By Seán Malone and John Sweetman Seán and I have been exchanging gifts for years. Usually, these are things we make or special odd things we acquire that would not make sense to others. I suppose this may have started in our early childhood when we began thinking about Christmas in July or August by…
By Dave B. Marketing is an endless stream of figuring out a way to sell your clothing line, used car or boat, a campaign for a position in government, and pizza. It is expensive and can be a large part of a small businesses’ bottom line. Here on Vashon you have various options, including The…
By Pam “Gates” Johnson Lucky me. I’ve been having trouble with my stupid feet for a few years. Foot doctor, neurologist, and Joe Blow on the street all told me there is nothing they could do, so just get used to it. Pain and tingling and numbness worsened, and finally my primary care doc said,…
By Daniel Hooker We in society have been molded and shaped into a form by words on paper, visual art, and music that resonates in our souls. When I was a young man, I returned from Europe, with my mind, body and soul changed by all that I had experienced. I came home to a…
By Ali Elsberry I just love the nostalgia that comes from inhaling the wonderful scent of fir this time of the year. When I was young, we always went to the local tree farm in the tiny town where I grew up to find our Christmas tree. We’d load up in our heavy jackets and…
By March Twisdale Recently, I wrote an article for The Vashon Loop. A local business owner read the article, or a portion of it, and told a customer of his that he was (1) offended by the article and (2) would no longer offer The Vashon Loop on his countertop to customers. That customer also…
By Suzanna Leigh I had a conversation with a squirrel the other day. She was a native “Douglas” squirrel, brownish with a brownish-red underbelly. She seemed to defy gravity as she perched on the side of the shed, hind feet up, her head down closer to my eye level. She looked directly into my eyes…
By Craig Bailey, “Fiddlehead Bistro,” Saranac Lake, NY This vegan soup is great for a cold winter day with some crusty bread and a fire. It’s bright and hearty and warms from the inside. It can also be served chilled, but for me it’s all about warmth. To get the meaty undertone, browning the onions…
Or, “What To Do With Smoothie Remnants?” By John Valencia We call this my “Smoothie Sludge Bread!” The hiccup is that it requires the pulp leftover from my daily juices. But I guess if people do some juicing, then they’d have it on hand. And the backstory is really just that: I had this leftover…
By Andy Valencia The next morning, the car went out on another trip, but Tom didn’t even pay attention. He could feel his body trying to push out a second flower, and he held it back even as his one flower gathered pollen and started trying to grab all his juices to form so many…