“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”
Audrey Hepburn
Our hearts are drunk with a beauty our eyes could never see.
George W. Russell
“Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye.”
William Shakespeare, Love’s Labours Lost, Act 2, Scene 1
“Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart.”
Kahlil Gibran
“Some people, no matter how old they get, never lose their beauty – they merely move it from their faces into their hearts.”
Martin Buxbaum
“In every man’s heart there is a secret nerve that answers to the vibrations of beauty.”
Christopher Morley
“Beauty always promises, but never gives anything.”
Simone Weil
“Beauty and folly are generally companions.”
Baltasar Gracian
“Plainness has its peculiar temptations quite as much as beauty.”
George Eliot
“No object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly.”
Oscar Wilde
“It happens to everyone as they grow up. You find out who you are and what you want, and then you realize that people you’ve known forever don’t see things the way you do. So you keep the wonderful memories, but find yourself moving on.”
Nicholas Sparks
“You must make a decision that you are going to move on. It won’t happen automatically. You will have to rise up and say, ‘I don’t care how hard this is, I don’t care how disappointed I am, I’m not going to let this get the best of me. I’m moving on with my life.’”
Joel Osteen, ‘Your Best Life Now: 7 Steps to Living at Your Full Potential’
“Letting go doesn’t mean that you don’t care about someone anymore. It’s just realizing that the only person you really have control over is yourself.”
Deborah Reber, ‘Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul’
“Girls you’ve gotta know when it’s time to turn the page.”
Tori Amos, ‘Tori Amos: From the Choirgirl Hotel’
“It is important that we forgive ourselves for making mistakes. We need to learn from our errors and move on.”
“Poisonous relationships can alter our perception. You can spend many years thinking you’re worthless. But you’re not worthless. You’re underappreciated.”
“Letting go means to come to the realization that some people are a part of your history, but not a part of your destiny.”
“Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let your tears water the seeds of your future happiness.”
Steve Maraboli
“If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you’re allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.”
Shannon L. Alder
“It’s better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else”
Phil McGraw
“We teach people how to treat us.”
Dr. Phil
When I was growing up, my parents told me, ‘Finish your dinner. People in China and India are starving.’ I tell my daughters, ‘Finish your homework. People in India and China are starving for your job.’
Thomas Friedman
It’s weird to think that nighttime is the natural state of the universe and daytime is only caused by a nearby, radiating ball of flame.
If you run at 11pm you are a night person. If you run at 5am you are a morning person. If you run at 3am you are a suspicious person.
Knowledge is knowing that you can carry all of the groceries in at once. Wisdom is making multiple trips so that by the time you are done, other family members have put away most of the groceries.
The world would be a much thinner place if food was priced per calorie.
Your dog thinks “fetch” is a game that the two of you made up, and he loves you for that.
It’s a good thing dogs can’t use phones or they’d file missing persons reports all day long.
Dogs who grab the paper in the morning probably think they have a huge responsibility, and watching their owners read it afterwards must make them feel so great.
If you raise your children, you spoil your grandkids. If you spoil your children, you raise your grandkids.
It’s weird that being a good dad and great father are highly praised but little boys who play with baby dolls are made fun of.
US Military Careers Reasons to re-inlist
By Rod Powers
Yesterday sucked, today sucked, tomorrow is going to suck, and this seems to be a pretty solid forecast for the rest of my enlistment.
Spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year training for something that there is a 99.9% chance that we will never do.
WWWDWOA? (what would we do without acronyms?)
Taking simple daily tasks and breaking them down into nuclear physics before doing them.
If I got out, I would surely miss the idea of waking up every morning for a “meeting”.
Getting to eat meat that comes in boxes labeled ” not fit for human consumption” and “for institutional use only.”
Waking up every morning and going to “staff meeting” where a piece of paper is read to me even though it is posted on the wall and on the offices internet, both of which I have access to. I guess I can’t read.
Going to medical complaining of severe heart and chest pain and being told to come back during “sick-call” the next day.
I love the fact that my opinion has about as much influence as my sister’s pet iguana’s.
You do not have to respect the person, you have to respect what they wear on their collar or sleeve.
I love the fact that the military wonders why we have so many people around the world that hate our country. I am sure that us being bullies and telling the world what they can and cannot do, then ignoring those rules ourselves has nothing to do with it.
