Belated birthday greetings go out this week to Aline Heller, who last week celebrated one of those notable birthdays that end with a zero. In fact, if our math is correct, this is the ninth such zero ending birthday that Aline has celebrated. Thus we trust that she was properly feted by family and friends and enjoys many happy returns.
Of course we must admit that Aline does not lay claim to the only early December birthday. We too find ourselves celebrating a natal day this week. And we must admit each year we find it harder and harder to convince ourselves, let alone anyone else, that we are but 29. Nonetheless, we will once again this year make the claim.
Of course, a recent post we discovered on Facebook is not particularly helpful in our quest to remain 29. Imagine our surprise when we recently read: “Christopher Ellsworth is middle-aged apparently.” If Christopher Ellsworth, who is, of course, our son, is middle aged, what on earth does that make us? We don’t think we like this a little bit. Of course, he has been older than we are for eight years now. And no, we can’t begin explain how that works.
Nor do we believe, from what we have learned, did anyone actually call Christopher middle-aged. However, it seems that one of his students referred to someone else as middle-aged. And as luck would have it, that individual happens to be five years younger than he. And, with the wonders of Facebook, the absolute joys of putting one’s foot in one’s mouth never end.
We also must note that we were not particularly overjoyed when we had trouble deciphering the birthday card that arrived with a gift our sister Ellen sent us from L.L. Bean. She gave us a lovely set of flannel sheets, which we hope means we will have one of the warmest winters on record. But when we tried to read the card, parts of it seemed to be written in some foreign alphabet, which we did not recognize. The first line very clearly said “Merry Christmas.” The second and third lines at first appeared completely unintelligible.
However as we studied it, we decided the second line read “Love From Grandma And” over which had been printed “Happy Birthday.” The third line read “Grandpa” over which had been printed “Love Ellen.” We suspect something went awry, leaving us to wonder what the card said that was received by the recipient of the gift from grandma and grandpa. However, we are glad that we have not lost our ability to read.
Adding a year has also resulted in some changes to our routine. For a number of years now, we have on occasion joined the Dinner Belles at their weekly evening out. However, much to our relief, the weekly evening out has become, at least for the winter months, the weekly luncheon out. And from our perspective, this is a great change. We far prefer, especially in the winter to only venture out during daylight hours. Thus we feel we will be able, weather permitting, to continue to dine with the Dinner Belles.
We also have discovered as the years pile up that we have more trouble dealing with answering both the door and the telephone. We have learned there are two types of doorbell ringers.
The first rings the bell and then, after giving us about 30 seconds to arrive at the door, rings it again, often repeatedly.
No doubt they do not realize that we do not station ourselves by both doors just in case they decide to call on us. The second category of doorbell ringer rings the bell once, but is long gone by the time we manage to cripple to the door. We can’t decide which is the more annoying, but it has made us consider replacing the doorbell with a tasteful sign which says “For admittance, please call 607- 547-8124.”
Of course, that might be somewhat difficult for those who do not have a cellphone upon their person.
And, in some ways the telephone can prove as problematic as the doorbell. Even though we sport portable telephones, we rarely seem to have them anywhere near us. Thus we are forced to play “Beat the Clock” every time it rings. We can but conclude we would not have been a winner on “Beat the Clock.”
And while we accept the need for the mad dash if the call is for us, it is rather discouraging when the caller has the wrong number, something which has happened with unusual frequency of late.
And most of these errant calls of late have been people trying to call Reid’s Barber Shop. We assumed the number for that business must be similar to ours. And try as we might, we were unable to find a telephone number for Reid’s Barber Shop.
However, when we in desperation Googled the barber shop, the first reference which popped up was: In These Otsego Hills » Columns» Cooperstown Crier - Your Source ... coopercrier.com/ columns/x1525020060/In- These-Otsego-Hills Feb 13, 2009 – He remembers that the barber shop was located in the garage and that ... other than to Fly Creek to Reid Nagelschmidt’s shop, to get their hair cut. ... Cooperstown, NY 13326, by telephone at 607- 547-8124 or by e-mail at ... And there it was big as life.
