Celebrations have varied by stage of life My favorite Thanksgiving was the year the international students’ office at the local university asked for volunteer host families. Students would be invited to homes to experience an American Thanksgiving. I telephoned the … Read More
I’m as unqualified as the next guy I offer myself as Cabinet Secretary material. I have the following qualifications: — I own some early Barbies with pencil skirts and stiletto heels. — I have a pocket-sized version of the Constitution I … Read More
Anadromous fish fights her way upstream Hi, my name is Sharon, and I am interviewing the first salmon ready to spawn upstream of the Klamath Dam removal. And who are you? Hi, my name is Celine Salmon. I’m an anadromous … Read More
Ta-Nahesi Coates may not be everybody’s cup of tea, but I love the dialogue he provokes. Bill Safire hosted a wide variety of guests who had at it — Norman Mailer, Gore Vidal, and Mary McCarty. I watched a clip … Read More
I need to buy an apron I baked cookies with my granddaughter on Friday. That is, I sliced a roll of cookie dough I bought from the grocery store onto a baking sheet. We put them in the oven and … Read More
Nor is Tim Walz a “yah, you betcha” hotdisher I was born in Minnesota and it’s where I am from. I lived there longer than anywhere else, raised my children there, and had my career there, mostly. In my last … Read More
The beautiful landscapes others seldom see Enchanted Valley is the place name of the valley in the Quinault Rainforest, part of the Olympic National Park. I took many smaller roads from the interstate and drove an hour without going through … Read More
Bernice Johnson Reagon, Freedom Singer, founded Sweet Honey in the Rock Bernice Johnson Reagon went home, over the River Jordan, on Friday. With the presidential sweepstakes taking the news attention, it might be easy to overlook the great musician who … Read More
When family needs and individual needs collide The hospital social worker called me and told me my aunt had checked herself out of the geriatric mental health unit, where she was for treatment of depression, against medical advice. I sighed … Read More
What are your outcomes: surgery, treatment, grieving? Surgery recommendations have been a part of my life for the past year. While I have felt halt and lame, my goal is to be hale and hearty and live fully, not merely … Read More