“Salmon are spawning all over the state and we’re missing it! Let’s go!” I frantically tell Nate and Alex, while pushing them toward the door. “The salmon will spawn from September through October,” my patient husband calmly explains. “We’re not missing anything. They’ll spawn all day and all night. It doesn’t matter if it’s 10… Continue reading Desperately Seeking Salmon at the Ballard Locks

Prove you’re not a stick in the mud when the parish priest comes to your house. Provide a fast paced, heart-pumping, interactive evening that will really give him something to preach about on Sunday. Sure, he may have plans for a house blessing, so you might be inclined to say to yourself, “Between the blessing… Continue reading Dinner Party Games for When the Parish Priest Visits

When some Jolly Ranchers overdid it at a party back in 2012, they slipped themselves out from their cellophane wrappers and fell into batches of Glacier Peak Winery Malbec Wine. I couldn’t be happier about this indiscretion on the part of those Jolly Ranchers on what must have been one wild, wild night. I happily… Continue reading Jolly Good Sips and Tips: An Adventure in Wine Tasting

“Dangerous Side Winds,” is not a good sign to see when cruising the bridge that spans Deception Pass, connecting Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands in Washington. The Whidbey Camano Islands Tourism Information site estimates that about 20,000 cars cross the bridge every day. From my estimation, throngs of people seem to love walking across it, too—… Continue reading Flashbacks of Codzilla on a Deception Pass Boat Tour

Plunging live prawns into boiling water is a real scream. I’m not kidding. I screamed real loud as the feisty crustaceans lashed at my fingers with their really sharp antennae. Sometimes very hot water went everywhere. It was wild—a scene from a horror movie. And I’ll never do it again—except, they sure were tasty! However,… Continue reading Cooking Live Prawns: Hold Onto Your Heads and Tails!

Decorating with buckets makes a festive and bold statement. Nothing says, “Wow! These homeowners are prepared for anything!” like a few buckets stashed under the sinks or placed under the ceiling. I learned this art as a young child. The house where I grew up in Ohio was a Frank Lloyd Wright style home that… Continue reading For Buckets of Fun, Fix that Leak!

The “happy frog” shower curtains in Alex’s bathroom were replaced long ago by sleeker more sophisticated motifs, which now provide the backdrop for perfecting hair and applying prudent amounts of Axe products. Alex celebrated his 15th birthday at the beginning of this month and Nate and I have noticed that he’s developing into a compassionate,… Continue reading Kayaking: Now There’s a Wholesome Date Idea for Teens!

Plants scream in terror when I walk past them. I’m pretty sure of it. They’ve told one another—word traveling far and wide—that I kill plants. They know I mean well; I just don’t have that coveted green thumb, but darn it—I’ve got a hankering for cilantro and according to Washington State University’s “Home Vegetable Gardening… Continue reading The Cilantro is Calling! (Or Is It Screaming?)

A diabolically foul odor that not even the Scentsy people could erase sometimes stalks me—haunting me as I work—driving me insane—causing me to accuse people I love of things they didn’t do. Here’s an example: “Quit opening cans of tuna! Ugh! It stinks—all the way up here!” I shouted to Nate, from my upstairs office… Continue reading Rub-A-Dub-Dub, the Cat Needs a Scrub!

Magical blueberry bushes—free from scary bears and as tall as trees—really do exist, thanks to blueberry nymphs that rain down from the skies and sprinkle the earth with plump berry goodness. (At least, that’s my theory.) On Sunday morning, Nate, Alex, and I scampered through wide acres of the Mountain View Blueberry Farm in Snohomish,… Continue reading Getting Picky: It’s Blueberry Picking and Scone Season!