Sarah Palin to Katie Couric: Sandpoint Magazine

My dad loved to share his tidbits of wisdom: Don't take any wooden nickels. Don't stick any beans up your nose. "Every little bit counts," said the old lady as she peed in the ocean. If the dog hadn't stopped to go to the bathroom, he'd a caught the rabbit, and if I hadn't slipped in it, I'd a seen the race. Etc., Etc.

Well, I haven't enough fingers and toes to count all the times I've used those sayings myself, especially the last one. In our dinner-table conversations, Mother would sometimes mention the "big IF" when we'd be making excuses about something that hadn't gone quite right during our day.

I can't help but use a little of that simple dinner-table philosophy in today's discussion.

IF Sarah Palin had just said to Katie Couric, "Oh, I read them all, especially Sandpoint Magazine," she probably wouldn't have so much 'splaining to do." But then again, now that faux pas makes for good reading.

I'm sure she's heard the word "if" more times than she has cared to over the past 15 months.

Ever since writing the story about Sarah Palin for Sandpoint Magazine last fall, I've dealt with the "big IF" several times too, wondering IF there was anything more I could have done to avoid the "Big Mistake" I made while doing the story. It's a journalist's nightmare, you know, to make a mistake, and it haunts you for time immemorial.

My "Big Mistake" involved the photo of Sarah's alleged first home that I submitted to the folks at Keokee to go along with the story. I could go into all the reasons I ASS-U-MEd I had the correct residence, but I won't. Nobody really cares WHY mistakes are made, but they sure do care WHEN they're made.

I heard almost immediately of my big blooper after the magazine with Sarah's story hit the downtown streets. The photo I submitted was the house next door to Sarah's---blue and gray, just like Sarah's house, loud dogs barking, just like Sarah's house, etc.

In a frenzy, immediately after hearing of my error, I took a jar of my apple jelly to the tenant who was renting the house. I hoped the jelly would soothe his frustrations of going to the door and telling people, "No, she lived next door." He was pretty jovial about the whole thing, though. Thank God.

The interesting part that I learned after being made aware of the error of my ways was that a big fat Obama sign sat in the yard of the real home where Sarah spent her first three months of life.

That's all history now. There's nothing I can do to make up for the error, except to rationalize that the article is like a Navajo blanket---flawed. And, that's what adds value to Navajo blankets, I'm told.

Why do I tell this story? And, why should Sarah have told America and Katie Couric that she "reads them all, especially Sandpoint Magazine"?

Well, there's proof of the pudding at www.sandpointonline.com. And, there's a chance for Sarah to redeem herself through tangible proof that she has at least picked up a Sandpoint Magazine.

She autographed the front cover of edition, which includes said story by yours truly with the flawed photograph. And, Keokee is doing like they did with a past article I wrote a few years ago about Viggo Mortensen.

They're auctioning it off on EBay and sending all money earned to a charitable cause.

In this case, Panhandle Special Needs of Sandpoint will be the recipient, and Keokee owner Chris Bessler figures Sarah would highly approve of that choice.

The EBay auction lasts until Nov. 26, and what better day than today---the launching date for Sarah's book---to get the auction started. Actually, I learned about it last night when Chris sent me a note.

In the case of the Viggo article, the EBay auction brought in more than $300.

I think we can top that. We can do so by spreading the word----to Republicans, Democrats, and all other political folks. Certainly they can put their politics aside to engage in a wonderful cause for our Panhandle Special Needs facility here in Sandpoint.

So, please get the word out to all the people in your address books. Tell folks to go to www.sandpointonline.com, scroll down to the right, click, travel on to the EBay site and place a bid. This EBay page has all the information about the magazine and additional photo of Sarah that will go with to the winning bidder.

And, because that article was flawed, I'm still feeling the symbolic egg on my face for making the mistake. So, IF the auction nets $10,000 or more for Panhandle Special Needs, I'll be happy to stand in front of Sarah's real first home in Sandpoint and allow her to crack a dozen eggs off the top of my head.

So, go to it. Let's raise money for Panhandle Special Needs. Remember, "'Every little bit counts,' said the old woman . . . ."