When you get out you will only be 38-40. You still have your entire life ahead of you. Yeah, okay, I want my life to start at 38.
Is that local time or Zulu?
Why did our parents even bother giving us first names?
IN what other job can you do things NOT the RIGHT WAY, but the “MILITARY WAY”?
Who really wants to have any control over their life anyway?
Because only during magic shows and military working hours are the rules of logic suspended.
“We needs must love the highest when we see it.”
Alfred Lord Tennyson
“A fool sees not the same tree that a wise man sees.”
William Blake, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
“Her mother, accompanied by the dog Coach, had ploughed her way through a deep fall of snow to fetch her youngest home from nursery school. The hard going had been a weariness, the cold a misery to the flesh. Ploughing back again, her youngest attached, a small voice sang out beside her, ‘Look, Mummy! Look at Coach and the joy of the snow!’ Coach was leaping and rolling in the snow, his eyes like stars, his tail a banner. The little girl’s eyes were as bright as his, her face pink inside her hood…The mother for a few moments looked at the snow through their eyes and the earth had not smutched it.”
Elizabeth Goudge, The Joy of the Snow
“He was like a man owning a piece of ground in which, unknown to himself, a treasure lay buried. You would not call such a man rich, neither would I call happy the man who is so without realizing it.”
Eugène Delacroix, Journal
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2025 is: hackneyed \HAK-need\ adjective Something is considered hackneyed when it is not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often; in other words, it's neither fresh nor original. // The new crime drama's characters are shallow stereotypes who engage one another in hackneyed […]
William Frederick “Buffalo Bill” Cody (February 26, 1846 – January 10, 1917) was an American scout, bison hunter, and showman. He was born in Le Claire, Iowa Territory (now the U.S. state of Iowa), but he lived for several years in his father’s hometown in Toronto Township, Ontario, Canada, before the family returned to the Midwest and settled in the Kansas Territory.
Buffalo Bill started working at the age of eleven, after his father’s death, and became a rider for the Pony Express at age 14. During the American Civil War, he served the Union from 1863 to the end of the war in 1865. Later he served as a civilian scout for the US Army during the Indian Wars, receiving the Medal of Honor in 1872.
One of the most colorful figures of the American Old West, Buffalo Bill’s legend began to spread when he was only twenty-three. Shortly thereafter he started performing in shows that displayed cowboy themes and episodes from the frontier and Indian Wars. He founded Buffalo Bill’s Wild West in 1883, taking his large company on tours in the United States and, beginning in 1887, in Great Britain and continental Europe.
Eleanor Estes (May 9, 1906 – July 15, 1988)[1] was an American children’s author and a children’s librarian. Her book, Ginger Pye, which she also created illustrations for,[2] won the Newbery Medal. Three of her books were Newbery Honor Winners, and one was awarded the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award. Estes’ books were based on her life in small town Connecticut in the early 1900s.
Life
Born Eleanor Ruth Rosenfield in West Haven, Connecticut, Estes was the third of four children. Her father, Louis Rosenfeld, was a bookkeeper for a railway; her mother, Caroline Gewecke Rosenfeld, was a seamstress and story teller. Her father died when Estes was young, and her mother’s dressmaking provided for the family.[2]:267 Eleanor Estes attributes her love of reading, children’s literature, and storytelling to her parent’s fondness for books, and her mother’s “inexhaustible supply of songs, stories, and anecdotes, with which she entertained us with while cooking dinner.”[3] In 1923, after graduating from West Haven High School, she trained at the New Haven Free Library, and became a children’s librarian there.[4]:147
In 1931 Estes won the Caroline M. Hewins scholarship for children’s librarians, which allowed her to study at the Pratt Institute library school in New York.[5] In 1932 she married fellow student Rice Estes. They both worked as librarians throughout New York, and he later became a professor of library science and the head of the Pratt Institute Library.[3][6] Estes worked as a children’s librarian in various branches of the New York Public Library, until 1941.[3] Estes began writing when tuberculosis left her confined to her bed. Her best known fictional characters, the Moffats, live in Cranbury, Connecticut, which is Estes’ hometown of West Haven. She based the Moffats after her family, including patterning younger daughter Janey after herself, and basing Rufus on her brother, Teddy.[7]
Eleanor based the story The Hundred Dresses on her real life experience as the girl who (unbeknownst to Peggy) received Peggy’s hand-me-down dresses. She felt so guilty for not having defended the Wanda character in real life, that she wrote the story as both an exercise to assuage her guilt, and to encourage others to stand up against bullies.[8]
The Esteses had one child, Helena, born in Los Angeles in 1948, where Rice Estes was assistant librarian at the University of Southern California. In 1952 they moved back to the East coast, where she lived until her death.[4]:151 Besides writing and working as a librarian, Estes also taught at the University of New Hampshire Writer’s Conference.[9]
Eleanor Estes died July 15, 1988 in Hamden, Connecticut. Her papers are held at the University of Southern Mississippi,[6] and University of Minnesota.[5] She wrote 20 books.
