In June of 1973 I drove my ‘62 VW from Bend, Oregon, stopped a night in Portland to see Connie. The next day I made my way up 1-5 to Bellingham, getting off at Lakeway, (No Fred Meyer yet), continued east, stopping at “Old” Lakeway and Yew for gas, then up Cable and arrived at the Firs. I was beginning a summer as a 19 year old counselor at Camp Firwood. Fifty years later I have spent most of my life in Bellingham. We raised our sons, became grandparents, made friends, held a few jobs and have been living on Tulip Road since 1992.
Photos: above 1973. Below: FIrwood visit June 17, 2023 with Connie and her brother Bob.
reading:
American Midnight: Adam Hochschild A wake-up call to understand how the violent and oppressive powers of America in 1917-1921 seem to have returned and possibly grown a century later. Will we learn and will we ever live our best ideals?
Indigenous Continent The Epic Contest for North America One of the toughest books I have ever read, one of the most important books I have ever read.
America Is... The New York Times Wow! Not a book, but a powerful piece of journalism. I have not yet read or watched all of these, but I can say the inclusion of The Great Brain series, A blues song by Blind Willie Johnson, First Reformed, and Survivor (yes, the TV show) are touchstones for me and I’m grateful that they made the list. My quick addition would be Avalon, directed by Barry Levinson it powerfully captures the story of european immigration and assimilation in the last century. Thanks Mark.
Late additions: Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, By Alison Bechdel, Signal Fires, By Dani Shapiro and The Anomaly, By Hervé Le Tellier, (Thanks Marsha). All three offer insightful views of life and relationships. All three are worth reading.
listening (music):
Weathervanes: Jason Isbell and the 400 unit This album truly gets better with each listen. The depth of insight and soul in each lyric is paired with an ability to whisper influence of many great artists without copying anyone. The words, oh the lyrics. “White Barretta,” will break your heart. Here’s a recent NPR piece about Jason Isbell The rebuilt heart of Jason Isbell.
The 70 Best Alt-Country Albums of All Time Amazing list, amazing music! My favorites: 1, 3, 8, 9, 12, 20, 26, 34, 38, 44, 49, 51, 54, 55, 67!
viewing:
The Luckiest Guy in the World Bill Walton! He is the essence of the Trailblazers, my Trailblazers, my all-time favorite sports team. His love of the game, his commitment to teammates and and others, his honest quirkiness. Thank you ESPN for making this happen. And thank you Bill Walton for being Bill Walton!
Being Mary Tyler Moore A documentary look at a life and career that lived and shaped America for fifty plus years.
listening (pods):
Wiser Than Me hosted by Julia Louis-Dreyfus. If you know me I deeply value wisdom. Louis-Dreyfus interviews women with varied and extensive life experience looking for gems and insights gained along the way. Good stuff.
The Whistleblower Who Changed History A deep dive into Daniel Ellsberg, The Pentagon Papers, and whistleblowers.
Slow Burn: Becoming Justice Thomas Another deep dive.
The Science of Procrastination—and How to Really Get Stuff Done We all talk about it, maybe we can do something about it. A couple of my thoughts on procrastination: The 3 dreaded “P’s” and The 3 P’s revisited, with better results
Donald Trump’s Dangerous War on the Justice Department I am long past the age where I would like to be able to take it easy for an election cycle. Yet 2024 is becoming the most important election in my life time (I understand this is hopelessly redundant). This one will matter greatly in both the short and long run. Get informed and vote, please!
random (f)act:
Umpqua Classic Lemon Bar ice cream: is a perfect summer treat.
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