By Michael Shook Over the last two months, we’ve gotten “thumbnail” sketches of both the innate desire of humans for a perfect, usually communal, society, and of the father of modern Communism, Karl Marx. Now it’s time for a look at some of the fruits of the ideologies of Marxism and Communism. For all Karl…
By Deborah H. Anderson I had an opportunity recently to get some closure about my years as a pastor on Vashon. I was one of the first full-time female pastors, and for sure the first soccer Mom pastor. It was sweet and gentle, and I was able to forgive many. Forgiveness is easier when the…
By Deborah H. Anderson Three weeks ago, I was introduced before preaching on “Fasting as a Practice of Calling Down Justice” at an Ash Wednesday service. The Sister of the Cloth said “… And when she sings, it comes from a place so deep inside of her.” I was so grateful to hear that the…
[Jane–see image accompanying this story; I think it would go well in the print version too] By Gates (Pam) Johnson I have been asked this question about eight million times in the last, I’m going to guess, three decades. Not sure why it is such an interesting topic. Is “Gates” that odd a name that…
By March TwisdaleVashon Island used to be,a land for you and me.Then Cancel Culture came,and we were wiped away.What’s a girl to do,who’s been raised Red, White & Blue?Speak up, express, explain:“A free thinker I remain, no matter what you do.”For all who were, who are, and those yet to be.I will not drop our…
By Michael Shook Last month, we had a brief look at the history of human efforts to live communally, and how those did, or did not, work out. This month, we assess some of the life and work of the man perhaps most associated with modern Communism, Karl Marx. Marx was a man of prodigious…
By Dave B. I almost hit a deer the other day. The deer was in a pothole. All I saw were antlers as I slammed on my brakes just in time. Luckily for me (and the deer), the pothole was deep and saved its life. After the deer got out with great effort, I had…
By Seán Malone and John Sweetman Seán and I grew up on the beach and spent a lot of days just wandering aimlessly looking for edible or merely interesting sealife and valuable beach treasures, which our moms generally classified as “junk.” We had other diversions beside combing the beach. One was riding our bikes to…
By Daniel Hooker Recently a friend/acquaintance passed, Country Joe MacDonald, a Navy veteran honorably discharged who served from 1959-1962. Joe’s service to his countrymen/women continues through his gift called music. It has been documented in a film called “Woodstock” where between 400,000-600,000 “hippies / peacenicks” gathered to celebrate life, liberty, and not just the pursuit…
Part of a memoir By Suzanna Leigh Illustration by Suzanna Leigh It all came crashing down in early February. There was magic, living in the chicken coop on Maury Island. There were still a few cabbages in the big garden in December, when five year-old James and I moved in with Davey, Phil, and Phil’s…