Awards and reception
Estes’s book Ginger Pye (1951) won the Newbery Medal. Three of her books were Newbery Honor books: The Middle Moffat, Rufus M., and The Hundred Dresses.[10] In addition The Moffats won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1961.[11] Estes also received the Certificate of Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s Literature from the New York Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development in 1968.[2] She was awarded the Pratt Institute Alumni Medal in 1968.[12]:318 In 1970 she was nominated for the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award.[7]
According to reviewer Carolyn Shute, Estes had the “ability to distill the very essence of childhood.”[12]:319 Anita Silvey said she possessed a “rare gift for depicting everyday experiences from the fresh perspective of childhood.”[13] Estes is primarily recognized as a writer of family stories, and as one who “shaped and broadened that subgenre’s tradition”, primarily through her “seemingly artless style”.[4]:147 Eleanor Cameron, in an article for The Horn Book Magazine, included Estes’ Moffat books among “those that sit securely as classics in the realm of memorable literature”.[14]
Works
The Moffats (1941)
The Middle Moffat (1942)
The Sun and the Wind and Mr. Todd (1943)
Rufus M. (1943)
The Hundred Dresses (1944)
The Echoing Green (1947)
Sleeping Giant and Other Stories (1948)
Ginger Pye (1951)
A Little Oven (1955)
Pinky Pye (1958)
The Witch Family (1960)
Small but Wiry (1963)
The Alley (1964)
The Lollipop Princess (1967)
Miranda the Great (1967)
The Tunnel of Hugsy Goode (1972)
The Coat-Hanger Christmas Tree (1973)
The Lost Umbrella of Kim Chu (1978)
The Moffat Museum (1983)
The Curious Adventures of Jimmy McGee (1987)
Persky is currently awaiting a June 5 recall vote in a retaliation effort, led by Stanford Law School Professor Michele Dauber, who believes the judge has held “a long pattern of bias in favor of privileged men.”
She told BuzzFeed the Brown comparison is “absurd,” adding:
“Persky has repeatedly abused his discretion on behalf of abusers. As a result, voters in this county have lost confidence in his ability to be fair…In Brown, the Supreme Court bravely ruled with the powerless against the powerful. In Brock Turner’s case, Persky did the exact opposite.”
After Turner’s conviction in September 2016, California lawmakers passed two bills to amend the loophole that caused his sentence to be so lax. The Assembly Bill 2888, which, according to the Los Angeles Times, “prohibits a judge from handing a convicted offender probation in certain sex crimes such as rape, sodomy and forced oral copulation when the victim is unconscious or prevented from resisting by any intoxicating, anesthetic or controlled substance,” and the Assembly Bill 701, which expands the legal definition of rape in California law to include all forms of nonconsensual sexual assault.
There’s no doubt about it. Goggins is the only member of the US Armed Forces to complete SEAL training, US Army Ranger School, and Air Force Tactical Air Controller training.
Today's selection -- from The Cambridge Companion to the Scottish Enlightenment by Alexander Broadie. David Hume's philosophical revolution: “It is uncontroversial that Hume undermined the traditional concept of reason and true knowledge by arguing that all our judgements are based on belief. If belief is nothing but a peculiar feeling or sentiment produced by habit, […]
Today's selection -- from Paper of Wreckage by Susan Mulcahy and Frank DiGiacomo. Rupert Murdoch's New York Post remains influential, but its future is uncertain amid digital competition and family dynamics. “March 11, 2024, was Rupert Murdoch’s ninety-third birthday. The communications empire he built, and the angry, divisive point of view many of his properties […]
I was looking forward to this series based on the classic book. After all, Earth Abides was partly the inspiration for Stephen King’s The Stand. I liked it so much I use the title in my Area 51 series for the most recent book. The first episode starts slow, very slow. Especially in this day […]
Our students have compiled research in three topic areas. Below are the links to their research tables that can be downloaded for searching and viewing. For a state-by-state review of Mandatory Reporter laws, click here. For a state-by-state review of Background Check laws, click...
