By Gates Johnson What does one my age do when the holiday chaos has passed? Remember all those appointments and meetings and lunches and whatnot that got put on the back burner while attending to more pressing things? Well, the time has come. So, here I go. First off, those visits to specialists that were…
By March Twisdale “Please do not come to my house to clean. I can’t have someone in my home who supports this administration and the destruction of our democracy. I am not open to any discussion.” This is the text I received two days after President Trump’s inauguration. To be clear, I worked for this…
By Suzanna Leigh Journal Entry – by Suzanna Leigh “How do you spend your days, now that you are 100 years old and retired?” I asked my mom, Marj Watkins. Waiting patiently while she struggled to find the words, I resisted the impulse to fill in the word I thought she might want. I thought…
Contesting the constitutionality of an Oregon county’s zoning law was not the beginning foundation we wanted for our monastery. We saw this zoning code as a possible sign that this farm was not the place God intended for us. With Great Lent nearing completion, we decided to put off any further decision until after Pascha….
By Michael Shook As I type this, we are about a month away from the inauguration of the President. Trump will go from “President-elect” to full-on “President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump.” These words strike fear and loathing into the hearts and minds of many Americans. But having heard some of…
By Erin Durrett Mother orca, Tahlequah, carries a dead baby, once again, for all to see. She is holding her loss in a way that makes it possible for us to mourn with her, and the deeper vision is to see our own children in that mother’s arms. Could there be a more gracious, dignified,…
By Ed Swan Ed Swan was a master ornithologist with an incredible depth of knowledge and a generous enthusiasm to share it. He inspired many Islanders to learn about birds, and was a regular columnist for The Loop. This article appeared in the January 17, 2007 issue. During this long cold spell, many may be…
By March Twisdale Gratitude and appreciation are super powers. They can change our outlook on anything and everything in a heartbeat, without the participation or agreement of any other natural force on Earth, including other people. And yet, how often do we use these great life skills? In our own lives, for our own benefit,…
By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson Seems like this time of year, it’s all about the food. I spent five days and about three hundred bucks preparing a Thanksgiving dinner for just seven people. If you are brave enough to read this to the end, you will find out the answer to an important Thanksgiving-related question….
By Suzanna Leigh I’ve never done much winter sailing; I’m not a fan of cold storm winds and wet cold hands. Still, there’s something romantic about greeting the new year aboard a sailboat anchored between firework displays. Besides, Sea Change had a propane heater we wanted to try out. We checked the weather report. Of…