Note: The article was originally by Summer D Clemenson and posted on WellnessWorksNW.com
I am always amazed to hear of a person that is ashamed of their illness, especially mental illness. The stigma of chronic illness is almost as debilitating as the actual illness, in my opinion, but it doesn’t have to be. I am often told that I am amazingly transparent and for some people that is scary as hell and for others, that is refreshing. I come from people that are super private about medical histories and this is not good. We should not be afraid to talk about these things. In fact I would like to encourage you to face the illness so you can enjoy the healing.(more…)
I don’t talk a lot about my membership in the Queer Community because my realization that I am part of it is so new to me. I know some people cringe at the word queer but LGBTQIA+ is hard to say and even harder to remember and my wife, Karen G Clemenson, had an aneurysm many years ago and some things just don’t stick easily with her so I made the decision that we would use the word queer and if someone wants to know why we use it we can say we are too old to remember all the letters. But truly, even though we tend to be more conservative than most of our fellow queer folks, we were voting for same sex marriage long before we even knew we wanted to marry each other.
All the letters have a meaning though and they are all important:
L – Lesbian (women who are attracted to women sexually)
G – Gay (men who are attracted to men sexually)
B – Bisexual (a person that is attracted to both men and women sexually)
T – Transsexual (a person that experiences a gender identity that is different than the one assigned to them at birth; this has nothing to do with their sexual orientation)
Q – Queer (umbrella term for sexual or gender minorities)
I – Intersex (people who were born with several sex characteristics including chromosome patterns, gonads or genitals)
A – Asexual (a person with a low or absent interest in sexual desire towards others)
+ – (Anyone else including Pansexual; a person that may be attracted to men, women or trans people, Polyamorous; multiple romantic relationships with the consent of everyone involved…and anyone not listed…)
I am actual Demisexual which technically falls under the scope of Asexual. Basically demisexual people do not feel romantic interest until a strong emotional bond has been built. For me, gender doesn’t matter but I am never in a hurry to develop a sexual relationship and I would never consider a relationship beyond my marriage. I am not wired that way. My wife really likes that about me.
When it comes to gender I am a Cis-Female. That means I was identified as female at birth and I agree that I am a female. But I know people that were born one gender who identify as another gender. Like my friend Rae. Rae was born female but now is Non-Binary. Rae’s pronouns are now They/Them. One of Karen’s clients was born male but is now in the midst of transitioning to female. This client is a Trans-Female and her pronouns are She and Her.
Today I Want to Talk More About Transsexual People
Confusing, isn’t it? Don’t worry. Rae promises me it is much less hard for me to learn their new pronouns than it is for them to transition. I trust them that they would know better than I would. You see, I don’t have to understand. I just have to love them and treat them with respect. Even if I mess up and use the wrong pronouns, if I just apologize and treat them kindly, usually people are going to forgive me because I am not judging them or treating them poorly, I am not scared of them and I am looking them in the eye and trying to do my best to connect with them.
Did you know that Washington State has anti-discrimination laws that clearly prohibits unjust or prejudicial treatment based on gender expression or identity? These laws protect people in places that serve the public like public schools, restaurants, hotels, renting, buying and selling homes, employment (especially state, municipal and private workplaces with more than 8 employees), credit transactions and insurance transactions. These laws protect people from violence and threats, harassment, intimidation and bullying motivated by gender expression or actual and perceived gender identity.
Trans-Students have the right to join in and play in interscholastic athletics according to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which states that students should be allowed to participate in physical education and athletic activities in a manner that is consistent with their gender identity. If school leadership is not supporting their students they are violating the Equal Protection Clause of the federal Constitution, where schools are responsible for protecting the rights of all students.
If your school is not supporting you or your student you have options please see:
As you may have guessed it, I was fueled by something to write this article. I have a friend named, Roger, who recently shared with me that he has a friend that is having to travel outside his school district because he is not being supported at his school and The Daily News won’t write anything about this story. I told Roger I would, but I got impatient. So I started doing a little research and found out that our state has been working hard to make it a safer place for Trans and Queer folks to live…
In February of 2016 Senate Bill 6443 was defeated in Washington State, making it illegal to harassing based on gender identity or sexual orientation, give LGBT employees fewer benefits or deny people access to restrooms consistent to their gender identity under the law.
