The “sound of silence” might sound to some, in the same sense as the Procol Harem song, “Whiter Shade of Pale,” a play on words. But if you’ve ever been in a recording studio with no ventilation fans and experienced the hearing of nothing, then you know the sound of silence. Sometimes you can experience […]
To Ponder
Advent Calendar December 14: Telling Stories
Nothing is more relaxing and creating ties than doing things together – as a family, as friends, as partners in life. One of the coziest is sitting together and telling stories. Whether it is sharing the background of family traditions or talking about an especially funny or tense Christmas, about your favorite things to do […]
In the Book Nook with … Tessa Floreano
Author Tessa Floreano, who works as a content strategist on large corporate websites, lives on Ames Lake near the farming community of Carnation, WA. She has been writing since 2009 and seriously since 2014. Her first book was published with The Wild Rose Press in 2022. Her 1920s romantic mystery, “Slain over Spumoni,” won First […]
Letter: Put On Hold
She was definitely a multi-tasker. My wife and I were sitting at her cubicle awaiting our appointment, and the multiple-lit blinking phone was indicating others were waiting as well. “Excuse me,” she said as we were seated, whereupon she picked up the phone, punched a button, apologized to the person on the other end of […]
Letter: It Was Perfect
This year was the first time our family’s traditional search for The Perfect Christmas Tree was held without her. I lost my wife to cancer on the first day of spring. For fifty years, The Perfect Christmas Tree my wife selected was – always – in the very farthest reaches of the acres and acres […]
Join the Midwinter Revels
In December of 1994 Peggy and I attended the first Tacoma Midwinter Revels at the Rialto Theater in Tacoma. It was more than just “watch and listen” entertainment . . . much more. I don’t recall if we participated in the final presentation, or if the whole theatre simply became the entertainers and sang, and […]
Advent Calendar December 13: Winter Walks
Taking a walk is some wonderful exercise, anytime. But during winter, it is something that is a bit taxing as well. We have to layer us against cold and rain (if not snow), and the time window we have is narrow, as the days are so short. But once we are outdoors, it is extremely […]
Letter: Looking Back the Way We Came
I love to wander but I am not lost. I love to wonder but I already know the answer. I wonder about life and its purpose. There’s something about loving the one who has been for so long so precious, and then losing her, that forces us – me anyway – to contemplate what difference […]
Advent Calendar December 12: Christmas Cards
Have you written all your Christmas mail already? Maybe even received one or the other card yourself and placed it on a sideboard or a mantlepiece? If you haven’t sent out your cards yet, there’s still a little time. Think about the joy a card chosen with care will create with the recipient. Nobody expects […]