The Shining

You know, there are some people in life that just have a way of doing things that are...so...memorable.  My Dad has always been one of those people.  Is it just his Polish heritage that causes this continual one-upping effect?  Anything most people can do, he can do weirder (or clumsier).

Most of the time, we just stand back and watch whatever phenomenon he's creating with a combination of wonder and amusement.  We have always previously just kind of exempted his health exploits from this exceptionalism, however we were apparently wrong to do so.

Fairly recently, my Dad had to go in for another PET scan.  It was of concern considering how many recent bouts with various cancers he's had.  We were all a little nervous to get the results.  Come to find out, his cancer doctor was nervous to give him the results--although not for the usual reasons.

There was a shining glow shown in the scan, but it was not in the stomach as was expected.  That was great news for us, but how is an immigrant cancer doctor supposed to explain where the glowing WAS coming from?

He evidently managed to pull it off rather calmly.  His face didn't crack as he informed my father that the only glowing was coming from one of his buttocks.  Not both, just one.

How can this happen?  Do people really get cancer of the you-know-what?  If they do, is there an amputation option available?  Do they make prosthetics for that kind of thing or do you just have to resort to stuffing your back pocket with an oversized wallet?

I wonder if the cancer doctor went home and told his wife about breaking this particular news.  It must be memorable, I mean, how many people do you know that returned from their PET scan results appointment not crying, not thanking God in relief, but giggling.

Apparently it's just inflammation of the one side from who knows what.  We're awfully glad my Dad's going to be fine...and how nice of him to provide us such amusement.  He is now, officially, the butt of all our jokes.

Thanks, Pa, for always being the one in our family to light the way.  Your shining example is an inspiration...also kind of a freak of nature.

Love Lost

We've been continuing with the highly interesting documentary series, A History of Britain by Simon Schama.  Last night we covered Queen Victoria and the Victorian era, including the works of Elizabeth Gaskell, one of my new favorite authors (insert sigh)...that's subject matter for another post.

The documentary included a fairly good glimpse into the personal life of Queen Victoria and her hubby Prince Albert.  There are the usual interesting tidbits, such as the fact that protocol required her to propose to him.  To my surprise though, I found their relationship really touching.  There was so much mutual respect and affection, something that has been extremely rare when it comes to the royals we've covered so far.

Here's a painting of Victoria and Albert and the first five of their nine children.

What was most touching to me was the depth of Queen Victoria's grief after Albert's passing.  She wore black for the rest of her life and rarely left London.  She laid out his shaving items every morning, as well as a clean towel and clothes for him every day.  She slept with his nightgown beside her, and even requested that it be put in her coffin with her.  When an artist made the cast of Prince Albert after his death, she had one made of herself as well, so they would be remembered together always.  It was almost as if she died with him that day.

There were so many political accomplishments and improvements made during her reign, but isn't it interesting that when you think of Victoria as a woman, you almost always think of Albert as well?  

There is nothing in life so fulfilling as a marriage that is successful!

Bearded Elegance

I'm pretty used to beards...not on myself, of course, but on my loved ones.  My hubby is growing a goatee, a move initiated by Hurricane Allison's confiscation of his razor's charger cord.  My Dad has always had a beard since I can remember.  The weirdest part of him having chemo was losing his facial hair.  I don't know if I would have recognized him walking by on the street.  Of course if he had driven by with his Casey's coffee cup on top of his car, I would have known him right away, but that's beside the point.

Anyway...this labored introduction is meant to bring about the comment that I just read of an interesting reader's poll at Smithsonian.com.  I, thanks to my bearded Pops, am a faithful subscriber to Smithsonian magazine where they cover all manner of interesting things.  The poll had eight rebs and/or yanks to vote on according to who had the most likeable beard hair.  Who comes up with this stuff?  Isn't the Smithsonian supposed to be really intelligent and staid?  Hmmm...Maybe I could get a job as a Smithsonian blogger...

I've always been fascinated by the uniqueness of the facial hair during the Civil War.  You can almost always place the soldiers in the correct era by that alone, and I should know, because I've seen Ken Burns's The Civil War multi-volume documentary not one, but two times.

