When I was a young girl, in the late 40′s and early 50′s, it was a great place to be when all of the teams and young boys came to town. Years ago the field was located across the bridge in Williamsport. That first diamond, situated behind a minor league park known as Bowman Field, was initially used for softball.  We had to sit on the dike to watch the games. My Uncle Lewis Browne  was one of the first umpires for the Little League players. The first Little League game took place on June 6, 1939. Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8.  Little League Baseball grew from three teams in this Pennsylvania town to an international organization of nearly 200,000 teams in every U.S. state and over 80 countries all around the world.

This is a picture of the Howard J. Lamade field as it looks today. You can see the mountains surrounding the city. The view from the field is outstanding. August is a great time to visit Williamsport. The league headquarters are located in South Williamsport, directly across the Susquehanna River from the site of the original league.  The Little League International Complex facility hosts the Little League World Series at Howard J. Lamade Stadium and Little League Volunteer Stadium. It is also the site of the Little League Museum, which provides a history of Little League Baseball through films,interactive games and displays.

This is a picture of International Grove where all of the teams stay for the nearly two weeks during the World Series. There is an outdoor and indoor pool for recreation, a cafeteria and dining hall and a medical facility as well as dorms for the young boys. It is a beautiful setting among the trees. All the teams participating in the series receive room and board for free at the Little League International complex. Each of the 16 teams from around the globe in the Little League Baseball World Series are also provided transportation to Williamsport and back home at no charge.  If you love baseball this is great fun to watch these young boys play ball and a wonderful place to visit. There is great recreation on the river all summer and beautiful scenery to enjoy. If you are a hiker, there are great trails nearby and a museum that provides the history of the lumbering era in Williamsport. We also boast of “millionaires row”where you can see all of the wonderful homes that were built during the “1800′s by the dozens of wealthy lumber barons. Williamsport is filled with history.

Enjoy!

Gayle

Years ago I made a promotional record for Gene Norman, a night club owner and record producer. He owned the “Crescendo” a night club on the Sunset Strip. Billy Strange, Nancy Sinatra’s record producer is the band behind my voice on this recording. Recently my niece who lives in London discovered this recording on You Tube. I was probably in my late 20′s when this was made.  I hope you enjoy it. It sure was fun to hear this lost recording.

There are two recordings on You Tube by me. It Hurts and Ordinary Girl. Click on You Tube and type in Chuck Marone to hear them.

Dictionary

lone.ly
adjective ( -lier , -liest )
sad because one has no friends or company : lonely old people whose families do not care for them.

• without companions; solitary : passing long lonely hours looking onto the street.

• (of a place) unfrequented and remote : a lonely stretch of country lane.

Thesaurus
lonely
adjective
1 I felt very lonely isolated, alone, lonesome, friendless, with no one to turn to, forsaken, abandoned, rejected, unloved, unwanted, outcast; gloomy, sad, depressed, desolate, forlorn, cheerless, down, blue. antonym popular.
2 the lonely life of a writer solitary, unaccompanied, lone, by oneself/itself, companionless. antonym sociable.
3 a lonely road deserted, uninhabited, unfrequented, unpopulated, desolate, isolated, remote, out of the way, secluded, off the beaten track/path, in the back of beyond, godforsaken; informal in the middle of nowhere. antonym populous, crowded.

Over and over again we have heard that social isolation is unhealthy for people of all ages. It can lead to depression, dementia and all sorts of other complications related to stress. Bottom line is that good friends are good for your health. It is never too late to make new friends or reconnect with old friends. Strong supportive friendships help you to maintain your happiness and self worth. The physical health benefits of socializing are equal to those of physical exercise. Good physical health and healthy eating count too, but it is the feeling of being worthwhile and loved that leads to a longer life. Social interaction is responsible for the results. Not only do strong social connections help you live longer, they also aid in better intellectual performance. You have to agree being healthier, smarter, and living longer are great benefits. Add to those a circle of new friends and your investment in socializing has paid off well.

