I know Christmas is over, but my neighbor still has his lights out, so here is a Christmas photo for this week’s Friday Photo Flashback. Christmas 1980.
What you have here is 10 year old Keith. (Good Lord, it’s Christmas! You’d have thought I would brush my hair!) I am holding the cribbage board that my Grandpa and Grandma D gave me. This would have been Grandpa’s last Christmas.
I don’t recall exactly when he started to teach me how to play cribbage. Maybe I was 8 or 9. I know I was easy to beat, as I often forgot to count things. My grandpa taught me how to play on his board. The board was old and I think he had it around the time of World War II. When he passed away, my grandma said he would have wanted me to have it. (I still do!)
If you beat him on his board, he let you sign the back of it. If memory serves me right, there are three signatures on it. One of his buddies, my dad, and me. I had bought a small board to play on and we played on it a couple times. If my grandpa “skunked” me, he got to sign the back of my board. The two games we played on my board – he won both times!
He used to call me Charlie. “Skunked Charlie on this board (date) H.D. And we know who Charlie is don’t we” is his first signing. The first allowed him to write a shorter bit next. “Did it again 12-31-80 – on New Year’s Eve!
I still have the “29” cribbage board. There are a couple signatures on the back from friends who have skunked me on my board, too.
At one point, I taught my second son, Dimitri, how to play, but he hasn’t been over for a while. I guess I will just have to teach Ella or Andrew how to play …
“Marley was dead: to begin with” … so begins the Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. It was originally titled: A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. It was published on this day (December 19) in 1843. The first edition was completely sold out by Christmas Eve (that’s less than a week!). By the end of 1844 thirteen editions had been released!
This was not Dickens’ first Christmas story. As a matter of fact, he had written three before writing this one. He would go on to write four more afterward. The story of the transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge, however, remains his best known holiday story.
Backstory
By mid-1843 Dickens began to suffer from financial problems. The sales of his Martin Chuzzlewit were falling off. His wife, Catherine, was pregnant with their fifth child. To make matters worse, his publishers threatened to reduce his monthly income by £50 if sales dropped further! It has been said that the publishers knew that the Chuzzlewit stories were not gaining public interest. They begged Dickens for a Christmas book.
Dickens started writing the book in October of 1843. Michael Slater, Dickens’s biographer, describes the book as being “written at white heat.” It was completed in six weeks, the final pages being written in early December. He built much of the work in his head while taking night-time walks around London.
Slater says that A Christmas Carol was “intended to open its readers’ hearts towards those struggling to survive on the lower rungs of the economic ladder and to encourage practical benevolence, but also to warn of the terrible danger to society created by the toleration of widespread ignorance and actual want among the poor.”
Since its initial publication the book has been issued in numerous hardback and paperback editions, translated into several languages and has never been out of print
1982 – English Class – Lincoln Junior High
I was familiar, of course, with the story of Scrooge. I had even seen a few movie versions of this classic ghost story. Interestingly, I had never actually read the novella. However, in 7th grade, I was blessed with one of my all time favorite teachers – Mrs. Shirley Kellogg. She was a no-nonsense teacher who could even make diagramming sentences fun.
I remember one day I got caught daydreaming and looking out the window. She saw me and asked me a question, which I obviously did not hear. I was startled by her calling my name and I must have looked scared to death. She looked at me and said, “Well just don’t sit there like a Willie Lump Lump – answer the question.” I started laughing, because I was well aware of the Red Skelton character she was referring to! Even though I didn’t have an answer, I immediately connected with her! Rest assured, I saved my daydreaming for other classes!
I digress. Back to A Christmas Carol :
I remember that we would often read from this big blue book that had the word “Literature” in the title. It was a collection of modern stories, short stories, classic stories, and poems. Charles Dickens’ tale was in this book. In elementary school, we would often read stories aloud, with each student reading a chapter. What makes my first “reading” of this story unique is that Mrs. Kellogg read it to us – not live though…it was Memorex! She had spent time recording herself reading the entire story and played it back to us on a cassette tape. This allowed us to read along while she graded papers and such. Because of this, when I read the story today, I can still hear certain lines in her voice.
Stave One
Dickens divides his tale into 5 “staves” or chapters. The story opens on a miserable Christmas Eve, seven years after the death of Scrooge’s partner in business Jacob Marley. Dickens’ opening line stresses the importance of the fact that he was dead. In fact, he stated that this “must distinctly be understood or nothing wonderful can come of the story” that follows. Dickens’ description of Scrooge is something that I can still hear in Mrs. Kellogg’s voice – “a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner!” Right from the start, we learn what a miserable man Scrooge truly is.
In this stave we are also introduced to Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. His visit only continues to illustrate Scrooge’s hate for the holiday and the season. Another main character is Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s clerk. Dickens describes the poor working conditions and Cratchit’s measly salary. Jobs must have been scarce at the time. I say that because you have to wonder why this poor man is working for such a jerk like Scrooge. We are also introduced to two men collecting for charity, who are basically told by Scrooge to “get lost”. He tells them that he supports prisons and workhouses and those in need should go there for refuge.
Before the chapter is over, we follow Scrooge to his empty, damp, dark, and desolate home. It is there that we are introduced to his deceased business partner, Jacob Marley. It is here that we witness the beginnings of Scrooge’s transformation.
