A Community Affair

I've been wanting to see more of the Sequimites (if that's how they call themselves) so I was looking forward to the Nash Farm community potluck and barn dance, held at their farm this past weekend, kicking off the annual Irrigation Festival. Fortunately for all the activities held this weekend, it was a perfectly lovely sunny and almost-cloudless time.

Earlier in the day I managed to take this shot of the San
Juan de Fuca Strait looking toward Seattle.

Sons and mothers turned out to share time together.

 For many who attended, it must have been more like a family reunion than a community-wide gathering, but even for those of us who are new to Sequim, it turned out to be a very friendly experience. 

I met three delightful young women who were all, like me, struggling to find their way in a place that is new to them and where it is not always easy to get into the 'pipeline' of information about activities. I urged them to come to the Open Mic and just after I started talking about it, I was able to introduce them to The Computer Guy (you know who you are!) and the Musician (you also know who you are!) I featured in my previous blog about the Wednesday night entertainment. I realized later it is something I have always been good at - putting people together to make a successful something happen. I'd love to see the Open Mic evening become better attended, for a lot of reasons, some of which are selfish.

The Nash team provided us with some awesome organic
hamburgers, and plenty of smoke to keep critters away. 

Soon we had a table filled up and we were laughing and kidding with each other as if we had been friends for a long time, and it was a sweet feeling - like getting your hand squeezed under the table in the high school cafeteria by someone who wanted you, and only you, to know you were special. It was an evening to fill up both the physical and emotional gaps and to make connections that might go a long distance.

I love being around people who use words to play around, who can pick up on subtle and possibly outrageous pairings to turn what might have been an innocent comment into something hilarious and unexpected. 

The musical entertainment during the time we were eating was just perfect; I confess I didn't get the names of the players or band(s), nor did I  get details on the really wonderful Blues band that provided the dance music, but like the smoke from the barbecues that was blowing past my head, the earlier music provided a curious foggy background presence which made the evening pleasurable.

The potluck/buffet table was an ever-changing source
of salads, casseroles and desserts. No one left hungry.

The food contributions were impressive. I got there early and enjoyed the first round of salads and casseroles and ate too much to have room for more than a couple of fresh strawberries for dessert. Even after 8 p.m., more people were coming with more food so next year I will be aware of this and plan accordingly.

The sun finally dropped behind the building so I could stop squinting, and the dance band started playing; wonderful memorable tunes that made me stop at the entrance.

I watched the dancers and dreamed...

He held out his arms and she moved into them easily, and it seemed like a perfect match even though they had never danced together before. His grace and strength gave her courage to relax and enjoy the moment of contact, hands to hands, and to laugh and see the smile in his eyes. It was only a dance. He was virtually a stranger, but for that moment in time, he was so much more, and she let the music take her away. 

And after all was said and done, there was the lesson about
recycling - tastefully managed.

A Fascination with Japan

One year later, after the devastating earthquake and tsunami, Japan proves its capabilities in rebuilding, at least on the construction level. I cannot imagine the horrific loss of family members and friends from such an event. Over this past year periodically I have watched videos and listened to audios of the disaster, as it was too much to do earlier. And now, a year later, rubble and reminders are washing up on the western shores of the U.S. (Ghost ship drifts toward Canada)

I think my fascination with Japan has its roots in my relationship with my grandmother who had a flair for exotic fabrics and clothes which she draped around her or which she had made into interesting things to wear. As a child I was allowed to go into her attic and walk over the creaky boards to the far corner where she had a huge wooden and metal trunk, the kind you see in old movies that people used for shipping their goods to foriegn lands.

When I opened it, the smells of oldness and adventure would rush up to my nose and I would lift up the ancient silk kimono carefully, just as my grandmother would appear behind me to caution me to do just that. I both dreaded her appearance and welcomed it because there were always stories about how these items came into her trunk, but partly I dreaded her invasion of my imagination.

There were tiny little silk cloth slippers with delicate flowers and leaves embroidered on them having a place for a big toe separated from the rest of the foot which was a matter of great curiosity to me. My feet were already too large to try them on, but I delighted in hearing from my grandmother how the ladies walked in little mincing steps on wooden platforms with their silk kimonos tightly wound around their petite frames.

My grandmother Elsa was not one to 'play' with her grandchildren. Instead she would offer up tales of her travels and punctuate these revelations with her unassailable philosophy that war of any kind was both horrible and unnecessary. After her beloved husband, Alain, was killed in World War I in a car accident in France, she worked as a nurse over there for some time before returning home to their four children.

Her diaries show her personal objective to strive toward world peace, as do her poems and essays. And she did travel many times around the world to seek audiences with various world leaders, including a trip to Japan. Her stories were always replete with descriptions of the regalia of the local country she was visiting, so it was like having Rudyard Kipling at my beck and call.

It is distressing to think of Japan as being "off-limits" because of the radiation or more serious disasters like the one a year ago. It is one of my goals to go to visit that country, providing all aspects are supported - my health, my wealth, and the condition of Japan's environment. Intending the peoples of Japan continue to heal from their trials and this one-year noting brings encouragement to all the world.

Another dining delight!

Granite Falls, Washington is a small town about 20 miles from Everett. Established in 1903, the village now hosts a major event for railroading history and offers visitors a chance to see more of what was Granite Falls in the past by attending the Museum. Every October, on the first Saturday, "Railroad Days" celebrates the logging and mining industries, an era long past.

