Good Morning All & Happy Friday!
Wow! It’s the last day of April already! It seems as though this particular April is going out in style, as yesterday was a perfect day…temperatures in the 70s and blue sky & sunshine abounding! Here’s hoping the snowpack in the mountains doesn’t melt too fast. We need the moisture for the summer months upcoming.
Happy Birthday wishes go to family friend and professional artist extraordinaire in Spokane, Elsie, and childhood friend and fellow Olympia High School Class of ’73 classmate, Judy, who both celebrate their birthdays today! Here’s to both of you!
Speaking of Elsie, you’ll want to check out a showing of her artwork in Spokane area galleries. You can find out more about Elsie’s works by contacting her at espainter2@gmail.com and/or painter@elstewart.com. Her web site is www.elstewart.com. Check it out!…you’ll be glad you did!
Also, Happy Birthday to singer/songwriter Willie Nelson of “Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys” & “On The Road Again” fame, who turns 88 today; to singer and member of “The Osmonds”, Merrill Osmond, who is 68 today; and to actress Kirsten Dunst of “Spiderman” movie fame, who turns 39 today! Here’s to all of you!
I have a confession to make to all of you…I have a tendency to read the Obituary Section of our local newspaper each day…maybe it’s because of my age and the fact that there are folks I’ve known over the years that are starting to leave this life of ours. However, I must also confess that I find many of the life stories contained in the Obituary Section to be fascinating & moving reads. Take, for example, the obituary of Jaden “Peanut” Glover, a young man of 17 who died on April 8th at Sacred Heart Medical Center here in Spokane, surrounded by his family. A celebration of life was held for him on April 16th. Here is some excerpts from Jaden’s obituary:
“Jaden was born to Brooke Marie and Jonathan Alan Glover in Spokane WA on February 11, 2004. Jaden has a beautiful spirit who touched people’s lives so greatly and made an eternal impact on whomever met him. Even though he suffered more than most, he was always happy and smiling. To love and know him is to know the deepest, most fulfilling answers as to what the purpose of life is all about. Jaden set an example for every person that interacted with him by his indomitable spirit and his ability to find a smile and a cheerful moment on even the worst days.”
Wouldn’t it be great to be remembered by your family and friends in this way? I’d like to be more like Jaden, for sure. Although he only lived 17 years in this world, there’s no doubt he’ll be remembered by those who knew him and loved him. Here’s to you Jaden…leading the way for all the rest of us…
Here’s some more excerpts from the interview my Dad, Don Newbold, gave some years ago as part of the Washington State World II Oral History Project. I’ve really enjoyed being able to read something about my Dad that I had never seen before. I happened across it on an internet search that was inspired by my 94 year old mother…
Question: “But you were — I mean you got R & R, but you guys were pretty busy getting ready for—”
Answer: “Yeah, R & R was around there (their training base on the big island of Hawaii). We played inter-regimental baseball, and you know, competed and we had a — we had a rodeo once. And you go up, if you go off there were — not everyone did this, of course, but you could go up and hunt wild pig. Out up towards the mountains more. And they roam down in there. They had wild pigs, but you had to be careful you didn’t shoot a cow, because you know, that’s — that was probably a treasonable offense, you know.”
Question: “Now you say a rodeo, is this like —”
Answer: “Yeah, we got —”
Question: “— bunch of drunk Marines and a cow or what?”
Answer: “No, they — it was sponsored by the — by the authorities, meaning your superior officers of — General Rockey (Keller Rockey, commander of the 5th Marine Division) said, that’s great, got to have something to do with the guys — you can’t just lock them down, you know. And let off steam that way so that you use up a little energy, that’s good, you know. It was a very difficult, interesting time, you know, to not be able to get on a bus or a train, I mean if you got — any — there’s no time off. Where you going to go? They aren’t going to ship you back to San Francisco to have a weekend, I mean, it’s all over till it’s over.”
Question: “And it’s all men.”