The barber shop in Fly Creek is seemingly listed with our telephone number. Of course, we hasten to point out that if one Googles Jay Gardner’s barber shop in Cooperstown, an establishment which is long gone, it will seem that business can also be reached by calling 607-547-8124. Once again we find ourselves thinking the Internet is somewhat less than perfect.
But, we suspect that we too are less than perfect. In fact, we know we are. This year for our birthday we treated ourselves to a one-cup coffee maker. And the first time we used it, it made a great cup of coffee. The second time we used it, it didn’t work at all.
Absolutely nothing happened when we pushed the on button.
But as we were grumbling about having to return it, we discovered it worked just fine when it was plugged in. Thus we can but conclude that our age is catching up with us. And given our various problems at the age of 29, just imagine what sort of shape we would be in if we admitted to being 30.
PLEASE NOTE: Comments regardingthis column may be made by mail at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326, by telephone at 547-8124 or by email at cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills: Another year under our belt …
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
Time to bring you up to date on Fly Creek’s happy clambering into Spring. First, the eatery scene. “Is Jerry’s open yet?” The answer is, “Oh, yes!” The porches are freshly stained; the lawns a uniform green, and the hop vines are already climbing the posts on the covered side deck. Blue and I went up there to lunch earlier this week, and I celebrated spring with my traditional bacon, onion and Swiss cheese hamburger. We two sat on the deck, enjoying the broad view and some spectacular clouds marching across, up toward Schuyler Lake.
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In These Otsego Hills: More from 1986 ...
This week we continue with the discussion of telephone service from the pre-dial days. On March 12 we noted that: “No one has yet produced a telephone directory from pre-dial days, but Doug Preston of New Hartford recalls that some business (which one?) in the village had the phone number 7.”
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Home Notes: Celebrations abound at the Thanksgiving Home
April was a month of celebrations and much to appreciate. We had a 90th birthday celebration for Wanda Noyes on April 4 including her family and friends. Personal care staff Dee Bouck worked with residents to hand paint Easter eggs for the tree in the activity room.
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In These Otsego Hills: 1986 continues ...
This week we continue our journey through the columns of 1986 with the answer to the question “for whom, according to tradition, was Hannah’s Hill named?”
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Book Notes: Baseball book features local contributors
Baseball is part of the nation’s fabric. Most kids have a memory of the game either from playing Little League, attending a major league contest or meeting a favorite player. In Cooperstown that feeling is magnified since we are the official home of baseball. We get to see firsthand what has made the sport the national pastime.
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From Fly Creek: Ya really wanna know?
SETTING: Fly Creek General Store. CAST: Assorted seated geezers, drinking coffee. [Door opens, enter heavy-set geezer; walking slowly with wide stance, maybe prostatitis.]
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In These Otsego Hills: Returning to 1986 ...
For the past several years now we have undertaken sharing some of the area’s oral history we have collected over the years that we have written this column. Therefore, this year, we would like to go back to 1986 to share that rather unusual year. Those who were here then no doubt remember that it was that year that the village celebrated the bicentennial of its founding.
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From Fly Creek: For reasons unknowable
[Jim’s reached back to 2002 to share one of his favorite columns.] My father was born as the last century began into a river village in tidewater Maryland. He told me once of a man there in his boyhood who, like so many, made a thin living tonging for oysters in the cold months and, in the hot and humid ones, crabbing and raising vegetables.
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In These Otsego Hills: CCS balancing act ... side two
Last week we shared a number of activities in which students at CCS can participate. We thought it was an impressive, if not overwhelming, list. And we are indeed pleased that the young people of our area have these opportunities. However, we think it is also important to keep in mind that these undertakings do have a cost associated with them. They are not free. In fact there are, no doubt, those who would say they do not come cheap.
