Submitted by Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli and Mignonne Peterson. The City of Tacoma plans to close the Beacon and Lighthouse senior centers, hoping that seniors who rely on those centers will somehow seamlessly make the transition to a Metro Parks facility. While Metro Parks does a good job with its programs, Lighthouse and Beacon are long-standing […]
To Ponder
My Mom’s Friend, Maybell
I met Maybell a short time after my mother died. They were friends and had worked together in the St. Vinnie’s Thrift Store for years. Maybelle also had a great sense of concern for others and was always ready to lend a hand. She had kind of a southern drawl, but I think perhaps she […]
The Red-haired King?
Ruadhan is an Irish boy’s name that means “little red-haired one”. It is a diminutive of the Irish word Ruadh, which means “red”. Ruadhan is sometimes anglicized as Rowan. This name means “red-haired king,” as in the red colored hair of foxes today in Clan Dálaigh, County Donegal. At one point in his life, Jack, […]
The Mean Man Who Wasn’t
I’ve known Jefferson Brown for ages. Sometimes people remain in your memory for years. Jefferson was one of those people who only act tough when they are needed. He was part black, part white, and part Chinese with perhaps something even more in his heritage. I met him when he was painting a house with […]
Let’s Talk! – A First Place Ribbon
Are you ready to switch off your screens and ponder or discuss another writing/conversation prompt from my friend Tyrean Martinson’s book? Here’s my take on it. Ribbons for winners seem to be a thing of the Anglo-Saxon world. At least, they never occurred at any time during my life in continental Europe. Also, I’m almost […]
Becky, Alone and Waiting
My wife Margie and I live alone in a nice neighborhood, it’s not expensive, although what isn’t these days? We always drive the same way in and out to visit our favorite grocery store and our favorite hardware store. Our kids come over every now and then to visit and see how we are doing. […]
Across the Fence: (Wiener) Schnitzel
I’m pretty sure that everyone of you has encountered a schnitzel (pronounce: shnitsle, meaning chop) in their lifetime, either as a Germanism in the English language or as a dish on their plate. Though, funny enough, a lot of people think that a schnitzel is so much more German than a boneless chop. And maybe […]
Lakewood Arts Commission November Gathering
The Lakewood Arts Commission held a gathering at the Fort Steilacoom Park Pavilion last Friday, Nov. 8. I felt right at home. As a teenager I worked the night shift at Western State Hospital while attending art classes at the University of Puget Sound in the daytime. Our Friday meeting was kind of a picnic […]
In the Book Nook with … m. a. white
Author m. a. white from Bryan, Ohio, works as a Processing Engineer in the field of injection molding. He has been writing since he was 15 years old and published his first book in 2023. When m.a. doesn’t write he is after “any art that makes lonely people smile.” Which genres do you cover?m. a. […]