Answer: “And it’s all men. I never had much contact at all with girls there. There were a few Red Cross people but I never was a cookie and donut guy so I didn’t go to the Red Crosses and I didn’t go to USOs. They had a little place, but I do remember — I’m telling little sea stories now, but true. Our officers, the officers in the Division, or at least in the Regiment, had a party and this didn’t go on all the time. They had one big party I remember though. they brought gals over from Honolulu and Red Cross gals down from Hilo up, and I guess they got enough mix and match there, I don’t know. But some of the — some of the enlisted men were serving at the mess hall, you know, to try and — serving the drinks and doing the flunky work, you know, and the clean-up. But someplace along the line, one of the gals I guess, got a little inebriated that was in invitee. And she — and to go to the bathroom there, we had — back of all the tent rows, like each battalion had, had a long row of what we called heads or toilets if you will. And we called them heads. And that’s where everyone went and then…it was all sanitary but it was rather — rather rudimentary — nature. And she missed, or she missed coming back. And pretty soon, after awhile, here come — here came, I should say, a couple of officers. I don’t know where they — they weren’t ours that commanded us directly, but they came around with flashlights and they were going down the tent rows looking ot see if somebody had caught this gal and put her inside — decided she needed blankets over her or something. You know, I don’t know. So they were in there with their flashlights. Well, they only got about four or five tents in and pretty soon, these guys — the guys — the guys were getting a little ticked — cause we don’t get to have girls up, you know. So they started yelling invectives at these officers, and the officers, I think, were afraid to go back and say we put these guys on report because — I don’t think they were really supposed to have them up there, and at least not inebriated — get them inebriated, you know.”
(To be continued in a future “Thoughts For The Day From Papa ‘a…)
Here is the word definition for the day:
“Inosculate”: A late 17th century Latin word meaning “Join by intertwining or fitting closely together.” Wouldn’t it be great if all items were made so that they would “inosculate” while being stored?
Here’s the trivia question for the day:
Q: In Colonial America, what household item was often given in place of an engagement ring…was it a key?…a button?…or a thimble?
A: The roots of the modern-day wedding ring in America has an interesting tie to a thimble. Puritans that colonized in early America considered jewelry frivolous and renounced wedding bands. A common practice among these early Americans was for a man to present a thimble to his fiancee which was symbolic of his wish to marry her. The thimble was considered practical and significantly more useful to the women. After the wedding, women would cut off the rim on the thimble which created a wedding band. Thus, the practic of wedding rings began…and now you know!
Here is the thought for the day…it comes from an 1861 letter from a Civil War soldier from Georgia by the name of Samuel A. Burney. I found it in a wonderful book entitled “Soldier Life” that is part of a multi-volume series by Time-Life Books called “Voices Of The Civil War.” Here are some excerpts:
“Dearest Wife,
…In your letter you wrote the baby had the thrash. I can only repeat the hope expressed in my last, that he may recover speedily. I hope my dear wife that you have had no more attacks of the head-ache. I know how you suffer from them, and I often pray that you may be freed from any further attacks. Oh! how I hope that you are sustained by the Divine arm. It is a support upon which you may repose, and never feel disturbed…Wife, I guess you think that I have much to say in my letters about trusting in God. It is true and I shall continue to speak of it. It is upper-most in my heart, and it is manifested from the mouth, and by the pen. Oh! that God would bless you and comfort you — may you be kept as the apple of the eye, and hid under the shadow of his wing. I pray God that he would be a husband to my wife and a father to my son. I love to trust in God, for I know I shall never be deceived — my reward is as certain as the Eternal Throne…
….This war will have this good effect I think; it will cause a fresher love for home to spring up in the hearts of many whose dissolute habits forbade their staying there. It will make husbands more attentive, kind & affectionate. It will humble the proud, and be a source of benefit to all those who feel the chastening hand of God. How do you get on at night with the baby; I often lay awake in my tent at night, and wander in imagination back to my distant home — I wonder if my dear wife is asleep, or is she up nursing the baby and trying to get him asleep —The baby is one month old now; I guess he has changed his looks some. I recollect how he looked, exactly, when I left you and him. You will soon be able to walk about the yard if not already. You must go up and see our family when you get strength enough. I know that they all love you as they do me. My dear Mother i know feels so tenderly to you as the Mother that bore you; She will exhaust her energies in ministering to your comfort. If you need anything you must send and get it; while I so not believe in excess in anything, I believe that God has given us what we have, richly to enjoy while we may.”
—Private Samuel A. Burney, Infantry Battalion, Cobb’s Legion, Georgia Volunteers, October 8, 1861 (Burney spent three and a half years in the Confederate army and was wounded once, but he survived his ordeal and returned home at the war’s end.)
Here’s to a great Friday and lots of love and good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)