My wife and I were celebrating our 43rd anniversary – now five years ago – and had spent a delightful day at Pacific Beach on the Washington Coast where we built not one but two sea creatures; floated a drift-wood sailboat – complete with seagull feathers for spinnaker and main – down the stream emptying […]
Letter: June Tillicum meeting cancelled and a call to create
In the midst of the chaos, there can be, within the community, an opportunity. Change pace to place and you begin to understand. It’s the message by Simon and Garfunkel in “The 59th Street Bridge Song” expressed in the opening verse: “Slow down, you move too fast”. It might be your garden. Or building a […]
Bacon’s Double Take – Stairs to Nowhere
The other day, my friend and writing buddy, Lakewood legend Joe Boyle, sent me a photo to inspire the next round of Double Takes. He described it as “stairs to nowhere” – now, anybody who knows me will have a hunch that I immediately came up with a contradictory reaction. Because there is nothing that […]
Boyle’s Double Take – Stairs to Nowhere
If this is your first time reading Susanne Bacon’s and my feature, Double Take, an explanation is in order. My writing partner, Susanne Bacon, and I select one idea, word, photo, or concept. After agreeing on the single thought and title, we move to our respective secret writing places. During our writing time as our […]
Sneering at Walmart?
In casual conversation with friends I mentioned my excellent exposure to Walmart. Both friends didn’t sneer, but they questioned the purpose of shopping there. Since then another friend has cast aspersions on the shopping store giant. This last Tuesday an additional friend, Rich M. sent me a note: “Just a question. Why do you shop […]
Across the Fence: Hands
The other day, I observed a little bird on the fence outside my kitchen window, combing its feathers with its little beak. And all of a sudden, I became aware of what a miracle we human beings have at hand in our hands. How much for granted we take them until they get hurt. And […]
Letter: She’s a keeper
We met at the University of Washington, Seattle campus. It wasn’t the whole “I Saw Her Standing There” across-the-crowded-room thing of the Beatle’s era, but it was close. It wasn’t 1963 – the debut of the Beatles opening track in their album “Please Please Me” – rather it was 1968. She wasn’t seventeen and we […]
Depression, Anxiety, and Plenty of Solitude
Glass windows can be as confining as iron bars when you want to be out in the world with friends and family. Before Covid-19 struck I had lunch regularly with friends at restaurants or at our home in Tacoma’s Northend. Also, Peg and I and I had long standing dinner dates with friends on most […]
Letter: The crack in the sidewalk
One carefully avoided – although just in time – the crack in the sidewalk. The other, the younger of the two, being blissfully unaware of how huge a misstep stepping on a concrete expansion joint really is – second only to stepping on the other’s shadow (not polite) – toddled alongside. With time and practice […]