Hello 'Pussy' it's Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Pippi Longstocking:
“I respect the move,” you said of the Justice Department’s decision on Wednesday to appoint a special counsel to investigate the matter. “But the entire thing has been a witch hunt.”
“And
there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign — but I
can always speak for myself — and the Russians,” you said. “Zero.”
Really?
Should I remain in bed, leave my country or fight against the dragon?
( see also the story by Wolfgang Hampel,
' Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say ' )
Betty and Don MacDonald in Hollywood
Betty MacDonald's mother Sydney with grandchild Alison Beck
Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
Betty MacDonald fan club newsletter May includes an updated story of Betty MacDonald's friendship with unique Mike Gordon.
Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett shared many golden Bard memories of unique Mike in her interviews with Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
Can you remember the famous apple story?
Alison Bard Burnett laughed tears about it and so do we!
Mike obviously was deeply in love with Betty.
You can read some very interesting thoughts of late Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Monica Sone.
Don't miss Vita Magica on May 30th, please.
There are several writers reading stories about their Heidelberg experiences and you'll be able to hear the original very famous Heidelberg songs.
Betty MacDonald influenced many writers, artists and fans to move to Washington State.
They adore her books and her unique descriptions of nature.
Patricia Longhi is one of many examples.
What are the reasons so many people love Evergreen State?
Don't miss the very interesting article below.
Posted in Washington May 03, 2017
11 Completely Absurd Reasons To Love Washington
Yes, Washington is breathtakingly beautiful… and our scenery is diverse… and our produce is second to none. That being said, when you live in the Evergreen State long enough, you start to love it for its quirks. You develop quite a sense of humor about your home, and when people ask what you adore so much about it, you can hardly contain yourself.Even if you don’t agree with these 11 reasons to love Washington, you must admit they’re valid, if not a bit silly.
see article below
That's such a great story of Vashon Islander Kay Longhi.
Don't miss this very interesting story, please.
Reading this delightful story I'd like to move to Vashon Island.
Islander Kay Longhi and her twin sister were only 6 years old when they moved to Vashon from Chicago in the 1950s, but Longhi, now in her 60s and still living on Vashon, can vividly recall the move and the events leading up to it.
The decision to leave the Midwest was made by Longhi’s mother, Patricia Longhi, who Kay said was tired of living in cities and longed for the same kind of authenticity she witnessed on childhood vacations to a farm in Maine. Patricia found that opportunity in a 1954 radio interview with infamous island author Betty MacDonald.
“Arthur Godfrey interviewed Betty MacDonald on his radio program. She talked about her book ‘Onions in the Stew,’ and it intrigued Mother,” Kay Longhi said. “When Daddy came home, she announced that we were moving to Vashon.”
( see article below )
I totally agree the author of an oustanding Betty MacDonald biography needs a very good sense of humor.
We will be able to offer you very witty and exciting stories because of our outstanding Betty MacDonald research and many interviews with Betty MacDonald's family and friends by Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
We are going to publish new Betty MacDonald fan club items including new Betty MacDonald interviews by Wolfgang Hampel.
Work and life of Betty MacDonald had been honored by Wolfgang Hampel in Vita Magica.
More Betty MacDonald events will follow.
Anyway - we agree that Betty MacDonald's brilliant sister Alison Bard Burnett and Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel have a very good sense of humor.
Betty MacDonald fan club fans from 5 continents enjoy these unique very witty interviews and new ones will follow.
We are looking for signed or dedicated first editions in great condition with dust jackets by Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen for our fans.
Betty MacDonald Memorial Award Winner Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an updated Betty MacDonald biography and new Betty MacDonald documentary.
Join one of our Betty MacDonald fan club research teams, please.
Thanks a million in advance for your outstanding support.
Let's talk about Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest.
You can vote for your favourite Betty MacDonald book cover.
Deadline: June 30, 2017
Betty MacDonald fan club book cover contest winner will be owner of a signed first edition of one of Betty MacDonald's books.
Send us your mail, please and maybe you'll be the winner of Betty MacDonald fan club surprise.
Good luck!
Our most important research item is an updated Betty MacDonald documentary with lots of new info and interviews with Betty MacDonald, her family and friends.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel told us that Betty MacDonald fan club research team does an excellent job in supporting him with his several Betty MacDonald projects especially an updated Betty MacDonald biography.
Reading this updated Betty MacDonald biography you'll learn the true story of many personalities in Betty MacDonald's books for example the mysterious and rather strange Ms. Dorita Hess from 'Anybody can do anything'.
Tell us, please what should a Betty MacDonald biography include?
Don't hesitate to send us your thoughts, please.
I'd say a real Betty MacDonald biography should also include fascinating info on Betty MacDonald's fascinating brother and sisters including adopted sister Madge.
As we can see Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett got so many fans because of her unique interviews with Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
We are going to offer some interviews by Wolfgang Hampel, never published before.
Many fans adore the new outstanding website of beloved Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli.
Don't miss it, please.
Surprise, surprise!
We found new radio manuscripts and shows.
We are working on Betty MacDonald fan club exhibit and an updated Betty MacDonald documentary.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel told us that Betty MacDonald fan club research team does an excellent job in supporting him with his several Betty MacDonald projects especially an updated Betty MacDonald biography.
Betty MacDonald fan club event team is very happy to hear from you and they got some really great ideas for the next International event.
Thanks a lot!
You can join Eurovision Song Contest Fan Club on Facebook.
Join us, please. We have lots of fun and joy and had several International ESC meetings in the past.
Vita Magica with Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Letizia Maninco was outstanding.
The audience enjoyed it very much.
Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica is fascinating because he includes Betty MacDonald, other members of the Bard family and Betty MacDonald fan club honor members.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli and our 'Italian Betty MacDonald' - Betty MacDonald fan club honor member author and artist Letizia Mancino belong to the most popular Betty MacDonald fan club teams in our history.
Their many devoted fans are waiting for a new Mr. Tigerli adventure.
Letizia Mancino's magical Betty MacDonald Gallery is a special gift for our Betty MacDonald fan club fans.
We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events in 2017.
Join us in voting for your favourite city, please.
Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica guest was a very famous TV lady, author and singer and she is our new Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is our beloved Betty MacDonald fan club honor member.
I guess our Casanova adores our Betty MacDonald fan club honor member very much because author and TV moderator Tatjana Geßler is a very beautiful, charming and intelligent lady.
Tatjana Geßler's books are outstanding. I've read several of them.
Enjoy Betty MacDonald's very beautiful Vashon Island, please.
Great Betty MacDonald fan club news!
You can join
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald Society
Vita Magica
on Facebook.
Thank you so much in advance for your support and interest.
If you join Betty MacDonald fan club blog as a follower during March you'll receive a very special Betty MacDonald fan club Welcome gift.
Send your email-address to our contact address, please.
Great news!
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is back and his fans are delighted.
We'll have several International Betty MacDonald fan club events in 2017.
Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica March, please.
You'll enjoy it very much.
You can see brilliant Brad Craft.
"This is Me," by Bad Kid Billy. [Official Music Video]
Seems I'm in this for a hot second. I remember being asked to participate one day on the street in front of the bookstore where I work. I didn't think to ask what it was for, or even so much as the name of the song or the band. Didn't want to be late coming back from lunch. Silly bugger. The very nice young woman with the green hair also featured herein happens to work at Magus Books. She mentioned she'd seen me. Told me the name of the band, and here we are.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Monica Sone and other Betty MacDonald fan club honor members will be included in Wolfgang Hampel's new project 'Vita Magica'.
