On the eve of the Presidential Inauguration, I decided to celebrate by giving a nod to the hardworking cleaning crew at the White House by making “Cleaning Out the Fridge” stew, because when it’s minus 45, I want something warm and robust, full of flavor. Start by chopping an onion and slide it into warm […]
Methow
Lower Valley: January 13, 2021
Joanne Marracci comes from a family of “makers of things.” She continues the tradition in every aspect of her professional and personal life. While most people may associate her name with beautiful handmade jewelry of metal and gemstones, Joanne expresses her creativity in a wide range of mediums: pottery, woodworking, jewelry, music, fashion – and […]
Lower Valley: December 23, 2020
Some days, like perhaps today when it’s been raining snow for the last two days, the best dinner is a simple soup and salad. That first sentence may or may not be true. As I write this on Sunday evening, the day was sunny and warm with clear blue skies. According to the weather forecast, […]
Lower Valley: December 9, 2020
The 2020 Pateros Ski Club tree sale was, by all accounts, a huge success. The annual Christmas tree sale fundraiser supports the Pateros Ski Program for all K-12 students in the Pateros School District. For the past 60 years, the Pateros Ski Program has provided students with lessons, equipment, a shuttle service and weekend lift […]
Lower Valley: November 25, 2020
Sally sat behind me in junior high band. She played the saxophone. Her real talent was comebacks. Every saxophonist has three key skills in common: circular breathing, strong opinions, and quick comebacks. That’s why they play the sassiest instrument in the band. Sally is still wonderfully opinionated and sassy. She is adamantly opposed to winter […]
Lower Valley: November 11, 2020
A long-time resident of Methow, Helen Zahn, passed away this autumn at the age of 91. Her obituary, printed in the Nov. 4 edition of the Methow Valley News was beautifully written — I enjoyed reading about Helen’s “bubbly personality” and good cooking. I met Helen in late June of 2012. I stood near the town of […]
Lower Valley: October 28, 2020
Local writer Christopher Solomon recently published an opinion piece in the New York Times titled, “In My Mountain Town, We’re Preparing for Dark Times,” published Oct. 17. In the beautifully written essay, Chris accurately portrays the big coronavirus question on all our minds — how to stay connected safely during the dark cold months of winter. I […]
Lower Valley: October 21, 2020
The desk I sit at used to live in my great-grandparents’ house on Walnut Street. The one with the wrap-around porch and stained-glass windows, with a coal-burning furnace in the basement and a secret room upstairs behind a false-backed closet. When my great-aunt Hazel with the red hair attended secretary school, her young son Frank […]
Lower Valley: October 14, 2020
The desk I sit at used to live in my great-grandparents’ house on Walnut Street. The one with the wrap-around porch and stained-glass windows, with a coal-burning furnace in the basement and a secret room upstairs behind a false-backed closet. When my great-aunt Hazel with the red hair attended secretary school, her young son Frank […]
Lower Valley: September 23, 2020
When we evacuate, if there is time, I grab an irreplaceable family heirloom: a small doll with a crude button face, a dress made of tartan rags wrapped about a body formed by the wishbone of a hen. A small card tied about her neck bears a handwritten poem. In the tiny box with the […]
