Fourth of July’s Secrets Cont. on

Katia’s Friend Cont. from Page 3

doned by adults who couldn't take care of them or simply didn't want them. Others were placed there by welfare agencies due to abuse at home. Or they were taken off the streets where they wandered, selling chewing gum and cheap trinkets to tourists . Katia was one of them, a tiny victim of circumstance, a little girl in a faded sweatshirt who peered around a corner and cast her magic upon me. Before I had a chance to avoid any type of a relationship, she looked up at me and I was her captive, defenseless against huge brown eyes and a bashful smile. She pointed to her name written in childish scrawl on the front of her shirt and whispered, “Katia.” I could offer her nothing in return but my own condescending smile, and that inability to express myself in such an unpretentious manner as hers left me wallowing in a great emptiness. Then solemnly, softly, she walked away, but her presence was already forever imprinted on some undetermined locale where I store major occurrences of a pleasant nature.

A short time later, she crept back into the room where we adults had gathered to make our inspections and comments while taking notes for the newspaper stories the sponsors wanted us to eventually write for charitable reasons. She tugged at my sleeve to get my attention, then placed her tiny hand into mine and led us away from the others. Attached in that fashion, we walked a short distance to a corner of the room where she seated herself on the dirt floor. She patted the ground and motioned that I should sit beside her. With great concentration, she used a forefinger and sketched her name into the bare earth. When she finished, she waved her small hand across her work and said with great pride, “Katia.”

Aware that she wanted to show me something of great importance, I sat cross-legged while she knelt on the dirt floor of the orphanage and slowly unrolled a well-used red kerchief. One by one, she removed her treasures – a collection of empty Tootsie Roll wrappers – and carefully placed them on the ground in front of us, gently smoothing each before bringing out another.

She directed my glance toward the wrappers and gestured, as if to say, “It's all right. You may touch them.” So I picked them up, one by one, carefully examined each, then handed them back to her. When every wrapper had been carefully inspected and placed back into their proper order, she returned them to the secrecy of the old bandanna and tied the ends of the kerchief together. Then she ran her hands across the cloth's surface and wistfully held it up to me for my final approval.

For most of the morning, Katia sort of hung around, staying in the background while we adults looked and poked and talked about what the orphanage needed before agreeing that money and volunteer labor were paramount to the task. Occasionally, she'd catch my eyes, just to let me know that she was still there, waiting to resume our friendship. Then she'd disappear around a corner, but soon she'd be standing in a doorway or coyly peeking through a dusty window, never in the way but always there.

At lunch time, she walked resolutely to my side, took my hand and led the way to a rough wooden table where the staff had laid out sandwiches and an unfamiliar liquid. We were friends now, even though I had been given no choice in the matter. She sat close to me and when I went to take my first bite, she gently touched my arm so I would look down at her, then bowed her head and clasped her hands together, an indication that we should pray first. And so we did. She whispered her pre-meal blessing in Spanish, I mumbled mine in English. We ate then, and Katia made certain that my napkin was folded just right and that my glass was always filled with what turned out to be a very weak lemonade. When the meal ended, she removed my plate and cup, took them to what served as a kitchen, and returned to again take up her seat close by mine.

We talked for a while, neither of us quite understanding what the other was saying but both perfectly understanding what the other meant.

And when my time at the orphanage was over, she clutched my hand and walked me to the car that would take me back to Arizona and out of her life forever. I tried not to look back, but it was futile so I turned and waved and made a silent vow to come back some day.

She smiled a brave smile; I returned it. But we could not hide the moment of sadness that fell upon us because we both knew we would never see each other again.

True to the fates so commonly involved in situations like this, our unspoken assessment of how this chance meeting would end did materialize. We never saw each other again. Katia was adopted by a family in Pennsylvania; I asked but was never told where. Sometimes, it's the way things were meant to be.

The author, Sam Lowe, is a veteran newspaper reporter, columnist and editor. A product of the mid-west, he no lives in Arizona in semiretirement. But we have more stories from Sam, comikng soon!

