The Men At Women's Fellowship

          FRIDAY, JULY 31ST

THE MEN AT WOMEN'S FELLOWSHIP

    Once a month the women from our
church get together and......well....they
do things women do when they get
together. We guys don't usually know
what that means.
    Last night though the women
invited the men to their meeting!
It turned out to be a picnic/ outing at a
beautiful home owned by a couple
from our congregation.
    Since it was still, technically, a
Women's Fellowship meeting, the
wife provided the invitation and her
husband did the cooking.
    There were hot dogs, hamburgers,
salads, donuts, and some really good
potato chips (although I had to sneak
some away from one of the ladies
who insisted they were hers.
     Everybody was invited. One
couple even brought their Saint
Bernard puppy. Unfortunately he's
still too young to carry the Brandy
flask!
     There's a big pavilion where
folks could sit around and catch up
on each other's lives. And there's a
beautiful pond where a couple of the
guys tossed in their lines in search
of the legendary monster Bass said
to lurk somewhere in its depths.
     It was a darn good meeting!
     Some of the guys are thinking
maybe we should join this women's
group! We'll have to check future
agendas!
     Hope we don't have to sew
anything...and that all your NEWS
is good!

My Night At The Concert!

      THURSDAY, JULY 30TH.

  MY NIGHT AT THE CONCERT!

    I was a little surprised to get the
invitation to appear, on stage, at the
weekly concert series at Hillside
Park in Lackawanna County.
    Maybe they had heard about my
harmonica? Or, perhaps, someone
had overheard me whistling some
place. I do that a lot.
     I checked the schedule and two
acts, Common Threads Band and
Sassafras, were already on the bill.
     I dusted off the harmonica and
played a few notes of "Ode To Joy."
Then I ran after my wife to assure
her the fire alarm was not going
off!
     When I got to the concert I
learned  I was not actually invited
to preform. (Maybe they spoke
with my wife?)
     Still, it was an honor to be there.
Electric City TV, where I volunteer,
promotes the free weekly concert
series a few weeks before it begins
each summer. The station also gets
a recording of each concert and
plays it numerous times. The
concert folks wanted to give ECTV
a pat on the back so I provided the
back!
     I'm going to start rehearsing now
for next year. Maybe I can come up
with a second song?
     Hope I make the big time and
that all your NEWS is good!

   

On The Comeback Trail??

    WEDNESDAY, JULY 29TH

 ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL?

    I took my grandson to a ball game
last night. We headed out to watch
the Rail Riders play. But I was,
initially, stunned by what I saw!
    We were just seated when
someone walked past me and I
noticed a big number 2, and the
name Jeter on the back of his
jersey.
     I had seen Derek Jeter when
he played while on a rehab
assignment with the Scranton/
Wilkes-Barre team. That was
only two years ago. But he looked
so much older now that he's
retired. Was he on the comeback
trail?
    I glanced around to see where
he was sitting. That's when I saw
his name and number again! Only
now he seemed suddenly taller!
    I turned to tell my grandson
what I had seen. That's when I
saw the name Jeter and the number
2 on the shirt he was wearing.
    Apparently, though he's gone
from the game, he's being
remembered by a lot of baseball
fans!
     And just as I came to my
senses, another "old timer" got a
big round of applause from the
fans who crowded the stadium.
     The Philly Phanatic showed
up to cheer on the Iron Pigs team.
Not too many years ago that team
called our area home and went by
the name The Red Barons! Seems
a lot of the fans have fond memories
of that character too!
     Well, we root, root, rooted for
the home team and they came away
the winner! I think my grandson
and I were winners as well last
night!
     Home you're all..."safe at home"
and that all your NEWS is good!

How Sweet It Is!

      TUESDAY, JULY 28TH

        HOW SWEET IT IS!

  I can't understand what's happened to
my former colleagues in the news media!
  They are usually up to date on ever
important event....especially those that
are scheduled ahead of time.
   Yet I've listened to the radio, watched
two television newscasts, and gone on
line to check several newspapers
(including the New York Times), and
have seen absolutely no mention of the
fact that July 28th is "National Milk
Chocolate Day!"
    Talk about missing the 'biggie!'
    According to my web source it is a
day when everyone, Chocoholics or not,
are encouraged to consume  Milk
Chocolate either in candy, baked goods,
or both!
    As WILK's John Webster reminds us,
"If it's on the Internet it must be true."
    We are also admonished not to be
dyslexic about this special day. It's a
 day for Milk Chocolate...not Chocolate
Milk!
    I will make a special effort to have
my wife observe the day although she
admittedly favors Dark Chocolate.
    I'm sure I'll have no problem
getting the grand kids to join the effort!
   The 'researchers' who reveled the
existence of Milk Chocolate Day report
they were unable to trace the origin of
the 'holiday' or whatever you want to
call it.
   But I'll bet there's a paper trail on
this one that leads straight to Hershey
Pennsylvania!
   Anyhow I just began the celebration
with a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup!
   Hope your day is sweet and that all
your NEWS is good!

