DECEMBER 17, 2020by MARYROSE DENTON Living in the Skagit Valley has many perks - beautiful scenery, bountiful hikes, mountains, water, and every winter the return of the snow geese and trumpeter swans. Several weeks ago I began hearing the familiar and nasal “honk, honk, honk” in the mornings just after sunrise. That sound comes not... Continue Reading →
3 Little Known Ways Solstice Traditions Are Alive and Well.
Keeping the old ways in modern times. Alone in her darkened room, she waits. A fire burning in the earth, she watches the flames as they dance and spark. Everything else is quiet. her children sleep in their beds. She revels for a moment in the quiet. the stillness. her vigil through the night is... Continue Reading →
Do You Believe In Ghosts?
Five types of spirits which may haunt places you go. Recently, a local publication assigned me to write a story on a historic hotel, built in 1889. But the focus of my story was not on the architecture or genealogy of the building. No, my angle honed in on the permanent residents of the hotel.... Continue Reading →
Edison, WA: Home of the infamous ‘Brewstillery’
OCTOBER 10, 2020 Head 90 miles north of Seattle, and you will find nestled in the open farmland of the Skagit Valley, the quirky town of Edison, WA. A creative hub inhabited by artisans and farmers alike, there is one place they both come together in synergy, a place called Terramar. What is Terramar? Overlooking the... Continue Reading →
How I Prepared a 10-day Meal Plan for Our Sailing Vacation
Cruising out of lockdown on a 36-foot sailboat. I stand looking down at the piece of paper in my hand, on which I have scribbled my grocery list. I am in front of the potatoes in my local grocers produce aisle. I do not find potatoes on my list. Do we have potatoes? I don’t recall seeing... Continue Reading →
5 Ways to Celebrate the Autumn Equinox This Year
And bring some balance into your world A tinge of red and orange dot the hillside banked with a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. A few big maple leaves have already begun to litter the walkways as the days grow shorter and the evenings become crisper. The wheel of the year has come full... Continue Reading →
A Road Trip of a Different Color
“Road trips are the equivalent of human wings. We will stop in every small town and learn the history and stories, then we will turn it into our own story that will live inside our history to carry with us, always. Because stories are more important than things.” -- Victoria Erickson Road trips hold a... Continue Reading →
We Are the People
A tale of voting rights throughout history We the People, are the first three words of the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. In all, a fifty-two-word sentence with some mighty power. We are the people; black, brown, white, native-born, or immigrant. We are the people, not based on our sex, gender, or who you love.... Continue Reading →
For Better or For Worse
3 reasons people tie the knot — in 1950, and today My parents are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this month! There are not very many statistics on how many couples reach their 70th wedding anniversary but it seems clear, not very many do. At eighteen years old, my mother looked at my dad and... Continue Reading →
A Mother First and Gay Rights Activist Second
The story of Jeanne Manford and the baton she passed to me. I sit at the far end of the semi-circle of tables and chairs. We are gathered in a small meeting room at the back of a pizzeria. The room doubles as a space for both group gatherings and birthday party bashes. As I... Continue Reading →