BUILD THEM AND FILL THEM!

   WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2021

      BUILD THEM AND FILL THEM!

    December 1st is a very big day in 

automotive history! On this day in 1913

Henry Ford introduced the automobile

assembly line to the world. The industry

would never be the same afterwords! 

And, on that very same day, Gluf Oil

Company oped the first drive up gas

station in the United States. It was in

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Ford is still

making cars and you can still get a

fill up in Pittsburgh! But some things

have changed. Ford's Model T sold

for 525 dollars! And gas at that first

service station went for 27 cents a gallon!

And, by the way, they sold 30 gallons

that day! Hope you're all filled up and

that all your NEWS is good!

BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!

    TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2021

BEGINNING TO LOOK A LOT LIKE 

                 CHRISTMAS!

   I was out for awhile yesterday and when

I returned I found the bulk of our annual

Christmas decorations all set out in place!

We don't have any elves around my house

but we didn't need them! My wife headed

the decorating team, My son helped lug in

some of the heavy boxes while our granddaughter

Mckenzie lent a very able helping hand to the

chore. Even little Anthony pitched in! As

usual my assignment was to plug in a remote

control on/off switch and to enjoy the fruits of

all their labors! I've always enjoyed decorations

but not so much the decorating! Now that they're

in place the outside lighting is about the only

thing left to do and we're hoping our other

grandson will help with that task. One up we

keep everything on display until "Russian

Christamas." It does help with the holiday

spirit! Hope you've got your decorations

in place or at the ready and that all your NEWS

is good!     

A FORGOTTEN HOLIDAY!

     MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

         A FORGOTTEN HOLIDAY!

   It's a holiday few people ever heard of,

let alone remember, It's "Catterntide!" It

was a day to celebrate Saint Catherine as

the Patron Saint of Lacemakers. It was a

big celebration every November 29th up

until around 1890 when the Lace industry

began to decline. The annual celebration

featured spongy cakes and a pie made with

mincemeat covered with melted honey.

And then there was "Leap candle!" The

women lfted up their skirts and jumped

over a lighted candle! I was thinking of

reviving the holiday and even had a

candle picke dout for the occassion. My

wife declined the invitation and suggested

that I shoud,do the jumping......in a lake!  

Oh well. Hope you're well and that all

your NEWS is good!

AFTER THE TURKEY...SAUSAGE!

   SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2021

 AFTER THE TURKEY...SAUSAGE!

      Some of our gang headed for Unityville

yesterday for the annual pancake and
sausage breakfast at the Unityville Fire Company
not far off Route 118 in Lycoming County.
     This stop has become as much a part of my 

Thanksgiving tradition as Turkey on the day itself.
      I came across it quite by accident a few
years back. Usually from the day after Thanksgiving
until 9 Sunday night shifts of Fire Department
members and volunteers cook up hundreds of
pounds of delicious pork sausage and fantastic
buckwheat pancakes to a couple thousand
hungry customers who come, some at all hours
like our gang, to enjoy a meal and to support
their Fire Company. This year, however, the

eating ends at 10pm so everything can be

cleaned for protection against Covid. The

breakfast/dinner runs through tonight (Sunday) so

you've still got time to stop by, enjoy the

meal, and help a good cause!

       Members, their wives, their children, and
friends, help with preperations and clean up

afterwards. Trays of sausage wait in a
freezer to be formed into patties, an all night
job in anticipation of the crowds that show up
at "normal hours."
      It seems the smaller or more rural
the area the more people seem willing to
help each other out,
       The Company makes more money on
efforts like gun raffles but I think everyone
enjoys seeing people come together for the
Thanksgiving holiday "breakfast."
       Hope you'll put it on your calendar
for next year and that all your NEWS is
good!

   

A ROOM FULL OF WINERS!

      SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021

           A ROOM FULL OF WINERS!

     There was plenty of chatter and laughts

at our Thanksgiving Day family get together.

So on Friday my wife and I decided a quiet

afternoon at the winery would be relaxing.

