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…
We had put a great deal of effort into our humble monastery, located inside a home in residential Richmond, California. But after the dramatic drug raid at a neighboring house – including a helicopter with spotlights – I prayed that we might be permitted to find a new monastic home in a rural location. The…
By Marc J. Elzenbeck Motor oil contains hydrocarbons, detergents, viscosity enhancing agents, and after being used in an engine, fine metal particles. It is not recommended for skin care. But if it sprays you in the face, it imparts a nice supple feel for a week or so. Running an errand in Seattle, my route…
By Seán C. Malone and John Sweetman As very young children, Christmas was always an exciting and wondrous time, but not for the same reasons that adults experienced. We were totally taken in by the family and church gatherings. Religious rituals, stories, and experiences were just taken for granted. We did have the eminently logical…
By Andy Valencia Even as an old dude, I still remember bits of my own boyhood. Parts were great, and parts were terrible. But I thought I should mention the thing that really sticks out in my memory: Boys are the greatest force for good in the world. The odd part is that, mostly, modern…
By Michael Shook “Christmas is coming” … I don’t know if the goose is getting fat, but some of us undoubtedly will add some, given all the delicious, butter-laden food that is such a wonderful part of the season. We should also grant that, for those not fond of wet, short, cold, and dark days,…
By Suzanna Leigh In Oatman, Arizona, the gold-mining ghost town where we were living when the boys were small, there were no malls, no blaring of tired old Christmas Carols, no Salvation Army Santa’s jingling bells on the street corners. Actually, there were no street corners to speak of, unless you count where the pot-holed…
By Pam (aka Gates) Johnson One of the great things about aging on Vashon is Tuesday at the local IGA. If you are on the south side of 50 – or is it 55 – you get a 10% discount on your entire order every Tuesday. This is a serious bonus if you, like me,…