Kids are almost bursting with anticipation these days. Adults do rarely – our lightheartedness has often been taken over by stress and anxiety as to how the holidays will pass. Pass, indeed, not be enjoyed. There are so many aspects of what we fear – imperfection of the setting, imperfection of human relationships, imperfection of […]
To Ponder
Letter: A Post Office Without Stamps?
Submitted by Ray Egan. Whoever heard of a post office that doesn’t have any stamps? It’s not just that the Steilacoom Post Office hasn’t had any Christmas-themed stamps for two weeks: on December 19th there were no stamps of any kind for sale. None. Zero. And it isn’t the first time. If I have my […]
Advent Calendar December 21: The Whole Nine Yards
Are you checking off your lists again? Does your home look perfect for receiving your Christmas guests? Is the schedule for the upcoming holidays watertight? Will everybody have fun-stuff to do? Is the wine cellar filled, and will the food on the table be sufficient? Ah, what is sufficient?! I have stopped going to the […]
Yummy Burgers for Three at the Clubhouse Grill
We hadn’t seen cousin Lavinia since laughing for more than two hours at CenterStage in Federal Way and their panto (pantomime), Sleeping Beauty. Peg and I went to the University Place library. She found books to check out and I read magazines while waiting. Peg suggested we call Lavinia to join us for lunch at […]
Letter: “Life Slipped Through Their Fingers Unlived”
For as long as I can remember I have cherished the hours of the early morning. Whether it was in my unheated office down by the lake where I cradled a cup of coffee in my hands to warm up my fingers before returning them to the keyboard while awaiting the first winter fisherman of […]
Advent Calendar December 20: Angels
Christmas is connected to angels from its very beginning. Angels are considered to be harbingers of God, creatures of light, and are most often imagined to have wings and halos. They pervade sacred art from cute little cherubs of very human toddler quality to the awe-inspiring and forbidding guardians of Paradise. But often we also […]
Letter: Congress should for on Protecting Patients Against PBM Abuse Act
Submitted by Deryl McCarty, USAF (Retired), Puyallup (South Hill), WA. As one who provides home health care for a family member, it is incredibly frustrating to see the impact that high out-of-pocket prescription costs can have on patients – no, on all of us. It is even more frustrating to know that one of the […]
Advent Calendar December 19: Coziness
Are you feeling stressed out because there is still so much to do till Christmas and so little time to do it? Cut yourself some slack and make coziness part of your daily schedule. Switch off your phone, stop checking for emails or messages – these are just stress factors that don’t get anything done […]
Advent Calendar December 18: Stars
One of my favorite things to do in winter is star gazing – provided the sky is not clouded, of course. You can turn star gazing into an actual evening event. There are websites that tell you which constellations are to be seen in the night skies. Now, dress yourself warmly, get yourself a hot […]