It was. However, it seems another hundred

or so people, including a large group of

young women celebrating a Birthday, had

the same idea! We were lucky enough to

walk in just as a couple at what seemed to

be the only available table were leaving.

Everyone was enjoying his or her wine

and in terms of laughter and chatting our

Thanksgiving celebration just seemed to

be continuing. It was a nearly perfect day.

Until we started home. By that time the

wet roads, now covered witha thin coating

of snow, had cars crawing up and down

the hills of Route 115 and, finally, forming

a traffic jam about 6 miles long. As our

usualy 70 minute trip turned into nearly

two and a half hours I did some wineing

of my own! Well, at least we got home

safely for which my thanksgiving continues!

Hope you're well and that all your NEWS

is good!

AFTER THE FEAST!

  FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2021

         AFTER THE FEAST!

   It was our typical Thanksgiving

dinner, with the exception of missing

our granddaughter Kara who's spending

a semester in France. A very full and

filling menu including turkey, ham,

sweet potatoes, corn, amd stuffing. 

A big meal like that tends to make one

tired. At least I found myself tired. But

some of our gang had plenty of energy

which they redirected into cleaning off

the table and turning iton a gam board

for several different contests. I'm not

bih of games so I found myself wandering

around taking phoyos and videos. Then

I accidentially walked into the porch room

where I discovered the deserts had not

been packed away! All of those goodies

would take up far too much room in our

daughter's refrigerator! So I helped

lessen the load! You've got to help out

where you can! Hope you had a great

Thanksgiving and that all your NEWS

is good! 

TURKEY TOM?

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021

                    TURKEY TOM?

      Turkey has become the traditional

Thanksgiving dinner for most Americans.

Yet we're not really sure if it was a part of

the menu on that first Thanksgiving in 1621.

The only two know documents from the

period do indicate that turkey hunting was

good that year. But, chances are, the main

meal was fresh deer meat. We do know that

native Americans brought several to the feast.

There was fish as well. Cod from the nearby

shore. And "flint" a native American type of

corn. That Thanksgiving feast lasted three

days! But Thanksgiving didn't become an

annual holiday for many years afterwards.

Abe Lincoln declared it a holiday in 1863

but it didn't become an official Federal

holiday until 1941. By the way my idea of

getting a head start and cooking the bird

in my microwave was nixed by my wife.

I don't know  what she was worried about.

I had bread, strawberry jam, and peanut

butter set aside in case my plan didn't

work. I'll probably have some Thanksgiving

night when I'm hungrey again! Happy 

Thanksgiving Blog readers and I hope all

your NEWS is good!    

REMEMBERING OUR HERO!

        WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 2021

              REMEMBERING OUR HERO

          It happened this week in 1984. The

Joe Palooka comic strip was published for

the very last time. Palooka was created by

Wilkes-Barre native Ham Fisher. A monument

at the base of Mount Palooka stands just off

route 309 in Hanover Township. I was a member

of a 4 man committee who raised public funds

for the monument which replaced a bronze 

marker stolen around the time of the Agnes

Flood. Palooka's character was so popular

that when that character joined the army at

the start of World War II, thousands of men,

inspired by the comic strip, joined up too!

Palooka was credited by the President with

helping the war effort. In the final comic

strip Joe and his wife "retired" back to his

hometown of Wilkes-Barre, PA. Joe's out

there somewhere yet I suppose. Hope his,

and your NEWS is good!  

A SHARP IDEA!

   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2021

                 A SHARP IDEA!

   Today we are remembering a man who

most of you have never heard of but who

had a major impack in the world of

education. He wasn't a professor. He was,

by trade, a carpenter! But he was also an

inventor! His name was John Lee Love.

 And on this day, in 1897, he

patened an invention that has been used

in the educational system ever since. It

was the hand cranked pencil sharpener!!

I've used one many a time. But I must

admit is was another invention, by

scientist Joseph Priestley, that helped

me get through school. It was on the other

end of those pencils. The eraser! Hope

you're sharp as ever and that all your

NEWS is good.

CAMELOT, REMEMBERED.

        MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021

           CAMELOT, REMEMBERED!

