That's the title of a book written by my father Paul Luvera Sr and edited by my sister Phyllis Luvera Ennes. It has just been privately printed for our large family and it is an interesting story of an immigrant family's success in America. I just published in this blog, on the anniversary of dad's death, November 4th, a short outline of his life. It's the story of a young boy who traveled with his mother and sister from Italy…
That's a quote from Will Rogers who said : "All I know is what I read in the papers…" Rogers was born in 1879 and was a vaudeville performer, comedian and motion picture actor. He died the year I was born in 1935. That year Wiley Post, a nationally known pilot, and Rogers left Lake Washington in Renton on a float plane for a tour of Alaska. In August they had left Fairbanks in bad weather. About 20 miles SW…
On Sunday, we are flying to Mexico, to stay at the beautiful Las Ventanas al Paraiso, a Rosewood resort in Los Cabos. It is located on the ocean between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. The flight from Seattle takes four hours and it is a twenty five minute drive to the hotel. This is a five star hotel we have stayed at more than several times and have always enjoyed a very relaxing and pleasant experience. There…
The morning after the presidential vote was counted, I was walking in downtown Seattle, hurrying to get back to our hotel when I tripped and fell landing on the sidewalk splitting my lip and breaking a tooth. I had planned to blame it on Donald trump's election because I was upset but, the truth is I was not being careful. A very kind young man, Albert, helped me up and then walked me the remaining several blocks back to the hotel and made sure I was all right. I was upset enough…
Today is the anniversary of the death of my father, Paul Nicholas Luvera Sr. Born on March 25, 1898, he died in Anacortes, Washington on November 4, 1990 at the age of 92. I've published details of his extraordinary life many times. See https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/11/dad-1.html for a complete history of his life. Dad was born in Reggio Calabria, Italy, the son of Niccola and Fillippa Luvera. His father and oldest brother left for Canada where they worked for the Canadian Pacific Railroad installing tracks until they earned…
My friend and mentor Walter Deierlein died October 22, 2010. When I got out of law school in 1959 I couldn't get a job. Jack (we called him Jack) was the Skagit & Island County Prosecuting Attorney and out of the kindness of his heart he hired me as a second deputy prosecuting attorney. Harry Follman, who later became a judge, was the other deputy. I think he created the job because he and my dad were friends, but I was happy to…
Lita and I flew to Scottsdale on Monday for some sun and relaxation at our home in Scottsdale. It isn't just a move from Northwest weather to sunny Arizona weather, it is a move from one culture to another. I don't know where to start in explaining what I mean, but let's start with politics for example. Eighty year old Senator John McCain, first elected to the Senate in 1986, is running again for reelection to the United States Senate….
The Reverend Franklin Graham's exhortation to Christians regarding their presidential vote was based upon the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy. The media reports: Franklin Graham did not advocate for either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump, but he exhorted those in attendance to research the two parties’ platforms to determine which candidate would nominate Supreme Court justices who would defend religious values. The difference between the parties, he said, was “night and day.” Reverend Graham and the presidential candidates and their…
We arrived back in Seattle late last Tuesday and are still dealing with waking up at 2 am from jet lag and confused body clocks. Unpacking was almost as big a job as packing because we took entirely too much with us resulting in clothes we never wore and a very large pile of laundry and dry cleaning. Simba the cat was waiting for us when we walked in and immediately demanded food. The dog was with our friend Julie…
Thursday September 22nd. We have sailed from Barcelona to Valencia to a stop at an island in Spain and on our way to San Remos Italy. Weather sunny and warm with calm seas. Jet lag does cause a problem at 3 am but restful anyway. It's unavoidable not to compare past Seabourn cruises we have taken with this cruise line and this one on the Sojourn. Overall, I gather since it's take over by Carnival, they have economized in a…
