Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a

Good Morning All!

A great big HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to my brother Matt, and his wife, Val, who celebrate their 37th wedding anniversary today!  Here’s to you too!  And Happy Anniversary wishes go to our dear friends, Hal & Janie, who just celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary!  I could not have had a better business partner and professional mentor than Hal.  Our family has received many blessings over the years because of Hal.  Here’s to you, Hal & Janie, and here’s to many more years of happiness!

Here’s to my childhood friend, Dick, fitness instructor and healthy lifestyle advocate extraordinaire; and to long-time business associate, David, employee benefits administrator & entrepreneur extraordinaire, who celebrate their birthdays tomorrow, August 22nd.  Thanks to you both for your commitment to excellence in your chosen fields of endeavor!  Happy Birthday to long-time Acme Concrete & Spokane Rock Products General Manager extraordinaire, Steve, who also celebrates his birthday tomorrow (August 22nd)!  Thanks for all you’ve done to make the greater Spokane area a better place to live!

Happy Birthday wishes also go to track & field great Usain Bolt of Jamaica, “the fastest man in the world” (boy, howdy, can he run!), who turns 33 today;  to singer Kenny Rogers of “Kenny Rogers & The First Edition” fame, who is 81 today; to actor Clarence Williams III of TV’s “Mod Squad” fame, who turns 80 today; to singer Harold Reid of “The Statler Brothers” fame, who is 80 today; and to Archie Griffin, the only 2-time Heisman Trophy winner, who turns 65 today…here’s to all of you!

We had the opportunity to spend some time at our favorite (most happy) place in the Universe…The Tana House!  We were treated to a visit one late afternoon/early evening by a beautiful doe and her two fawns.  It was quite a sight.  They stayed close by for awhile, enjoying our salal bushes and other deer delicacies on nearby.  Another thing to love about The Tana House, for sure!  We also got the opportunity to travel to Shelby, Montana and visit my cousin Syble.  She lives in a nice retirement center there.  It was good to see here again and catch up on extended family news and talk about out family heritage (and Cherokee roots).  If you’re ever in Shelby, check out “The Griddle” restaurant…their pork sandwich is mighty tasty!

Speaking of culinary tips, be sure and check out Josephine’s in Coram, Montana.  The restaurant is named for Josephine Dooty, who was a celebrated “rum-runner”/”bootlegger” in the Flathead Valley and Glacier Park areas during Prohibition.  They have a display about her in the restaurant.  It’s a great vibe there and be sure to check out some of their signature drinks such as the “Swiftcurrent Sling” and “The Im-pear-ative”.  Their prime rib sandwich is mouth-watering, to say the least.  Josephine’s is located right next to the Glacier Distillery along Highway 2 headed east toward Glacier Park.

Speaking of a great place to experience “Happy Hour”, check out The Ahwahnee Hotel at Yosemite.  For a fairly reasonable sum, you can enjoy a beverage out on their patio and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of this historic hotel.  The rooms there a pretty pricey…$500-$1,000 a night…boy, howdy…I don’t think I can sleep that slow!  But you’ll want to check this place out for sure!    According to it’s brochure, The Ahwahnee is “known for its magnificent facade and architecture, gourmet cuisine and sweeping view of Yosemite’s vistas—it offers a perfect balance of history, hospitality, and elegance.  Be sure to order a “Elcapitini” when you’re there!

Here are some more reflections, observations, etc. from my recent Icelandic adventure…

July 10, 2019

“Lots of blue road signs along the highways of Iceland.  We think they denote the family names of those who own the land/farm along that particular road.  The signs look like family/farm names (i.e. Klopp, Sigluvik, Fossbrekka, etc.)…

When taking a shower and/or using the tap in Iceland you have to remember that it takes awhile to get cold water because the shower and taps actually emit hot water from natural/geothermal sources…instant hot water here!

Special K cereal here has bigger & crunchier flakes!  Lots of different varieties of Icelandic salt…lots of salt factories throughout the country.  They love their salt here!…must be because everyone lives close to a salt-water fjord!

I found out that “Nesti” is the word for “Drive-In” in Icelandic…lots of Nestis in each major town/village here, although rarely do you see familiar chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, etc….some Subways and Domino’s Pizza outlets from time to time.

“Sleppflagio” is “paint store” in Icelandic.  Unlike Spanish, it’s hard to gain a clue as to the meaning of a word in Iceland, since their language is so different from English (latin based language).  It’s hard to guess what Icelandic words mean!