Marley’s ghost is a ghastly sight. He is wearing heavy chains and lock boxes. He tells of the misery and gloom that he suffers in the afterlife. He gives Scrooge a warning that his fate is far worse than his. This is because he has had additional years to labor on the chains he is forging. A doubtful Scrooge tells him he must be some sort of mirage or illusion. In response to this, Marley scares him into believing his presence. Marley sets the stage for what is to follow – the visits from three spirits. These visits are the only chance that Scrooge has to avoid Marley’s fate.
Stave Two – The Past
Scrooge’s second spiritual visit from the Ghost of Christmas Past. Scrooge then asks the spirit if it is the spirit of “long past”, and the spirit responds “your past”. The spirit whisks Scrooge away to Christmases where Scrooge was a boy, a young man, and a young adult. We begin to get a sense of why he is the way he is. As a boy, he spends Christmas at a boarding school. As a young man, we see him as an apprentice – an apprentice who loves Christmas. We also see him as a young adult. Here, we witness the love of his life leave him. She leaves because money has grown to be the most important thing in his life.
The older I get, the more this part of the story stays with me. Scrooge, as he witnesses all these past Christmases, is given a gift. He is allowed to see a younger self and those who he grew up with. We watch him call out the names of former school mates. He sees his beloved sister who died giving birth to his nephew. He also speaks highly of his fellow apprentice and former boss. Finally, he relives the pain of the loss of his love. These are among the many scenes that spark strong emotions with Scrooge.
Imagine, being able to go back in time to witness past Christmases! What I wouldn’t give to relive those childhood memories! I would love to see:
My grandfather’s face as I opened the cribbage board he gave me
The joy on me and my brother’s faces as we opened up the entire collection of Star War figures
The homemade Christmas ornaments mom made for our tree
My children’s first Christmases
A family pinochle game in the sun room at my grandparents
Dad putting together one of our toys with a gazillion stickers to place on it
Mom in good health, laughing at a gag gift I bought her
The adults playing guitars and the organ after having a few too many rum balls
The spread of Italian food we’d feast on every Christmas Eve
The list goes on and on. Oh to be able to hear the voices of loved ones who are no longer with us … wow. What a gift Scrooge is treated to.
Stave Three – The Present
The second spirit is the Ghost of Christmas Present. He is a jolly spirit who shows Scrooge what is to happen this Christmas. He is first given some enlightenment about his clerk as he visits their home. He learns first hand of the struggles that they face, financially and emotionally. He is shown the small feast that the entire family is to eat. It is here that Scrooge (and the reader) is introduced to the Cratchit’s lame boy, Tiny Tim.
We really see the events of the past and present working in old Scrooge here. At one point, he very uncharacteristically asks the spirit if Tiny Tim will live. The spirit informs him that if the present course remains, Tiny Tim will die. The amazing change that is beginning in Scrooge is seen clearly here. There is a glimpse of compassion and worry as he asks the question of Tiny Tim’s fate. This is followed by the hanging of his head in grief when he hears the answer.
Ever wonder what people are saying about you when you are not there? In some cases, it’s better that you not know. Scrooge visits his nephews home next and is shown the dinner that he was invited to. What he sees is the guests making fun of him. He sees his nephew telling everyone in disbelief about his uncle’s abhorrence of the holiday. The more he sees the angrier he gets. He is so angry that he tells the spirit to take him away from the scene he is watching.
As the spirit’s time grows short, Scrooge notices something. He spies what looks like a claw coming out from underneath the spirit’s robe. When asked about it, the spirit reveals two children – a boy and a girl who are anything but pretty. They were children, but they looked terrible. Scrooge asks the spirit if they belong to him. The spirit answers that they are “Man’s”. Scrooge learns that the boy is Ignorance and the girl is Want. He is then told to “Beware them both, and all their degree”. 181 years later – these words are still true! Beware ignorance and want!
There is nothing that is more embarrassing and humbling than to have your own words thrown back at you. Especially when those words are applied the way the ghost does. As the ghost’s time expires on earth, he answers Scrooge’s question about finding the children some sort of refuge. His powerful reply consists of Scrooge’s words to the men collecting for charity “Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?” With that, the spirit is gone…
Stave Four – Christmas Yet To Come
Fear can be a very good motivator. Imagine the fear that now engulfs Scrooge as he sees his final spiritual visitor! The Phantom which is described as being “draped and hooded” is now coming toward Scrooge. He is approaching ”slowly, gravely” and “silently – like a mist on the ground.” Rather than run away in a panic, Scrooge faces the spirit who speaks not a word. Words can be scary – silence can be scarier! How he realizes that he is in the presence of the ghost of the future I do not know. It must have be based on his knowledge of his previous two visitors. He confirms this by asking the spirit if that is who he is. The reply that he gets is a slow and deliberate nod.
Scrooge’s fear is no secret. As a matter of fact, he tells the ghost that he fears him. He fears him “more than any other spectre I have seen.” The change that continues in Scrooge is apparent here. He states that he knows that his “purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was. I am prepared to bear you company”.
No surprise that the topic everyone shown to Scrooge is discussing is death. The death of one nameless man in particular. He sees business men standing on the street talking about an “old scratch” who “got his own at last”. Then he is taken to a sort of pawn shop. There three people meet up to sell stuff they took from a dead man’s home! One of the items was the shirt off the man’s dead corpse. He is then in a dark empty room where a dead man lays on a bed under a sheet. The spirit points to the head of the body – he wants Scrooge to look at the man. Scrooge says that he cannot do it. Every situation the spirit showed Scrooge was one where the man’s death brought pleasure.
