Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, December 30, 2023

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 Saturday, December 30, 2023 

REMEMBRANCES:

Family & Friends We Honored in 2023 (partial listing)

WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side

by Deanne Davis


“Hope is the thing with feathers,

That perches in the soul,

And sings the tune without the 
words,

And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard,

And sore must be the storm,

That could abash the little bird,

That kept so many warm.”

Emily Dickinson, 1830-1886

Writing 2023 for the last few times 
is odd. 2024 came way too soon. 
Monday is New Year’s Day and I 
can’t wait to see our fabulous float, 
“Enchanted Music Box,” in the 
Rose Parade. Volunteers and our 
talented and extraordinary Sierra 
Madre Float Association folks have 
been scrambling the last few days to 
get the flowers in place and be sure 
everything is perfect for the Parade. 
We are always prize winners and there’s no doubt we will be again in 2024. We will all 
enjoy the Parade with Doritos, the beverage of our choice and our heart will be filled 
with enthusiasm for either Michigan or Alabama.

It will be a glorious day. And now the holidays are officially over and we have weighed 
ourselves. This is the time of year when we are usually making resolutions. We pretty 
much always start with things like losing ten pounds, getting more exercise, watching 
less TV, reading more, being kind, asking God to put His arm around my shoulder and 
His hand over my mouth!

These past few years, instead of “resolutions,” we’ve been calling them “intentions” or 
“suggestions.” “Resolutions” seems to be way too serious and eternal. I didn’t write the 
following thoughts; they are anonymous. 

1.I am not Atlas. The world does not rest on my shoulders.

2.It doesn’t hurt me to give compliments freely and generously. Compliments are a
mood enhancer, not only for the recipient, but for the giver, too. If someone gives me a

compliment, I have quit protesting that I didn’t deserve it, I just need to say “thank
you!”

3.I don’t spend time with people who don’t value me. We don’t need people around us
who don’t see us for the splendid people we are. That person who says something mean
and hen covers it up with a hearty laugh and a “I was just kidding!” isn’t someone we
need to be with.

4.I’m learning not to be embarrassed by emotions. I cry in most movies, lots of TV
shows, and even some commercials are guaranteed to make me tear up. It’s OK!

5.I am learning to live each day as though it were the last. It might be the last!

6.I am doing what makes me happy. I am the only one responsible for my happiness
and I owe it to myself to do my best. In our family, we have always said that we bring
our good time with us in our pocket and it’s not somebody else’s job to be sure we’re
happy. In short, this means if we want to put our pajamas on at 4:00, have a glass of
wine and watch an old movie on Turner Classic Movies instead of the news, that’s
OK. For instance, I have watched “The Bishop’s Wife” (Cary Grant, Loretta Young,
David Niven version) at least three times in the last couple of weeks. If we want to keep
our jammies on all day, that’s just fine. However, brushing teeth and flossing is non-
negotiable, no matter how relaxed we plan to be.

7.Going the extra mile to be as nice as possible to all people who are out there working:

store clerks, Post Office people, waitpersons in restaurants, is a good idea. They are
just as worried about themselves as we are but doing the job anyway.

8.Just be kind. That’s pretty much it.

You’ve all heard the idea of picking one word to be your New Year’s intention or mission

statement for the year. I’m already seeing many people picking JOY!

The word I picked last year is: HOPE!

And I’m picking it again this year. I’m going to lean heavily on HOPE to keep me/us

going in these difficult times. Hope helps me believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that 
Jeremiah 29:11 is for all of us: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, 
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

So much has been written about HOPE:

“Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.”

“HOPE is the little voice that whispers “maybe” when it seems the entire world is 
shouting “no!”

“H.O.P.E. – Hold On, Pain Ends”

“The only difference between those who threw in the towel and quit and those who 
used their energy to rebuild and kept it going is found in the word...HOPE.”

“Once you choose HOPE, anything is possible.” Christopher Reeves

“Where there is HOPE, there is faith. Where there is faith, miracles happen.”

“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without HOPE 
and confidence.” Helen Keller

The picture is a pencil drawing by my Dad. It shows an old rusty shovel with a wooden 
handle, thrust into the ground. Amazingly, the wooden handle has come to life, 
sprouted leaves and branches and a bird is perched on one of them, singing a joyful 
song. This shouts HOPE to me.

So that’s my word again for the year, HOPE. I’m hoping you’ll pick one that will work 
for you.

“At the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength.

Hope that it will get better, and strength to hold on until it does.”

We start a brand, shiny, bright New Year filled with HOPE. We can pass it along to 
everyone we know by simply smiling at them and wishing them a great New Year. I’m 
passing along to you, friends and neighbors…Have the best New Year ever, filled with 
joy and God’s blessings.


CAROL ALCORN


MILDRED SOLURY 
BERKSHIRE


ROBERT HATFIELD


PATRICK NEILAN


DENNIS LEE MARQUARDT 


JEANNE REGISTER

ANN GARRISON BIXEL


REGINA ALDEN 
ANDREWS BURHENN


JEAN SYLVIA (OSTI) HAND 

REV. RICHARD ANDERSON


TRUDY COWELL

JUDITHGOLD


GEORGE KISTNER


AMOS WASHINGTON 
BROUGHTON, JR.,


JOHN SHEAR


KATREYLA ANGUS


ELIZABETH RAE HOFFMAN

ADOLPH TORRES

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