Spent the morning with long-neglected paper work and listening to my foreign broadcasts. There was a sad and nostalgic look at a family-owned chain of seventeen "milk bars" in Wales which will be out of business at the end of December after 70-some years. The young crowd no longer wants milk shakes and ice cream; they have been beguiled by the big bucks spent by Starbucks to wean them away. There was further discussion about the plight of dairy farmers and the weak prices for milk which we have also heard here . . . Spent a lonely and weepy afternoon exploring YouTube for clips of the Four Freshmen, my favorite vocal group for sixty years. I first heard them one Sunday afternoon in the mid-fifties at Penn State. A few years later I met them when I was doing public relations work for the Bedford County Fair and they were a featured grandstand attraction. I would play their records weekly in the store but Bob is not as fond of them as I am. He heard them when they visited Bloomsburg College while he was there . . . According to the memoir Now You Know, they appeared in Harrisburg at The Frigate. I had not heard of or didn't remember where this club was located. If anyone knows, please let me know . . . Don (seated in the photo) left the original group to try a solo career. He was replaced and the new group was at the old Howard Johnson Restaurant on North Front Street (now an oriental restaurant, I think) when one bought a newspaper and discovered that Don had just been killed in an auto accident in L.A. They had to break the news to his brother, Ross. (On the right in the photo.) . . . There were many great male singing groups in the fifties but they faded; the Four Freshmen continued, adding new personnel when necessary. They continue today. Last I heard the latest group is the 22nd reincarnation in a long history filled with hit after hit . . . And they are still winning awards . . .

Our 38th anniversary sale came to an end in a whirlwind of activity and everyone was in a good mood. Our thanks to all of you who visited us the past two weeks. You made this sale more successful than last year's and we'll be able to add still more product for the holiday season . . . Sixty-three people signed up for our drawing. Larry Kirkhuff and Jon Carfagno determined the winners; Larry shuffled the deck repeatedly while Jon made the selections. Our winners of $25 gift certificates this year are Barbara Allen, Yvonne Brown and Jean Leonard. Yvonne is a repeat winner, incidentally . . . Our first visitors this morning were Mr. and Mrs. Briggs from Toronto, Canada. They found us on that TripAdvisor website and dropped by despite the lady from North Carolina's negative entry. They anticipated a "small" one-room and were delighted to explore the whole first floor; they chose a piece of Campbell pottery. They are so enjoying the area that they would like to return and asked if I could recommend a bed-and-breakfast. While I know there are several, I know nothing about them; if any of you can provide an opinion please e-mail me (address at left). I will pass your comments on to them . . . Candles, candles, candles. Our shipment from Root earlier this week has proved to be a real hit; I may even have to reorder before the end of the year . . . Again, our thanks for all your kindnesses . . . Happy Halloween . . .

A reminder that tomorrow is the great fall flea market at the Harris Street Church (near Third). It is also the last day of our anniversary sale and a chance to save 15%. Be sure that your name is in the box for a chance to win one of three $25 gift certificates we are giving away . . . Perhaps Bob had one too many pieces from his trick-or-treat bucket but he swears that he saw a deer roaming his midtown neighborhood this morning . . . I am beginning to believe those claims that men do not like working with/for a woman. How many times this week have I heard some man complaining about Nancy Pelosi? . . . And why can't we have universal health care? . . . So many political claims raise more questions than they answer. I cannot recall a more bizarre election in my 74 years. I think we have all had one too many cups of tea . . . Today's picture is more than just a pretty autumn scene. Trisha Boyer surprised her Uncle Bob with this photo of the old family homestead. Bob never actually lived here; he had moved to his own place before his parents took over the farm. But I dare not call it "Millersburg." Bob always corrects me. The farm is on Deibler Road in Killinger . . .