Scrooge begs the spirit to show him some “tenderness connected with death”. He is taken through town to the home of his clerk, Bob Cratchit. The mood is somber there as they continue to deal with the death of Tiny Tim. There is much hurt and many tears in the house. Scrooge then has the realization that the time with the spirit is almost gone. But he has to know something. He asks to know who the man was that had died. He is taken to a church yard that is overrun with weeds and has not been tended to. The spirit stands with nothing but a hand pointing to a gravestone.
The culmination of all that he has seen is now coming to a head. Scrooge must have some sort of inkling of who is buried in this terrible place. I say this because he now becomes frantic. He asks if the things he was shown are things that “will be” or things that “may be.” He begs to know whether or not they can be changed. Upon reading his own name on the gravestone, Scrooge breaks. He begs the spirit to wipe his name from the stone. He insists that he is not the man he was and that he will live an altered life. He makes promises to honor Christmas and live by the lessons taught by all the spirits. He grabs the spirit and continues to plead, but the spirit disappears and turns into his bedpost.
Remember the classic It’s a Wonderful Life? In it George Bailey is shown what life would be like if he was never born. George is frightened by so many things that he sees. He understands just how many things would have been different if he were never born. With A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge sees things a bit differently. He sees the product of the present and future because of his life and how he currently lives it.
Stave Five – The End of It
The climax of the story – the miracle of the story – all culminates here. Scrooge is now a changed man! He awakens on Christmas day and he is filled with joy and happiness. These are emotions which have eluded him for many many years. His first order of business is to buy the prize turkey and send it to his clerk anonymously. He even splurges for a cab to send it there. He then dresses in his best and heads out.
He see’s the men who were collecting for charity the day before. He calls one of them over, apologizes for the day before and whispers a huge sum of money to them. They marvel at what is happening, and Scrooge assures them that there are many back payments included in that amount. He goes to church for the first time in years. Finally, he heads over to his nephew’s house, not knowing what will happen. Fred is surprised and welcomes him with open arms.
The one man who is unaware of the change in Scrooge is Bob Cratchit. When he arrives at work a few minutes late, Scrooge is waiting for him. This is exactly what Scrooge had hoped for. As soon as he walks in, Scrooge lays into him. He demands to know why he is coming in late. Scrooge continues his charade and stresses how he is not going to stand this behavior anymore! Quickly, he changes his demeanor and announces he is giving Bob a raise! He then vows to help his family in all ways possible.
Dickens ends by telling the reader that he was better than his word. He was a great man and second father to Tiny Tim. He explains that there were plenty of naysayers who still laughed at the transformation in Scrooge. The old man said it didn’t bother him one bit. We are told that there is no more spiritual intervention and that he “knew how to keep Christmas well”.
Closing Thoughts
I have been reading Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every year for 42 years now. Each and every year I am grateful for the start of the tradition. I was lucky enough to have had Mrs. Kellogg for English Class in 7th and 8th grade and she read it to us both years. Every holiday, I think of her fondly as I read those opening words.
I have seen almost every film and TV adaptation of this story. Honestly, it is hard for me to pick a favorite. What holds true for all of them is the amazing transformation of Ebenezer Scrooge. There is also a renewed appreciation for the Christmas season. During the holidays, just like Scrooge, people tend to give more to those in need. They tend to be kinder, and they tend to be happier. Here’s a thought – why not do this all year round?
Elvis Presley had a song on his Christmas CD which stated my feelings perfectly:
Why can’t every day be like Christmas? Why can’t that feeling go on endlessly? For if every day could be just like Christmas, what a wonderful world this would be.
A few blogs that I follow, started to talk about “Blogmas” a week or so ago. From what I can tell it is a list of 25-31 Blog post ideas. Sort of a daily writing prompt that are all Christmas related. I did a search for “Blogmas” and read through a few of them. The list seems to vary a bit, but mostly contains the same prompts. The idea is to blog about each of these prompts daily. Some of the lists stop at 25 (Christmas Day) and some end at day 31 (New Year’s Eve).
The ones I read yesterday were under the title “Christmas Tag.” In essence, you answer the 20 questions and then tag a blogger to answer the same. I won’t tag anyone at the end of this blog, since I am technically not officially committed to “Blogmas,” but I liked some of the questions on the list and thought they would make for good reading (even though I may have answered a question or two in more detail in past blogs). So here goes:
When do you start getting excited for Christmas? I would say that I probably start getting in the Christmas mood right after Halloween. Many radio stations begin playing Christmas music then. I could listen to Christmas music any time of the year, but hearing it on the radio starts to get me excited for the season.
Is Christmas your favorite holiday? I would say yes. I have so many wonderful memories of past Christmases. I love that people’s attitudes tend to be happier during the Christmas season. There just seems to be a lot more joy around Christmas.
Do you prefer to stay at home or travel for the holidays? I guess I prefer to stay home – or close to home – for the holidays. When I read the question, travel seems to insinuate going out of state or a lengthy trip. Most of my family is within a 60-90 minute drive, so that really doesn’t seem like travel to me.
