Saturday, December 24, 2011

MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY CHANUKAH, JOYOUS KWANZAA--OR WHATEVER HOLIDAY YOU CELEBRATE AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. BUT I GOT THE BEST HOLIDAY PRESENT TWO DAYS AGO!

     Here we are at what many believe is the most wonderful time of the year.  I, for one, find it especially exciting and wonderful this year.  Two days ago, I became a grandma!  It's a boy!  His name is Alexander, and he is absolutely beautiful.  If I were a little more computer-literate, I'd be able to provide all of you with a photo.  Unfortunately, whenever a photo has appeared on this blog, I've needed the assistance of a friend to post that photo.  Have a great holiday, each and every person who is reading this, and may your New Year be better in every way--more prosperous--but may it especially be happy and healthy.  Thanks for following this blog.  I'm really thrilled that you're out there.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

DO YOU HAVE ANY LORAIN COUNTY HOLIDAY MEMORIES?

     I am always looking for new topics to post on this blog--and am always interested in ideas from readers.  However, my friend Mike, who grew up in Lorain County just gave me a great suggestion!  He and I have both seen the "Cleveland Memories" programs on PBS television.  They usually concern old department stores, old restaurants, old amusement parks, famous personalities, etc.  They ask people to send in memories of what it was like in Cleveland years ago.  They also do the same for Akron.  My friend Mike suggested that, since I live in Lorain County now, it might be interesting to ask Lorain County residents to relate some of their own memories of Lorain, Elyria, Amherst, Oberlin, or any town in this county.  So I am asking any of you who have memories of the "good ol' days" in Lorain County to send them to me, either as a comment on this blog, or as an e-mail at magstat@aol.com.  I will be happy to publish your memories on this blog, to be shared by others in this county who can remember what it was like here way back when!  Although it is not necessary that your memories concern the Holiday Season, it would seem that, since that season is now upon us, Holiday memories might be very appropriate at this time of year.

Friday, November 18, 2011

NATALIE WOOD AND MARILYN MONROE--SO MANY PARALLELS

     While I readily admit that I don't give a hoot about the manic comings and goings of today's purported "celebs" many of them in the news one day then forgotten the next, I must admit that some of the really "big" and lasting Hollywood celebrities of the past still fascinate me.
     When I awoke this morning, I was suddenly immersed in a flurry of media activity concerning the fact that the police are planning to reopen the closed investigation of the drowning death of superstar Natalie Wood.  I immediately found myself having total recall of the details of that event.  At the time, an aura of "suspicion" seemed to loom over what was ultimately termed to be "an accidental drowning."  There was a great deal of "buzz" concerning whether she actually fell overboard on her own yacht or, in the alternative, did she meet with foul play on that fateful night.  On the yacht with her were her husband, Robert Wagner, and the up-and-coming future star, Christopher Walken.  In a nutshell, the story, as told at the time, never seemed satisfactory to most of the people that I spoke with way back then.
     Few would dispute that Natalie Wood was both beautiful and talented.  Even before her famous adult roles in Rebel Without a Cause, West Side Story, Splendor in the Grass, and other unforgettable films, she played the adorable little girl who so desperately wanted to believe in Santa in the vintage film, Miracle on 34th Street.
      I can't help but see the parallel that seems to exist with Natalie's death, and that of film legend Marilyn Monroe.  Although she died back in the '60's, mystery still surrounds the circumstances of her death--accidental overdose of booze and pills?  Suicide?  Or murder committed to save careers, or to hide secrets known to Marilyn.
      These two deaths seldom make the rolls of "famous Hollywood murders."  But should they perhaps head the list of such crimes--right up there with the Black Dahlia?  While the death of the infamous Black Dahlia was so obviously a brutal murder, perhaps Natalia Wood, and Marilyn before her, also fell victim to murder.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

