As the Christmas and New Year holidays approached, I started scanning the shelves of local stores for Champagne and sparkling wines. My goal is to decide which of the many available options are great choices for dinners we plan with family and friends. Readers may remember that Champagne comes from the Champagne region of France, […]
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Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
How to Select Plants for Purchase
From fall into spring is a great time to purchase and add plants to our landscapes. It’s also a great time to plant up some containers. But how do you choose good, strong, healthy plants? Plant Selection The first step is deciding what you’d want to plant and if you have time to take care […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Color Trends 2016
Benjamin Moore announced its Color of the Year — Simply White OC-117. The company also unveiled Color Trends 2016, a corresponding palette of 23 colors, to illustrate how white works within the color spectrum. White transcends style, and is seen in traditional, transitional and modern interiors. The color also presents attractive exterior looks for the […]
Posted inBlog, Featured, Gardeners Corner
The Mystery of ‘Potato Hollow Heart’
I love a good mystery, and the garden provides many puzzles. Sometimes I am stumped, but it sure is satisfying when the solution presents itself! Last spring, I decided to make use of some rotting pallets we had set aside. The wood was pretty far-gone, and I thought I could bury it under some compost […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog, Featured
Open Studio potters support Empty Bowls event
Hungry kids? In Gig Harbor? Most people would find the idea almost unthinkable in this community of lovely homes and a glistening harbor lined with pleasure-boat marinas. The reality is a much different story, as 25 percent of the students in the Peninsula School District receive free or subsidized lunch support. Without a summer lunch […]
Posted inAround West Sound, Blog
Bainbridge Symphony Orchestra’s ‘Legends’ Pays Tribute to Folktales and Stories
I have a brother, Joshua, who is two and half years older than me. Like many mischievous older siblings, he was prone to dupe his younger brother (me) into doing silly things or believing tall tales. One time, my mom threw away some Batman and Robin themed rubber placemats. We pulled them out of the […]
Posted inFeatured, Home
Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Stuff
The more stuff you have, the more stress you have, period. This is true not only for those on television shows who need teams of people to dig them out of piles of their accumulated personal effects, but for all of us. This applies to everything you own beyond the basic necessities of life. Look […]
Posted inFeatured, Garden
A Winter Bird Walk
The middle of winter can be the perfect time for a stroll along the many waterfront areas found throughout West Sound country. Choose a day when the weather offers clear, blue skies and crisp, cool temperatures. Birds sheltering in inland waters react to such a day as if spring were just around the corner. Lengthening […]
Posted inFeatured, People & Places
Why a ‘Long Winter’s Nap’ is Good for Your Health
“Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” That’s a favorite holiday story — but what is the holiday scene in your home? No one stirring and everyone getting a good-night sleep? Or are you and other members of your family burning the midnight […]