Fourth of July’s Secrets Cont. from Page 2

ing chapters in U. S. Presidential history!

WHICH U. S. PRESIDENT AND “FOUNDING FATHER” SPOKE THE MOST FOREIGN LANGUAGES? A. George Washington. B. Thomas Jefferson. C. John Quincy Adams.

This is a very tricky question! So, don’t feel bad if you missed it. While most people might pick Thomas Jefferson right off the bat, it was actually “C,” John Quincy Adams who (fluently) spoke the most foreign languages (of all U. S. Presidents)!

While it is true that Thomas Jefferson spoke and read several languages, it was John Quincy Adams, our 6th American President, who still holds the record for speaking the most languages, including French, Dutch, Russian, Latin, Greek, German, and Italian, among others! In total, John Quincy Adams became (fluent) in as many as 8 different languages!

As a child, John Quincy Adams traveled with his father on diplomatic assignments all over the world. The young Adams was born with a most uncanny mind to quickly learn languages.

Most early American presidents that served during the 18th and 19th centuries, studied Latin, and sometimes Greek, in their classical education but, even then, they were not always (truly fluent) in both speaking and reading these languages.

While historians can confirm that Thomas Jefferson was said to speak 5 foreign languages, foremost scholars are quick to point out that Jefferson often exaggerated his (fluency) in each of them. Linguistic experts evaluate Thomas Jefferson speaking some of these foreign languages on a “conversational fluency” level only, but, not on a “proficiently fluent” level.

Nevertheless, Jefferson had an eclectic library including dictionaries in a wide variety of world languages, including Arabic, Gaelic, and Welsh (though historians agree he was not fluent in all of them). Jefferson was widely-known to exaggerate his fluency in foreign tongues.

Thomas Jefferson’s own contemporaries, such as John Adams, knew the twinkle in Thomas Jefferson’s eye whenever Jefferson would overly-embellish his linguistic talents. Jefferson once bragged that he learned Spanish fluently in just 19 days while on a sea journey to France, to which John Adams amusingly quipped: “But, Mr. Jefferson tells large tales.” overly exaggerate his linguistic skills.”

THE QUINTESSTIAL AMERICAN PATRIOTIC SONG “YANKEE DOODLE” WAS SUNG BY THE BRITISH MILITARY! A. True, believe it or not! B. False, never from our enemy at the time!

This question seems ridiculous and impossible to even be asked, and yet the shocking answer is “A” true!

An almost completely unknown fact to nearly everyone is that the popular and patriotic quintessential American song, “Yankee Doodle,” was widely sung by the British military officers even before the American Revolution!

The “Yankee Doodle” tune was already well-known by the 1750s, but tradition records that in 1756 a British doctor named Richard Schuckburg penned new words to mock his American allies. And it was NOT sung to salute Americans, but to ridicule and poke fun at us. The song portrayed the colonists as: “rude, crude, and cowardly.”

However, twenty-five years later, after the Continental Army forced the British to surrender at Yorktown, Virginia in 1781, we had effectively won our independence, although the fighting would not formally end until 1783. (Kennedy Center, Education Dept. of History & U. S. Military.)

Although the British used Yankee Doodle early on to mock us, we eventually won the war – so no hard feelings towards our British cousins and our closest military ally today.

OUR MOST BELOVED STAR SPANGLED BANNER DID NOT BECOME OUR NATIONAL ANTHEM UNTIL: A. Over 75 years after it was written. B. Over a century after it was written.

Surprisingly, it took a very long time for us to accept the Star Spangled Banner as our official U. S. National Anthem. So, “B” above, is the correct answer!

On three counts, it is surprising for most Americans that the Star Spangled Banner was written as a poem, and never intended as a song!

Secondly, it took 112 years after it was first composed, to finally be accepted as our U. S. National Anthem, well over a century after the fact!

Written on September 14, 1814 as a poem by 35-year-old lawyer and poet, Francis Scott Key, the Star Spangled Banner was later adopted in song version by President Woodrow Wilson, but only as a popularly accepted song, not a song recognized by law.

