2009 - My year in review

Hey Gang,
2009 - My year in review.
How do I sum up 2009? Lots of stress, uncertainty, tragedy, a few personal triumphs and quiet. I guess that would be correct. Some of you are probably thinking besides the quiet sounds like a typical Carey year. Not really.
The year started off with way to much stress from my deranged nephew, an on going battle with Euclid, and financial difficulties that lasted until mid summer. My travel wings remained for the most part clipped and ventured out only a few times. And as usual the revolving door of friends appearing and disappearing was present but not as much as in years past, as I said it was relatively quiet.
The tragic was the passing of Marks daughter that is still hard to think about and accept. I will never forget the phone call from Jamie informing of what happened. So very sad.
The triumphs were Euclids case against me being thrown out, maintaining ownership of my houses and business rebounding, lets hope these three continue into the years ahead.
Met a few interesting people. I had the pleasure to meet Mayor Murray and his wife Sylvia of Somerville, Texas, Carey Coleman radio personality and ex weather forecaster for channel 43, John Kasich former representative and TV host of In the Heartland and now governor hopeful for Ohio, George Sleigh a 911 survivor, and a host of councilman, representatives and others in elected positions.
Like I said I didn't do much in the way of travel but made the most of the opportunities that were granted to me. Dov and I picked up Millard in Kentucky in July and he stayed for about a month. That was a fun trip. A couple of the evenings down there were unseasonably cool. For the return trip Jeff came along. It was a fun filled adventuresome four days. It seemed as if we were gone much longer. I have been to Kentucky more times than I can remember but I am still finding new things to see. On the way to take Jeff and Millard to see Natural Bridge we went through the Nada tunnel. What a sight! It looked like something out of Jurassic Park.
I also went to Texas with Walt that stretched not only our patience with each other but also our nerves. I still don't know how Walt managed to perform in a grueling jet ski race after a 1,300 mile plus trip with very little to no sleep in 104 degree heat. I could barely function doing nothing.
Looking back though the trip was still worth it as I got to see places I have never been before. Heading to Texas we did take one short break in Parkers Crossroads, Tennessee site of a civil war battle. Barbara Warhurst who works at the bookstore & gift shop found out after she got the job there that her great great grandpa James Madison Allen fought at that battle. I really enjoyed my conversation with her.
While in Texas we went to College Station home of Texas A&M and historic downtown Brenham. On the way home we stopped in Hope Arkansas home of President Clinton and Governor Huckabee and Hot Springs, Arkansas which I hope to return to see the rest of the historic sites.
The Winter Cookout resumed with about 12 in attendance as well as the Christmas Spaghetti Dinner/gift exchange. But 2009 was the first year I didn't have a backyard cookout.
Went to the beach only once and didn't even enjoy it. Poor Millard. Every year he comes in June the weather isn't warm enough for a beach outing. So I told him come in July and what happens? The day we made plans it was unseasonably cool with cold water temps.
I took a few day trips. One was to the Pemberville Free Fair with Jeff B., it was unplanned and turned out to be a very good time with free vegetables for me. Took Mom, my sister Cindi and Jeff M. to the Painesville Town Square car show and ended the night in Geneva on the Lake and yet again it was cool. Other than that car show didn't attend any others.
A couple of the more exciting things I did was spend the night in the Mansfield Reformatory with my sister and Jeff M.. A very memorable eery experience. Also sort of along the same lines of being in an abandoned place I went to Detroit Superior Bridge Festival held in the lower level where the streetcars use to run. What a fascinating experience. And again almost along those same lines was being inside of Euclid Square Mall which is just about completely vacant.
As for the Christmas season it was quiet and besides the major disappointment of Ruth being denied after we spent months planning her visit it was nice. It started early with my Christmas Spaghetti Dinner/Gift Exchange. After that Cindi planned a Christmas outing to see the Christmas Story House and then had friends over her house. Christmas Eve I spent playing Santa with Jeff B., dropping off gifts to my tenants, spending some time with Walts family and then ending the night with Bruce and his Mom for coffee and laughs. Christmas just the family, the first time no one dropped in on us. For New Years Eve Cindi invited me to a singles night at her church, Willoughby Friends. Met some interesting people there. It was fun.
Well that about sums up my year 2009, if I forgot mentioning something I did with you, sorry! Just send me an email and say what about.....
Happy New Years Friends
and may 2010 be prosperous and healthy for all of us.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Mansfield Reformatory - Church

