In Memory

If you have trouble reading the quotes, click the image for a larger version.

With deep gratitude,
Deanna

A Delightful Day

Saturday was one of those days that I would describe as delightful. I met David downtown just to walk around. We wandered around Riverfront Park and walked over the waterfalls. There is a sort of pier built out over the water with a memorial to the early missionaries that moved into this area. I like to try to picture places the way they would have looked back then. All the sudden life is a lot more challenging when there are no bridges or smooth travel… and all without my favorite modern convenience, indoor plumbing!

So then, I found out that half of our party (a.k.a David) had not been to the Davenport Hotel. “That’s it. That will be our next stop!” I proclaimed as I scanned the skyline for the prettiest roof. I may go there all the time, however, it doesn’t help my sense of direction one single bit. The previously mentioned part of our party was able to direct us to our destination.


Again, we traveled back in time, but this time to the turn of the century. To me, the Davenport is spectacular. I will often park on the opposite side of my destination so I have to walk through the hotel on the way. The developer had it remodeled back to its original design knowing he would be doing it more for its historical beauty than a profit. Now, I just can’t wait for their Christmas Tree Ceremony and Gingerbread House display!

After wandering around outside awhile longer we decided to head over to the Steam Plant Grill for a snack. The Steam Plant is the actual old steam plant that has been converted into a microbrewery and restaurant. It has been remodeled to allow the building to tell its own history. You can still see different parts of the plant and how they would have worked. You must try to get in before the holidays are over for the eggnog cheesecake with the nutmeg brandy glaze. Wow! Yep, that’s about it… wow! (Please excuse the picture… all I had was my phone.)

That was a great way to wrap things up before we headed back through the park. Now that I’m writing about it, I’m realizing what an historical little jaunt we took. I love that kind of stuff. I love finding the local areas that give you a sense of what the place is all about. Well, if you’re ever goofing around Spokane… there are some delightful ideas for you.

Veterans Day

Featured here are excerpts from some of the letters in Andy Carroll's book, War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars, dramatized in the American Experience film. Find these and more at http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/warletters/letters/index.html.

June 18, 1918
"We were all subjected to several different kinds of [gas] today, with and without masks... It sure is horrible stuff, honey."

Lukert was wounded in France, but he did return home to his wife. He spent 36 years in the Army and was a regimental commander in World War II.

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December 12, 1862

"...the acres of little shelter tents are dark and still as death, no wonder for as I gazed sorrowfully upon them, I thought I could almost hear the slow flap of the grim messenger's wings, as one by one he sought and selected his victims for the morning sacrifice... Oh northern mothers wives and sisters... would to Heaven that I could bear for you the concentrated woe which is so soon to follow..."

After the war, Barton went on to found the American Red Cross.
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January 18, 1944

"We now have a mix of wounded, medical patients, and battle-fatigued soldiers. ...The wounded were happy to be missing only one arm or leg... I have a terrible earache but as usual I have to work. The patients need me."

Wandrey served in Western Europe and North Africa as a combat nurse, accumulating eight battle stars in some of the war's bloodiest campaigns. At age 81, she was still receiving letters from some of her patients.

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March 8, 1991

"I can't describe it. I mean the scene on the highway. We all just looked at it in the moonlight as we drove through the now silent carnage... ...It's only been the last couple of days that I've come to realize the horror that has taken place here. ...And I think it's taken so long because with only the small number of exceptions on our part, it was almost entirely theirs..."

After the war, Welch developed asthma, memory and equilibrium problems. He has since retired from the military.

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December 31, 1945

"This is the last day of the last month of the year, and this should be the last letter that I shall write to you... So long, honey, and pucker up -- 'cause here I come."

On leave from Camp Shanks in Orangeburg, New York, Hoffman met Evelyn Giniger just days before he was to go to Europe with the 12th Army Division, in October 1944. After five dates with Evelyn on five consecutive nights, Nathan was restricted to camp, as were all the soldiers who were about to leave. He sent her an orchid with a note that read, "I'll be seeing you," taking his words from the popular song of that name. Nathan began writing Evelyn in between bouts of seasickness on the transport ship to Europe, and she wrote back. As the 12th advanced through France and Germany, Evelyn and Nathan's correspondence continued, running to thousands of pages -- which they both saved. When Nathan came home in January 1946, Evelyn was already in Waco, waiting for him. They were married a month later.

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"November 11th 1918 will always be remembered by yours truly...At 10:45 the order came to cease firing... That was absolutely the happiest moment of my life. The rest of the day little groups of smiling Germans came up to the line with tobacco and wine..."

Palmer returned home after the war and played for the Western Reserve University football team.

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Thank you to all who have served,

Deanna

A Quick Look at 1998 (because it's been 10 years... get it?)

Recently I have been getting emails about my upcoming 10 year high school class reunion. I started thinking about that last year of high school and you know, I just couldn't remember much. To be perfectly honest, my mind was already moving on because I was ready to go to university. Just for the heck of it I decided to take a trip through the 97-98 year. First though, I want to see how much you remember about the years 1997 and 1998...

First, 1997:

What was the first movie to gross more than $1 billion at the box office?

What colony returned to China under a proposed "One country, Two systems" pact?

What comet were Heaven's Gate cultists hoping to hitch a ride on after they died?

Whose 1997 antics inspired the headline: "Lobe Blow for Boxing"

Now, on to 1998:

Who claimed to have wirtten a resume that deadpanned: "Supervised vice president's invention of Internet"?

What film suspended production for a year so the star could let his hair grow and lose 50 pounds?

What Billy Blanks exercise program inspired fitness center knockoffs with names like Cardio Kickboxing?

What nemesis shared Time's "Men of the Year" honors with Bill Clinton?

Did that jog some memories?

I do remember the school year starting out with the death of Princess Diana followed by the death of Mother Theresa within a week. I remember piles of flowers at the palace gates in England with a huge funeral at Westminister Abbey. I also remember simple wrinkled hands laced with the Rosary resting on a white sari.

The Unabomer, Ted Kaczynski, plead guilty and was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. I remember my teacher actually calling Newsweek to figure out why "Unabomer" was spelled without the second 'b' on their cover. FYI, turns out "Unabom" was a name assigned to the original case, so the name itself was never actully meant to have the word "bomb" in it.

"I did not have sexual relations with that woman." Enough said.

The winter olympics were in Nagano, Japan. I think figure skating was practically at its height then, so Tara Lapynski and Michelle Kwan were the stars. I also liked Picabu Street because of her name and that she was from Idaho.

My friends all watched Titanic 1,538 times. I still haven't seen it.


Viagra was approved by the FDA. Canadian men were coming down in droves to get it giving Niagra Falls a new nickname.

Michael Jordan played his last game with the Chicago Bulls. I've never been much of an NBA fan, but that was truly an end to an era.

So, there you go. That helped jog my memory a little and to be perfectly honest, a little is enough. Now, on to making some more memories.

D

By the way, here are the answers to the trivia question above:

Titanic
Hong Kong

Hail-Bopp
Mike Tyson

Bill Clinton
Castaway
Tae Bo
Kenneth Starr