Our students spend the summer working on the research project of the LDICP. Through their extensive research, massive databases of information on state statutes regarding the abuse of children have been created and will be posted here as their work is finalized. Here are...
on Writers Helping Writers: It’s not easy finding new readers these days. The secret to drawing just the right readers your way might be finding your niche. A niche isn’t just your genre—it’s the unique angle, theme, or audience focus that makes your writing distinct. It sets you apart and makes marketing feel natural rather […]
i finally tiptoed my way back into doing jigsaw puzzles at home with a planned delay after having pete the cat come to live with me he’s a rowdy teenaged cat who loves to jump and play i started out by trying a 100 piece puzzle sent by my friend i could work quickly and […]
Virtual Book Blast For Savage Land Book 1, Endangered Species (with a shoutout for Book 2, Badlands) Jacqui Murry writes wonderful books about life … Guest Post – Jacqui Murry – Savage Land Series – Endangered Species and Badlands
Delighted to introduce you to a new series for 2025 where you can not only promote your own work, but someone else’s you believe deserves a boost. You might like to thank a blogger who has supported you over the … Continue reading →
Myself, along with my 4 daughters, daughter-in-law, and one of my granddaughters formed a book club in January to see who could read the most books in 2024. We stay in touch with a group text every day and Goodreads. As an incentive we all agreed to put $1 a week into a kitty and […]
Since her debut album, Taylor Swift has always been a source of introspective inspiration for me. Her lyrics both resonate with my own experiences and encourage me to think about… The post Taylor Swift Lyrics to Inspire Introspection appeared first on Positively Present - Dani DiPirro.
During the cold weekend, Darling Hubby and I watched Monsieur Spade, a great miniseries created by Scott Frank and Tom Fontana.It was intelligent, compelling, and had a whimsical touch one might say because it was the story of what happened to Sam Spade, Dashiell Hammett's fictional private detective in The Maltese Falcon.Frankly, we both loved it […]
Hello everyone, my name is Stewart F. Brennan. I’m the creator of this, the World United Music blog. Over the past two decades, I’ve juggled my time and energy populating five different blogs containing alternative news, music, economics, political activism and creative passions while also supporting hundreds of artists, activists and alternative news journalists. I […]
All-American patriot, artist, designer, entrepreneur, flower arranger, chef, and joyful servant, Sunny Lou Starling, was carried on the wings of angels to the arms of her savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, January 6, 2023. She once said her mission was to “Gather and feed all you can, as often as you can, because you never know if […]
WASP Deanie Bishop Parrish, 44-W-4"Failure isn't failure unless you let it be. It's simply a change in direction. Just count your many blessings move on. With God's help, anything is possible!"Deanie Bishop Parrish passed away peacefully in her home in Waco, Texas, on February 24, 2022, just one day shy of her 100th birthday. She met every challenge […]
Editors Note: After posting over five thousand features and twenty five thousand images over the last thirteen years, the time has come to end posting weekly features here on The Old Motor. At this point, the site’s future hasn’t been decided, although it will remain online for the foreseeable future. There may be future updates...
In this weekly series, we ask our readers to tell us the year, make, and model of all of these vehicles along with the location where the image was taken and anything else you find of interest in the photos. You can look back on all the earlier parts of this series here. The photos are via Americar....
The Path To Loving Him by Meghan Quinn Narrated by Samantha Brentmoor and Sebastian York Contemporary Romance. 3rd in the Almond Bay Series, but easily stands alone. I was provided the audiobook for an early review and purchased the book. This did not affect my review in any way. This post contains affiliate links. “Is […]
Jacksonville, Florida, circa 1900. "Bank and post office, Forsyth Street." The National Bank of Jacksonville at Forsyth and Laura, next to Castle Hall of the Knights of Pythias. 8x10 inch glass negative by William Henry Jackson, Detroit Photographic Company. View full size.