Happy Birthday to Sarah Battisti . . . Breezy fall day; I sat on the stoop for a bit and was almost buried in leaves . . . Went trick-or-treating with JJ and Cecilia this evening but his heart didn't seem to be in it. He loves the decorations but is shy about asking for candy as dad insists he should. So, to please dad, he sneaked back home ahead of the others and supplemented his "take" with treats from their own give-aways . . . Mystery solved; lots of people got calls on their answering machines from Pat Boone. He was spieling for Toomey (but without much success to hear others tell it) . . . The November issue of TheBurg has arrived and is available at The Bare Wall. Was sorry to learn from the new issue that the 510 Art Gallery on North Third Street will be shuttering its doors at the end of the year. It originated as the William Ris Gallery in a Camp Hill house, a bigger version of The Bare Wall, and it was a wonderful place to visit. One could amble from room to room upstairs and down and find a treasure in every nook and cranny. The crafts scene was more vibrant then and the choices greater so we tried not to duplicate each other's wares . . . I am happy for all the current activity on the Harrisburg arts scene these days but I do think that we are becoming "over-galleried." I do not think the region can sustain this explosion of venues . . . The scene is the same in Provincetown, Ma., which has dozens (hundreds?) of shops for the tourist trade. Just recently The Banner, the local paper, made mention of this fact and asked if "free wine and nibbles once a month" was really enough to keep all the galleries afloat. I ask myself the same question about Harrisburg . . . I "borrowed" this picture of Millersburg dressed for autumn from the FaceBook album of Trisha Boyer, Bob's niece. True Americana, don't you think? . . .

Overcast until late afternoon. Only one customer; seems like when we have a sale there is always one day when the crowds stay away. Let's hope today was it. As one customer said last Saturday: "There's more stuff here than there was the last times we were here." And we need more space for all the stuff still in the closets . . . Our thanks to Larry at TheBurg; he plugged our sale on the newspaper's FaceBook page yesterday . . . Jackson Taylor, author of The Blue Orchard, will be back at Midtown Scholar for a group discussion on Thursday, November 11, at 7:30 p.m. . . . Wish dog owners would learn to keep their pets away from the greenery along the street. Our evergreens are permanently brown around the lower edges and the lush boxwood at 711 Green Street is rapidly being destroyed. When I yell at an offender the leash-holder gives me a vacant Zombie stare as if that somehow makes him/her invisible . . . Well, in less than a week we will know which are "the best politicians money can buy." I am not advocating any candidate because all have received thousands. Toomey, it has been reported, got more money from outside parties (U.S. Chamber of Commerce, NRA, etc.) than he raised within the Commonwealth . . . I got a phone call from '50s crooner Pat Boone earlier this evening; Bob is furious with me because I hung up on "April Love" before I learned which candidate he was
hawking . . .

Post #490 . . . Sorry to learn that Dale Guanowsky has passed away. He was a well-known and well-liked bartender in town. He, his mom and sister were frequent shoppers at The Bare Wall . . . The Subway at Third and Forster was held up by an armed black man last evening about 7:30 . . . Had an e-mail about the rates at the Shire-Max Inn in Provincetown after yesterday's post. Management informs me that rates change according to season or special activities in town; they ask that you call for quotes . . . The visitor counter below resets every evening about 8 p.m. to suggest a weekly total of "hits" . . . That TripAdvisor site that we had some fun with a few weeks back is now being sued by hotels which got unfavorable reviews from customers; they want the "bad" reviews removed . . . Received more "Twelve Coffees Around the World" collections; the title tells it all. It sells for $17.50 and is quite popular with our clients. A smaller six-pot version sells for $8.75 and would make a wonderful hostess gift during the holidays . . . David Morrison reported on FaceBook that he had just seen the great old 1930s musical "42nd Street" and that he was ready to "Shuffle Off to Buffalo," one of the featured production numbers. It is a terrific film and if you watch that particular segment you will hear Ginger Rogers sing one of the song's later verses. She almost sings "belly" but quickly changes to "tummy" which of course is not the necessary rhyme. The word belly was considered obscene in the '30s and there were apparently a lot of chuckles in the audience when it almost slipped out--accidentally, of course. It was Mae West whose antics and clever turns of phrase brought about the Production Code back then. Knowing Mae, she would have said belly with puckered lips and a twinkle in her eye . . .

