Royally kicking off merry month of May
King George VI of England died in 1952, the year of my birth. His daughter, Elizabeth, age 25, was crowned queen the following year. On Saturday, for only the second time in my lifetime, England will crown a new monarch. Queen Elizabeth served for 70 years, the longest serving monarch.
We can watch the coronation pomp and circumstance live on network television if we’re willing to stay up until or get up at 2 a.m. Saturday morning. I’m pondering setting my alarm, but with an awareness of so many other things happening Saturday, I might need a good night’s sleep. I love my birthday month of May, which I celebrate all month long starting with May Day, Cinco de Mayo, the Kentucky Derby, Mother’s Day (which happens to be my birthday this year), then Memorial Day. I can stretch out a celebration like nobody’s business and it’s a bonus to have a royal coronation added to the mix this year.
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The Pleasantview Community Association’s Spring Cowboy Breakfast is one of my favorite events of the year. For more than four decades, the group has held the breakfast at the historic Pleasantview School, 18724 W. Riverview Drive, to raise money for the ongoing preservation of the building. The big day is Saturday, May 6, 8-11 a.m. for biscuits, sausage gravy, scrambled eggs and, my favorite, honey butter and homemade jam for the extra biscuits. $10 per person (special family rate, too) and no charge to tour the school and ring the bell. Kathy Darrar, 208-777-8288.
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My friend, Mary Larson, perhaps inspired by the Kentucky Derby or the upcoming coronation, has a splendid idea.
Writes Mary … “Since spring has sprung overnight, I’m thinking of hosting a garden party. Everyone wears big hats and gloves. I will serve tea and cakes while you work in my garden. Who’s in?”
What, no mint juleps or crumpets?
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Full disclosure, I have no inside information or, really, no knowledge of any of the field of horses running for the roses in this year’s Derby. With the Kentucky Derby being held on the same day as King Charles' coronation, there are four horses with names somewhat royal, King Russell, Kingsbarns, Lord Miles and Angel of Empire.
When I was a little girl accompanying my grandmother to Santa Anita, she told me to always bet on a gray. I’m assuming because there are so few gray thoroughbreds, but who knows? This year, there are four grays in the 23-horse Derby field and one of them a tempting 50-1 longshot, Reincarnate. The other three are Tapit Trice, Hit Show and Rocket Can.
I should probably bet $2 on the nose of all of them and just hope a longshot wins. Now you know why I’m not a professional gambler and only follow the Triple Crown horse races for fun. Here’s to big hats, mint juleps, longshots, seer sucker, fast horses and $2 bets.
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Happy Main Street birthdays today to Randy Bates (70!), Destiny Johnson, Jim Thorpe, Tracy Flaa, Peter Willits, John Hayes, Robbie Canfield, Brooke Harris and Becky Camarata. Tomorrow, Kay Poland, Kenley Link, Jeanette Bangs, Garrett Brown, Scott Hayden, Rand Wichman, Brittany Smith and Scott Jacobson put on their party hats. Cinco de Mayo birthday wishes to Robert Cliff, Liz Thorpe, Ben Miller, Joni McCroury, Carol Toomy, Lisa Peterson, Teri Farr, Angela Erickson, Faith Brodwater and Andy Fischbacher. On Saturday, Dusty Flamand, Tamatha Dougal, Kristi Pope, Connie Clark (70!), Steve Eachon, Jeff Rhodes, Meagan Guerreo, Dave Tester, Jerry Shriner and Karen Ouren celebrate another year. Lisa Aitken, Kris Phillips, Chris Moore, Randy Williams, Ruby Johnson, Pete Shepperd, Kathie Brack, Rob Rinard, Jr., Rena Pruitt, Ramona Kaiser, David Dasher and Phil Pyseky blow out the candles on May 7. Olivia Backs, Chalee Atkinson, Matt Barkley (50!), Stephie Clinton, Julie Adamchak, Tiffany Teal, Lindsey Sales, Nic Riorden and Jared Raynor have their cake and eat it, too, on Monday. Colleen (Cokie) Hough, Allan Aitken, Tara Dagastine, Carrie Holdren, Valerie Emery, Bonnie Clark and Carla Noonan take another trip around the sun on May 9.
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Kerri Rankin Thoreson is a member of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the former publisher of the Post Falls Tribune. Main Street appears every Wednesday in The Press and Kerri can be contacted on Facebook or via email mainstreet@cdapress.com. Follow her on Twitter @kerrithoreson.