MY UNFORGETABLE FATHER-IN-LAW: MILT WIDDER

     For about 46 years, my father-in-law, Milt Widder, wrote a popular gossip column for The Cleveland Press.  His column, called "Sights and Sounds" became one of the newspaper's most popular features.  But Milt's story began far from Ohio, in early 20th Century Europe.  Milt was an Hungarian child, born in Berlin in 1907.  He was to be the only child of his parents--a doctor father and a pianist mother.  When Milt was only 13, in 1920, he and his parents came to America and settled in Cleveland.  Times were tough for the immigrant family.  Although his father was a professional man--a doctor--his inability to read, write or speak in English became a great challenge when he was faced with taking the medical exam that would allow him to continue his medical practice in America.  A bright idea occurred to him--he could take his exam in Latin (the traditional language of both medicine and law).  It worked, and he passed on his first try!
     Young Milt had no interest in following in his father's footsteps.  He instead decided that he would like to become an attorney.  Although he began law school, the Great Depression got in his way and he dropped out.  Lucky for all of his thousands of readers that he did, because he then went to work as a young copy boy for the newspaper.  Interestingly, although Milt, like his father, could not speak much English when he arrived in Cleveland, he soon became so proficient in the language that he worked his way up to becoming a columnist for the paper.  He did a brief stint as the music critic for The Cleveland Press before getting the assignment of gossip columnist.  His outgoing personality and his writing style made him a "natural" for the job.  Soon, all of Cleveland was reading his column.  One reason for its popularity was the fact that his stories concerned not just Cleveland's elite high society, but the average person as well.  While today's gossip columnists concentrate mainly on the rich and famous, Milt also included "the little guy" in his columns.  Although his newspaper job didn't pay very well--most newspaper jobs don't--he was thankful to be employed at all in the Great Depression, especially since, by that time, he had a young wife to support--and would, in the coming years, have four children as well.
     Being the city's favorite gossip columnist made Milt something of a celebrity in his own right.  During Cleveland's Annual Christmas Parade, Milt frequently dressed up in the traditional red suit, and took on the role of Santa.  He attended all of the popular events--in order to get stories for the column.  Consequently, he met the famous people of the day--from opera singers, to movie stars, to sports greats.  In fact, one famous opera singer became the godmother for his third son, and he came to know Indians great, Bob Feller, so well that, when he asked my late husband (a child of ten at the time) what he would like to name his little brother, my husband replied: "Robert Andrew Feller Widder."  Milt and his wife, Dorothy, convinced my husband to settle on just "Robert Andrew Widder", still the namesake for the famous Hall of Famer!
     In the "old" Press building--in the days before cellular phones and the Internet--Milt could frequently be found at his desk with a telephone to each ear, sitting before a manual typewriter on which he would "hunt and peck" his stories.  Occasionally, he would come upon a really HUGE story.  He was the first gossip columnist in the U.S. to learn that Howard Hughes and actress Jean Peters were divorcing.  He hesitated to run the piece, feeling that it might be unkind to do so.  (How different from today's gossip columnists!)  It was a good thing that he hesitated, however, because the paper's editor, Louis B. Seltzer, soon came to him to tell him not to run the story in the gossip column--instead, Seltzer wanted it for the front page!
     If his gossip column was the heart of his public life, his wife, Dorothy (or "Dort" as he lovingly called her) was the heart of his private life.  It had been love at first sight for the young Milt and the lovely, blond Dorothy, who married in 1932, when he was 23 and she was just 21.  Their marriage remained not just a marriage, but a great romance, as well, until Dorothy's death separated them in 1980.  Milt lived on for another five years, until he went to join Dorothy once again in 1985.
     In retrospect, Milt Widder was an excellent newspaperman.  Despite his great popularity, however, he continually worried whether or not he might be fired from his job at any time.  Ridiculous!  Most readers of the paper claimed that his column was the first one they read each day.  Perhaps it was just the shadow of the Great Depression, casting its shadow of doubt upon him--as it did upon so many that lived through those years.

AS AN AFTERTHOUGH....

    Oh! Oh!  While I remembered, in my previous post, to credit my friend's photograph, I forgot to credit the author of the poem that I paraphrased.  He was Joyce Kilmer, the young American poet who wrote "Trees" ("I think that I shall never see, a poem lovely as a tree", etc.)  He lived from 1886 to 1918, dying as a soldier on the battlefields of France during World War One, at about only 32 years of age.
     The poem that I quoted from memory--memorized it freshman year in high school--is entitled "The House With Nobody In It."

A HOUSE--LONELY AND FORGOTTEN

     This house was photographed by my old friend, Tom Hachtel.  (Back when we were "youngins" I never guessed that he would turn into the next Ansel Adams!)  But, in this picture of an old, dilapidated shack, he has managed to capture something very special and poignant.  Although this particular house stands near to the town of Othello, Washington in the Pacific Northwest, it has a universal quality to it.  One can imagine such a house existing here in Ohio--or anywhere, for that matter.  When I first saw the photo, I was immediately reminded of a poem that I learned while I was in high school.  It is a long poem, so I will just include some of the most relevant stanzas here:

     "Now a new house standing empty, with gaping window and door,
     Looks idle perhaps and foolish, like a hat on its block in the store.
     But there's nothing mournful about it, it cannot be sad or lone,
     For the lack of something within it that it has never known.

     "But a house that has done what a house should do,
     A house that has sheltered life,
     That has put its loving wooden arms around a man and his wife.
     A house that has ecoed a baby's laugh, and held up its stumling feet,
     Is the saddest sight when it's left alone that ever your eyes could meet.
                           ********
     "So whenever I go to Suffern along the Erie track,
     I never go by that poor old house without stopping and looking back.
     Yet it hurts me to look at the crumbling roof and the shutters fallen apart,
     For I can't help thinking that poor old house
     Is a house with a broken heart."

    Yes, I know that the poem may be overly-sentimental and perhaps even "hokey", but I also believe that it, combined with the image so artfully-presented in my friend's photo, are very relevant to our present economy, and should remind all of us to be mindful of the sadness felt--not ACTUALLY by all the empty, foreclosed houses in our country today--but by the families who once lived in them.  Sadly, 2011 seems to be much like the 1930's that our parents and grandparents suffered through, told us about, and were forever changed by--with the loss of their homes, businesses, and possessions.
     So I ask that you contemplate the photograph, read the lines of poetry, and see if, like me, they will evoke for you the images of a long-gone era and its suffering people.
     To my readers:  Be well, and prosper!

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

HERE'S SOMETHING THAT ALL OF YOU MIGHT LIKE

     I have been told today that some of you might like to make comments on this blog, but are either having a difficult time figuring out how to do so; or that some of you might want to say something confidentially rather than on the blog.  Here is an answer for you:  My personal e-mail address.  Feel free to use it if you like.  It is MAGSTAT@AOL.COM.  Look forward to hearing from you.

AM I TOO OUTLANDISH TO BE REAL?!

     I haven't posted since late October--mostly because I was frustrated because I wasn't sure that anyone was reading my posts.  I messaged with my old friend Tom today, however, and he told me that he checks out this blog every week.  Wow, was I surprised and delighted to know I wasn't merely typing into cyberspace--how surrealistic that would be!  I guess that people actually are reading it.  I can only tell that when someone either makes a comment on the blog, or actually tells me that they are reading it.  Thanks so much to all of you that are reading this.  I was beginning to think that perhaps I was just too outlandish or outspoken to be in print!  Maybe not.  You can always count on me to "speak my mind", though.  Let me tell you what I have in mind next--actually it's something that I did a couple of times back in the summer.  I thought I might write posts on interesting people that I have known over the years--perhaps some of you may have known them, too.  It is "a small world after all!"  Seriously, though, if there are topics that any of you might like to discuss, just let me know.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

LORAIN'S COUNTY FAMILY LOSES LOVED ONE WHILE LOCAL HOSPICE MAKES THAT TRAGEDY EVEN WORSE--IF SUCH A THING IS POSSIBLE!