We got very interesting new info for updated Betty MacDonald biography.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to include all these new details and info in updated Betty MacDonald biography.
If you'd like to join Betty MacDonald fan club you only have to press the join button on Betty MacDonald fan club blog.
New Betty MacDonald fan club fans will receive a special Betty MacDonald fan club Welcome gift during May.
Send us your email address to our contact address, please.
Wolfgang Hampel's Vita Magica February was outstanding and so was Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Wolfgang Hampel and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are working on an updated Betty MacDonald biography.
This very new Betty MacDonald biography includes all the results we got during a very successful Betty MacDonald fan club research which started in 1983.
You'll be able to find unique Betty MacDonald treasures in our Betty MacDonald biography.
Betty MacDonald biography includes for example interviews with Betty MacDonald, her family and friends.
We got many letters by Betty MacDonald and other family members even very important original ones.
Our goal is to publish a Betty MacDonald biography that shows all the details of Betty MacDonald's life and work but also to present her fascinating siblings.
Dear Betty MacDonald fan club fans let us know please what you are interested most in a future Betty MacDonald biography.
Do you prefer an e-book or a so called real book?
Wolfgang Hampel and Friends of Vita Magica visited Minister of Science of Baden-Württemberg, Theresia Bauer in Stuttgart.
They visited Landtag and had a great time there.
Do you have any books by Betty MacDonald and Mary Bard Jensen with funny or interesting dedications?
If so would you be so kind to share them?
Our next Betty MacDonald fan club project is a collection of these unique dedications.
If you share your dedication from your Betty MacDonald - and Mary Bard Jensen collection you might be the winner of our new Betty MacDonald fan club items.
Thank you so much in advance for your support.
Thank you so much for sending us your favourite Betty MacDonald quote.
We are so glad that our beloved Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is back.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many new interviews.
Alison Bard Burnett and other Betty MacDonald fan club honor members will be included in Wolfgang Hampel's fascinating project Vita Magica.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel interviewed Betty MacDonald's daughter Joan MacDonald Keil and her husband Jerry Keil.
This interview will be published for the first time ever.
New Betty MacDonald documentary will be very interesting with many interviews never published before.
We adore Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli
Thank you so much for sharing this witty memories with us.
Wolfgang Hampel's literary event Vita Magica is very fascinating because he is going to include Betty MacDonald, other members of the Bard family and Betty MacDonald fan club honor members.
It's simply great to read Wolfgang Hampel's new very well researched stories about Betty MacDonald, Robert Eugene Heskett, Donald Chauncey MacDonald, Darsie Bard, Sydney Bard, Gammy, Alison Bard Burnett, Darsie Beck, Mary Bard Jensen, Clyde Reynolds Jensen, Sydney Cleveland Bard, Mary Alice Bard, Dorothea DeDe Goldsmith, Madge Baldwin, Don Woodfin, Mike Gordon, Ma and Pa Kettle, Nancy and Plum, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and others.
Linde Lund and many fans from all over the world adore this funny sketch by Wolfgang Hampel very much although our German isn't the best.
I won't ever forget the way Wolfgang Hampel is shouting ' Brexit '.
Don't miss it, please.
It's simply great!
You can hear that Wolfgang Hampel got an outstandig voice.
He presented one of Linde Lund's favourite songs ' Try to remember ' like a professional singer.
Thanks a million!
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli and our 'Italian Betty MacDonald' - Betty MacDonald fan club honor member author and artist Letizia Mancino belong to the most popular Betty MacDonald fan club teams in our history.
Their many devoted fans are waiting for a new Mr. Tigerli adventure.
Letizia Mancino's magical Betty MacDonald Gallery is a special gift for Betty MacDonald fan club fans from all over the world.
Don't miss Brad Craft's 'More friends', please.
Betty MacDonald's very beautiful Vashon Island is one of my favourites.
I agree with Betty in this very witty Betty MacDonald story Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say by Wolfgang Hampel.
I can't imagine to live in a country with him as so-called elected President although there are very good reasons to remain there to fight against these brainless politics.
WASHINGTON
— President Trump declared angrily on Thursday that he was the victim
of a witch hunt, and all but contradicted his deputy attorney general on
the firing of the F.B.I. director, in an extensive denial of any collusion between his campaign and Russia.
Mr.
Trump used a chaotic White House news conference with Colombia’s leader
to directly confront a weeklong barrage of criticism and questions in a
political storm that he said was dividing the nation. He also
conspicuously distanced himself from aides like his former national
security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in repeating his claim that Moscow and its agents had not secretly assisted his campaign.
“I respect the move,” Mr. Trump said of the Justice Department’s decision on Wednesday to appoint a special counsel to investigate the matter. “But the entire thing has been a witch hunt.”
“And
there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign — but I
can always speak for myself — and the Russians,” he said. “Zero.”
I think the future dinosaur flatulence will be the behaviour of 'Pussy' and his very strange government.
Poor World! Poor America!
Don't miss these very interesting articles below, please.
The most difficult case in Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle's career
Hello 'Pussy', this is Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle.
You took calls from foreign leaders on unsecured phone lines, without consultung the State Department. We have to change your silly behaviour with a new Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle cure. I know you are the most difficult case in my career - but we have to try everything.......................
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel sent his brilliant thoughts. Thank you so much dear Wolfgang!
Hi Libi, nice to meet you. Can you feel it?
I'm the most powerful leader in the world.
Betty MacDonald: Nothing more to say
Copyright 2016 by Wolfgang Hampel
All rights reserved
Betty MacDonald was sitting on her egg-shaped cloud and listened to a rather strange guy.
He said to his friends: So sorry to keep you waiting. Very complicated business! Very complicated!
Betty said: Obviously much too complicated for you old toupee!
Besides him ( by the way the First Lady's place ) his 10 year old son was bored to death and listened to this 'exciting' victory speech.
The old man could be his great-grandfather.
The boy was very tired and thought: I don't know what this old guy is talking about. Come on and finish it, please. I'd like to go to bed.
Dear 'great-grandfather' continued and praised the Democratic candidate.
He congratulated her and her family for a very strong campaign although he wanted to put her in jail.
He always called her the most corrupt person ever and repeated it over and over again in the fashion of a Tibetan prayer wheel.
She is so corrupt. She is so corrupt. Do you know how corrupt she is?
Betty MacDonald couldn't believe it when he said: She has worked very long and very hard over a long period of time, and we owe her a major debt of gratitude for her service to our country.
Afterwards old toupee praised his parents, wife, children, siblings and friends.
He asked the same question like a parrot all the time:
Where are you? Where are you? Where are you?
I know you are here!
Betty MacDonald answered: No Pussy they are not! They left the country.
They immigrated to Canada because they are very much afraid of the future in the U.S.A. with you as their leader like the majority of all so-called more or less normal citizens.
By the way keep your finger far away from the pussies and the Red Button, please.
I'm going to fly with my egg-shaped cloud to Canada within a minute too.
Away - away - there is nothing more to say!
