Christmas Holidays for the Everharts - Together

Liz is a city planner - but everyone got into planning
Plasticville Tamaqua 

Hot dogs and a camp fire - nothing better on the mild
December night

Down on the farm - Green Acres is the place for me

I have had a writer's block trying to figure out how to describe Christmas 2016. When you are old and senile - the last one is always the best one. I am afraid if I put my feelings about this Christmas down on paper - it will somehow evaporate. It was just oh so good. 

For the first time - the Everhart 9 - got to all meet and celebrate on Christmas Day. Of course - since Max (Number 9) is only 6 months old - it was his very first Christmas. And he did not disappoint. 

Lulu loves Christmas. She loves to buy presents and decorate. She loves to cook for everyone. These are the same things her Mom and Grandmothers did. Lulu's tree is laden with ornaments that she has collected through the years on her travels. One day - I am going to do a story with pictures of each ornament - an OCD guys dream :-)  We have a 9 foot tree that we can take up the attic and store standing up - without decorations of course. 

My favorite and coolest present of all - will be a separate story. It is the best present I ever got. I cried and cried over it. Watch for that. Another neat present - going along on the OCD motif - is my energy monitor. Liz and Keith got "us" a device that you put in your circuit box. It constantly monitors your electricity use - and sends the data to your iPhone. I loved watching the power consumption go down when turning off appliances. It drives Lulu wacky.

I build a train platform. When I told the kids about it - they asked if I would not do the train layout or village until they got here Christmas Day. What more could a grandpa ask for - having all the kids and grandkids enjoy a tradition my Dad started when I was born in 1948. I even have some original plastic houses that are 68 years old. 

We had 6 full days together - traveling around in the van - visiting the Tallahassee Museum - eating at Sonny's - baking cookies with Mum Mum - emptying stockings - playing with trains and slot cars - going to FSU games - kids doing the zip lines - adults out alone - meals together - playing in the yard -  having a hot dog roast - and picking everyone up at the airport in the van. It all just buzzed by.

We just loved being all together. You hate when they must all pack up and go home - back to work - back to school - back to up North - back to the routines.

Although one feels that the problems we have are singular to us - millions of Americans have the same problems. When we were kids - everyone lived and worked close by. When I was a kid - my grandmother was down the street - and she cooked a hot meal for me for 12 years when I came home  from school for lunch. My one sister was just across town my whole adult life. My other sister was about 90 miles away. Lulu's grandparents lived behind her childhood home. Her cousins were all within an hour. 

We moved to Florida 13 years ago when FSU recruited Lulu to be a professor. The kids went to college at Duke and Georgetown - got jobs and families and stayed away. They now own homes in Richmond and Washington DC. It is much easier for us to go see them than for them to all fly down on holidays breaks. I feel guilty for whining about stuff like that - but we all have our problems. The minute you solve one - another one crops up. When Lulu eventually retires - we will have some big decisions to make. 

We were honored they all chose to give us so much time this Christmas.

You think of your family and friends that passed on during this season. Although you know it is the most natural of all things - you miss them - but Christmas trains - trees - decorations - remind you of everything they did. It was such good feeling - seeing my sons as such good parents. I like to think they learned by example from us - but they probably learned in spite of us. They are two really good men - who hit the jackpot when it came to getting the best wives - Robin and Liz. 

We loved sharing a little Christmas cheer with Cousin Georgeann and husband Jim - and best buddies Dick and Jan Davis. Even though it was only video chats with Dick - he can light up a room from 3000 miles away with his smile and silly quips. Both Dick and Georgeann are facing tough battles right now - and if you pray - these guys are on the top of the list. 

Like I said - I am luckier than I deserve. My friends and family made me laugh and cry over the holidays. All we have is the future. We want to make it as good as we can. We do not wish for much. We want for nothing material. We are lucky. 

Lulu's travel tree

Lulu's tree and my train yard. I build three 4x5 platforms.
We only used two this year. I made them that size
so they could go up the attic steps.

This mysterious Christmas train arrived full of goodies -
we found out later Sandi Jimmerson sent it.

The Everhart 9 stockings were filled by Santa.
Lulu made lots of cookies

Christmas morning - our presents before the kids

Ehen the kids arrived - more presents to open

The youngest - Number 9 - played the game

Lulu and I both worked for Heislers Dairy

Everybody got some great gifts. I will
have a separate story about my best gift ever. 

Lots of playing on the floor 

Lulu passes on her family musical skills

Neighbor Joel with our new one

Two American Girls in the tree

4 Everhart Girls have green martinis

Neighbor George sets up the slots cars every year

Racing against Uncle Keith

This was our English Christmas Breakfast

Assembling some of the 68 year old houses 

How many times have these houses been
built and torn down? 

