Dorothy’s Blog

Christmas isn't the same when the kids are grown. We have to make our own fun. Is your house the only one in the neighborhood where there are no Christmas lights? Are you beginning to think the holidays are just too much trouble? Certainly, by the time  you’re sixty plus holidays are not what they used to be.  It’s fun as long as there are kids around, but now we have to look at theRead More

  From our house to yours For The Best Days of Our Lives – That’s Today!!  Today’s Question from  Barb. . .“Company’s coming, house is decorated; how can I save the huge puzzle I’m working on.  Every time I try to put it somewhere, it comes apart.  What shall I do?” Have you got any ideas for Barb? Dorothy Wilhelm: Not all of family holiday traditions are worth keeping I hated to visit my grandmother’sRead More

Fr. Charles Kanai has come from Kenya to Lakewood, WA In this month’s column in The News Tribune, I introduced you to two folks who are really good at celebrating life every day.  First, here’s Father Charles Kanai, Parochial Vicar at St. John Bosco church in Lakewood.  Last week, he taught the congregation to sing Thank you Jesus in Swahili.  We caught on very fast. Lenore Clem can sew a heart in 15 minutesLenore ClemRead More

  You can have a lot of fun without messing up the kitchen that badly, just by engaging the small persons in your life in creating a wonderful whimsical holiday treat. And it is good, too. You can download Grammy’s Famous Popcorn Pumpkin Cake by right clicking on the link below and then clicking “save target as” or “save link in new window.” Right click here to download control click with a Mac Grammy madeRead More

Fred Oldfield - the old cowboy paints again This grand daddy of Western Artists shows has grown and changed over the years and I’ve got to say this year seems to me the best yet. Especially, in this age when we’re just deluged with junk and everything seems made of plastic, the show warm, homey and yet the art is just wonderful. Of course, it all starts with Fred Oldfield, and I found him atRead More

Shondra shows Team Shirt THE MAKING STRIDES AGAINST BREAST CANCER 2011 is over and successful.  Our little team of six raised $1300 and the walks are going on all over the US so help is on the way for sufferers and their families. Son Stephen was the man on our team, but he had to act as photographer                      Many folks brought their pets. Some wereRead More

I’m off this morning taking part in the Making Strides Against Cancer but I wanted to share a little bit of the backstory about my love/hate relationship with Facebook. Last night I received a note that there was something that I needed my approval.  A dropdown menu demanded to know what my relationship was with my Number Three son, but the menu offered only male possibilities.  I picked the best choice, and sent this noteRead More

Sometimes you just want to hang around with friends.It was a hot and muggy day today, but donations  of more than a hundred dollars made it easier to get out and get moving. It was the first day of Fall, and finally the Puget Sound area is getting ready for summer. How like us. Do without a Starbucks coffee Buy housebrand cereal (you won’t like it) Walk in the neighborhood instead of driving to aRead More

Tent city arises around Chambers Bay as volunteers start to build Quick note from Dorothy: What’s going right.  This section is dedicated to the good things that are going right every where we go. We have a tendency to miss the good things and focus on the bad ones.  Playground at Chambers Bay For instance, hundreds of volunteers are working at Chambers Bay to build a special playground for the kids.  The land is donated.Read More

Today my training walk for the Making Strides Against Cancer 5K walk  took me to Steilacoom Park and the old Western State Hospital.  It was a good day for walking – although the temperature was in the mid-70’s there was no sun. Making history today at old Western State And luckily not too many people to see struggling along and drenched in persperation in a way my Daddy would have considered most unladylike.  The blackberryRead More