1500 Catherine Street • Walla Walla, WA 99362 • (509) 527-9600
Reminders
July/Aug/Sept 2016
Office Hours/Front Desk
Monday - Friday: 8 a.m.–7 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
Popular Pages: ‘To the Lighthouse’
Most of this 1927 novel by Virginia Woolf,
written in her signature stream-of-consciousness
style, takes place on two separate days, 10 years
apart, at the summer home of the Ramsay
family. A small disagreement between Mr. and
Mrs. Ramsay regarding their son’s request to
visit the nearby lighthouse sets the tone for the
rest of the day, revealing Mr. Ramsay’s
insecurities and Mrs. Ramsay’s fruitless attempts
to make everything turn out perfectly. Woolf’s
use of seemingly trivial moments and each
character’s inner thoughts have secured “To the
Lighthouse” a place as an innovative and
enduring example of modernist literature.
Wild World: Platypus
The duck-billed platypus is one of the world’s
strangest animals. With the body of an otter, tail
of a beaver, and the bill and webbed feet of a
duck, this cat-sized creature is right at home in
Australia’s rivers and lakes. Using sensors on
their bills to detect moving prey, platypuses
spend up to two minutes underwater scooping
up insects, worms and shellfish. Males have
spurs on their hind feet that release venom
when they feel threatened. In addition to these
unique traits, platypuses possess another ability
that contributes to their weird and wacky
reputation: They are one of the only mammals
that lay eggs.
Hello, Yellow!
Cheerful and bright, yellow is the color of sunshine,
sunflowers and smiley faces. It’s a hue that is often
associated with happiness and optimism. Even the
brain agrees: It releases serotonin, the so-called
feel-good hormone, at the sight of yellow. The color’s
light waves are said to stimulate the brain, making one
more alert, clearheaded and upbeat when it comes to
mood and decision-making.
Good-for-You Grilling
Take advantage of grilled meat, poultry and
vegetables on summer menus. The grilling process
allows both meat and produce to retain more of their
vitamins, minerals and nutrients than other
cooking methods.
Don’t Forget Your Feet
If warmer weather has you wearing sandals or
kicking off your shoes when you’re outside, be sure to
protect the tops of your feet with sunscreen. Feet are
often overlooked when it comes to sun protection, so
slather up—head to toes.
Favorite Frosty Treats
Catch the All-Star Game
With a clanging bell or a
happy tune to announce their
arrival, ice cream trucks have
served frozen novelties for
generations. Here are some
time-tested favorites:
Ice cream sandwiches. A New
York City pushcart peddler is
credited with inventing the ice
cream sandwich in 1899. For a
penny, the vendor placed a
scoop of vanilla ice cream
between two graham wafers,
offering a new way to enjoy the
frozen treat on the go.
Popsicles. An 11-year-old
California boy named Frank
Epperson accidentally made
culinary history in 1905 by
leaving a cup of water with
powdered soda and a stirring
stick out overnight. The
concoction froze, and the
popsicle was born. About two
decades later, Epperson sold his
patent for the “frozen drink on
a stick,” and it took off across
the country.
Ice cream bars. In 1920, a
young boy walked into the Iowa
shop of Christian Kent Nelson
and couldn’t decide whether to
spend his nickel on ice cream or
a chocolate bar. So Nelson
began working on a way to
combine the two, and after
weeks of work, he created the
chocolate-coated ice cream bar.
Up to bat in July is Major
League Baseball’s All-Star Game,
where top players from the
National and American leagues
face off in a competition that
marks the halfway point of the
regular season.
The first All-Star Game,
held in 1933 at Chicago’s old
Comiskey Park, was the idea of a
local sports editor. Marketed as
the “Game of the Century,” it
was held during the Chicago
World’s Fair to bolster the sport,
which faced dwindling crowds
due to the Depression.
Organizers let fans
nationwide cast votes for the
teams’ rosters, and Babe Ruth,
Lou Gehrig and Carl Hubbell
were among the players chosen.
The game was such a hit that it
became an annual tradition.
Today, fans still select the
starters for the Midsummer
Classic. Pitchers and backup
players are voted on by MLB
players, managers and coaches,
with the two All-Star team
managers rounding out
the roster.
While the contest provides a
break in the season’s action,
there is motivation to win:
The champion league gets
home-field advantage in the
World Series.
