Hatchy Milatchy

Today I decided to lighten things up. Those of us who grew up in NE PA in the 1960's have a song playing in our heads. You no doubt should remember it well since it was part of the morning cartoon lineup on WNEP TV channel 16. Terri and I were on the phone today and for some reason, we brought up the topic of Hatchy Milatchy and both of us knew a surprising number of the words. Enjoy...

There's a wonderful place that you really should see
Called the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
All boys and girls love this place yes siree
Called the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Peppermint candy and ice cream is free
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Soda pop fountains are under each tree
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Everyone rides on a-merry-go-round
All made of sugar and spice
Lollipops grow right out of the ground
The moon's made of strawberry ice
If you should run and you trip and you fall
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
The ground's made of rubber you bounce like a ball
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy

Oh you-play the whole day and you don't go to bed
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Mommies and Daddies are put there instead
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Hundreds of bunnies lay Easter eggs
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Ride on a pony with candy strip legs
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy
Each day is always a big holiday
Birthdays and parties galore
Dollies and bicycles given away
Whenever you walk in a store
When I return then I never will leave
The Land of Hatchy Milatchy
If you want to go all you do is believe
In the Land of Hatchy Milatchy

The Raven

I just wanted to let everyone know that there has been an extension on getting your Mr. Lynch stories to his wife and daughter. You now have until May 31st to get the stories in. Please send them to:

mr.lynch.stories (AT) gmail.com

Please note that I changed the @ symbol to (AT) to prevent spambots from picking up that address. A lot of great stories for Mr. Lynch have been submitted and so don't hesitate to share your story with him. It's bound to put a smile on his face, something he did for us many times at Bishop O'Reilly.

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Since I'm talking about Mr. Lynch, I have included a special literary treat for you today. I kept coming across references to Edgar Alan Poe recently. I even spoke with a woman whose name was Eleanore, who, because of my preoccupation with these numerous reference to Poe, I accidentally called 'Lenore'. Oops. ;-)

Whenever I think of Edgar Alan Poe, I always think of the song, "The Raven" by The Glass Prism. I don't know if you're aware of it, but all the members of the Glass Prism were from Northeastern PA. I found the Glass Prism's website on the Internet where you can download The Raven for free (in wma audio format) along with some of their other songs. It was a real walk down memory lane for me. Hopefully, it will be like that for you too.

The website contains the history about the band which makes for interesting reading.



And while you're listening to the song, please note I've taken the liberty to post the verses that contained the lyrics below. They were written over 160 years ago, so that puts them in public domain. Enjoy!

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Play The Raven by The Glass Prism



Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
" 'Tis some visiter," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door —
Only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; — vainly I had tried to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow — sorrow for the lost Lenore —
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore —
Nameless here for evermore.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately raven of the saintly days of yore;
Not the least obeisance made he; not an instant stopped or stayed he;
But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my chamber door —
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door —
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling,
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore,
"Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou," I said, "art sure no craven,
Ghastly grim and ancient raven wandering from the Nightly shore —
Tell me what thy lordly name is on the Night's Plutonian shore!"
Quoth the raven, "Nevermore."

Anthony Walsh

Joe Petrasek notified me that Anthony Walsh passed away recently. For those of you who went to St. John's, you'll no doubt remember Tony well. At St. John's, he was known for his advanced reading skills, always about 5 or 6 years ahead of his grade level and an expert on all matters related to WWII. I recall that his report card contained half A's and half F's, a feat that was incomprehensible to me. Tony did end up at Bishop O'Reilly, but he got held back and separated from our class. Tony was always getting into mischief, a trait that seemed to follow him into adulthood. Chuck Brennan wrote about seeing Tony in the infirmary in the blog, back in July of 2004. It's sad to know he's gone. May he rest in peace.

Here's the short obit from the Times Leader:

ANTHONY WALSH , of Union Street, Luzerne, passed away Saturday, March 22, 2008, at the Hospice Community Care of Wilkes-Barre. Surviving is his mother, the former Dolores Luksic. Private funeral services were held. Arrangements were by Lehman-Gregory Funeral Home Inc., 281 Chapel St., Swoyersville.
Published in the Times Leader on 3/29/2008.