By Ali Elsberry Of the many benefits of homeschooling our family, one of our favorites is hopping into the car and heading out to explore someplace new. Sometimes we get lucky and stumble upon these places while out and about, but other times I do a little research ahead of time and come up with…
By Seán C. Malone and John Sweetman Seán and I talked about our story and came up with the idea of our early money-making jobs. It turns out that Seán had been involved for some time in a “pen pal” arrangement with some young literate persons and had pursued this; his story follows mine. In…
By Daniel Hooker From Eliza Q: What kind of shoes does a literary writer wear? A: Converse. ~ Some people are confused about what a will is. To me, it’s pretty obvious. It’s a dead giveaway. ~ Archeologists are having a huge party tonight. They found the largest dinosaur tibia bone ever! It should be…
By March Twisdale Today, on Vashon Island, most people police themselves and their speech. Reticence to express full and honest opinions has become the norm. I know this because people tell me it is so. A woman slows to a stop in the middle of the road, calling out to me, “You’re March Twisdale, right?…
By Anthony Latora Spagyrics aspire to redefine what herbal medicine can be. Rooted in the Renaissance era, yet increasingly affirmed by modern analysis, they offer a way of preparing plants that seeks not merely to extract their chemistry, but to preserve their wholeness. Rather than viewing a plant as a collection of isolated compounds, the…
By Caitlin Rothermel It’s tomato season, and maybe your garden is overflowing. It seemed like a good time to share this delicious salsa adapted from “The Moosewood Cookbook.” I discovered Moosewood in college in the 1980s, just as I was learning to cook. At the time, it seemed like everyone owned a copy, and for…
A Health Matter By Caitlin Rothermel If humming came in a pill, you would probably consider taking it. One of humming’s most measured effects is on the nervous system. Even a single session of humming promotes parasympathetic activity, also known as the “rest and digest” state. This is the body’s natural recovery mode, where the heart slows,…
Do not weep when the Sun will seem to be receding soonSing to this longest day of the year and its eternal dawn Sing to the Summer, that vast expanse of blue above greenAnd to the way that Time slows down at the top of its wheel Lop-sided with gravity every six months, leaning in…
By S.E. Reid Editor’s Note: Ferris Island is “located right at the elbow where Puget Sound meets the Salish Sea,” with “some strange hidden corners and a very unusual history.” Please enjoy this tale of an island similar in many ways to what we Islanders like to speak of as our own “Old Vashon.” For…