Be honest: do you prefer giving or receiving gifts? Definitely giving. I love to see the look on a person’s face when they receive a gift from me. I wouldn’t consider myself the best gift giver (trying to buy anything for my wife is SO difficult). I like to have some sort of idea of what a person wants before I shop for them. As far as receiving gifts – I never really feel comfortable when someone buys me something.
Do you open any presents on Christmas Eve? I have every year since I was a kid. We always went to my grandma’s house for Christmas Eve and opened all our gifts. During my first marriage, we always let my sons open one gift on Christmas Eve (usually Christmas pajamas). Today, my sons come over the day before Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve morning is our “Christmas.” They spend Christmas morning with their mom. My daughter and my son will have some gifts to open Christmas Eve morning with their brothers and then more for Christmas morning.
Have you ever built a snowman? Yes. Quite a few actually. I remember loving when the snow was “good packing” and you could build snowmen and snow forts. Just recently, my daughter and I started a snowman, but she was so excited to play in the snow, he was never finished. Can’t wait for our next opportunity to build one.
Do you decorate the outside of your home for Christmas? Yes. Usually the front and side porches. It is by no means the best on the block, but I’m happy with it. One day I hope to be courageous enough to climb up on the roof and do more. For now, I’m happy with it.
Is your Christmas tree real or fake? Fake. In all my years, we’ve never had a real tree. I enjoy them when they are at someone else’s house, though. I enjoy the smell of the pine tree. I am not sure that if we ever got a real tree that I’d be comfortable with it. You know, fire hazzards, bugs or animals possibly still being in them, the fact that you have to water it each day, and stepping on pine needles for months after….
Most memorable holiday moment? How does one even begin to answer this question?! I have so many from childhood, and now even more with each of my children. I just couldn’t narrow it down to one.
What do you like to do over Christmas break? What break?! I have a couple days off and work the rest of the days in between. I wish that I could stockpile vacation time up so I could actually take more time off during the holidays so I could spend it with family.
Which holiday traditions are you most looking forward to this year? One thing that I have come to really look forward to is driving through the Holiday lights display at Crossroads Village on Christmas Eve night. It doesn’t change too much every year, but I always love going through and seeing the lights.
Best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? Urgh – again, very difficult to chose one. Maybe it was the Atari 2600. It also could be the cribbage board my grandpa gave me. Or it could be the gold trumpet charm from my mom. Stretch Armstrong? I just can’t narrow it down.
What is your all-time favorite holiday treat? Toss up between Pignolata (loved when my grandma made this!) or cannoli. Both were staples at Christmas time (along with many many Christmas cookies).
Your favorite Christmas movie? I would say A Christmas Story or any version of A Christmas Carol. (Christmas Vacation could easily be in there, too!)
Your favorite Christmas song? Man, all of these “favorite” questions are just to difficult! Dean Martin’s Marshmallow World is a definite favorite! Santa Claus is Back in Town from Elvis, Mel Torme’ The Christmas Song, Doc Severinsen’s Jingle Bells, the list goes on and on!
What makes the holidays special for you? Family! Spending time with my family is all that matters! Sharing those special moments with them is everything!
What would be your dream place to visit for the holiday season? I’ve never really been away for the holidays, but I know some places go all out. Disney, Branson, and so many other places really have some amazing things going on. Maybe one day we’ll be able to check them out.
Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Do you stick to them? I used to. I don’t really any more. I shouldn’t need a new year to want to make changes in my life. For many years, I would make them and would fail miserably at them.
You have been granted one Christmas wish, what will it be? I would wish to make a difference. Included in the wish, I would wish to be a role model for my children, a good friend, a good husband, and a man whose faith helped lead others to the Lord.
Who’s “it?” At this point on the list you are supposed to pick someone to answer the same questions. If you are so inclined, you may do so. If not, I hope you enjoyed my answers.
Hello readers. I hope this finds you safe and healthy. This is, yet again, another blog that is full of random thoughts in no particular order.
Baseball
My home team, The Detroit Tigers, have not been much to watch in the past. I guess I was spoiled in that I got to watch the magical year of 1984 and a World Series Crown. Since then, they have struggled. “We are rebuilding” has been what us fans have been told for years! In 2006 we went to the World Series and lost. So, in 30+ years, we really haven’t had much to cheer about.
Despite that fact, I really miss baseball. Today in my Facebook memories, a picture popped up that I posted two years ago. The picture is the view of the baseball diamond that is literally behind our house. “One of the things I love about our house is that I can walk out on the porch and catch a good ball game all spring and summer long,” is the caption. Sigh. Not this year. Even the neighbor kids aren’t out playing ball.
I have mentioned in the past that my favorite Tiger from the 1984 team was Aurelio Lopez. Senor Smoke, they called him. There was something about his pitching style that I liked. As a 14 year old kid, I used to pretend I was him. When I was with my dad, or my buddies from school. We’d pitch to each other calling balls and strikes. When I was alone, I had a square I drew on the side of my house that represented the “strike zone,” I used to throw the ball at. There used to be a square spray painted on the wall of our elementary school, and you could stand in the parking lot and throw tennis balls at it – calling your own strikes.
I miss hearing baseball on the radio. I miss watching it on TV. There is some talk about teams being allowed to play without people in the stands. While it would certainly be weird to just hear the sound of a ball coming off the bat, I would miss the sound of the crowd cheering for a home run. At this point, however, I would welcome baseball in any form.
