Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a

Good Morning All & Happy Monday!

“Rainy days and Monday always seem to get me down” to coin a phrase from a Carpenters hit song of the 1970s seems to capture how I’m feeling this morning…

Little miss Tempa Joanne Newbold continues to fight on this morning.  An EEG was done last night to see how her brain is functioning.  The results of it should be available this morning.  Hopefully, her little body is healing itself and she can be restored to good health soon.  We are all praying fervently for that outcome!  Please keep her and her parents, Jake & Sarah, in your prayers!

It’s off to a Barre Code class this morning with my better half Judy.  It always seems to be a better day when you can go to The Barre Code in north Spokane and get your motor running with lots of good stretching and toning and muscle strengthening (and little core work to boot!).  You should try it out sometime…you’ll like it…trust me…you really will like it!

I’ve been sharing excerpts from the interview my dad, Don Newbold, gave as part of the Washington State World War II History Project.  Here’s another excerpt:

Question:  “Do you remember when you decided that you wanted to do that (join the military after Pearl Harbor)?  Was that an immediate thing or over time or….”

Answer:  “I think I knew all the time after I graduated (in June, 1943) that I would probably go in the Service.  I didn’t join the Marine Corps which I did later…I wouldn’t say that was cut and dried.  But I did have two of my friends out of a graduating class of 14 in high school, three of us the Marine Corps out of that class, which is a rather high percentage, considering the per capita comparison.  And uhm, but I like them both.  One of them was a good friend of mine and the other was a friend.  And then one of my other good buddies was a fellow named Jerry Kraus.  And Kraus, he went into—went to Stanford on some kind of pre-V-12 program and I don’t know, they cut that out later and so they just needed bodies and so they just put him in the Infantry, sent him to basic training, I guess.  Those three…anyhow I liked the Marine Corps.  I had a couple of other friends that were in and they told me, you know, better sign up quick and—my nickname in high school was Newby—and they said better sign up quick, Newby, before they close out this deal, you know (laughs).”

Question:  “Deal meaning the war or—”

Answer:  “No, meaning the Marine Corps.  You better sign up now because they might not let you in later, you know? (laughs)…

 

Here’s the trivia fact for the day:

Though Switzerland is a neutral country, it has compulsory military service.

 

Here is the thought for the day:

“In this land of chance, do we know right from wrong

Even at a glance, we know the road is long.

We don’t owe a single thing to anyone

Most of us do not believe in come what may

Everything we fought for was in vain, they say

Even when called upon to throw our lives away

 

We have been captured by the thieves of the night

Held for ransom if you please

Heaven help the devil…may he have a few unpleasant memories.”

—Gordon Lightfoot, “Heaven Help The Devil,” from the album “Shadows” (1982)

 

Here’s to a great Monday and lots of love & good wishes always!

Press on,

Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)