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WASHINGTON, USA: Honoring the Salmon

April 12, 2012 12 comments

When my big girl gets really excited to learn about something, I love to dive right in with her.  I find it thrilling to explore with her and watch the learning through her eyes.  So a few weeks ago she came home all excited about salmon, I knew I wanted her to understand the life cycle of the salmon, but I also wanted her to learn about the important role of salmon in Native American culture here in the Pacific Northwest, where salmon  not only serve as nourishment, but they are also honored.  Read more…

SEATTLE, USA: What the 2012 Snowpocolypse Taught Me

February 1, 2012 11 comments

You may have heard that Seattle got a bit of snow in mid-January.  As forecasts and news reports were made, we started getting calls from our relatives on the east coast wondering how we were surviving the snow storm.

For Seattle, it was a lot of snow – about 4-6 inches.  For me, as an east coast native, it did not seem like a lot.

I remember, as a child in the early 80’s, seeing lots of snow in the winter and even walking to school in it.  Heck, I was living in Boston for the 1997 April Fool’s Day Blizzard – now that was what I call snow!

I don’t want to poke too much fun at the Seattle snowstorm, because 1) then I wouldn’t be writing this post, and 2) there were people who lost power – some up to a week – during the storm.  The issue is that, since these storms are not typical weather out here, the City of Seattle is not equipped to deal with the Read more…

WASHINGTON, USA: Life is good

October 12, 2011 16 comments

Wild blackberries in Seattle, WA

Now that the girls are asleep, I am sitting at the computer downloading pictures off my camera.  I haven’t done this in a while, so there are a lot…and I have found some pictures that have inspired this post.  The pictures put a smile on my face as I recalled memories of this summer, but summers passed as well.

This post is about blackberries (not the smartphone, the fruit!)  Blackberries grow wild in the summer in so many places in Seattle…in your backyard, on a fence in an alley, along leafy vegetated edges on the Burke Gilman Trail, and even at our neighborhood playground…which brings me to my story. Read more…

WASHINGTON, USA: Less than 24 hours in NYC…by myself!

August 30, 2011 14 comments

I am sitting at a gate in Terminal C at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) waiting for my flight back to Seattle.  You may be wondering…”How does she have time to sit and write with two girls while she is at the airport?”

If my girls were with me, I definitely would NOT be writing.

I would be mulling this post over in my head while I watched them burn off steam running over and under seats before getting on the six hour flight back home.  The beauty of this story is that I got the weekend off from mommy duty to travel east 3,000 miles to go to a wedding in New York City!  I know, I mean, I really do know – LUCKY ME!!  Read more…

WASHINGTON, USA: Interview with Eva Fannon (The Sidebar Editor)

June 28, 2011 16 comments

Where in the world do you live? And, are you from there?

I am currently living in the breathtaking Pacific Northwest U.S. in Seattle, WA.  Like most people out here, I am a transplant from somewhere else.  I became a Washington State resident in 2002 after I got married.

I was born in New York City (Flushing, Queens to be precise) to immigrant parents, and my family moved to New Jersey when I was in elementary school.  It’s definitely hard being so far away from family and old friends – especially after having kids.

I feel like my kids are missing out on growing up with cousins and relatives, so we make an effort to go back for extended trips 1-2 times year.

After working in NYC for a few years after college and being used to the go-go-go mentality, I really enjoy the casual and relaxed quality of life out here.  I have finally learned to slow down and not feel the need to cross the street when the light is red for me, even if no cars are coming.  My suits are collecting dust in my closet and I can’t remember the last time I wore pantyhose to work!

Read more…

WASHINGTON, USA: Stopping to Celebrate Change

June 14, 2011 22 comments

Picture the inside of a clock, with all its gears working in teams to keep the time. Sometimes, it feels like life is going smoothly like that. Other times, it feels like time may be moving a little bit too fast…which has been the case for me over the past three months.

The last three months have brought about changes in my life. They aren’t bad changes, they are changes that come with reasons to celebrate growth. It’s just that as a full-time working mom, I may not have slowed down to truly observe, mark, and/or take notes in my kids’ journals to remember them.

So, here I am, taking a moment to slow down and commemorate three milestones and share them with you. Read more…