By Stephen Buller What is wealth? We should start by differentiating between the tangible and intangible: Tangible wealth consists of physical items like land, cars, equipment, and gold; intangible wealth consists of non-material items like good health, skills, reputation, and relationships. In my opinion, one would be wise to value intangible wealth above the tangible…
By Anthony Latora As the seasons change and the leaves begin to fall, I start to notice the daylight growing shorter and the cold beginning to return. A shift in myself begins to occur – from the highly expressive, movement-filled nature of summer toward the harvesting, tending, and inwardness of fall. The fruits are ripe…
By Rich Osborne, Owner, ALL THINGS RICH at the Waterfront Market @ Ruston Fifteen years ago, I started taking credit cards. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I engaged a local processor. I bought a card reader to plug into my cell phone, and away I went. Within weeks I started having…
By Andy Valencia As our summer begins its slow descent into fall, take a moment to relax and enjoy the flowers which nature has provided. Just kidding! This is Vashon, where Himalayan blackberry will cross your back patio and force its way into your house. You’ll have plenty of time to rest when it’s winter,…
By Stephen Buller For better or worse, money plays a big role in our lives – I would argue for better, as the concept of money was a brilliant invention that allowed individuals to store the value of their efforts and exchange the fruits of their labor to better their standard of living. The term…
By Jane Valencia Whether purchased, gifted, or “caught” with flour and water, a well-tended sourdough starter burgeons with life. A keeper of sourdough often gets into a creative rhythm with using it, making breads for family and friends, and even distributing the starter itself. In times past, this culture of sharing sourdough had stronger significance…
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 Stephen Buller Here on Vashon, as the weather changes faster than Superman in a phone booth, swinging wildly from blue skies to downpours multiple times a week, I try to keep my focus on the silver lining: Summer is right around the corner. Maybe sunshine brings out the optimist in me. Summer means many…
By Andy Valencia This article was going to be about saving money when you need to buy a PC. I’ll write about that next month, because it’s hard to save money when your operating system is waging war on your pocket book. We need to talk about Microsoft Windows. Most people do need a connection…
By Andy Valencia Westphalia has an important place in the history of Western Civilization. Currently a part of Germany, it was the site of the accords which ended the Thirty Years’ War in 1648. Setting aside politics, it is also the home of Westphalian pumpernickel. Germany is well-known for its dark breads, but this one…