Claire Lovell

South of the Seaside Signal office on the back lot of the Human Bean Coffee Shop is a little hill where I once picked wild violets as a child. At that time, except for three houses along the railroad track, it was forest from 12th Avenue to the railroad trestle. We had more oxygen to breathe in those days, living in symbiosis with the trees.

Im always suspicious of any man who says something is divine unless hes talking about God.

My faith in English speaking Americans has been somewhat restored by the correct pronunciation of the French word, lingerie in the last coupe of weeks once on TV, I forget by whom, and once on the radio by Mark Steyn. Stacked up against our other problems, preserving language may not rank very high on your list but its always been important to me.

Two more infractions for my police notebook struck me as I exited the Holladay Drug parking lot onto Broadway the other day. The person ahead of me turned left. Tsk. I wish we could all do it if the coast were clear. Then there was the walker at night, on the right side of the street, going with the direction of traffic while clad all in black. I saw him because, for a moment, the street light helped.

Somewhere last week, I read or heard that Tilapia fish hadnt much health value because it has large amounts of Omega 6, whatever that is? They were pushing Salmon which has lots of Omega 3, the good-for-you Greek stuff. Dont you get annoyed when what is good for you today is out the window tomorrow?

A friend called to say her husband was late for work because they were reading my book. How cool it that? Of course this was someone of my vintage so the connection is understandable. I appreciate it.

  This year Ill forego the controversy over tearing down that wonderful Catholic Church, though it breaks my heart. I mixed in it during the 80s, speaking for my friend John Raniero who was married there, whose children were confirmed there, and from which he was finally buried. It meant so much to him as it was and, for the record, has already withstood at least one earthquake.

Occasionally, I find fault with TV, the newspapers and the radio. Today its funny papers. In the Bazarro cartoon, let me say up front that I miss the cherry pie, the fire crackers and the aliens. One day, Noah was pondering his yardstick while building an Ark replica. He was wondering which measurement was a cubit and which was a centimeter? Since a cubit is 18 inches, there is really no comparison. Also, Noah has a modern sledge hammer and hand saw from his tool box to use on the job. Sheesh!

Vocabulary word: oriented (not orientated).

Heading west on Broadway, I had a green light at the intersection with Roosevelt but two cars turned north in front of me. I got an expensive ticket for that once and my guy was inviting me to turn.

Cute quip: Because of hearing order in the court, someone replied, burger and fries for me, please.

You can reach Claire Lovell at:

(503) 738-7215