ST LOUIS PAST--------part one
I thought it might be interesting to periodically take a look at St Louis of the past.
The Admiral [currently a land based casino] was once a beautiful, great, magnificent traveling river excursion boat. In the evening you would dress to the nines and take your best girl on a cruise on the Mississippi from 8:00 PM to 12: am. On the two decks with windows you could dance the night away to a live orchestra. The third deck was semi open air and you could purchase food at several different venues. The top deck was open to the skies for star gazing.
Later in life when you had a young family you would cruise in the afternoon from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM spending lots of time on the first deck as that deck had all kinds of games and rides for the kids. In addition you would cool off on the air conditioned dance floor,eat in the open air dining area, and watch the river from the top deck.
It was always special to take out of town visitors on a cruise and listen to their compliments and comments.
The Admiral was a top flight attraction and a shame to lose. How it eventually became a casino is another story.

UNDERWATER EXPLORING
There is a beautiful world underwater waiting for the adventurer to explore. Top photo was taken in the Pacific ocean off the coast of Kauai Hawaii. Exploring and taking pictures require only snorkeling gear,a waterproof camera,and the ability to trust you can breathe through your snorkel tube.
The lower photo is long way from Hawaii on a beach off of the island of Cozumel Mexico. They may be two different bodies of water but they are both beautiful. On this day I spent half the day under the water and the other half we rented a jeep and drove around Cozumel. What beautiful sights were ours for stopping, looking at, and enjoying God's wonderful gifts. Snorkeling and my one scuba dive are high on my personal lists of things I have done. I can taste the salt water while I sit here and type.

THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE
ARE FREE
A sunset over Lake Worth,Palm Beach FL. After a barefoot walk in the ocean with the love of your life. It does not get any better. The trip may have a cost but being barefoot in the sand with God's gift of a beautiful sunset and hand in hand with your wife is a great big ten.

The power of flowing water is magnificent as you look at Niagara Falls from the Canadian side. Please note the gift of God's rainbow pictured on the left side of the photo. The trip to Niagara may have a cost but the wonderful view is free.

The beauty of a butterfly resting in your flower garden is beyond my ability to describe. This Monarch allowed me to be this close for over ten minutes and posed for over twenty photos.

It was extremely difficult for me to narrow to three my choices for the best things if life that are free.

I hope you will share your choices for the best things in life that are free.

BRANSON MO 2006

[Mel.& Liz. Bilbo in front of their
Kringles Christmas store]

Nancy and I had the opportunity last week to spend a week in Branson. Our week began with us attending Sunday services at Hollister Church of Christ and a song service led by our friend Mel Bilbo. After services we had lunch with Mel and Liz at Mel's Hard Luck Diner. After lunch Mel and Liz gave us a tour of Kringles Christmas Store, Thomas Kinkade Store, and their book store. On your next visit to Branson we suggest a visit to the Grand Palace Shopping area and the four stores owned by the Bilbo's. Especially a meal at the diner as they feature singing servers.

Pictured on the left is 80 year old Ray Price. Nancy and I had the opportunity to be entertained by Ray and his orchestra. It was a great show

especially when you factor in his age.

On Friday, April 7th we had a special evening as Ed celebrated his birthday. Our evening started with a steak dinner at the Majestic Steak House with a great meal and service by Shaughn. Then on to the Shoji Tabuchi Show and Shoji is pictured on the left. This was either the fourth or fifth time we have seen his show an it seems to get better with age. The tour of the bathroom is still a highlight and his wide range of music continues to delight audiences of all ages.

All in all we had a great week of relaxing, resting, shopping, and being entertained.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to a great group of six



Ed/Dad------04/07
Nancy/Mom--04/14




Terri 04/05
Joe 04/30

Edward 03/30
Karen 04/04




March and April birthdays are popular in our family. Ed started it all a long time ago at the old St.Anthonys hospital in St Louis. Nancy was next and was born at home in Kaiser Ar.
Our daughter Terri was born at Lutheran hospital in St Louis. Our son Edward calls Independence MO. His home town.
This time of the year has always been a fun time of the year for the Tritschler family. Then along came spouses and their birthdays simply added to the fun. We have one big family party usually a barbecue to celebrate all of our birthdays
Happy birthday and I hope we all enjoy our special day.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!! BROTHER

{picture taken at Harry Carey restaurant in Chicago IL,}

On the left is my brother Neil Anderson. We actually have different parents and are only children. We consider ourselves being closer than most brothers. For plus twenty five years we have lived three hundred miles apart yet we touch base at least once per week. Some weeks it is three or more times. Thank goodness for eight hundred numbers and cell phones. Even though we have different parents and childhoods it is scary how many similarities we have.
*** Both of us were born at St Anthonys hospital in St Louis
*** We eat only Saltine crackers,Hydrox cookies,and Brooks catsup
*** Though we did not know each other we both married in 1959.
*** We both graduated from high school in 1956
There are many stories I could share about our special friendship but three seem biblical to me.
The first happened in the early seventies right here in St Louis when neither of us had any real financial resources. Our wives [both wonderful women] wanted to hear John Davidson perform at a hotel in Fenton. In addition to a service charge we both paid $25.00 for four cokes as they had a two drink minimum. In 2006 $25.00 does not sound like much but in 1970 $25.00 would probably be close to $100.00 today. We still talk about that night and a couple of years ago Nancy and I met John Davidson on a cruise.
The second was a family trip we took around 1976. Neil rented a Winnebago from his uncle and took his family of four and my family of five on a wild trip to Kentucky and back. In a three night trip we saw Churchill Downs,Steven Foster's home, Mammoth Cave, the Shaker settlement in Pleasant Hill Ky. Abe Lincoln's boyhood home and on our last day we swam in Kentucky Lake. We covered over eight hundred miles from Thurs. about 7:00 PM till Sunday about 8:00 PM.Our family still talks about that weekend.
Last but not least in our mature years we usually meet somewhere nice for a great weekend. In 1997 we met in New York city and did many things. My personal goal was to see a game in Yankee stadium, a Broadway show, go to the top of the Empire State building and see the Statute of Liberty. We accomplished my goals. In addition we had a great meal at Tavern on the Green at 6:00 PM. on a Saturday without reservations and dressed very casual. How Neil obtained a table for four is still a puzzle as he has not shared how he accomplished this.
I could go on and on because all of our times together have been memorable.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NEIL
YOUR BROTHER
ED

WHY We LIVE in ST Louis AREA!!

[left to right, Kelsey,Nancy, Ed, Todd bottom row is Kayleigh, Paul,Donovan,and in the front is James].
If you received an 05 Christmas card this is the one you should have received. Everyone decided a big no to the photo card because James was too tired. However this photo is a picture of why we live in St Louis and not in a warmer climate.
In about 1985 Nancy and I began to think and plan about how we wanted to spend our retirement years. When retirement happened our plan was to leave around Jan. 1 for a warmer climate and return about April 1 and around June 15th we would reverse our life style and spend three months in the north and cooler climate
On Nov. 14th, 1988 our plans were changed as we expierenced for the first time the joys of being grandparents. Todd Taylor came into our life and we decided we could handle the St Louis weather as we did not care to be gone for that long. We can still travel but we return home in two or three weeks in order to stay involved in our family and their lives.
From the picture you can tell we now have six reasons for not leaving the area. The picture may not have made the Christmas card cut but each grandchild brings great joy to our lives. We know in this era we are so fortunate that our six grandchildren live about twenty minutes from our house.
This last week is typical of how we spend our time. We started on Thursday by spending the day with Donovan and Kayleigh. We went to the park I played catch with Donovan. Grandma and Kayleigh did the swings and all the other park toys. On Saturday Paul and James came over for four hours of fun and games. The two boys especially like the hill in our back yard and have invented a game of the two of them riding on a tricycle down the hill. On Sunday we attended church with the Taylor family. We heard Joe deliver a great bible lesson then we all went out for a pizza lunch at Fortels. Part of the afternoon was spent with the three men watching March madness and the woman visiting the Pottery Barn.
Simply there is no other place for Nancy and I to live but right here in St.Louis.

