Ellen and Jerry have been retired for some time. Jerry can still do some odd jobs for other seniors for cash. They get by. Near the end of the month they count on Pierce County Meal Sites where they can get a meal for $2.50 to $3.00. Sometimes they have to count their change to […]
To Ponder
The Upside and Down of Bedding
Apparently I missed the conversion from traditional bedding to millennial bedding. It seems that millennials prefer a bottom sheet and a duvet. A duvet is a cotton cover over a comforter filled with down, feathers, or synthetic fibers. Laundry is still recommended on a weekly basis, but it is quicker, faster, and cheaper with just […]
Film Review: Fantasia
The films that have been made by The Walt Disney Company in the 85 years of its existence number in the hundreds, and you’d be hard pressed to find one film that everyone agrees is the best. However, there is one Disney film I feel doesn’t get brought up enough in conversations concerning the best […]
Maple Nut Goodies – Hard Candy
Not every time, but quite often when I visit the Dollar Tree on Sixth Avenue in Tacoma, I purchase a bag of Brach’s Maple Nut Goodies. Memories fade, but I seem to recall them available by the pound at Woolworth’s in downtown Tacoma in the early 1950s. They always looked interesting. Here is how Brach’s […]
Letter: Soon it’ll be time for New Year’s Resolutions
On the rare mornings now that the sun appears over the top of the hill, the edgings on the stairs – as seen from my desk surveillance camera where I sit, my hands cradling a cup of coffee in order to stay warm in the otherwise unheated office – become silver ribbons, horizontal icicles, shooting […]
Runaway Pills – Problems and Solutions
A week ago I shook a little pill out of its little bottle towards my waiting meaty paw. The pill made a break for freedom. It bounced out of my hand and left for parts unknown. I was sitting in my office chair, so the drop was less than two feet. I have carpet, so […]
Old, Unwanted, and Out of Job
Meet Acer. He and his pals did their job and now they are just unwanted heroes from yesterday. The world has passed them by. Once they could sniff out marijuana on suspects, in packages, or hidden is suitcases. They thought they were making the world a better place, but no. . . now those criminals […]
Home from Home: Castles
Let’s face it: We are all more or less fascinated with castles. In Europe we almost take them for granted. Our ancestors have been exploited during their built. And though the US have managed to break away from aristocracy long before Europeans, there are still quite a few architectural structures that imitate the grandeur of […]
Water Witching, Divining Rods and Sewer Pipes
You can pay as much as twenty-five dollars for one. You can buy them in plastic or in copper. I use a wire coat hanger, but most people prefer a “Y” shaped tree limb. I’m talking about divining rods, or dowser rods. These tools of the water witch help locate ground water, precious stones, and […]