Another Indian Summer day. The Root Candle order did arrive late this afternoon, and we two old men lugged them in and opened all the cartons. We missed JJ; last year he insisted on bringing in the boxes and opening them himself. At least we didn't pause to sniff every candle jar as he had done. Some really nice scents this year--Enchanted Twilight, Oakmoss, Vanilla Cream, Japanese Cedar--plus all your favorites. The tumblers are still only $10 . . . Bob is having some furnace problems so he had to scurry up to the house when we finished. And just moments later the big coffee order arrived. You will have to wait until tomorrow for a report on that; it has not been unpacked yet . . . Angela Lawson and various family members met in Philly over the weekend for a theater outing. They saw The Jersey Boys and loved it . . . Missed greeting Amy Hill with a Happy Birthday several days back; but then she was celebrating in Oregon at the time and didn't miss it . . . During the past year I have often mentioned Jack Barnett and Dr. Bob Coldren's Shire-Max Inn in Provincetown, Ma. I am now pleased to report that their website is up and running so you can tour the rooms for yourself. The Internet address is http://shiremaxinn.com/home.html . . . Heard that Mickey and Elizabeth's Briggs Street home is back on the market. I thought it had been sold. No other details at the moment . . . Bob was quite taken with this decorated doorway in the 1600 block of North Second Street and ambled down to take this picture. I don't know about you, but I think I might just pass it by on trick-or-treat night. Spooky. Congratulations to those responsible . . . You might notice if you scroll down that I was curious enough about my readership to see how many check in here now and then. It would appear if I can trust my math (and that is spooky) that we entertain around 55 persons a day . . .

Wonderful Indian Summer day, but I spent a lot of it juggling the accounts and writing checks. Also made a few changes to the blog page . . . Shared a birthday celebration with Sarah Battisti this evening. (Hers is on Thursday.) Her husband Eric did steaks on the grill and her parents, Tom and Diane Neiper, were also on hand. Bob and Cecilia played while JJ and I hid in a corner and ate grapes and gourmet crackers . . . The arrival of new merchandise always lifts my spirits, but if FedEx is to be believed, we will receive twelve cartons of Root Candles tomorrow. That is just too much of a good thing . . .

It is now 7:30 p.m. October 23rd, so I am officially 74 years old. I was born in the Everett (Pa) Hospital which is now the Grace Brethren Bible School (Hmmm). When Mom was asked what my name would be she said that none had been chosen. The nurses put their heads together and decided I would be Ronald (for English movie star Ronald Colman, heart throb of the day) and Carl (my dad). I would become "Ronn" in 1957 when I ran for Juniata College Student Senate and a poster-maker named Roger Bennett added the extra "n" to "balance" the lettering . . . The big headline on October 23, 1936, touted a new passenger train speed record set between Chicago and Denver. A loaf of bread was eight cents. You could have bought a car (Studebaker) for $665 or a new house for $3,925. Gas was ten cents a gallon . . . Had a great time celebrating today. Visits from friends bearing goodies, FaceBook and e-mail greetings, cards, some surprise gifts and a wonderful beef dinner that Bob prepared . . . My thanks to everyone . . . One benefit of being old is the fact that you can use it as an excuse for all your shortcomings . . .

Another busy day with shoppers. Thanks to all of you. The sale continues for another week . . . Bob spent the morning at Harris Street Church helping Eileen Young and her crew prepare for next Saturday's autumn flea market. He said that the church had been overwhelmed with merchandise this year; there are a lot of bargains to be had . . . I got a telephone call from Tom Corbett this morning but the tape was so garbled I couldn't understand his message . . . Bob and I have begun to worry about ourselves. Not so many years ago we were Jeopardy whizzes and knew all the answers. Today the questions are so steeped in popular culture that we know almost nothing at all. It is the same when I turn to "celebrity" news on the net or in the newspapers. Who are these people? I have never heard of them . . . What is so special about this wrought iron globe you may wonder. It stands 13 inches tall and sells for $27.50. It has more than a decorative purpose, to be sure. For the person who has everything--a place to store and display wine corks! . . .