Fourth of July’s Secrets Cont. from Page 5

become our official National Anthem of the United States.

Thirdly – and ironically -- a surprising fact that remains almost entirely unknown today for most people, is that our National Anthem was set to music to the tune of a popular British song, composed by John Stafford Smith – making our National Anthem music British, in origin!

(When I spent two years in England, I often heard what I thought was our U. S. National Anthem, but my British host family accurately informed me it was a traditional British tune! Our Star Spangled Banner is sung to that popular British tune.)

This is virtually unheard of and unreported. Giving potency that truth is often stranger than fiction!

WHAT IS THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF THE UNITED STATES? A. English. B. Spanish. C. German. D. No Official Language.

While many countries have official languages, the United States, interestingly, does not. So, if you selected “D” above, you are correct.

Despite not having an official national language, American English is the primary language spoken in this country, as well as the language used for legislation, executive orders, federal court rulings, etc.

The fact that America is without an official language distinguishes our country from others, such as England, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, all of which have their own official languages. Standard German, for example, is the official language of Germany and Austria, with 95 percent of these countries speaking Standard German or German dialects. French is the official language of France. English is the official language of the United Kingdom, Italian the national language of Italy, etc.

Whether the United States of America will ever decide to enact an “official language” is something only time will tell. British English and American English have often been the source of friendly humor between our two allied cultures. George Bernard Shaw once quipped, “England and America are two different countries separated by a common language.”

May you all have a safe and happy 4th of July, especially now that so many of us have been vaccinated against Covid-19.

And enjoy our newly-planned fireworks displays around the San Diego region, once again, including at Escondido’s Grape Day Park this 2021 year, beginning at 9 p.m. And may the Almighty forever hold our sacred country in the palm of His hand.

God bless America, forever and a day!

Friedrich Gomez, the author, with another superbly researched cover with this, his 175th cover story for The Paper. Friedrich is our most prolific writer and we, like you, look forward to his writing in The Paper!

Subscribe to The Paper! Call 760.747.7119

Helping Small Business Get Back on its Feet

California is now reopening its economy, something I’ve been advocating for months. As a small business owner, I understand the disproportionate impact the pandemic had on small businesses, which make up 95% of all businesses in this region and employ the vast majority of workers. We’re taking a huge step in the right direction, though it’s months too late.

Eliminating mandatory shutdowns is only part of the solution. Businesses need help so that they can successfully reopen and get their employees back to work. Below I’m listing some of the resources that will help:

The California Grants Portal provides one destination for businesses seeking grants and loans offered on a competitive or first-come basis by California state agencies.

The Labor & Workforce Development Agency has a benefits summary chart for workers impacted by COVID-19.

The Small Business Majority provides almost weekly webinars for business owners. For more information, see HERE.

The Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) provides a hotline for navigating rules and regulations and information about state programs and incentives. Call (877) 345-4633 or submit a request online, HERE.

The California Small Business COVID-19 Relief Grant Program is now closed, but funding to continue the program was included in the 202122 budget. For more information, see HERE.

For information on workplace safety and health regulations, see Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Guidance and Resources website HERE.

The Small Business Development Center provides services to local businesses seeking to start or grow their business, including low/no fee workshops for start-up or existing businesses. See HERE

The pandemic’s economic fallout has been catastrophic. California has now started down the path toward recovery -- we must stay the course!

Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron, R-Escondido, represents the 75th Assembly District in the California Legislature, which includes the communities of Bonsall, Escondido, Fallbrook, Hidden Meadows, Pala, Palomar Mountain, Pauma Valley, Rainbow, San Marcos, Temecula, Valley Center and Vista.

5th District Supervisor Jim Desmond

Per-Mile Tax is a Nonstarter

In 2004, SANDAG proposed a new sales tax to voters that would generate $14 billion dollars, which promised to relieve traffic congestion, improve safety, and match state/federal funds to improve the following freeways: I-5, I-8, I-15, SR 52, SR 54, SR 56, SR 67, SR 76, SR 78, SR 94, SR 125, I-805. And the measure promised improvements to public transit routes. Voters passed this under the impression their commute home would be made faster and easier.