One of the most difficult challenges for seniors is maintaining or finding relationships with people from their generation who share their interests, experiences and hobbies. This peer interaction is quite essential for a healthy retirement and aging. Whether you are retired or not, there are many things you can do to prevent loneliness and make connections with others. “People Do Need People”. Making connections can be as easy as joining a group with interests that match your own. Joining a gym, a walking group, computer club, book club, car club, Bible class or sewing group for examples, provide the social interaction that is key to your good health. Involvement in your church or synagogue, interacting with family and neighbors, and volunteering in your community all create socializing opportunities to meet and make new friends. People teach us new things about life and prevent us from being depressed. Focus on others and you will find less time to feel sorry for yourself. Get out of the house and enjoy life. You will not feel lonely very long and you will have fun doing it.

Many seniors find that going to the gym 3 or 4 times a week is great therapy for loneliness or the blues. Here at Siena where we live seniors and boomers are in great supply. Siena is a 55 or over community. Our gym is always filled with people. Often you will find small groups or couples stopping to chat, catch up on what’s new or provide a little advice. Sometimes it is merely a friendly wave to acknowledge you as a friend. It gives us a chance to interact with others, maintain friendships and start new ones in a relaxed atmosphere. None of us lose sight of the real reason we are there, to get in our physical exercise.Most of our conversations are short or before or after we finish our routines. Going to the gym 3-5 times a week gets people out of their homes where they might be all alone and feeling sorry for themselves which can lead to depression.

Getting to the gym allows for some socialization, provides purpose and physical exercise. The gym offers small group classes for Yoga, body sculpting and aerobics. These are all great ways to stay connected as well as providing some motivation for the day. A lot of our senior friends go to the gym for rehabilitative reasons or are recovering from an illness or loss of a loved one. As they connect with others they find compassion and understanding and can share experiences. This allows them to verbalize their concerns, which helps to alleviate the sorrow or pain that may be affecting their lives. Good times too can be shared as new and closer friendships are made. Laughing and humor help us to feel good and suppress depression. Often we discover someone who is from the same hometown or state, has the same hobby, or has taken a vacation to a place we have visited. Common interests tend to bond us together. Many of us look forward to connecting with our fellow “gym rats”. Our loneliness is diminished when we have someone to interact with and something to look forward to on a daily basis. It is important for our mental health to feel a part of this type of a community or group no matter how involved we become.

Friends are the shoulder to lean on, the confidants, advisors, supporters, motivators or companions for a variety of activities that help maintain your happiness. Having a network of friends promotes positive mental health and keeps unhealthy stressful situations in perspective. Sharing with others can multiply your joys and divide your sorrows. People who become involved and are connected with others give living a purpose. Socializing is your lifeline, friends are your lifesavers. Everyone needs to feel loved and supported. We are social creatures and feel better when we are with other people. Not only do strong social connections help you live longer, they also aid in better intellectual performance. You have to agree being healthier, smarter, and living longer are great benefits. Add to those a circle of new friends and your investment in socializing has paid off well.

Get out their folks, make friends, reconnect with old friends, learn something new, volunteer or get to know your neighbors. The payoff to your physical health, mental health and spirit is wonderful. You will feel like a new person and add a few years to your life in the process. “The grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for.” -Allan K. Chalmers-

Happy Anti-aging Everyone!

Chuck and Gayle

Let’s face it, even though I stay fit, work out and eat right, age does take its toll, in particular, my voice. My voice was not the same in my late 60s as it was when I was singing for a living. Quite frankly I didn’t like what I heard. Of course my friends and wife said, just get up there and do it, you can still sing. You guessed it, I went and bought Karaoke CDs and learned a few songs. I entered a contest and won the right to compete in the finals. My secretary recommended I should sing Sinatra’s hit New York, New York. Everybody loves that song. I was also born in New York City. Guess What? I split first place with a female singer in her twenties and there I was, an old man of 70, singing again. I won about $350, which paid for the CD’s and gas to get to the Texas Station every week.

Hey all you creative seniors out there, don’t allow the years of inactivity to take away the things you used to do and love. Do you believe age is just a number? I do. Do your thing, applause comes in many, many ways! I hope you enjoy my moment on stage at Texas Station . It was great fun!