Hey Gang,
This segment is about religion and the churches in the reformatory, yes churches, it had two.
The reformatory was grandly and elegantly built in the belief it would help sway the incarcerated back to the straight and narrow. In the early years it was mostly Protestant so it had only one church. As the years went by and the beliefs of the incoming inmates changed another church was added, a Catholic church.
The Protestant church is ONE HUGE ROOM! In fact, it could stand alone as church. It has a HIGH ceiling and at one time had a balcony. If I heard correctly for the choir. Time as taken its toll on it. Very little is left. A few pews and a few panels of stained glass windows showing the way of the cross. It must of been a sight to see in the early years. Later on it was converted for other purposes, one was a game room. Its amazing how religion played a part in trying to reform the prisoners and then years later as the prisoners became more hardened church was abandoned in favor of games.
The Catholic church is much smaller and not much remains of when it was a church so its hard to tell what it was like.
A Chaplain was also always on duty for counseling, not sure though if this continued up until the prison's closing.
Even though church and religion was not as promoted as in the beginning you can still find in many of the cells religious reading material, bibles, booklets and books that were left behind.
The other thing you find a lot of in the cells is cigarette packs.
And if you put them together you know what you get, don't you? Well you get a Holy Smoke!
Enjoy the photos.

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Mansfield Scene Two

Hey Gang,
So everyone is wanting to know if we seen any ghosts. Should I jump ahead and tell you? I guess I should. Nope. OK I know its kind of anti-climatic now but the rest still makes good reading. Well you know what? In a way we did see a ghostly figure.
Our tour guide gave us a very brief tour of the house just enough for us to understand the lay out. In the rooms she did take us she would give a short talk of what the room was used for and what went on in it.
We went to the shower room where the guide insists a ghost that she named Mr. Anderson appears and answers questions. She was giving a demonstration of how to use divining rods to locate ghosts and spirits. Not sure how it's exactly done as I watched intently her fingers and did not see her roll them to move the rod. My friend Emerson in Southern Ohio insists he can locate water using a diving rod.
Anyway she asked Mr. Anderson are you in the room? The one rod swung to her left. She asked him a few questions and he didn't answer. Then she said if you hold them over most people's heads the rods will move. So she held it over Jeff's head and the rods crossed. Well right when she did it a lady snapped a photo. Its in this photo over Jeff's head you can see a figure. I asked the lady please email it to me, unfortunately she hasn't yet. BUT we all seen it. Wonder how this makes Jeff feel?
Now about those showers. This is gross. The men were allowed one shower every Saturday and only had one minute to take it. Thats punishment enough. Then I asked what did they use for toilets in the early years? Each cell had a pot and the last man in the cell at night had to empty it in the morning. Can you imagine 1,300 prisoners in a place with no air, very very cramped cells and a 60 second shower once a week?
Then can you imagine each cell with a full pot? Do you know what the place must of smelled like? OH MY!!!!
If there is a ghost from the early years lurking around his name would have to be
Gasp-er!

Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

Mansfield Opening Scene

Hey Gang,
After a wonderful stroll through the grounds of Kingwood enjoying Gods beauty and then a delightful supper in Block House park reminiscing we made our way to the Mansfield Reformatory. We got directions that were a bit wrong so asked someone else. I also asked this other person is there a store before the prison. He said look for Longview Ave.. We continued on our way and BAM! there was the reformatory. It was just an awesome eery sight. It sits alone and is so HUGE and GOTHIC looking it sent chills up us. We couldn't believe that we were going to tour it and in the dark. What made it even spookier is that it's right next to the new prison. I didn't know this at the time but I took a photo of the new penitentiary. Later on our guide told us it is a state law you CAN NOT TAKE ANY PHOTOS OF THE NEW PRISON, they will fine you and confiscate your camera - WHOOPS to late!
We got to the reformatory a bit to early so continued our search for Longview Ave and a store. We drove a few miles and realized this was heading us way out of Mansfield so turned around. We ended up back where we asked for directions and the name of that short street was - Longview Ave.. That screwball toyed with us. We eventually found a store. On the way back we were running late so asked for directions instead of possibly getting lost. This lady we asked was so polite and helpful she said follow me and took us right to the Mansfield Reformatory drive and then gave us directions how to head home. Thanks again lady whoever you are.
The crowd for this event was about 45. Some were giggling as we were anticipating what lys beyond the huge doors. Others had all kinds of equipment. Some in black, some dressed in military boots and pants. We had to sign a waiver. I took my turn and of course being as serious as I am read CONDITIONS: I wrote, warm and slightly humid, SELF CONDITIONS: I wrote again warm and slightly humid. The lady looked at me as if I was whacked. Well she didn't explain what they meant by conditions.
Now this is the honest truth, I don't fabricate things or lie plus there was my sister, Jeff and the crowd to verify this.
We lined up for the presentation given by Sherry the Ghost Hunter and just as she said OK everyone gather around, a bat flew out of the entrance to the place and disappeared! YES! My sister kept asking I want to know where the bat went? I'm telling you a better opening script couldn't of been written. WHERE DID THAT BAT GO????
To be continued....
Gotta GoGo!!
Carey

What are you doing this Labor Da

Hey Gang,
This Saturday my sister Cindi, Jeff M. and I will be in Mansfield, Ohio touring the Mansfield Reformatory. If I heard correctly we will be locked in from 7 pm to 5 am.
It should be a thrill. Besides the historical significance and the obvious spookiness of being in a old run down prison the place is supposedly very haunted. We're allowed to bring any device we want, tape and video recorders and ghost hunting
apparatuses of any kind.
The best part is:
You will be given a rules and regulations speech, followed by 1 ½ hour guided tour. After the tour, the lights will be turned off and your will be on your own until 5am.
OH MY!! This should be a real hoot!!!!
You may of seen this prison as many films were made here. The most famous movies were "Air Force One" and "The Shawshank Redemption". It also made the Travel Channel's "101 Things to Do Before You Die" & "Scariest Places on Earth"!
A few years back if you remember I spent a night in a haunted factory in Canton, Ohio. I had a chillingly fun time. I only knew one person on the tour so I did my own thing and wandered off alone. And yes I did pick up orbs and a weird image of a mans face in one photo and in another a skull on a brick wall. This was in a factory so who knows what tales or tails I will bring back this time in an old musty dudgeon like prison where brutality was common.
Click on this link to learn more: http://www.mrps.org/

We are leaving early for Mansfield to check out the area before our prison stay. I want to visit Kingswood Gardens. When I was a kid the folks took us on a day trip to Mansfield to see the place. I thought since we will be there why not for memories sake see it again. I was surprised to find Kingswood is still open and the self guided tours are still free!! BUT check out their home page for a real sign of the times:
http://www.kingwoodcenter.org/visit_hours.html.
This recession, mini depression is no joke? Its affecting everyone and everything. Hopefully it will survive.

Another place in Mansfield the parents brought us was a park that supposedly Johnny Appleseed visited. He lived in the area at one time and planting his famous apple seeds. I couldn't find anything on line about this park so it will be interesting to see if I can find it.
Sunday if we are back in time I will join my other sister and the family at her cookout. And then on Monday will end the long weekend at the Great Geauga Fair. It is the oldest fair in Ohio.
Here is the link for that: http://www.geaugafair.com/

In all it should be a fun and exciting weekend, from flowers, apple seeds and prison. Sounds very patriotic don't it?

Gotta GoGo!
Carey