In April of 2021 Senate Bill 5313 was passed banning health insurance discrimination. This law made it illegal for insurance companies to refuse covering gender confirming treatments to minors on the basis that they felt it was for cosmetic reasons. This is important because a study found that the trans population could be subject to minority stress and societal stigma which is the cause of mental health disorders without the proper support.
These are all great steps forward for all of us because if one person is made free, we are all made more free and freedom is a beautiful thing. It is what so many United States military have laid down their lives for and I would never want to cheapen that by someone who is afraid. I understand that some people might be afraid of things you don’t understand or know about so I suggest that you ask questions. You can ask me questions. If I don’t know the answers, I know where to find them. RAINS is a great resource and their board is made of kind and loving people that want to support us all with education and resources.
When it comes down to it. Shouldn’t we try to make it easier and not harder for our kids to get a good education, no matter what their gender identity is?
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
Regardless of what your food philosophy is or what diet plan you follow or don’t, eating is important. Babies that don’t learn to latch on properly at birth are labeled failure to thrive and have a hard path in front of them and people with food issues do too. I was raised with several food issues and I have spent about 20 years trying to reteach myself better habits.
Breakfast is a hard one, especially because my wife, Karen, works swing shift and doesn’t come home until at least midnight sometimes and I like to eat dinner with her so we don’t often get to bed until 2 or 3 am. So my normal breakfast time is not the normal breakfast time but really breakfast is really just the idea of breaking a fast so it doesn’t matter what time it happens.
I also don’t wake up easily. I hate waking up. I am grumpy and in pain so making breakfast is not something I want to do. I tend to batch cook so we always have something ready to eat in the fridge. Karen is an action person and she is always coming and going so I often have hard boiled eggs, a frittata and maybe a soup or stew in the fridge. Sometimes we can’t get a hold of farm fresh eggs and my body can’t process store bought ones. I also can’t eat a lot of gluten, sugar and since I have been on megestrol for my cancer treatment, I can’t eat avocados, coffee, tea with caffeine and most recently spinach and wild rice…I was craving Cream of Wheat a few months ago but knew I couldn’t have that. When I did a search I found they had a gluten free option, Cream of Rice. I purchased it and found that I hated it when I made it with water but if I made it with almond milk, I loved it…but starting that day with that many carbs was causing me to crave carbs all day. That wasn’t working for me either.
I had some organic gluten free rolled oats but those just seemed so heavy and for some reason they didn’t stay with me. Did you know that if you purchase oats that don’t say gluten free that they might have gluten in them? I didn’t know that but I sure could feel it sometimes. I like cereal in the morning so I kept thinking. Then I remembered that I had bought stone ground oats and had loved them in the past. I knew they took a lot longer to cook than rolled oats so I started Googling. I found that they had protein, fiber, potassium, iron and calcium while the rice really only had carbs…and I could soak them overnight and get the same effect as cooking them. How exciting!
Summer’s Refrigerator Stone Ground Oats Recipe
1 Glass Quart Sized Jar with the lid
2 cups Organic Gluten Free Stone Ground Oats
2 cups Raisins
Organic Ground Cinnamon
Sea Salt
Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
I don’t really measure anything. I use the measurements on the side of the jar but I don’t get out any tools.
Add half a jar of oats.
I turn the cinnamon upside down in the jar and slap the bottom 30 times (or as much as you like).
I guestimate about 1 tsp sea salt.
I fill the rest of the jar with raisins.
I close the jar really tight and shake it really good.
Open the jar and fill it with Almond Milk (or whatever type of milk you like).
Put the lid on really tight and give it a really good shake. Refrigerate overnight.
In the morning…or whenever you enjoy your oats…
In a bowl that holds at least 2 cups add 4 tsps of oats from the jar and then add as much milk as you like. Heat on high for 2 minutes in the microwave. Stir and enjoy.
You should have 5 adult servings. Adjust for smaller eaters.
These oats are super filling! They have a luscious texture so if you are used to butter in your oats, you won’t miss it. There is just enough salt to accent the sweetness of the oats, cinnamon and raisins that you won’t miss the sugar so you won’t need to add more than what is naturally occurring in the food. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.
Today was a great day!
