What Brought You to the Island By Jane Valencia Nadja Vol Ochs on her boat, Sophie After 20 years of operation, the Vashon Wilderness Program has a new Executive Director, Nadja Vol Ochs. As I walked with her at the marina to her boat, Sophie, Nadja pointed out such waterbirds as mergansers, surf scoters, and…
By Jane Valencia One late afternoon, I showed up to dance. I’d been working all day, and felt I had two left feet. I had never contra danced before, yet I was willing to stumble my way through. Three musicians opened the session with a sweet waltz. I put on a lei to designate that…
By Jane Valencia Larkspur Conservation Cemetery, Taylor Hollow, TN. Gravestone – photo by Jane Valencia Last year our family researched the possibility of home burial – you know, where, if you have land, you can bury your family the old-fashioned way. Dig a deep hole in the ground and lay your loved one in. Home…
A winter prayer and proclamation By Jane Valencia Lantern in the darkwoodShine on the wolves!Rouse them from the long spell andthe slumber of the snows. Your campfire burnsin every one of my cells.Wake us, O Lord, into holiness. In the briar’s nestthe dragon yieldsand the elves put down their bowsSurrender, my heart,Surrender again! We assume…
By Jane Valencia A reflection from 25 years ago, when our family lived on the Island’s west side. We are deep into autumn – on All Hallow’s Eve, it so happens – a day whose crone eyes decree decay and change, and spark with new beginnings. The apples on the old tree in our front lawn…
By Jane Valencia Vashon was once known for its strawberry farms, and our Strawberry Festival was named in celebration of these berries. But, as has been the case for several decades, strawberries – much less Island-grown – are a rare and precious occurrence. Off-Island attendees of the Festival often find themselves bewildered: “Where are the…
By Jane Valencia A few months ago, in a conversation between herbalist and frequent Loop writer, Kathy Abascal, and co-editor Caitlin Rothermel and myself, we spoke about the ability of plants to work on the entire spectrum of our health from the physical, psycho-emotional, to the spiritual. We speculated: if herbs can address dis-ease on…
By Jane Valencia This month, let’s learn to say: ʔəsx̌id čəxʷHow are you? To hear how to pronounce the phrase, go to: https://www.puyalluptriballanguage.org/basics/greetingdepartures.php You’ll find plenty of Twulshootseed language learning resources there. Read our Loop articles about Twulshootseed