Good Morning All!
Today is POW/MIA Recognition Day…let us always remember those served our country as prisoners of war and those who we lost as “missing in action.” We owe them so much…our freedoms, our way of life…we can never repay them for their sacrifice…
There was a great turnout for the People For Effective Government (PEG) Public Forum with former Ambassador Ryan Crocker last night at Gonzaga University. There were some 200 people in attendance and a little bit of standing room only! Ryan’s presentation was first-class and there was great Q & A session following. You can see a videotape of Ryan’s presentation by going to PEG’s website at pegnow.org. It should be available for viewing within the next week or so. Stay tuned for more public forums from PEG. I hope you will become involved in PEG or a movement similar to it in your community. One of PEG’s goals is to restore civility in public discourse and in the world of politics…and boy, do we need some of that these days!
Happy Birthday wishes go to one of my favorite movie stars of all-time, Sophia Loren (she always looks terrific…ageless I might say), who turns 85 today; to actor Gary Cole, who is 63 today; and to actress-comedienne & mother of Ben Stiller, Anne Meara, who turns 90 today! Here’s to all of you!
I’ve been enjoying the book “The Pioneers: The Heroic Story Of The Settlers Who Brought The American Ideal West” by one of my favorite historians and writers, David McCullough. Whenever we want to feel sorry for ourselves and think that no one can possibly have as hard a time as us, just read the inspiring stories of the people featured in David McCullough’s new book. It will inspire you! Here’s an excerpt from the book that reflects this spirit of endurance and perseverance:
“Like so many born and raised on a New England farm in the eighteenth century and who served in the Revolutionary War, Rufus Putnam had known hard work and hardships, great sorrow and seemingly insurmountable obstacles most of his life. It was what was to be expected, just as one was expected to measure up.”
Speaking of great books to check out, how about “Birds”, a guide to Icelandic birds by Hjorleifur Hjartarson & Ran Flygenring? It’s a hilarious (and informative) account of most of the birds you might see on a visit to Iceland. Here’s an excerpt to give you a flavor of it…this passage has to do with what the authors call “The Two Faces of Iceland”…”Winterland” & “Summerland”. Although we weren’t in Iceland during the winter, I got a good feel for birdwatching from this book if you happened to be in Iceland during their winter:
“Iceland in the summer and Iceland in the winter are two very different places, but both are equally interesting for birdwatching. In Winterland, an icy cold silence hangs suspended over the country. Some real tough cookies rule the roost here — ravens and snow buntings and a few others who are daunted by nothing and no one. Along the shores, there is more vitality and variety. When they are not being jostled about on rough seas, for instance, cheerful seabirds brave polar winds and divers plunge down into the depths, practicing their craft in the foamy surf. A winter walk along the Icelandic seashore is an invigorating experience for bird watchers, not to mention those who enjoy a bit of derring-do…”
Here’s a trivia item for the day:
The medical term for writer’s cramp is “graphospasm.”
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funny bone.”
—Reba McEntire, country/western singer and actress
“All the lovely ladies in their finery tonight, I wish that I could know you one by one
All the handsome gentlemen with loving on their minds, strolling in to take the ladies home
Bless you all and keep you on the road to tenderness, heaven can be yours just for now.
All the strangers who by nature do not smile, to everyone who cannot hold a pen
To all you heavy rounders with a headache for your pains, who dread the thought of going ’round the bend…
Bless you all and keep you on the road to better things
Heaven can be yours just for now…”
—Gordon Lightfoot, “All The Lovely Ladies”, from the album “Cold On The Shoulder” (1975)
“Such, then, was the state of my imaginative life; over against it stood the life of my intellect. The two hemispheres of my mine were in the sharpest contrast. On the one side a many-islanded sea of poetry and myth; on the other a glib and shallow “rationalism.” Nearly all that I loved I believed to be imaginary; nearly all that I believed to be real I thought glum and meaningless.”
—C.S. Lewis, “Surprised By Joy,” as quoted in “C.S. Lewis’ Little Book Of Wisdom” (2018)
Here’s to a great Friday and lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)