Today has been a very productive day. I was really feeling down a couple weeks ago. I was starting to abuse myself because I felt like I had given up on everything I like to do, even writing and then I realized that although I hadn’t been updating my blog, I had taken to writing long Facebook posts and even dating them. For the last two weeks I have been going through all those posts from back in October when I got my cancer diagnosis and reading them. The ones that were good enough for the blog are now here…and that is most of them.
I learned a lot. I have gone through a lot. There is a reason I am exhausted. I shouldn’t let my mind tell me I am lazy or unmotivated. I am sick and I probably a little shell shocked. I am mourning losses and yet I am growing.
My phone phobia is getting worse. I can send small books via text or messenger but I can barely speak to people I love on the phone. It is very hard to talk to doctor offices. I am glad that most of the time, Karen makes those calls for me. I think that is why I feel like I failed so badly with my neurologist. I tried to communicate well with him but he was not able to reciprocate. I did not call on Monday like I said I would. I chickened out. But I did call today and I was put through to an answering machine where I explained my phone phobia and let them know that I would try really hard to answer the phone when they called back but even with all the worrying about that. They never did call back.
My primary called today. I could not make myself answer, at the time, but I did make myself call back. They were responding to my email about some tummy trouble I had for about a week. Luckily, when Karen called to reschedule my post-op appointment with my oncologist because of this uncontrollable issue, they put her directly through to the nurse who advised her that my meds were probably causing my issue and I realized that the the spinach and wild rice in the stew I had made were different than what I normally ate and when I stopped eating it, my problem went way…poor Karen has had a lot of that stew to eat on her own…So even though I was tongue-tied when I called I communicated to the person on the phone that I appreciated them calling to set up an appointment, but that the problem had subsided with the guidance of my oncology nurse, and was an issue caused due to a side effect of a medication I take for my cancer treatment, I was happy to keep my regularly scheduled checkup appointment scheduled for next month. She eventually caught up with me.
I am so much better in writing…
Yesterday was a blessing too! I was contacted by Heather at RAINS who was concerned because she had contacted Karen about a grant that was available for her. Heather let me know that both of us could apply and we should apply soon. What a blessing! So of course, I applied for both of us. We live in such a great community!
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
This article is based on my opinion as well as information I gained through web series I took part in in July of 2020 called LGBTQ+ Cultural Competency Workshop. This workshop was sponsored by Lambert House, Healing Bridge, PFLAG, PFLAG SW WA, Connect BG and Wonderfully Made. You may want skip this article if you don’t like people who might be different from you.
I owe someone an apology.
God please help me write this the way my heart is feeling it because for some reason it seems so hard.
Years ago I met a person who was trying to tell me something about themself, but I could not hear them. I still thought the world was very black and white. I am not sure where I learned this but it was a reality for me. Black and white thinking is not very inclusive.
The definition of inclusiveness is an aura or environment of letting people in and making them feel welcome.
An example of inclusiveness is when you make your home a comfortable place for all of your friends, family, guests and people you meet.
When we are thinking about whether or not you are practicing being inclusive we need to ask ourselves some questions:
What needs to be in place so that you are comfortable around someone?
Do you like to be ignored?
Do you enjoy when other’s people’s opinions are forced upon you because they can’t understand you?
These are universal questions. When you have the answer for yourself, the next step is to consider whether you are giving what you need to others in an open-handed way that allows them the freedom to express themselves. One thing, I think is universally true is that people like to be heard. They don’t like to be invited into someone’s space, and have no room to be themselves, be allowed to speak and be empathized with.
I know it the past I was not able to hear people who were trying to express that they had a burden and they wanted to share it with me. They were not asking me to hold it for them or take it from them, they just wanted to show it to me and know that they were safe with me to just sit in their honesty.
Do you know how I know this? As I have gotten older, I came to the realization that I had to know my identity; the one I was born with that maybe I didn’t know how to look at or foster in myself. This same identity that maybe no one else knew how to look at it or foster, or they just didn’t want to.
What I have come to understand is that my identity is mine and it includes many aspects: dreams, beliefs & philosophies, sex, gender identity, gender expression, orientation are only a few and each one has their own importance. These aspects can only be identified by me and no one else, just as I can only listen and hear what others are saying to me and choose what I will do with it.
