What do I remember from my first day of school in Germany ever? A big candy-filled cardboard cone, throngs of people seated in the gym to attend a welcoming program and to listen to the principal, then entering a classroom and being pretty much clueless about anything that was going on. I was able to […]
To Ponder
Ginger, Ginger Jam, Jazz, and Pizzazz
The following article, “Ginger Nutrition Benefits,” was written by me and my wife, Peg for the website Live2AgeWell (c. 2013 – Live2AgeWell.com). I recently won the door prize at my book group meeting. It was a bottle of ginger syrup. I would hardly wait to try it out. The next morning I had French Toast […]
A Shaggy Labrador Story
I was sitting at a table in Bruno’s drinking one of their top one hundred beers. I had just finished a great bowl of soup and a crusty roll. I was missing my wife and my dog . . . or perhaps I was missing my dog and my wife. The priority was a little […]
Extra Work Should Be a Welcome Opportunity
A co-worker is off sick for the day. Your boss gives you her work to do. How would you react? Get all of the extra work done? Get most of the extra work done? Get some of the extra work done? By getting all of the extra work done, you risk alienating your co-worker. You […]
Japanese Knotweed and Sewer Pipes
According to the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, Pierce County has one of the most heavy concentrations of Japanese Knotweed in the state. We share this designation with six other Washington counties. “Mowing or cutting plant shoots is ineffective alone; however, mowing followed by herbicide treatments will provide some control. Methods must be repeated […]
Cabbages and Kings, Emperors, and Ming
The following article, “Nutritional Cabbage Superfood,” was written by me and my wife, Peg for the website Live2AgeWell (c. 2013 – Live2AgeWell.com) – It’s almost time for Oktoberfest, and cabbage grows well in the Puyallup Valley, so this article is a must read . . . an almost German must-tard read. With its short growing […]
The Foreigner – Tacoma Little Theatre Play Review
When I saw the Tacoma Little Theatre list of productions for this their 100th Anniversary, I wondered “why.” My wife, Peg and I had seen The Foreigner at least two or three times. We remembered it as amusing. This production is not amusing, it is outright FUNNY! The Plot: “In a rural fishing lodge in […]
Home from Home: Hiking
When I was a kid in Germany, my family went off hiking to the Black Forest or to the Swabian Alb, low mountain ranges close to my hometown, Stuttgart, on a regular basis. Either a newspaper clip or a hiking book was placed in my mother’s shoulder bag, and usually they were day trips. I […]
Sock It To Me!
I felt like a little old man wearing a shark-skin suit and white socks. My daughter-in-law’s brother, Zeke, was taking me to task at a backyard family party for wearing white crew socks with my shorts and my black New Balance trainers. I have been wearing the same type and brand of socks for years […]