Gluten-free Banana Macadamia Nut Bread
A few months ago, Big Papa ventured into gluten-free land. He did not go willingly—it took a number of years, at least seven trips to the emergency room (he has a rare allergic reaction to a...
View ArticleJumping into fatherhood
You will find more happiness growing down than up. ~Author unknown Jumping into Fatherhood Happy Father’s Day —to Big Papa and all the dads out there, especially those who had to jump through a lot of...
View ArticleI love to ride the Seattle ferry
I have never been aboard a steamer I am just content to be a dreamer Even if I could afford a steamer I will take the ferry boat every time ~Andrews Sisters, Ferry Boat Serenade Riding the Seattle...
View ArticleLittle Miss Firecracker
Baby, you’re a firework Come on let your colors burst Make them go, “Oh, oh, oh” You’re gonna leave before they know Boom, boom, boom Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon Boom, boom, boom Even...
View ArticleSoergel Orchards and Country Store in Wexford, PA
When Big Papa was a little boy, he would go with his family to Soergel’s roadside stand for fresh-picked fruits and vegetables. On several of our trips to visit his family in the Pittsburgh area,...
View ArticleDishes for a song
Back in May 2007, when Big Papa and I moved my dad from Florida to Seattle, we had to make decisions about his belongings—what to jettison and what to keep and ship west. One of the keepers was a...
View ArticleThe Magic Cabinet
The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. ~W.B. Yeats Each Tuesday, Baby Bird and I have a standing appointment with Miss. K. Miss K. helps us overcome...
View ArticleAn Orphan’s Thanksgiving
For many years I spent Thanksgiving solo. After I graduated from high school, I left home, went to college, and then moved 3,000 miles away from my family. I spent many-a-Thanksgiving as an “orphan,”...
View ArticleOur family turns 2!
March 22, 2012 Gyumri, Armenia Snow and ice covered the ground and temperatures hovered near zero. We spent the morning trying to distract our minds from the wait, the wait to find out if the judge...
View ArticleThe Commune of Motherhood
During the years when I longed to be a mama, but wasn’t, I felt like an outsider to a secret society: The Commune of Motherhood. I sat—metaphorically—on the sidelines at my neighborhood ‘Moms Night...
View ArticleMaggie, the cat, celebrates her 19th
There is no such thing as an ordinary cat. ~Collette Yes, this is a post about my cat. But hey, it’s her 19th birthday which, from what I’ve read, is the equivalent of 93 human years. Any living soul,...
View ArticleOh my, Oh my, Oh–Dada
Dada for hugging. And Dada for hiding. Dada for jumping. And Dada for lying. Dada for running. And Dada for tears. Dada who’s wearing fuzzy yak ears. Dada for dressing. And Dada for dining. Dada for...
View ArticleLife is a lot like mountaineering
The Three Rules of Mountaineering It’s always further than it looks. It’s always taller than it looks. And it’s always harder than it looks. - Author Unknown Fifty years of life is like is a lot like...
View ArticleOn the other side of the camera
I am usually on the “business end” of the camera. So rarely do I have photos with me in them. Thank you, Wenmei Hill, for the photo sessions of our family. Feet 2012 Feet 2014 The three of us 2012...
View ArticleIn the kitchen with the Kirchners: Gluten Free Apple Pie
Our first Family Pie Day was a huge success. Big Papa, Little Bird and I got busy in the kitchen with our local cousins, and made Gluten free Apple Pie, from scratch, with apples from our trees! Big...
View ArticleBoy born on the 4th of July
When the entire U.S. is celebrating the 4th of July, if it’s your birthday, sometimes you just want to get away from it all. For a boy born on Independence Day, that can be a tall order. I still...
View ArticleNew chapter: Kittens!
So this past weekend, this happened… Then this happened… And next thing you know, there are two kittens living in our home! I have not been mama to a wee kitten in 20 years, but our home felt empty...
View ArticleThe Great Zucchini Races of 2015
This past Saturday, Miss Lellow Submarine was pitted against many fine souped-up “cars” in the Great Zucchini Races of 2015. Now in it’s second year, the Great Zucchini Races are an annual event (I...
View ArticleNestle for Men: The manly chocolate bar
Big Papa may have felt left out of the Halloween festivities, because today he hauled out his very last ‘Nestle for Men’ bar. Yep. For men. We purchased this bar some time (years) ago in Armenia,...
View ArticleAn afternoon in the Arboretum–on the other side of the camera
This past weekend I found myself on the other side of the camera two days in a row! Both photo shoots had been scheduled and rescheduled several times due to rain. Lo and behold, what was the weather...
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