Barely got the children's books onto the shelve when I sold four of them. At the outset I thought the first shipment would see me through the holidays. Now I am not even sure that the second will and it was twice as large as the first. These you gotta see! . . . But the one thing I have learned in 38 years of business--you never know . . . JJ is suffering "growing pains" with aches in his legs. I am told this is normal but I don't recall it as a child. (Bob does.) But I do have my knickers in a twist for the moment; this is one thing I cannot help him with. Tried to tote him around the neighborhood to ease the pain, but he isn't the babe he used to be. More like a full sack of potatoes . . . Got my Amazon shipment today so nothing got done while I explored the new books. There just aren't enough hours in the day to do the pleasurable things, let alone running a business . . . Before the green ash next door met its demise on a windy day Bryan MacLeod got a neat picture of our front entrance. Must have been warm--the door is hanging open. Please, please let the weekend be in the 70s as currently promised . . .

A nice visit from Judy Robinson and her mom who came bearing birthday goodies and did some shopping. In fact, quite a number of people responded to our recent mailing. Thanks to all of you. The sale continues through October 30, so come register for our drawing . . . Our shipment of old-fashioned children's books has arrived; the big headache--where best to display them. Several new titles included. They sell for $9.95 . . . Have entered our Root Candle order which will be delivered in a week or two. It was a budget-buster, so I hope I included your favorite scents. There are a couple of new ones, too . . . Since so many of you are loyal readers of the Huffington Post--http://www.huffingtonpost.com/-- I have been giving it a look for the last few days. I am not quite sure what to make of it. Is this a checkout-line tabloid or a legitimate newspaper? Or a little bit of both? Guess you will have to see for yourself . . . This fabric doll would look good on a bookshelf or table, especially if you've an Americana decor. Not a child's toy though, I don't think. Retails for $13.00 . . .

Bob's niece, Trisha Boyer, celebrates her birthday tomorrow. If I can trust Joel's memory, Lyn Lawson is celebrating today . . . I am sure I will appreciate the end result, but each time I walk down Third Street and see the construction intended to widen the sidewalk around Capitol Park I feel a pang of anger. The project seems no further along than it was back in July, and all the money being spent might have saved the State Library from virtual extinction. I see that the "bucket of blood" Keystone that once honored the 28th division has also been uprooted. Bet that doesn't get replaced . . . Now that our Senate race is being rated a toss-up, more foreign money is pouring into the Commonwealth. The NRA has joined the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in financing Toomey's adverts on TV . . . Can't wait for this sleaze to end, though I am glad that the public is taking a closer look at the so-called tea party movement. It doesn't survive serious scrutiny . . . If you do not get a postcard from us in the next day or so you are not on our mailing list . . . A couple of glitches with the electricity knocked me off line twice this afternoon. And if I am going to show you a picture tonight, it has to be soon. The uploading process is being interrupted by Google this evening for maintenance. So . . . Here (hopefully) is JJ working on one of his pumpkin projects . . .

Happy birthday to Lindsay Mills--who baked his own cake and one for me as well . . . At last! The postcards announcing the 38th Anniversary sale are in the mail. Hopefully they will generate more traffic than we have seen since beginning the celebration . . . There are just a few retail businesses downtown that have been operating longer than we have. Today I heard a rumor that Baker & Price Jewelers in Strawberry Square may close. If true, that leaves Walker's Paint Center and me as the old kids on the block. If anyone knows of one in business longer, please let me know . . . Visited JJ's creepy residence last night to see his seasonal decor. He took Bob and me by the hand and told us not to be afraid as he gave us a tour of the spooks and goblins hiding around the lawn. A huge inflated and lighted ghost dominates the graveyard and the wind was doing a number on it at the time. "Stand up, you stupid ghost," JJ shouted and at that moment the breeze died down and the ghost sprang upright. Spooky. There are spiders all over the inside of the house too which bring a grin to JJ's and Cecilia's faces when one recoils . . . Spent a few brief moments with my web cams this morning and discovered that fall has descended on Europe as well as the USA. Leaves are changing everywhere. We can thank Eric Battisti for this view in Mt. Gretna . . .

