T he C olumbia P ress
December 28, 2018
Senior Moments
with Emma Edwards
Watch out for falling nuts
“Whether you think you
can or you think you can’t,
you’re right.” -- Henry Ford
So, here it is a few days af-
ter Christmas and almost the
end of the year. Christmas.
That is the time I suddenly
realize that all the things yet
to be done could have been
done three months ago.
Maybe we so readily write
down New Year’s resolutions
because we’re so fresh over
lamenting what we did not
do the year before.
However, do we do better
next year?
About a week ago, I was
lamenting to a sweet friend
what all I still had to get done
before Christmas.
This is what she told me to
think on: Whatever you do
do today is more than you
did yesterday before you do
do what you just did do!
I know, sounds like a lot of
do do! (Did I say that?) Oh,
well. Forgive me, I am a little
happy tired I guess!
As many of you know, I en-
joy poetry that was written
decades ago. This is one of
my favorites:
“Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be, the last
of life, for which the first was
made. Our times are in His
hand who saith, ‘A whole I
planned, youth shows but
half; Trust God: See all, nor
be afraid!” -- Robert Brown-
ing (written mid-1800s)
We seniors realize more
and more every year the
truth of Mr. Browning’s
writing. As we observe youth
of today, either in our own
families or circling around
us, we like to envision their
future years.
We may be looking at the
president of a large company
or even of the United States.
Or a future homeless un-
fortunate. There is a senior
group I heard about recently
called the JOY group, of Just
Older Youth. Mr. Browning
would have liked that.
Often, genealogy is a topic
for discussion at our senior
lunches. Recently, I read a
definition of genealogy that
described it as tracing your-
self back to better people.
Another thought in the
same article quoted some-
one as saying, “I trace my
family history so I will know
whom to blame.”
The one I liked best was
“Genealogists never die;
they just lose their roots.”
Yes, I knew you would like
that too!
Not to belabor the subject,
but recently I ran across sev-
eral one liners on the gene-
alogy topic: “My family tree
is a few branches short! All
help appreciated.” Another,
“Shake your family tree and
watch the nuts fall!”
And with chocolates and
other
goodies
available
at this time of the year, I
thought you would like this
little ditty -- And I have
mixed emotions over the fol-
lowing little quip that was
shared with me:“My wife is
a light eater; as soon as it’s
light out, she starts eating.”
Christmas is over and now I
can say, “See you next year.”
7
It’s Whale Watching Week along Oregon coast
Annual Whale Watching
Week is under way as gray
whales are migrating south.
The Oregon Parks and Rec-
reation Department will have
volunteers from the Whale
Watching Spoken Here pro-
gram at 24 stations along the
Oregon coast from 10 a.m.
to 1 p.m. daily through New
Year’s Eve.
They’ll offer whale-watch-
ing tips and facts about the
animals.
Nearby stations are at the
Lewis & Clark Interpretive
Center in Ilwaco, near the
Peter Iredale Shipwreck in
Fort Stevens State Park, and
at Ecola State Park in Canon
Beach.
Every winter an estimated
20,000 gray whales migrate
Visitors look for whales passing offshore near Depoe Bay.
south from Alaska to the
warm calving lagoons off the
coast of Baja, Mexico.
During the busiest times, 30
whales pass by per hour.
“Whales are a special part
of the Oregon coast,” said
Luke Parsons, a ranger with
the Whale Watching Center
in Depoe Bay. “We’re very
proud to work with our vol-
unteers to help visitors con-
nect with the whales and our
oceans.”
This Week in Aboriginal History
by Carl A. Ellis
Seminole tribe is first to offer Indian bingo
Dec. 28, 1890: Sioux
leader Big Foot leads his tribe
away from the reservation
only to be surrounded by 7th
Cavalry troops at Wounded
Knee Creek. The next morn-
ing, when the cavalry tries
to disarm the Sioux, shots
ring out. During the next six
hours, 146 Sioux men, wom-
en and children, including
Big Foot, are killed. The 7th
Cavalry loses 31 men.
Dec. 29, 1776: Mingos is
directed by Chief Pluggy to
attack a stockade in the set-
tlement established by John
Senior lunch menu
Monday, Dec. 31: Parmesan chicken, pasta with pesto sauce,
tomatoes, minestrone soup, berry trifle.
Thursday, Jan. 3: Pulled pork, roasted potatoes, corn, cole-
slaw, chocolate cake.
The Warrenton senior lunch program is at noon (doors
open at 10:30 a.m.) Mondays and Thursdays at Warrenton
Community Center, 170 SW Third St. Suggested donation is
$5 for ages 55 and older; $7 for those younger. For more
information, call 503-861-3502.
McClelland near present-day
Lexington, Ky. Men are killed
on both sides, including lead-
ers from both forces. The In-
dians eventually give up the
attack.
Dec. 30, 1759: A Spanish
force of 600, responding to
a Comanche attack that de-
stroyed two missions on the
San Saba River in central
Texas, march north to the
Red River. There they engage
several thousand Coman-
che and other Plains Indians
fighting behind breastworks
and armed with French ri-
fles. The Spaniards are rout-
ed out, losing a cannon in
their retreat. From this point
on, Comanche raids will be
a constant threat to settlers
throughout Texas.
Dec. 31, 1813: Indian and
British forces under Gen.
Phineas Riall attack Buffalo,
N.Y., burning the small vil-
lage to the ground. Settlers
will return soon, and rebuild.
Jan. 1, 2001: The Agua
Caliente Band of Cahuilla In-
dians open Tahquitz Canyon
near Palm Springs to visitors.
Jan. 2, 1979: The Sem-
inole Tribe of Florida be-
comes the first tribe to enter
the bingo gaming industry.
Their endeavors encourage
other tribes to begin gaming
enterprises on reservations
as a step toward economic
self-sufficiency.
Jan. 3, 1895: Hopi Chief
Lomahongyoma and 18 oth-
er Indians are placed in Al-
catraz for five days for their
resistance to the U.S. govern-
ment. The 19 are jailed for
refusing to farm on individ-
ual plots away from the me-
sas and for refusing to send
their children to government
boarding schools.
Ellis is an author and his-
torian working on a book
about American Indians.