80 degrees on the front porch -
picking camellias and azaleas

Way down upon the Suwanee River

Head librarian in charge reads to her grandson 

Zip lines and tree top hikes

Courage building

The Everharts from Richmond

Mum Mum makes the pancakes

Picking lemons - oranges - tangerines

Planting Mum Mum's kumquat tree

The first batch of cookies was one in 2 days -
so we made another batch

Jumparoo with Uncle Drew

Cutting out the sugar cookies

Let's add more sugar to the sugar cookies

The finished products

Checking out the ornaments - the youngest and the oldest

LED lights in all the houses. We never got a chance to put the streets.

Winter Drive in the Coal Regions

Andrew Leibensguth is an artist. He is a local leader in using cutting edge technology.

This morning I enjoyed a video he recorded - driving from Tamaqua through Mahanoy City to Shenandoah. It is time lapsed so he compressed the 30 minute drive down to 4 minutes. He recorded this yesterday.

The Coal Regions are part of the Rust Belt in Pennsylvania - the major industry - hard coal mining - is still performed here. But since America's consumption of coal dwindled - and was replaced by oil - and now natural gas - the industry is a ghost of what it once was in the middle 1900's.

The company homes which were designed to be used about 20 years - have survived through scores of renovations. Completely renovated homes with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath can be purchased for $20,000. The 1860's home I grew up in recently sold for $40,000.

Andrew captures the Coal Regions as it is. His pictures and writings are simple - unvarnished. Mainly - Andrews produces and publishes so much material - it is hard for him to attempt to slant it all one way or the other.

Recently Andrew drove to the Palma Maria Restaurant to meet up with us. We drove from Tallahassee to Casselbery FL. Andrew drove his rental van (unlimited miles) from Tamaqua to LosAngeles then across I-10 through Arizona - New Mexico - Texas - Louisiana - Mississippi - Alabama - and finally Florida to get to dinner just a few minutes late.

Andrew's web page is Tamaquaarea.com

Lulu Has Her Eye On This Camper

Aftermath - 16 Hours After The Storm

Morning after the storm. We have power back after about 8 hours. Most of the 30000 customers are back on line. Our comcast internet is still off. Trees are down all over - knocking down power lines and cable lines. Does anyone still use land line phones? There were tornadoes north of us but we only got gusts of 55 mph. We had tons of rain making our sandy soil mush. Pine trees have shallow roots - and over they go. People here worship these 100 foot pine trees like India worships cows. Then they are mystified when the trees crush their houses and pull down power lines. This is not an act of God - it is an act of stupidity. Now excuse me why I go out and OCD my yard :-)

Power Back At Midnight

The city worked very hard to restore power to 30000. We had power at midnight. We ran our generator until 10 pm. Then pulled the plug and went to bed.

Tornado Like Winds Just Pounded Our Tallahassee Neighborhood - We Lost A 100 Foot Pine Tree - House Is Fine

It has been a funny day. We were getting a lot of rain - there were news reports of 11 people dead across the border in Georgia when a tornado ripped thru a trailer park. We were having flashes of rain - then sun - then strange skies. All of a sudden - we were on the phone doing a video chat with our grandson - when the power in the house went off. We glanced out the back window to see a giant 100 pine tree heading toward our window. Luckily it stopped a few feet short of the house.

This all occurred about 2 hours ago. After taking a tour of the neighborhood on my scooter - I realized it was much more serious than we first thought. There are dozens of giant pine trees knocked across the streets. Power lines - phone lines - cable TV lines - are down all over. Branches litter the yards.

The pine tree that fell in our yard was 100 feet tall - it is about 2 feet thick. It broke off about 40 feet up from the ground. The 60 foot piece came directly toward our house - coming up just short. Ironically this tree was on the property border with our neighbor and they insisted it stay. I wonder if they will insist on paying to clean it up  :-)

We got a text message from the city saying essentially - this is going to take a while. I went to the garage to get our Honda 2000 generator out and fired it up. I ran extension cords to the TV - the satellite dish - the refrigerator - the water heater and some lights. It was so much easier setting up this time - after the practice run this summer during the hurricane. We lost power for 48 hours during that storm - I hope it is just a few hours this time.

We will be offering free services to friends and neighbors.

Note the 40 foot high stump

That tree came just short of our house

Note the pressure on the power lines

More wires trapped by the tree

Limbo Lane blocked by a tree - how low can you go?

Some pulled out by the roots

These pine trees are like weeds

Sandy soils get soaked and down go the trees

Down goes Frazier!

