There is probably nobody in Steilacoom, WA, who hasn’t come across woodwork or wood artwork by Jim Anderson. When he first moved there with his family, he was self-taught, and he was already that skillful that he had long customer lists for commissioned wood artifacts. “But I felt like I had hit the ceiling,” remembers […]
Across the Fence
Across the Fence: A Town of Uniques
Most of the Suburban Times’ readers probably know that Steilacoom is “the Town of Firsts” in Washington. And you might have been there at one or the other time if you are not as lucky as to be living there anyway. But there is another town I need to tell you about today, also well […]
Across the Fence: Yarns of Yore
The other day, my friend Denise and I took a walk around Waughop Lake. It had been over a year since we last did anything of the kind, and there was too much to say than a single loop around the lake would have held. So, we made it to a bench on which we […]
Across the Fence: Fryxell, Falls, and Fame
Life is short. And if you want to fill it to the brim with the good stuff, make a bucket list of things that you are capable of doing or achieving. When I came over here almost eleven years ago, my husband had told me to come up with a list of places that I […]
Across the Fence: No News
Some of us have probably heard the term “resilience” ad nauseam. It is defined as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness “; in other words, it’s the elasticity of the mind and soul. It is not even a natural capacity – because it can be learned. You dig into your inner resources and […]
Across the Fence: Off the Main Road
When the first beams of sunlight tear the sky on a spring weekend, who doesn’t want to go and enjoy the great outdoors again?! Well, last weekend, my husband and I decided we’d head for the Olympic Mountains and see what hiking opportunities are closer by where they are neither too high nor too steep. […]
Bacon’s Double Take: Moving
Seeing my dear friend and co-author Joe Boyle’s photo for the first time, my instant thought was “Santa”, and quite a blue one, too. We all know that Santa is wearing red and white, not blue and white, right? So, is a blue Santa still a Santa? Or is he just blue? Or could he […]
Across the Fence: A Crisp Idea
You have probably heard that rumor has it that with Covid vaccinations we are implanted with chips. I keep telling people that I like the “Sasquatch Surprise” flavor of Tim’s Kettle Chips best, though I doubt that we get vaccinated with them. Or that they would help against a virus. Though they certainly make me […]
Across the Fence: Words That Matter
The other day, I asked my friends on Facebook whether they had any wishes as to which uncontroversial topic they’d like me to write about in my Friday Suburban Times column. Some asked for more food topics (I promise, I will sometime soon). One of my friends, German author Bettina Strang (https://wortstrang.de), suggested a number […]