The Boys
After my self quarantine of over two weeks, I was able to pick up my sons. They will be staying with me for a little over a week. Despite having seeing them briefly when I took my oldest’s birthday gift to him, and their short visit in my driveway, I felt like I hadn’t seen them at all! Sure, video chats helped, but to actually be with them and give them a hug means so much.
My youngest still has school work that he is doing online and will continue to do through the end of the school year. Because he is a senior, my oldest had the choice of continuing with the final marking period or taking the grades he had when all this Covid stuff came down. He had excellent grades, so he chose the latter and is officially done with school. We’re still waiting to see about graduation and stuff. We haven’t booked a place for his graduation party yet, because we just don’t know when we’ll be able to hold it!
We were able to celebrate my son’s 18th birthday here. We made a cake and sang Happy Birthday. Choices were limited, but we told him he could chose what he wanted for his birthday dinner. He chose pizza (no surprise). It was nice to be able to do that.
They are always on their devices. They have an Xbox, a Wii U, a Nintendo Switch, and countless games on their cell phones. I am trying to get them away from that stuff, but with the cold weather, it hasn’t been easy. At least today it is supposed to be in the 50’s and we can get outside to play catch or take a walk.
Recently, I taught my youngest how to play chess. It is not my favorite game to play, mainly because I suck at it. I decided that I was going to teach him cribbage. My grandpa taught me how to play when I was about 9 years old. We played the game open handed (where you could see each other’s cards) and I walked him through things. He beat me, and I am hoping to play a few more games while he is here. I am also hoping to get my oldest to play, too. It is ALWAYS nice to have something to do when there is a power outage, or when you are bored.
In preparation for the boys, I made sure to put clean sheets on their beds, and straightened up their room. While I was in there, I raised the blind on the window to let the natural light in. We have a huge tree that is outside their window. The birds were driving Maizey crazy flying back and forth. She sat like this meowing and jumping at the window for about 5 hours!
I remember a time when parents put their kids to bed and then stayed up and watched TV before going to bed themselves. However, it’s been the opposite here. Sam and I are ready for bed by 10 and last night they were still up at 3:30am!!! What is up with that?!?
Layoffs
As stated in previous blogs, I am off work on doctor’s orders. While I am here recovering, I have been lucky enough to spend it with family. I have been praying for my co-workers and others who are still working at the hospital. The labor pools at hospital continued to grow because of ambulatory sites being closed, and those workers being put in the pool. This meant less hours for those working. To make matters worse, this week hospitals in the state announced massive layoffs and cuts. Some positions were completely eliminated!
Many of the layoffs are temporary and employees can take advantage of unemployment benefits (while keeping their health care benefits). If I am being honest, I wish that this had been an option from the beginning for many of us. It would have been much less stressful (and safer) for people. I know I would have opted to just be home with family, instead of having to go through a the mental breakdown I had to be home.
I continue to pray for my friends who are still right there in the thick of things. I continue to pray for the many healthcare workers across the state, and throughout the country, who are doing what they can to save lives – while trying to stay safe themselves. I just want life to be back to normal. I want to go and do the job I was trained to do. I’m just not sure when that will happen and if I can even do that!
Skinny Me
I was out in the garage this week looking through a few boxes. I was looking for some notes from some classes I took years ago (more on that in an upcoming blog). I stumbled on something that I had totally forgotten about – an old magazine I was in.
Mobile Beat Magazine is still around and it is mainly for mobile DJs. I used to get it when I was DJing more. It had great ideas regarding set ups, equipment, contracts, etc… It also put out a top 200 list every year of the most requested songs from that past year. I still look at it when I do get out to DJ (which is rarely ever now). This particular issue did a story about mobile DJ’s who were also radio DJ’s. I was interviewed and I was one of those featured in the article. My ugly mug even made it in the magazine!
It is funny to see this picture.
I am about 100 pounds heavier now.
The glasses are gone thanks to Lasik surgery.
The hair is gone because of …. natural causes.
The station is gone, because of typical radio politics.
The shirt I am wearing was given to me by my buddy Tim, who is now working in major market radio on a morning show. He and some buddies (Doug and Phil) used to have this set up in their basement where they “played radio.” In all honesty, the stuff they did was better than the stuff you hear on many radio stations today. They would make tapes and I loved them. They called it “Fake Radio” and had me voice some liners for it. Making those up were a blast. I loved that shirt and was sad when it finally was so tattered that I couldn’t wear it anymore!
Ella
My baby girl continues to be a source of happiness. It is amazing how much she has grown in just 10 weeks. She is “talking” so much! I could listen to “baby babble” all day! I love how she smiles at me when I talk to her. There is NO better feeling. While putting clothes away this week, my wife slipped on the tutu and bow my friend Margaret had sent. She slipped it on over her PJs and it looked great. Looking at her, I can totally see her wearing something like this for dance classes.
I am so guilty of taking a million pictures of her. I will totally be “THAT” dad who will drive her crazy with my camera! “Dad! Enough with the pictures!” I will sit and go through the pictures and claim a “favorite,” only to go through them another day and claim another as “my favorite!” My latest “favorite” is this one:
I love this little girl SO much.
I love my children SO much. Blessings – each and every one of them!
