Having a child leave the proverbial nest and head off to college challenges even the most organized of household lifestyles. But this is a great time to organize for dorm living, and also all the stuff the new collegiate leaves behind in the nest! It's important to do these steps with your child and have them decide what to keep, toss and take with them.
■ Cookbook: Chef Marcus Samuelsson made a tour stop at Starbucks Coffee, 4000 E. Madison St., on Thursday, Aug. 30, as part of his 20-city promotion of his new cookbook, "Discovery of a Continent: Foods, Flavors and Inspirations from Africa." It is an abridged version of his award-winning cookbook "The Soul of a New Cuisine." Samuelsson prepared a recipe from his book, which includes those developed by Starbucks partners, and spoke of how he helped to develop two Starbucks coffee blends.
As much as I enjoy getting back to a routine in September, I am remorseful to say goodbye to summer for many reasons, but mostly because it means a return to a regular dinner hour. For some reason, getting back in the habit of putting food on the table at the same time each night (and usually with less time) is a little difficult to embrace.If you are like me, you need inspiration in the form of a simple recipe to follow, with enticing ingredients.
Eighty years ago, a German-born immigrant named Joseph Pilates came to this country and brought a revolutionary new form of exercise he called "The Pilates Method." He believed so strongly in this method that when he was 86, he proclaimed "the whole country, the whole world should be doing my exercises. They'd be happier." While the whole world isn't doing his exercises, they're definitely starting to take more of an interest in Pilates. But few people really understand what it is.
Once upon a time, in the 1970s, a group of artists, writers and artisans made a place for themselves on the north fork of the Skagit River known as Fishtown.They lived in abandoned gillnetters' shacks, lived off the land and the river and did their work. Fishtown has passed into Northwest legend, the lost domain where, for the better part of a decade, art and life were one. It's taken years to organize, but a Fishtown retrospective, "You Can't Get There From Here," has finally come together. The exhibit, featuring artwork, poems, photos and broadsides, opens with a reception Saturday, Sept. 8, 6-8 p.m. at Kobo at Higo gallery, 604 S. Jackson St., and runs through Oct. 3.
Friday evening, Aug. 24, 200 guests, members and patrons of the Greater Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce sailed on glorious Puget Sound celebrating their second annual Sounds of Summer Mardi Gras Cruise.The Mardi Gras partying included live music by Swamp Soul, the talents of tarot card reader Raven Bella Zingaro, magic by Jack Turk and other memorable entertainment. Fine dining was provided by some of Queen Anne's best restaurants.
The motto of Affirmagy Inc. is Live intentionally. "That means to carry out a series of small actions that are aligned with your big dreams," explains Affirmagy founder Kristen Marie Schuerlein. "It's all about being mindful."Both personally and in business, she practices what she preaches.Eleven years ago, Schuerlein and her business partner, Karla Chin, started a graphic design and marketing firm called Design Duo Inc. "That was back when being a woman-owned business was a novelty," she says. "I'm thrilled to see corporate America recognize the power of women now."
Computer-savvy senior citizens? Yes, they're out there. And their number is growing daily.Seniors Training Seniors in Technology, a program of the Mayor's Office for Senior Citizens that provides opportunities for older adults to discover the benefits of using a computer, received a 2007 Aging Achievement Certificate at the recent National Association of Area Agencies on Aging conference in San Francisco.
Group Health Credit Union is having a Holiday Card Contest for kids ages 5-17. Children draw their favorite holiday family fun activity and submit their artwork for a chance to win great prizes.The contest is up and running now and runs through Sept. 29.There are really two competitions, one for ages 5-11 and one for ages 12-17.
Lawton Walking School Buses, a program initiated this past spring, start up again with the resumption of school and will be "running" every Walking Wednesday and Fuel Free Friday throughout the school year. The idea is that Lawton Elementary School families should consider this safe and health-enhancing alternative to driving to school. On each of the five routes (see below), students start out with a trained safety volunteer in the lead. All buses depart at 8:30 a.m., with an intermediate pickup point along the way.
COLUMBIA CITY - Ron and Roslyn Lawrence - owners of R & R Farms in Wenatchee - have picked more than two tons of apricots this year. If that doesn't sound all that impressive, consider that they're both in their mid-60s.I don't know about you, but I spent a few hours earlier this summer picking a measly 12 pounds of blueberries in the hot sun and it took me two days to recover.It comes as no surprise then that, in contrast to the Lawrences and their small 7.5-acre orchard, many of the farms in our state "can't get White kids to work." This from one local farmer who, like all the rest that spoke to me about the highly volatile and contentious immigrant issue, declined to be identified lest they make themselves a target of the federal government and its crack down on illegal immigration.
A relaxing treat after a hard day's work. A chance for mother-daughter bonding. A time to unknowingly breath in toxins...While those three scenarios appear to have little in common, they have become the same scene at many nail salons.As studies have begun to reveal the harmful effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), found in most nail care products, communities across the country are joining in the push for green nail salons.Now Seattle is adding to the grassroots movement to create green nail salons and stop manufacturers from selling products with high VOC counts.The Environmental Protection Agency awarded two groups, the Environmental Coalition of South Seattle (ECOSS) and Community Coalition for Environmental Justice (CCEJ), with $100,000 to help reduce toxic exposure in South Seattle nail salons.
The lifestories of the artists who will be performing at the final Othello Park Concert on Sept. 9 are as interesting as their songs.Ambertide's Sandabeth and Thaddeus Spae (www.ambertide.com) have been playing together for 30 years, and married for almost as long. They first met as street performers at the Portland Saturday Market shortly before playing in 1977 as buskers at the Pike Place Market. But it wasn't until 1992 that they began living in Seattle when they came to play at the University District Street Fair and the hitch on their RV broke. While getting it fixed, they stayed at an RV Park in North Seattle that had nice neighbors and a washer and dryer. It was so nice the they've stayed here ever since (though they no longer live in an RV).
Seattle Tilth to mark 30th anniversary this Saturday with its annual Harvest Fair There's nothing better than tomatoes picked from your own garden. Sprinkled with morning dew, ripe and oversized - nothing can compare. The taste explodes with every bite, and the juices keep the flavor lingering. Imagine creating an entire salad: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots - and a wildflower centerpiece for your dining-room table - gathered by taking a few steps outside. This can be any Seattleite's reality, with Seattle Tilth's help.Created in 1977, this Wallingford-based nonprofit organization has helped the community go green over the years. Its mission statement is based on the idea of helping the environment by optimizing organic-gardening techniques one gardener at a time.
Where will Lenin take his revolutionary ideas next?Well, no one can really say. All options are open for the Lenin statue in Fremont, including leaving Fremont, becoming scrap metal or being sold to a museum.Although Lenin has made an impression on the Fremont neighborhood and has become "iconic" as some say, the statue has always been up for sale.The renewed discussion about Lenin's fate stems from the statue's owner, who would like to see the statue sold before it can be liquidated as an asset, according to Jon Hegeman.