Here are the pictures of the nominees.  I've pared the list down to the six most magnificent and striking candidates.  They also had free pictures to use on Wikipedia, an added benefit. Cast your vote below for the beard hair that makes the biggest impression on you...I'll announce the winner in a week or so and do a brief biography, with the help of my historical buff hubby. (I thought about putting a comma between those modifiers, but didn't want to get too seedy.)  And if you're rolling your eyes right now and thinking that I'm just plain weird, remember that this was the Smithsonian's idea first, not mine.

All disclaimers covered, we'll get to the nominees.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!!!!

Nominee #1:

George Crook
Quite Impressive

Nominee #2:

Adelbert Ames
A sophisticated way to hide an incisor gap.

Nominee #3:

Alpheus Williams
A bird lover's built in perch.

Nominee #4:

Ambrose Burnside
He'd have been a better barber...
Got a great story about his bridge at Antietam, but I won't tell, in order to protect the guilty...you know who you are!!!

Nominee #5:

Christopher C. Augur
Whiskers of wispiness...

And finally, Nominee #6:

J.E.B. Stuart
I'm sure there is a pistol hidden in there somewhere.

Add your vote to the comment section, I'll tally and post the results next week along with a bio...really, this is educational!

More Gossip from the Home Front

There are some very interesting neighbors to be had in the country.  When I was growing up, the farm next to ours had a sign at the end of the driveway warning, "Kep Out!".  No, that was not a typo.  On a side note, the farmer has a son who lives down the road.  So frugal is he, he doesn't mow his lawn all summer long, because he can usually get two cuttings of hay out of it...ie...two bales of hay over the course of many long bladed months.

My Dad told me this story recently about this neighbor, Sheldon.  My Dad had followed his truck into town, when he noticed to his surprise, Sheldon was not alone in his truck.  Next to him...and I mean middle seatbelt next to him, my Dad could make out long blonde haired head resting on Sheldon's shoulders.  (I mean the hair was long, not the head...just thought I'd clarify).  Now, if you'd ever seen this guy, you'd understand his surprise. He's not the type of guy to sweep a girl off her feet and get her to snuggle up next to him in a truck.  Interesting.

Some time went by and my Dad again followed Sheldon into town.  Again he spotted the blonde cutie right up next to him in the rusty truck.  Unbelieveable!  How does he do it?  For all we knew, he didn't speak to anything more feminine than his angus cows.  Hmmm...

Then, at last, the mystery was solved.  My Dad spotted Sheldon's truck...this time from the front.  The blonde cutie was there, licking Sheldon's face and panting in the sun.  Yes, it was a new dog.  All I have to say is, I'm sure glad my Dad didn't tell the old men in the barber shop.  Can you imagine how many womanly hearts would have been broken for nothing if the misleading romance were whispered about the town?  Phew!

When Being a Royal Doesn't Pay...

Have you ever heard how Edward II of England died?  I just did.  Apparently he was killed by having a red hot fire iron shoved up through what we'll call the back door.  This was done by his wife.  Just goes to show...if you're not a success at home, you're not a success anywhere.

By the way, right now my hubby and I are watching the BBC/History Channel multi-installment documentary called A History of Britian.  It's fantastic so far...really full of interesting tidbits, as you may have guessed.  They say truth is stranger than fiction...

Gossip From the Home Front

My home town is very interesting.  It's kind of a real life, German version of Mayberry.  It's neat and quaint and full of exciting tales that run through the barber shop, then the local paper, often in that order.

Here's an interesting tidbit I heard about while I was visiting.  This was actually in the paper.  A man had been arrested on suspicion of breaking into the local pharmacy.  Apparently, before he could even get to the pharmacy, several trusted citizens called the police to report him as suspicious.  The reason, you ask?  He was wearing a hoodie.  (giggle, giggle...seriously!)  Yes, what would here in Cincinnati probably be called fashion profiling was praised in my home town by the local police chief.  Can you imagine?  My husband wears hoodies all the time when the weather gets cold...I better purge his wardrobe before his next visit.  Wouldn't want him being arrested on suspicion of stealing from an antique shop or anything...

