Good Morning All & Happy Tuesday!
Happy Birthday wishes go to my friend Karen…spouse, mother & retired elementary school teacher extraordinaire! Here’s to you on your special day of celebration! Happy Birthday also to Boxing Hall of Famer Roberto Duran, who is 69 today; to singer Gino Vannelli, who turns 68 today; and to PGA golf great Phil Mikkelson, who is 50 today! Here’s to all of you!
I find it wonderfully amazing that my 93 year old mother is still passionately interested in the landscape design in the outside area of her living unit. We went to a nursery yesterday to purchase three new plants that will cover bear ground just outside her T.V. room. Mom still has a keen attention to detail, at almost 94 years of age. How about that! I imagine that Mom will be outside later today helping to direct my planting efforts. She said she looks forward to tending them and helping them to grow. I just told her to watch her step on the uneven ground, so that she doesn’t go “tip over teakettle” or something like that when she’s out doing yardwork!
Among my card collection is a 1958 card for the T.V. show “Wanted: Dead or Alive” starring legendary actor Steve McQueen (known as “The King of Cool.” He played Josh Randall in that series and it was one of his breakthrough roles as an actor. I didn’t realize that in 1974 he became the highest-paid movie star in the world, although he did not act in films again for four years. It is said that McQueen was combative with directors and producers, but his popularity placed him in high demand and enabled him to command large salaries. My favorite McQueen movies were “The Great Escape,” “The Sand Pebbles”—he received his only Academy Award nomination for that movie—and “Bullitt” which featured that awesome car chase with McQueen driving that fabulous souped-up Mustang, I think. McQueen had a troubled life…both his mother and father were out of the picture in raising him. He did have a good experience living on a farm with his great-uncle Claude, saying that he “was a very good man, very strong, very fair. I learned a lot from him.” Claude gave McQueen a red tricycle on his fourth birthday, a gift that McQueen subsequently credited with sparking his early interest in racing. After being in reformatory school, McQueen enlisted in the Marines and was assigned to be the honor guard responsible for guarding the presidential yacht of U.S. President Harry Truman. He is credited with saving the lives of five other Marines during a Arctic exercise during his time of service with the Marines. He loved racing and especially loved Harley-Davidsons and Triumphs. He was married to actress Ali MacGraw at one point. He died of cancer in Juarez, Mexico on November 7, 1980. Our connection to Steve McQueen was that the fixtures and personal effects & household goods from his home in Sun Valley, Idaho was included in the shipment of our household goods when we moved from Spokane to Reno, Nevada in 1981 to take my first job after graduate school with Blue Shield of Nevada. McQueen’s property was on it way to California by way of Reno….at least that’s what the moving crew told us when they unloaded our effects at our new apartment in Reno. How about that?
Here’s the trivia for the day:
There are more stars in the universe than words ever uttered by all the humans who ever lived.
Q: What animal appears on the state flag of California?
A: The California state flag consists of a white background with a grizzly bear above the words “California Republic” and a red stripe, and in the upper hoist corner is a single red star. The flag was designed by William Todd (nephew of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of Abraham Lincoln), and officially adopted as the state flag of California in 1911. The bear on the original flag was modeled after the last California grizzly bear in captivity. The bear, named “Monarch,” was captured in 1889 by newspaper reporter Allen Kelley, at the behest of William Randolph Hearst.
Here’s the cartoon strip for the day, courtesy of “Dilbert”:
Dilbert to his boss: “We need your help making a decision.”
Dilbert, turning in the direction of his co-worker: “Jeff doesn’t understand my product strategy because he isn’t an engineer.”
Dilbert again: “And I don’t understand any of his marketing nonsense.”
Dilbert to his boss: “That’s why we came to you.”
Dilbert’s boss: “Because I understand both marketing and engineering?”
Dilbert: “No, it’s because you don’t understand either one….We didn’t have a coin to flip, and your decisions are totally random, so…”
Dilbert’s boss: “Maybe you could describe the situation.”
Dilbert: “I don’t see how that helps.”
Here are the thoughts for the day:
“The soldiers never explained to the government when an Indian was wronged, but reported the misdeeds of the Indians.”
—Geronimo, Apache chief…born on this day in 1829
“Blessed be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your Name
Blessed be Your Name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your Name
Every blessing You pour out,
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say…
Blessed be the name of the Lord…
Blessed be Your Name…
Blessed be the name of the Lord…
Blessed be Your Name.”
—“Blessed Be Your Name”
Here’s to a great Tuesday and lots of love always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)