Two trees back to back block Old Fort Drive

A giant tree - probably the one that trapped my drone last year

This one broked off about 30 feet up - an oak

This house is getting a complete renovation

No one lives here - it is getting a full renovation

Seminole Drive - our street - is impassible

I bought the white Honda scooter from this home.

This is the water by our driveway - note the sun

This is the tree in our yar

Note our azaleas are blooming - normally in March

Grandson Jack at LaSalle/VCU Game on NBC Now

Every year neighbor Lee Schilling takes Drew and Jack to this game. Lee travels with the LaSalle team and gets these great seats. This is the 94th straight sellout crowd for the Richmond school. Robin is a professor at the Richmond school. 

FSU Seminoles Beat Louisville By 5 - Finishing Amazing Gauntlet 5-1

Today Florida State beat highly ranked Louisville - completing a string of 6 games against nationally ranked teams. Playing Virginia - Virginia Tech - Duke - North Carolina - Notre Dame - and Louisville - the Noles won 5 of the games.

We left our house at 1 PM to 75 degrees but mean skies. By the time we got to the arena it was pouring. We bought  2 nice tickets for $25 each ($35 face value) for the sold out nationally televised game.

The Seminoles shot out to a 14-0 lead. The Cardinals pulled to within 1 point before losing by 5.

It rained outside the entire game - luckily we brought an umbrella. We walked to our car about 4 blocks away - and drove home. We watched a video of the game.

The Seminoles may be ranked as high as number 5 in the nation after this amazing 6 game run. FSU has a 15 game home winning streak now. The yhave only lost to Carolina and Temple this year - they are 18-2.

Kate's Birthday - Richmond - Washington - Tamaqua

The Capitol is all blocked off for the party on Jan 20th

Kate was born on 1/11/11. So even though we get to see her on Christmas - she reminded us that we have not gotten to a birthday party yet. So here we are - flying to Richmond - going to a party - then heading north to Washington and Tamaqua PA to see everybody.

We left Tallahassee about 5 AM on Thursday and were in Richmond at 9 AM. We enjoyed 3 nights at Drew's house. The Skating Birthday Party was Sunday afternoon - so after a wonderful afternoon which included me donning skates for the first time in almost 50 years - we finally got to a party. I guess it does not leave you - but I was able to go around without killing anyone or myself.

After the party - Lulu and I drove our rental Ford Focus to Washington where we got to spend some time with Max before it was his bedtime. Monday morning - we had breakfast with Liz and Keith - and then we toured the "calm before the storm" at the Capitol and National Mall.

Washington reminds me so much of when we were in town on the "Eve of Destruction" right before Bush decided to invade Iraq. It feels exactly the same way - right down to the overcast skies and crisp cold 40 degree winds. It would be the trifecta for us - because Lulu and I came here in 1973 to attend Nixon's party that only lasted about 18 months until he resigned.

Tomorrow - we will travel north to Tamaqua to visit friends. We will be dodging ice storms to get in and out of the Valley. We will be staying with Betty for 2 nights - then we drive back to Richmond to catch our flight home on Friday.


Parade stands on Pennsylvania Avenue - and lots of toilets


German V-2 and V-1 rockets in Smithsonian


The National Botanical Gardens were the warmest place in town


Jan 20th - a party will be in the Building Museum


Botanical Gardens


Walking on that pad produces electricity for the lights in the park


Palm tree feels like home for Lulu

Swearing-In Stands

Party girl is 6 years old



The blur is me skating - remembering Wenzel's Rink


Putting a plastic pad down over the grass on the Mall

Florida State Basketball Pounds Duke by 16 - We Were There

Harry trying to buy tickets before the game.

We had been waiting a long time for this year's version of the Everhart Bowl. Son Drew got his bachelor's degree from Duke. Son Keith got his master's from FSU. Lulu got her doctorate at FSU and is a professor there now.  Since Duke is such a national power in basketball - and FSU is the football factory - usually the basketball games go in the Devils' favor. But not this time.

The game sold out yesterday. 12,000 tickets were sold - the first time in a long time that no tickets were available. Not that we care because we never buy at the box office. I like to stand outside with two fingers up - often times fans hand me free tickets - seldom do I pay over $10. Because of the big crowd - this time we drove to the arena early. It is about 1.5 miles from our house to the arena. Sometimes we take the scooter - other times we take the electric car. Usually we leave about 20 minutes before tipoff - but this time we allowed 90 minutes for the 8 PM start.

When I got to my spot - the first ones to visit me were the scalpers. After I tell them I want seats along the court for $5 - they leave me alone. I was offered a few pairs but the prices were too high. A guy had 4 tickets behind the Duke bench - but he wanted $80 each. I offered him $60 for two - no luck. He got his price. With 50 minutes to tip off - an old guy ran up and sold me his season tickets for $30 each. He had some upgraded box tickets with food and drink.

