As this is the last weekend The Suburban Times is published in 2020, I wish to thank the readers who bore so kindly with me this year and commented so wonderfully. For once, I thought on a festive occasion like this, a poem – in this case, a sonnet – might be an appropriate response. […]
Across the Fence: … and Peace on Earth
Apart from this pandemic to end that has cost so many lives already, what do we most wish for these days? Apart from the stuff that we can buy with money … I think, the angels’ Christmas message in the Bible puts it pretty close to what every other religion in the world makes their […]
Across the Fence: Caroling
I come from a musical family. We were all singers, and wherever we traveled, we sang traditional songs and, in Christmas season, carols. My father and I improvised harmonies. Advent Sundays were a foursome, sometimes with guests, singing along to my father’s guitar strumming. And, of course, as a semi-pro soloist, I sang on stages […]
Across the Fence: Branches of a Saint
Every year since I remember, my mother used to buy some budded, bare branches on December 4. They were most often willow or hazelnut branches, as these seemed to bud pretty much as the earliest in Germany. They looked somewhat austere; and they were usually placed into a puristic designer vase on a medium height […]
Across the Fence: Left-overs
Yesterday was Thanksgiving – one of those feasts when a lot of people have way too much food on their table and way too many left-overs. I remember when I made a whole turkey for the first time, and we were only three eaters. I had turkey left-overs for ever so long, and not being […]
Across the Fence: Counting the Days
For many, Advent is the most exciting time of the year. Even though I find that a lot of my American friends are not aware that the four weeks before Christmas are called that, and that “advent” is Latin for “He [as in our Savior] comes”. But a lot of them have discovered advent calendars […]
Across the Fence: A Rapid Hike
Though my husband is a veteran, Veteran’s Day never finds him dashing off to get one of the countless freebies offered by so many appreciative businesses. An Air Force retiree, but still working, he is one of those lucky people to have Veteran’s Day off – which always calls for a special activity, just the […]
Across the Fence: A Musical Mission
The other day, I was invited to a Zoom house party by my friend, renowned TV and radio show host, author, and humorist Dorothy Wilhelm. It was there that I first met another Washington State icon who immediately impressed me, musician Linda Allen. She presented a video that made me even more curious about her […]
Across the Fence: Fruits of Fall
The skies have turned a different hue of blue a while ago. The first leaves started turning this year in August already. Starbucks and Co. have welcomed back customers for their pumpkin spice lattes. But fall, for me, somehow only begins when I see the first pumpkins paraded outside grocery stores. And everybody who knows […]