A Blog Hop of Her Own

Not long ago, my friend Jennie Locati invited me to participate in a “blog hop.” I’ve been friends with Jennie for longer than I care to...

In Memoriam: Oscar

Oscar was built like a tank and smelled so rank you knew when he entered the room. A row of welts rose on your skin...

Butchart Gardens in Victoria, B.C.

When I moved to Seattle, one of the first things everyone said to me was, “Oh, you’ll be so close to Victoria, you can see...

The Pongal’s Over

Before there were blogs, I spent a quarter studying sustainable development in southern India. Many nights involved entertainments of the herbal or alcoholic kind; there...

Book Report: The Orenda

I read Joseph Boyden’s latest book, The Orenda, the same week that it finally became available in the U.S. But I haven’t written about it...