We were in our seats 45 minutes before the start. The place seemed empty - except the student section. It was hard to believe 12,000 people were coming. At 8 PM - everyone was there - but you could count about 1000 empty seats here and there. Why do people pay $40 for tickets and not go to games?

We expected to win this time. FSU took an dearly lead - but Duke stormed back many times. At half the Noles led by a few. FSU has a deep bench and played 13 players. Duke was missing a good player - and Coach K. He is out for a month with back surgery. About ¾th the way - Duke ran out of gas. The Seminoles won by 16.

The Seminole are now 16-1. That is the first time ever for that. They are also 4-0 in the ACC - first time for that. There is a new sheriff in town - this is a very exciting team.



The end of the game - FSU won by 16.

Deshaun Watson Lives In A Warrick Dunn House

You never know how far your sphere of influence reaches. Florida State's Hall of Fame running back Warrick Dunn has made a practice of building and furnishing homes for single mothers. Families get to move into completely furnished homes working with Habitats for Humanities.

One of his homes went to Clemson National Champion Deshaun Watson's mom. And the rest is history. Pass if forward.

Lulu works with Warrick Dunn to fund and select libraries that are placed in the new homes and matched to the interests of the kids.

Tamaqua PA in Winter

My friend - Don Serfass - publishes the prettiest pictures of our old hometown. It reminds us what we left behind. Cold - snowy  - dark winters.

We are flying north on Thursday for a week to visit friends and family.

It's not Russia - but you can see it from my house.

Florida State Basketball is 15-1. Add in a 14-2 Women's Team - It Is Easily the Best Year Ever So Far

Michael Ojo - number 50 on right - is a graduate student in
International Affairs. Son Keith - earned his masters at FSU
in that program. 

As I type this - it is Sunday 9 AM and 30 degrees - sunny - in downtown Tallahassee. I am not bragging or complaining - just the facts. We are enjoying two great basketball teams here at FSU this year. The girls are 14-2. The boys are 15-1. Yesterday we attended the game between FSU and Virginia Tech boys where the Seminoles won by 15 points. This is the best start our team ever had. 9000 tickets were sold for the arena that holds 12,000. Tuesday night Duke comes to town without Koach K. He just had back surgery over the weekend. The Seminoles are in the middle of an unprecedented run of 6 games - with teams ranked in the top 25. They beat Virginia - then VT - now they play Duke - UNC - Notre Dame - Louisville. The last time such a fete occurred it was the University of Maryland - and they lost all 6. We were hoping for 3-3 in the run - now after winning 2 - us foolish locals are thinking winning all 6. Duke can end that foolishness on Tuesday night. Yesterday - we went to the 2 PM game an hour early. We found a free parking spot - and then a nice fella walked up to me and handed me to FREE very nice tickets. I was wearing the FSU leather letter jacket I bought on Craigslist list for $20 - at 68 and gray - I must look like a sorry sight - and the guy even asked if I needed 4. I was startled at the quality for the $32 tickets - and I said just 2. He walked into the game with the extra 2 in his pocket. I know there are a lot of Duke fans out there - and usually we cheer for Duke because son Drew graduated there. But just this one time - I request that you cheer for this ragtag group of upstarts in Tallahassee. 5 are freshman - 2 will probably go in the NBA first round of the draft in June. We will be back to reset again. FSU is usually thought of as a football factory by the rest of the nation. Leonard Hamilton - our basketball coach - has a 94% graduation rate among his players. Michael Ojo - a 7 foot 300 pound graduate student from Nigeria - has played his first organized basketball at FSU. Who knows where he will be next year - I doubt it will be the NBA. So Tuesday night - when you tune in to see America's Team Duke play - I hope you will be cheering for those playing against the Blue Devil's tripping All-American. Sharpen up your Tomahawks and look for Lulu and I in the stands. There will be 12,000 of us for the first time in years. We will be the ones sitting in someone else's seats.

Two Free Tickets - Almost Sold Out Game With VTech - Face Value $32 Each - Go Noles!!!

It must be the jacket. Great seats. We are sitting 30 minutes before tip off.

Seminole won the game by 13.

The Civic Center holds 12,100. I would say there were about 8000 people that showed up.

A nice guy outside gave me two for free. He said - do you need four? I said no. He walked in with the extra tickets. He did not want to sell them.I guess he was given them for free.

Tuesday night Duke comes to town. That will be close to a sellout because FSU has a better chance than usual to win.

FSU is 14-1 and tanked number 12 in the nation. Virginia Tech was number 21.

FSU is playing 6 ranked teams in a row. They beat Virginia and Virginia Tech - both ranked.

See you Tuesday.