Saturday, October 29, 2011

HO HO HO it's Halloween

Well, it is almost Halloween and we are seeing SNOW.  What the heck!  I wrote on Facebook yesterday that it was going to snow because I was going to walk in my first 5K and I figured it was an abomination against nature and it was going to revolt.  Well, it revolted so much that the 5K was cancelled, so I used the time to run to the Farmer's Market in Allentown.  The sleet was pelting the car on the way to the market and the snow started to come down on the way home.  Now for my readers not from this area, let me explain that snow, especially accumulating snow is very  unusual at this time of the year. 

It is starting to look like a winter wonderland out there - I was just out taking a few pictures and wow it is laying on the grass fast.  I know this snow won't stay around long, the weather is bound to be warmer soon, but it does look pretty, for now.   But tonight is Trick or Treat, hopefully it will be postponed until tomorrow night, I had read on my water/sewer bill that the rain date for Trick or Treat was Sunday night, I wonder if they consider this snow date??...... and that's .... another day in Catasauqua.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Mums the word in Catasauqua

This morning on my walk I remembered my camera and collected festive fall pictures in Catasauqua.  Then I began to wonder about the Chrysanthemum.  The beautiful colorful flower that tells us Fall is here.

Well, did you know there is the Legend of the Chrysanthemum?  Well there is. In fact there are a few Legends.

According to an ancient Chinese legend, about 3,000 years ago, an emperor was told that the Dragon-fly Island in the Sunrise Sea (Japan) had a magic herb that would restore his youth. But since only youth could collect it, he sent a dozen young men and a dozen girls to the island.

They arrived at the islands after surviving perilous storms and attacks by sea serpents, and finding neither magic herb nor inhabitants on the island, they decided to stay. The prized possession they brought for trading, and now nurtured as a tie with their homeland, was the golden chrysanthemum.

However, Japanese Legend has it that in the beginning, there were so many gods in heaven that some, including the god Izanagi and the goddess Izanami, were sent to the earth on a cloud-bridge.

Once on earth, the goddess created the gods of the winds, mountains, sea, and others, finally dying upon creating the god of fire. Izanagi missed Izanami and so followed her to the place of Black Night where she had gone, only to see vile sights and be pursued by the Old Hag of Black Night.

Narrowly escaping back to the earth, the god Izanagi went straight to the river for a purification bath. As he shed his clothes and they touched the ground, they turned into twelve gods. His jewels became flowers--one bracelet an iris, another a lotus, and his necklace a golden chrysanthemum.


The word "chrysanthemum" comes from the Greek words meaning "golden flower," but a German legend refers to another of the many colors of chrysanthemums. One cold, snowy Christmas Eve in Germany's Black Forest, a peasant family was sitting down to a meager supper when they heard a wailing. At first they thought it was the wind. But upon hearing the sound repeatedly, they opened the door and found a beggar. They ushered in the poor man who was blue with cold, wrapped him in blankets, and shared their food.
Instantly, the blankets were shed, revealing a man in shining white clothing with a halo around his head. Proclaiming himself the Christ Child he fled. The next morning, outside the door where he had stood, were two white chrysanthemums.

Today, many Germans bring white chrysanthemums into their homes on Christmas Eve, believing that by doing so they are sheltering the Christ Child.

So there you have it, who knew a simple flower could have so many stories about it.  I am sure there are more, but I gotta get ready work. And with that it's.....another day in Catasauqua.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Do you remember singing for your candy?

Can you imagine,  if when trick or treaters came to your house on trick or treat night,   and you asked them for a song first, what may happen or worse yet, what they might sing.  I remember, growing up in Catty, that we had to sing halloween songs at some of houses or we wouldn't get treats. 

I was shy when I was very young, and usually trick or treated by myself which meant I would have to sing solo, and I mean so low that you couldn't hear it.  I am glad when people stopped asking for songs, I believe it all was a plot perpetrated by Mrs. Bittner, the then music teacher.  Ah, remember the autoharp.  Wow, you can't think about music class without thinking about the autoharp.  I use to love playing that thing.

Anyway, back to Halloween Songs, my favorite and only one I can recall was one my son sang when he was little.

Stirring and stirring and stirring my brew,
ewwwww  ewewww  ewwww  ewwwww
stirring and stirring and stirring my brew
ewwwww  ewwwww   ewwww  ewwwww


tick tock....tick tock.....tick tock.....






















Hope I didn't scare you........and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Will Walk for Food

I'm in training.  I power walked with Parke a few days ago.  I call it power walking because to keep up with Parke I have to take 3 steps to his one, damn his long legs.  Then yesterday I walked 1.6 miles and then today 2.1 miles.  I am in  training for a 5K in Catty next Saturday which benefits the Catasauqua Food Bank.  The Bethany Church in Catasauqua is organizing it. (They are located at the former Grace Methodist Church on Walnut Street).  We all know what this economy is like and more people need the food bank and there is not enough food to go around.  A few of us from Salem UCC are going to walk - that's where we came up with..."Salem UCC - We will walk for food".

Let me give you a word of advice for walking 2.1 miles, don't wear jeans, they chafe.  I guess I better train in sweat pants.  But one thing I can tell you, Catty is beautiful in the Fall.  The mums, the decorations and pumpkins on the porch make for a colorful walk.

Speaking of Fall the Halloween Parade is tomorrow night, however they are calling for some heavy rain, in case that does happen, I believe the rain date is next Wednesday.  Personally, I hope it doesn't rain.  You'll be able to find me on the We Sing float, which will be in the 1st Division.  I love a parade! 