The Gentlemen of Baseball

Okay, I've done some posting on some of the more erratic players in baseball history, and now as promised, I'll cover some of the guys who were actually nice and worthy of being a boy's role model.  It may surprise those of you who are a little sports-biased (I at times fall into this category myself, I must admit!), but there are actually quite a few who were great guys!  Here are three more players which I consider note-worthy:

Christy Mathewson:

He was actually called "the Christian Gentleman" by players and press alike because of his courtesy and public stand for God and country.  He was an amazing pitcher...one of the first in the hall of fame...who wouldn't pitch a game on Sunday, in honor of his beliefs.  He enlisted in WWI, along with the less-than-Christian-non-gentleman Ty Cobb, and inhaled poisonous gas.  This ended his pitching career and ultimately took his life, but he never regretted it.  He was one of the first five inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Lou Gehrig:

I have to say, through the Ken Burns series, Lou Gehrig was one of my personal favorites, although he was largely overshadowed by his flamboyant teammate, Babe Ruth.  He was just as talented as Ruth, but was completely opposite him in character.  He was a quiet, modest, family man.  He never sought the lime-light.  He spent years in the shadow of Ruth, being largely overlooked, yet always kept a kind and gentlemanly attitude toward him.  It's actually he, and not Ruth who holds the grand slam record!  Even when he had to leave the game of baseball at the age of 36 due to what would eventually be called 'Lou Gehrig's Disease', he bravely faced a devastating illness without complaint, instead being grateful for the time he had lived and played.  He is a great example of how to win and keep a humble attitude.

Ted Williams:

I suppose I ought to include a Red Sox player since I've had a Yankee. :)  Seriously, Ted Williams is a good role model for a young man.  He was an absolutely amazing hitter,  and much of his skill was acquired through hard work and observation.  He really studied and worked hard to become great...it didn't just happen naturally for him!  Some people even consider him the greatest hitter who ever lived.  His stats, though, may not seem as impressive as you'd expect from an all-time great.  There's a reason.  He took years away from his career (stats) to serve in the military in both WWII and the Korean war.  How many sports players these day can you think of who wouldn't be too self-serving to step away from their sport while at their prime to serve their country?  I think it was amazing...what a great example.

I've really enjoyed learning some of the ins and outs of baseball, courtesy of Ken Burns.  I understand why Brooklyn Dodgers fans are bitter, I know about the Red Sox curse, I know how to calculate a batting average, but most of all, I enjoyed the stories.  The game of baseball is an avenue to learn about some very interesting lives.  They say truth is stranger than fiction...who would have thought I'd have enjoyed the Baseball documentary so much?

So, About Ty Cobb...

Well, the time has come to continue my chronicle of the Baseball documentary by Ken Burns.  I have enjoyed the time watching it...like I said, we're a little weird like that.  I've learned a few things.  I understand the statistics of baseball a lot more, I feel pretty well-versed on the ins and outs of the steroid years.  I know who my hubby does and doesn't like in the game, and I've picked up some useful terms along the way.

Here is what I've learned about the legendary player, Ty Cobb.  He was a phenomenal, old school player.  Many people consider him one of the all-time best baseball players in general, and best batters in particular.  He's in the Hall of Fame and played for Detroit.  He set many records that modern players are trying to break even today.  Now, for the interesting stuff...

He was probably one of the most prejudiced, surly people I've ever heard of.  If there was a Hall of Fame for mean players, he'd definitely be in.  In all fairness, he did have a pretty rough life as a child.  He was from Georgia, and grew up trying to meet the expectations of a very stern father.  His father's only words of wisdom for him were, "Don't come home a failure."  Even his mother was pretty disinterested in him as a child, so he grew up as a bit of a loner.  He discovered that through hard work and aggression, he could play baseball very well.  Just as he was about to be hired into the minor leagues, a feat he was sure would at last impress his father, his father was killed...by his own mother!  She shot him when he was climbing in the window, suspicious of her having an affair.  Yikes!  Definitely not the ideal bringing up.

