A friend recently noticed my Gnome Chomsky in the backyard – a fabulous little garden creature in the likeness of Noam Chomsky, standing above the spring flowers. It reminded me... — Updated 4/22/2021

Resurrection (n) 1 a: the rising of Christ from the dead b: the rising again to life of all the human dead before the final judgment c: the state of one risen from the dead 2.... — Updated 4/8/2021

“Kind words are worth much but cost little.” – George Herbert Studies show that nearly 90% of consumers seek out and are influenced by online reviews of businesses. As the... — Updated 3/28/2021

“At the root of the varied manifestations of dancing lies the common impulse to resort to movement to externalize states which we cannot externalize by rational means. This is... — Updated 3/11/2021

"It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive." – James Ba... — Updated 2/28/2021

Bystander: One who is present but not taking part in a situation or event: a chance spectator. I was thinking the other day about a call I received from my mom a little over a year... — Updated 2/12/2021

The Inca lived by three simple rules: “Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not be lazy.” This lovely and simple approach to life was the code of conduct that guided most aspects of... — Updated 1/28/2021

Who likes a roller coaster as much as I do? Strapped in tightly by a three-point restraint to a plastic seat, looking about anxiously from several stories high, anticipating (and... — Updated 1/14/2021

“A very merry Christmas And a happy New Year Let's hope it's a good one Without any fear And so this is Christmas And what have we done? Another year over And a new one just... — Updated 12/24/2020

Humans love a good hero. Admiration for others is in the place in our brain where fear and pain live – we have a visceral need to see the traits we admire in others because it mak... — Updated 12/10/2020

"We must learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools." – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. When we talk about the climate these days, it is the political... — Updated 11/24/2020

Ode: A lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms; something that shows respect for or celebrates the... — Updated 11/12/2020

“Mercury is going to be in retrograde until the election,” said a friend the other day. “I don’t really know what that means other than things are going to be really messed... — Updated 10/14/2020

It would have been just like any other day in a pandemic, but last week we added the peculiarity of waiting for results from a COVID-19 test. We knew of no exposure. We stay home... — Updated 9/17/2020

Liberty – noun – the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one's way of life, behavior, or views. Our last president, Barack... — Updated 6/18/2020

This week, the Beacon asked me to write this Arts & Appetite column from my perspective as a restaurant owner. Since my personal feelings are entwined with any attempt at a... — Updated 5/21/2020 Full story

“Rage on. It’s A-OK,” said my friend/sage to me this morning, as I apologized for some strong reactions to this new normal. March, April, May, all with days under a stay-at-ho... — Updated 5/7/2020 Full story

It's not you, it's me. That flippant phrase, "It's not you, it's me," typically applies to those painful one-sided breakups, where one person wants to end the relationship and the o... — Updated 4/20/2020

There is a pit in my stomach. A pit of nervousness and worry and sadness that I wake up with every morning and carry around with me. I have felt this pit before, when my brother... — Updated 3/26/2020

My mom called today quite excited because a friend had taken her three mini-hand sanitizers on carabiners. She had recently been to the drug store and several other stores to find s... — Updated 3/12/2020

The Washington state presidential primary ballots arrived in the mail this past week, giving us the opportunity to vote to determine who will be on the top of the tickets in Novembe... — Updated 2/27/2020

Yesterday, my mom forwarded an email from a good friend of my dad’s saying, “This brought back memories.” The message recalled a visit here that included a three-hour drive... — Updated 2/13/2020

Have you heard the old joke about country music? Q: What do you get when you play a country song backwards? A: You get your house back, you get your dog back, your wife back, your... — Updated 1/30/2020

As I prepared to write my first Moment’s Notice column for 2020, a new decade, I thought I would ask my beloved 12-year-old goddaughter what I should write about. Olivia is a writ... — Updated 1/16/2020

“One man’s toxic sludge is another man’s potpourri.” — The Grinch What a year! We have not yet celebrated the holidays, and talk has already turned to 2020. Perhaps... — Updated 12/19/2019