 

The Waiting Game!

    MONDAY, JULY 27TH

   THE WAITING GAME!

   A whole bunch of family and
friends showed up for my great
niece's graduation party Sunday.
But one guy didn't show up!
    Yesterday was my daughter-
in-law's due date to deliver our
latest grandson. But nobody
told the baby!
     We were hoping the
graduation bash might turn
into a Birthday party.
     Our expectant mom even
joined others in the pool in the
hope the new guy would decide
to join his cousins in a swim.
     You'd think he'd like to make
a grand entrance with so many
people around waiting to
applaud! I can see I'll have to
have a long talk with this young
man when he does decide to join
us! Maybe he's just shy and wants
to come in quietly.
     Oh well. It was a great party
and Grandpa didn't let the boy's
cake and cookies go to waste. It's
the least I can do for my new
grandson!
     Hope he shows up real soon
and that all your NEWS is good!
     
    

Just Ribbing You!

   SUNDAY, JULY 26TH.

   JUST RIBBING YOU!

    On July 25th., 1867 President
Andrew Johnson created the
territory of Wyoming!
    On July 25th., 1850 Gold was
discovered in Oregon!
    And on July 25th., 2015 I
discovered the Open Pit Ribs
at American Grill!
    We were driving through
the metropolis of Exeter when
I spotted the sign. We actually
passed the place and drove
about a mile before my mind
and stomach convinced me to
give this new enterprise a try.
   It was a good decision!
   Shaun Cruz went to school
in northeastern Pennsylvania
then headed to Louisiana for
a few years.
    He returned with his wife
and receipt for smoked Bar-
B-Q ribs. More good decisions!
    I finished off half a rack in
no time. Since I brought my
wife shortly after her breakfast
she couldn't handle the half
chicken she ordered. So, being
a gentleman, I consumed the
rest for her.
    My daughter, grandson,
daughter-in-law, and grand
daughter soon joined us and
tried the menu themselves.
   Ribs, and pulled pork
were the top choices, although
we were talked into trying
the collard greens prepared
with Sean's Louisiana recipe!
    It doesn't take much talk
to have us try food! And it
turned out to be very tasty!
By the way kids they also
have ice cream!
    It was really cool to run
across this young couple
who decided to build a
business right here in NEPA!
It's easy to see they know what
they're doing and care about
their product and service.
    Of course I didn't try
everything so I suppose I'll
have to go back. I don't mind!
    Hope they succeed and
that all their NEWS, and
yours, is good!

A Day For Horsing Around!

     SATURDAY, JULY 25TH

A DAY FOR HORSING AROUND!

    Saddle up everybody! It's National
Merry-Go-Round, or Carousel Day!
    The Merry-Go-Round has been
going round for a lot of years! July 25
was chosen as  National Merry-Go-
Round Day, an “unofficial” national
holiday, as it coincides with the first
United States patent that was issued for
the modern carousel. 
    That patent was awarded to William
Schneider of Davenport Iowa on July 25,
1871. I didn't cover the event. But I'm
sure glad he got the patent!
     The Carousel, along with the train,
are about the only amusement rides I
can still handle these days.
      Knoebel's has two. Both built in
1912. The year the Titanic went down!
Today's "thrill rides" remind me of
the titanic! My stomach goes down
just watching the grandkids ride those
things!
       You can still catch the Brass Ring
on the Grand Carousel at Knoebel's. My
niece Betty would have a better chance
on a Merry-Go-Round in Europe. She's
left handed!
       Most European Carousels turn
clockwise while most U.S. models
go counter clockwise. Of course most
riders don't give any thought to which
way they're spinning. You can get
dizzy either way!
      Still there's nothing like mounting
a noble steed that knows where it's
going and won't throw you!
       Hope you'll grab that ring and
that all your NEWS is good!