Fixin' Leaks and Leeks

Pumpkins are capable of bone-chilling noises—especially when they ride along in the car while Nate my husband drives. The constant banging and thumping—every time Nate makes a turn—is particularly unnerving. Playing Monster Mash loudly, in an attempt to be festive and drown out the commotion, is not helping. Example: “He did the mash . .… Continue reading Decorating with Pumpkins and Slime

    Sometimes I can’t follow the rules–even though they are pretty clear: “Seven days. Seven black and white photos of your life. No people. No explanation. Challenge someone new each day.” Was I supposed to post seven photos on seven days or just choose seven days and then post all at once?  I really… Continue reading Black and White Photo Challenge

Some serious spawning takes place behind the Country Inn and Suites near North Creek Business Park in Washington. A terrifying crew of freaky salmon swims upstream near hotels, busy streets, and corporate buildings, which if you ask me, is not a very romantic way to meet up and start a family, but “romance” is not… Continue reading Scary Salmon Sightings–and a Mask–for Halloween!

Pools made of maple butter must exist in the Canadian countryside because the first time I bit into a mass-produced, “made-in-Canada” maple leaf cookie, I imagined myself swimming in one. “Canada is amazing!” I shouted. “How do they do this?” Any other store-bought cookie is dry and crumbly, leaving me with a generic, processed, flour-coated… Continue reading O, Canada! Blue-Ribbon Maple Leaf Cookies: A Re-Blog of Sorts

“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!