Sorry friends. I've got to be serious

today.
     If you were alive in 1963 and older
than 10 you probably remember just
where you were and what you were doing
on this day that November.
    Thanksgiving was just a few days away.
    Then came the news flash..
     President Kennedy had been shot while
riding in a motorcade in Dallas Texas!
     I was working as a DJ/Newsman at
WNAK in Nanticoke and was on my way
home when I heard the first report.
   MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2021

       CAMELOT, REMEMBERED.  

   I turned around and headed back to the
station as fast as possible.
     We had no network. Just an Associated
Press teletype machine set up in a closet.
      I found an extra long microphone
cable and ran it into the closet where I read
every word as it was printed in front of me.
      That included the official announcement
that President Kennedy was dead.
       Much of the world as we knew it
changed on that day.
       A lot of us, around the so-called "Baby
Boomer Generation", saw our image of
"Camelot" come crashing down on November
22nd and in the immediate days and weeks
that followed. Many of the images will be
with us forever!
        We saw the alleged assassin shot down
on live TV as he was being escorted through
a Police Station.
         We saw a beautiful first lady standing
by her late husband's successor as he was
sworn into office. The blood stains were
still on her dress.
           And we saw a young boy, too little
to have any real understanding of what had
happened, stand at attention and salute as
the flag draped casket of his father came
by in the funeral procession.
            The country was not without its
problems in 1963.
             But we had a lot of hope for the
future! Many of us really believed we
were living in a sort of  "Camelot"
and that right would prevail!
             A lot of that hope was dashed on
November 22nd., 1963.
             A lot of younger people today
don't know much about that "Camelot"
             And that's too bad!
             I hope you're sharing your memories
 of that time with those that didn't live through
 it........and that all your NEWS is good.

FACE TO FACE-BOOK!

   SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2021

          FACE TO FACE-BOOK!

   A funny thing happened to me while

we were dining out the other night. I

received a Facebook message which

included a phot of me.....at our table!

I didn't take it so someone sitting nearby

must have. And, sure enought, the gentelman

at the closest table to us waved his hand and

said "Hi Dave." It turned out to be Bill Hizny,

one of my many Facebook friends. Now Bill

had the advantage. He, like many of you, see

me everyday on my Facebook Blog or remember

me from my many years in television. I'd say

it's likely I've never actually met some 90%

of the people on my "Friends list." So don't

be shy. Be like Bill. If you happen to see me

come over and introduce yourself. It's nice to

have friends and even better when you actually

get to know them. It's Thanksgiving week. A

great time to appreciate friends. I hope you do,

and that all your NEWS is good!   

THE STRANGE TALE OF THE ESSEX!

       SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021

   THE STRANGE TALE OF THE ESSEX!

    The story began 201 years ago today. November

20th., 1820. It was the day the sailing vessel Essex

sank in the South Pacific. There were, initially, 20

survivors/ But only 8 lived to be rescued. And they

survived, in part, by turning to cannibalism! Even

if you never heard of the Essex you likely know

the basics of the story. You see the Essex was

sunk after being rammed by a Sperm Whale. It

was the inspiration for Herman Melville's novel

"Moby Dick!" And it happened on this day 201years

ago! Hope you're well and that all your NEWS is

good. 

 

RE-RUN "DINING OUT!"

  While my wife and I continue to

recover from cataract surgery my

BLOG lives on through Re-runs! 

Here's another from last November

when I took my wife out for some

fine dining!

                      DINING OUT!

  Romantic and big spender that I am I

took my wife out to dinner Sunday. We

had plush and heated seats for our

dining experience. We were in my Chevy

Suburban! You see I took her to a Food

Truck famous for its cheese steaks! Since

the adjoining trailer was selling cheese

cake we got some of that too! Eating in

the car is nothing new to us but this is

the first time I was confronted with a

very large cheese steak that was both

too hot and too bulky to hold without

dumping 50% of the contents over my

lap, trousers and the floor. Being

innovative I used the fork designed

for my cheese cake as a utensil and

the bun holding the cheese and steak

as a bowl and pretty much are the

whole thing. I think my wife enjoyed

the outing although she may have

questions the next time I suggest 

"dining out."  Maybe MacDonalds!!!

