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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

EndNotes archive for Sept. 2012

SUNDAY, SEPT. 30, 2012

"Fate brought us together," said Arthur "Punch" Sulzberger, chief executive officer of The New York Times Company, about a planned March wedding with Spokane community leader Allison Cowles. 1996 photo. (Photo archive / The Spokesman-Review)

RIP: Arthur Ochs Sulzberger 

The former publisher of The New York Times, Arthur Ochs Sulzbereger, died yesterday. He was married later in life to Allison Cowles of The Spokesman-Review family. When the two got engaged years ago, I was asked by our editors to do the engagement story and…

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 28, 2012


Wry-voiced comedian Don Adams starred as Maxwell Smart, the fumbling secret agent in the 1960s television spoof of James Bond movies, "Get Smart."
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

The Flying Gidget 

The television in the condo where I'm staying doesn't have my usual favorite cable channels, so I am cut off for three months from my usual HBO/Showtime/Starz programs. It does have many stations that feature reruns from the 1960s and 1970s. And I have been…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 27, 2012

Syrup is a key to the taste of canned peaches.  (File / The Spokesman-Review)

Grief practices: Who taught you?

Experts say the language and practices of grief are best learned at home, when we are little, role-modeled by the adults in our life. The poem What I Learned from My Mother by Julia Kasdorf is a great explainer of this. Here's an excerpt: I…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 26, 2012

FILE - This Feb. 23, 1978 file photo shows performer and host Andy Williams at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Williams, who had a string of gold albums and hosted several variety shows and specials like "The Andy Williams Show," died Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012, at his home in Branson, Missouri, following a yearlong battle with bladder cancer, his Los Angeles-based publicist, Paul Shefrin, said Wednesday. He was 84. (Lennox Mclendon / Associated Press)

Moon River – crossed in style 

Andy Williams, smooth voice of the 1960s and 1970s and…through every Christmas I can remember, has died. Williams was 84 and died last night at his home in Branson, MO. As a child in wintery Minnesota, I listened to Andy Williams sing Christmas songs on…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 25, 2012

People walk on the beach at sunrise in Tynemouth Longsands, in Tynemouth, north England, Saturday Dec. 10, 2011.  High winds and cold weather  struck many regions of England over the past few days. (AP Photo / Owen Humphreys, PA)   (Owen Humphreys / Associated Press)

What sound does your heart make?

A recipient of a donor heart has said that it is quieter than his mechanical heart. I remember the first artificial heart recipient: In 1982, Seattle dentist Barney Clark became the first human to receive a permanent artificial heart, a device known as the Jarvik…

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MONDAY, SEPT. 24, 2012

Dying computer languages 10 

During the first week of my Chicago sabbatical, I was trained on a computer system that helps chaplains chart their visits with patients. It was completely new. But some of the "functionality" was similar to programs I've used at the newspaper, mostly in blogging. I…

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 23, 2012

A yoga student, Oksana Maxwell does Dog Yoga or "Doga" exercises at a studio in Hong Kong, Thursday, July 14, 2011. Doga is a new field of yoga for dogs and their owners. (Kin Cheung / Associated Press)

Red Rover, Red Rover send…

…peace and calm right over. A program pioneered in Seattle’s King County has withstood an appeals court challenge. The program has specially trained dogs provide comfort for victims in a courthouse setting, helping them to not only relax, but feel safe and secure as they…

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 22, 2012


Prepare to see Martin Sheen in reruns of "The West Wing" soon on the Bravo channel.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

They’re back! Sort of 

My all-time favorite television show – The West Wing – is back…sort of. Some cast members have reunited to get us united in our civic duty and profound privilege: voting. The team has created a public service announcement for Bridget Mary McCormack, the Michigan State…

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FRIDAY, SEPT. 21, 2012

Afghan surprise

Somehow, she has survived. Abandoned along the side of a road in Afghanistan, a country of land mines and confusion, a newborn infant was found by Polish soldiers. I loved reading that the entire group of soldiers took that infant to the hospital, bought formula,…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 20, 2012

hands in the same of a heart (Vladislav Mitic)

Sending a message

Earlier this week our EndNotes column addressed the situation of inappropriate cards: “get well” cards sent to a person who may be terminally or chronically ill. A colleague of mine reminded me of a company that does create cards of comfort for situations where the…

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Orange offering on the pink line

I commute by "L" train to the loft where I'm living for three months in Chicago. Tuesday when I caught the train from the medical center, a man hopped on the same car at the last minute with his daughter who looked about 7. The…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 19, 2012

Jim Camden, reporter for The Spokesman-Review (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)

Taking comfort in familiar strangers

I'm spending three months in Chicago, on sabbatical, studying in the chaplaincy program at Rush University Medical Center. A new town and lots of new colleagues. But it's eerie how this happens. Several of the people in my program here remind me of newsroom staffers…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 18, 2012