This has not happened. Instead, SANDAG staff front-loaded public transit projects while leaving 14 of the highway projects unfunded. Now, they’ve announced that they want to implement a new transportation vision. One that doesn’t include roads and freeways, but focuses on transit, even though the current half-cent sales tax San Diegans are paying promised improvements to roads and freeways.

The latest proposal that will directly hit San Diegans’ wallets is a ‘road charge.’ If approved, San Diegans would be charged a set price for every mile traveled within the State of California. The money collected from vehicle drivers would then be used to pay for public transportation.

This insane proposal should never see the light of day. San Diegans already pay some of the highest prices to drive in the Country. From the current gas taxes to a vehicle registration tax, San Diegans feel the effects, in their wallets, every day. Adding another tax, to fund public transportation, is a slap in the face.

The message is clear from SANDAG and the State, they want to force you out of your car and on buses and trolleys. This new tax will be spent on downtown San Diego’s Grand Central Station, not for the promised road/freeway improvements promised years ago. It’s time for North County to say enough is enough - we should not be charged for every mile we drive. Instead, the projects that have been promised should be completed.

To contact

North County Office – by appointment only 325 S. Melrose Ave., Suite 5200 Vista, CA 92081 Mon.-Fri., 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Website: www.supervisorjimdesmond.com Email: Jim.Desmond@sdcounty.ca.gov

PROBLEM SOLVED

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

Q: I recently bought a Groupon for a one-year Sam's Club membership. The offer was misleading. I thought it was for a year, but it was only for three months. I pressed cancel less than 15 minutes after I made the purchase, and I expected the refund to be applied to my credit card.

Unfortunately, the only refund I received was for $35 in Groupon Bucks. I don't even know how to use them. I care less about the $35 than about being treated with honesty, integrity, and a willingness to find a solution that is fair to me. Can you help me get my money back? -- Steve Atlas, Merritt Island, Fla.

A: If your Groupon was for a oneyear membership, you should have received a one-year membership. But it wasn't. A closer examination of the coupon shows it's only valid for three months.

Is that worth it? I pay about that much, on a prorated basis, for my Sam's Club membership. And let me tell you, if you have to feed three hungry teenagers, Sam's Club is great! We buy most of our food in bulk. Some of the groceries are eaten in the car and don't make it all the way home. Kids are like hummingbirds. When I say they consume twice their body weight in a day, I'm only half kidding.

I think the lesson is to carefully read the offer before you buy it. You waited until after redeeming the coupon to carefully check the terms. It's an easy mistake -- I've done it countless times. You tried to use the <a ef="https://www.elliott.org/company-contacts/groupon-customerservice-contacts/">Groupon contacts we list on my consumer advocacy site</a>. Initially, you didn't get a response. That's a long story. Until recently, we've had difficulty finding reliable executive contacts for Groupon.

I reviewed the terms of the offer. The screen shot you provided says 12 months but the coupon says 3 months. I'm not sure what Groupon did or didn't disclose before your purchase, but I think we can all agree that your membership only lasts three months.

My researchers found new contacts for Groupon and updated them. You finally were able to get through to the company and negotiated a refund, which you used to purchase a one-year Sam's Club membership.

Christopher Elliott is the chief advocacy officer for Elliott Advocacy. Email him at chris@elliott.org or get help with any consumer problem by contacting him at http://www.elliott.org/help

TRAVEL TROUBLESHOOTER

BY CHRISTOPHER ELLIOTT

Q: I booked four airline tickets from Seattle to Lisbon from Ovago, an online travel agency in December 2019. As our travel date approached last May, I became concerned about our flights, so I contacted our airlines (Air Canada and Lufthansa). A representative told us that our flights had been canceled and that I needed to talk to Ovago about a refund.