Hey, the cheese cake was good!

 Hope you're well and that all your

 NEWS is good! 

A RE RUN FROM NOVEMBER 2020

   Since my eye surgery demands I "take

it easy" for awhile I've decided to do what

the networks do......have a Re run! With

Thanksgiving just a week away I thought

this would fit the bill,,,,as well as being 

helpful!

                NOVEMBER, 2020

              CHEF BOY OUR DAVE!

    I've decided to help out with the Thanksgiving

meal preparations this year. My "new school

thinking" can speed up things a bit! For instance,

that old fashion thermometer my wife uses to

check the turkey. I plan to replace it with one of

those new ones you just point at the subject and

get a reading. But then I got to thinking. Why

check the bird's temperature? It's not sick! It's

dead! It fact its frozen. And guess where I found

it? In the refrigerator!!! You shouldn't try to

defrost it in the fridge, It's cold in there! I plan

to just toss it into the microwave for an hour or

two and it will be all ready to reheat for

Thanksgivng!!!!

Yes indeed. I'll probably get the Household

Helper of the Yer Award. Don't you think?

Hope you're helping too and that all your NEWS

is good! 

 

I'LL BE SEEING YOU!

    WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2021

              I'LL BE SEEING YOU!

   I may be taking a short break from my

Blog friends. I've got to address some

medical issues. When visiting my doctor

recently he asked about my two Cadillacs.

I tried to explain that I had a Miata and a

Suburban. That's when we discovered the

first issue. My hearing is going. He was

asking about my two cataracts! Today I'll

be in surgery having one of them removed.

We are using the usual "DeCosmo" approach

to medicine. My wife and I are each having

the surgery. I suggestsed, since each of us

have one eye that will not be involved in

today;s operation, we could probably drive

ourselves using our shared vision. That plan

was rejected so my daughter has agreed to

get us to and from the surgical center. In a

couple weeks we'll be back to get our second

eye done. That's a lot of expensive medical 

procedures so I suspect somebody will get a

Cadillac out of the deal! Not sure just how

much it will all cost. I couldn't hear the answer

when I asked about it! In any case, I'll be seeing

you soon. Till then...hope all your NEWS is

good!

but 

BACK IN MY DAY!

   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2021

           BACK IN MY DAY!

   I found myself remembering and

longing for the "good old days" last

week. Seems my wife's car finally

reached the 100,000 mile mark. All

happy motoring. No complaints there.

But I recalled the days when I first

started driving when, if you were

lucky enough to reach 100,000 miles,

you got "a new car." Not really of course.

But odometers back then only displayed

5 digits. You went from 99,999 miles to

00000 on your display. I realize it was

only an illusion. But it was a pleasant one!

You got the feeling you were starting all

over again! It's a nice feeling. Well, I hope

you're doing well, no matter how many

miles you've logged, and that all your NEWS

is good. 

THIS KING WAS SHARP!

    MONDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2021

          THIS KING WAS SHARP!

    His name was King. And I suppose you

could say because of his invention he actually

became a king... of sorts. The year was 1904 

King had a sharp idea and on November 15th,.

he secured a patent for his invention. That invention,

by the way, bears his name. Gillette! King Cole

Gillette. Inventor of the Gillette razor blade!

Hope you're clean shaven and feeling well and

that all your NEWS is good!

IN A PICKLE!

    SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2021

                    IN A PICKLE!

