Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a

Good Morning All!

Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife, Judy, on 39 years of marriage!  Through all the ups and downs and all-arounds of life, I couldn’t think of a better person to share them with than her.  She’s truly the spice of life and its been a wonderful journey together.  I don’t think there has ever been a more beautiful day on April 12th than the one on Tammany Creek Road where we tied the knot and took the “deep dive” together…lots of blue sky & golden sunshine and terrific family & friends with whom to share it.  Here’s to 39 more, my “better half”!

Speaking of celebrations, here’s to my sister-in-law, Mary, on her 55th birthday tomorrow (April 13th).  She is a terrific sister-in-law, in all respects.  I love her dearly…here’s to you, Mary!  Have fun on your special day of celebration!  And here’s to friends Tina Brown, Sarah Weaver (one of the outstanding members of “The Amazing Class of 1973” at Olympia High School), and Nathan Gossard, all of whom celebrate their birthdays tomorrow (April 13th)!

The time is fast approaching for my daughter-in-law Sarah’s folks, Jim & Celeste, to head out on their motorcycle touring adventure in Sicily, the homeland of Jim’s family.  What a great trip is in store for them!  I wish I could be a mouse in their suitcase and share in their adventures (well maybe not a mouse…).  They will be traveling to Acquaviva Plantani, Sicily, where Jim’s grandparents came from originally.  It’s about 35 minutes north of Agregento, where Jim says there is the largest collection of Greek ruins in the world (even more than in Greece itself…how about that?).  There a little nervous about riding motorcycles in a strange place, but I think the Italians drive on the same side of the road as we do, so they should be O.K..

I had the pleasure of attending a public forum yesterday afternoon entitled “Alzheimer’s Research Update:  Biomarkers, Therapeutics and Lifestyle Factors, presented by Keith Fargo, Ph.D, who is the Director of Scientific Programs & Outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association.  Keith did a great job of updating us on all of the latest developments in Alzheimer’s/Dementia research and there’s clearly some things that bring hope that effective treatments will be found and that ultimately a cure will be found for this horrible disease/illness.  Lots of progress being made in linking uncontrolled hypertension to the onset of Alzheimer’s Disease & related dementias.  Lifestyle factors are also be identified as causes for increased probabilities for Alzheimer’s/Dementia.  I also attended a dinner with Keith and others from the Alzheimer’s Association and I wish you all could have been there to listen to the discussions we had…it’s amazing how much more we know about Alzheiemr’s Disease and related dementias and causation factors than we knew even five years ago.  Please visit the Alzheimer’s Association for more information (they have lots of great resources for Alzheimer’s & dementia patients, their families and caregivers).  The web site is www.alz.org.  You’ll be glad you did!

There was a great article that appeared in the most recent edition of “Rural Montana” about the Montana Club in Helena, Montana.  Evidently, private clubs are experiencing sustainability challenges due to the changing demographics & tastes of people who might find a private club of interest.  So, the leadership of the Montana Club is in the process of converting that particular private club to a member-owned cooperative, and is now open to the public for lunch, dinner and events.  The transition from a private club to a cooperative brought with it many changes.  The most obvious is that instead of the most affluent Montanans from Helena and across the state—as well as a number of members from out of state—keeping the club financially stable through private dues, the club is supported by sales to the public, and by selling memberships, or shares.  For just $50, anyone can buy stock in the Montana Club, entitling them to a vote in any election of the board of directors, and a say in how the club is run.  According to Emily Dean, the president of the board of the club:  “We want it to be a special place where you can have an experience you can’t have anywhere else, but not break the bank,” she said, noting that recently there was a family in one area of the dining room, a group of Republican legislators nearby, and the governor and his staff just across the room.  “Only here can that happen,” Dean said.  I remember visiting there as a young boy, as my Dad was friends with Al Feller, who owned an insurance agency in Helena and was a member of the Montana Club.  I distinctly remember the large Charlie Russell paintings that adorned the dining room and lobby.  They were mighty impressive to a young boy.  Lots of Montana history within those walls, for sure!  I also had the pleasure of visiting the Montana Club a couple of times during my professional career when I was working with companies on their employee benefits programs.  It’s quite a place and I’m glad to know that more people will now be able to enjoy it.  Here’s to the leadership of the Montana Club for their foresight and creative response to the challenges of maintaining a private club in this day & time!  You can find out more about the Montana Club by going to www.montanaclub.coop.  It’s on the corner of Sixth & Fuller in Helena…

Here’s the funny Medical Dictionary definition for the day:

Seizure:   Roman emperor

Here are some thoughts for the day:

“It’s great to get paid for what you love doing most.  To enjoy your work.  And to follow that.  It’s important.”

—Dennis Quaid, actor of “Frequency” movie fame and many others

“As for me, prizes are nothing.  My prize is my work.”

—Katherine Hepburn, actress of “The African Queen” & “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” fame and many others

“Death will be a great relief.  No more interviews.”

—Katherine Hepburn, actress

“It is well to have specifically holy places, and things, and days…for, without these focal points or reminders, the belief that all is holy and “big with God” will soon dwindle into mere sentiment.  But if these holy places, things, and days cease to remind us…if they obliterate our awareness that all ground is holy and every bush (could we but perceive it) a Burning Bush, then the hallows begin to do harm.  Hence both the necessity, and the perennial danger, of “religion”.

—C.S. Lewis, “Letters to Malcolm:  Chiefly on Prayer”, quoted in “C.S. Lewis’ Little Book Of Wisdom” (2018)

“Let ev’ry creature in the sea and ev’ry flying bird,

let ev’ry mountain, ev’ry field, and valley of the earth;

Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe

sing praises to the living God who rules them by His Word.”

—Mac Powell & Fernando Ortega, “Our Great God” (2002)

Here’s to a great Friday and great weekend & lots of love always!

Press on,

Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)