     I hate to be vulgar, especially in print, but I assure you that a front-page story in The Morning Journal (Wednesday, October 26th edition) has made me so angry that I want to spit!  As a probate attorney, and also as a person whose only sibling (my brother) passed away in a hospice in 2008, and whose husband passed away in another hospice in 2010, the story immediately interested me.  But imagine my shock at discovering that the family involved in this story are people that I know--in fact, I had just called to offer my condolences a few minutes before reading the article.
     I will not unnecessarily relate all the details in this post, since they are readily available online--complete with video--to any of you who wish to read the article.  In brief, let me tell you that a 60-year-old man named Vernon Kapucinski was dying in a Lorain County hospice.  His family had been visiting with him regularly but, a day or two before he passed away, one of the nurses started giving the brother and the children of the patient a hard time, telling them that they had to know a "secret code", in order to be allowed to visit Mr. Kapucinski.  The bottom line of the story is that the patient died ALONE!  When his daughter confronted one of the nurses on the telephone, demanding to know how such a thing had happened, and why her father had to die alone, while family members were attempting to be admitted to his room, the nurse told the daughter "He didn't die alone.  I was with him."  Such arrogance is beyond unbelievable!  Forgive me for not having words elegant enough to better describe this horrible situation but, as I said above, I am so angry at the moment that I could....YOU CAN COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE WITH ANY WORD OR WORDS THAT YOU FEEL ARE APPROPRIATE.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

FOLLOW-UP TO SEPTEMBER 28TH POST: "PROLOGUE: CLEVELAND, 1940

     I must admit that I am not very computer-techy.  Therefore, I didn't realize until today that two of you had commented on my September 28th post--which is the Prologue to my novel that was published a number of years ago.  Thanks for those comments.  They were great, and I just posted them to the blog.  One person said that they felt that what newspapers have long needed is a section where literary works are published on a regular basis.  It may interest you to know, if you don't know already, that there was a time in literary history--in the 1800's--when writers published their books, one chapter at a time, in the newspapers of the day.  In fact, such well-known authors as Charles Dickens and Louisa May Alcott did exactly that.  I agree that this is an idea that should be considered again.  In fact, I have been thinking about doing that for a few months now.  Then, of course, there is the other alternative.  The novel for which I posted the Prologue has been out-of-print for a number of years, but can still be found on Amazon.  It is entitled "Millionaire's Row."  Other comments, anyone?  I just love to get feed-back from all of you through the comments that you leave.  Sorry that it took me so long to post them.  Dummy me!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

BOB HOPE'S FIRST JOB!

     I'm sure that all of you know that the late, great comedian, Bob Hope was from Cleveland.  But here's something that I'll bet you don't know:  I grew up being told that Orlando's Bakery started with Mrs. Orlando, who lived across the street from my grandfather's house on Woodland Avenue in Cleveland, baked the best Italian bread around.  It was so good that the people in the neighborhood started asking her to sell them a loaf.  Pretty soon, Mrs. Orlando was baking dozens of loaves every week and selling them to the neighbors.  Rather than delivering them herself, she hired two little guys from around the corner to deliver the bread out of their little red wagon--made from wood in those days.  The two little guys that she hired?  My uncle and his little buddy, Robert Leslie Hope--later to be known as Bob Hope!  Orlando's Bakery and Bob Hope--just two of Cleveland's many success stories.

Friday, October 7, 2011

ANOTHER STORY OF PEOPLE FINDING EACH OTHER

     Back in August, I had several positive comments on a true story I told you about two long-lost brothers who, against all odds, found each other.  So I decided to tell you another true story.  This story took place over twenty years ago when I was contacted by a woman who told me that she was, at that time, 69 years old, and that she had been searching for her biological mother for 50 years--since she was just nineteen.  She told me that she had been given up for adoption as an infant, but had never been adopted.  Instead she had grown up in an orphanage until the age of eighteen.
     She asked me if I could possibly assist her in finding her birth mother.  I said that I would try, and collected the information that she had been able to gather over the previous fifty years.  Back then, there were not the amazing number of computer aids that are available today.  Nonetheless, after quite a bit of research, I finally located her birth mother--a woman in her eighties who had given birth to her daughter when she was only  fourteen years of age.
     I contacted the mother and told her that the child she had given up sixty-nine years earlier had been searching for her for the past fifty years!  The mother declared that she considered this a miracle, and that she, herself, had never married, had no other children, and had been wishing, all through the years, to be reunited with her child.  So of course I called her daughter, who lived in Cleveland, and told her that I had found her mother--living in Detroit--and that her mother would be delighted to be reunited with her.  The daughter said, "I'll be in the car and on the road with the next few minutes!"
      Later that day, a Sunday in May, the daughter called me from Detroit to tell me that she was with her mother, and that they were both overjoyed by their reunion.  I wished them the best and hung up the phone.  After hanging up, I suddenly realized that, not only was it a lovely Sunday in May but, by coincidence, or who knows why, it was also Mother's Day!  I still smile to myself whenever I recall that day, and thought that reading about it might make some of you smile, too.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

DOES ANYONE AGREE THAT TELEVISED TRIALS, SUCH AS THE DOCTOR CONRAD MURRAY TRIAL, ARE BASICALLY A WASTE OF THE VIEWERS' TIME?

