You’ll not only stretch your mind, but you will want to stretch your body…. Here’s more from Nancy: Griffin Bay Bookstore and the San Juan Island Library are excited to present the bestselling author, Claire Dederer, on Saturday night, January 28, 7:00 pm at Griffin Bay Bookstore. Her memoir, Poser – My Life in Twenty-Three  Continue Reading

When Thor Hanson released his new book last year, it was favorably reviewed on NPR, in The Atlantic Monthly & The New York Times and a few other places, and now he’s giving another presentation on-island to talk about it (his presentations at Griffin Bay Bookstore & the Library were packed). If you didn’t hear  Continue Reading

Beautiful song by these Swedish guys – love Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen…this is the longer version:

A quick note from  Penelope Haskew, who is directing the middle school play this year: We got the word that school has been cancelled for the day on Wednesday, so I postponed the auditions for Charlotte’s Web that were scheduled for that afternoon.  They will now be held on Sunday, January 22 at 5:00pm at  Continue Reading

The Winter Carnivale performance for tonight (Friday) at the Community Theatre is ON for tonight – see you there! The Friday Harbor basketball teams were scheduled to play today (home vs. Darrington) and earlier & the week with Orcas, and both were waxed by the weather… FHHS AD Rod Turnbull says here’s the re-scheduled dates:  Continue Reading

Looking around the island, as the snow melts & puddles around us…. • The Third Saturday Contra Dance is this weekend at the Grange – guest band Triangularity from Seattle is coming by, and Marlin Prowell is calling. No experience? No big deal – come early & learn a bit. $10 & $5 for students….starts  Continue Reading

Besides my day work looking after By Design and The Update, I also sing, write songs & sell music (you probably already knew that….) Here’s a little sampling from the three albums that I sell, so you can hear bits of the songs & buy either the songs (to download) or the albums (to download  Continue Reading

This is the poem that Maya Angelou read on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the United Nations in 1995…a reminder that “We must confess that we are the possible/ We are the miraculous, the true wonder of this world.” A Brave and Startling Truth Maya Angelou We, this people, on a small and  Continue Reading

It’s interesting to see & hear all the different ways folks respond to all the cold & snow – some go inside, some go outside & play, some go to work anyway, and some have the school days notion of a “snow day” so impressed on their brain that they go to work but don’t  Continue Reading

As folks dig out from the leftover snow, and try & imagine what the weather report means for tomorrow, with a high of 43 & a 90% chance of snow (sounds slushy, but I guess you can’t say “90% chance of slush”), let’s look around & see what’s up: • If  you live in town,  Continue Reading