By Michael Shook “… we all eat strawberries with cream – whether we like strawberries with cream, or not.” My mother had a number of sayings she was fond of, and this was a standard around the house, used when one of the three of us kids would whine about something not being fair. It…
By Rocky (Donna) Liberty At 3:30 p.m., I realized the time and charged to the beach to capture the last bit of day. Walking south towards the light, I scoured the beach for aggies, shells, and the odd bit of interesting glass. Curiosity and the thrill of discovery have always spurred me to walk miles…
It’s Been a Couple of Interesting Months Around the Old Johnson Farm By Pam (“Gates”) Johnson I’ve been slowly going out of my mind with inactivity since my spinal surgery in early December. A couple of friends are also going through some recovery. One had a shoulder replacement, another badly broke his leg. When the…
By Suzanna Leigh Marj Watkins – Illustration by Suzanna Leigh I dreamed about my mother early this morning. She is 101 now, and I see her about every other day. I watch her slow decline and wonder how long she will continue to enjoy life. Sometimes I dream that she is walking easily again, the…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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. You can read all…