Moved into Sunday morning winter mode today, working on the books and listening to my foreign broadcasts. Learned about rural on-call bus service in Wales, what to do about wintering my hibiscus in Kent and who was saluting who on the Greetings program in Scotland. More historic recordings from the Welsh String of Pearls program too. Can you imagine Bing Crosby on a 1928 recording? . . . Ernie Kepner delivered a big batch of chocolate chip cookies, the old-fashioned original recipe ones that are my favorite. His cookies are excellent, but no one can beat his homemade macaroni salad--the best I have ever tasted . . . Placed a large order with Amazon that included a mystery novel by Peter Durantine, editor of TheBurg. I had not been aware that he had written one. All I need now is the time to read it. Our anniversary sale is well underway and that absorbs all my free time . . . JJ spent yesterday afternoon riding all the adult thrill rides at Hershey Park. Have a picture or two to share with you. The kid is fearless. He hated the "kiddie" rides when at Disney World but loved the adult ones . . . Tyler and Lelia Simmons helped mom Sharon bag up the leaves from the green ash tree I pictured a few days ago. Autumn is definitely upon us as you can see . . .

Sunny and would have been a wonderful fall day had it not been for the winds whipping the leaves down the street. Of course, I am not complaining. After all, it was snowing this morning in New England. The Weather Channel predicts that it will be five percent colder than last year in our area this winter . . . Guy Kehler reports that Lindsay Mills is two weeks into his retirement and is enjoying it a lot . . . Got an interesting and curious e-mail passed along by Yvonne Brown. It suggests that the current epidemic of bedbugs has been spread by imported fabrics--clothing and housewares like towels and sheets. It recommends that any new purchase go immediately into the dryer for twenty minutes which will kill the little devils and their eggs. Don't know how valid this is, but better safe than sorry . . . Bob is patient with my passion for high school and college football and has actually become more interested since his niece's husband, Steve Boyer, is coaching Millersburg High ball. Steve's dad, Ron, is assisting, and son Cole is leading the team. They were given a fine write-up in Friday's Patriot-News. Unfortunately they didn't fare well this weekend . . . It just happens that the coach of the Steelton football team is also Robert Deibler, and Bob often gets telephone calls intended for him. Usually Bob patiently explains that they have the wrong person, but in at least one case (having gotten one too many calls that particularly week) he actually provided some "quotes" for one reporter. We never learned how that interview played out . . .

Our 38th anniversary sale is underway. As you can see from the banner above, spend just $20 and save 15%. Sale items are excepted, of course . . . We entered the twenty-first century today when Bob bought us a large flat-screen monitor for our computer. I installed it myself which probably will come as a surprise to my computer gurus: Rick May, Jon Carfagno, Larry Kirkhuff, Eric Webb and Gary O'Leary. Stand by, men, you never know: but it is working for the moment . . . The screen will take some getting used to but, to be honest, it reminds me of Cinemascope. The pictures are squashed and elongated so that everyone looks like he has gained another thirty pounds. But my tired eyes can read everything plainly now, and that is a plus . . . People can still appreciate the good and the bad of the Cinemascope process via VHS and DVD. But I am sorry that we no longer have Cinerama. I loved the three camera process that really did wrap the picture around you . . . These political advertisements are really beginning to wear me down. If all these organizations (most from out of state, incidentally) would just give the government what they are spending, all of our budget woes could be cured overnight. And most are misleading. If we were to believe the Corbett ads, Pittsburgh disappeared a long time ago and no longer exists . . . JJ has created a huge web on the front yard tree as part of his Halloween decor. He assures me, however, that the giant spider (barely discernible in this photo) is not real and won't harm me . . . Hope daddy Eric realizes that it is he who will be taking down all this stuff some cold November day . . .

