Twenty years ago, on Sept. 11, I was just beginning a vacation in Spain and Portugal with my daughters. It was frightening to be so far from home and not know what was happening. Here’s the account of my vacation that appeared in The Tacoma (Washington) News Tribune on Oct. 3, 2001: Read more →

What are your plans for Labor Day this year? Americans are more confident about celebrating Labor Day in 2021, with 48 percent more people planning to travel and 24 percent more planning to go shopping, according to a survey conducted for WalletHub, a personal finance website. Read more →

It’s the 101st anniversary of women in the United States being guaranteed the right to vote. The 72-year-long political movement was carried out by tens of thousands of women and men working for equal rights for women. The women were called suffragists, meaning the right to vote in political elections. Read more →

What can we as consumers do about the future of food and agriculture systems? There’s no one answer, no one starting point, and certainly no one silver-bullet solution, said Danielle Nierenberg, president of Food Tank, a think tank on food. Read more →

Although Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1914, Father’s Day didn’t become an official holiday until 1966. The idea for Father's Day is attributed to Sonora Dodd, of Spokane, Washington, who was raised by her father after her mother's death during childbirth. Read more →

Memorial Day honors Americans who have died in service to their country. Ceremonies are held, and people visit cemeteries and decorate graves with flowers. Memorial Day also is seen as the beginning summer, and barbecues abound. Also, some people shop at Memorial Day sales for bargains. Read more →

We’re getting some nice days here in the Seattle area, which is leading to spring activities such as planting gardens and hiking. Our blogging group, which spreads out from coast to coast, is as busy as bees with a variety of activities and thoughts Read more →

It was an exciting time. The first Earth Day was April 22, 1970. The Environmental Protection Agency began operation on December 2, 1970. The League of Women Voters of Washington was having discussions on how to define the term “environment” for its studies. Read more →

It isn’t over yet, so keep wearing masks and social distancing. It’s worrisome that people are rushing to go to activities again. While it’s exciting that millions of people are being vaccinated, kids are back in school, and the cases and deaths from coronavirus went down and are now plateauing, this is far from over. Read more →

Equal Pay Day is on March 24 this year, a date that marks how far into the year women need to work to earn the same as men did in the previous year. It was originated by the National Committee on Pay Equity in 1996 as a public awareness event to illustrate the gap between men's and women's wages. Read more →