Tillicum

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

She’s been asked to speak to a woman’s group. About grief. And what we’ve learned. As we’ve talked about her coming presentation and she shared her heart, it seems to me this will be my wife’s title: “It’s not about what, it’s about who.” Who came in the crisis; who listened; who cried, who cared. […]

I was sitting there, cold, huddled in a blanket, not feeling very well, a cup of coffee cradled occasionally in my hands to ensure my fingers would stay somewhat nimble on the keys of the computer, looking forward to my bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. But my heart was warm given the sweet, contrite voice […]

How much compensation should there be for Amtrak riders – and those on I-5 below – who suffered “broken bones, brain injuries, spinal wounds and other trauma” when Amtrak 501 derailed on its inaugural run December 18, 2017 just minutes after passing through our community of Tillicum? That’s the question before jurors in the Tacoma […]

Today, August 30, is National Marshmallow Toasting Day. Seriously. If you missed it there is a National Toasted Marshmallow Day Countdown Clock that shows the number of days, hours, minutes & seconds until the next gooey event. Relatedly, there is an opinion expressed by the editorial board in one media publication that recommends school not […]

Sometimes my granddaughter of now nearly eight months will help me water the flowers on our porch. It gives me yet another reason to hold her. Occasionally she’ll accompany me to get the mail but mostly it’s the flowers. Sometimes we’ll use the sprinkling can since that takes longer and gives us a chance to […]