This week we saw the passing of a Centralia icon. Gordon Aadland passed at the age of 92. Gordon most recently was a weekly columnist with the Centralia paper, The Chronicle. He wrote a column called Saturdays Child for the past 11 years, and in fact completed his final column a week before his death. People will remember Gordon for many different reasons, as he was active in the community and at Centralia Community College.
What I will remember (having never met him) is his writing – his weekly jaunt into this and that and describing irritations, his latest cause or things we needed to pay more attention to. The paper published a well-known column of his, written in 2004 called “An old Lover’s Ode to Autumn” and it reminded me of the reasons I enjoyed his writing. He describes autumn in a way the brings back memories, smells, and sounds. Now that’s a writer!
Here is a little bit from the article he wrote in 2004 when he was 83. It starts off:
“I’m the guy who campaigned to get the seasons named winter, spring, summer and aadland”
“It started when I was a child in a small town on the prairie. From the dirt cellar there came the musky odor of potatoes, not long out of the earth, and the tangy aroma of apples. There were huge piles of brittle leaves to run through, and the pleasantly acrid smell of bonfire smoke permeating the late afternoon air.”
It closes with:
“And what about the present, when “all the days dwindle down to a precious few?” Well, much of my autumn is but soft reverie now, a fond remembering of the autumns that are no more.”
For those of you with Chronicle subscriptions, check out the full column written in the fall of 2004 (Look in Archives or read the hardcopy version printed in Tuesdays paper). For others, you can drop by the Stillwaters office to read a copy posted here. FYI: Copyright rules allow only a few attributed quotes, other than that you have to go to the source. Take the time to look this one up as Mr. Aadland was truly a talented storyteller. He will long be remembered for his ability to describe and remind us of the past while very much living in the present.
Quote of the week:
To know how to grow old is the master-work of wisdom, and one of the most difficult chapters in the great art of living. – Henri Frederic Amiel
Happenings this Week:
Today: It’s Halloween and there’s a cool fall day in the air!
Saturday, November 2nd: W.F. West Musicians to Perform at ‘An Evening for the Arts’ The Chehalis Music 
Boosters Club will be presenting “An Evening for the Arts” at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the W.F. West High School Commons. Performing will be W.F. West Music Department, featuring the Westsingers, Jazz Band and W.F. West Orchestra. In addition, there will be desserts, a silent auction and raffle. Dress for the evening event will be semi-formal attire. Tickets in advance are $20, and $25 at the door. To purchase tickets in advance or obtain more information, call Michelle at (360) 269-1736.
Saturday Night: Change your clocks. Turn the clocks back an hour and wake up to regular Pacific Standard Time on Sunday.
Now through December 7th: The Lewis Mason Thurston Area Agency on Aging Medicare Enrollment Assistance for seniors during this year’s Open Enrollment now through December 7, 2013 at the Area Agency on Aging office, 1651 S. Market Blvd. in Chehalis. Please contact their office to schedule an appointment at 360-748-2524 ext. 101.
Weather: Fall is here in the form of chilly mornings (Yes we had our first frost this week) and a few sun peeks in the afternoons. WeatherBug.com says rainy, cloudy, overcast and more of those chilly nights. I even saw the SNOW word as a possibility in the next week. Enjoy the changes of fall!