Cousins Who Became Friends

{Left to right} Ed,Carol,Louise,Louis

It all began with a simple phone message left on my recorder in the winter of 1997. Hi,my name is Melba and I am your cousin. I kept her name and number with every intention of quickly returning her call. Very soon a week went by,then a month, and before I knew it a year had gone by and embarrassingly I finally returned her call in the fall of 1998.
After several visits with Melba I discovered some other cousins who were into our family genealogy. After some correspondence back and forth I finally spoke to Carol and we decided to meet over dinner in Westport. Melba,unfortunately could not join us as her health kept her home bound but I did keep up my visits until her death. I have no idea what took so long but we finally met on September 21, of 2000 at Marcianos with our spouses Jim and Nancy. I feel a little remorse for Jim and Nancy as it was hard for them to get any input into the constant conversation about our family and its past.
Carol then suggested we meet her brother Louis and his wife Billie now things began to move at a faster pace and this meeting took place at the Bevo Mill on November 10th 2000. Nancy and I arrived first and when Louis appeared there was no doubt the two of us were related in fact my granddaughter looks at pictures of Louis and says grandpa.
Our pace continued to speed up and in the spring of 2001 we met at Louis and Billies home and I met another cousin Louise and her husband Dave. Since the meeting of the four couples we have been getting together a minium of four times per year and participating in other major family events.The four families hosted our first family reunion and we had a large group of extended family at Creve Couer park on June 1.2001.
The four of us are related on the grandparents line as they were all brothers. I have a vivid memory of Louis and Carols grandpa as he had a disintive truck that drove around South City in the 1940;s and he coached a school soft ball team that I played on. I remember the names of Louise and Melba's grandparents and to my knowledge the four cousins proably never met as kids. It is amazing how much the four of us are alike even though we had no contact the first sixty years of our lives.
You may think we are related but to me I describe us as friends.