The picture of the main street above simply doesn't do this little jewel any justice whatsoever. The real key to a visit here is taking time to walk up and down and view the old buildings which have been converted to more modern industry, but still hold the framework of the past.

And once here, there is a great dining experience awaiting you, unless it's Sunday. The "Teriyaki Wok" is closed that day, but is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. every other day. Just off the main street on Granite Avenue, this charming, clean and bright establishment offers a varied menu at VERY affordable prices!

Every time we've eaten there - now numbering four - we have tried something new and have never been disappointed. It's hard for me to decide now whether to go and do a reprise of what I have already enjoyed or be adventuresome... this time I tried the Tempura Shrimp and Jeyhu had theTeriyaki Chicken and Beef with vegetables. We were able to have tea and an appetizer and not spend more than $20.

We talked with the proprietor and his wife afterwards and learned that he came over to the United States in 1976 from Korea. They started the business after he had worked for many years for others closer to the cities south of here.

Why did he choose Granite Falls? "There wasn't any competition here," he said. Great answer!

The young lady on the right is their wonderful service provider - she takes orders, serves and cleans up and always has a big smile.

A steady stream of people were coming and going as we stayed to eat. Ordering out is a pretty popular option and the regulars seem to just call in and say "my usual," and come by and pick up their order hot off the line.

So if you are planning to drive the Mountain Loop Road, plan to make a stop in Granite Falls, whether for lunch or dinner (depending on the direction you choose), and you will be quite glad you did!

Oh, and plan to take some time to hike along the North Fork of the Stilisquamish River (seen below).

Eat at MONGOS

I'd never heard of it. They don't advertise on the airwaves, but through the "hair" waves - ear to ear, mouth to mouth - and along with providing "to-go" packaging that is 100% biodegradable, what they put in it is 100% edible, too!

Jey-hu said he had "heard about it, and it's supposed to be good," so being irritable and hungry I was ready to go almost anywhere. And because he's the son of a naturopathic /chiropractic doctor, he eats the best he can when he's away from the healthy stuff I feed him... not counting his weakness for chocolate.

Hidden in a small strip-mall, behind a gas station, on Route 9 between the Snohomish River and the hill known by locals as "Seattle Hill," is this charming, upbeat, "take-out" or eat-in or even (yippee!) catering food service place called MONGO'S . Just click on the link and take a look at some of dishes Chris can whip up - yum! His wife, Shannon, said they used to own The Paragon up on Queen Anne's Hill in Seattle, but sold out in 2007 and started up here in 2008, "all by ourselves."

One of their signs in the window said, "Life's too short to eat boring food." And that theme was carried out in the specials for the day and the regular options.

MONGOS offers such a diverse menu it was hard to choose, but I went with the Filet Mignon Sliders (mini burgers to the out-of-towners) and french fries. Jey-hu chose the Philly Cheese Steak and fries (Hah - we're like that couple who have matching Hawaiian shirts: Filet and Philly). We never had to eat dinner that night. I was still in some kind of food hypno state due to the abso-fan-tastic fries - obviously done in fresh

oil and just the right amount of crunch and color - next time I come here I will take more pictures of the food!

For those of you who are unfortunate enough to live too far away to sample MONGOS now, when you make plans to visit the great Northwest, you can get off SR 522 (going N) at the Route 9/ Woodinville exit and it's about 20 minutes up and over Seattle Hill, just before the new stop lights at the flats. For my Everett and Lake Stevens readers, it's a quick trip south on 9, across the river and the flats, up on the right just after the lights - on your way to Costco...

Did I mention that Chris has over 30 years "in the business" and that creme brulee was on the dessert menu? Did I also mention that their prices are very fair and if you tell them what you want or need ahead of time, they will prepare it for you? Ever heard of fish tacos? Sigh - love da MONGOS!

A Night on the Town

Dick's Drive-In is open until 2 a.m. in the Ballard area.

My best friend (Jey-hu) said he was "taking me out to dinner and dancing," and the last time he offered this kind of entertainment, we ended up at COSTCO where dinner was a hotdog, but to be fair, dancing was not part of that event. So I was a little unsure what was in store.

If you have lived in the Seattle area all your life, you probably know about "Dick's," where you drive up, order a hamburger and a shake or drink and fries - for less than $5!! I was completely unaware of this piece of history and enjoyed the treat of time travel, because the burgers are about the same price they were 20 years ago! Look at the signs below or click on the link to read it completely on their website:

A hamburger, plain, is only $1.20, and a cheeseburger is slightly more. After a delightful meal with plenty of visual entertainment, we went on to Lombardi's, where a friend of my friend is the manager and they were offering live music with the Joe Doe Rock and Roll History Band.

The music started at 8:30 with the band playing music from the 50's and plenty of patrons remembered some of the "oldies and goodies," and as the evening progressed, so did the history lesson but the dancing crowd got younger and younger as the music got louder and louder with more and more bass thumping guitars.

We didn't last past midnight, but up until then we did dance and laugh and have a little taste of Lombardi's appetizers. My favorite meal there is the Chicken Marsala, but the Beef Tenderloin Tips are a great snack.

All in all, it was a fun evening and with all the various tasks we've had to do since we've come back, it was a great change of pace.