All writers get writer’s block. I am hardly a “writer”, but sometimes stare at the blank page and wonder what to write about. Since I began blogging, I have stumbled on blogs written by others who share some of the same interests as me. I have followed blogs that feature movies, TV, music, nostalgia, positive thoughts & quotes, and more. There have been many instances where I read another blog and an idea will pop into my head. My friend Max and I tend to “borrow” ideas from each other often.
Many ideas I adapt from those blogs. For this blog I am literally stealing the idea, and giving credit, and creating some rules for it. The Anxious Teacher wrote a blog after watching Back to the Future III. You can read it here:
What a great idea for a blog! If you had a time machine – where would you travel? As I thought about this, I wanted to limit myself to a few things. First of all, because I have watched the Back to the Future movies, I know that if you go back and change something in the past – it will affect the future. So Limit #1: If I go back, I am simply there to observe. Many of the things I thought I would like to go back and witness happened over a period of time, so Limit #2 – no real time limit. Limit #3 – wherever I go, I will be dressed appropriately as to not raise suspicion. I know, it’s silly, but it’s my blog and my rules.
I actually thought about adding what I would call the “Ebenezer Scrooge” element to this. What is that? Well, remember when Scrooge was transported into the past, present & future? He could witness everything, but he could not interact with anyone. Those events happened and the people were not aware he was even there. Perhaps that would be the best thing, right? That way, if I went back in time, I would not be tempted to change things.
General times and places
As my blogger friend said, I think it would be very cool to visit the old west. I have watched many westerns on TV and in the movies. I have read many books set in the old west. I think it would be pretty cool to walk through one of those western towns. How cool would it be to visit the saloons, or the general store? I think it would be cool to don a cool cowboy hat, boots & spurs and ride a horse to get from place to place.
I also think it would be cool to visit the ancient times and watch the building of the pyramids, or buildings like the coliseum. Those historic buildings are still standing. How awesome would it be to see just how they put them together?
As someone who has been a huge fan of the 1950’s, I would love to live a year or two in this decade. It’s fun to see how the ’50s are portrayed in movies like Back to the Future, and I would love to see it in person. I would love to hear the old radio stations playing those early rock and roll songs. I would love to see those classic films in a theater. I would love to have a meal at a real 50’s diner or drive a classic car!
I would love to visit the 1940’s, too! The music of the great band leaders, the early music of Sinatra, and of course, those great old radio shows! Of course, World War II was going on, but it would be interesting to see how life in America was at that time.
Everyone wants to visit the future … that peaks my interest, but is it something I would do? I don’t know. I’d be tempted to come back to the present and use the information for personal gain, or to alter outcomes. I’m not sure visiting the future would be something I’d want to do – unless I knew it was something specific I wouldn’t be able to see.
General People of Interest
I would love to watch Beethoven or Bach (or any composer, really) writing and composing a piece of their music.
I would love to watch someone like Edgar Allen Poe or William Shakespeare writing a poem or story.
I would love to sit on a set and watch them shooting a Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy film.
I would love to be in the room where the First Continental Congress held meetings and watch men like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others in action.
I would love to attend a taping of an old episode of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson or a taping of the Dean Martin Show.
I would love to be in the audience at a Rat Pack show in Chicago or Las Vegas. Come on! Dean, Frank and Sammy!!
I would love to be an extra in one of my favorite movies.
I would love to watch Elvis in the recording studio.
I would love to watch Thomas Edison working on the phonograph or the electric light.
Specific Events
I would love to watch the moon landing (on TV or from space).
I would love to watch the first flight with the Wright Brothers.
I would love to see JFK’s inauguration.
I would love to see a Beatles concert.
I would love to see Lincoln deliver his Gettysburg Address.
I would love to witness the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I would love to witness the launch of Titanic on her maiden voyage.
I would love to be in the stands at Tiger Stadium at the final game of the 1984 World Series.
I would love to be in the crowd at 1985’s Live Aid concert.
Personal Things
I know I put some limits on what can or cannot happen if I went back in time, but if there were no limits there are a few things I would like to do with that time machine.
I would love one more conversation with my mom.
I would love one more pinochle game with grandma and grandpa.
I would love one more Christmas Eve with grandma and grandpa.
I would love one more radio show with Rob.
I would love one more cribbage game with my grandpa.
I would love to play my trumpet in one more high school band concert.
Just One Day
For whatever reason, writing this blog made me think of the Nat King Cole song, “That Sunday, That Summer”. The lyrics of the song say:
“If I had to chose just one day, to last my whole life through, it would surely be that Sunday, the day that I met you.”
With a time machine, you could go back to one day. You could pick the day. You could relive whatever happened that day. What day would that be?
I don’t know that I could pick just one.
What I do know is that there are plenty of days that I am looking forward to that haven’t happened yet – the birth of my daughter, the graduations of my sons, etc…. I am perfectly content moving forward and experiencing the days to come.
Here is sit, remembering the past – loving the present – and looking forward to the future.
“Life is more fun if you play games” – Ronald Dahl
Over the holiday, we had a mini game night at my aunt’s house. It was a lot of fun. Game nights are something that I feel are missing today. Oh, sure, there are plenty of video games, but families are missing out of creative fun with board games.
