I had enjoyed a fantastic Chicken Fried Steak at The Pine Cone Restaurant in University Place right before COVID hit. Soon The Pine Cone and most other restaurants pretty much closed their doors. When restaurants opened up again, The Pine Cone was one of the first places we returned to and the food was still […]
To Ponder
In the Book Nook with … Jennifer Nightingale
Author Jennifer Nightingale grew up in Seattle, Washington, has explored beaches and bays from British Columbia all the way to Northern California, and has been living in Astoria, Oregon, at the mouth of the Columbia River for seven years now. She has worked in various administrative capacities in the healthcare industry for over thirty years […]
Across the Fence: Oktoberfest
They are about to pop up everywhere these days – Oktoberfests. This Germanism is as Bavarian as it gets – the reminiscence of the then future-king Ludwig I of Bavaria’s October wedding to Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Even the venue to which the citizens of Munich were invited is the same historical site today – […]
In the Book Nook with … Joshua Crosson
Author Joshua Crosson lives “in a rural area, very quiet and beautiful,” in the Skagit Valley area in Washington State, far from work and school. Currently, he is working as a CAN and goes to nursing school, trying to become an LPN, which is “rewarding and important work, but draining at the same time.” Joshua […]
Across the Fence: Dollar
Who would have thought that the American currency has been named for an ancient Bohemian currency?! Wait! Where is the Germanism in this, you might ask. The Bohemia region has a truly colorful history of belonging here and there, also with a very dominant history of German and Jewish influences. Which means that the term […]
Letter: The End of the Day
Today she has been gone but six months. And this evening, as with most evenings, I will return again to our quiet place by the lake. Sometimes finding myself bewildered and anxious, I have discovered that here my soul grows still. Unsettled and weary, I lay aside my garden tools as the evening draws on, […]
Letter: The Chase Bank maples are dying
Submitted by Bob Warfield. Let me say that again: The Chase Bank Maples, once glorious, are dying from shameless neglect. Well before Lakewood became a city, I remember local community excitement as we watched this once handsome building, with its gorgeous bronze tulip fountain, rise at its centrally prominent location. To this day, it remains a valued […]
In the Book Nook with … P.A. O’Neil
Author P.A. O’Neil has been living in Thurston County, Washington, for around 50 years. Presently, she is retired from “day jobs,” but she has been “everything from a residence hall director to a wine and beer consultant for a national liquor store”, many positions of which have contributed to her career as a writer. P.A. […]
Across the Fence: Dirndl and Lederhosen
Oh, the joys for so many tourists in Germany of experiencing the Munich Oktoberfest! Or the Stuttgarter Volksfest, its hardly less popular cousin … And to see more and more visitors dress up in dirndl and lederhosen (the English pronunciation of either is hardly any different from the German one), THE typical traditional German clothing. […]