Latest Posts
Tony and Lulu’s Story
Their stories began in 1885. That January, a baby boy was born in Fuzine, Croatia. His name was Anton Kombol, the same as his father. When baby Anton was born, Croatia was a provincial kingdom within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Fuzine is a village in the Primorje-Gorski-Kotar region about six miles from the coast, but 2,400…
July 5, 1953
July 5, 1953 – Baby Billy’s Birth Seventy years ago today, Pauline Kombol bore her second son. Twelve months earlier, she buried her first daughter. Paula Jean lived for but two days. Paula’s father, Jack was sad. Pauline was devastated. Just over a year later, the Kombol family gathered at Lake Retreat for their annual…
The Last Day of June 1934
Al Stewart writes songs, many with a historical bent. In 1974, Stewart released his breakout album, “Past, Present, and Future” with two songs that sealed his reputation, “Nostradamus” and “Roads to Moscow.” The tracts were eight and nearly ten minutes long, but FM radio stations were increasingly featuring songs of extended length, so both grew in…
MLK Distinguished Service Award
Chair Upthegrove and Members of the Council – Way back in the fall of 1970, before several of our Councilmembers were even born, I was a high school senior in my hometown of Enumclaw. I’d enrolled in the Humanities course taught by Mr. Worthington. He provided a good introduction to higher education. During our section…
Living London’s Life – 1978
While traveling through Europe that year I’d set a tight budget: $10 per day, excluding travel. In London, this tiny allowance would be tested. The first night I tramped about Kings Cross station looking for economical accommodations. Most were at prices that fully consumed my budget goal. I chose the cheapest of the lot and…
Another Saturday Night
This story is from a diary I sporadically kept in 1983. It’s a another Saturday night with friends (Bill Wheeler, Keith Hanson, Jay Carbon, Wayne Podolak, and Mike Hanson), this time at a hockey game. Lucky me! Saturday night (Jan. 22, 1983): Wheels and I drove into Dez’s to meet Keith, Jay, Wayne, Mike,…
I wrote this letter to Mom & Dad
Forty-five years ago, I wrote this letter to Mom & Dad. I was in Paris near the end of my first of five months in Europe. My sister Danica (then known as Dana) was studying at the Sorbonne for a year so my parents decided to visit her during an extended vacation. I quit my…
Postmarked Vietnam
Writing about music is like dancing about architecture * TWO SONGS – TWO STORIES Songs evoke memories of times long past, each bearing a story to be told. This is mine. It’s a tale of two singles; we called them 45s back then. Both were favorites. Both were songs about war. Two soundtracks postmarked in…
Some Impressions of Japan
A short trip to a foreign county is hardly enough exposure to develop a well-informed understanding of the culture. But impressions require no such universe of knowledge. Here’s what I found remarkable during our family’s 12-day trip through the land of the rising sun. My reflections on Japan are based on a limited sample…
Reflections on Tom Landis
Tom Landis died suddenly 13 years ago today. This is the eulogy I read at his funeral a month later. A few months before I’d seen Tom Landis at a funeral, never thinking that some weeks hence I’d be speaking at his. “Everyone has a story to tell.” That was Tom’s Facebook page motto. This…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Get new content delivered directly to your inbox.