Summer – no season lends itself for fests like this. Fest is actually an English Germanism. And the German word Fest (the noun, not the adjective with an entirely different meaning) is actually a borrowed word from Latin festum. How is that?! Well, remember Roman emperor Julius Cesar and all that? He had his military […]
Across the Fence
In the Book Nook with … Kit and Drew Coons
Authors Kit and Drew Coons retired from careers as humorous speakers on strengthening and maintaining relationships. Since2020, they have been living in Port Orchard, Washington. The Coonses have written non-fiction for decades, have been published in twelve periodicals, and had a million readers in 2021. They completed their first novel, “Challenge for Two,” in 2018 […]
Across the Fence: Neanderthal
The most curious coincidences create lasting impressions and terminology. In 1856, in a German valley between the towns of Erkrath and Mettmann, Italian lime miners excavated bones that looked as if belonging to a human skeleton. The valley’s name was Neandertal – back then written as Neanderthal –, pronounced nay-‘under-tul, which means valley of Neander. […]
Lakewood Author Susanne Bacon publishes Short Fiction Book
“I only needed to make it credible enough. I had no clue I’d become one of the most notorious, mysterious criminals in American history.Being a nobody made it so easy.Being a nobody made it happen.” This is the beginning of my very first short story in the book I recently published under the title “A […]
Meet Authors at Gig Harbor Summer Art Festival
Have you made any weekend plans yet? Here is an idea you might find very enjoyable. Come to Gig Harbor, the quaint historical town on the other side of the Narrows Bridge. Walk along the waterfront, explore the mom-and-pop stores, the unique eateries … but above all, come to visit the Gig Harbor Summer Art […]
Across the Fence: Abseiling
Have you ever done any abseiling? I have plenty of times, though not always in the literal sense that the Anglicized version of the German term “abseilen” (pronounce ’up-zi-len, meaning to rope oneself down) implies. Let me explore the literal meaning first, before I come to the second meaning Germans use in colloquial speech. Abseiling […]
Across the Fence: Wurst and Bratwurst
It’s grilling season. Okay, it doesn’t really stop or start ever in the mild climate of the Pacific Northwest. But let’s say, summer lends itself to creating meals on the BBQ. And one of the most popular items to grill – maybe because you can hardly ruin them – are brats. No, not annoying, unruly […]
Across the Fence: Almglocken
Have you ever hiked across an Alpine cow pasture in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland? Then, you may have noticed that the air is filled with the sound of bells. Each and every cow in a more loosely connected herd carries one around on its heavy leather collar. It is a very peaceful sound, for sure. […]
Susanne Bacon’s 9th Wycliff Novel Takes You Traveling
It sometimes just takes a tiny spark that gets kindled to become a fire. What do you come up with when you think of filming locations in Western Washington, for example? Even in far-away Germany, we had heard about “Sleepless in Seattle” and about Forks in the “Twilight Saga” back in the day. Just for […]