From that time on, he really had a 'me against the world' mentality.  He elevated himself to excellence through sheer will power.  He is actually a great credit to what hard work can do for you.  He did great and became a legend fairly early on in his career.  Fans loved having his talent, but people didn't like him...especially the members of his own team.  He was known for sliding into bases with his spiked cleats as high as possible so he could shred up the legs of the baseman.  He was brutal, ferocious.  If he could hurt another player while playing, he was glad to do it.

One of the stories I remember best was of him coming back to his hotel room after a game.  He had to share with another player on the team, who had arrived before and gotten into the bath tub.  Cobb ran in there, pulled the naked, startled player out of the tub, and screamed at him, "Don't you know that I HAVE to be first?  I ALWAYS have to be first!"  Okay...needless to say, he was unsuccessful at both of his marriages as well.

He was very prejudiced, and not just against blacks.  He called the amazing shortstop Honus Wagner, "kraut-head" and told him he'd cut him to ribbons during their epic match-up.  (I was personally thrilled that the  kind and talented Wagner won out... it just seemed like justice!).  Wagner out-classed and out-played him.  By the way, he is also in the Hall of Fame and is another of the all-time greats.

One of the most infamous of his incidents which actually earned him a short suspension from playing was the brutal beating of a handicapped fan.  Apparently the fan said something Cobb didn't like...fans did that even more back then, I think...he said something that was on the racist side.  After the fan kept it up through six innings, Cobb climbed into the stands and began hitting and kicking him with his spikes.  The man had lost both hands and part of an arm in an accident, so he couldn't defend himself and Cobb nearly killed him before security pulled him off.

Here's something I thought a little funny.  Cobb was a strong advocate of denying yourself sweets and unhealthy food in favor of good nutrition, which would make you stronger for the game.  When Babe Ruth came along with his beer drinking, hot dog downing successful home runs, Cobb despised him, preferring the harsh self-denial mode he'd grown up on ...think of that!  A life without chocolate!

He continued to excel throughout his career, but the end of his long life was what he reaped for his dramatic unkindness to others.  He died a rich, successful, acclaimed man...but his former wives hated him, and his children felt shunned by him because they weren't the successes he expected.  In his final years, he traveled alone throughout the country until he was admitted to the hospital for the final time.  One of his final quotes was, "I played hard and lived hard all my life, and have no friends to show for it."  How sad!

I used to think that our society today overlooked the moral defects of superstar players too much.  I guess I've learned that it's nothing new to appreciate a talent, and overlook the harshness in someone's character.  Ty Cobb had a lonely, but successful life.  He felt like the world was against him, and ended up regretting his headlong pursuit of personal excellence.  He wasn't able to find and keep what REALLY mattered in life.

They say truth is stranger than fiction...

Next time, we'll focus on some of the notable gentlemen of baseball, because there are quite a few.

For you Baseball Fans...

I have some fond memories of baseball.  I'm not much of a sportster myself, but what good, red-blooded American doesn't look kindly on the sport?  In fact, my first daughter was born during the world series of 2005...that accounts for my OB being MIA for a large portion of the labor!

So anyway...my hubby recently purchased something interesting for us.  It's the Ken Burns documentary on the history of baseball.  It's called...you guessed it...Baseball.  Now, I know that not many people my age are into documentaries, but when you're married to someone with a History Education degree, you learn to embrace things like that.  The truth is, it is mighty interesting.  So, although we are only a scant four hours into the twenty-two, I already have some interesting facts to report.

Did you know that the famous Dodgers were originally from Brooklyn?  They were originally called the 'Trolley Dodgers' because of the intricate maze of trolleys their fans had to navigate to get to the games.  Apparently in those days, the trolleys meandered down the streets in all sorts of directions...they showed footage.  It would scare me!  Brave fans!  How their hearts must have sank when their team was sold to another city.

Here's an interesting character we've learned about so far.  His name was Rube Waddell.



photo courtesy of Wikipedia

This guy was an interesting player!  He wasn't mean like Detroit's famous Ty Cob (I'll cover him later...or maybe I'll have my hubby do it for me!), he was just a complete nut case!

He was a great pitcher, but he had problems concentrating.  Fans of the opposing team would hold up puppies or shiny objects to distract him, and it worked great!  Imagine a pitcher these days doing his wind-up and just before the release stopping because he was distracted at the sight of a puppy in the stands.  Nice!

