Trailblazing

"Mud up!"

-Imogen

Bubbling

You Get There

"It's not a long way to everywhere, right?
You just take a shortcut and then you get there."
-Imogen

Parent Line

For people on the Olympic Peninsula or Kitsap Peninsula in need of child care, Parent Line is an excellent resource. They have a database to match families with caregivers based on care needed, schedule and location(s). I called Parent Line in Port Angeles ((360)452-5437), talked with a very nice person, and within minutes was e-mailed a list of 17 caregivers.

One Wish

"Happy Little Things"

-A wish from Immy to Grammy

Straitforward

Valley Creek Estuary
Port Angeles Waterfront

In the 50s

Natural State

Olympic National Park Headquarters Visitor's Center,

Peabody Creek Trail
Port Angeles

Timber Town

"Port Angeles," a wooden-block diorama by Imogen

Humans: The Cooking Apes

Richard Wrangham was on KUOW's Speakers' Forum this week, talking about--yes, us--"the cooking apes." I think the most provocative point he makes is that men historically have had more opportunities in life than women because of freedom from daily chores like cooking.

When I turned the radio on and caught this talk, I had just gotten up from squatting on the floor with Imogen, over a board that we were breaking nuts open on with a kitchen mallet. I had even mentioned to Immy that I felt like a monkey and then I pretended I was one. Weird.

Photo: PictureHistory.com

Breadmakers and Breadwinners

"The U.S. Census shows that families with a stay-at-home parent are seven times more likely to live in poverty. And while 72 percent of mothers work, women with children are hired 79 percent less often than those without kids, according to a Cornell University study from 2007. Once they find employment, moms are offered starting salaries that are $11,000 less than men's."

-Claudia Rowe, "Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner mobilizes moms to fight for their rights," Pacific Northwest Magazine, The Seattle Times

MomsRising.org

Where moms and people who love them go to change the world

Dare to Dream

Imogen as "Dorofy"

Hundred-Acre Wood

Webster's Woods Art Park

Port Angeles, Tuesday

A Writer's Life

The New York Times Book Review has named Carol Sklenicka's biography, "Raymond Carver, A Writer's Life," one of its "10 Best Books of 2009."

'Parkles

Writing Letters

Imogen is spending much of her time practicing letters. Here she paints and embellishes some favorites.

Goodbye Gaea

Gaea

She was loved.

June 24, 1995-December 1, 2009

We miss you Bea.

Once Upon a Time

"You know what? I'm the child in this story, you know."

Imogen

Festival of Trees

A Common Heritage

"Adoption of the name Salish Sea better describes a common natural heritage for a vast international water system for which political boundaries are not real. Local names are kept, but a richer, complex setting is recognized and celebrated."

-Editorial, The Seattle Times

Read the full editorial.

Everything + The Sink

Peach and Plum

Imogen served up a plum to her stuffed dog Peach, alongside a "chicken for drinking."

Love Bug

Holding Out Soap

Perspective

You Sure Are

"I'm a 'fart' little 'gill,' 'amn't' I?" -Immy

Magnifique

I just showed this picture of Glinda the Good Witch to Imogen, who exclaimed "magnifique!"

A Tea Party

Smurfette

Oops

A couple weeks ago, Imogen wrote "OOPS," her first written word.

She learned to recognize it in her book Blue Hat, Green Hat.

Bonfire Night

Up Her Sleeve

To fix kids' shirt-sleeve cuffs stained with paint or ink, crop both sleeves (to match) above the highest stain and stitch around the new cuffs to prevent unraveling.

Saturday's Child

Seeing a sun break for the first time in days, parents across Western Washington were heard to say, "Let's get out of the house!"

Our first stop was the Port Angeles Library where the Fire Department was showing off its equipment and reading to kids. Thanks to "really nice" firefighters, Imogen got to go inside the engine three times! Next was the Farmers Market where I managed to grab some beets before being pulled along to the beach by Immy. It was free-admission day at the Marine Science Center, so we spent a lot of time exploring the touch tanks and exhibits (molting kelp crabs and skate egg cases are amazing). Then it was back to the Farmers Market for a cinnamon roll from Camden and Berkeley's dad.

Saltair

"I want to go to the sea."

Imogen, this morning

Rock the Vote

"Bikini Bread"

Baked & Delivered with Love by Grammy

The Botany of Desire

Watch the excellent PBS documentary based on Michael Pollan's book.

Image: "Great Bearer," 1894, by Deborah Griscom Passmore

USDA Pomological Watercolor Collection, Apples

Trick-or-Treat Night

Catgirl

"Gaea" (our cat),

by Imogen

The Salish Sea

It's official.

Map: Stefan Freelan