Raw and rainy, the second day in a row without a single customer. Street empty most of the day; the tree in last week's photo is 80% denuded. Bob took off early to do our laundry and I closed about 5:30 . . . Ordered more children's books; you really like these despite JJ's so-so review . . . Received more cat pillows ($18) and those little tin peeps ($16 for a set of three). The new wine stuff is due tomorrow . . . News of the unprovoked beatings in the Restaurant Row garage are alarming. No thefts; just beatings. Rumored to be a gangland "initiation." The mayor needs to step forward before business downtown dries up altogether . . . we have already decided that there will be no evening hours during holiday week, so plan accordingly . . .

I like to think that I am individual in some way but today I was just one of a billion. I, like most of the world, was fascinated by the mine rescue in Chile and returned to the computer again and again to watch the process after having stayed up much too late last night for the same reason. It has been rightly called "the Great Escape." What a show! The Chilean people can be justly proud. I was particularly impressed with the Chilean president . . . Bob and Eileen Young are back from an unforgettable vacation in Egypt. A highlight, just one of many, was a four day cruise up the Nile.
One thinks they must have felt a kinship with the characters in the Agatha Christie novel . . . Bob and I had a lovely "summer" picnic with Lee Spitalny tonight. The event was intended for July or August--burgers on the grill and drinks on the patio--but something constantly intervened. So what if we had to eat indoors; the burgers were just as tasty and the company was delightful . . .

The window at the Brass Monkey was accidentally broken by one of the employees . . . Realized too late that I forgot two members of Bob's club in my list of "thank yous." I hope Roger and Porter will forgive me . . . Erica and Kim have those spooky spider lights back in their window for the season . . . Several have noticed that Jaime's curbside garden has moved a few doors to the east. Turns out that work is being done on her building and she had to make way for the contractors . . . Our 38th anniversary sale starts Friday whether or not the post cards are in the mail. (At the rate we are going they won't be.) Sale continues thru October 30. Spend $20 and save 15%. Sign up for the drawing . . . Entered a modest order for our Christmas mints today. Still $15 per box. Delivery expected about mid-November . . . My friend Edgar Freed who lives in the environs has always been told that those mysterious arches are all that is left of a cut nail factory, in its time the largest in the world and owned by the Cameron family. West Fairview grew to house most of the workers. The factory was vacated when the Camerons built a steel mill to the south and Steelton was born. We are not vouching for the accuracy of this report but apparently that is the popular thinking of the day . . . This is Post #476. I cannot believe that I have stuck with it this long. I realized that I can now have a "Down Memory Lane" feature so I went back a year to see what was happening. Would you believe: I was trying to sell that dumb floor candlestick. AND I am still trying to sell it despite advertising on Craig's List and FaceBook! Maybe we should forgo our usual gift certificate prizes in our annual anniversary drawing and give the candlestick instead. What do you think? . . .

Happy Columbus Day! It was a beaut of a day . . . Catching up on some belated birthday wishes. They go out to Larry Kirkhuff (5th), Joel Turley (10th), and Chris Lingus (11th) . . . Joe Russian reported that the large plate glass window at The Brass Monkey tattoo parlor had been broken. Don't know if it was accidental or deliberate. Will try for additional information tomorrow . . . Scariest part of the Halloween season this year is not the costumes; it is the ghouls running for public office. I won't vent here--much as I would like to--but these poster boys and girls for the so-called Tea Party "right of the Right" are downright obnoxious. Wonder what mainstream Republicans are thinking these days . . . Eric and Joanne Webb spent part of the weekend kayaking on the river and discovered that the Conodoquinet was deep enough to explore this time out. A little way upstream they came across some arches along the banks that had no discernible reason for being there. Can anyone explain the original purpose? The area is currently being used by campers judging from the fire pit in the clearing beneath one of them . . . With all the muggings in our neighborhood these days Amy Hill recommends that we read a "how to protect ourselves" article on the PennLive.com pages today. This is the link to that site: http://blog.pennlive.com/life/2010/10/dont_be_a_victim_how_to_avoid.html. . . Only one of the tea lite pumpkins remains . . .

