Good Morning All & Happy Saturday!
Another glorious early Spring day in Spokane. The sunshine and blue skies are keeping the “coronavirus blues” at bay! So far, so good for the Newbold extended family…no virus confirmed among family members. Hooray! We’re looking for other things to keep us occupied…for me it’s been cleaning out cupboards, file cabinets, book shelves…you name it! I’m finding little treasures along the way, like my daughter Amy’s first Bible of her own that was given to her when she was baptized at our church camp at Silver Lake, just outside of Medical Lake, Washington. A great day that was for her and for us! The Bible was chewed on by our beloved family dog, Shilo, so that makes it extra special. I presented it to Amy last night and she was pleased to have it back in her possession. How about that? Today, I’ll be up at Amy & Joel’s home to help spruce things up in the garden and flower beds. It will be good to get out and get some fresh air. Speaking of fresh air, I did go for a run along the Centennial Trail day before yesterday and it felt good to be outdoors in the sunshine and warmer temperature. Let’s hope and pray that as Spring bursts forth, the coronavirus recedes into just a memory.
My granddaughter Quinn made an ingenious “leprechaun trap” the other day in observance of St. Patrick’s Day. It was full of ribbon and attractive objects…just right for capturing a leprechaun. However, she didn’t seem to be too disappointed when no leprechaun was found in her trap. She had a number of explanations for it when her mother quizzed her about it. Isn’t imagination wonderful? Let’s let our imaginations run wild right now and take our mind off of the virus challenge for a while…what do you say?
Happy Birthday wishes go to Mike, my high school classmate, friend and, in my humble opinion, the best all around athlete in the “Amazing Class of ’73” at Olympia High School; who I think turns the BIG 65 today; and to firefighter, husband & father extraordinaire, Ben, who celebrates his 39th birthday today. Here’s to these fine gentlemen! Also, Happy Birthday wishes go to composer/musician Chip Taylor of “Wild Thing” fame (“Wild Thing, you make my heart sing…you make everything groovy, baby”), who is 80 today; to singer Rose Stone of “Sly & The Family Stone” fame, who turns 75 today; to actor Timothy Dalton of “James Bond” fame (for one movie, I think)…who is 74 today; to singer/musician Conrad Lozano of “Los Lobos” fame, who turns 69 today; to one of my favorite actors, Gary Oldman, of “The Bridge” & “Air Force One” movie fame, who is 62 today (he also played a terrific Winston Churchill); and to another favorite actor of mine, Matthew Broderick of “Glory” movie fame (who can ever forget his masterful portrayal of one of my all-time heroes, Robert Gould Shaw—the heroic leader/commander of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment in The Civil War), who turns 58 today. Here’s to all of you!
I came across the 1969 Topps Football Card for St. Louis Cardinal & Denver Broncos great, Charley Johnson, yesterday. He was, without question, one of the greatest “Renaissance Men” to play the game of football. Charley was born in Big Spring, Texas in 1938 and played high school football for Big Spring High School. He was initially set to play football with a scholarship at Schreiner Institute, but the school dropped football the season he arrived. Charley transferred to New Mexico State University, but did so with a scholarship to play basketball instead and had to walk-on to play football there, though he eventually wont the starting job at quarterback. While at New Mexico State, he became the only person to date to be named MVP of the Sun Bowl in consecutive years, winning the award in 1959 & 1960. Charley is a member of the New Mexico State (NMSU) Sports Hall of Fame and is the only player in NMSU history to have his jersey number (#33) retired. He was a late round draft pick of both the San Diego Chargers (AFL) & St. Louis Cardinals (NFL)—10th round, 109th overall pick, opting to go with St. Louis. He was named to the NFL Pro Bowl in 1963 and led the NFL in passing in 1964. He shared quarterback duties at St. Louis with star Jim Hart in 1969 before being traded to Houston. After some injuries in two years with Houston, he was traded to the Denver Broncos, who had never had a winning season before Charley joined the team in 1971. In 1972, Charley led the Broncos to their first winning season (7-5). One of his Bronco teammates said of him…”He taught us how to win.” As of 2017, his 16.45 yards per attempt in the game remains a franchise record, and he is a member of the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. He played for 15 seasons in the NFL. During his NFL football career, Charley pursued graduate degrees in chemical engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. He had previously obtained his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at NMSU with a 4.0 GPA in 1961. In addition to those academic accomplishments, he was called into active duty by the U.S. Army and served for NASA as a second lieutenant for two years while simultaneously playing for the Cardinals and working on his doctoral studies. How about that? After his football career and military service were over, Charley worked in industry, opening Johnson Compression Services in Houston in 1981 and working as an engineering and product development consultant until 1999. Charley once said…”I was very much aware that football would not be a lifetime career, and I felt an obligation to do the best I could and continue my education.” In 2000, Charley was hired to be the head of New Mexico State’s chemical engineering department, a position he held until 2004, then becoming a professor in the department until his retirement in May, 2012. What a remarkable career and professional accomplishments! I’d have to say that Charley Johnson is the football player that has achieved the greatest professional accomplishments after football. Amazing, wouldn’t you say? Here’s to Charley Johnson and all of his accomplishments, both inside and outside of football!
Here is the word definition question for the day:
Q: If you are suffering from desynchronosis, what condition do you have?
A: Jet lag
Here is the presidential oxymoron quote for the day:
“I have opinions of my own—strong opinions—but I don’t always agree with them.”
—President George W. Bush (2001-2009)
Here are some thoughts for the day:
“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”
—Albert Einstein
“By their own follies they perished.”
—Homer, Greek writer, “The Odyssey”
“At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendors we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumor that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get in.”
—C.S. Lewis, “The Weight of Glory”, as quoted in C.S. Lewis’ Little Book Of Wisdom” (2018)
Here’s to a great Saturday and lots of love & good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)