In my corner of the world (Seattle), we're in that in between phase of seasons. Our days are a little longer and the birds are more active. A walk through my neighborhood reveals crocuses, daffodils and camellias in bloom. So I have replaced the poinsettia with tulips as the featured plant in my house. But... Continue Reading →
Hooray! Summer has officially arrived! Last weekend I did something that I haven't done in almost 20 years. I attended the Fremont Solstice Parade. The Solstice Parade, which coincides with the Fremont Fair, is an annual community event celebrating the longest day of the year. The parade is colorful and festive. It's unique in that... Continue Reading →
Today is Valentine's Day and I want to share a story about love. I love pie. My partner Steve loves pie and he bakes them exquisitely. I also love Steve. But this story of love can be traced back to the mixing bowl in the photograph. This old bowl belonged to Steve's grandma Flora. She... Continue Reading →
It was a dark, rainy morning commute riding the bus into downtown. A pretty typical winter commute in Seattle--except for one thing. It was my last ride on the Alaskan Way Viaduct. Last night Washington State Department of Transportation closed the venerable structure forever and soon it will be torn down. How I navigate this... Continue Reading →
Snowmelt drips, freezes. Each drop clings to one above. Icicle unfolds.
Halloween seemed like a much simpler celebration when I was kid. My mom sat down at her Singer sewing machine and created a cat costume or transformed a pillow case into a pirate's tunic for me to wear for trick or treat. Neighbors turned on their porch light or lit a jack-o'-lantern to welcome trick or... Continue Reading →
Today I picked the last of the green beans off the vine. It's the latest harvest of beans we have had from our garden. Ever. We've been blessed with some amazing garden harvests this year. We picked a record number of tomatoes that we will enjoy into next spring. This year's bean crop is right... Continue Reading →
I enjoy reading. Mostly I read books and e-books borrowed from my public library, but I also haunt used book stores and little free libraries. Over time our spare room overflowed with books. Yesterday we waged a campaign to reclaim our space. The bookcase was crammed full and the floor was littered with paperbacks and... Continue Reading →
Can there be such a thing as too many tomatoes? This year. In our garden. Yes. But we've risen to the challenge! Here are four things we are doing with our abundant urban crop: Marinara sauce. We've cooked and frozen 20 portions (each portion serves two hungry adults) of marinara sauce, and we'll do more.... Continue Reading →