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From Fly Creek: A graceful crowd
Make of this what you will, friends. I feel I’m really meant to share it with you. Despite good medication for my Parkinsonism, every four or five weeks I can sensethe symptoms building up on me, giving me more than ordinary trouble. Lately it’s been falls, and last week brought a typical one. I’d gone out to get the paper, moving along with penguin steps on the snowcoved ice patches, and usingmy spike-tipped cane the waya climber uses an ice axe. But circumstances overcame me. Parkinson’s wipes out the possibility of multi-tasking.
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In These Otsego Hills: This and that and the other side ...
We note that the CCS Class of 2012 is presenting its senior class play, “Snow White” by Tim Kelly, this week with performances 7:30 p.m Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, and at 11 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 31. All performances will be at the Nicolas J. Sterling Auditorium at the Middle/High School.
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In These Otsego Hills: That green thing ...
Of late we have noticed that our email inbox has been much busier than usual. In fact, we find ourselves hard pressed to keep up with all the various messages we receive. As a result we suspect we have not answered some in as timely a fashion as might be thought appropriate.
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From Fly Creek: What you need to know
In their last Sunday’s bulletins, all 84 churches of Otsego County were to have carried announcements of an important meeting; most of them did. But because the announcement is so important, and not just to the churched, here it is again.
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Book Notes: Living the magic of ‘Hoosier’
A lot of people consider “Hoosiers” the best sports film of all time. The 1986 classic follows the exploits of a fictional small town Indiana high school basketball team in 1952 as it attempts to achieve the impossible dream of a state championship. The story is inspired by the true life achievement of the 1954 Milan team, who with an enrollment of only 161 students shocked big city power Muncie Central on a last second shot to win the state title. It’s the kind of sports story that represents something that is hard to grasp unless you live in a small town.
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In These Otsego Hills: The most perfect village... home to heavy industry?
We suspect we would get a whole lot more accomplished if we spent less time thinking, pondering and musing about things. In fact, there is a good possibility we might actually have completed our goal of cleaning the basement if we only focused on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out the world around us. It almost makes us wonder if it is possible to think too much about things. We certainly hope not because should that be the case, we are in deep trouble.
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Up On Hawthorn Hill: The past in the present
Clichés abound about the value of photographs. Most are probably true at least to a certain extent. What I do know about an image is that it represents something of the past that is not the pastitself. But that is the power of any image. It represents something that once was. The beauty of an image, revisited, is that it functions as a catalystfor reliving in the present a past experience. My own view, one that I thank the Spanish writer Jorge Luis Borges for, is that all we ever can experience is the present.
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Home Notes: Workshops held for Thanksgiving Home residents
We welcomed Linda Keller, Ph.D. of the Bassett Research Institute and Ida Baker of NYCAMH who presented a six-week workshop for residents and staff.
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From Fly Creek: Late-winter hamlet news
Well, at least I’m “guessing” it’s late winter now — in the winter that wasn’t. But, if not snow, I can provide a flurry of Fly Creek news to share with you, scooping Associated Press, Reuter’s, and United Press International, not to mention all local news services except our General Store.
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In These Otsego Hills: Waiting for spring to have sprung ...
Difficult as it to believe, both January and February seem to have flown by and we find ourselves turning the calendar over to the month of March, which we have long thought is one of the more dreary months of the year. Of course, as in the pastthere are signs of spring as reflected by the tapping of the maple trees. For many years, the trees sprouted buckets to capture their all important sap. However, we now know to look for the sap collection lines that are strung from tree to tree.
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Book Notes: Kennedy: a unique individual
It’s been almost 50 years since the Kennedy assassination shocked the nation. Since then much has been written about President John F. Kennedy and whether he would have achieved his destiny (whatever that may have been) if he had lived. It is said he inspired young people in a way that has never been equaled. And there is the notion of Camelot, espoused by his widow Jackie, that there will never be a time of hope and promise like that again.
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From Fly Creek: Revving up for spring
