Good Morning All & Happy Thursday!
On this day in 1885, “The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain was published…(for all you Mark Twain fans out there!).
Happy Birthday wishes go John Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono, who turns 88 today; to actress & model Cybill Shepherd, who is 71 today; to rock musician Robbie Bachman of “Bachman-Turner Overdrive” fame, who turns 68 today; to actor John Travolta of “Grease” movie fame, who is 67 today; and to T.V. game show hostess Vanna White of “Wheel of Fortune” fame, who turns 64 today. Here’s to all of you!
I’ve been sharing of late excerpts from a transcript of an interview that my father, Don Newbold, did as part of the Washington State World War II History Project. Here are some more excerpts of that interview…I find all of this fascinating, as much of this interview I hadn’t seen before. The transcript is much more detailed and lengthy than what is on the video of my father’s interview that was released some years ago…
Question: “Did you know where Pearl Harbor was?”
Answer: “Yes, I knew where Pearl Harbor was. I had—I liked history I guess, but I had good teachers in school. And so I knew—I knew where New York was, I knew where Willapa was, I knew where Pearl Harbor was. And sort of knew a little bit about the whole world. I mean, I wouldn’t say I was an informed person, but I always liked to study geography and history and that was always interesting to me.”
Question: “So that made sense to you then. I mean not sense, but you understood what that meant, the Japanese bombing Pearl Harbor?
Answer: “Yes it did and it also meant in a way, there was a lot of speculation around all the populace, at least in the area—around the area I knew and all the people, is when are they going to land the troop ships from Japan and invade? And there was serious concern about that. That was probably born of some ignorance of logistics in invasions, and—but the road was truly almost open at that time. Even though our aircraft carriers didn’t go down with that, those that we had. But they would not have been able to defend the coast if the Japanese maybe had planned in advance to invade. I’m sure they could have established a bothersome beachhead.”
More to come from my Dad’s interview in later blogs…
There was a great editorial in “The Flathead Beacon” the other day that merits consideration. It written under the byline “Uncommon Ground” by Mike Jopek and was written to Montana U.S. Senator Jon Tester. Here are some excerpts:
“Whitefish, where we’ve farmed for the past three decades, may seem close to prosperity. It’s the destination to countless traveling tourists, an outdoor recreational hub to people worldwide. Some million people crisscross through our town annually, spending good money to help keep locals working.
My friend, life remains very difficult for many citizens in town, across our valley, and statewide. Locals are anxious and fatigued. There’s a phantom undercurrent pulling us down. It’s a pervasive sickness that makes living tough for working people like teachers, nurses and those making stuff happen.
Some in town are doing very well, it makes me happy. The construction industry booms like never before, as citizens from across America flee cities for our rural lifestyle. We have as much to offer and teach our new neighbors as they do us locals.
Underneath that good construction money is a sputtering economy that caters little to workers as many businesses gasped this winter. Too many wage earners cannot afford to buy a home in towns across Montana.
Many workers see layoffs, as the contagion oscillates through town. Much work pays part-time wages. And as you know,…you run a farm…the bills never end, they keep coming.
Senator, there’s scant vaccine available locally to ease the sickness. Powerful D.C. people may feel everything is according to plan. I don’t know. Here in Whitefish, like everywhere in Montana, only a very small proportion of locals are fully immunized. We’re in for one long ride at this pace.
Many rural people suffer, the mental and economic distress is real and it hurts. It’s devastating to see the pain faces of local nurses and workers.
I write you Sen. Tester, seeking help for our small towns and schools. We can’t wait for relief to stagnate through the political backchannels of time. Kindly keep help simple, targeting people and local jurisdictions.
This letter feels sad, my friend, too blunt. Montanans and our towns, schools and hospitals need help today. We can’t wait until springtime, that’s be catastrophic…”
—Mike Jopek, “Hey Jon,” written under the by-line “Uncommon Ground, “The Flathead Beacon,” February 10, 2021, page 25.
Here is the word definition for the day:
“Sanguine”: A middle English/Latin word meaning “cheerfully optimistic, hopeful or confident.” We could sure use a sanguine outlook on things right now, don’t you think?
Here’s the trivia fact for the day:
Horses can sleep standing up!
Here is the thought for the day:
“Write to me…when the wind has undressed the trees
and the others have gone to the cinema…
but you want to stay alone, and you don’t feel like talking…
so write to me.
It will help you to feel less fragile when in people you find only indifference.
Don’t you ever forget about me.
And if you have nothing to say…nothing special…you mustn’t worry…
I understand.
It’s enough for me to know that you think of me even for a minute,
because I know how to be content with even just a greeting.
We don’t need much to feel each other close.
Write to me…
when the sky seems clearer
and the days prolong themselves.
Don’t wait for the evening
if you want to sing.
Write to me…”
—Laura Pausini, “Scrivimi,” (“Write To Me”)
I received this wonderful passage from a high school friend yesterday:
“May our Lord & Savior’s greatest blessings continue to chase you down and overtake you.”
Lots of love & good wishes always…stay safe…stay strong…press on!
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)