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Thursday, November 24, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving

It is Thanksgiving Day. Overcast and chilly... no rain so far. I was born in Houston, lived there until I was twelve. I am used to the rain. But the cold...no, no, no

Still as long as I have friends and the strength to love and be loved, I am warmly grateful.
Grateful for my mother and grandmother who loved me,grateful for my teachers and mentors(everyday I remember Dr. Dorothy Donnelley who spent many, many hours teaching me how to listen to others, to myself, and to God).

My favorite restaurant,Wok Teriyaki, is closed today. I smile when I reflect on the warm welcome and sweet goodbyes I have gotten at the Wok over the years I have gone there. The Wok is a warm space where I have eaten well, laughed, cried, been challenged, and affirmed by my friends, Jeanpierre and Gaye many, many times.
So, like you, wonderful readers, I am so very grateful that I am learning to deeply appreciate the love of friends and the wonderful people on the Pastoral Care Teams at the Franciscan Hospitals.
I hope that this will be a wonderful day and weekend for everyone.

Monday, November 21, 2011

Gold-Medal Level Trio Scores At TAC 6th Annual Arts Community Symposium

Having returned from this year's 6th Annual Art at Work Month Symposium November 19 and 20 at University of Puget Sound, sponsored by the Tacoma Arts Commission over the weekend I'd like to give a loud and hearty thank you and shout to three superlative presenters on this year's program namely: Andy Fife of Shunpike and consultants Miriam Works and Gigi Rosenberg.

The quality of this trio of professionals in an equally impressive field of speakers is of such caliber that if the local and regional art community were to have organized an Olympics-type competition, each of the three aforementioned professionals would have taken down all comers in their respective professional brackets and departed with multiple strands of gold!

Self-taught artists, scholars, arts community supporters and arts volunteers of any era are too long familiar with the long litany of public platitudes about the importance of the arts in our culture from leaders in government, business and other areas of the community in times of abundance followed up by irregular commitments, spotty appropriation of public funds and almost too common endless dry spells when the economy begins to contract.

Combine with a historically too short list of easily identifiable, qualified yet affordable resources, arts organizations can point only too many up/down histories of organizational anxiety as they try to navigate and make sense of more current and contemporary pathways.
The City of Tacoma, her governors, educators, businesses and citizens all can be immensely proud that the caliber of their art community, art businesses and support industries, has been so rich to offer attendees to this year's Art at Work Art Symposium such close and personal access to this stellar assemblage of three.

Shunpike's Fife has lit the enthusiasm of national audiences garnering recent attention on Entrepreneur Magazine online for his work nurturing over 2,500 arts-related businesses and arts organizations in Washington State with solid financial foundations according to an article posted by Randy Woods, October 25, 2011.

It is a credit all citizens of Tacoma, WA that support for the arts, for opportunities to nurture innovation, creativity and richness of among residents of all ages have been deemed both a worthwhile and necessary component of community life. Kudos to the Tacoma Arts Commision and its leadership from who only too keenly understand how an informed populace and a viable arts community slip seamlessly into the larger framework of a developmentally rich and innovative metropolitan future.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Tuck A Bit Of Local History In Your Holiday Stockings

Historic cards and handmade kitchen towels are among the unique and local holiday gift possibilities on sale at the Fife History Museum, 2820 54th Avenue E., Fife, WA, (253) 896-4710, for shoppers looking for something different!

Say "Happy Holidays" twelve months a year with a gift membership or equally desirable a copy of the soon to be published "Images of America: Fife, Washington" paperback photo history link here with gifts like these which not only please but educate friends and family of all ages and areas for years to come!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Tile Makes Great Gift For Some On Your List Who Has Everything!

Gift opportunities for the folks on your list who have requested no gifts because of lack of storage etc. include time-honored items like gift certificates to their favorite restaurant of choice, beauty salon, spa, shoe repair firm - and contributions to make sure that tiles mounted and displayed below the famous Clock Tower Bell formerly located at the old Federal Shopping Way and saved from immediate demolition several years past are being taken this month and beyond.

One of the few remaining pieces of this much beloved shopping destination from years past is delightedly being taken cafe of by volunteers at the headquarters of the Historical Society of Federal Way, 2645 South 312th, Federal Way, WA 98093. The city itself is located at the south west corner of King County. Individual, family and company memberships can be made by calling the FWHS at 253-945-7842.

Clock tower tiles can be purchased for $40.00 donation which covers installation and lifetime maintenance once installed at the park for $40.00 a person (up to 4 lines of information on each tile.

A Holiday Bazaar Opportunity Blooms At Federal Way Retailer

Shopping for stocking stuffers and other special holiday gifts? In addition to the regular stock at Federal Way's Craft City, 35415 21st Avenue SW, Suite G, holiday crafters and vendors extrodinaire will fill brightly decorated store tables on Thursday through Sunday, December 1-4.

Store owner Coryn Morgenroth invited area artisans and producers of handmade items to come to the store and participate in the first of two holiday bazaar opportunities at the southwest Federal Way retailer on Thursday through Sunday, November 3-6th from 10:00 a.m. - 8:oo p.m. to the delight of area shoppers such as myself.

I was able to pick up two great ideas in time for winter gift giving occasions as a handmade knit scarf/stole for decking out a ho-ho bottle of any unnamed beverage and a cute machine knit "hat" to add a bit of holiday pizzazzz to all of those very adorable mini-holiday size Hershey chocolate bars made by a well-organized group of women from Maine View Presbyterian Church in Northeast Tacoma.

Click on this link for a flyer about Craft City's holiday bazaar.