Daniel Mount wrote a great article about Betty MacDonald and her garden.
We hope you'll enjoy it very much.
I adore Mount Rainier and Betty MacDonald's outstanding descriptions
Can you remember in which book you can find it?
If so let us know, please and you might be the next Betty MacDonald fan club contest winner.
I hope we'll be able to read Wolfgang Hampel's new very well researched stories about Betty MacDonald, Robert Eugene Heskett, Donald Chauncey MacDonald, Darsie Bard, Sydney Bard, Gammy, Alison Bard Burnett, Darsie Beck, Mary Bard Jensen, Clyde Reynolds Jensen, Sydney Cleveland Bard, Mary Alice Bard, Dorothea DeDe Goldsmith, Madge Baldwin, Don Woodfin, Mike Gordon, Ma and Pa Kettle, Nancy and Plum, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and others - very soon.
It' s such a pleasure to read them.
Let's go to magical Betty MacDonald's Vashon Island.
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund and Betty MacDonald fan club research team share their recent Betty MacDonald fan club research results.
Congratulations! They found the most interesting and important info for Wolfgang Hampel's oustanding Betty MacDonald biography.
I enjoy Bradley Craft's story very much.
Don't miss our Betty MacDonald fan club contests, please.
You can win a never published before Alison Bard Burnett interview by Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel.
Good luck!
This CD is a golden treasure because Betty MacDonald's very witty sister Alison Bard Burnett shares unique stories about Betty MacDonald, Mary Bard Jensen, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle and Nancy and Plum.
Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald and Ma and Pa Kettle biography and Betty MacDonald interviews have fans in 40 countries. I'm one of their many devoted fans.
Many Betty MacDonald - and Wolfgang Hampel fans are very interested in a Wolfgang Hampel CD and DVD with his very funny poems and stories.
We are going to publish new Betty MacDonald essays on Betty MacDonald's gardens and nature in Washington State.
Betty MacDonald fan club honor member Mr. Tigerli is beloved all over the World.
We are so happy that our 'Casanova' is back.
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
and Betty MacDonald fan club research team are going to share very
interesting info on ' Betty MacDonald and the movie The Egg and I '.
Another rare episode (from March 21 1952) of the short-lived comedy soap opera, "The Egg and I," based on best selling book by Betty MacDonald which also became a popular film.
The series premiered on September 3, 1951, the same day as "Search for Tomorrow," and ended on August 1, 1952.
Although it did well in the ratings, it had difficulty attracting a steady sponsor. This episode features Betty Lynn (later known for her work on "The Andy Griffith Show") as Betty MacDonald, John Craven as Bob MacDonald, Doris Rich as Ma Kettle, and Frank Twedell as Pa Kettle.
Betty MacDonald fan club exhibition will be fascinating with the international book editions and letters by Betty MacDonald.
I can't wait to see the new Betty MacDonald documentary.
Enjoy a great breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick, please.
Take care,
Claudia
Another rare episode (from March 21 1952) of the short-lived comedy soap opera, "The Egg and I," based on best selling book by Betty MacDonald which also became a popular film.
The series premiered on September 3, 1951, the same day as "Search for Tomorrow," and ended on August 1, 1952.
Although it did well in the ratings, it had difficulty attracting a steady sponsor. This episode features Betty Lynn (later known for her work on "The Andy Griffith Show") as Betty MacDonald, John Craven as Bob MacDonald, Doris Rich as Ma Kettle, and Frank Twedell as Pa Kettle.
Betty MacDonald fan club exhibition will be fascinating with the international book editions and letters by Betty MacDonald.
I can't wait to see the new Betty MacDonald documentary.
Enjoy a great breakfast at the bookstore with Brad and Nick, please.
Take care,
Claudia
you can join
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Betty MacDonald Society
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on Facebook
Vita Magica Betty MacDonald event with Wolfgang Hampel, Thomas Bödigheimer and Friedrich von Hoheneichen
Vita Magica
Betty MacDonald
Betty MacDonald fan club
Betty MacDonald fan club on Facebook
Betty MacDonald forum
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( English ) - The Egg and I
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( Polski)
Wolfgang Hampel - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - LinkFang ( German ) Wolfgang Hampel - Academic ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - cyclopaedia.net ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - DBpedia ( English / German )
Wolfgang Hampel - people check ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Memim ( English )
Vashon Island - Wikipedia ( German )
Wolfgang Hampel - Monica Sone - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( English )
Wolfgang Hampel - Ma and Pa Kettle - Wikipedia ( French )
Wolfgang Hampel - Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle - Wikipedia ( English)
Wolfgang Hampel in Florida State University
Betty MacDonald fan club founder Wolfgang Hampel
Betty MacDonald fan club interviews on CD/DVD
Betty MacDonald fan club items
Betty MacDonald fan club items - comments
Betty MacDonald fan club - The Stove and I
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Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Linde Lund
Betty MacDonald fan club organizer Greta Larson
Trump, Citing ‘a Witch Hunt,’ Denies Any Collusion With Russia
WASHINGTON
— President Trump declared angrily on Thursday that he was the victim
of a witch hunt, and all but contradicted his deputy attorney general on
the firing of the F.B.I. director, in an extensive denial of any collusion between his campaign and Russia.
Mr.
Trump used a chaotic White House news conference with Colombia’s leader
to directly confront a weeklong barrage of criticism and questions in a
political storm that he said was dividing the nation. He also
conspicuously distanced himself from aides like his former national
security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, in repeating his claim that Moscow and its agents had not secretly assisted his campaign.
“I respect the move,” Mr. Trump said of the Justice Department’s decision on Wednesday to appoint a special counsel to investigate the matter. “But the entire thing has been a witch hunt.”
“And
there is no collusion between, certainly, myself and my campaign — but I
can always speak for myself — and the Russians,” he said. “Zero.”
Moments later, he added, “This is the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!”
The
president was correct in his observation about the rarity of a special
counsel, though his references to the Clinton campaign and the Obama
administration did little to bolster his case. There were multiple
congressional investigations into the attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and
the role played by Mrs. Clinton, then the secretary of state, and Mr.
Obama.
It
was not the first time Mr. Trump likened the questions about his
campaign and Russia to a witch hunt. In January, while president-elect,
he said in an interview with The New York Times that the persistent
focus on Russia’s hacking of the American presidential campaign was a
witch hunt carried out by people bitter at his victory.
The
president elaborated on that theme in the news conference, casting the
investigation as a needless distraction from the achievements of his
administration, which he enthusiastically enumerated.
“We’ve had tremendous success,” he said. “You look at our job numbers. You look at what’s going on at the border.”
Some
of Mr. Trump’s claims raised more questions than answers. “You’re going
to see some incredible numbers with respect to the success of General
Mattis and others with the ISIS situation,” he said, referring to the
defense secretary, Jim Mattis. “The numbers are staggering, how
successful they’ve been.”
He
promised to name a new F.B.I. director soon, having acknowledged to
reporters earlier in the day that former Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of
Connecticut was a top contender.
Mr.
Trump’s sense of grievance over the Russia investigations had been
deepening even before the naming of a special counsel. On Thursday, he
arrived in the East Room primed for confrontation.
Rather
than call on a reporter from a conservative-leaning news organization,
as he has in the past, Mr. Trump pointed to Jonathan Karl, an ABC News
correspondent known for his close questioning during White House
briefings.
