A FEW BOYHOOD MEMORIES ABOUT GROWING UP IN ANACORTES

A FEW BOYHOOD MEMORIES ABOUT GROWING UP IN ANACORTES

When I was growing up our family lived in Anacortes, Washington at 2102 9th Street. Our house was a two story house on a triangle shaped lot located on a high bank looking out over Guemes Channel below. To the left of the property, on Guemes Channel was the Sebastian Stuart Cannery. A wonderful, old, red painted structure on pilling which extended out into the channel. But, to to be perfectly accurate my earliest memories of where we lived was…

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ARIZONA AND IT’S POLITICAL CULTURE

ARIZONA AND IT’S POLITICAL CULTURE

We are in sunny Scottsdale, AZ. It is somewhat like visiting another country from a political and cultural standpoint. For example, we have Joe Arpaio, who bills himself as the "America's toughest Sheriff" who, at 83 years of age, is running again for his seventh term. He has reportedly raised $8 million to run for relection as  Maricopa County's Sheriff. But he only has 3.2 million as the race begins because he spent the rest of it. How? According to…

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WILLIAM H. TAYLOR ANACORTES BASKETBALL COACH AND MENTOR TO MANY

WILLIAM H. TAYLOR ANACORTES BASKETBALL COACH AND MENTOR TO MANY

William "Bill" Taylor was one of Anacortes most successful basketball coaches. He also was a positive influence in so many young men's lives, including mine.  January 24th, was the annversary of the death of a great coach and mentor to me, William Taylor. I've published a full account of my high school relationship to this great coach and his profound influence in my life: https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/william-taylor.html . In addition, I published a background of this unique man who was so important in guiding my life….

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RANDOM QUOTES WORTH SHARING

RANDOM QUOTES WORTH SHARING

I enjoy witty and insightful quotations. Here are a few without any attempt to put them in some logical order but simply represent quotations I liked. 20 years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the  bow lines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover. (Mark Twain) your attitude is like a box of crayons…

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POLITICS, AMERICAN VALUES & DEMOCRACY

POLITICS, AMERICAN VALUES & DEMOCRACY

As the political candidates for president continue their propaganda trying  to identify with the ideas of voters we hear more conservative agenda's. They try to win over the voting conservatives  by supporting their viewpoints. Around  the world, extremists continue to kill innocent children, women and people all in order to please God. Wars, motivated by religious beliefs, are raging in many parts of the world as well. Crimes against humanity are so common place we read them with the same reaction we have to the reports of traffic accidents or…

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PHYLLIS ENNES LUVERA 1928 – 2013

PHYLLIS ENNES LUVERA 1928 – 2013

My sister Phyllis Ennes died on January 7, 2013. She was the oldest of the three children with Anita Mayer in the middle and I as the youngest. For my previous post about Phyllis see  https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/01/phyllis-luvera-ennes-1928-2013.htm  Born to Paul and Mary Luvera in Anacortes she graduated from Anacortes High School in 1946 with honors and attended the University of Washington where hs obtained a degree in English. In 1953, the year I graduated from high school, she earned a teaching certicate from Western…

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2016 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

2016 NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS

This is the time for making New Year's resolutions, so I have given it some thought and offer the following as a minimum of a large number of worthy resolutions I should adopt. They are adopted from these sources: "Prayers of an Aging Jesuit –http://www.xavier.edu/jesuitresource/online-resources/Prayers-for-Aging.cfm, the writings of Roger Rosenblatt, Rules for Aging http://englishwithhemi.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/3/6/13368575/rules_for_aging.pdf and the writings of Dale Carnegie.http://www.csus.edu/indiv/l/luenemannu/pdf/communicationprinciples.pdf With full acknowledgment to these sources here are my minimum list of resolutions for 2016. 1.     I will daily appreciate the fact Lita…

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FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, RELIGION & RELIGIOUS TERRORISM

FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE, RELIGION & RELIGIOUS TERRORISM

Religion is always a controversial subject. The traditional advice of "never discuss politics or religion" is based upon sound historical experience. However, with religious terrorism so much in the news and being carried out around the world, it is difficult to avoid the subject. ISIS and their war to create a world of their Islamic beliefs is a classic example of the belief that one's own religious ideas represent the only true religion which all people must agree to follow. The major religions of…

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ELIZABETH “BETTY” BARNETT 1910 – 1985

ELIZABETH “BETTY” BARNETT 1910 – 1985

Betty Barnett was my wife Lita's mother who died December 20, 1985. I've written about this remarkable woman many times. See https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2013/12/my-mother-in-law-elizabeth-barnett-1910-1995.html It was my privilege to have known her. She was extraordinary  in so many ways. She was very intelligent, wise and a great judge of people. I loved her like my own mother for her many qualities and her understanding. This is a woman who attended Holy Names in Spokane where she was taught proper table settings, good maners and social skills. She met…

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NICK J. PETRISH (1937 – 2011)

NICK J. PETRISH (1937 – 2011)

My friend Nick J.  Petrish died in Anacortes on December 19, 2011. We had a long friendship. We went from grade school through high school together. We worked together from 1977 until his illness in 2011. He was a friend and a good man. I've written about him previously: https://paulluverajournalonline.com/weblog/2012/12/nicholas-petrish-dec-19-2011.html.html  I think about  him during this Christmas season. May he  rest  in peace.