I remember growing up and always playing board games. We had some at home and we had some up north. I remember playing Clue (which I was never really good at), Connect Four, Yahtzee, Battleship, Sorry, and Life (which I really never understood as a kid). Battleship and Sorry were probably my favorites. They were easy to play and didn’t take 9 hours to play (like Monopoly, which we hated)!
There were also two card games that were favorites up north and at home: Uno and Cribbage. According to Wikipedia, Uno was developed in 1971 and became popular in the 80’s. This would make sense as my first memories of the game are during summers in Caseville. Cribbage was also a game I played up north with my grandpa and my dad and eventually played at home and with friends once I got my own board.
In the mid-80’s, Trivial Pursuit was THE game to play! I think I read somewhere that it sold over 20 million copies in one year. There were various editions that came out after the original success (Sports, Entertainment, and Baby Boomers to name a few). I’m not going to lie, some of the questions were damn hard! The game was a staple at radio stations, as many of the questions were used to give away prizes. Today, you can find three to four copies at any Goodwill or Salvation Army store.
My Favorite Games
In 2019, I am making a vow to spend more time playing games. Whether it is with my kids, my wife, or with friends. Here are some old favorites and some new ones (not including the ones mentioned above). Game nights can be filled with laughter and the world needs that. So here is my list:
Scrabble. Yes. The word game. Grab a dictionary and start spelling. Get to know the words that use “z”, “q”, and “x”! Every now and then, change it up and allow common nouns, dirty words, and onomatopoeias! I still love playing this game.
Pictionary. I suck at drawing, which makes this game even more fun to play. Charades with a pencil! Love it!
Scattergories. This remains one of my favorite games. I love the big honking die with all the letters on it. My version is probably the original version, so I still have the original categories. I hear that the newer version has some new ones. Either way, I love the challenge of coming up with answers that no one else has. I love trying to come up with Double and Triple point answers.
Apples to Apples. Random things on cards that you match with a subject card. You have to be real creative sometimes to make it work. Sometimes you have the perfect card, sometimes you have to go with a card that means nothing, and sometimes you just have to play to the judge. A fun game that my kids love too!
Cranium. What I love about this game is that it takes some aspects of other games and combines them in one. It has four categories: Creative Cat (which may involve drawing or sculpting), Word Worm (which may make you spell a word forwards or backwards, solving anagrams, fill in the blank type answers, or word definitions), Data Head (which is your basic trivia stuff or true and false questions), and Star Performer (where you play charades, impersonate celebrities, or hum a song in hopes that someone will guess it).
Taboo (and Celebrity Taboo). What is great about this game is that you have to get your team to guess the answer on the card without mentioning the five things most associated with the answer. I haven’t been able to find Celebrity Taboo for some time, but I liked it better! Imagine trying to get someone to guess John Lennon without saying: Paul McCartney, The Beatles, Yoko One, Imagine, or Twist and Shout!
Guesstures. Someone described this game as “Charades on Speed”, and that really is a great way to describe it. Cards have easy and hard words on them. harder words are worth more points. There is a timer device and the player has about a minute to get his team to get the answers before the timer eats the cards.
Catchphrase. It’s come a long way since the original version. Now, it is electronic. It’s a battery operated disc that generates random words and has a timer. Each time tries to get their members to guess the word on the disc, and when they do, they pass the disc to the other team. Whoever gets caught with the disc when the timer goes off loses the round.
Can You Name 5? (sometimes called Name 5). This game was a lot of fun. The name says it all. Random categories have teams naming 5 baseball teams, classic rock groups, types of running shoes, and more. You can play as a team, against a team, all play and other ways. some categories are not as easy as you might think. Great time for sure!
Scene It. If you love movies, TV, Disney, or Harry Potter…you will love this DVD game. The best stuff is when you have to watch a TV show or movie clip and answer a question about it, but there are other categories too. Sound Clips, fill in the blanks, what’s missing, and other fun stuff. My kids love playing this game….just be sure you haven’t lost the remote to the DVD player!
While all of these are tons of fun, I have two absolute favorites:
Balderdash and Beyond Balderdash. The original was all words. The goal of the game is to bluff and get others to think your answer is the right answer. The word might be “Glacket”. Maybe it’s that little ball in the spray paint can? Maybe it’s the plastic piece at the end of the cord on window blinds? With Beyond Balderdash, the categories include words, dates, movies, initials, and people. You can really get creative with this game and I absolutely love it. I still have pervious answers saved in the box that made me laugh out loud!
The Game of Things. Much like Balderdash, you have to create an answer, but the twist is that the reader reads all the answers and people have to guess who wrote what answer. All of the topics start with “Things …” (Things you shouldn’t wear to a funeral, Things you shouldn’t kiss, Things you wish you could get for free…). As you can imagine, the answers can be very funny. One of my favorite cards was “Things you shouldn’t put on the kitchen table”. It was hilarious that every single player wrote something about an “ass” as their answer! Lots of laughs that night!!
I was 11 years old when I was forced to deal with a death in the family. As an 11 year old, you don’t really understand or comprehend what that really means. “What do you mean we’re not going to see him again?”, “Why do people die?”, “There are a lot of bad people in the world, why is he the one who had to die?” Those are many of the questions that ran through my mind as I tried to make sense of it all. My grandfather would have been 95 today. This year he’ll be gone 37 years. Still, after all that time, the lessons I learned from him (either by his example or by him vocally) remain with me.