Gov. Chris Gregoire is embraced by Rep. Jamie Pedersen, D-Seattle, after the House voted to legalize gay marriage Wednesday in Olympia. Gregoire is likely to sign the bill next week; a date has not yet been set for the ceremonial signing, but a sizable crowd is expected. (Associated Press)

Love's journey  

Washington voters have many decisions to make this fall as we decide who and what will get our vote. Referendum 74 seeks to affirm the marriage equality law in Washington state. Like many of our political beliefs, we are influenced at first by our theories…

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 16, 2012

Sister Rosalie Locati, director of mission and values for Providence Sacred Heart and Providence Holy Family hospitals, stands beside Ken Spiering’s sculpture in Riverfront Park. It commemorates the arrival of the Sisters of Providence, who built Sacred Heart on the banks of the Spokane River in 1886. Locati is the only Sister of Providence still working full time at Sacred Heart Medical Center. (Jesse Tinsley)

Sisters of Providence celebrate

Our family spent Saturday honoring many amazing women: Sisters of Providence. Annually, the sisters celebrate the jubilee years in the community – 25, 50, 60, 70, 75 - of the women and their remarkable accomplishments. I listened to their stories of humble beginnings – when…

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Nuiko for Becky Nappi blog

Living our children's history

Being the elder in a large, extended family can translate into one of my favorite (and I'm sure sometimes irritating) habits now. I tell my nieces and nephews -- and great nieces and nephews -- stories about themselves when they were little. My niece on…

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SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, 2012

In this August, airline passengers go through the security checkpoint at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta. Don’t expect much elbow room on flights this fall, airlines are cutting seats available in the U.S. by about 2 percent. (Associated Press)

Oldsters: Keep your shoes on

While flying out of Spokane this week, I noticed a sign never seen before at the aiport security line. It showed a big 1937 with these words: "If you are 75 or older, you can keep your shoes and light jacket on." It sent the…

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THURSDAY, SEPT. 13, 2012

Tim Rahman carved a cradle and quilt out of solid wood.

Sew it seams

The lovely story of the pillowcase ladies and their work creating pillowcases for children with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses reminds us how easy it is to use our talents and hobbies to create hope. The pillowcases add a bit of comfort, cheer and familiarity…

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WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 12, 2012



Southeast Alaska anglers are treated to eye-popping scenery as they boat out from Sitka, throught the islands, to fish for salmon and halibut in the ocean.
 (Rich Landers / The Spokesman-Review)

Life afloat

How did they survive? It is a miracle. The will to live and the ability to stay calm – and sing – may have helped one young Alaskan fisherman stay alive for 26 hours after his fishing boat capsized and dumped him and his friend…

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TUESDAY, SEPT. 11, 2012

The full moon rises among the clouds behind a statue of an angel fixed atop the Alexander Column at Palace Square in St.Petersburg, Russia, late Monday, Jan. 9, 2012. (Dmitry Lovetsky / Associated Press)

Sept. 11 musings

My nephew, Nicholas, was deployed to Afghanistan two weeks ago for six months. The Marine officer is a career military guy, and his Facebook posts have been breezy from Afghanistan, describing uber workouts in the heat. The other night, he posted on Facebook within seconds…

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The 9/11 memorial taken for Becky Nappi's blog on Oct. 12, 2011. (Tony Wadden)

We vowed to remember, so we do

We said we would always remember…and so we do. We pause to acknowledge this anniversary of sorrow and loss, of confusion and grief, of private mourning and public outcry. “Tragedy can teach us many lessons. From pain, we can learn compassion. From division, we can…

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MONDAY, SEPT. 10, 2012

Photo for EndNotes blog. (Courtesy Photo / The Spokesman-Review)

Death photos: A sacred tradition

People in modern times are sometimes astonished to learn that it was traditional to once take photos of deceased loved ones in repose after they died. That's why in family photo albums from 100 years ago, you find photos of people in caskets. It's done…

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SUNDAY, SEPT. 9, 2012

FRIDAY, SEPT. 7, 2012

“We’re just a pioneer cemetery,” remarked Fairfield Cemetery Association member Gary Ostheller. “I think I’m related to about half the cemetery,” he said. (J. Bart Rayniak)

Seasonal shift

The summer has crawled then sprinted. Never cared for August – too hot, no routine. When I was waxing poetic about September and its lovely relief from the heat of August, my friend told me that he always feels melancholy in the fall – the…

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Then-vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden  and his mother, Catherine Eugenia “Jean” Biden, on stage in Denver in 2008.  (Associated Press)

Missing the mother hens

In last night's convention speech, vice president Joe Biden mentioned that his mom was at the convention four years ago. He looked sad that she wasn't at the 2012 convention. I remember her well from the 2008 convention, because my mother and her friends were…

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Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with writer Catherine Johnston of Olympia, Wash., discuss here issues facing aging boomers, seniors and those experiencing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.



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