Good Afternoon All!
Today, January 28th, marks the 93rd birthday of my beloved mother, Tempa Christine Newbold (Grandma or Chris to family & friends)! It was this day in 1927 that she came into this world in a little town called Zena, Oklahoma near what is today the “Grand Lake Of The Cherokees” in northeastern Oklahoma. Chris (Grandma) has seen much in her well-lived life…as a young girl living through The Great Depression; as a young woman living through World War II; witnessing the popular use of the automobile; finding lifetime love with a young World War II veteran in Raymond WA; being part of the first generation to have television; raising a family in Olympia WA; helping keep my Dad’s insurance agency going during his recovery from a serious injury; fixing delicious meals too numerous to count for her family & friends; seeing an astronaut walk on the Moon; witnessing the advent of computers and then cellphones; and most importantly, showing her steadfast love for her family and friends. It’s a life worthy of celebrating, for sure! Here’s to you, Mom (Chris/Grandma), on your 93rd birthday! Thanks for being a bright light in this world of ours…Happy Birthday!
All of our family mourns the death of our son-in-law David’s beloved grandfather, “Grandad Dick” or just “Grandad” as he was fondly called. He lived a life of many adventures and leaves behind a lovely family as his legacy. Thoughts & prayers go out to David, his parents Linda & Kirk, and all of the Knaggs extended family, as they mourn Grandad’s death & celebrate his life.
Deepest sympathy goes to our daughter-in-law Sarah’s family at news of the death of her aunt Cynthia in New York. Our love & good wishes go to Sarah, her mother Celeste and all of the Culora-Lupo extended family as they mourn Cynthia’s death and celebrate her life.
Happy Birthday wishes go to my mom’s friend Marge, who celebrates her 90th birthday today; to long-time friend and former client, Paul, whose birthday is today; to friend, fellow supporter of Christ Kitchen & banker extraordinaire, Randy, who celebrates his 53rd birthday today; and to one of my favorite actors/comedians…Alan Alda of TV’s M.A.S.H. fame…who celebrates his 84th birthday today! Here’s to all of you and may you enjoy your special day of celebration!
Today we remember and honor the crew of the Space Shuttle “Challenger” that was lost in 1986. Who can ever forget that horrible day?…here’s to all of the space pioneers who have blazed the way for mankind in pursuing the mysteries and marvels of God’s Creation.
Judy & I had the pleasure of visiting the lovely town of Dayton, Washington a couple of weekends ago for a stay at the Victorian-era Weinhard Hotel. It was part of an auction package that we successfully bid on at the Lewiston Civic Theater Gala last year. Judy’s sister, Nancy, is the theater’s Executive Director. If you are looking for a fun place to spend a weekend getaway (or mid-week getaway for that matter!), you will want to check out the Weinhard Hotel and the special place that is Dayton. The downtown district is vibrant and has a number of great places to eat (be sure to check out breakfast and the fantastic homemade cinnamon rolls at Carolyn’s Cafe right across from the oldest county courthouse in the State of Washington—it is a beautiful Victorian-era building and extremely well preserved and cared for I must say!…and be sure to make reservations for dinner at the Weinhard Cafe…Judy had a delicious salmon dish and I had their signature steak which was mouth-watering…not mention their awesome desserts…a chocolate toffee tart and a scrumptious piece of German Chocolate Cake…all I can say is WOW!). Dayton also has one of the finest art galleries in the Pacific Northwest…no fooling!…It’s called the Wenaha Gallery and features terrific works of art in a number of different mediums…paintings, sculpture, pottery, vases, light fixtures, jewelry…the items go on and on. You can spend a good part of a day there just taking in the sights. What fun we had in Dayton! You can visit the hotel’s web site at www.weinhard.com for more info.
Come to find out, a good part of downtown Dayton was the creation of Jacob Weinhard, the nephew of Henry Weinhard of Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve fame in Portland (the founder of the Weinhard Brewing Company). How about that! Jacob built the Weinhard Hotel in 1890 and a number of other Victorian-era buildings in the town. What makes Dayton special is how many well-preserved Victorian-era buildings are there. We had the special treat of meeting a gentleman by the name of Mort Bishop at the Wenaha Gallery. He was getting some pictures reframed when we were there. Well, come to find out, he’s related to my wife Judy by marriage. He is related to the sister of Judy’s grandfather, David Troy. Her name was Iris Troy and she married a Charles Braughton, who owned the Braughton Land Company and a large amount of farm acreage in the area. Mort is a second cousin to the Braughtons and has a second home in Starbuck, not far from Dayton. We Googled Mort Bishop on the internet later that night and, come to find out, he is the owner of the Pendleton Woolen Mills and retired CEO (the company that makes all of those great Pendleton blankets and other woolen clothing goods)…how about that! Judy’s mom remembers having Thanksgiving dinners at the Braughton home in Dayton. They used to trade hosting holidays back and forth with the Braughtons when Judy’s mom was a young girl. What do you know? You never know what you’re going to find out when you explore the world!
Here is the word for the day:
Absquatulate: “To flee…”to take off with somebody or something.”
Here is the thought for the day:
“No one who ever had lessons would have a swing like mine.”
—Lee Trevino, PGA golfing great
Here’s to a great Tuesday and lots of love & good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)