I contacted Ovago and a representative told me they were in the process of determining refunds, and that we would likely receive a refund, less a "processing fee". An Ovago representative promised to contact us.

No one called or reached out, so I called Ovago. An agent told me they were working on it and that they would get back to me as soon as they heard from the airline. Ovago never called us.

I filed an unsuccessful credit card dispute and an unsuccessful complaint with the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General’s office. While that complaint was in process, however, we received an email from Ovago which said a full refund is allowed. We have mountains of documentation about our trying to get a refund from Ovago in compliance with their stated policy of "a full refund if the flight is canceled". Can you help us get our $4,722 back? -Daniel Quinn-Shea, Seattle

A: If your airlines canceled your flights, you should get a fast and full refund. I can't believe your credit card company didn't see it that way and sided with the online travel agency.

Yours was a complicated case. For starters, Ovago preferred communicating by phone. That means you never received anything in writing to confirm your refund request last year. The only written response appears to be Ovago's rebuttal to your credit card dispute and a brief acknowledgment that it would process a refund earlier this year. That's unfortunate.

It looks as if your online agency made some claims about your tickets that you say were untrue. That further clouded the issue, and it may have confused your credit card issuer. Another unfortunate fact: Filing a credit card dispute can further slow a refund. I think that may have happened in your case.

In a perfect world, both your online travel agency and credit card company would be on your side, fighting to ensure you receive a timely refund from an airline.

Remember, under Department of Transportation regulations, if an airline cancels your flight, you're

Travel Troubleshooter Cont. on Page 16

Historically Speaking

by Tom Morrow

America’s Most Beloved Humorist

Today, it’s almost impossible for anyone to poke fun at both sides of the pollical spectrum and still be admired and liked. That certainly was the sort of common-sense observer of life that Will Rogers was.

Born in Oklahoma on Nov. 4, 1879, Rogers was an American stage and film actor, vaudeville performer, cowboy, humorist, newspaper columnist, and social commentator. He was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

His parents, Clement Vann Rogers (1839–1911) and Mary America Schrimsher (1838–1890), were both of mixed race and Cherokee ancestry, and identified as Cherokee. Rogers always quipped his ancestors did not come over on the Mayflower, but they "met the boat.”

As an entertainer and humorist, he traveled around the world three times, made 71 films (50 silent films and 21 "talkies"), and wrote more than 4,000 nationally syndicated newspaper columns. By the mid-1930s, Rogers was hugely popular for his leading political wit and was the highest paid of Hollywood film stars.

His earthy anecdotes and folksy style allowed Rogers to poke fun at gangsters, prohibition, politicians, government programs, and a host of other controversial topics in a way that found general acclaim from a national audience with no one offended. He often proclaimed: "I am not a member of an organized political party. I am a Democrat."

In 1901, when he was 22 years old, Rogers and a friend left home to work as gauchos (cowboys) in Argentina, but they lost all their money. In turn Rogers sailed for South Africa where he was hired at a ranch. It was in South Africa where Rogers started his show business career as a trick lariat roper in the Texas Jack's Wild West Circus. He said regarding that time, “I learned the great secret of show business -- knowing when to get off the stage. It's the fellow who knows when to quit that the audience wants more of.”

From South Africa Rogers took his roping act to Australia where he continued to perform. He returned to the United States in 1904, appearing at the St. Louis World's Fair, and then began trying his roping skills on the vaudeville circuits which led him to New York’s Ziegfeld Follies on Broadway. In 1918, Hollywood discovered Rogers. Samuel Goldwyn gave him a three-year contract at triple his Broadway salary. He toured the lecture circuit and the New York Times syndicated his column, "Will Rogers Says,” which reached 40 million newspaper readers daily. From 1929 to 1935, Rogers made radio broadcasts of his homespun humor for the Gulf Oil Company, which ranked among the nation’s top programs. He was an enthusiast of aviation, and urged a military air force such as what his friend, Army Gen. Billy Mitchell, was advocating. During his lectures, Rogers quipped, "A humorist entertains, and a lecturer annoys."

