Desensitization: noun. The process of reducing or eliminating sensitivity; the act or process of desensitizing, of dulling or reducing sensation. I have always said I want to... — Updated 3/22/2023

”Men explain things to me, and facts do not get in their way” – Rebecca Solnit Molly Tuttle, one of the most extraordinary bluegrass singers, composers, and guitar players,... — Updated 3/8/2023

“There’s a starman waiting in the sky/He’s told us not to blow it/’Cause he knows it’s all worthwhile” – David Bowie Is there a difference between an unidentified... — Updated 3/2/2023

Before the holidays, we read and heard the reports about a tripledemic, about the virulent flu strains, and about RSV more intense than in past years, not to mention the common cold... — Updated 2/1/2023

Oh, the weather outside is frightful But the fire is so delightful And since we've no place to go Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow Like the song says, if the weather has to be... — Updated 12/28/2022

“I am woman, hear me roar, in numbers too big to ignore, and I know too much to go back and pretend.” – Helen Reddy My mom loves to tell a story from my childhood of one... — Updated 12/14/2022

“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.” — Willie Nelson Thanks (n) 1: kindly or grateful thoughts : GRATITUDE 2: an expression of gratitude /... — Updated 11/23/2022

Before you know what kindness really is you must lose things, feel the future dissolve in a moment like salt in a weakened broth. What you held in your hand, what you counted and ca... — Updated 11/10/2022

Anniversary, celebration, remembrance, birthday, National Day of … Oct. 24 was National Chicken Fried Steak Day, National Day of the Deployed, National Mincemeat, Mule Day, and... — Updated 11/2/2022

"Luck is preparation meeting opportunity." – Oprah Winfrey I recently the honor of traveling to Washington, D.C., with scholars and alumni from my scholarship organization to expe... — Updated 10/5/2022

During a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Madrid a few years ago, I visited the mecca of the Spanish language: the Real Academia Española, the defender of proper Spanish. I grew up... — Updated 9/21/2022

Fifteen, 15. It’s a complex number. It’s a composite number (formed through multiplication), a deficient number (like all prime numbers, but it’s not prime), a pernicious... — Updated 9/14/2022

"How simple you are, bread, and how profound!" - P. Neruda Pablo Neruda, the Chilean poet who wrote "Odes to Common Things," penned one of his famous odes to bread, telling us that... — Updated 8/24/2022

disbelief (n): Refusal or reluctance to believe. 2. Positive unbelief; the conviction that a proposition or statement for which credence is demanded is not true. 3. A negation or... — Updated 8/17/2022

Money does not buy happiness, but it does buy ice cream. With the recent heat wave, we made the decision to have ice cream for lunch on Sunday. It felt more like logical thinking... — Updated 8/10/2022

Neil Young wrote the song “Rockin’ In a Free World” in 1989 after a bandmate nonchalantly uttered the line (or “We’ll have to keep on rockin’ in the free world,” to... — Updated 7/27/2022

"This 240-year experiment in self-rule began with the best of intentions, but I think we can all agree that it didn't end well." – Queen Elizabeth II, 2016 The 4th of July is... — Updated 7/13/2022

Ah, spring in the Pacific Northwest! Such a beautiful time of year – more flowers than seem possible are blooming all around us and the sky is more often blue than gray. Each... — Updated 6/8/2022

“He who laughs last, laughs longest.” – English proverb Why on earth would someone want the last laugh? Laughing last and alone, to show victory over someone else, well, that... — Updated 6/8/2022

I was lucky to grow up with two parents who challenged my use of language and encouraged me to analyze what others said. When I was just 11, my parents gave me a thesaurus (yes, I... — Updated 5/25/2022

“Homelessness is not a choice, but rather a journey that many find themselves in.” – Dr. Asa Don Brown Like many of us, travel is a magical escape, an opportunity to see the... — Updated 5/12/2022

The new location of Rise & Shine Bakery is bigger and brighter, and offers even more opportunities for wonderful flavors. Opening in Edmonds a few months ago, I was one of many... — Updated 5/11/2022

“Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.” – Bishop D. Tutu Hope (n) 1a: desire accompanied by expectation of or belief in fulfillment... — Updated 4/27/2022

Our culinary options in south Snohomish County just get better and better – and this time with a very specialized cuisine that I am especially fond of: Cuban! El Cubano recently... — Updated 4/13/2022

"One's life has value so long as one attributes value to the life of others, by means of love, friendship, indignation and compassion." – Simone De Beauvoir A friend recently... — Updated 4/6/2022