Vol. 6, #25 December 18, 2009TO INFORM AND AMUSE -- TO PROVOKE THINKING AND ACTIVISM

Reason for hope: Polaris (J28) and her newborn, J46, make a splash in East Passage,north of Vashon. J46 is the youngest Southern Resident. Photo © Mark Sears, 11/22/09.

After a yearlong drought of daytime visits at Point Robinson, theSouthern Residents finally showed us the love on December 9. On abitterly cold day, J and K Pod matrilines mixed it up in East Passage,widely scattered in pursuit of prey.

Granny (J2), Ruffles (J1), and other orcas were across the drink nearDes Moines, where Mark Sears did focal follows with them. Georgia(K11), Lummi’s daughter, traveled mid-passage, but the rest of herfamily swam toward Point Robinson. A child on the beach shouted, “Ilove you, orcas!” Indeed, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

Dorsal Grinsby Orca Annie Stateler, VHP Coordinator

On Saturday December 5, 2009 Vashon’s three FIRST Lego Leagueteams went to the regional competition at Aviation High School inBurien. (FIRST stands for “For Inspiration and Recognition of Scienceand Technology”). At this year’s regional competition, McMurrayMiddle School’s Team Ratfish placed high enough to advance to thestate competition in Bellevue. They competed against more thantwenty other teams from schools in our area. Their high score resultedin part because of the excellent presentation of their research on schoolbus ridership at McMurray Middle School. This study project part of

the competitionpropelled themon to the statefinals for theleague.

Students inthe FIRST LegoLeague (FLL)middle schoolc o m p e t i t i o n ,design, buildand programa u t o n o m o u srobots using theLEGO NxTc o m p u t e rplatform. Theserobots are racedthrough a timed

McMurray RoboticsTeam Goes to State

by John Williams

The front of the brochure says“The Best Kept Secret on Vashon.”In the past, this was true, butVashon Country Club is trying tochange. Thanks to re-structuringthe club is now able to advertise.You may have seen a postcardoffering promotionalmemberships for 2010. VIGCCalways saw itself more as a “Clubin the Country.” However, thechanges in life-style and thecurrent economy make it clear theprevious models for “Country

The Best Kept Secreton Vashon

by Virginia Miner

Colleen Carson and Doug Swan, center,photo by Anne Atwell.

Two VISD TeachersHonored for National

Certification

Colleen Carlson (VashonIsland High School Englishteacher) and Doug Swan (5thgrade teacher at ChautauquaElementary School) were honoredby the school board on December10th for successfully completingthe National Board CertificationProgram.

National Board forProfessional Teaching Standards(NBPTS) is an independent,nonprofit, and nonpartisan

by Anne Atwell

organization founded in 1987 tocreate a system of advancedcertification for teachers based onhigh and rigorous standards.National Board Certification is avoluntary assessment programdesigned to identify, recognizeand reward accomplished teacherswho meet high and rigorousstandards based on what teachersshould know and be able to do.

Continued on page 11

Clubs” do not fit in today’senvironment.

Today, Vashon Country Clubis trying to be more of an integralpart of the Vashon Community.The club offers more than just agreat nine-hole golf course. ChefKevin Nicholson has brought new

Paws to Read is a programthat brings registered therapy dogteams into ChautauquaElementary School to read withstudents. The students areidentified by their teachers asbeing good candidates for theprogram. The reasons are varied:some students may be readingbelow grade level and need morepractice time, some may haveadditional stresses in their livesand some “down time” with a doghelps them relax, or some may

Paws to Read NeedsVolunteers

Sue Bell reads to Gigit and Paws to Learnvolunteer, Liz Straube. Photo by AnneAtwell.

Continued on page 10

Continued on page 4 Cont’d page 15

McMurray Middle School extended itsrecord of mathematical excellence onSaturday, December 5th, when two teams of7th and 8th graders travelled to MosesLake to compete in the Math-is-CoolMasters competition against ten other topteams from Washington state. The 7th-grade team, shown with their ribbons andtrophy, placed second. Top row: SageLevin, coach Gordon Millar, Anna Ripley,TeraJane Ripley, Lauren Houston. Bottomrow:Ian McWhirter, AaronKitchener,Connor Paw and Teddy Atwell.

Dress in finest Vashon Fashion;two bands — dance all night!

Childcare on site till 10PM. Seead on page 9 for details!

Open Space “TinyBubbles” New

Years Ball!

Families enjoying the VIGCC pool,courtesy photo.

Continued on page 5

The “Vashon Ratfish” Robotics Team. From left to right Back row– Sage Levin, Aaron Kitchener, Austin Commons, NathanWilliams. Front row – Nicholas Jones, Ethan Hunt, Alden Rogers.Photo by Karl Kitchener.

Math Is Cool!

The Vashon Loop, p. 2 December 18, ‘09

The Vashon Loop

Writers: Kathy Abascal, DeborahAnderson, Marie Browne, MEarth, EricFrancis, Troy Kindred, Melissa McCann,Orca Annie, Kevin Pottinger, Rex Morris,Ed Swan, Mary Litchfield Tuel, MarjWatkins. Original art, comics, cartoons: DeeBee,Ed Frohning, Rick Tuel, Jeff Hawley, AlexSoriano. Steve KruegerAd sales and design: Ed SwanEmail: ads@vashonloop.comEditor: Ed Swan,editor@vashonloop.comPublishers: Marie Browne and TroyKindredPO Box 253, Vashon, WA 98070Paid advertisements in The Vashon Loop inno way express the opinions of thepublisher, editor, or staff. We reserve theright to edit or not even print stuff. Dealwith it. Come eat at the Q...againand again!Published every two weeks or soby Paradise Valley Press© December 18, 2009- Vol. VI, #25

Don’t miss an issue. Really.We are in our 6th year ofpublication and still notbankrupt! (Yet) Wow!