      Every day for the past couple of weeks, we have been inundated with the details of Doctor Conrad Murray's trial in connection with the death of Michael Jackson.  While it is certainly sad that a man of Michael's musical talents passed away, and that his doctor may or may not have been partly at fault, it seems that this continued coverage of every detail of the trial is just a gigantic publicity stunt on the part of the channel that is continuously running the trial live.  It is no different than the Casey Anthony trial.  While it was very sad that Casey's daughter died, do we really have to have the details of the trial rehashed over and over.  Am I just bored because I have seen so many trials over the years as an attorney?  I'm not sure.  I can tell you that several of them were far more interesting than the two trials mentioned above.  But there was little or no news coverage, given that the parties involved were not famous, nor did the attorneys hire press agents to up the publicity.  I guess this phenomenon pretty much began in 1994 with the O.J. Simpson trial.  And here we are, 17 years later, with the Kardashians having their own show, including spin-offs of that show--all because their late father was one of O.J.'s best friends and a part of his legal team!  It used to be that fame required one to have a talent or special gift of some kind.  It seems to me that fame now requires that a person--preferably one with problems of some type--be in the right place at the right time.  Perhaps this trend will require dictionary editors to come up with a new definition of the word "fame." What ever happened to shows with plots?  Or those which discussed serious and important topics that have an impact on all of us--not just on one person?  In fact, the whole "reality show" craze is unfathomable.  Each of us has reality issues of our own to deal with, and we don't need our own show to help us do that!   Does anyone out there agree with my take on all of this?

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

PLEASE READ THIS AND, HOPEFULLY, MAKE A COMMENT. THANKS!

PROLOGUE
 
Cleveland, Ohio, June, 1940
     The ancient clock in the tower of the Old Stone Church began to toll noon.  The June sky was bright blue and filled with the warmth of early summer.  It was Saturday, and Cleveland's Public Square was relatively uncrowded.  As though in slow motion, a chauffeur-driven black Rolls pulled smoothly around a corner of the square, settling itself directly before the main door of the Stanton National Bank.  The driver, a man in his early twenties, stepped from the car.  He was broad-shouldered and tall, with the ruddy, freckled complexion so often associated with the Irish.  His stance as he leaned against the highly-polished old car suggested that he took pride in his work, a pride not often observed in domestic workers.  The young man glanced quickly at his watch, straightened the black patent-leather peak of his cap, and took a deep breath, As though preparing to begin some new task.
     Just then, as the clock in the church tower struck the twelfth note, the heavy bronze double doors of the bank's main entrance opened in tandem.  A large party of somberly suited men began shuffling from within the bank's dark interior into Cleveland's bright summer sunlight.  As the group of perhaps forty or fifty people made its way onto the sidewalk, it was immediately apparent that almost all of them were men--all but the small, slender figure at their very center.  Standing now in the doorway, preparing to begin her careful descent down the stone steps, was a woman of perhaps seventy, or nearly so.  Despite her advanced years, she stood erect and tall.  Her thin form was dressed entirely in black, from her veiled hat to her smart black suit, black kid pumps, and black gloves.  Had she been seen alighting from the Old Stone Church some yards away, the average onlooker might have thought her a bereaved widow emerging from the funeral of her husband.  The fact that she was instead emerging from the Stanton National Bank, the sole woman in the company of so many illustrious-looking gentlemen, would set one's imagination to wandering in earnest.  The mystery was heightened by the fact that on her lips there played a slight, wistful smile and in her eyes there was a playful, mirthful glow.  Clutched tightly, protectively, in her black-gloved hands was something square and wooden--perhaps a picture in a frame.
     As if by long-rehearsed cue, the chauffeur took her hand just as she stepped onto the sidewalk, guiding her towards the open rear door of the black Rolls Royce.
     "Thank you ever so much, gentlemen," the old woman said to the attentive gathering on the sidewalk, just as the chauffeur closed the heavy door of the Rolls between her and the assembly.
     "Our pleasure, Mrs. Stanton."
     "Thank you, Mrs. Stanton."
     These, and similar replies were heard from the men on the sidewalk, every word uttered in hushed, reverent tones, sometimes even accompanied by a slight, chivalrous bow.  They were still expressing their thanks, smiling and nodding, as the Rolls pulled away from the curb, made its way slowly around the square, and began its slow, dignified cruise eastward up Euclid Avenue.
* * * * * *
     Sheila Stanton took a deep breath and shifted her thin from on the burgundy velvet seat of the Rolls.  Slowly, carefully, she pulled off her black gloves and laid them beside her on the seat.  In her lap lay the object she had been clutching on the steps.  She picked it up now and held it near her eyes, then farther away, trying to see it clearly through eyes that, although still a startling bright green, and still possessed a merry glow, were hard-pressed to read the words on what turned out to be a mahogany plaque.
     Sheila pushed a hand carelessly through her upswept white hair as surprisingly girlish grin suddenly lit up her face, seemingly to cast a glow on her still delicate, still lovely features, and to call attention to the sprinkling of freckles that ran across her nose, giving witness to the fact that when her lovely old face was young, it was probably framed by a mane of titian-colored hair.  It would not be at all difficult for a casual observer to tell, even now, that this woman had once been a great beauty.
     She could read the plaque now.  Etched into a square of gold-colored metal, attached in turn to the slab of polished mahogany, it read:

          "The Stanton National Bank, Cleveland, Ohio, wishes to express its most sincere appreciation
          to Sheila Cagney Stanton for her unending devotion and efforts on behalf of this organization,
          and for the dedication which has brought us to the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the
          Stanton National Bank, 1890-1940."