One of the things I remember most about him was playing cribbage. He had a cribbage board that we played on when I was at his house. He always beat me. He was good! One day I noticed that there was something written on the back of his board. He told me that when I finally beat him, I could “sign his board”, too. Well, now I had something to play for! On February 3, 1980 it happened. “Super fourth grade student wins the big man on this day. Super student feels great. Big man feels bad. I love it” is what I wrote. He got me back on my own cribbage board – twice! On my cribbage board, he wrote: “Skunked Charlie on this board 7-18-80. H.D. And we know who Charlie is, don’t we” is what he wrote the first time he beat me. Followed immediately by, “Did it again on 12-31-80 – on New Years Eve”!
That was the last game played on that cribbage board!
Summers were spent in Caseville, MI (long before the Cheeseburger Festival began). We’d go up to the trailer and spend days fishing at the back lake, riding the mini-bike, and eating dinner at the picnic table. I remember helping lay down the rocks for the driveway. I remember one holiday weekend the family was there and my grandpa had left his glass of peppermint schnapps on the table. I thought it was water and when I tried it I remember thinking “wow, this is tastes different” and drank it all (which was maybe 2 ounces). When he came to the kitchen looking for it, he found the glass empty and me sitting in a chair. “Buddy, you are gonna sleep well tonight,” he told me.
In Caseville, there was only like one or two radio stations that came in. Early on, there was no TV at the trailer, so it was the radio or cassette tapes for entertainment. Two tapes I remember very well. Johnny Paycheck’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 and Willie Nelson’s Stardust. My grandpa played that Willie Nelson cassette over and over and over! It drove my mom and others crazy! I remember him saying that his favorite song on the album was September Song. Probably just a coincidence but he passed away in September. That album remains one of my all time favorites.
I remember we were out walking the railroad tracks during one of the summer stays. Whether we were in Caseville or on a trip up the road to Port Austin, or Pidgeon, I don’t recall. They had put in new rails. As we walked my brother and I spotted old railroad spikes. These are the big nails that they pound into the rails. My grandpa told us each to get one. They were old and rusty, but he said he would “fix” them. He worked at a place where he nickel plated them for us and I still have mine to this day. A fun memory for sure.
I only got in trouble with him twice. Incident number one involved water balloons. Kids are stupid. For some reason we thought it would be fun to roll water balloons out into traffic at the end of my street and watch cars run them over. So here we are at the corner, during lunch time rush hour rolling these things in to traffic. Who drives by? Grandpa. He honks his horn and makes eye contact with me while he is waving his finger at me. Without saying anything, he was saying, “Get away from the road dummy! You could get hurt”. I remember when my dad got home from work and after dinner we were told we were “going to see grandpa and grandma”. The entire trip my stomach churned. I was sweating. NO ONE had said anything about the balloons since I saw him drive by. Upon arriving, my dad casually said something like, “So I hear we had an issue with some balloons today…” He pulled me on his lap and told me how dangerous it was for us to be that close to the road, and how it may have caused an accident. Never did that again.
The only other time I was in trouble, was also the only time I saw him angry. He had a big basement with a bar and pool table. Behind the bar was a door set into the wall that you couldn’t really tell was there because it was paneling and the door blended into the wall when it was closed. I don’t recall much of what was in there with the exception of a table lamp that was a hobo or something and a box of dance wax. Here’s all I knew about it: when you put it on the floor, it made it slippery. To a boy of 8 in a basement sliding around in his socks on a slippery floor – it’s pretty fun. I remember my aunt, who is only 4 years older than me, came down and probably instantly realized what I had done and said she was going to tell on me. She did. My grandpa, who was always so gentle and jovial was livid. Wow. When his voice boomed at me I was scared to death. I never felt more ashamed in my life. I don’t recall the words he said, but I remember crying, and him hugging me afterward. I’m glad that I only truly mad him angry once.
The last time I saw my grandfather, he had come over to our house. When he left, I was sitting on the floor in the front room with headphones on listening to “Minnie The Moocher” from the Blues Brothers Soundtrack. Knowing my grandpa’s love for big band music, I told him that when I saw him next time, he just had to hear this song. I never got up to say good bye to him. I didn’t hug or kiss him that day. He went on a business trip across the state and we talked to him from his hotel a night or two before he passed. I don’t recall much, but he told me he had pizza and beer for dinner. I do remember telling him I loved him. That was the last time I heard his voice. He had a heart attack while on that trip and died September 24.
The first real life lesson was learned by me that September. If there is someone special in your life who means something to you – tell them! If you love someone – tell them! Never pass up the opportunity to hug or kiss someone! You may never get the chance to do it again.
After he passed away, my brother, my father and I all went golfing in Caseville. My dad and my grandpa used to golf all the time when they were up there. This time, dad took me. As we left to go to the first tee, the starter asked if it was ok to pair us up with someone. Out walked a man who was the spitting image of my grandpa. I remember how nice he was and how he helped me stand and putt (it was one of the first times I ever golfed). It was like HE was there with us. I remember afterward, we got in the car to go back to the trailer and I said, “Dad, didn’t that guy look like….” and before I could finish, my dad firmly said “YES”. Deep down, I wonder …..
I only had him in my life for 11 years, and those 11 year were very special ones – because he was in them.
Various Ramblings of a Nostalgic Italian 