When
a second reporter, Scott Thuman of the broadcaster Sinclair, asked Mr.
Trump whether he had urged Mr. Comey to drop the Russia investigation,
Mr. Thuman could not finish the question before the president
interrupted. “No. No,” Mr. Trump snapped. “Next question.”
Mr.
Santos, a Harvard-trained economist who won the Nobel Peace Prize last
year for negotiating a peace treaty with the FARC guerrillas, watched
the spectacle with an inscrutable expression. After he sidestepped a
question about whether he agreed with the White House plan to build a
wall on the border with Mexico to halt the flow of drugs into the United
States, Mr. Trump jumped in.
“That was a very long and very diplomatic answer,” Mr. Trump said. “I will say it a bit shorter: Walls work. Just ask Israel.”
Earlier,
Mr. Trump said that coca cultivation and cocaine production had risen
to record levels in Colombia, and challenged Mr. Santos to remedy the
problem.
Mr. Santos returned the favor minutes later when asked whether he had advice for Mr. Trump.
“I
don’t think I’m in a position to give any advice to President Trump,”
Mr. Santos said with a smile. “He can take care of himself.”
Correction: May 18, 2017
An earlier version of this article misstated a quotation from
President Trump. He said, “I can always speak for myself,” not “I can
only speak for myself.”
The Opinion Pages | Op-Ed Contributors
The Criminal President?
After
the revelations of the past 24 hours, it appears that President Trump’s
conduct in and around the firing of the F.B.I. director, James Comey,
may have crossed the line into criminality. The combination of what is
known and what is credibly alleged would, if fully substantiated,
constitute obstruction of justice. It is time for Congress and a special
counsel in the executive branch to conduct objective, bipartisan
inquiries into these allegations, together with the underlying matters
involving Michael Flynn and Russia that gave rise to them.
First, the facts. On Jan. 26, Sally Yates, then the acting attorney general, informed the White House that Mr. Flynn had apparently lied about his conversations with the Russian ambassador. The next day, President Trump hosted Mr. Comey
for a private dinner, during which he allegedly asked Mr. Comey
repeatedly whether he would pledge his “loyalty” to him, which Mr. Comey
declined to do.
On Feb. 14, the day after Mr. Flynn’s resignation as National Security Advisor,
President Trump allegedly held Mr. Comey back after a meeting to say
that Mr. Flynn had done nothing wrong and that, “He is a good guy. I hope you can let this go.” Mr. Comey declined to drop the investigation, going on in March to confirm before Congress that it was ongoing, and later requesting greater resources from the Department of Justice to pursue it.
Finally, on May 9, President Trump fired Mr. Comey.
We were first told he did so because Mr. Comey bungled the F.B.I.’s
investigation into Hillary Clinton’s email. Two days later, President
Trump changed his story:
“In fact, when I decided to just do it, I said to myself, I said, ‘You
know, this Russia thing with Trump and Russia is a made-up story. It’s
an excuse by the Democrats for having lost an election that they should
have won.’” The day after that, President Trump threatened Mr. Comey on Twitter, warning him against leaking to the press.
Any
one of these facts or allegations, by itself, likely would not
constitute obstruction of justice. After all, as the F.B.I. director
himself stated, the president has the undisputed power under the
Constitution to hire and fire members of his administration in the
normal course of government business.
But
what he cannot do is exercise that power corruptly, to spare himself or
those associated with him, like Mr. Flynn, from scrutiny and possible
criminal liability. To do so would run afoul of a series of federal
statutes that define the crime of obstruction of justice. They are
variations on the theme that anyone who “corruptly” or by “any
threatening letter or communication” tries “to influence, obstruct, or
impede, the due administration of justice” will be subject to criminal
penalties.
The
operative word here is “corruptly.” It means “an improper purpose,” or
one that is “evil” or “wicked.” There is no precise formula for defining
it; those involved in the administration of justice must continually
wrestle with its interpretation.
Here,
the evidence strongly suggests that the president acted corruptly. That
starts with the demand for loyalty from Mr. Comey, the account of which
the White House disputes. That demand can reasonably be understood to
mean that Mr. Comey should protect Trump and follow his bidding, rather
than honoring his oath to follow the evidence. It is also an implicit
threat: Be loyal, or you will be fired.
When
Mr. Comey did not seem to take the hint, Mr. Trump made his meaning
crystal-clear on Feb. 14: Let the investigation go, and let Mr. Flynn
go, too. The president denies this as well, of course, as he has denied
so much else that has proven to be true. Who are we to believe: Mr.
Comey, who would have no reason to accuse the president of obstruction
of justice, and who has apparently preserved meticulous notes of his
conversations? Or the president, who fact-checkers have demonstrated has
told more lies in less time than any other modern occupant of the Oval
Office?
While
Mr. Trump might have been within his rights to fire Mr. Comey, this
pattern of demands to protect himself and Mr. Flynn, followed by
retaliation when the demands were not met, if proven, is a textbook case
of wrongful conduct. Add to this the fact that Mr. Flynn was already
offering testimony about the Russia connection in exchange for immunity
from prosecution, and Mr. Trump’s clumsy attempt to dissemble the cause
of the firing, and it is clear that a cover-up was afoot.
Finally,
Mr. Trump topped things off with his tweeted threat to Mr. Comey;
witness intimidation is both obstruction of justice in itself, and a
free-standing statutory offense.
Taken
together, this evidence is already more than sufficient to make out a
prima facie case of obstruction of justice — and there are likely many
more shoes to drop. Mr. Comey reportedly took notes on all of his
encounters with the president. If what has emerged so far is any
indication, this is unlikely to offer much comfort to Mr. Trump.
And
there remains the core question of the president’s motives. Is he
withholding his taxes because they show evidence of “a lot of money
pouring in from Russia,” as his son once stated, or do they show no such
thing, as his lawyers claim? Why is Mr. Trump so fervently protecting
Mr. Flynn: out of loyalty to a friend, or because Mr. Trump fears what
that friend would say if he received immunity?
We
have previously called for Congress to set up an independent 9/11-style
commission on the Russia and Flynn investigations, and for the
Department of Justice to appoint a special prosecutor. This appointment
is necessary because Congress can’t actually prosecute anyone who may
have committed crimes, including obstruction of justice, in connection
with the Trump-Russia matter. This week’s revelations about the
president, the most powerful man in the country, emphasize the need for
these independent structures to be erected and to encompass these new
allegations.
At
least for now, we need not address the question, fully briefed to the
Supreme Court during Watergate, but never resolved, of whether a special
prosecutor could indict the president; as with Nixon, the question may
again be obviated by other events, like the House initiating impeachment
proceedings and the president resigning.
In
the meantime, the House and Senate must continue their existing
investigations and expand them, with the Judiciary Committees of both
bodies immediately beginning hearings into the president’s abuse of
power. Congress must be prepared to follow the evidence wherever it may
lead.
Continue reading the main story
The Opinion Pages | Editorial
Can Donald Trump Be Trusted With State Secrets?
On Monday, Americans learned
that President Trump shared with the Russians highly classified
intelligence about the United States fight against the Islamic State.