     Sheila allowed a soft but audible little chuckle of pleasure to escape her lips.  At once, her chauffeur sought her eyes with his own in the rearview mirror of the Rolls.
     "Is everything alright back there, Mrs. Stanton?" he asked.
     "Everything is fine, Paddy," she answered.  "Everything is just fine."
     As she spoke, the remnants of a long-ago brogue came into her voice, a brogue that had much been much like Paddy's own.  The chauffeur smiled at the sound, as he often did when he thought about Sheila Stanton, and what he knew of her past, and about the station in life that was her present.  It said something to him personally, and it should, he thought, say something to all the Irish.
     Sheila put the plaque aside now, and opened a compartment built into the seat in front of her.  A folding desk appeared, complete with pen, ink, stationery, envelopes, and postage stamps.  Sheila took one quick glance out of the car window and released an audible sigh as her eyes took in the endless line of commercial buildings that lined both side of Euclid Avenue, making a canyon of what had once been a very different scene.  Sheila could remember a time when this street had been known as Millionaire's Row, when it had been lined on both sides with the mansions of Cleveland's wealthy.  Newspaper accounts of the day had touted the fact that Euclid Avenue surpassed in beauty even the Champs-Elysees of Paris.  She sighed heavily, a little bitterly, as the memories of those long-ago days began flooding back upon her.  The chauffeur glanced protectively into the rearview mirrow once again at the sound of her sigh.
     Then he saw her begin the ritual that he had observed every day.  Sheila took the pale-green sheet of vellum from its holder, poised the pen above it with confidence, and began to write.
     "My Dearest Kevin," the letter began.  "Today was a little out of the ordinary.  The Board of Directors at the bank decided to surprise me with a plaque on the bank's fiftieth anniversary.  It is strange to think the bank has stood on that very corner, looking for all the world like a medieval fortress, for fifty years, and that I have been here in this city (perhaps a different type of fortress, or so it seems at times) for fifty years as well.  Such a long time, and yet not long at all.  When I look around me now from the windows of this comfortable and comforting old car, I can't help but think how different were my circumstances on my first day here in Cleveland.  Let me see, if my old mind does not deceive me, it was exactly fifty year and three months today since my train pulled into the Union Depot.  Be assured, my dearest, that I miss you no less at this moment than I did on that first morning--no less and no more.  Some things do not change.  My love for you has been one of the unchanging facts of my life.
     "I will write you again tomorrow.  As always, Sheila.".






Thursday, September 22, 2011

50+ AND NOWHERE TO GO? ARE YOU FEELING ISOLATED?

     Do any of you over-50's feel that you are not as much a part of life's mainstream as you once were?  Do you feel that you still have a lot to offer but, because of certain circumstances, be it lack of funds, physical immobility, loss of a loved one, kids spread out across the country, friends retired to Florida, you may feel isolated.  There are many activities and connections that you can become involved in without even leaving your home.  I know that you have a computer.  Otherwise you wouldn't be reading this.  How about making some comments and connecting right here on the blog.  Two heads are better than one when it comes to overcoming isolation.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

IS ANYONE OUT THERE SUFFERING FROM A DISABILITY THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM WORKING? OR DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE SUFFERING FROM A DISABILITY?

     Since moving from Cuyahoga County to Lorain County over a year ago, I have come across an unbelievably large number of people who are suffering from some type of disability that prevents them from working.  Sadly, even if our economy were to suddenly improve, and jobs were to become plentiful, those with disabilities might not be able to take advantage of such an improvement in our economy.  If you are disabled, or feel that there are problems which could keep you from working--or if you have a friend or a family member in such a situation, let's talk!  There are answers for you, or those you care about.  All that is necessary is to look into what those answers might be.  Send a comment to this blog, so that we might discuss it further.  I'll be looking for your responses.

Friday, September 2, 2011

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION? HOW ABOUT ONE OR TWO?

     You probably remember the "six degrees of separation" theory--that everyone in the world is connected to everyone else by six degrees of separation.  Just for fun--yes, fun is still an O.K. pastime--let's hear from someone who is connected in any way to a nationally-known person by less than six degrees of separation.  I gave it a little thought and was able to come up with a couple of those connections myself.  How about it,  readers--if you're out there--any interesting connections?  Be advised that it is not necessary to divulge your own identity here, but just the identity of the well-known person, and a little bit about how you became connected.  Maybe this is a stupid topic--or not--but I still think, as I've mentioned before, that we could all use a little bit of fun in these tough times.  Maybe part of my role is to help provide that fun.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

LET'S GOSSIP!

     Hey, folks, times are hard right now.  Perhaps we all need a bit of fun to help us through these tough financial days.  My father-in-law was a well-known gossip columnist in Cleveland for over 40 years.  Many people have said that his column was the first thing they read in their daily newspaper.  How about we do a little gossiping right here and now?!  So let's hear some of the interesting things that are going on with ordinary Northern Ohio people.  I, for one, am tired of hearing only about the celebs!  Let's hear it for the "little guy"!  But, since this blog is meant to be enjoyable, enlightening, etc., and not hurtful in any way, let's only hear NICE newsy bits, please.  I'll be waiting for your responses.

Monday, August 22, 2011

HOW ARE NORTHERN OHIO READERS DEALING WITH THIS "RECESSION"?

