today is on the endangered species list. It like
the encyclopedia may be facing practical
extinction! You'll still find them but will
anybody actually use one?
      I can almost picture the expression on some
of my teacher's faces if I could go back and
tell them about this. On the other hand they'd
probably just send me to the dictionary to
lookup "Laptop" and "Spell Check!"
     Hope you keep a dictionary around,
just in case, and that all your NEWS is
good!
   

OSCAR, AND THE OTHERS!

  MONDAY, OCTOBER 15TH., 2018
        OSCAR AND THE OTHERS!

       It's October 15th. A day set aside

to honor......well maybe not honor,

but at least take note of an individual

or individuals we all know and.........

well......we all know.

   This is National Grouch Day!

   Judging from the posts I see on

Facebook every day a lot of people

will be celebrating!

    A Grouch's mission in life is to be

as miserable and grouchy as possible,

and pass that feeling on to everyone else!

     I'm not sure if the trait has to be learned

or just comes natural to some folks. I do

know a few people who seem to work very

hard to maintain their "Grouch status!"

    According to one website the day was

created for and inspired by Alan Miller, a

retired teacher and chairman of the board

of NAG, (National Association of Grouches).

    I don't know how we're suppose

to celebrate this day. Maybe we just

congratulate the grouches we know?

    Of course you'll want to be careful if

one happens to be your boss!

     Hope no one congratulates you....and

that all your NEWS is good!