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…
Island Resilience, March 2026
Money Slaves
By Stephen Buller “Gold is the money of kings, silver is the money of gentlemen, barter is the money of peasants, but debt is the money of slaves.” ~ Norm Franz You and I use debt as money. “Like everyone else, you were born into bondage. Into a prison that you cannot taste or see…
March 2026, Nature
Parallel Lives – The Rare “True” Firs of Vashon-Maury
By Richard Odell We know them mostly by their strange profile, if we know them at all, rising singly, here and there, above the dense skylines of Douglas Firs, their rounded, shaggy heads in contrast to the pointed spires of their surrounding neighbors. They are the rare and “true” firs, Abies grandis, of Vashon-Maury. A…
Health Matters, March 2026
Some Thoughts on How to Manage Migraine, Part 1
By Cynthia Sadurni Living with chronic migraine can feel like having your wings clipped: Will I be able to travel without an attack? How do I care for myself and minimize stress? What should I eat while I am on the plane or at the airport? If I go overseas or take a red-eye flight,…
March 2026, Recipes
Fresh – Yet Ancient – Bread
By Andy Valencia Have you or a loved one had to give up on bread? Many people find that modern grains are too hard to digest, but when sourdough meets historical grains, a new option might help. Amri Valencia shares her experiences making sourdough bread using a grain which has enjoyed recent popularity. Einkorn is…
Children, Fiction, March 2026
The Story of Tomtomtidimiddletom, Part 7
Tom is a weed who has grown up on the bumper of a car, rooted onto a bit of dirt he found caked in a crevice. His car was in a big crash, and now he sits with his car, forgotten among many other broken cars in a concrete parking lot. By Andy Valencia Tom…
Entertainment, Llaughing Llamas, March 2026
Llaughing Llamas Chronicles – March
By Daniel Hooker I’m tired of everything being abbreviated. I keep on asking folks what IDK means. They keep telling me, “I don’t know.” ~ I’ve been reading a horror in braille, just to practice my skills. I know something bad is going to happen. I can feel it. I’ve already got goose bumps! ~…
March 2026, Poetry
Poem From”Grief Age Love”
“Grief Age Love” is a new anthology written by over 30 Vashon poets, and edited by Jeanie Okimoto. This month we conclude our spotlight on this work with “Looking” by Jessika Satori. Thank you to Jeanie Okimoto and to the poets for sharing your poetry with Loop readers! Looking Looking over my blue denim’d shoulderMy…