     It doesn't take a genius to determine that the majority of the people reading this blog have had some type of life-changing experiences due to the current economic situation in the U.S.  Even those of you who considered yourselves to be fairly well-off a couple of years back are experiencing difficulties with your stock market portfolio, your IRA, your 401K, or a general slacking off of your business.  HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS?
     Those of you who were not wealthy, but financially "comfortable", are also seeing unpleasant changes in your monetary situation.  Perhaps you have had to assist less-fortunate family member, even going so far as having to take them to live under your roof, or send them some money to keep them afloat.  HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS?
     Then you come to those individuals who were poor or just "making it" before the so-called "recession" hit our country.  Where are all of you now?  Losing your homes?  On public assistance?  Even in homeless shelters?  My question to those of you in such terrible straits due to our recession is HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS?
     I personally believe that this is not a recession, but a full-fledged DEPRESSION, much like the one that our parents or grandparents used to refer to as THE GREAT HOOVER DEPRESSION, a terrible time in our country's history. beginning in November of 1929, and continuing well into the 1930's.  Not to get too political here, since I am directing this blog toward those of all political persuasions, but the Depression was helped, in my humble opinion, by the drastic measures taken by the Democratic President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms in office, and who saw us through not only the Depression, but World War Two, as well.
     My purpose in asking my readers HOW ARE YOU DEALING WITH THIS? is in the hope that your anonymous comments may be of help to your fellow citizens of Northern Ohio.  So let's hear your suggestions, your experiences, or whatever you wish to offer.  Remember, readers, we are all in this thing together.  Let's see if by helping others with your suggestions and ideas, you are also able to better help yourselves, if not monetarily, then at least by being able to feel that you have done a "good deed."

Thursday, August 11, 2011

I'M GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!

I am not sure if anyone is actually reading this blog but, if they are, thanks for following it and, an exciting event for me:  I am going to be the grandma of a baby boy purportedly due to be born in January!  Also, to turn a sad thing into a glad thing, the high divorce and remarriage rate in our current society, though sad, often gives children the opportunity to have more grandparents than they otherwise would have had!  And that thought makes me glad! Thoughts on that, anyone?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

SOME EVENTS IN LIFE ARE SO ODD THEY'RE ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE!

     Being a storyteller at heart, when I hear a true-life story that amazes me, I can't help but pass it on.  I know one such story that I learned of a few years ago.  To protect the privacy of the parties involved, I am changing their names in this blog.  But you have my word that everything else in the story is true.
     I have a long-time friend whom I will refer to here as Michael Albert Stevenson.  He is originally from Northeastern Ohio, but has lived in Southern California for the past many years.  He has had the same hobby since he was a kid--buying beat-up old cars of a specific brand and vintage and restoring them to their original condition.  As part of this hobby, he sometimes sells auto parts for that brand of car on the Internet.
      One day he got a call from a man who wanted to buy a part that my friend was selling.  When my friend began to ask the man on the phone for the information needed to send him the auto part, the man told my friend that he lived in Florida.  When my friend asked the man his name, the voice on the phone answered, "Michael Stevenson."  My friend said, "No, I didn't ask you my name, I asked you yours."  The man on the phone again told my friend, "My name really is Michael Stevenson."  My friend then asked, "What's your middle name?  To this, the man on the phone replied, "My full name is Michael Albert Stevenson."  My friend, amazed, told him that that was also his full name.  By this point, both men were somewhat shocked.  But this was not the end of the story.  My friend asked, "What was your father's name?" to which the man responded, "His name was also Michael Albert Stevenson."  Now, totally amazed by what appeared to be a strange coincidence, my friend told him, "My father was Michael Albert Stevenson, too!"  Well, before long, the two men had unraveled the mystery, learning that not only were they half-brothers, but, amazingly they shared the same hobby of restoring autos of the same brand and vintage!
     Having found each other in such an unusual manner, and finding that they had so very much in common, they decided that, despite the fact that they lived on opposite sides of the U.S., they must get together to meet face-to-face.  And so they did!  My friend went to Florida to spend Christmas with his new-found brother, and went again to attend the wedding of the Florida Michael Albert Stevenson's daughter.
     I have heard the old song "John Jacob Jingleheimer Smith" but this is the first time I have heard of such an amazing coincidence happening in the real world.  I think it's just delightful, and worthy of telling, that these two men were both named after the same father, both have the same hobby, and--despite the fact that they live thousands of miles apart--they found each other anyway.  Sort of a miracle when one stops to think about it!

Monday, August 1, 2011

DO YOU HAVE OHIO ANCESTORS?

    Do you have ancestors from Ohio?  Especially from Northern Ohio?  Have you ever wanted to trace your family history?  I've been doing it for years.  If you've never tried it, you can't believe how much fun it can be.  Maybe I can help.  Please comment.

Monday, July 25, 2011

HAVE YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO WRITE A BOOK? READ ON....

      If you have always wanted to write a book, fiction or non-fiction, but are not quite sure of the best way to get started, tell me what kind of book you would like to write, and why.
      Also, is there anyone interested in belonging to a writer's group?

Friday, July 22, 2011

DOES ANYONE HAVE LEGAL QUESTIONS?

     When I started this blog a couple of days ago, I promised that it would offer a number of different topics.  So far, I have offered an introduction of myself, two book reviews, and two articles on people of note from Lorain County--one an accomplished young woman from Admiral King, and the other a long-ago young man who made a name for himself at Elyria High School, and who later performed an heroic act.
     It is now time to provide all of you with a law-related topic.  The problem is that there are so many areas of the law that I would like to get some of your thoughts on what legal issues might interest you.  So join my blog and give me your ideas, O.K.?

Thursday, July 21, 2011

A HERO WALKED AMONG US--WAY BACK WHEN!

