Good Morning All & Happy Tuesday!
It’s been good to have my brother, Matt, come for a visit from his home in Seattle. He spent some time with our mom, Chris, and is heading to Wyoming & Utah for some extended camping & hiking adventures in the coming weeks (before the snow flies!). While he was here, he introduced us to the music of Gregory Alan Isakov. Check him out on your search engine…you’ll be glad you did…particularly the music he recorded with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He is originally from South Africa and now makes his home in Boulder, Colorado. His music is unique, inspiring & uplifting…great orchestration with terrific guitar and banjo playing.
Speaking of inspiring people, I always marveled at the running skill of Andy MacGillivray, a noted accountant (CPA) in Spokane and the father of Brianna, a childhood friend of my daughter Amy (they attended elementary, junior high school & high school together). He seemed to always run effortlessly. Unfortunately, he died recently after a long illness at the age of 70. Andy had a disarming way about him…his smile could light up the room. Whenever our paths crossed, he always had a good word to say and was friendly to all. We would share updates on our daughters with one another. Somehow, Spokane won’t be quite the same without him. Here’s to Andy MacGillivray and his family!
Speaking of people to celebrate, Happy Birthday wishes go to golfer Tony Finau, who is 32 today; and to actor Sam Neill of “Jurassic Park” movie fame, who turns 74 today! Here’s to you two!
I started out today with coffee with a good friend of mine, Mark Botterbusch, who works for Washington Trust Bank in their Coeur d’ Alene ID office. We met at “The Garden Coffee and Local Eats” in the Spokane Valley to catch up on things, since it had been a while since we last saw each other in person. It was good to be together again to share news about family & business and things in general. If you ever need a good banker, Mark is someone to contact. Although he works in North Idaho, he can certainly lend his long-time banking/financial expertise to any situation. You’ll find him at the Downtown Coeur d’Alene branch of Washington Trust Bank…
Come to find out, “The Garden Coffee” place at which we met this morning is owned by CJ Curtis, a survivor of sex trafficking. We had the pleasure of meeting her in person and she shared that she is committed to using her business to raise awareness about the realities of this dark world, as well as helping others find restoration from the trauma that it causes. As their menu of offerings says: “Here at the Garden we aim to offer nourishment of spirit, soul & body through love, quality coffee and real food. Here’s to CJ and her team for creating a warm & welcoming atmosphere. You’ll want to stop by and check this place out!
My brother Matt mentioned yesterday that he is now sporting a “Longmire For President” bumper sticker on his truck. Although I’ve never put a politically oriented bumper sticker on my car, I’m tempted to get a “Longmire For President” one. “Longmire” on Netflix is worth your time. It’s a story about a well read Wyoming county sheriff, Walt Longmire (he immerses himself in the classics), a strong, sensitive and caring man; a man of integrity; a thoughtful and decisive public servant; and someone who respects & honors different cultures in going about his duties in law enforcement…someone we could use as President right now, don’t you think? “Longmire For President” has a certain ring to it!
Matt also mentioned that the horrible situation in Canada with regard to the number of indigenous children who have been found dead at various residential schools across Canada is much worse than what has been reported thus far. They estimate that there are five to six thousand children that have died at these schools (many buried in unmarked graves). How awful to consider! The Catholic Church has much to answer for in this matter. The Pope needs to come to Canada and offer an apology for the past treatment of indigenous children. This is a sordid chapter in the history of mankind, to say the least. What do you think? Things like this point to need for all of us to turn away from our sinful nature and embrace the invitation of our Creator to be redeemed through the atoning sacrifice of His son, Jesus. We are all in need of redemption, don’t you think?
I’ve been enjoying looking over some old collectible cards that my mom saved in the attic of my childhood home in Olympia (thank God she’d didn’t throw them away while I was away at college…God Bless You Mom!). On of the sets of cards I collected as a kid were for the 1960s T.V. series called “Outer Limits.” It was in black & white in those days, but still pretty scary for an 8 or 9 year old, as I recall. One of the cards is entitled “The Mind Stealer.” It has a picture of a scary looking mad scientist alien on one side of the card and a narrative about him on the other. Here is an excerpt from the card:
“At last the alien has completed his machine (“The Mind Stealer”). With it, the mad scientist is able to steal the minds from anyone he desires. Using the machine properly, the alien knows that no secret or thought can be kept from him. He takes the machine with him into a large building, for the first test on Earth. Slipping unseen by several security guards, the creature walks through the corridors, recording knowledge from the minds of victims that he passes by…”
Boy howdy, that would be some machine to have, don’t you think? Although I’m not sure I’d want to know about everyone’s thoughts! That may be TMI…”too much information!”
Here’s the word definition for the day:
“Capstone”: A Middle English word from the 14th century meaning “A stone fixed on top of something, typically a wall…a large flat stone forming a roof over the chamber of a megalithic tomb.” I’ve also heard “capstone” used to describe a college course that brings together in summary fashion a number of previous courses on a given subject (like history, science, etc.). A course you would take before you graduate. What does the word “capstone” mean to you?
Here’s the history trivia question for the day:
Q: Which woman’s name appears on the Declaration of Independence…Betsy Ross?…Mary Goddard?…Abigail Adams?…or Martha Washington???
A: Mary Katherine Goddard is unfamiliar to many Americans, but her name sits on the Declaration of Independence alongside those of founding fathers like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. If you look closely at the document, you will find her name. While she didn’t sign it, she did publish it. Congress approached the Baltimore postmaster to print the second copy of the Declaration in 1777. To ensure her name would go down in history, she wrote, “Baltimore, in Maryland: Printed by Mary Katharine Goddard” at the bottom of the document.
How about that! Up to this day, I had no idea that a woman’s name appeared on the Declaration of Independence. Pretty cool, huh? That took lots of courage on her part, because King George could read her name in print! Just goes to show that you learn something new everyday! Here’s to Mary Katherine Goddard and her public commitment to the cause for freedom!
Here is the thought for the day:
“Say what you will, I will miss you my friends
Let me move along, for the road never ends
Vowing to live till the end of all time
All the way to the ends of the earth because I’m…
Waiting for you to say you will be mine
Many long days, many long years
Many wrong plays, many wrong fears
I could be tossed in the arms of the sea
I could be caught between decks eternally
Waiting for you to ask what’s keeping me…
—Gordon Lightfoot, “Waiting For You”, from the album “Waiting For You” (1993)
Here’s to a great Tuesday and lots of love & good wishes always!
Press on,
Papa ‘a (Dad, Uncle Mark, Mark, etc.)