Many years ago, I had a conversation with someone about their gender identity. I can’t seem to shake it. I think about it often so I decided to sit with what I know. What I came up with is this: I didn’t let them tell me their truth without interrupting them and defining them in my black and white knowledge.
I was wrong.
I am sorry.
I don’t want to do this anymore.
I know there are people, who will say: Summer, you are a Christian. How can you not tell people the truth?
My answer is this: Jesus is the truth and the life. It is His job to define my identity and salvation. It is His job to change people. It is not my job to tell people their truth. It is my job to love people with Christ’s love. If He thinks they are wrong, He will show them in His amazing way. But who am I to define someone else?
Now, before someone says: Summer, what about people who are breaking the law? I am not talking about that, I am talking about someone’s identity. If someone else’s identity is hurting me, than I might really have a problem within myself, not them. I know I used to have issues with other people’s identity and, for me, it was because I didn’t know my own identity because I had never thought to consider it and what makes me who I am.
For the last 20 years or so, I have looked at myself as honestly as I can. I have questioned myself. I have questioned God about myself. I am sure I will keep doing this for the rest of my life, since the bible says that if I believe Jesus is the Son of God, than He abides in me (1 John 4:15), and I want to know Jesus, and that is a relationship that was created before the foundation of the world (Romans 8:29) and it will definitely not end any time soon.
What have a learned? I have learned that I am always changing. I am always thinking and learning. To be the same would mean that I was stagnant and I never want to be that. The only thing that never changes is Christ’s love in me…but what that means to me and how I react to it that just keeps getting deeper and deeper…
Be as well as you can be, my friends…
Feel free to leave your comments below!
My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
Amen
The Lord is with you always.
Note: If you leave comments that are not open-minded questions or statements we can discuss in order to better understand each other, calmly and in a loving manner and you do not include your name and email address, to facilitate conversation, you will not see them posted on this blog. I welcome conversations and questions, but I will not be abused and I will not allow abusive language on my personal blog. If you read something you don’t like on my blog, please pray for me.
We hear the word mindful so often, it is almost a constant reminder, but what is Mindfulness? Being mindful is a verb that describes a practice of paying attention to what is happening now. Being mindful is something that is naturally part of ourselves, whether we choose to cultivate it or not. What we are doing, what we are feeling and what we are thinking are all parts of practicing mindfulness. This practice is best learned during active, daily practice. When we observe our thoughts, feelings and actions we are learning about ourselves without judging why we think, feel or do things the way we do them. What we observe is neither good or bad in the moment, this observation is meant to teach us what we do and how we do it as we respond to the things we can’t control, like the weather, other people’s behaviors or any other factor that we can only respond to. (more…)
There are really no cons when we are considering Workplace Wellness Plans. There is something special that is created when ‘I’ becomes ‘we.’ Companies that foster their employee’s wellness can creatively encourage healthy competition among their staff and not only see better health in their workforce but create a workplace where people work together. At Rightline Equipment in Rainier, Oregon they often have wellness contests, like weight loss contests. This encourages employees to eat healthier and work together to implement healthy habits among themselves and while they do this they support each other to reach their personal goals. This not only leads people to change their lifestyle but they get sick less often and miss less work time. (more…)
FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and Polyols. All these scientific terms are used to describe groups of fermentable carbohydrates that commonly trigger bloating, gas and stomach pain in people with sensitivities.
The main dietary sources of the four groups of FODMAPs include:
Oligosaccharides: Wheat, rye, legumes and various fruits and vegetables, such as garlic and onions.
Disaccharides: Milk, yogurt and soft cheese. Lactose is the main carbohydrate.
Monosaccharides: Various fruit including figs and mangos, and sweeteners such as honey and agave nectar. Fructose is the main carb.
Polyols: Certain fruits and vegetables including blackberries and lychee, as well as some low-calorie sweeteners like those found in sugar-free gum.
Cannabis can be a very powerful tool in use as a pain reliever for those suffering with chronic pain and illness. Cannabis works alongside our nervous system to block certain pain receptors. This is key to living a good life with chronic pain. It may not be the way for everyone, but it was a game changer for me.
What is our Nervous System?