Plenty of complaints about the skimpy entries here lately. Even Alan Peters in California e-mailed me . . . Have sold half of the pumpkin-faced tea lite holders which I told you about a few days ago. Only three left . . . Twenty-eight friends of Bob's club assembled in Harrisburg over the weekend; it was a very successful event, especially for The Bare Wall (the guys came shopping!). Our thanks to Phil, Vince, Jon, Dan, Tommy, Dave, Joe and Frank . . . Jon Carfagno and Larry Kirkhuff safely back from a vacation in Mexico . . . "It is the first to leaf and the first to leave." That is how we characterize the green ash tree next door. When you see it burst into color you know that autumn has officially arrived . . . and the heating bills are sure to follow . . . Holiday tomorrow--State closed. We will be open as long as it is profitable but may leave early if no one is about. Bob is slipping away for a public sale for a bit . . .

Another beautiful but "no news" day. Sorry.

Another beautiful day; surprised that anything got done. Ordered our tea and coffee collections for holiday giving. These were very popular last year--repeat sales to the same customer are good signs of quality . . . Some new wine items on the way as well and we are restocking the "bottle candelabra" which sold out almost immediately. Delivery in a week or so . . . Nice weather to continue through the weekend. Bob is entertaining some members of his club which will be meeting in the city on Saturday. A group dinner, too--at Dodge City Restaurant, of course . . .

Brisk and sunny, the perfect fall day. Not much to report. Everyone was out and about enjoying the weather.

Judging from your many messages of encouragement (and I thank you all for them) I apparently sounded much too glum yesterday when I reported on the review of the Bare Wall posted by the couples from North Carolina. I was surprised and perhaps disappointed by the woman's words, but I had intended to report them to you tongue-in-cheek. Had they walked through and departed I would have given the matter little thought; that happens on occasion. But I found it amusing that in such a "little" shop it took them more than an hour to pour over the merchandise and learn about the area . . . Fortunately the couple from Chicago who came by this morning because of the listing were not discouraged. She bought a few cards and whispered: I'd like to shop more but one can't with him (husband) around. (How often have I heard that in 38 years?) They were in town for a car show and to see the Capitol . . . Bob learned that his last aunt (and the last of her generation in the family) passed away yesterday . . . This cute piece of seasonal decor is thirteen inches long and six inches high. It is made of tin, has receptacles for three tea lites behind the smiling faces and sells for $8.50. We have six to sell . . .

Just noticed there is another property up for sale in our neighborhood. This one is on Church Street . . . Well, it is the season for tricks and false faces. We should be prepared for a surprise or two. I got a doozy this morning . . . You might remember that back on September 25 I reported on a delightful visit by two couples from North Carolina who were visiting in Central Pennsylvania. The women were interested in the crafts and the artisans who made them; the men were into history and architecture. We discussed the neighborhood, the Capitol and environs for over an hour. They were very nice people. I concluded my report back then with the hope that perhaps they would give us a good report on that website that suggests places to see in Harrisburg . . . I happened to stumble onto that site this morning while searching for something else. WOW. The lady did post a review of The Bare Wall and it was scathing! “I found this to be a nice little (& let me emphasize "little") shop” she reported and said we didn’t deserve to be on the list . . . Well, sorry. We have utilized all the available space, survived for 38 years and become a neighborhood landmark of sorts. And she could have bought everything for about $40,000. Not much more we can do. Guess I feel betrayed somehow and unloved . . . Still, it is good to see the place through the eyes of a stranger. This one might have been from North Carolina but could have been from Camp Hill or Colonial Park or just two blocks up the street. I just don’t know what else to do to make the place attractive. The people from Wisconsin, San Antonio, San Francisco and Quakertown among others said it was a nice place but didn't blog. Can I still believe them? . . . It was a sobering introduction to a mostly gloomy day. The fact that there was no business didn’t help

