Wish we Had More Like Him

I sat down the other night to watch one of my favorite TV hosts from my childhood. Sailor Bob can only be one of Richmond and Virginias best treasures that we ever had and will probably never see again. This documentary that they made of him had me crying and smiling within a few minutes bringing many happy memories of watching him drawing, laughing and introducing Popeye to us. Going to the local new mall Walnut Hill at the time to see him was a dream come true not only for me, but for many of my friends and my younger brothers.
I can not say how much he meant to so many, but looking at the throngs of kids and families who would come to see him, you know that this man and the people who helped him on his shows were more than just an entertainer for kids. He became our friend and to many our inspiration.
How his show came about was such a surprise to many of us watching this documentary and how it ended on channel 12 was kind of mean or like a slap in the face to kids that they didnt care about children. I guess they forgot who helped them get to where they are.
I was also surprised that the director of another channel who had him come to their station was another favorite childhood entertainer of mine - The Bowman Body !
How I wish there were more like them for the kids of today and I am glad that I am able to share this documentary with my family of how things were when I was a little girl.
Thank You Sailor Bob and Bowman Body

A day at Heritage Museum In Prince George

I had a little free time this week and wanted to find out about doing some research on county family cemetaries that are not on record here, and decided to go visit the local Heritage Museum in Prince George.
The museum opened just a couple of years ago inside the old courthouse and I have been wanting to see the place so off I went.
I was rather surprised at what was on display inside when I was inside. I was most impressed by some of the stories of items that were donated or loaned to the museum. I am hoping that a few things I asked about will soon come there as it seems only right that they are in the museum for all to see.
One item i really liked was an old whale flipper bones. Long ago when I was in 6th grade, a whale beached itself along the river. My children have never believed me when I told them about that so I took a picture of it just for them LOL.
Some other items I liked was a trunk of old Bohemian family items, quilt, dishes and even some canned food there. Prince George owes a lot to these families who settled here and farmed. I also seen a Civil War chess set made out of bullets and a World War 2 collection from a bride here in the county along with her scrapbook, letters and things like that. There was also an old grindstone from Flowerdew Plantation that was used to grind corn for cornmeal. There were some old pictures of schools and some history on them. But what I really wanted to see was from my generation - The Years of the Amazing Mezza. John Mezza was our band director at Prince George High School and he was the best. Over the years, he directed our band and make our school a national name. He took the band to so many parades including return trips to the Rose Parade and Macys Thanksgiving Parade. Many bowl games including the Sugar Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Orange Bowl. They even performed in Canada where our friends in Canada were impressed that our band was the first to play its National Anthem for the game.
My memory of the band that is one of my favorites is when they danced the Tea Berry Shuffle all the way thru the Rose Parade with the crowd applauding the whole way. The majorettes wore holes in their boots halfway thru. Tea Berry was a popular chewing gum at the time and they came to the school to tape the band doing the shuffle !
So this was my day out this week and I hope you enjoy the pics !
see you soon

Ghosts to Groundhogs

Happy Imbolc and Happy Groundhog Day !
I started this morning making groundhog pancakes for my little grandson Perrin which he gobbled down while we watched the party near my hometown in Punxatawny Penna. for Phil to make his annual prediction. Being 4 years old, Perrin had a lot of questions about everything but we got our dancing shoes on listening to the Love Shack watching the gopher cheerleaders heating up the crowd in that bitter cold up there. I remember those cold mornings walking up to Gobblers Knob with my grandparents dressed in our Sunday clothes then going to the local firehouse for some hot breakfast after Phil told us whether it was 6 more long weeks of winter or spring was just around the corner. Times sure have changed since I was a little girl cuz it wasnt like this at all then. A radio station may have covered it then but mostly newspaper reporters and then only a few came.
At school, Perrin made a cute little groundhog that popped in and out of a cup today and I took his picture at his school where they decided that this was ok to have a sign out on the marquee. It no less surprised me for that as they are not the type of school to celebrate an old Pennsylvania German custom.
Last week on January 24th, I took some friends on the annual Ghost Brigade Ghost Walk in Centre Hill Mansion in Petersburg. My favorite author Mr LB Taylor was there and shared a few laughs with me on some of his stories especially Crazy Lucy down in Williamsburg. He has a wonderful way of writing a story and when he speaks, I can feel them come to life.
We seen no ghosts that night but seen more paranormal people there than usual. I havent been in a couple of years where I used to go faithfully each year. I have seen many unexplainable things in that house especially the white dress that is no longer in sight there. I chatted a bit with a few of the Tri City Paranormal guys and watched old Ben with his cameras outside where he said there was more activity out there than in the house. Several years ago he took some photos of my group and several had some wild looking lights around their heads. My favorite guide Ms Franklin wasnt with us on tour although she was there that night. Ahh the times she and I have had in that house and on the Blandford Cemetary tours with spirits and ghosts. I so wished we would have had any other guide than the one we had though as she went too fast thru the house, missed telling the group some of the main ghost stories like the melodium piano playing by itself, forgetting to take the second part of the tour group upstairs and not telling any of them about the bullet hole in the door. what should have been a 45 minute tour at the least ended after 20 minutes. It is a shame because the place was packed and they were turning people away that they had one guide at least who only wanted to share the historical value of the furniture and not the history of the home. But I will go back and somehow will make it up to my friends who came from out of the country to attend this event. Hopefully we can get to Shirley Plantation so they can see Aunt Pratt happly hanging on the wall these days or go see if the fruit stays in the bowl on the table at Berkeley Plantation.
Last but not least I need to make note that today the local army base was playing the music tones to Close Encounters again. I now know the reason behind it but cant even begin to imagine anyone who doesnt know what is going on and hears those tones thinking aliens may be coming or we are trying to contact them. I know the first time I heard them I was so excited but it scared my family and some friends when i rushed in the house to tell them and they heard.
I love living near the base as I have for many many years. One thing I miss on this side of Ft Lee is that I can no longer hear the soldiers singing during their morning exercises. But then I can hear all the bugle calls each day and end my nights with Taps thinking of all our men and women who are out there for my family, friends and me keeping me safe and free to do these things we sometimes take for granted. May they always be safe and in our prayers ! Good night my friends