Although he supported President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, he easily joked about it, saying “Lord, the money we do spend on Government it's not one bit better than the government we got for one-third the money twenty years ago.”

Rogers increasingly expressed the views of the American "common man." He downplayed academic credentials, noting, "Everybody is ignorant, only on different subjects."

His newspaper column expressed his traditional morality and his belief that political problems were not as serious as they sounded. He urged isolationism for the U.S.

In 1935, Rogers asked his friend, famed aviator Wiley Post to fly him to Alaska searching for new material for his newspaper column. On Aug. 15, of that year, they left Fairbanks for Point Barrow. About 20 miles southwest of their destination they landed to ask directions. Upon takeoff, the engine failed and they plunged into a lagoon. Both men died instantly.

Before his death, Oklahoma commissioned a statue of Rogers, representing the state in Statuary Hall of the U.S. Capitol. Rogers insisted his image be placed facing the House Chamber so he could "keep an eye on Congress." Over the years Capitol tour guides have said each president traditionally rubs the statue’s left shoe for good luck before entering the House Chamber to give the annual “State of the Union address.”

Many landmarks are named in the humorist’s honor: Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City, the Will Rogers Turnpike of Interstate 44 between Tulsa and Joplin, Missouri, and 13 Oklahoma public schools.

U.S. Highway 66 is known as “The Will Rogers Highway.” With a dedication plaque at the roadway’s western terminus in Santa Monica.

There have been two U.S. Postage stamps dedicated in his honor and the U.S. Navy’s Benjamin Franklin class submarine, USS Will Rogers, (SSBN659), was launched in 1966.

Some of his more popular saying were: “All I know is what I read in the newspapers.” “When I make a joke no one gets hurt; when Congress makes a joke it becomes law.”

Local News Cont. from Page 4

she and the board majority that supported the change believe that new medical groups will “improve patient experience by implementing new and improved, industry-leading practices.”

“While we understand change is hard, I do not agree with the recent medical executive committee’s vote of no confidence in the executive team’s decision,” Greer said. “To the contrary, I have full confidence in the leadership team in place at Palomar Health and know they make patient safety a priority in every decision and must make tough decisions to lead the district to a better future.”

Linda Greer, Chair, Palomar Health Board of Directors

Even after hearing directly from frustrated doctors during a special board meeting last Tuesday, Palomar board chair Linda Greer said in a statement Wednesday that she sees no reason to change her mind.

The board approved the new contracts during a special meeting on Wednesday, June 16.

According to the hospital district, Greer and members Jeff Griffith, Terry Corrales and Laura Barry voted yes while members John Clark and Laurie Edwards-Tate voted no. Member Richard Engle abstained.

Palomar Medical Center Escondido currently has a B safety grade from the Leapfrog Group, a national medical safety consortium that evaluates quality twice per year. Palomar Poway, formerly called Pomerado Hospital, has an A grade

At this point it appears Diane Hansen and her administrative staff has the support of the majority of the board of directors and the contract decision will stand.

EATING ROSES

By Michelle Ivy Davis mouth.

Then she backed away.

“Eat rose,” she said, smiling broadly.

“Eat rose?” I repeated.

She nodded. “Eat rose.”

I looked doubtfully at the flower. I was ten, and knew for sure that roses had never been on the menu in our house.

“Eat rose?” I asked again, mimicking the act of putting the rose in my

In 1955 my Grandma Ivanoff came to live with my family in our suburban Maryland home. She had to us travelled from Harbin, China, where she had lived most of her life. Grandma spoke only Russian, but she tried hard to learn English. This resulted in some unusual conversations.

