The other day, a friend of mine shared on her Facebook page how there were so-called obligatory Life Skills classes at a New York school’s ninth grade. While thinking that it is sad that a lot of parents these days seem not to be able to teach those skills to their kids anymore or lack […]
To Ponder
Keeping Warm Memories – A Short Story
Jacob Farley sat in his freezing living room about forty miles outside of Sweetwater, Texas. He was cold. The wind turbines weren’t doing their job and the power grid left him with no electricity. From the last newscast he had heard it was the same for everyone else in the area . . . perhaps […]
Letter: Is It Education or Political Activism?
Or is it both? The California Board of Education “wants to turn your children into militant leftists.” In an opinion piece dated March 18, Kaylee McGhee White wrote in the Washington Examiner that “a divisive and radical educational curriculum that would force a series of courses into the public school system based in critical race […]
Pawn Shops and Mo Love – A Short Story
I love pawn shops. They’re kinda like Forrest Gump’s chocolates. You never know until you step inside and look around. I was returning home to the South Puget Sound area from Palouse Falls in Eastern Washington. I was in no particular hurry so I pulled into Cle Elum and The Cottage Café for some chicken […]
Letter: The Miracle Of Life
Because of the time of its blooming and the rose-like shape of its flower buds, The Pink Lady Spotted Hellebore is often called the Lenten Rose. In its center there are five pistils which can remind one of an in-utero baby’s five tiny fingers and toes. A number of years ago, a friend of mine […]
A Glimmer of Hope – Live Stage Productions On the Horizon
Here is the latest news for Washington State local stage entertainment as of March 17th: “Inslee announces statewide move to Phase 3 of recovery plan, return to spectator events.” Most of our local stage production theatres have been almost a year now without live productions. While donations are always accepted, it is live productions, real […]
Edward James Olmos – Talent for the Game – Film Review
I like sports movies. There is usually drama, humor, effort, and twists of fate. In “Talent for the Game” we see baseball lover Edward James Olmos playing Virgil Sweet, a big league wanna-be catcher, but relegated to baseball scout. We see him checking out talented young players with potential. He has an eye for potential […]
Shuddering, Trembling, and Convulsing
On Monday morning I looked up quotes about Mondays. The very first one blew me away: “On Monday mornings I am dedicated to the proposition that all men are created jerks.” It was worth a chuckle and a thought, but the author of the quote brought a smile to my lips. H. Allen Smith most […]
Across the Fence: Aggression Pays
Really?! Does this otherwise so peaceful columnist condone aggression?! Think twice, as you know me better than that, and let me enjoy the double-take I probably caused you when you were reading my headline. Today, I was clipped by another car while doing a left turn at a crossing. It was in the left lane, […]