Remember that I still owe you an article about the Zoological and Botanical Gardens in my German hometown of Stuttgart? Because I had been raving about the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle a while ago, which reminded me of this marvelous institution that was such a great destination during my childhood and teenage years. It […]
Lakewood
Westside Story – The Inventor – Part II
If you missed my previous column titled, Westside Story – The Inventor – Part I, click the link to be taken back in time. In 1967 I purchased a Charmglow natural gas grill which I have owned for over 50 years. I recently concluded allowing my son-in-law to grill with a BBQ that is older […]
Letter: Odds and ends
On my office desk at work there’s a tiny wooden box, open at the top, containing 13 “Forever” postage stamps, three safety pins, a ring I found, a single spacer for laying tile, a dime and a penny. There’s also a spare clicker – a duplicate of the one mounted in my truck – that […]
Westside Story – The Inventor – Part I
Have you ever asked yourself why Ben Sclair does not publish Westside Story articles more frequently? Let me try to explain the cause of the inordinate lulls between Westside Story columns. It is not Ben’s fault. A rock-solid reason that sounds fairly impressive is that I have engulfed myself in a whirlwind cycle of high […]
Across the Fence: A Time to Write
Have you made your annual Christmas card list already? Don’t think it’s too early for that; because if you are crafting yours and if some of them go overseas, you want to be ahead of the postal cut-off date. But I’m also talking of a different kind writing. Another long winter season lies ahead in […]
Westside Story – It's Only An Urge
It’s Only An Urge. Boyle urges China to investigate the Trumps Joe Biden thinks Joe Boyle is funny! Credits and thanks: (1) Mrs. B. for photography and photo pre-production to make this attempt at humor possible. (2) Jimmy Howe for purchasing one of President Donald Trump’s old red ties at the Trump family moving sale […]
Letter: One year ago, today
It’s the call you never want to get. It’s what happens to other people, that is, until your phone rings. Grief like a grave with both ends kicked out stretches on and on. And on. Sometimes it’s a medical prognosis that confirms our worst fear; an unjust accusation that is most difficult to bear. We […]
Letter: The power of darkness – one thing led to another
As it turned out it was a very, very small thing – in the beginning anyway – but it had created a very frustrating problem. Nearly half the house was in darkness. The other half was cheery bright. To bring power to the darkness, extension cords plugged into extension cords which were plugged into lamps, […]
Across the Fence: Apple Squeeze
Would you know what day it is, this upcoming Sunday? Yes, October 6, right. It’s also German-American Day, celebrating the first German settlers arriving from Krefeld in the United States in 1683; they founded Germantown, PA, and organized the first petition in the English colonies in 1688 to abolish slavery. But this year it’s also […]