One summer afternoon she and I stood in the backyard. A flowered apron protected her housedress as she carefully cut a bloom from a rose bush in my mother’s somewhat-weedy garden. She handed the pink blossom to me, pointing out the thorns so I wouldn’t get pricked. the Russian Orthodox church in downtown Washington, D.C. by herself. She walked to the local store through a maze of suburban streets with names she couldn’t read. And one time, after we had all moved to Philadelphia, she took one of my sisters and 11-year-old me by streetcar to see a movie in the city. (If I remember correctly, it was something new and amazing called Cinerama, where the movie was projected on a screen that curved around the audience on the front and sides.) I had no idea how to get around downtown if we got lost (this was many years before cell phones and GPS), but Grandma managed to herd us there and back, finally collapsing in relief when we went through the front door of the row house where we were living. Grandma Ivanoff definitely had guts.

My favorite picture of her (somehow lost along the way) is a blackand-white photo taken in the backyard of our house in Maryland. She is standing in front of a blooming forsythia bush, looking the way she always did. Her graying hair is parted in the middle and pulled back in a bun, wisps escaping in the spring breeze. Her housedress is layered with her ever-present apron, and on her feet are white ankle socks and the slip-on shoes she liked to buy at the discount store—the kind with rhinestones and sparkles on the toes.

Grandma’s eyes opened wide and she shook her head vigorously. “No!” She pushed the flower away from my face.

Then her forehead wrinkled as she struggled to find the word she wanted. She concentrated, and I could almost see her mentally thumbing through the Russian-English dictionary in her head, searching. I guess she finally found the right page because she started to laugh. what that particular kind of rose was called.

English has never been an easy language to master. Words sound alike and are spelled differently, and the same word can be pronounced in numerous ways.

One day I came upon Grandma pacing back and forth, mumbling, with a puzzled expression on her face.

Man About Town Cont. from Page 4

Another bonus, particularly for those of us with a hearing loss problem is . . . it’s quiet. Peaceful. Relaxing.

We often opt for a nice, quiet booth and are able to easily visit with our table mates. Voices from other tables are muted . . . kitchen sounds of pots and pans are way in the back and don’t interfere with conversation, and if there happens to be music piped in, it is kept at a comfortable sound level.

Add them all up, great service, generous servings of wine and food, more than reasonable prices, and a nice quiet restaurant and you have the reasons we dine at the Bamboo House frequently.

The Bamboo House has been here for well over 30 years . . a family owned business. Recently, the current owner, Conroy, bought the business from his uncle. He has done a great job of ensuring the menus retain the great flavors from both Mandarin and Cantonese cuisines.

The soups, for example, are out of this world.

Quite often I go with the intent of just ordering a large bowl of soup but then I remember the many great items on the menu, most of which include a cup of steaming hot and delicious soup, so I cave in and

“Chicken. Kitchen. Chicken,” she repeated.

“What, Grandma?”

She pointed to the room in the house containing the stove and sink. “Chicken? Kitchen?” she asked.

It was my turn to laugh. I said, as relief spread across her face.

How could she confuse a chicken and a kitchen? Then it dawned on me. Of course she knew the difference between the objects, just not how the sounds were arranged in English. I tried saying them without thinking of the written words. They sounded almost identical to the untrained ear.

While she lived with us, Grandma Ivanoff’s English got better and better, but was never perfect. She and I communicated mainly through hand gestures and facial expressions; her constant companion was a small, dog-eared Russian-English dictionary she carried with her and referred to often. order a combination plate.

We dine out quite often - sometimes on business meetings, more often with family or close friends.

Chances are you’ll often find us at The Bamboo House in Escondido. Give them a call at 760.480-9550. Closed Mondays. •••• A bittersweet experience last Friday: We said goodbye to a long time dear friend, the beautiful Jodi Heard, beloved wife of Captain Joe Heard, USMC, Retired.

Joe and Jodi were a couple you would always see at Kiwanis events and other community activities. They were the perfect couple. He, a ehandsom, wiry Marine, she, a fashion mdel beauty. Both dedicated members of Kiwanis.

It was a beautiful memorial service at Immanuel Faith Church in Escondido, celebrating the life of Jodi Heard, who passed away a year ago, on July 16, 2020. RIP, Jodi.

“Love you very,” she wrote earlyon in a birthday card I still have.