At the end of each year
we tend to become somewhat
reflective about the
previous twelve months,
making note of those events
which we hope to see repeated
in the year ahead.
This year, however, we are
making note of those 2009
events which we hope to
not see repeated in 2010.
For example, we would
prefer that 2010 present us
with better weather. To say
that the weather in 2009
was not to our liking would
be an understatement. In
fact, for whatever bizarre
reason, we think November’s
weather was the best
of the year. And that would
seem to be a sad state of affairs.
We also hope that 2010
does not find us in complete
melt down when it come to
writing this column. In
2009 we missed penning a
piece for six weeks, namely
May 13, 21and 28 as well
as June 4, 11 and 18. And
we have to say we can’t decide
who missed the column
the most, our readers who
missed reading it or us who
missed writing it. We have
great hopes that we will be
better able to stay on top of
things in 2010. And, of
course, we are indeed upset
with ourselves in that by
not writing the column for
six weeks, we ruined an extremely
long record of not
missing a week in more
years than we care to admit.
And we sincerely hope
that we do not lose so many
dear friends in 2010 as we
did in 2009. Our life is poorer
for having lost Donny
Reed, Dorothy Chase and
Bill Hermann. We will find
it hard to ever replace much
of the carpeting in our
home. We will miss the
weekly lunches. And we
will most certainly miss the
e-mails and not, we might
add, just the ones with all
the jokes that we can’t
share in this column.
We will also miss the
ones with bits of history
such as the one we came
across when cleaning up
our inbox. In talking about
the expression ``Go Fly a
Kite,’’ it read, in part, ``The
origin of this expression is
believed to have originated
with the people trying to
construct a bridge across
the river at Niagara Falls
where the current is very
swift and dangerous. Issue
— How to get a cable across
that river. One man figured
out how. He thought, if you
could get a string across, a
rope then a cable could follow.
So he flew a kite across
the river! It worked!! Then
followed the expression.
``How do you get a cable
across Niagara Falls? Go
fly a kite!’’
Also on our list is an inpatient
stay at Bassett and
finding ourselves unable to
drive because of a drop foot.
Both of these items are definitely
on our never to do
again list as is not having
water flowing through our
basement in a matter akin
to Niagara Falls.
We would also like to
spend less time wondering
what all the various posts
on Facebook really mean.
We spent much too much
time musing about the one
which read: ``On my way to
the Phillies Game last night
(which they lost!), I was behind
a 12’ box truck from
Delilah’s Gentlemans’ Club.
Why does a strip club need
a truck? And we also hope,
as we peruse Facebook, to
be able to ignore what we
consider to be slaps against
something near and dear to
us, such as Upper Pioneer
Street.
But, the 2009 event
which we most hope we will
not repeat in 2010 was
turning the unthinkable
age of 62. For some reason
62 really bothered us. It
seemed as if we were now
older than dirt which we
must suppose is not terribly
comforting to those 63
and over. We can not ever
remember dreading a birthday
more. It simply did not
seem possible as we still
think of ourselves as being
youthful, if not childish by
spells. Mentally we are
stuck at 29, an illusion
which we must admit evaporates
when we move. Unfortunately,
we can no longer
convince ourselves that
we are physically 29, or
even 39, 49 or 59. When it
comes to moving, we think
we are probably closer to
109. It is indeed a dichotomy.
And it is a dichotomy
that we suspect we will, unfortunately,
continue to encounter
in 2010
In closing, as we head
full speed into the new
year, we would like to
share, as our quote of the
week, something we received
in an e-mail this past
year from a dear friend. It
is something which we most
definitely wish to carry over
into 2010. Unfortunately,
we do not know the author
who wrote: ``May today
there be peace within. May
you trust that you are exactly
where you are meant
to be. May you not forget
the infinite possibilities
that are born of faith in
yourself and others. May
you use the gifts that you
have received, and pass on
the love that has been given
to you. May you be content
with yourself just the way
you are. Let this knowledge
settle into your bones, and
allow your soul the freedom
to sing, dance, praise and
love. It is there for each and
every one of us.’’ As we head
into 2010, we thank the author
for writing and our
friend for sharing this
week’s quote.
PLEASE NOTE: Comments
regarding this column
may be made by mail
at 105 Pioneer Street, Cooperstown,
NY 13326, by
telephone at 607-547-8124
or by e-mail at
cellsworth1@stny.rr.com.
Columns
In These Otsego Hills: Events not to be repeated
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
We continue this week by answering the question we asked if anyone remembers the old Cooperstown National Bank? On May 13, we wrote: “Martha Dickison, Delaware Street, called to tell us about the Cooperstown National Bank where she worked at her first ‘real job’ after her graduation from school.
Continued ... -
Up On Hawthorn Hill: Spring inventions
The second line of Lawrence Durrell’s novel “Justine” reads as follows: “In the midst of winter you can feel the inventions of Spring.” I first read all four novels of his magnificent Alexandria Quartet during the year I traveled from Saigon to Paris after working in Vietnam for a refugee organization for several years.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.”
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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?”
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.]
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ... -
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.
Continued ...
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In These Otsego Hills: Continuing on from 1986 ...