Mr. Trump jocularly passed secrets obtained by Israel
to Kremlin representatives in a White House meeting last week, blithely
endangering America’s relationship with a vital counterterrorism ally
and its national security.
Republicans
called Mr. Trump’s act “deeply disturbing,” “troubling” and “very
serious.” It is worse than that. It is further proof of the menace posed
by an erratic president who, we now learn, may also have interfered
with the F.B.I.’s investigation of his former national security adviser,
Michael Flynn. Mr. Trump defended himself (on Twitter, as usual) by
asserting that sharing highly classified intelligence with a foreign
adversary is something “I have the absolute right to do.” What’s
terrifying is that he’s right. But what he fails to grasp is that he was
elected to protect American interests, not his own.
How then can Congress’s Republican leaders seem so diffident? Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, said,
“It would be helpful if the president spent more time on things we’re
trying to accomplish.” Paul Ryan, the speaker of the House, said through
a spokesman that he “hopes for a full explanation of the facts from the
administration.” But so far the best he’s gotten is another Trumpian
Twitter blast in which the president vowed to avenge caps-lock “LEAKERS”
among the American intelligence professionals whose years of work he
may have unraveled with his ad-hoc bumbling.
There’s a danger to overthinking this man. We needn’t apply, as the Times columnist David Brooks put it,
the “vast analytic powers of the entire world … trying to understand a
guy whose thoughts are often just six fireflies beeping randomly in a
jar.”
Mr.
Trump created this latest crisis during an immature boast about
himself. “I get great intel. I have people brief me on great intel every
day,” he is reported
to have said, before telling Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign
minister, and Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United
States, about his knowledge of an ISIS plot.
After
his Russian guests left the Oval Office, White House officials
struggled to limit the damage by contacting the Central Intelligence
Agency and the National Security Agency and trying to scrub transcripts
from the meeting. The news media has withheld the most sensitive details
of what Mr. Trump told the Russians. Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, the
national security adviser, mounted
an odd and hairsplitting defense, saying that Mr. Trump’s disclosure
was “wholly appropriate” while acknowledging that Mr. Trump didn’t know
the source of the information and had blurted it out at the spur of the
moment.
It
is bad enough that the intelligence community is now likely to do what
it can to wall off sensitive information, sources and methods from this
irresponsible leader. But the president of the United States has
unlimited access to the nation’s secrets, and virtually unfettered
authority to act unilaterally on matters of national security. That is
enshrined in our Constitution — but so are means for curtailing the
danger posed by a leader who misuses that power.
So
far, Republicans in Congress repeat the mantra we heard during Mr.
Trump’s campaign: that he is coachable and will mature in office. Or,
maybe his White House will, as Senator Bob Corker put it on Monday
night, “bring itself under control and in order. … Obviously they’re in a
downward spiral right now and they’ve got to figure out a way to come
to grips.”
That’s
not going to happen. We are seeing the real Mr. Trump. This same
inattention and ignorance, vanity and foolish impulsivity nearly sank
his business — until his lenders stepped in before he took them down
with him.
So
what will Republicans do, as he threatens to do the same to all of us?
They might start devising a plan. The downward spiral is accelerating.
Politics
Trump Revealed Highly Classified Intelligence to Russia, in Break With Ally, Officials Say
WASHINGTON
— President Trump boasted about highly classified intelligence in a
meeting with the Russian foreign minister and ambassador last week,
providing details that could expose the source of the information and
the manner in which it was collected, a current and a former American
government official said Monday.
The
intelligence disclosed by Mr. Trump in a meeting with Sergey V. Lavrov,
the Russian foreign minister, and Sergey I. Kislyak, the Russian
ambassador to the United States, was about an Islamic State plot,
according to the officials. A Middle Eastern ally that closely guards
its own secrets provided the information, which was considered so
sensitive that American officials did not share it widely within the
United States government or pass it on to other allies.
Mr.
Trump’s disclosure does not appear to have been illegal — the president
has the power to declassify almost anything. But sharing the
information without the express permission of the ally who provided it
was a major breach of espionage etiquette, and could jeopardize a
crucial intelligence-sharing relationship.
In
fact, the ally has repeatedly warned American officials that it would
cut off access to such sensitive information if it were shared too
widely, the former official said. In this case, the fear is that Russia will be able to determine exactly how the information was collected and could disrupt the ally’s espionage efforts.
The Washington Post first reported Mr. Trump’s disclosure.
White House officials denied that Mr. Trump shared sources and methods
of intelligence gathering but did not address whether he talked about
the Islamic State plot itself.
Beyond
angering a partner and calling into question the ability of the United
States to keep secrets, the episode threatened to overshadow Mr. Trump’s
first trip abroad as president. He departs on Friday for Saudi Arabia,
Israel, Italy and Belgium.
The
revelation also opens Mr. Trump to criticism of a double standard. The
president made Hillary Clinton’s mishandling of classified information
through her private email server central to his campaign, leading chants
of “lock her up” at rallies. But there was never any indication that
Mrs. Clinton exposed sensitive information from an ally or gave it to an
adversary.
It
was also likely to intensify scrutiny about Mr. Trump’s dealings with
Russian officials. He showed throughout his campaign, and at times
during his presidency, an unusual willingness to praise President
Vladimir V. Putin of Russia and has dismissed as “fake news” the
conclusion of the American intelligence community that Russia interfered
with the presidential election. He has also expressed frustration with
the continuing Justice Department investigation into Russia’s meddling
and whether any of the president’s associates aided Moscow’s effort.
It
was not clear whether Mr. Trump wittingly disclosed such highly
classified information. He — and possibly other Americans in the room —
may have not been aware of the sensitivity of what he was sharing. It
was only after the meeting, when notes on the discussion were circulated
among National Security Council officials, that it was flagged as too
sensitive to be shared, even among many American officials, the former
official said.
The
Trump administration pushed back on the revelation, with high-ranking
officials issuing carefully worded denials, insisting that the president
did not discuss intelligence sources and methods or continuing military
operations that were not public.Video
“I
was in the room — it didn’t happen,” Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Mr.
Trump’s national security adviser, said in an appearance outside the
West Wing, which was sent into chaos on Monday afternoon by reports that
the president had disclosed extremely sensitive information about an
Islamic State plot.
“At
no time — at no time — were intelligence sources or methods discussed,
and the president did not disclose any military operations that were not
already publicly known,” General McMaster said.
He
said his account and those of others who were present for the meeting
should outweigh those of unnamed officials who have said the president
jeopardized national security.
Secretary
of State Rex W. Tillerson echoed General McMaster’s denial that sources
or methods were discussed, though he did say that Mr. Trump talked
about the “the nature of specific threats” in the meeting.
But
according to the officials, Mr. Trump discussed the contents of the
intelligence, not the sources and methods used to collect it. The
concern is that knowledge of the information about the Islamic State
plot could allow the Russians to figure out those details.
In
fact, the current official said that Mr. Trump shared granular details
of the intelligence with the Russians. Among the details the president
shared was the city in Syria where the ally picked up information about
the plot, though Mr. Trump is not believed to have disclosed that the
intelligence came from a Middle Eastern ally or precisely how it was
gathered.
General
McMaster did not address that in naming the city, in Islamic
State-controlled territory, Mr. Trump gave Russia an important clue
about the source of the information.
