Florence, Dave, Ralph, Jeremy, and Leslie are all children of January.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS TO ALL OF YOU!

    Florence Mary (Pfister) Burke was born to Joseph Alois and Mary Pfister on January 1, 1909 in Everett, Washington. The address on her birth certificate was that of her grandparents, Frank and Frances Gierhofer. She joined a brother, John Joseph (Jack), who was two years old.

     Florence was my "big sister" and she was also my best friend for most of my life. She left us July 23, 1998.

    I opened an envelope from West & West Publishers today and found a check for the use of one of my Celilo Falls pictures that I took with my little Kodak Brownie box camera (cost me $1.00) in 1936. I will be getting a couple of copies of the book, Oregon A to Z, when it is published in May... One or more of those pictures have found their way into seven publications. We sent all six of them to this publisher with our permission to use any or all... they just wanted one... so I won't know until May which one they chose. My picture will be the "C" page in the book.

    Unfortunately, I wasted most of this month of January nursing an illness for which I do not have a name It was like a case of flu that didn't quite develop. thank goodness. Now, I am feeling fine, again.

    Yesterday brought me an e-mail from a rose fancier who had run across my story of Grandmother's Rose and had hoped I might have a picture of it. Her specialty is a strain of roses that were developed by the Austrian rose breeder, Rudolph Geshwindt (1829 - 1910)
     Nothing can come of it, I'm afraid, since I do not have a picture but it put a little bright spot into my day. Reading her pleasant, little note was a joy.

    Heather has sent another electronic album full of pictures of baby Skyler, now in his 15th month. I hear from Grandma Hildy that he is now standing (albeit a bit unsteady), so it won't be long before he will be leading his parents a merry chase. Hildy and Dan will be making a grandparenting trip to Maryland in the very near future.

    Dave celebrated his birthday on the 22nd. As my firstborn, he was the one on whom our first Mommy and Daddy skills were honed. Since he turned out so well, we kept on using the same techniques on the others as they appeared. Looking at them fondly now, we did a very good job.

    Along with our Christmas checks this year, I enclosed a little jingle in which I asked the recipient to let us know what they bought with them, so we could feel more involved with the actual present. The responses I have received have been very special. As examples, Megan wrote a lovely note in which she said she planned to get a scratching post for her kitty, Oreo, hoping that might keep her from shredding the furniture. Christopher bought a small TV for his own room. Jack sent e-mail photos of some tough looking hiking boots and his parents put their gifts toward the new Camry.
     Amazing how much just knowing how our checks would be spent really added to our pleasure in giving them.

    When at the History House Board meeting last week, Paul took me on a little tour around the walls of the main room. He was reading little, short historical vignettes they have installed above the huge mural. After reading several, he casually read one that said, "February 4, 1916, Dorothea Nordstrand, local historian, was born in Tiger, Washington". What a nice thing to find down there, and what a hoot.

    An e-mail from Ken (International Falls) says they are having the warmest winter since the late 1800s. It was about 40 degrees, when their usual winter weather is around zero. They have had lots of snow, but none of the numbing cold that is common there.
     Ken and his wife, Kat, are members of the Nordstrand family that we have just recently met via the Internet. Ken ran across our John's name and wrote him, since Ken's father was a John Nordstrand. Sorting it all out, his father, John, was my Vern's dad's youngest brother. It has been fun to get to know them.

    We had a call from Ryan (grandson) when he got back to Pullman (WSU) last Sunday evening. We were so relieved to hear from him as Snoqualmie Pass was closed by two avalanches that evening. They must have hit very soon after he crossed over.
     The heavy snowfall in our local mountains seems to be even more unstable than usual. There have been closures on both of the main passes. What is coming down is wet and heavy.

Think about it: Ever wonder how deep the oceans would be if it weren't for the sponges?

Dixie/Dorothea, Senior Editor

Home Page: Dixie-Press.com

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