Our nervous system is a complex collection of nerves and specialized cells known as neurons. These neurons send signals between different parts of our body, telling them what to do. Our nervous system is like our body’s electrical wiring. (more…)
Talcum Powder is made from talc. Talc is a mineral that contains magnesium, silicon and oxygen. In its natural state, some talc also contains asbestos. Talc that has been purified from asbestos is generally what is used in consumer products.
The reason talcum powder is used is that it absorbs moisture well and helps cut down on friction so it is good for helping to keep skin dry and prevent rashes; which is why it is often found in baby powder and adult body and facial powders. (more…)
It is an act of love to choose wellness. Wellness is a series of positive, life supporting decisions we make, or don’t make everyday, all day long. Being well takes proper nutrition, exercise, a good attitude and the practice of hobbies and activities that bring us satisfaction and joy. Sometimes our path to wellness requires a wellness facilitator; sometimes it includes medication and counseling. Many of us have a road in front of us that includes chronic illness which produces its own challenges. A main component of our health is our immune system, sometimes referred to as our second brain or our digestive system. No matter what you need to Love Your Guts! (more…)
We love peanut butter! It is filling. It is healthy. It is packed with protein, fiber, monounsaturated fat and fat-burning folate. But there are some things you might not know about peanut butter that will probably change the way you shop (we hope). (more…)
As we slipped into November Karen and I have been very busy but I was sure we needed to EXCLAIM something…so as she fell asleep at my feet last night, I again, asked her what we should write about. Struggling to open her eyes, she said, “Why don’t we EXCLAIM Thanksgiving?”
Just minutes earlier, she had talked me into turning off The Late Show and going to bed, but fell asleep before she could make her dreams come true…or move so I could get off the couch without having to climb over her. In those few moments, my brain turned back on and reminded me that I never run out of things to do. So with some grumbling, “Do we have to do this now? Oh, I missed my chance!” Karen and I came up with 30 things we are so THANKFUL for in Longview, Washington. (more…)
It’s that time of year again! Living Ministries launched SURVIVAL DRIVE 2015 on October 1st! It will last the entire month of October. We have been glad to donate the flyer design every year and hope that year number 3 is the most successful!
It is hard to live on the streets. That statement does not contain that anxiety, fear, stress and physical demands that being homeless actually include. Believe it or not most people who are homeless are mentally ill…or they actually have a job but it doesn’t pay the bills. We have decided to give donations to Love Overwhelming this year but look forward to blessing other organizations that help people in the future.
Living Ministries is not a 501(c)3 organization this year. If you are interested in receiving tax benefits, we encourage you to make your check out to Love Overwhelming…we just want to know how much we were able to help raise this year. (more…)
Our favorite nonprofit is at again! We are excited to EXCLAIM the 2nd Annual Survival Drive, facilitated by Living Ministries.
Survival Drive 2014 will run from October 13th to October 31st. Living Ministries will collect socks and money to give to Love Overwhelming.
Love Overwhelming is a local nonprofit that serves Cowlitz County as the facilitator of Coordinated Entry. People requiring assistance from a number of socio-economic needs should go through their resource case managers for referral. Love Overwhelming also manages an urban rest stop, or Daily Living Essential Cafe, where anyone experiencing homelessness or in danger of experiencing homelessness can come and be safe, have access to restrooms, showers, laundry services and basic living essential items. (more…)
As Friday December 13th draws closer Karen starts to buzz and hum. Everything is a reason to “Get Her Christmas On.” If you don’t like Christmas music and movies you should keep your distance….Move FAR, FAR AWAY before she breaks into her operatic version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town….
Between Karen and her Co-Host Ray Baker we are sure to have a JOYous time!
The sun is out. There are enough clouds in the sky that there is a wonderful baby blue glow around the buildings and I am enjoying the sound of people chatting and the glorious sound of coffee being made as I sit at a table in the middle of The Electric Bean; a fellow sponsor of Christmas Joy Telethon.
Karen says her favorite thing about The EB is that it is a perfect place to plug in. Whether you are taking a break from the office, you’re out and about enjoying Kelso-Longview or you came to a great concert, this place delivers the unique essence of our local people. And it is a great place for a meeting! (more…)
How much fun can you pack in a minute! Well guess how much more you can pack in 3 hours! Living Ministries and sponsors put together The Bag Party benefit concert for Hearts For Homeless and Love Overwhelming in January 2013.
