Spin, Stomp and Sexy, too
You don’t have to have the body of a waif or the feet of Fred Astaire to make your moves on the dance floor. Take a chance, get out and dance! Timeless Torches, a dancing troupe tied to the New York Liberty of the Women’s…
EndNotes
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2012
SUNDAY, MARCH 11, 2012
Only silence 1
What motivated a US soldier to kill Afghan civilians over the weekend? The victims were mostly women and children, who slept. As a teen I would ask my dad about the Viet Nam war as black and white footage played across the evening news. “It’s…
SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 2012
New beginnings…supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! 1
Dick Van Dyke, 86, married his makeup artist, Arlene Silver, 40. I think it is the greatest age difference between husband and wife that I know. It will be fun to watch these newlyweds. A few years ago I would have been laughing at this…
FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 2012
Lost...and found
Margaret Page, 41, was found alive in a New Mexico national forest. Page had been in the woods for nearly a month. She was found in her sleeping bag – with her cat. She survived on a limited amount of food and water from a…
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
Alike in life and death
The twin sisters who were found dead last month in their California home do have family – and those cousins have been located. The two women were once starlets – a term from their era – and then left the spotlight for a life of…
MONDAY, MARCH 5, 2012
What's a woman to do?
The FDA has raised questions about the side effects of statin drugs: diabetes and memory loss.Oh, great. When you come from a family where diabetes is closing in on you from both genetic sides and your cholesterol is high, even when you eat like a…
FRIDAY, MARCH 2, 2012
Gentle on our minds
Glen Campbell will play to a sold-out crowd Saturday night in Airway Heights – at Northern Quest Casino. Campbell has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and is on the road doing what he loves best – singing and enjoying his fans. Campbell’s wife and their…
THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2012
Name this voice...
“I want to make that clear. This is: I am now a woman, I have a voice in the universe, and I want to do everything I can to become an expert in social justice and hope I can make a difference and mobilize young…
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 29, 2012
Grief upon grief
The report in today’s New York Times reveals that body parts of some of the 9/11 victims were incinerated at the mortuary at Dover Air Force Base and then released to a landfill. If true, this information only adds to the grief and anguish of…
SUNDAY, FEB. 26, 2012
And the Oscar goes to...
The wise and experienced…and a bit older…actor: Christopher Plummer …and the Oscar goes to the nominated-17-times…Meryl Streep…and the evening was hosted by…we all love him…Billy Crystal…and the best picture goes to… a silent film. Has anyone under 40 ever even seen a silent film before...
SATURDAY, FEB. 25, 2012
Anne Lamott ~ urban grace
Anne Lamott arrived in Tacoma for her evening talk at Urban Grace Church. Her truth-telling- no-matter-what stories and edgy wisdom gave the audience reason to sigh, ponder and affirm: we are in this life together. I sat in the front row and listened like I…
THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2012
Trooper killed
Another law enforcement person has been killed in the line of duty. Early this morning a Washington State Patrol trooper was performing a routine traffic stop. The trooper called in the stop and when the dispatcher did not receive a status check from the trooper,…
MONDAY, FEB. 20, 2012
Presidents' Day...why?
I am “of a generation” that remembers the two holidays for two presidents - before the merge. In my childhood, it did not matter where the holidays landed – mid-week or not, we remembered the men for whom the holiday was set. You know, before…
SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2012
She rests...in peace
Whitney Houston was celebrated and honored and remembered…for hours… as her family and friends memorialized her life. The service was attended by 300 mourners, including Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Forest Whitaker, Jennifer Hudson, Diane Sawyer and Houston's cousin,…
FRIDAY, FEB. 17, 2012
Writing to save a life
Amanda Knox has a book deal - and hopefully a chance to pull her loving parents out of the debt they plunged into when they lived through her four years of incarceration. The legal fees, the travel expenses, the cost of supporting themselves while seeking…
THURSDAY, FEB. 16, 2012
Perspective and grace
Mary Matsuda Gruenwald was 17-years-old when she was taken with her family to her first assembly center. Like many Americans of Japanese ancestry, she spent time in an internment camp during World War II. Once freed, she eventually joined the cadet nurse corps. She wrote…
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 15, 2012
Cycling into the future
The new washing machine arrived today. I really was sad when the 26-year-old Maytag was hauled away. That old machine had three buttons – for water temperature – and three options for washing cycles. It was a “top loader” and on the shelf above I…
TUESDAY, FEB. 14, 2012
Who was Saint Valentine?
Good question. Lots of answers. Sometimes it is best to imagine the answer: Saint Valentine was the perfect, thoughtful lover or even a magical cupid who causes one’s object of affection to return that passion. However, Valentine was most likely someone we are less likely…
MONDAY, FEB. 13, 2012
From engineering structures to sentence structure
Our Boomer generation has been busy about seeking new adventures as we age. Meet Kathleen Flenniken, 51, a former Hanford engineer, turned poet. Washington state’s poet laureate, 2012-2014, that is. Flenniken earned engineering degrees from WSU in 1983 and from the University of Washington. She…
SATURDAY, FEB. 11, 2012
Whitney Houston, 48, dies
Her voice was sultry and strong; her smile, beautiful. Her life – a bit tumultuous. Whitney Houston died on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton Hotel, on the eve of the Grammy Awards, which she was to attend. Houston was at the prime of…
The right rights
Two sweet, innocent children will be buried today. Their father murdered them. The story has been in all media sources over the last week. The blame, the questions, the speculation are the subject of every lead story in the local news. I have questions far…
FRIDAY, FEB. 10, 2012
A rose is a rose...is a tavern
The hangout for many Gonzaga alums was called The Bulldog. We drank beer, bantered our various philosophical viewpoints and made out in the booths (Well, I didn’t, but I witnessed those whose passion increased as they sipped the suds.) The iconic landmark is in search…
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 8, 2012
Awash in grief 1
Our relationship lasted almost 26 years. Reliable, always willing, a tacit understanding of our roles. We were together over all the holidays, birthdays and sometimes the relationship required lots of attention or relied on the simple rhythm of daily life. Suddenly, the relationship is over.…
SUNDAY, FEB. 5, 2012
Mary Oliver: pay attention
Mary Oliver was the featured keynote speaker at Seattle University’s fourth annual Book Festival on Saturday. Like most authentic human beings, she was humble, direct, quietly confident in her work – and a bit humorous. She read the favorites: The Journey, Wild Geese. And she…
THURSDAY, FEB. 2, 2012
Friends! No matter what
Tomorrow is my birthday, but today it is Steve’s birthday. I love Steve..no! Not that kind of love. The I love- you-no- matter-what kind of love that friends have. And there has been a lot of no-matter-what. Steve is wild, a word used to describe…
Spokesman-Review features writer Rebecca Nappi, along with writer Catherine Johnston of Olympia, Wash., discuss here issues facing aging boomers, seniors and those experiencing serious illness, dying, death and other forms of loss.