I love Tacoma and Lakewood. Our last vacation was at the Best Western in lovely downtown Lakewood in June, but when we had a loooong weekend involving two granddaughter weddings from Point Defiance to Issaquah and Seattle, we had a one day window to relax. We booked a room at Mildred’s Bed and Breakfast in […]
Horses on the Merry-Go-Round – a Short Story
There’s something about a decent diner that always calms my soul. Sylvie’s hits that sweet spot like no other – a fine place, with fine food and fine people. The girl that owns it – Molly, a sweet kid whose mom would surely be proud of her had she not passed so soon – has […]
Down-home Cooking in Lakewood, Tacoma, and Puyallup
Down-home’s definition is “connected with an unpretentious way of life.” Down-home cooking is food like mom or grandma used to make, but not my mother; that’s another story. Recently, I posted a query on several different Facebook groups: Lakewood, Tacoma, and Puyallup areas. I asked about favorite restaurants that still offered “home cooked,” family-style type […]
Cactus Growing Popular in the Proctor District
“Cactus” had come up in discussion several times over the last month. It was time to check it out. I invited my sister Marsha and her husband Keith to celebrate her birthday. Keith had to work, but our cousin Lavinia joined Peg and me and Marsha for an early dinner. While Peg went shopping for […]
Ballerinas, Grace, Degas, and Peggy Doman
While attending Clover Park High School in the early 1960s, I was an avid reader of Playboy Magazine for the articles, the men’s fashion ads, the often featured art of LeRoy Neiman and, possibly, certain photographs that I found appealing. “Best known for his brilliantly colored, stunningly energetic images of sporting events and leisure activities, […]
Rufus Ruckus and a New Home for a Labrador
“The sweet-faced, lovable Labrador Retriever is America’s most popular dog breed. Labs are friendly, outgoing, and high-spirited companions who have more than enough affection to go around for a family looking for a medium-to-large dog.” – akc.org/dog-breeds/labrador-retriever/ My cousin Lavinia and her husband, Dr James Hart, finally made the move from Detroit back to her […]
McMenamins Elks Temple Restaurant Review
We arrived just after opening with the glaring August Sunday morning sun blinding me. Once inside McMenamins I was blinded by the opulence. Almost everywhere you look in each room, were interesting fixtures, furniture, paintings, and object d’art. This renovated icon of downtown Tacoma took years to complete, but it was certainly worth the wait. […]
St. Vinnies and Soroptomists Working Together for Our Community
Most people don’t realize that St. Vincent de Paul in Tacoma has a show room. It’s not as bright and shiny as the stores in our local shopping areas like Towne Center, Tacoma Mall, and South Hill, but it has some nice looking furniture, carpets, and treasures to offer – at much lower prices. My […]
Telling Your Starboard from Your Lefse
“Flavorless and boring . . . Finnish is the worst (I disagree! DD), Norwegian is pretty bad too.” – econjobrumors.com/topic/why-is-scandinavian-food-so-bad While breakfasting with friends at the Urban Elk recently we discussed my article on tacos and why they were so popular with Norwegians. – thesubtimes.com/2019/07/28/can-five-million-taco-eating-norwegians-be-wrong/ In the article I had put forth the suggestion that […]