National Geographic’s (NG) April 9, 2020 “Your Weekly Escape” edition is subtitled “Extraordinary people, discoveries, and places in a time of turmoil. “Take a deep breath,” NG recommends. “There are still amazing tales of purpose and dedication, exploration that leads to discovery and understanding, and a natural world that often astounds us.” Featured photographer Jim […]
Westside Story – Operation Easter Egg Drop
The other day I had an astonishing phone conversation with French and Mary Lu Wetmore from the Town of Steilacoom. They shared some upbeat information I am excited to pass on to my readers. French and Mary Lu informed me that John and Niki O’Reilly uncovered a post-onset Coronavirus pandemic problem facing kids living in […]
Letter: Thousands of miles, hundreds of hours, buckets of tears
It’s Easter weekend which means, among many things, there’ll be a hunt for eggs in the front yard. It’s her first opportunity, with her newfound ability to toddle about on her own, that she’ll navigate her way robotically from one brightly colored egg to another and fill her little basket. She’ll be dressed in her […]
You Scratch My Back . . . and I'll Scratch Mine
Man is not alone in having an itch that can’t quite be reached. Many four-legged animals have long necks that allow them to nibble at an irritation or tingle. Bears can rub up and down a tree, but humans are left making do. Back scratchers started out as limbs from trees. Early primates would simply […]
Across the Fence: Open or in Between?
Really? She is writing about sandwiches today? She must have run out of topics. What’s there to write about some slabs of bread and some toppings? Well, if you are a foodie, you don’t get past sandwiches. And if you love history, you will find some pretty interesting stories around them. Let me share you […]
Islands of Resilience
A lot of us are looking back in history these days, most probably because they want to find out about how people 100 years ago dealt with the Spanish flu and its aftermath. But these days, there is another historical date coming up that changed the world in Europe 75 years ago: European V-Day on […]
Fighting for Truth, Justice and the America Way – Review
I grew up watching The Cisco Kid, The Lone Ranger, and Superman on television. The Cisco Kid featured two Mexicans or maybe two Mexican-Americans righting wrongs and helping people. The Lone Ranger was an ex-Texas Ranger and his “faithful Indian companion” Tonto protecting people from the bad guys. Superman was an alien who fought for […]
Letter: Lottery purchases unaffected by virus so support (sex) education
On March 23, the “Lottery Post” broke down every state’s lottery response to Covid-19. Here, according to Lottery Post, was Washington’s: “Business as usual, with no changes in operation or claiming of prizes.” Washington’s official lottery website has a link for “Responsible play during Covid-19.” You can still buy tickets for “both Washington-based and multi-state […]
Westside Story – Failure To See The Light
An avid reader of Westside Story, who is also my favorite daughter, Paige, sent me the car vs. traffic-light pole crash photo below. The image speaks volumes to me. It reminds me that a majority of drivers fail to “see the light” when it comes to driving safely. To help my readers “see the light,” […]