Let Freedom Sing
This Fourth of July, celebrate
both our nation’s history and
the history of some favorite
patriotic songs:
“America” (“My Country ’Tis of
Thee”). This song’s lyrics, set to
the melody of “God Save the
King,” were written by the
Rev. Samuel Francis Smith, who
debuted it at an Independence
Day celebration in 1831. It was
used as the country’s anthem for
decades until “The Star-Spangled
Banner” was officially given that
honor in 1931.
“America the Beautiful.”
According to Katharine Lee
Bates, an English professor who
wrote the words of this stirring
tune in 1913, the lyrics were
inspired by a prairie wagon ride
she took up Pikes Peak in
Colorado, where she gazed upon
the breathtaking beauty of the
countryside below. The music
was composed in 1882 by
Samuel Augustus Ward.
“Yankee Doodle.” This upbeat
ditty dates back to preRevolutionary War times, when
British officers sang it to mock
American militiamen. But in
true American style, this parody
has been embraced as a patriotic
classic and also influenced the
works of George M. Cohan and
John Philip Sousa.
Decoding the Great Seal
Flip to the back of a $1 bill
to see one of America’s most
prestigious symbols, the
Great Seal of the United States,
adopted in 1782. Here’s a
quick history lesson about its
many elements:
The front side of the seal is
used as the country’s coat of
arms. It depicts a bald eagle—
the national bird—with a scroll
in its beak that reads E Pluribus
Unum, which is Latin for “Out of
Many, One.” The country’s
original motto, this phrase
signifies the U.S. is one nation
created from the 13 Colonies.
The eagle grasps 13 arrows in
its left talon and an olive branch
in its right, symbolizing the
The Benefits of
Massage Therapy
Many people hear the word
“massage” and imagine a
luxurious, relaxing experience,
perhaps best saved for vacations
or special occasions. But
massage therapy has become
more common as an effective
treatment for a variety of
health conditions.
Relief from pain. Whether you
have sore muscles, headaches,
arthritis or chronic back
pain, massage can help ease pain
by improving circulation and
releasing endorphins, the body’s
natural painkillers.
A mental boost. Those same
endorphins also lessen feelings
of anxiety, depression and stress.
powers of Congress to declare
both war and peace.
Above the eagle are 13 stars
forming a constellation breaking
through a cloud. According to
Founding Father Charles
Thomson, who developed the
final design of the Great Seal,
the “constellation denotes a new
state taking its place and rank
among other sovereign powers.”
Wit & Wisdom
“Without freedom of thought,
there can be no such thing as
wisdom; and no such thing as
public liberty without freedom
of speech.”
—Benjamin Franklin
“Liberty, when it begins to take
root, is a plant of rapid growth.”
—George Washington
“I would like to be remembered
as a person who wanted to be
free ... so other people would
also be free.”
—Rosa Parks
“Freedom is the sure possession
of those alone who have the
courage to defend it.”
—Pericles
Massage therapy has been
shown to lower the stress
hormone cortisol, which in
turn boosts the body’s
production of serotonin and
helps balance mood.
More satisfying sleep. Poor
sleep is linked to a variety of
chronic conditions. Studies
show that massage helps people
spend more time in deep sleep,
which rejuvenates the body.
Increased immunity. Massage
can stimulate lymph flow and
boost white blood cell count,
two of the body’s natural
defenses against disease.
A healthier heart. Research
indicates that even a 10-minute
chair massage can lower blood
pressure and heart rate.
“A hero is someone who
understands the responsibility
that comes with his freedom.”
—Bob Dylan
“Creativity is the greatest
expression of liberty.”
—Bryant H. McGill
“There is a certain enthusiasm in
liberty that makes human nature
rise above itself in acts of
bravery and heroism.”
—Alexander Hamilton
“None who have always been
free can understand the terrible
fascinating power of the hope of
freedom to those who are
not free.”
—Pearl S. Buck
Batter Up!
Baseball is known as America’s pastime, and the game has been the
subject of many movies over the years. Here’s a lineup of some
famous flicks set on the ballfield.
1500 Catherine Street
Walla Walla, WA 99362
License #1640
Year
Movie
Stars
1942
“The Pride of the Yankees”
Gary Cooper
1957
“Fear Strikes Out”
Anthony Perkins
1976
“The Bad News Bears”
Walter Matthau, Tatum O’Neal
1984
“The Natural”
Robert Redford
1989
“Field of Dreams”
Kevin Costner
1992
“A League of Their Own”
Geena Davis, Tom Hanks
2011
“Moneyball”
Brad Pitt
2013
“42”
Chadwick Boseman