Blogroll

Oct. 4 – We hear a lot about coping strategies for vegetarians as Thanksgiving draws near. The psycho-social dynamics of not eating meat at that particular carnivorous occasion have been well documented.

But perhaps an even bigger challenge confronts vegetarians this month.

Yes, Oktoberfest gatherings can be a bit disorienting for those whose diet doesn’t include sausage in a basket, sausage on a plate, sausage in a bun or sausage on a stick. But that’s why there’s beer. And kraut (assuming it wasn’t cooked with sausage drippings). I suppose you could see how hot mustard tastes on various vegetables. Still, I think beer has to be the key here.

Oct. 2 – Anglers are accustomed to a little fudging on the sizes and numbers of fish their friends catch. In my circle of friends, I pretty much divide everything by two.

But Jim Kujala had to reboot his piscatorial sensibilities last weekend while hosting a young girl on his boat for the Cast For Kids event at Clear Lake.

More than 50 kids were there, enjoying the day with volunteer mentors. Kujala, a perennial volunteer, was able to put his boat into some fish and topped off the day with an even sweeter highlight.

As he put it:

“I had a third-grader girl and her mother fishing with me, and for the girl it was one missed bite and one of the bigger, if not the biggest, fish of the day – a brown trout. When it came time to take a picture, I asked her if she wanted to hold both of the brown trout in my live well. Her answer: ‘But I only caught one.’ 

“Let me tell you about praising her for an example of ethics exhibited by a person of her age! What a thrill for me to observe something like that!”

Sept. 30 – Former New York Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger died yesterday. He was married later in life to Allison Cowles of The Spokesman-Review family.

When the two got engaged years ago, I did the engagement story and met with them for about an hour. They both were reserved but kind, and they couldn’t hide the giddy feeling that comes with finding love, no matter your age.

In his official New York Times obituary, Sulzberger’s personal life is overshadowed by his professional accomplishments. But I understood in that short meeting that his family relationships fueled his spirit most of all.