Well, that's all for now, I will have to take the camera on my next walk so I can take pictures of Autumn and  .....another day in Catasauqua!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Back at Home - safe at last

Morning in Gettysburg
Back at home, safe at last is my favorite line from The Bernstein Bear's Spooky Old Tree.  Today was the day after the wedding and trip back home.  First after a very sparse breakfast, Parke and I get into the car to find out that the little man in the gps won't talk to us.  Terror strikes my heart.  If you know me well, you know these two things.  I have no sense of direction and I don't like to drive, but the little man in the gps telling me when to turn solved both problems, more or less. 

I didn't know what to do, I was on the verge of panic, but luckily we had a yahoo map with us - with the driving directions, however they where slightly different than the way we came.  But to my shock, I knew how to get to main street Gettysburg, from where I was.  Thankfully we were stuck in traffic on the way down and I would say - oh look, there is the moose lodge, or the American Legion and the - oh there is a seminary on Seminary Road. 

So except for the one wrong turn I took, it wasn't too bad getting home.  We stopped at Esther's for lunch and we were home by 3:00 pm.  We did go to North Catasauqua's Autumn Fest, which was really busy and hopping.  Can you believe this weather in October!  Great for the Wedding and the Fest!

Tonight I made a quick visit with my friend, Nancy to see another dear friend Miriam who is in the hospital.  Nancy called me from her bus trip, just before my trip to Gettysburg to tell me about Miriam, whew thank goodness for cell phones. You can get the word around fast - from where ever you are!

So tonight I go to take a shower and the water is out!!!! What the heck!  Well I understand there is a water main break at Covington and Walnut Streets, I just managed to take a shower a short while ago.  I hope the water stays on!!

Well, I guess it's time for this blogger to hit the sack, I didn't sleep to well last night in all that quiet.  That's why I never go camping.  Give me the sound of cars on Howertown Road to lull me to sleep, and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

A beautiful wedding

Here I still am in the hills of Gettysburg.  I just got back from the wedding, I will post the pictures when I get home.  I must say I had mixed emotions about the lodge when I got here.  The room was not ready when we got here, but it did not take long until it was.  The cabin is beautiful inside, but outside - well, that was another matter, there really wasn't much of a road, or parking for the cabin, but I found out tonight that the lodges only opened in July, so that explains alot.  This was only the fourth wedding that the lodge has had, and they did an excellent job at that.

I had a little girl sitting next to me and she stole my fancy carrot sculpture off my meal, but hey that was okay.  The meal was delicious.  We did find out our way back to the cabin tonight.  Thank God for the moon and the book light that Tammy gave me for my birthday!!!

Well, it's getting late, I am sitting by the electric make believe fireplace, and the night it almost over.  So I guess I will join Parke in watching a little E! before bed. Good night everyone.

and with that it's ....just another night in Gettysburg...oh wait...sorry.... and that's another day in Catasauqua.

Out of Catasauqua

Well, today is an Adventure Day.  I drove to Gettysburg for a wedding.  We are staying at the Lodges of Gettysburg.  The cabin is nice enough - 2 flat screen tvs, a kitchenette, electric fireplace, high ceilings and a private bedroom and huge bathroom, but it still is a tad strange.

I have some time before the wedding so I thought I take this time to write.  Parke is hoping on seeing ghosts tonight.  He just might.  Our keychains have flashlights on them so the walk from the wedding promises to be an exciting one.  We are up hill from the lodge and there really isn't much road to speak off.  The parking up at or cabin is in the center of the cabins and there isn't much space, so I hate to take the car down to the main lodge for the wedding, I don't want to loose my spot.

If you know me - you know I hate to drive, but, with Annette's GPS I made it straight to the lodge.  I think I am going to have to get myself one, one of these days.

Well, if you are in Catty, there is still a lot to do this weekend - Autumn Fest will be held at the North Catasauqua Playground Sunday.  I am hoping to make it by Sunday Afternoon, see you there. 

Oh - on the way here we stopped at a small diner in Dillsburg, Wolfe's Dinner, it was cheap, good and a blast from the past.  Well, I better get dressed for the wedding, I wonder if hiking boots will go with my dress.


Have a great day and that's ...another day in Catasauqua

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Things that go Bump in the Night

Tis the season to write about the ghostly hauntings of Catasauqua, except I don't know alot of them, well I know a few, but their personal ones, and I will share them eventually.  It's the more well known ones I would like to tell about.

Actually one supposed haunting is that of Dery Lounge located at Fifth and Pine Streets.  The 56 room Mansion was home to Desiderius George Dery, who was born in Baja, Hungary. He was well educated and graduated from Vienna's St. Mary's Academy with a bachelor of arts degree.  Along with his classical education went a degree from the Vienna Textile Academy. It was here that he first became interested in silk manufacturing.

Knowing that the rigid class system of his native land was not the best route to economic mobility, Dery decided to take his skills to America. So in 1887 he arrived in the bustling silk mill town of Paterson, N.J. He arrived in Catasauqua in 1897.  This is where his fortune started, but many years later, due to World War I, and the Great Depression, this is where it was lost.  Although he retained ownership of his mansion, Dery could no longer afford to live in his dream castle.  He and his daughter Helen moved across the street to a smaller frame house. (There is a rumored unground tunnel between the houses.)

Troubled by a bad heart, on March 3, 1942, D. George Dery left Catasauqua and was taken to his daughter's and son-in-law's Bethlehem home. On Sunday morning, March 5, he died at the age of 75.

Is it his ghosts that haunts the hallowed halls of Dery Mansion?  It was reported in the Catty Press that the ghost of a little girl has been seen and workers are scared to work their.  Hmmmm.  It was reported that the new owner has called in some paranormal investigators (who you gonna call!)

Well, I will be on the lookout for any ghost and goblins this month.  My favorite holiday is Halloween so I will share some facts and folklore in the coming weeks.

In the meantime, if you see me creeping in your backyard, you know it's just.........another day in Catasauqua.