We visited a shopping mall in Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland, to pick up some grocery items (the grocery store was located in the mall).  The mall featured a “Kids Cool” shop which featured Legos…a popular item for kids all over the world, for sure!   You can always recognize the Legos logo!

One thing I need to get an answer to is “do fjords freeze over?”  I wouldn’t imagine so, due to the fact that they are salt water and are subject to the ebb and flow of tides, but that’s something I’ll need to investigate when I have time.  We aren’t in Iceland during the winter/cold months, so I can’t really say for sure…

One thing that intrigues me is that lots of small churches are built near farm houses.  It seems as though families build churches close to where they live.  It might have something to do with the difficulty they would have in attending church services in towns/villages during the harsh weather months here…

Some of the farms in Iceland have been converted into hotels/inns for visitors.  Other farms have built vacation houses/cabins for tourists.  It has turned into quite an industry here!

You know you’re getting closer to the North Pole when a road sign here has a Santa Claus on it with the words “31 km” on it!

Stay tuned for more impressions of Iceland in future blogs…

I came across the 1969 Topps Football Card for Steve Stonebreaker, who was born in Moline, Illinois in 1938 and played linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings, the Baltimore Colts and the New Orleans Saints.  His son, Mike, also played in the NFL.  Steve played high school football at Utica High School in Michigan and then played college football at the University of Detroit (I didn’t know they had a football team!).  He was a 12th Round draft pick (#155 overall) of the Minnesota Vikings.  He played in the 1964 NFL Championship Game as a member of the Baltimore Colts.  He was known to be an aggressive, hard-hitting player.  In his first and only year with the Saints in 1967-68, Steve was fined by the NFL for starting a fight on the field.  It was at Yankee Stadium, when a New York Giants center, Greg Larsen, took a cheap shot at a Saints flanker named Tom Hall, who only the week before had suffered a concussion.  “When the game was over, Stoney (Stonebreaker) led the charge against the Giants.”  According to news reports, he reportedly told Larsen “you belong to me” and it touched off an all-out battle.  Steve was fined $350 by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle and the fans in New Orleans, incensed over the fine, tried to pay it for him.  “Rozelle insisted that money had to come from Stonebreaker’s check.  So Joe Gemelli, who owned a clothing store, told Stoney to bring his children in any time they needed to be outfitted…”  Stonebreaker was known for a touch of “bizarre frivolity” with his teammates, particularly during his time with the Baltimore Colts.  Sig Hyman, who operated Pension Planners, Inc., once hired Steve during the off-season.  “He was smart and a great salesman,” Hyman said.  “You’d never confuse him with one of those athletes who came to work for a company thinking he was going to play corporate golf.  Not Steve.  he produced in business.”  After his football career, Steve remained in New Orleans and once published a football periodical called “Grid Week”, made quick advancement with a ship-building company there and later owned “Stonebreaker’s Restaurant in Metairie, Louisiana, known for “the best ribs in New Orleans.”  The place was always packed.  Unfortunately, Steve had a bought with cancer and went through a heart-breaking divorce.  The cancer returned some years later and many believe it lead to Steve’s suicide at age 56.  His son, Mike, was a standout linebacker at Notre Dame and played briefly for the Chicago Bears & New Orleans Saints and then for a year with the World Football League Frankfurt Galaxy in 1995…

Here is the thought for the day:

“We believe in home, that it should restore us from today and ready us for tomorrow.  We believe in friendship, because friends who feel like family are the best kind of friends, and that nothing matters more than family.  We believe in seeking the balance between hustle and rest and learning to find contentment in both   We believe everyone deserves a seat at the table and everyone has a story worth telling.  We believe in human kindness, knowing we are made better when we all work together.  We believe in courage, in cartwheeling past our comfort zones and trying something alittle bit scary every day.   We believe that failure needn’t be a negative thing; rather, we learn from our mistakes and fail smarter next time.  We believe in doing good work that matters and, in choosing that, nudging others toward doing the same.  We believe that newer isn’t always better and that it’s time for the pendulum of trend to swing back to the basics.  We believe in unearthing beauty, however hidden or subtle ti might be.  We believe that each day is a gift and that everyday miracles are scattered about if only we have eyes to see.  And of all heroic pursuits large or small, we believe there may be none greater than a life well loved.”

—“Magnolia Manifesto”, from “Magnolia Journal:  Inspiration For Life And Home” magazine, Fall, 2019, page 112.

Here’s to a great Wednesday and lots of love always!

Press on,

Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)