     It's amazing how much one can learn, if they are only willing to listen.  For instance, during a chit-chat session with my neighbor, Nicole Mitchell, who was born and raised in Elyria, I told her about my new blog on The Morning Journal's internet edition, and that I was on the lookout for stories to share on the blog.  She told me that she had some interesting stories to tell about her grandfather, Walter H. Murbach, an Elyria native.  As I listened, I found myself being drawn into the personal history of this long-ago Ohioan.  I decided to research some of the great stories that Nicole was telling me, and this is what I discovered:
     Walter was born into a fairly wealthy Lorain County family on November 14, 1883.  His parents were Jakob and Louisa, and they owned a mill.  Walter was a bit of a mischief-maker even while still in high school.  A senior in the Elyria High School Class of 1902, Walter and about a dozen of his classmates went to the old grist mill on East Bridge Street.  There they found a huge rock weighing almost one ton.  That evening, Walter and his friends secured a wagon and four houses and, with great difficulty, loaded the rock into the wagon, took it to the high school, and placed it at the corner of Middle Avenue and Sixth Street.  A man named Mr. Sands, who owned a barn across the street from the school, conspired with the boys by carving "02" into the rock to commemorate their graduation year of 1902.  Even so many years later, when Walter's granddaughter Nicole was a student at Elyria High, students could still be heard to say to one another, "Meet me at the Rock."  My "sources" tell me that, although it has since been moved from its original location, the rock still remains close to Elyria High School.
     A few years later, Walter Murbach once again made news.  While still in his early 20's, he rescued a boy who had fallen through the ice into the Black River.  As a reward for his valor, Walter Murbach became one of only five Ohioan that year to be awarded the Carnegie Medal for acts of unusual heroism, a medal created only a few years earlier by the famous philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie.
     So, with some careful listening and a little research, I was able to learn quite a bit about an "average" Elyria native whose sense of humor and whose bravery make his legacy far from average.  But then again, are any of us really just average? 

OH, LORDY! IS IT REALLY HAPPENING AGAIN???????

BOOK REVIEW:
A SECRET GIFT
by
TED GUP
           
            I first heard of Ted Gup and his non-fiction work A Secret Gift through an article which recently appeared in one of Case Western Reserve University’s alumni magazines.  That article instantly caught my interest as I learned of the many common threads running through the author’s life and my own.  Mr. Gup was teaching at Case Western during the time when I was a graduate student there (although our paths never crossed during that time).  His education and interests seemed to mirror mine, in that he was educated in the areas of History and Journalism, and seemed quite conversant in genealogical research, as well.  Further, some of the people named in his book had names identical to ancestors that I had discovered in researching my late husband’s family tree.  Lastly, Ted Gup and I were both born and raised in Northern Ohio, and were only three years apart in age.  With all the above in common, I think it goes without saying that his new book, A Secret Gift, was a “must-read” for me.  But little did I know before actually reading the book that, although it mainly concerns events that took place during the Christmas season of 1933 in Canton, Ohio, it would be so unbelievably relevant to the financial woes devastating present-day Northern Ohio—and the entire U.S.
            This book’s beginnings date back to June, 2008, when the author’s aunt gave him an old suitcase which had belonged to his grandfather, Sam Stone, a long-deceased clothing store owner from Canton, Ohio.  What the author found in the suitcase totally amazed him.  It contained an ad which had run in the Canton newspaper in late December, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression.  The ad told Canton readers that, if they would write a letter to the ad’s poster, telling him of their current financial situations, said poster would send to the most needy letter-writers a small gift to bring some cheer to their Christmas of 1933.  Wanting to remain anonymous, and thus not embarrass those who might know him, he created the alias of “Mr. B. Virdot” as the signature in his newspaper ad.
            Sam Stone, a man who had, himself, experienced extreme poverty in his youth, while not wealthy even in 1933, felt that he could afford to allot the sum of $750 to help the needy of Canton.  Originally, he had intended to send $10 to seventy-five needy families.  After being inundated with a deluge of letter from poor families all over town, he decided that he could better help his fellow Cantonians by sending half the amount (five dollars) to twice the number of families (one-hundred-fifty).  And that is exactly what he did.  Also contained in the old suitcase were the letters he had received in response to the ad.  The letters were from those who had already been poor before the Great Depression struck in 1929, as well as from some of Canton’s former wealthy and well-known citizens (many of them business owners) who, due to the Depression, were now in the same dire financial straits as many of their former employees.  The suitcase also revealed the 150 cancelled checks, for five dollars each, from those who had received the gift from “Mr. B. Verdot.”
            At first, author Ted Gup was at a lost as to the meaning of the ad, the letter, the cancelled checks and as to the true identity of Mr. B. Virdot.  But he soon became aware, with the help of his aunt and other family members, that Mr. Virdot was none other than his own grandfather, Sam Stone.  His imagination and interest were so captured by this revelation that he began work on his book A Secret Gift.  During the writing of the book, he managed to trace and find the living descendants of all 150 families!  This project took him countless hours and required him to do painstaking genealogical research on each family.  After identifying the living descendants, he spoke with someone from each of the families, asking them if they had ever heard about the gift from B. Virdot, and if it had made any difference to their families so long ago on Christmas, 1933.  Almost unbelievably, most of the descendants knew of the gift, told him that it had added some essential or other to their Christmas—be it food, clothing, heat, or a toy or two for the families’ young children.
            During the writing of this book, the author also discovered a number of secrets concerning his own grandfather—things which he had never even suspected in all the years that he had known him.  Sam Stone died in an auto accident in 1981 at the approximate age of 93.  Most people would not learn of his secret identity, or of his gift-giving until about 78 years after the fact with the 2011 publication of A Secret Gift by his grandson, Ted Gup.  I very much admire the honesty with which the author portrays his own family in this book.  Such honesty often takes a great deal of courage.
            Mr. Gup is an award-winning journalist who has worked closely with some of America’s most famous and influential writers and public figures.  Although this is the first of Gup’s books that I have read, I cannot fail to be amazed at his attention to detail, and at the unfathomable number of hours needed to complete this book less than three years after his first discovery of the mysterious suitcase and its startling contents.  Having faced some daunting publication deadlines myself, I can appreciate Ted Gup’s achievement from my dual viewpoint as both a reader and a writer.
            Throughout the book, the author continues to remind us that we are once again in a situation similar to the terrible financial disaster of the 1930’s known to all who lived through it, as well as to their descendants, as the Great Depression.  The similarities that he points out in his book of the conditions of the 1930’s and the conditions of the present, while frightening, are also instructive.  A Secret Gift is very well-written and extremely readable for all who are concerned about our present economy, and about its forerunner—the Great Depression.  The writing style is almost like that of a well-crafted, engrossing novel that the reader cannot put down.  It is, in a word, excellent, and I recommend it very highly.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