    Veteran's Day has passed and Thanksgiving

is still over a week away but don't fret! There's
plenty of reasons to celebrate!
     November 14th., is "National Pickle Day!"
     Cucumbers, which came from India, were
first pickled  way back in 2030 B.C.,  I
suspect they'd be pretty tart if you could find
one of those!
      Still there are plenty of pickles to be
found. According to the people who should
know  Americans eat about 9 pounds of pickles
per person every year. Of course they sneak
some of those to you in little pieces hidden
under the buns at places like McDonalds.
      I nearly had a pickle, well a quarter of
a pickle, with my Ruben on Sunday but my
grandson thought it looked good enough to
eat, so he did!
       Cleopatra ate pickles because she believed
they helped make her beautiful. Caesar and
Napoleon thought they built muscle. I only
know they have been known to make you
burp!
        But get this! During a hot game in Texas
in 2000, when temperatures on the field reached
109 degrees, Philadelphia Eagle players drank pickle
juice and credited the briny solution for their 41-14
win!. They may be drinking it again this season
from the look of things!
        Baseball fans certainly know what it means
to "get in a pickle." They may not know, however,
that the phrase came from Shakespeare who used
it to refer to finding oneself in a difficult position
in The Tempest. 
         So before you get yourself in a pickle, eat
one, get strong, look good, and put a dent in your
9 pound yearly quota!
          Hope your pickle and all your NEWS is
good!


   

FLYING HIGH!

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2021

                FLYING HIGH!

  It's November 12th, an historic day in

the world of entertainment. It was on this

day in 1859 that a crowd of onlookers

saw the worlds very first Trapeze act!

A preformer, high above the audience,

swinging from one trapeze to another

with "the greatest of ease!" Or so he

made it look! The place was Paris, France.

And since that day the Trapeze act has become

a standart thrill with circus acts all around

the world. The man who did it first all

those years aho was Jules Leotard! And,

yes, the clothing you can still buy today

is named for him! He wore the first set!

Hope you're flying high and that all your

NEWS is good!  

VETERAN'S DAYS!

   THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021

               VETERAN'S DAYS!

       This is Veteran's Day. A day to honor

the men and women who served and are

serving our country by their military service.

The day was originally known as "Armistice

Day" marking the date in 1919 when World

War I came to an end. It became a national

holiday in1938. In 1954 it was officially

renamed "Veterans Day."

     And here's a bit of trivia tied to the

date. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

was dedicated on November 11th., 1921.

And on November 11th of 1938, Kate Smith

sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America"

for the first time on national radio. Most

folks have the day off today. Take a moment

to reflect on those who served and are

serving our nation. Hope you do and that

all your NEWS is good.  

TIME TO HAM IT UP!

   TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2021

         TIME TO HAM IT UP!

    This is one of those unusual "holidaays"

I'll wager you don't have on your calendar.

November 9th is "National Scrapple Day!"

Scrapple is recognized as the first pork

product invented in America. In fact, it

was created by German immigrants who

settled in Pennsylvania. It is, traditionally,

a mush of pork scraps and trimmings

combined with cornmeal, wheat flour and

spices. The mush is then formed into a semi-

solid loaf, sliced and pan fried. Seems there's

no "half way" when it come to Scrapple. You

either like it or hate it! My wife and some of

her sibblings love it. Me, I'd prefer something

more substantial. Give me Spam any day!

Hope you;re well, whatever's on your menu,

and that all your NEWS is good!  

READING IS FUNDAMENTAL!

      MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2021

      READING IS FUNDAMENTAL!

    November 8th kicks off a very important

week in the world of literature! There's

nothing like sitting back and taking in a good

book. I realize it's easy to enjoy a story on TV

or taking in a great motion picture. But there's

something very satisfying in allowing your

mind to paint the pictures as you did into a

great novel. Like the one I'm reading right

now. It's filled with excitement, adventure,

and some very colorful characters. It's called

"The Little Engine That Could." Oh, did I mention

this is "Children's Book Week?" But, you know,

there are some reall great stories written with

kids in mind. I'm still wondering if this little

engine will be able to pull those cars filled

with toy sna dgood things to eat over the

mountain! I think he can. I think he can!

Hope he does, and that all your NEWS is

good!

THE FASHION POLICE!

 

        SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2021

            THE FASHION POLICE!

   One of our granddaughters is studying

in France this semester. She's been to Paris

a couple to times already. France. Paris.

Considered by many women to be the

Fashion capitol of the world! Yet on this

very day in 1800 a law went into effect

that prohibited women from wearing

trousers unless they first obtained a

Police permitt! That law, as you might expect.

was eventually repealed. But not till 2013!