Like
the United States, Russia is also fighting in Syria, where it has
stationed troops and aircraft. The two countries share some information,
but the cooperation is extremely limited, and each has widely divergent
goals in the civil war there.
Russia’s
primary focus has been propping up the government of the Syrian
president, Bashar al-Assad, not directly battling the Islamic State. The
United States, in contrast, views the Islamic State as the primary
threat, and is aiding rebels who are fighting both the Islamic State and
the Syrian government.
Before
The Post’s article was published, its impending publication set off a
mild panic among White House staff members, with the press secretary,
Sean Spicer; the deputy press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders; and the
communications director, Mike Dubke, summoned to the Oval Office in the
middle of the afternoon.
Jared
Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and one of his advisers, was not in
the meeting. But internally, Mr. Kushner criticized Mr. Spicer, who has
been the target of his ire over bad publicity for the president since
Mr. Trump fired the F.B.I. director, James B. Comey, last week.
Once
public, the revelation immediately reverberated around Washington, and
General McMaster found himself briefly cornered by reporters at the
White House.
“This is the last place in the world I wanted to be,” he said before walking off without answering any questions.
The
news coming on the heels of Mr. Comey’s firing prompted concern about
the White House, even from within the Republican Party.
“The
White House has got to do something soon to bring itself under control
and in order,” Senator Bob Corker, Republican of Tennessee and the
chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, told reporters at the
Capitol, adding, “It’s got to happen.”
The
Central Intelligence Agency declined to comment. But members of
Congress, including some Republicans, were quick to criticize the
president for the intelligence breach.
“To
compromise a source is something that you just don’t do, and that’s why
we keep the information that we get from intelligence sources so close
as to prevent that from happening,” Mr. Corker said, adding that he did
not know independently if Mr. Trump had revealed sensitive information
to the Russians.
Senator Mark Warner, Democrat of Virginia and the vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, said on Twitter:
“If true, this is a slap in the face to the intel community. Risking
sources & methods is inexcusable, particularly with the Russians.”
Democrats
demanded more information. “The president owes the intelligence
community, the American people and Congress a full explanation,” said
the Senate Democratic leader, Chuck Schumer of New York.
Doug
Andres, a spokesman for the House speaker, Paul D. Ryan, said that Mr.
Ryan “hopes for a full explanation of the facts from the
administration.”
“We have no way to know what was said, but protecting our nation’s secrets is paramount,” Mr. Andres said.
Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, was sharply critical of Mr. Trump.
“President
Trump’s recklessness with sensitive information is deeply disturbing
and clearly problematic,” Mr. Reed said in a statement. “The president
of the United States has the power to share classified information with
whomever they wish, but the American people expect the president to use
that power wisely. I don’t believe the president intentionally meant to
reveal highly secretive information to the Russians.”
The Opinion Pages | Op-Ed Columnist
Trump’s Madness Invites Mutiny
When
people behave as if they have something to hide, it is often because
they do. For me, this is a basic law of human behavior.
That’s
why President Trump’s baffling, outrageous, unfathomable and just plain
bizarre behavior last week strengthened my already strong suspicions
that there is something that Trump knows about the investigations into
his campaign’s contacts with Russia that he doesn’t want us to know.
That
is the only way that I can make sense of what happened: These are
either the machinations of concealment, expressions of a burgeoning
insanity, or both.
The
details of the most recent episode in the Trump madness are now well
known and yet every new detail that helps add texture to the story also
renders it more horrifyingly egregious.
According to news reports (some of which the White House disputes, I hasten to add), after former F.B.I. Director James Comey refused to pledge loyalty to Trump, publicly rebuked some of Trump’s lies, and sought to intensify the bureau’s investigation
into the Russia connections, Trump unceremoniously dismissed him. He
then let his surrogates go out — or possibly sent them out — to lie
about why Comey was fired. And then Trump tweeted a threat at Comey that
seemed like an attempt to bully him into remaining quiet.
Who does that?
Legal
and ethical questions abound about the impropriety and even legality of
attempting to strong-arm, and then dismissing and threatening, the law
enforcement official leading an investigation into your circle of
associates.
Many
of those questions rise not from clandestine sources, but rather from
Trump himself. He is talking and tweeting himself into legal jeopardy.
He can’t seem to help himself. Something in the man is broken.
He
is insecure, paranoid and brittle, jostling between egomania and
narcissism, intoxicated with a power beyond his meager comprehension and
indulging in it beyond the point of abuse.
Some people are ebulliently optimistic that the abomination is coming undone and may soon be at an end.
But I would caution that this is a moment pregnant with calamity.
The
man we see unraveling before our eyes still retains the power of the
presidency until such time as he doesn’t, and that time of termination
is by no means assured.
Trump
is now a wounded animal, desperate and dangerous. Survival is an
overwhelming, instinctual impulse, and one should put nothing beyond a
being who is bent on ensuring it.
Banking
on an easy impeachment or resignation or a shiny set of handcuffs is
incredibly tempting for those drained and depressed by Trump’s unabated
absurdities, perversions of truth and facts and assaults on custom,
normalcy and civility.
But
banking on this is, at this point, premature. I share the yearning. A
case for removal can most definitely be made and has merit. But there
remain untold steps between plausibility and probability. Expectations
must be managed so that hopes aren’t dashed if the mark isn’t
immediately met.
There
are incredibly encouraging signs that the Comey debacle has
crystallized sentiment about the severity of Trump’s abnormality and the
urgent need for an independent investigation into the Russia
connection.
Last week after Comey was fired, 20 attorneys general sent a letter
to the Department of Justice urging it to immediately appoint an
independent special counsel to oversee the investigation. The letter
read in part:
“As
the chief law enforcement officers of our respective states, we view
the President’s firing of F.B.I. Director James Comey in the middle of
his investigation of Russian interference in the presidential election
as a violation of the public trust. As prosecutors committed to the rule
of law, we urge you to consider the damage to our democratic system of
any attempts by the administration to derail and delegitimize the
investigation.
Furthermore, according to a poll released on Thursday:
“A majority of Americans — 54 percent — think that President Donald
Trump’s abrupt dismissal of F.B.I. Director James Comey was not
appropriate, while 46 percent think that Comey was fired due to the
Russia investigation, according to results from a new NBC
News|SurveyMonkey poll.”
This followed a Quinnipiac Poll
taken before the Comey firing that found: “American voters, who gave
President Donald Trump a slight approval bump after the missile strike
in Syria, today give him a near-record negative 36-58 percent job
approval rating.”
The report continued: “Critical are big losses among white voters with no college degree, white men and independent voters.”
The
army of righteous truth-seekers is gathering; the hordes of sycophants
are faltering. The challenge now is to keep the media’s microscope
trained on this issue and to keep applying sufficient pressure to
elected officials.
We
may have reached an inflection point at which even partisans grow weary
of the barrage of lies and the indefensible behavior, and Republican
representatives finally realize that they are constitutional officers
who must defend the country even if it damages their party.
Something is happening. It’s in the air. It is an awakening, it is an adjustment, it is a growing up.
11 Completely Absurd Reasons To Love Washington
Yes, Washington is breathtakingly beautiful… and our scenery is diverse… and our produce is second to none. That being said, when you live in the Evergreen State long enough, you start to love it for its quirks. You develop quite a sense of humor about your home, and when people ask what you adore so much about it, you can hardly contain yourself.Even if you don’t agree with these 11 reasons to love Washington, you must admit they’re valid, if not a bit silly.