Bleak, raw, cold, rainy--pick a word or two. Street so empty that we closed a half-hour early. Guess this is a preview of things to come. We did treat ourselves to a few minutes of heat "just to take the chill off." I think this is the earliest we have done that in several years . . . Learned of another attempted mugging on our street; last night about eleven o'clock a gun-waving black man, face covered by a bandanna, accosted a couple just across the street. He got nothing, but that is not the point. Where are these "undercover" officers we have been promised? The evening restaurant business is going to dry up and there goes the tax money the city collects from these sales. It is time the mayor gets in gear. There were four other such incidents in the city over the weekend . . . John Zimmerman visited with Jack Barnett at his Shire-Max Inn in Provincetown over the weekend . . . Eric and Sarah Battisti home with the kids after a few days in Ottawa, Canada. They loved the city. It is a marvelous place though I have not been there since the l960s. Go the second week of May for the tulip festival. Astounding! In fact, the picture to the left was taken there circa 1965. It was my second visit for the celebration . . .

Happy Birthday to Kimberly Rathnam . . . A very brisk afternoon and windy. Don't believe it is going to be too colorful in town this autumn. Noticed during a walk that the tops of many trees are already leafless and trees which should be turning bright are already dropping dry brown leaves. Still, it is "October's Bright Blue Weather" although the frost is not yet on the pumpkin . . . signs of the season are popping up everywhere. I cannot vouch for any of the critters in this picture but I would certainly be wary of the one in the middle . . .

This summer Bob and I stumbled upon a couple of books collectively called the Beach Reading series by Mark Abramson. We enjoyed them very much and recommended them to Dr. Bob Coldren. The gay-themed novels set in San Francisco are peopled with wonderfully realized characters; the books are also in great measure a tour guide to the City by the Bay. Anyone with an elementary knowledge of the area will know exactly where the action is taking place. As I frequently do, I reviewed these books for my Amazon account . . . Imagine my surprise when I opened my e-mail one morning this week and discovered a message from Mark. He thanked me for my reviews and asked if I knew about his other books. (I already had the third in the series on my Amazon wish list but did not know of the fourth. And, I was to learn, he is already at work on the fifth.) I could go on if space permitted, but happily refer you to Mark's website where you can meet him and learn more about this delightful series. www.beachreading.net . . . This is not the first time that my reviews have drawn attention. You may remember that Melissa Herman contacted me shortly after reading The Blue Orchard because she had seen my review on the Amazon pages . . . Well, I guess we have reached the end of an era of sorts. I just read that the Liberace Museum in Las Vegas will soon close its doors to the public. We oldsters remember his remarkable piano playing and his fifteen-minute TV series with the ever-present candelabra on the piano. He was a major entertainment figure for fifty years or so, all flash and constantly plagued by rumors about his sexuality. But his talent spared him even the most vicious critics. I wonder: if we did a man-in-the-street survey today just how many persons would recognize his name? Very few under forty, I should think . . .

Brisk autumn day, just perfect for tomato soup at lunch. Please remember that Tyler and Lelia Simmons are still collecting Campbell's food products labels for their school. Drop off any that you have at The Bare Wall . . . Saw my first Christmas advertisement on TV last night. We have some terrific Santas and snowmen secreted in the closet but you will have to wait to see them. It is simply too-o-o-o early for me . . . Amy and Doug Hill will be running in the Hershey half-marathon on Sunday . . . Harrisburg will file for "distressed city" status with the Commonwealth in an effort to combat our fiscal problems. Mayor Thompson's theme song--"It was the previous administration's fault"--has been sung once too often. She fails to mention that she was a major player in that administration . . . Got a startling e-mail this morning. It was purportedly from a writer whose books I have reviewed on Amazon. I would like to think this was legitimate; of course, it could have been a publicist for the publishing company. Anyway, perhaps I will receive a reply to a question I posed. If so, I will tell you who the writer is and a bit about his books . . . One has to be suspicious, unfortunately. Since we have been advertising on Craig's List we have received a couple of messages obviously fake. One said that someone was desperate to meet me: click here. (I didn't.) Another warned that some woman was intent on destroying my romantic life. Go to this link for proof. (I didn't.) . . . All I am trying to do is to unload some slow moving merchandise. How that equates to sexual adventure is beyond me . . . Perhaps I should not have used the word unload; this is a family site . . .