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Month: October 2016

Portulaca, and Indians

October 29, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I was perplexed. It was mid-May and no sign of the portulaca. I don’t know much about portulaca. For one thing, I am not quite sure if, like deer, portulaca is the same for singular and plural. It believe it… Continue Reading →

Cleveland Indians, Portulaca

A win-win, I think

October 26, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I sort of like this World Series because I’ll be happy no matter which team wins. And I sort of don’t for the same reason. Typically I find myself leaning one way or the other even if my team, the… Continue Reading →

Chicago cubs, Cleveland Indians, World Series

A tale of two mothers-in-law

October 20, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Sunday is National Mother-in-law Day. I’ve had two mothers-in-law and I loved them both. The first, Dolores Smelster Sefchik, had a formal way about her but let her hair down enough around me that we remained close even after her… Continue Reading →

Mother-in-law Day, Mothers-in-law

Let them eat kuchen

October 19, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Dessert has its own day. I’m not kidding. It was last Friday. I heard about it on the radio on my way to the college and was surprised at how much time I spent thinking about it. Funny the things… Continue Reading →

cake, dessert, Kaffee und kuchen

In a way I did know Tom Fritz

October 14, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

People aren’t supposed to die at 54 years old the way Tom Fritz did Sunday. I did not know Tom Fritz. Did not know about his dedication to Avoca Borough, especially to its youth, until I read the many tributes… Continue Reading →

Dad’s birthday

October 12, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

Had he lived, my dad would being celebrating his 95th birthday today, Oct. 12. Well, I suppose we all would. Wish that were the case. He passed away in 1994. When we were little Dad would tell us he was… Continue Reading →

Columbus Day, October 12

In the pink in Pittston

October 7, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

I mentioned here a year ago that I had never heard of Thomas Pink shirts until Mary Kay and I were standing in front of the flagship store on Jermyn Street in London in 2002. I had been dabbling in… Continue Reading →

Paint Pittston Pink

In the ‘Thoreaus’ of a ‘new’ old book

October 5, 2016Ed Ackerman Leave a Comment

My student was incredulous. I had just admitted I had never read “Walden.” I told him I quoted Henry David Thoreau all the time. “Most men live lives of quiet desperation.” “Beware all ventures for which you need new clothes.”… Continue Reading →

Thoreau, Walden

About the Optimist

Ed Ackerman Ed Ackerman, a consulting editor and columnist for the Greater Pittston Progress, has served the people of Greater Pittston for 48 years, starting in the newspaper field at age 17. The Pittston resident will share his thoughts in this blog and in a weekly column published in the Progress. greaterpittstonprogress.com

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