Although this mythical creature has
never been proven real, there are tons of reported Bigfoot sightings in
Washington. We like to keep the mystery alive.
How many years has DMB played at
The Gorge on Labor Day weekend? 10? 20? It's hard to remember due to all
the fun (and the contact highs) of the weekend.
We really know how to keep the doctor away here.
No matter how many games the
Mariners lose in a row, we will be there. We love our Sounders, and we
love our Hawks. Don't even get us started on the Sonics.
Have you ever seen the Hoh? It's incredible.
"High" fives to Colorado, who joined us that year.
Humptulips. Tokeland. Puyallup. Nooksack. Big Bottom Valley. Need we go on?
The Space Needle was the country's
first revolving restaurant. The world's first soft-serve ice cream
machine was in a Dairy Queen in Olympia. The first Cinnabon opened in
Federal Way, and of course, there's that whole Starbucks thing.
What can we say, we love to get creative with our coffee.
Kay Longhi’s parents, Francis and Patricia Longhi, at their north-end home on Cowan Road in the 1960s. (Courtesy Photo)
Coming Home: Betty MacDonald interview drew Longhis from Chicago
And while her mother never met MacDonald, she did meet her sister, Mary Bard.
Patricia Longhi went on to live in that same north-end home for 56 years. She moved out in 2011, three years before her death at the age of 91.
“Mother was very much a loner in her heart. She liked solitude and wanted to be in the rugged, great outdoors,” Kay Longhi said before explaining that her mother grew up in an affluent family in New York City and was expected to become a socialite.
“She abhorred the life,” Longhi said. “She loved the summers she spent on the coast of Maine. They always went to Laudholm Farm — a working farm with outbuildings that were rented out in the summer.”
It was a lifestyle similar to that of the farm that Patricia Longhi found on Vashon, and that authenticity and community is what has kept Kay Longhi here. Longhi attended college in Portland, moved to Seattle, then moved to North Carolina and Mobile, Alabama, but because her mother was here, she followed what was happening on the island and would always come visit.
“Because I was raised here, I never lacked a sense of home,” she said. “The community here has been my go-to place both mentally and physically. I’ve always been very centered. There’s a real sense of community and home I’ve never felt anywhere else.”
Longhi moved back to Seattle in 1997. By 2008, her mother was in her 80s and suffering from dementia, and Kay moved into a small cabin on her mother’s property to take of her. She was eventually moved to a memory care home in 2011 and died in 2014, but her mother’s dream of rural living in the north-end home continues to this day, as her great-grandchildren are growing up in the same house.
“My sister’s child, so my niece and her family, live there,” Longhi said. “Houses don’t come up for sale on Vashon because one generation leaves and another comes in.”
But the Vashon home is not the only lasting evidence of Patricia Longhi’s search for a more rural, authentic life. During her life on Vashon, she discovered the Washington coast, and Kay said her mother saw many similarities between it and the Maine coastline of her childhood. She and a few other island families bought land and primitive cabins in the mid-60s on a strip of coast that is now part of the Olympic National Park.
“The federal government came in and claimed eminent domain and declared it wilderness. There were two choices, either have the home torn down and take the money the government gives you, or have the government take it over when the owner dies. Mother put the home in her children’s names, so it’s still there.”
The three-story cabin has no electricity and no running water. It’s tall and skinny, perched on a cliff so her mother could see the water below her.
“For Mother, it was the ultimate solitude,” Longhi said. “It was just about where she wanted to be.”
Betty MacDonald fan club fans,
we share a very special gift by beloved and very popular Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honor member Letizia Mancino.
We know you'll enjoy it as much as we do.
Thanks a Million, dear Letizia Mancino.
You are an outstanding writer and artist.
We are so proud and happy to have you with us.
Letizia writes: One should not underestimate Wolfgang Hampel’s talent in speedily mobilizing Betty MacDonald’s friends.
We agree. Thank you so much dear Wolfgang Hampel for doing this. You founded Betty MacDonald Fan Club with four members.
Now we have members in 40 countries around the world. A dream came true.
Mary Holmes did an excellent job in translating this great story.
Thank you so much dear Mary Holmes.
We are really very grateful.
All the best to Letizia, Wolfgang and Mary and to all Betty MacDonald Fan Club fans from all over the world!
Lenard
Following in Betty’s footsteps in Seattle:
or some small talk with Betty
Copyright 2011/2016 by Letizia Mancino
All rights reserved
translated by Mary Holmes
We were going to Canada in the summer. “When we are in Edmonton”, I said to Christoph Cremer, “let’s make a quick trip to Seattle”. And that’s how it happened. At Edmonton Airport we climbed into a plane and two hours later we landed in the city where Betty had lived. I was so happy to be in Seattle at last and to be able to trace Betty’s tracks!
Wolfgang Hampel had told Betty’s friends about our arrival.
They were happy to plan a small marathon through the town and it’s surroundings with us. We only had a few days free. One should not underestimate Wolfgang’s talent in speedily mobilizing Betty’s friends, even though it was holiday time. E-mails flew backwards and forwards between Heidelberg and Seattle, and soon a well prepared itinerary was ready for us. Shortly before my departure Wolfgang handed me several parcels, presents for Betty MacDonald's friends. I rushed to pack the heavy gifts in my luggage but because of the extra weight had to throw out a pair of pajamas!
After we had landed we took a taxi to the Hotel in downtown Seattle. I was so curious to see everything. I turned my head in all directions like one of the hungry hens from Betty’s farm searching for food! Fortunately it was quite a short journey otherwise I would have lost my head like a loose screw!
Our hotel room was on the 22nd floor and looked directly out onto the 16-lane highway. There might have been even more than 16 but it made me too giddy to count! It was like a glimpse of hell! “And is this Seattle?” I asked myself. I was horrified! The cars racing by were enough to drive one mad. The traffic roared by day and night.
We immediately contacted Betty MacDonald's friends and let them know we had arrived and they confirmed the times when we should see them.
On the next morning I planned my first excursion tracing Betty’s tracks. I spread out the map of Seattle. “Oh dear” I realized “the Olympic Peninsula is much too far away for me to get there.”
Betty nodded to me! “Very difficult, Letizia, without a car.”
“But I so much wanted to see your chicken farm”
“My chickens are no longer there and you can admire the mountains from a distance”
But I wanted to go there. I left the hotel and walked to the waterfront where the State Ferry terminal is. Mamma mia, the streets in Seattle are so steep! I couldn’t prevent my feet from running down the hill. Why hadn’t I asked for brakes to be fixed on my shoes? I looked at the drivers. How incredibly good they must be to accelerate away from the red traffic lights. The people were walking uphill towards me as briskly as agile salmon. Good heavens, these Americans! I tried to keep my balance. The force of gravity is relentless. I grasped hold of objects where I could and staggered down.
In Canada a friend had warned me that in Seattle I would see a lot of people with crutches.
Betty laughed. “ It’s not surprising, Letizia, walking salmon don’t fall directly into the soft mouth of a bear!”
“ Betty, stop making these gruesome remarks. We are not in Firlands!”