NATALIE JOHNSON: WHO IS SHE? AND WHERE IS SHE NOW?

 A Rising Star in our Midst

     Natalie Johnson is probably unknown to most of the readers but, in reality she is a person worthy of admiration by all of Northern Ohio.  Natalie is only 24 years old, but the accomplishments of her young life are already quite amazing.
     Natalie was raised for most of her childhood in a single-parent household.  She is not the product of a wealthy home but, nonetheless, has accomplished more than many more-privledged young men and women.  She  is a graduate of Admiral King High School, where she maintained an excellent grade-point average.  Her high grades were rewarded when she was the recipient of a scholarship from the Bausch & Lomb Corporation (the contact lens producers headquartered in Rochester, New York).  Her scholarship made it possible for her to attend the University of Rochester, the school from which she received her Bachelors Degree in 2008.
     After graduation, in an effort to "give back" to her world, Natalie traveled to South Korea, where she taught English as a Second Language.  In an effort to do even more, she also went to Haiti, where she assisted in the Relief Effort.
     More recently, she again showed her "true colors" by applying for the Peace Corps.  She was accepted into that wonderful institution which had its beginnings way back in the days of JFK's presidency, when Kennedy said, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."  In early June of this year, Natalie was given her assignment, and headed for Shaamar, Selenge, Mongolia, where she has contracted to serve as an English Teacher for the next two years.
     When our young people look for role models in these difficult times, they need look no further than to a young woman from Admiral King who, at 24, has only just begun to show Ohio--and the world--what just one person can accomplish for herself, and for her fellowman.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

BOOK REVIEW: OCCULT THRILLER BY A LOCAL AUTHOR

Devil's Eye by Al Ruksenas

     It would be tempting to say that Cleveland author Al Ruksenas has created, in the novel, Devil's Eye, a combination of The Pelican Brief and some of Stephen King's most fear-inducing works.  In reality, however, he has created a brand-new entity which defies any known "genre" classification.
     Devil's Eye is, more accurately, a mainstream novel which takes the reader on a terrifying trip through the inner circles of Washington politics, while simultaneously providing an overlay of the power of the occult underworld.  When these two spheres cross, "all hell breaks loose" (not just figuratively, but literally, as well).      Devil's Eye is the story of Colonel Chris Caine, a military man whose exploits, and whose clearance, exceed even the level of most CIA operatives.  He is a member of the ultra-elite and ultra-secretive U.S. government organization known as The Omega Group.  Caine, along with his long-time comrade-in-arms, Colonel Garrison Jones, are initially enlisted by their superior to investigate the disappearance of Jeannie McConnell, the "party girl" daughter of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.  As a part of that investigation, Caine attends a cocktail party at the Smithsonian.  While at the party, he meets Dr. Laura Mitchell, a professor of French History, whose Lithuanian family roots extend back to the time when Lithuania was a part of the former Soviet Union--a fact which later plays a key part in this complex thriller.  Caine and Mitchell experience an immediate and mutual romantic attraction to each other, a relationship which leads both of them to the discovery of major secrets in the U.S. government, in the Middle East, and in our world as a whole. 
    As the story unfolds, the events surrounding the disappearance and current whereabouts of the young Washington socialite begin to take a "back seat" as the plot stretches far beyond that issue.  The reader is drawn into the world of international espionage, terrorism and--in a most unexpected, but fascinating twist--the world of witchcraft and the occult.
     Devil's Eye is the proverbial "page-turner," an "unputdownable" read from beginning to end.  Although this book is Ruksenas' first novel, it is certainly not the author's first foray into the publishing arena.  In his youth, he was a reporter for United Press International, before going on to publish two non-fiction works, the award-winning Day of Shame (which became a TV movie) and Is That You Laughing, Comrade? a book of Russian jokes sometimes used by Ronald Reagan in his dealings with the Soviets.
     Perhaps the most interesting fact of all is that the author is one of our own--a Northern Ohioan!  His first novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys fast-paced and intriguing tales of espionage, the White House, and the power of evil in our modern world.

LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF

Hi!  My name is Peggy.  I live in Lorain County now, and formerly lived in Cuyahoga County, where I was born and raised.  That makes me an Ohioan through and through.  I am new to the blog format, but hope to get better at it as time goes on.  I am interested in and and able to discuss several topics, mainly Ohio law, creative writing, genealogy, local history, quality books and movies, and lots of other topics which currently impact the area's residents.  I enjoy trivia, music, and discussing ways to get by in our present economy.  I will offer such things as discussions of legal issues, book reviews, historical tid-bits, and more.  These topics are my passions so, let's talk!