Watch my video! I hope you enjoy it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUkynVTH7tE[/youtube]

My advise to those of you who sang professionally at one time in your life or to those who just enjoy singing for fun, display your talent at any number of places in your city. Here are some tips to get you started. Choose your song carefully, make sure it showcases your style and talent. Pick a song most people are familiar with, but do it your way, your spin. Judges and the audience will appreciate your command and style rather than a copy of the “same old thing”. Just be yourself. Keep it somewhat short, you do not want to bore the judges and your audience. Hit one out of the park and take your bows. Most importantly, if you are having fun , you can be sure the audience and judges will be too. Move around the stage and for goodness sake, don’t sing to the monitor, sing to the audience. Judges love that! Dress is very important. Come out there and look like an entertainer. Dress sharp! In closing, don’t expect to win the top spot based solely on your singing voice. Believe me, judges look at 3 criteria; vocal ability, stage presence and of course, audience reaction. Shine my friends, shine!

No matter what Simon Cowell, from American Idol, has said about Karaoke, it is an art form. Karaoke is very entertaining when done well. I have personally seen and heard many great performers on the Karaoke stage. There is a lot of undiscovered talent out there. Unfortunately they are not heard by enough folks. Everyone loves to be appreciated and admired and show off their creativity. Creativity, like singing, may play an important role in healthy aging . Even though our brains age, it doesn’t stop us from being creative. When you have interesting things to do, you tend to be more outgoing and have a more positive attitude, and therefore you are healthier as a result. Being creative is really emotionally good for you at any age.

One afternoon I went to the local radio station in Pasadena in hopes of getting an audition with Cliffy Stone. While practicing in an empty studio a gentleman by the name of Billy Strange heard me sing and introduced me to Cliffy. That introduction landed me a job on the local country and western radio show, hosted by Cliffy Stone, who also had a local television show called “Hometown Jamboree”. After some months on radio I had my chance to perform on the television show. The first song I sang on television was called “Buttons and Bows”. Another song that was received really well was “Unchained Melody”. After that experience I had the urge to travel. I went on the road with a trio, primarily as a singer and front man. Traveling was a lot of fun, since I was able to see many places I had never been. After the trio I joined up with the“Four Jokers”, a musical comedy group who owned a nightclub in Encino, CA. We worked at home at the “Four Jokers Club” and also did some traveling. Hawaii was a venue that the “Four Jokers” worked before I joined the group. We all headed for Hawaii, this was my first time. We spent many months there and I fell in love with the Island.

After the Jokers, one of the best jazz accordionist in the music business, Ray Lewis, and I formed a musical comedy duo known as “Lewis and Marone”. We traveled to many places including Tokyo, Japan. We played in a club there called the “Copa Cabana”. We also sang for the troops in Thailand during the Viet Nam War. While at home in southern California we worked various nightclubs. We built a large following in San Gabriel Valley at a club called “Jack London Square”. Ray and I were together about ten years. During this time I cut a few records with several record companies. Although I never achieved a hit record I felt extremely successful in the music business doing what I truly enjoyed.

Music is my passion in life and even though I no longer sing professionally, music will always be a part of my life. I take my i-Pod to the gym and outdoors while I am working in the yard. Did you know that music can keep you motivated, especially when you are exercising? People who listen to music while doing their exercise routine actually lose twice as much weight as those who don’t listen to music. Music has many other benefits for your health, state of mind and physical well-being. It can reduce pain and anxiety, enhance relaxation, elevate mood and accelerate learning. You don’t have to be a musician to enjoy music, it transcends all ages, cultures, and languages. What a sad world this would be without music.

LIFESTYLE LINKS

Travel           Fitness             Music 

Years ago I had all of my old movie film transferred to 2 large VHS cassettes. About 2 years ago I bought a new computer and with a ton of help from my friend, we transferred reams of film and video into the computer. The footage was edited and appropriate titles, music and family photos were added to enhance viewing pleasure. Many of the photos that contained wonderful family memories had been boxed away for years. This gave me the opportunity to use them and to enjoy them once again. We then transferred all of these treasures to DVD movies.
Now it is so easy to pop in a DVD, sit back, and enjoy our many hours of diligent work on a big screen TV. It is especially wonderful to see all of those old photos in the DVD movies that bring back so many family memories. I especially love the DVD’s devoted to the memories of my wife of 47 years, who I lost to cancer in 2005. I am so thankful to have so many wonderful memories to pass on to my children, grandchildren and their families in generations to come. It gives me great pleasure to give these DVD’s to them to view and keep these family memories alive.

My advice to everyone is to keep your eye in your view finder. Take lots of pictures and movies. You will be very happy you did. You will be building a treasure chest of memories for years to come.

Learn how to easily create your own DVD movie collection.