I went further. Like a small deranged ant at the foot of a palace monster I came to a tunnel. The noise was unbearable. On the motorway, “The Alaskan Way Viaduct”, cars, busses and trucks were driving at the speed of light right over my head. They puffed out their poisonous gas into the open balconies and cultivated terraces of the luxurious sky- scrapers without a thought in the world. America! You are crazy!
“Betty, are all people in Seattle deaf? Or is it perhaps a privilege for wealthy people to be able to enjoy having cars so near to their eyes and noses to save them from boredom?”
“When the fog democratically allows everything to disappear into nothing, it makes a bit of a change, Letizia”
“ Your irony is incorrigible, Betty, but tell me, Seattle is meant to be a beautiful city, But where?”
I had at last reached the State Ferry terminal.
“No Madam, the ferry for Vashon Island doesn’t start from here,” one of the men in the ticket office tells me. ”Take a buss and go to the ferry terminal in West Seattle.”
Betty explained to me “The island lies in Puget Sound and not in Elliott Bay! It is opposite the airport. You must have seen it when you were landing!”
“Betty, when I am landing I shut my eyes and pray!”
It’s time for lunch. The weather is beautiful and warm. Who said to me that it always rains here?
“Sure to be some envious man who wanted to frighten you away from coming to Seattle. The city is really beautiful, you’ll see. Stay by the waterfront, choose the best restaurant with a view of Elliott Bay and enjoy it.”
“Thank you Betty!”
I find a table on the terrace of “Elliott’s Oyster House”. The view of the island is wonderful. It lies quietly in the sun like a green fleecy cushion on the blue water.
Betty plays with my words:
“Vashon Island is a big cushion, even bigger than Bainbridge which you see in front of your eyes, Letizia. The islands look similar. They have well kept houses and beautiful gardens”.
I relax during this introduction, “Bainbridge” you are Vashon Island, and order a mineral water.
“At one time the hotel belonging to the parents of Monica Sone stood on the waterfront.”
“Oh, of your friend Kimi!” Unfortunately I forget to ask Betty exactly where it was.
My mind wanders and I think of my mountain hike back to the hotel! “Why is there no donkey for tourists?” Betty laughs:
“I’m sure you can walk back to the hotel. “Letizia can do everything.””
“Yes, Betty, I am my own donkey!”
But I don’t remember that San Francisco is so steep. It doesn’t matter, I sit and wait. The waiter comes and brings me the menu. I almost fall off my chair!
“ What, you have geoduck on the menu! I have to try it” (I confess I hate the look of geoduck meat. Betty’s recipe with the pieces made me feel quite sick – I must try Betty’s favourite dish!)
“Proof that you love me!” said Betty enthusiastically “ Isn’t the way to the heart through the stomach?”
I order the geoduck. The waiter looks at me. He would have liked to recommend oysters.
“Geoduck no good for you!”
Had he perhaps read my deepest thoughts? Fate! Then no geoduck. “No good for me.”
“Neither geoduck nor tuberculosis in Seattle” whispered Betty in my ear!
“Oh Betty, my best friend, you take such good care of me!”
I order salmon with salad.
“Which salmon? Those that swim in water or those that run through Seattle?”
“Betty, I believe you want me to have a taste of your black humour.”
“Enjoy it then, Letizia.”
During lunch we talked about tuberculosis, and that quite spoilt our appetite.
“Have you read my book “The Plague and I”?”
“Oh Betty, I’ve started to read it twice but both times I felt so sad I had to stop again!”
“But why?” asked Betty “Nearly everybody has tuberculosis! I recovered very quickly and put on 20 pounds! There was no talk of me wasting away! What did you think of my jokes in the book?”
“Those would have been a good reason for choosing another sanitorium. I would have been afraid of becoming a victim of your humour! You would have certainly given me a nickname! You always thought up such amusing names!” Betty laughed.
“You’re right. I would have called you “Roman nose”. I would have said to Urbi and Orbi “ Early this morning “Roman nose” was brought here. She speaks broken English, doesn’t eat geoduck but she does love cats.”
“Oh Betty, I would have felt so ashamed to cough. To cough in your presence, how embarrassing! You would have talked about how I coughed, how many coughs!”
“It depends on that “how”, Letizia!”
“Please, leave Goethe quotations out of it. You have certainly learnt from the Indians how to differentiate between noises. It’s incredible how you can distinguish between so many sorts of cough! At least 10!”
“So few?”
”And also your descriptions of the patients and the nurses were pitiless. An artistic revenge! The smallest pimple on their face didn’t escape your notice! Amazing.”
“ I was also pitiless to myself. Don’t forget my irony against myself!”
Betty was silent. She was thinking about Kimi, the “Princess” from Japan! No, she had only written good things about her best friend, Monica Sone, in her book “The Plague and I”. A deep friendship had started in the hospital. The pearl that developed from the illness.
“Isn’t it wonderful, Betty, that an unknown seed can make its way into a mollusk in the sea and develop into a beautiful jewel?” Betty is paying attention.
“Betty, the friendship between you and Monica reminds me of Goethe’s poem “Gingo-Biloba”. You must know it?” Betty nods and I begin to recite it:
The leaf of this Eastern tree
Which has been entrusted to my garden
Offers a feast of secret significance,
For the edification of the initiate.
Is it one living thing.
That has become divided within itself?
Are these two who have chosen each other,
So that we know them as one?
The friendship with Monica is like the wonderful gingo-biloba leaf, the tree from the east. Betty was touched. There was a deep feeling of trust between us.
“Our friendship never broke up, partly because she was in distress, endangered by the deadly illness. We understood and supplemented each other. We were like one lung with two lobes, one from the east and one from the west!”
“A beautiful picture, Betty. You were like two red gingo-biloba leaves!”
Betty was sad and said ” Monica, although Japanese, before she really knew me felt she was also an American. But she was interned in America, Letizia, during the second world war. Isn’t that terrible?”
“Betty, I never knew her personally. I have only seen her on a video, but what dignity in her face, and she speaks and moves so gracefully!”
“Fate could not change her”
“Yes, Betty, like the gingo-biloba tree in Hiroshima. It was the only tree that blossomed again after the atom bomb!”
The bill came and I paid at once. In America one is urged away from the table when one has finished eating. If one wants to go on chatting one has to order something else.
“That’s why all those people gossiping at the tables are so fat!” Betty remarks. “Haven’t you seen how many massively obese people walk around in the streets of America. Like dustbins that have never been emptied!” With this typically unsentimental remark Betty ended our conversation.
Ciao! I so enjoyed the talk; the humour, the irony and the empathy. I waved to her and now I too felt like moving! I take a lovely walk along the waterfront.
Now I am back in Heidelberg and when I think about how Betty’s “Princessin” left this world on September 5th and that in August I was speaking about her with Betty in Seattle I feel very sad. The readers who knew her well (we feel that every author and hero of a book is nearer to us than our fleeting neighbours next door) yes we, who thought of her as immortal, cannot believe that even she would die after 92 years. How unforeseen and unexpected that her death should come four days after her birthday on September 1th. On September 5th I was on my way to Turkey, once again in seventh heaven, looking back on the unforgettable days in Seattle. I was flying from west to east towards the rising sun.
Is this Mr. Tigerli?
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