Sometimes, he'd run out of the dugout mid-game to chase fire trucks for who knows how long.  He'd enter the field via the stands, then stand there and partially strip before running to the dugout to dress for the game.  Yikes!  The documentary said he couldn't remember how many wives he had...I'm not sure if that was for real or if it was a sports writer quote of sarcasm.  He was however, great at striking out batters with his fast ball.  Apparently his arm was quicker than his brain.

They say truth is stranger than fiction!  Next installment...Ty Cobb.

Independence Day

Have you ever discovered the true poetry that happened in the friendship of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson?  It's intriguing. 

They were as different as different could be.  Adams was a straightlaced, hard working, plain speaking, puritanical New Englander, Jefferson a leisurely, gentlemanly, charming, introverted Southerner.  They were nearly perfect opposites, yet they helped form a nation together, they wrote the Declaration of Independence together, and became friends of a lifetime. 

They became like brothers for a time, against a backdrop of Boston, Philadelphia, Virginia, Paris, Denmark, and Washington.  As is often the case, then politics took its toll on them.  As they ran against each other for two presidencies, their contrasting ideals and political gameplay drove a seemingly incurable wedge between them.  Theirs was the bitterest enmity of brothers parted on bad terms.  Then, late in their lives, as they were both dealing with the loss of their wives, age, and semi-infirmity, they began a cautious correspondence which blossomed into a tenderer friendship than they had had before.  Their letters to each other were comforts and delights.  The kinship of forming the new nation was sparked yet again, and their personal interest in each other's lives were rekindled.  They corresponded regularly the rest of their lives.  In fact, in the final act of poetry, they died on the same day...July 4, on the fiftieth anniversary of the nation whose Independence they had drafted together.  Truth is stranger than fiction...you can't make this stuff up.


***Editor's Note:  For more reading on this subject, check out John Adams by David McCullough.  It's fantastic.

photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Quirky History: President Theodore Roosevelt

Do you know who this is?  It's one of my favorite quirky historical figures.  He was a God-fearing, moral, almost arrogant, overachieving political genius.  The amazing thing about him?  He really tried to live what he preached.  He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, yet was the champion of the common worker.  He was sickly and weak through his childhood years, yet is known as one of the brawniest, rough riding-est, boxing cowboys ever.  I sometimes secretly wonder if he was really a cartoon character.  If he liked something, he'd say "Bully!".  If he was happy, he'd say, "dee-lighted!".  He had a crazy zest for life.  Here are my top ten favorite Theodore Roosevelt anecdotes:

10. People made fun of him for his enormous incisors.

9.  He would read a magazine page, then when he was finished, he'd tear it off, crumple it, and throw it on the floor.  He did that through every magazine he read, then would pick them all up and throw them in the trash.

8.  He ran for office the last time as head of the Bull Moose Party.  Who could do that in politics today?

7.  His mother and first wife died on the same day.  He disappeared into the uncivilized Dakota Territory and became a rancher for years to escape his grief.  He could never bear to speak of his first wife again.

6.  He was a naturalist.  He always had animals in his pockets growing up and would draw pictures of them.   He also loved hunting.  He shot a lion in Africa.

5.  He had a squeaky, old womanish voice that people made fun of.

4.  He hated the nickname Teddy.  No one would dare call him that to his face.

3. He loved the exploits of his roudy boys.  They would bring all kinds of animals into the White House and scare public officials and he thought it was great.  Sometimes he'd excuse himself from meetings to go wrestle with his sons for a few minutes.

2. His second wife, Edith, was his neighbor.  She was shy and introverted and had loved him for as long as she could remember.  She stayed true to him even when he married another and grieved her passing.  She raised his daughter as her own child.

1. When he was police commissioner of New York City, he would go undercover to check up on his subordinates.  He'd wear outlandish poor man costumes to disguise his identity, then make sure the laws were being enforced the way people would claim they were.

They say truth is stranger than fiction.  You couldn't make up a life like that...no one would believe you.

****Editor's Note: For more reading on Theodore Roosevelt, try this book:

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt by Edmund Morris
Photos courtesy of Wikipedia