There isn’t much that Laura Kneib can’t make by hand. Clothes. Butter. Wood boxes. Pottery. Growing up in a family that made anything from their own clothes to herbal remedies has taught her two things: You make everything you use, and then you reuse. She recalls her parents going “senging” — harvesting ginseng — on […]
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Posted inFood & Entertainment
The Sweet Life in Gig Harbor — Gig Harbor Candy Company
Phil Michelson had gifted his elderly father some Gig Harbor Candy Company English toffee. His father had never asked for anything in his life until, in failing health, he asked for some more of the luscious, chocolate-covered toffee. There was just one catch: The candy was only manufactured during the holidays by then owner Joe […]
Posted inAround West Sound
How Your Environment Plays a Role in Aging Successfully
Aging successfully can mean something different to each person. But, how people can achieve “successful aging” is actually quite similar no matter what the end result. In their book “Successful Aging,” authors John Rowe and Robert Kuhn outline three overall objectives to aging successfully: avoiding disease and disability, maintaining a high physical and cognitive function, […]
Posted inCommunity News
Langer Smith Family and Kitsap Bank Recognized for Longtime Generosity
The family of Helen Langer Smith and Kitsap Bank were recently recognized with philanthropy awards for their decades-long generosity and loyal support of Martha & Mary. The awards were given during the organization’s annual Donor Appreciation Reception, which recognizes the important role that donors play in caring for the seniors, children and their families that […]
Posted inGarden
Get The Dirt — On Home Gardening
This coming January, I will turn 70 years old. What a glorious age to be. I retired from WSU Kitsap Extension at the age of 67 and continued writing this column and other pieces for WestSound Magazine magazine. This past summer, my husband, Pat, and I hooked up our 30-foot travel trailer to our Ford […]
Posted inFood & Entertainment
Wine on the Rock
Two of Bainbridge Island’s wineries are located in lush vineyards producing estate wines. Another’s tasting room was named Best Essence of Puget Sound by Seattle Met. A fourth shares patio space with a craft brewpub. Two are owned and run by women vintners. One is named after the smallest cog on a racing bike by […]
Posted inAt Home
Why You Should Buy Fair Trade Products
Fair Trade is an alternative way of doing business — one that builds equitable, long-term partnerships between consumers in North America and producers in developing regions. When purchasing a Fair Trade item, you can buy with confidence knowing it means the goods were produced under regulated standards designed to prevent poverty, poor labor conditions and […]
Posted inGarden
His, Hers, and Theirs — Divide and Garden
“It’s very purple,” one visitor commented about Glee Palmer-Davis and Dennis Johnson’s Hansville A-frame cottage and garden. The color of the body of the house is an intense purple that leans toward violent red-violet. Called “Fabulous Grape,” the color suggests a grape candy so aggressively saturated with color that only a child would eat it. […]
Posted inGarden
The Cutest Potting Shed Ever
A few years after Ruth and Brian* built their home on Haven Lake, Ruth decided she really needed a potting shed to house her books, seeds and vintage family garden tools. She drew up a concept picture and turned to her every-handy husband. Brian isn’t in the construction business, but he grew up and spent […]