Christmas 1949 in Valparaiso, Indiana. That's Grandma in a Kodachrome slide. View full size. Our Christmas coda is this cocktail-hour Kodachrome submitted by Shorpy charter member Delworthio 16 years ago, in 2008. Cheers!
Occupied Germany at the U.S.-Soviet sector The East/West German border circa 1951, ten years before the Berlin Wall was built. U.S. Army soldiers Harry Manville, Dave Crosson, and Ray Kwapil (my dad). I have the Agfa Karat 35mm and Rolleicord 6x6cm Dad is dangling. Nice cameras, they are still working. Location: "Untersuhl by Eisenach, Germany, […]
In reply to Main Street USA: 1905: There is something wonderful about your photos from 1905. The cars and modern world have hardly shown up and we still see a glimpse of a forgotten world of horses and wagons and sturdy towns and cities that had no idea they were about to be swept away. […]
In reply to Main Street USA: 1905: The modern scene looks not too different, save for the clutter of wires being replaced by the clutter of branches ("after" and "before" trees if you will). Today we would offer up a guess of what's in the barrel, for it approximates the site of "Creative Ink" (Tattoo […]
Here’s an old Italian recipe for canning peppers, one of my husband’s favorites. Searching the internet, you’ll come across many variations — all probably good — but here’s a basic recipe to start you on your course. The kids and I canned these using the boiling method, though pressure canners might make the process easier. Not sure how, […]
Microgreens seem to be all the rage these days and for good reason: they are packed with nutrients and easy to grow! The USDA and University of Maryland found that leaves from microgreens had more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plants. And great flavor. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space […]
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2025 is: hackneyed \HAK-need\ adjective Something is considered hackneyed when it is not interesting, funny, etc., because of being used too often; in other words, it's neither fresh nor original. // The new crime drama's characters are shallow stereotypes who engage one another in hackneyed […]
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. A classic French stew with oh-so-tender braised fall apart beef with vegetables in a luxurious red wine gravy sauce. why i love beef bourguignon what exactly is beef bourguignon Similar to its sister dish, coq au vin, beef bourguignon (also known as […]
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. No fuss ONE POT MEAL! So so creamy, so easy. Chockfull of tender chicken, mushrooms, and spinach! why make one pot creamy chicken and mushroom pasta There’s just one pot and a few ingredients between you and dinner tonight. We’re talking tender […]
Welcome back to Daufuskie Island, where every corner tells a story. This island is off the coast of South Carolina and is a 1 hour ferry ride from Hilton Head Island. Today I’m sharing how to make a sweetgrass basket: Materials: Coiled rope or raffia Colored yarn or embroidery thread Large-eye needle Scissors Instructions: Start […]
Welcome to Daufuskie Island, where time slows down and the rhythms of Gullah culture come to life. This inviting getaway off the South Carolina coast is more than an island; it’s a testament to the resilience and creativity of the Gullah people, descendants of West African slaves. These people were brought to work on the […]
Democratic lawmakers raised questions on Tuesday about Pete Hegseth’s ability to lead the Defense Department based on his past experiences managing two veterans service organizations. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Hegseth, a former Army infantry officer, to be the next secretary of defense. Hegseth appeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday for his […]
In 1994, Frank Butler was wheeled into an operating room for knee surgery on a torn meniscus — the result of running too hard with his sons at Fripp Island, South Carolina. A Navy SEAL and medical doctor, Butler watched the surgical team prep him for the procedure, feeling the sedatives set in. But even […]
We were joined by Chris and Lori Z. of BlazeOurWay fame the last 3 days that we were camped at the Hot Well Dunes. It was good to meet up with these two again since Fall of last year.The weather, which was chilly, precluded much riding. Just as well since we didn't have the requisite […]
Martha and I left the overcrowded cesspool that is the Metro Denver area on Sunday of this week. We were racing to catch a narrow weather window before snow threatened to close down our route through New Mexico.We left these conditions, not too bad really but cold:We got our wish, dry roads all the way […]
I’ve now tried twice to post an Amazon customer review of Oliver Stone’s The Putin Interviews.In response to the first attempt, I received an email from Amazon telling me I would have to edit the review because it violated community guidelines, but with no specific information on what guidelines I might have violated.The only thing […]
