Man Wishes He’d Written Journal Of Life’s Journey
If Ernest Allsop, 103, could do it all over again, he’d keep a detailed journal.
“When you’re young, it’s the last thing you think about,” he says in the precise English of the English. “When you’re this age, it’s the first thing you think about.”
Ernest is a newcomer to the United States. He moved to Coeur d’Alene from the south coast of England six years ago to be near his daughter, Muriel. But the move severed century-old ties Ernest needed in his old age.
“I miss England quite a lot,” he says, fiddling with the V-neck sweater over his shirt and tie. “I’m like a lost urchin now. I don’t know anyone.”
His friends urged him to stay in his homeland. But Annie, his wife of 55 years, had been killed in a traffic accident in 1971. Eighteen years of life alone was all he could take.
“I thought I’d waited long enough,” he says, smiling as his eyes lock onto the old photo of Annie tacked to his bedroom wall.
But he didn’t realize what he was leaving behind. The bungalow he and Annie had shared. The ship-building company he had worked for since the age of 13. A century of friendships, experiences, roots.
“When I moved, I could hardly bring anything,” Ernest says. His sparsely furnished room in an retirement complex is proof.
He doesn’t want to go back now. His friends have died, and his daughter and grandchildren are here. He never expected to outlive everyone and let loneliness finally drag him from his home.
A book of memories would help, he says. His memory is fading. Dates are fuzzy. But he knows he lived through some amazing times.
“I missed the boat with not keeping a record,” Ernest says, squeezing shut his nearly sightless eyes. “If I’d just taken some notes…”
In the lap of luxury
At least once in your life, you should sleep in a four-poster bed under a down comforter three inches thick and wake to crepes and capuccinos. If such treatment is out of your budget right now, then take the Coeur d’Alene Bed and Breakfast Association’s annual tour Dec. 10.
Twelve posh inns will open their doors 1-5 p.m. and some will treat visitors to gourmet refreshments. This is your chance to tour some old Victorian homes complete with lace doilies and tea cakes, and it’s all free. Maybe you’ll have a chance to sneak in a nap. Call 667-7527 for a map.
No business like show business
Just five years ago, the future of the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater was questionable. That’s hard to believe now, after a season in which four shows attracted more than 20,000 people to North Idaho College’s Boswell Auditorium.
How many times can the Carrousel Players outdo themselves? Let’s hope many more times. They figure the money their four shows brought in this year had a $1.5 million impact on the community.
DeLight full
Watching downtown Coeur d’Alene turn into Christmas central tonight is one of the big pleasures of the holiday season. The Festival of Lights starts at 5 p.m. The route will come aglow with Christmas lights as the parade passes.
The parade route is tricky. It runs in a loop, starting at First and heading up Lakeside to Eighth, then down Sherman back to First. The evening will culminate with the Coeur d’Alene Resort lighting its huge wreath.
Christmas memories
I spent Christmas in a motel a zillion years ago after my family had moved across the country. I was pretty sure Santa wouldn’t find me with a new bike, but somehow he did. I guess I’ve believed in him ever since.
What special Christmas memories do you have? Wrap them up for Cynthia Taggart, “Close to Home,” 608 Northwest Blvd., Suite 200, Coeur d’Alene 83814; FAX them to 765-7149; or call 765-7128.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo