Good Morning All!
Well, supposedly the groundhog in Pennsylvania saw his shadow on Groundhog’s Day, which means that we’re going to have an early Spring…do ‘ya think??? I woke up this morning to lots and lots of snow…let it snow…let it snow…let it snow. Which just goes to show that the calendar says we’ve got a month and half more of Winter before Spring officially comes! Don’t go planting any flowers just yet…at least not in Spokane!
Happy Birthday wishes go to our friend Dusti, business owner and wife and mother extraordinaire, who turns 29 today and to long-time friend and banker extraordinaire Tom, who celebrates his 57th birthday today! Also, belated Happy Birthday to friend and owner of BRIXX Bistro in Boise, Doug, and to friend and Whitworth University educator extraordinaire Aubrie, who both celebrated their birthdays yesterday! Here’s to all of you!
Here’s to one of my all-time favorite baseball players and the real home run king and “The Pride of Mobile, Alabama”, Henry (Hank) Aaron, who is 86 today; to Pro Football Hall of Famer Roger Staubach of Dallas Cowboys fame, who turns 78 today; to actor and producer extraordinaire and the other half of actress Jamie Leigh Curtis, Christopher Guest of “The Princess Bride” and “Best In Show” movie fame, who is 72 today! Happy Birthday to all!
Speaking of celebrations, there was a great article/column in our local paper recently written by my friend Tim O’Doherty, owner of O’Doherty’s Irish Grille in downtown Spokane (check it out…they have terrific Reuben sandwiches, corned beef and cabbage and great Irish beer, to name just a few of the great things they serve there!). The article/column is entitled “Legends of local restaurant businesses set high standard.” Tim celebrates recently retired or deceased restaurant owners like John Edwards of “The Viking Tavern”; Jack Stockton of “Jack and Dan’s”; Bob & Barb Materne of the “Swinging Doors”; and Jerry Young of the former “Milford’s”; Rich Culnane of the “Maxwell House” and George Talotti of “The Red Lion BBQ”. As Tim writes: “These people were not “flash in the pan” successes. They were or are independent, bold restaurant veterans with 30, 40, or event 50-year resumes. I’m writing this, my first-ever newspaper column, for one reason: to celebrate and remember these leaders. The restaurant/bar business has a reputation for quick failure and broken dreams, but each of these people forged a long livelihood and a rich legacy with hard work, inspired choices and the love and support of families, especially spouses….Despite me being a potential competitor, when these people discovered I wanted to learn their business, they embraced me and taught me priceless lessons. They also have some really, really funny stories. The young restaurant people in our industry today show tremendous promise. I am excited to see the culinary scene grow and diversify, but I, for one, encourage all of us to stop for a moment and thank those “crazy dudes” who toiled before us. They have left a mark for hospitality, hard work and good food that will only be matched, never surpassed…”
Here’s to Tim for writing this great column and here’s to all of you restaurant entrepreneurs out there! Thanks for taking the risk of operating a restaurant and showing such great hospitality to all of us!
I mentioned in a previous “Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a” how disappointed I was in President Trump’s behavior with regard to his dealings with the President of Ukraine, but that I didn’t think that the House of Representatives had shown that his inappropriate behavior rose to the level of an “impeachable offense” as I believe our country’s Founders had envisioned. However, that doesn’t mean he should get a “pass” from the United States Senate. My hope is that in today’s deliberations, a way can be made to introduce a motion to censure or strongly reprimand the President for his inappropriate behavior in the Ukraine matter. That would seem to be a reasonable way to express the country’s disapproval and impressing on the President that he should reconsider and refrain from involving foreign governments in our domestic political affairs in the future. There needs to be proper observance of checks and balances between the three branches of government. This is what our nation’s Founders intended, for sure. I looked up the definition of “censure” in the dictionary and it reads as follows: Censure: “Strong or vehement expression of disapproval…to criticize or reproach in a harsh or vehement manner.” Synonyms of the word “censure” are “rebuke, reproach or reprehension.” I also looked up the definition of “reprimand” in the dictionary and it reads as follows: Reprimand: “a severe reproof or rebuke, especially a formal one by a person in authority….to reprove or rebuke severely, especially in a formal way.” Which do you think is appropriate in this case?
No matter what one thinks of our current President, you’ve be hard pressed to come up with any other President who is a better showman than President Trump. He certainly is the “P.T. Barnum” of all presidents! Last night’s State of the Union was certainly an example of that. It was great to see him recognize American citizens for their dreams and accomplishments, but one could argue that it was a bit “over the top.” What do you think? It’s painful to watch the lack of decorum exhibited by politicians on both sides of the political spectrum. That was on in vivid display last night. WOW!!! Couldn’t they all work on a common agenda for the benefit of all? How refreshing that would be!
Speaking of definitions, here’s the definition for the day:
Appurtenance: “A complementary, but not necessary accessory” or “A legal right or privilege that accompanies the principal property.”
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“One of the nice things about the Senior Tour is that we can take a cart and cooler. If your game is not going well, you can always have a picnic.”
—Lee Trevino, PGA golfing great
“What other beauty demands such praises?
What other splendor outshines the sun?
What other majesty rules with justice?
Only a Holy God.
Come and behold Him, the One and the Only.
Cry out, sing holy, forever a Holy God.
Come and worship the Holy God…”
—M. Farren, J. Robinson, D. Smith & R.Thompson, “Only A Holy God” (2016)
“This is the terrible fix we are in. If the universe is not governed by an absolute goodness, then all our efforts are in the long run hopeless. But if it is, then we are making ourselves enemies to that goodness every day, and are not in the least likely to do any better tomorrow, and so our case is hopeless again. God is the only comfort. He is also the supreme terror: the thing we most need and the thing we most want to hide from.”
—C.S. Lewis, “Mere Christianity”
Here’s to a great Wednesday and lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, etc.)