“The Bag Party was the perfect chance to tell people about Hearts For Homeless and Love Overwhelming. These organizations do so much for people and most of it is behind the scenes. The reason they spend hours volunteering is to make sure that people experiencing homelessness have the basics.” Karen Gidderon
In July we got a call from Living Ministries. They had learned about an opportunity for education and thought that me might be willing to video tape the seminar so all of their committee members would have a chance to view it. Of course we were glad to show up and we even handled the bad lighting and sound with more attention than we usually do. This is one of those projects that we finished a long time ago and just didn’t get around to the marketing…what is it they say about the plumber’s house? LOL!
Cowlitz Wahkiakum Council of Governments arranged for Janis Cleaveland, RN, Director of Nursing; Cascadia, BHCC to join us at Lower Columbia CAP along with service providers who came from Washington and Oregon to learn about Trauma Informed Care.
Janis touched on ACEs or Adverse Childhood Experiences to explain that the more traumatic experiences we had during childhood the better the chance that trauma can leave an indelible print on you.
This seminar played on KLTV in July on both the educational channel and channel 11. If you missed it, feel free to ask them to play it again. If you would like to read the seminar notes or view the seminar in 10-15 min increments please go to LivingMinistries.org.
Welcome to this weeks episode of Connect The Dots with your host, Karen Gidderon. This week our episode will feature DOGAPAWLOOZA 2013! This annual event is hosted by The Dog Zone to benefit Humane Society of Cowlitz County!
As cat-lovers you might wonder what would draw us to an event with SO MANY dogs…well…we love animals…we even like dogs…we just prefer to LIVE with animals of the feline persuasion…and we knew that since the ALPHA of all alpha dogs is Doug Kalberg, owner of The Dog Zone, that as long as we stayed on his good side he would make sure we were alright…we cut that part out, but we did hand him a few doggy treats before he bounded away to play with his four-legged friends! (more…)
Imagine it. You are carrying around 30 lbs of equipment. It is really hot. You forgot to bring any water. You shutter as sweat rolls down your back. But you are having a great time! There is music, laughter, yummy food smells and pirates yelling, “ARG!” The number one thing that made it all worth it was…that’s right…men in kilts! Old and young men alike sporting their tartans. Pull your chairs up and get comfy because we made it to Highlander Fest 2013!
Whether you were there to join in the Highlander Games or learn more about your Scottish roots there was fun to be had by all.The clans were there enjoying each other and telling stories. We found someone giving sword fighting lessons and the bag pipes were exhilarating, whether they were on fire or not! (more…)
Back in August we were blessed to have the opportunity to work with Kim Walters of New Hope Cancer Recovery on her annual event, Cruise for the Cure. This annual event takes an entire year to pull off and according to Kim, when we met with her last week over lattes at our mutually favorite coffee shop, ZoJo, she has several details well underway.
Before Cruise for the Cure 2012, we had the opportunity to interview Kim for a Connect The Dots Episode with a lot of fuel injection! Of course our attention was detoured from blog entries while we jumped from Cruise for the Cure to Christmas Angel Telethon…so here is our thoughts on this show.
New Hope Cancer Recovery is a resource for those that are living with cancer and those that love them, as well as those who have lost someone to cancer. When you watch this episode you will get an idea of how New Hope Cancer Recovery can help you and some of the fun that happens at Cruise or the Cure which always takes place in beautiful Downtown Longview! (more…)
First off, we understand that the Christmas Parade happened Saturday December 1, 2012. We also know that we made this production available to be shown on KLTV Channel 11 within a few days of that time…but we got backlogged…so here is the blog!
The perfect showcase of fun in Longview-Kelso! The Longview Christmas Parade is proof that cold, rain and darkness does not stop Longview-ites from having a good time!
Bands, kids and adults all come to enjoy the magic of Christmas as it is paraded through Downtown Longview, Washington. We are reminded of years gone by in the mecca of Americana, as bright lights, merry people and flying candy pelt Commerce Avenue, lined by historical buildings that sing of tradition and goodwill toward men. (more…)
As we slipped into November Karen and I have been very busy but I was sure we needed to EXCLAIM something…so as she fell asleep at my feet last night, I again, asked her what we should write about. Struggling to open her eyes, she said, “Why don’t we EXCLAIM Thanksgiving?”
Please wait...