If you’re not familiar with Noam Chomsky’s insights into the real causes and consequences of US foreign policy, The Myth of American Idealism is an excellent introduction. If you are familiar, it’s a great refresher. IMO, the biggest, high-level takeaways:1. Rulers have far more in common with and concern for each other than regard for the people […]
Long before we were a sailing family, Alisa and I were a young couple in love with adventuring in Alaska. The opportunity to introduce Eric and Elias to the delights of outdoor living in the Great Land was one of the big bright sides of our return to Alaska. Earlier this winter, the boys and […]
So...this beautiful island is our home. See the barky? The boys just had their spring break. A week off from school and nothing to keep us from buggering off in Galactic. The weather was generally poor - nothing like the pics above for the most part - so we just snuck off to the west […]
Here is a link to a story about my struggle to draw with Parkinson's Disease. the story is from "The Daily Cartoonist" a Web journal concerning the world of professional cartooning. It was occasioned by the release of the documentary "Matters of Mind, My Parkinson's" which follows three families and their efforts to cope […]
Here is a short trailer for the PBS documentary "Matter of Mind, My Parkinson's. It follows the attempts of three people and their families to cope with the progressive, disabling and incurable neurological condition. The film won the Audience Choice Award for documentaries at the recent San Francisco Film Festival, possibly due to a scenery-chewing […]
Last month we spent a couple of amazing weeks in Mexico. That included a few days in the lovely town of Atlixco. The town, founded in 1579, is known for ... The post Atlixco: in the shadow of a giant volcano appeared first on Alaska Travelgram.
Devil’s Club is a common wild plant in Alaska that’s large & covered in hidden sharp thorns, growing everywhere from remote forests to even well-groomed Anchorage city trails. Just because you’re “in town” doesn’t mean you won’t run into devil’s club. It’s smart to stay on the trails, particularly if you’re not confident spotting it. […]
Here’s a delicious fall-time spin on classic blueberry muffins. If you’re a solo adult who likes good food, this recipe is for you. Or if you’ve got extra kitchen “helpers” around (read: kids who need entertainment), turn baking these Halloween muffins into a fun toddler snacktivity. Pumpkin BOO-berry Muffin Recipe Ingredients: 2 boxes Jiffy brand […]
These gluten-free pumpkin cookies are the softest, most delectable cookies you’ll ever eat! They are remarkably light in texture and are topped with a luscious, dairy-free brown sugar frosting. They are quick and easy, and the cookie dough requires no refrigeration. They will quickly become one of your favorite pumpkin desserts! I don't know about you,... […]
I’m home now. I’m looking at the flea market couch I brought up from California; I had cushions made three times over the years till I got it just right. Now it’s just right. It’s been in my life 42 years. Tim has been in my life 34 years, but he had to be out of […]
I’m saying my goodbyes to Toronto. I’ve seen my last Hot Docs Festival film, and I’m just back from my last author program. I’ve probably had my last roti, checked out my last book at my local branch library, gone to my last art workshop. Horror of horrors, I’ve even watched my last play. The thing […]
Fighting for Alaska wild salmon Now 82 years old, Virgil Umpenhour has been at war with Alaska’s commercial salmon farmers, or ranchers as they prefer to call themselves, for most of his […]
None of the rewards Russian President Vladimir Putin, the wannabe King of the Arctic, is falling short on his vision of turning his country’s Northern Sea Route into a legitimate alternative to […]
It’s here. The big day. My memoir, the one I spent 15 years struggling over, launches today from Raised Voice Press. I’m feeling very exposed, very vulnerable. This is not at all similar to when Dolls Behaving Badly launched from Hachette Book Group. That was a novel, and while some of it was based on… […]
I had had Alaska writer Dan Walker’s YA novel SECONDHAND SUMMER on my list for a long time, and two weeks ago finally had the chance to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed. Walker’s book, geared for middle school readers (but still immensely enjoyable for adults), follows 14-year-old Sam’s move to Anchorage from the small fishing… […]
I hope you will consider making this Caramel Pear Upside-Down Cake for your Valentine Sweetheart. Served warm with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, it will knock his/her socks off.There are a lot of different steps to this recipe, but none of them are hard to do. Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a […]