Monday, February 20, 2006

Baseball!!!!!
I describe myself as a guy who likes all sports but I LOVE baseball. My love affair started with the baseball cards of the 1940's and is still going strong in 2006. I saw my first game at Sportmans park in 1948 and it was the St.Louis Browns against the Chicago White Sox for a Sunday doubleheader. [remember we originally had two teams and usually on Sunday we played two games]In the late 40,s I went to the YMCA camp in Potosi,MO for summer camp. One year one of my cabin guys was a young kid by the name of Skip Carey. [I guess I should have made an effort to keep in touch]I really have been very lucky to have witnessed some big time baseball events and I will share a few of the major ones.1-On May 4th of 1954 I was at old Sportsman park on a Sunday afternoon when Stan Musial hit five home runs in a doubleheader. This was a major league record and it was the 1970,s before the record was tied.2-On July 9,1957 I attended my first all star game as it was played in St.Louis. American League won 6-5. I was with my Uncle Bob and we sat in the bleachers an area where you sat in the sun and could take your shirt off.3- In October,1964 again at Sportmans Park I saw games number six and seven of the World series. Game six I sat in the bleachers with a good friend Sam Dimatteo. Game seven was won by Bob Gibson and I witnessed the team, fans, and the city go wild. For game seven I had a very good seat near the first side of the field. In 1964 Mickey Mantle,Yogi Berra, and Whitey Ford where still playing for the Yankees. In addition I saw games 3 & 4 of the 1967 series, both victories by the Cardinals. In 1982 I was at games one and seven and again witnessed a game seven go wild victory by the Cardinals, fans, and the city.In 1987 I was fortunate again to see games number three, four, and five all victories by the Cardinals. Right now my personal World Series record is seven wins and two losses. Not bad for an old guy from South St.Louis.4-My wife Nancy and I were at the last night game played at old Sportsman Park in early May of 1966. We topped the evening off by eating at a famous steak house called Musial & Biggies.5- 7/12/1966 I saw my second all star game and the only one played at the new/old Busch stadium. It was a day game and one of the hottest days ever at 105 degrees. It was hot but again I was lucky as after the second inning we sat in the shade and at least in the shade maybe it was only 99. Ha Ha. The National League won 2-1. I was with my father-inlaw, Jim Mccoy.6-On a Friday night in 1973 my daughters Terri, Sherri, and I saw Bob Gibson get to 2,999 in strikeouts by the fifth ininng but even thought he pitched the entire nine ininngs he could not notch number 3,000. On 9/11/74 my two daughters and I where there when Lou Brock set the stolen base single season record by stealing number 104 in a single season.7-On a cool April the 26th 1974 my two daughters and I saw the Kansas City Royals beat the Minnesota Twins and the total runs scored between the two teams was twenty three. This was a Royals stadium record for many years.On 5/14/77 my entire family was again in Kansas City and this time we saw the opposite type of game as Jim Colburn of the Royals pitched a no hitter. So far this is my one and only no hit game.In 1978 a friend Ron Ollipant and I drove over to Kansas City and saw the Royals play the Yankees in an American League play off game.The weekend of 8/31/97 was a big one as I took my eight year old grandson Todd on his first airplane ride. We went to Kansas City and saw the Cardinals play the Royals in two games.What a great expierence that was for me to take a nine year old on a special baseball weekend.8-In the summer of 1980 I took my eleven year old son Edward on a father son trip as we headed for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown New York. It was quite a thrill for me to walk and view the hallowed sights of the Hall od Fame. It was the fullment of a life long goal.Along the way we camped out, visited the Indianapolis 500 auto track, Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio, Niagra Falls, Gettysburg Battlefield, and maybe my sons favorite the Air Force Museum in Dayton Ohio. One word sums up our trip. WOW!!!9-I retired 12/31/97 and in the spring of 1998 I realized another life time goal by going to the Cardinals Spring Training. That was a great expierence and I continuted to go every year thru 2005. Finally in 2006 we have decided to do some different trips. In addition to spring training I have been to baseball games in Yankee Stadium, The Houston Astrodome, Minnapolis Dome, the old Seattle Mariners Domed Stadium, Arlinton Texas Stadium, the old Cinnicati Stadium,the Atlanta Braves stadium of the 70,s, and wonderfull Wrigley field in Chicago.10-In addition I saw two National Leaggue playoff games in 1982 Cardinals versus Braves,the Go Crazy Folks playoff game of 1985 when Ozzie Smith hit a home run in the 10th batting left handed against the Dodgers, two playoff games in 1987 against the Giants, Three playoff games in 1996, and at least one playoff game of every year since that the Cardinals have participated.11- On 9/8/1998 my wife Nancy and I were in attendance when Mark McGwire hit home run number 62.I guess that might have been my biggest baseball moment because of the anticapation. Will he do it tonight? In addition the record was over forty years old and I had a televison memory of Roger Maris hitting home run number sixty one.It simply was a huge thrill when Mark hit the ball and we saw it barely go into the left field stands.A great list of wonderfull memories by a guy who started out flipping baseball cards in the neigborhood parks.
posted by Ed. Tritschler 2:57 PM

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posted by E.A. Tritschler | 2:26 PM

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On a cool fall Oct. Evening in 1956 I met a young woman name of Nancy and as fate would direct we are still sharing our life together. At the time I was in college and Nancy was a senior in high school. From that fall evening until a warm May 9th 1959 we had what could be described as a rocky courtship. It was certainly on again and then off again for one reason or another. My blog title states it is a great life and since that warm May evening in 59 it has been. We have had three wonderfull children and with help from their spouses they have given us six terrific grandkids. We have a passion to travel but our love for our grandkids always brings us back home. Some of our favorite places are Maui Hawaii, Spring training with the Cardinals, Paris, Germany,Grand Canyon, New York City, Boston, Nova Scotia and really I could go on and on.