What Christmas Means To Me
By: Stan Jordan
I have always been a Christmas guy, as far back as I can remember, it was a very happy time. The Christ Child, church, the programs, Santa Claus, and the phrases about peace and good will toward all men.
I still love the Christmas carols and winter type songs. I know and remember the older ones and like to hear and sing them.
When I was a child, the economy was quite the opposite of now. The depression was on and there wasn’t any money above the necessity of life. Everyone just window shopped and had a good time.
You didn’t get much for Christmas, but then you didn’t expect much, so you weren’t disappointed. The Chamber of Commerce always had a treat for the children at that time, and you looked forward to it.
In that same line of thought, back in 1948, I was the PR man for the Antwerp Volunteer Fire Department and that year we started to have treats and Santa Claus for the kids at Christmas time, and they still do today. The firemen enjoyed it as much as the kids. After WWII we always decorated our house with colored lights and we always drove around and observed the pretty lights in town and even up in Ft. Wayne. We always went over to Baughman’s each year – I surely miss that display.
When I was younger, I enjoyed the shopping, the giving and receiving and the Christmas decorations of the town and stores. The decorations just filled the air with peace and joy and good will.
“Tis the season to be jolly.” That phrase is hundreds of years old, but it is so true. You cannot be alive this time of year, and not feel the difference that goes with this season. The children’s expectations and overall wonder and awe, and all the adults that the volunteer for helping the needy.
Back in 1957, Dr. Seuss created a fictional character called The Grinch, a recluse that hated Christmas and all the good things about Christmas, so he stole all the gifts and little things that went with Christmas, but it really didn’t work that way. The people who lived in Who-ville met and sang songs and carried on as if the Grinch didn’t steal all the gifts. The Grinch couldn’t understand that part, that the people were happy any how.
When I was a mailman, I enjoyed Christmas. I always had some mail for everyone, sometimes quite a bit, sometimes a box of homemade fudge for me in the box with the flag raised. Some ladies would ask for Christmas stamps, because I usually left flag stamps. If you don’t have them, leave them the next time. First class mail was three cents at that time.
The Christmas spirit is in the air. You can feel it, you can see it, you can live it. It is a glamorous time of year, revered by all, in mind and spirit, enjoyed by everyone, including the Grinch.
See Ya!
The Lobo Tank Busters
By: Stan Jordan
The Frenchman Jean, walked until he found some American soldiers and they took him to the commanding officer, he in turn, took Jean over to S-2, that is a security office.
Jean told them about his job for the last couple of years and how the place was making synthetic diesel fuel. He told them this place was underground and big bombs would have to be used to go deep enough to destroy everything.
The only airplane that has enough space to carry a big boy bomb is the English Lancaster Bomber. The bombs might weigh up to four tons each.
Then, the Col. said, “Now, this is what I want you boys to do, on Thursday morning, at 10:00 a.m. I want you boys to be over that factory and start fires along all four sides of that entire area so the Lancaster Bombers can drop their bombs, circling the perimeter. They will be guided by the fires and smoke you create.”
He gave us all the exact co-ordinates to the place and photographs of the area, taken by a P-38 recon plane. We discussed these plans and pictures over and over again.
We were over the place at 10:00 a.m. sharp, and it did look like an orchard from above. I went down the right side and fired three of my rockets to mark the area, it appeared to be about a quarter of a mile square. There may have been some buildings under the netting as I started these fires.
Our number four pilot, Lt. Nelson, did the same on the left side of the area and the other two pilots went down the middle and started fires.
We went over the river and made a circle and came back, oddly enough the anti–aircraft resistance wasn’t too bad.
We were to be out of the area by 10:10 a.m., and we were, but we used our last rocket to a good advantage.
We went up about a thousand feet altitude and stayed over to the east side of the river and watched the big bombers do their job. The area was well marked by fires and smoke.
Oh what a confrontation! I bet that over a hundred big bombers came in rows and rows. The air was full of fire, smoke, dirt, bombers and more dirt. The big boy bombers were doing a fine job. I’ll bet the noise was deafening.
We went to about 10,000 feet altitude and stayed with the bombers for as long as we could and they went onto England and we landed at Anthony Air Base.
See Ya!
Funny blonde one liners
Why did the blonde get fired from the banana plantation? Because she threw out all the bent ones.
What do you do if a blonde throws a grenade at you? Pull the pin and throw it back.
What do you call a fly buzzing inside a blonde’s head? A space invader.
What did the blonde say when she found out she was pregnant? “Are you sure it’s mine?”
What do you call a smart blonde? A golden retriever.
How do you make a blonde laugh on Saturday? Tell her a joke on Wednesday.
Why do blondes have TGIF on their shoes? Toes go in first!
Why did the blonde scale the glass wall? To see what was on the other side.
The blonde went into the store and there was a sign “ All the peanuts you want for $1.00” so she took $2.00 worth.
The blonde went into the funeral parlor and saw the corpse dressed really nice and she wondered where he was going.
Eagles
By: Stan Jordan
The leaves are pretty much off the trees now and you can see the eagles’ nest pretty easily. Some people told me the other day that they had seen two adult and three young eagles, north and east of Antwerp.
I was talking to some other folks, and they said they said there is an eagles’ nest close to the area where the Briceton Road, or CR 87, crosses Flat Rock Creek. That is probably a good place, with plenty of water and small wild life.
The eagles are getting more acclimated to the area as nests have been sighted for some time now at the little town of Florida, Independence and a number in the Defiance area, Antwerp and east of Cecil. I hear from people sighting the eagles at Hicksville, Bull Rapids, Gar Creek Road and the Payne area.
An eagle will eat road kill, just like a buzzard will, but the eagle would rather have some live game to teach their young how to hunt.
I was talking to a truck driver today and he said their is an eagle’s nest over in Indiana where Ohio SR 249 enters. They are slowly populating this area.
Mark Larimore told me that he saw two young eaglets the other day. They still had a black head, but they were eagles because of their size. I haven’t talked to anybody that has saw any snowy owls yet this years I imagine that the warmer weather we are having this winter is keeping them up in Northern Michigan.
See Ya!