My list of 10 Best Gifts for Cooks and Food Lovers helps last minute shoppers buy great presents for the food obsessed; most of the items on the list I’ve used and loved for years. Most importantly, if you act quickly, there’s still time to order most of my recommended gifts and have them arrive […]
Do'inta? Se uzra Shala Kerrigan.How are you? My name is Shala Kerrigan. I only have a handful of words in my language, which is Lower Tanana Athabascan. This coloring page is based off the style of bead embroidery done by Athabascans up here in Alaska. I hope you enjoy it! Click the images below for larger versions to download/print/color. Small […]
All about insects is the theme for the next session of Sitka Sprouts on Tuesday, April 30. This is the last Sitka Sprouts session before summer. “We’re going to wrap up Sprouts this spring with a program about insects,” Sitka … Continue reading →
I LOVE my grandmother’s navy bean soup, but it takes forever to make with soaking the beans overnight and then slow cooking the soup all day. I decided to try it in my Instant Pot and it was a success! Not only that, but my kids loved it…score! Ingredients: 1-2 Tbs. olive oil 1 onion, diced 3 […]
Download Radio Show The January 12th show featured a conversation with Kitty LaBounty. We spoke about Christmas Bird Count experiences in Sitka and Arizona and the Continental MycoBlitz, including potentially new-to-science species from Southeast Alaska. Other topics included the Alaska Native Plant Society, Kitty’s on-going work to put together a flora of Southeast Alaska, and […]
Featuring a a conversation with Paul Norwood and Brooke Schafer, they shared about some of their local adventures in 2024. A few of the highlights included exploring Baranof Island high country near Peak 5390 (the highest point on the island), close encounters with voles, and finding the first local record of long-leaf sundew.
Since 2016 I have worked in Hoonah to help build a vision. The Hoonah Native Forest Partnership is a unique model of community-based forestry that seeks to meet the objectives of land managers and the needs of the community. The project relies on training a local workforce in natural resource inventory and landscape improvement. I’m […]
At the end of July we took the boat over to Halibut Cove to hike the Saddle Trail with the kids to picnic at Grewingk Glacier Lake. It's a great trail for kids to master themselves, and Riggs hiked the whole way himself. Raina was in the backpack, but more because we wanted to hike […]
A man who just moved to Homer about a year ago from Chicago has started a podcast interviewing people from the Homer community. He called up my husband a few months ago and asked him if he would be willing to be interviewed. My husband said sure, so the second episode of Alex's podcast features […]
Well, 2017 was not a good garden year in my area, even for those of us with greenhouses/high tunnels. I'm sure I didn't help my chances at all; we had a month between returning home from the States and getting the roof on the high tunnel, and I didn't start any seeds or work the […]
Looking for a nutritious and delicious way to add more greens to your meals? This spinach recipe is the perfect solution! Packed with vitamins and minerals, spinach brings both flavor and health benefits to any dish. Whether you’re sautéing it, blending it into smoothies, or baking it into casseroles, spinach is versatile enough to fit... […]
Mountain View is in for a treat — a whole new store full of treats, in fact. Packed with dozens of varieties of handmade custom candies, classic favorites, and assorted other sweets, Sweet Creations Lollipop Boutique is one of the latest businesses to open doors in the neighborhood. Owner Missy Simms made it for the […]
During our time in Washington we also took some time to drive over to Kennewick to visit some of my family in that area. We camped in my aunt and uncle's driveway and visited them and some of my cousins. The highlight for the girls was the nerf war for sure (pictures here). It was […]
INGREDIENTS3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon active yeast (not rapid or instant)1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt1-1/2 cups slightly warm water (tepid)--2 teaspoons canola oil (For top and bottom of dough ball so it doesn't stick or form crust while rising)-2 TB butter melted in ramekin, with brush (set aside)--10” Seasoned Cast Iron SkilletMETHODAdd flour to bowl. Add yeast […]
My husband loves this cakeso much he had two pieces 'after' eating lunch...Ingredients2 Eggs1 ½ cup Canola Oil2 cups Granulated Sugar3 cups A-P Flour2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg½ teaspoon Kosher Salt1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda4 cups Chopped Apples (peeled and cored): measure after chopping1 cup chopped Pecans: measure after chopping1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract⅔ […]