Photo by Brandie Robbins on Pexels.com My sister has been the keeper of Dad’s WWII letters. I didn't read them until a few weeks ago when we were driving north through Skagit Valley on our way to Chuckanut Manor for lunch. On a straight stretch along I-5, Sue took one...
Olympic Athletes, Why Do They Do It?
Photo by Federico Tomasoni on Pexels.com We’d just finished lunch—a big bowl of chili, a green salad, and homemade bread—when my cousin, MM, leaned forward with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “If you were an Olympic athlete,” she asked, “what kind would you want to...
My Mom Didn’t Nurse Me
I was born in 1943, during the Second World War. No ultrasounds in those days, so my dad didn't know whether to expect a son or a daughter. I imagine him sitting in a tent in Italy reading the telegram that announced my birth. Or maybe it was a foxhole in France. For...
Generation Gap at Edmonds Rally
“The Protest at the Dock” was scheduled for noon on a Tuesday, so it wasn’t surprising to see mostly retired people out there waving their signs. My sister and I among them. Our “audience” was people in their cars and trucks lining up to drive onto the...
“A New Day,” My New Year’s Phrase
It’s a fun way to start the day: I look out the window, throw my arms up, and declare, “It’s a new day!” The logical thought that follows is: And what will I make of it? In years past, I made my share of New Year’s resolutions, often variations on the same tired...
When We Were the Housesitters
tapestry of Port Vila market by Linda Bayer It's a strange concept, having someone babysit your house. But in the days before security systems, some people turned to housesitters. There was a time in Port Vila when we were the housesitters. Port Vila, the capital of...
Paying Attention to our Surroundings
Many years ago, while we were living in the Philippines, I took my first writing course, a correspondence course I'd found advertised in a magazine. When I received the course materials, I was surprised to find that the first lesson was on “noticing”. I suppose I...
Noticing the World around Us
Many years ago, while we were living in the Philippines, I took my first writing course, a correspondence course I'd found advertised in a magazine. When I received the course materials, I was surprised to find that the first lesson was on “noticing”. I suppose I...