Glad our granddaughter us there now! Hope

you're well, watching your wardrobe, and

that all your NEWS is good!                                                                                                                                                                                                            

TIME TRAVEL!

    SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2021

                  TIME TRAVEL!

   Saturday is your big chance to be a Time

Traveler! Technically you're suppose to

wait till 2am Sunday morning to adjust

your clocks to Standard Time. You know,

:Spring forward, Fall back." But I say, why

wait? Anytime through the day today, as

far as I'm concerned, you can relive your

favorite "last hour." If you've spent some

time reading a good book, extend it. Turn

the clock back and read some more. That's

just one example. The point is, most of us

"use" that extra hour by sleeping an extra

60 minutes. You'll get more use out of those

minutes if you pick the time. Hope you

enjoy that hour somehow and that all your

NEWS is good!

THE CAR STARTER!

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021

            THE CAR STARTER!

   Before you read too far this isn't

about the electronic unit that starts your

can. This is about the guy who started

cars. At least herein the United States. 

And it isn't about Henry Ford, although

he does play a big part in the car starter

story! You see it was 126 years ago this

week that Attorney George Selden obtained

the first U.S. Patent for a gasoline powered

motor car! Carl Benz actually got the first

patent for a gasoline car in 1886. But that

was in Germany. Selden's patent allowed him

to collect royalities from all U.S. Car manufactures

for 16 years. Henry Ford, I told you he'd show up, 

took Selden to court and eventually won the case!

Selden's patent still covere his own car....except...

he never built one! He was happy enough to let

others build the cars and collect the royalities,

until Henry Ford showed up! Hope you're enjoying

your driving and that all your NEWS is good! 

CURSES!

      THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2021

                       CURSES!

      I know we're just past Halloween, but

today marks the anniversary of a Halloween-

like story that lingers on. It's the Curse of King

Tut! It was on November 4th of 1922 that a

team of archaeologists lead by Howard Carter

discovered the tomb of Egypt's "Boy King,"

Tutankhamen. There was a belief that those

who dared defile a pharaoh's grave would 

die for their actions. In fact the man who

financed the expedition and was there

with Carter for the discovery, Lord Carnarvon,

was dead within two months from an insect

bite that became infected. He died from blood

poisoning! So did his half brother who was

also a member of the team. Another member

died from some mysterious illness as well!

But Carter himself lived on and died at age 64

suggesting that all curses have their "limit!" 

Just ask the Boston Red Sox! Hope you're

well and that all your NEWS is good

CALLING FOR HELP!

   WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2021

            CALLING FOR HELP!

   November 3rd may well be considered

an historic date in the relm of emergence

communications. It was on this date in 1908

when an international conference adipted

the mores code signal "S O S" as the world's

official distress call! A lot of people believe

the call was first used when the Titanic struck

the iceberg in 1912. But that isn't the case. The

first official recorded use of the S O S call came

on June 10th of 1909 when RMS Salvonia wrecked

in the Azores.  There were more than 400 people on

board and all were saved. These days, of course, a

cell phone call to 911 cam summon help immediately

from almost anywhere. But S O S remains a standard

signal if distress. It's easy to make out in code and

reads the same even upside down when spelled out

with rocks or wood for a stranded hunker or hiker

anywhere in the world. It's always good to know how

to call for help f you need it, where ever you may be! \

Hope you don't need help right now and that all your

NEWS is good!

  

    

   

YEA TEAM!!!!

    TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2021

                    YEA TEAM!

         November 2nd is a very big day\

in the history of football! But its git nothing to

do with an impressive score or the forward

pass. It was on this day in 1898 that Johnny

Campbell led an organized team of Cheerleaders

to cheer on the University of Minnesota! There

were, of course, cheers before that time, but never

an organized cheerleading squad. And, by the way,

Campbell's team was all male! If you've ever

noticed today's cheerleaders at the NFL games

you'll know things have change a bit! I'm OK

with that!!! Hope your team is winning and that

all your NEWS is good!