Submissions to the Loop

Get in The Loop

Do you have an event or Public Service Announcement? If it’s forprofit, please send a contribution to help offset our printing costs.PO Box 253. Email questions or submissions to Ed Swan, editor ofthe Loop, at editor@vashonloop.com. Photos are welcome as jpeg orpdf attachments.

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Growing ThroughGrief

Providence Hospice of Seattle isoffering a bereavement supportgroup on Vashon for adults copingwith the death of a loved one in thelast two years. The group, facilitatedby a grief specialist, focuses ongeneral tasks of grieving, considersways of providing self care andcreates an environment for mutuallearning as group members sharetheir experiences of loss. The groupwill meet for six weeks beginning onWednesday, January 6, 2010 at JGCommons. Please call Jane Flemingat 206.749-7704 for pre-registrationand information.

Winter Retreat forCaregivers

If you are a professionalcaregiver or a family member caringfor a loved one, consider taking afew hours for your own self-care.The second of four seasonal retreatswill be offered on Friday, January 8,2010 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. atthe Burton Retreat Center. AmyHuggins, a yoga and meditationteacher, will teach simple self-caretechniques to nourish your body,mind and spirit. A wholesomelunch and snacks will be provided.Attend a single session for $30;register for two or more sessions for$25/session. For information or toregister, contact Carol Spangler at206.567-5302.

New Year’s Eve PartyCommunity Wide, Alcohol

Free, Fun for All Ages7pm – 10pm

Vashon Presbyterian ChurchVashon Presbyterian Church

will be opening its doors to all in theVashon community who wish tocelebrate the arrival of the New Yearin a safe, substance freeenvironment. Plans are under wayfor popular interactive video games,foosball & bingo. Bring and playyour own favorite card or boardgames. Specific activities for youngchildren will also be provided. At8:30 musicians of all ages join in ona fun jam session.

The very popular special featureof the evening will be a New YorkNew Year at 9pm. Families withyoung children or anyone elsedesiring a shorter evening will enjoythe early countdown to “midnight”with hats, noise makers andballoons. All this is followed by abig make it yourself ice creamsundae bar.

Coffee (and the ice creamsundaes) will be provided. Thoseable are asked to bring a favoritesnack or non-alcoholic beverage toshare for the rest of the evening.

This is a perfect opportunity toinvite friends & neighbors. It willbe a family-friendly evening. But itis also an opportunity for seniorsand singles to join in on a friendly,festive atmosphere for New Year’sEve celebrating. VashonPresbyterian Church is sharing itscentral facility but this is not areligious event. There will be noprayer or midnight worship service.Anyone who desires a safe but funevening will be comfortable here.Put this on your calendar & starttalking with others now!

Call the church at 463-2010 formore details.

Vashon Library January Programs

Loopy sez: Deadline for thenext edition of The Loop isFriday, Dec. 11.

Free Swine FlueVaccinations

H1N1 flu vaccine is nowavailable to everyone who wants it.Come to a free vaccination clinic toget the best protection against H1N1(swine) flu! This free clinic is forpeople who can’t afford to pay forH1N1 flu vaccination. You will notbe asked for proof of healthinsurance or citizenship. Clinics willbe at Auburn, Bellevue, FederalWay, Kent, Redmond, Renton,Seatac and Seattle (two locations).Call the Flu Hotline at 1-877-903-KING (5464) or visitwww.kingcounty.gov/health/H1N1 for Updates and information.

All King County Libraries Closedfor New Year’s Day, January 1st

Great Books Discussion GroupMonday, January 4, 7:00 pmThe Great Books Club meets on

the first Monday of the month. Theselection this month is The UnknownMasterpiece by Honore de Balzac.Visitors are welcome. Our onlyrequirement to participate is thatyou have read the material underdiscussion.Opera Preview: Il Travatore

Sunday, January 10, 2:00 pmVerdi’s Il Travatore was an

instant hit when it was firstperformed in 1853. “The AnvilChorus” is only one of a dozenfamiliar melodies Verdi uses to bringthe furious action of Il Travatore tovivid life. This lecture will bepresented by veteran opera lecturer,Norm Hollingshead, who willillustrate his commentary withmusical excerpts from his owncollection of recordings, many quiterare. Sponsored by Friends ofVashon Library.KCLS Study Zone

Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:00 –5:00pm; Sundays, 1-3pm, forreading tutoring only. Students ingrades K-12 may drop in duringscheduled Study Zone hours forhomework help from volunteertutors. It’s free!Friends of the Vashon LibraryAnnual Meeting

Saturday, January 23, 10:00 amJoin the “Friendliest” group on

Vashon Island! We support theVashon Library by raising funds toprovide free programs for all ages,

with our book, T-shirt, and plantsales. Meetings are fun and there arealways refreshments.Toddler Story Time

Tuesdays, January 05, 12, 19, 26,10:40 am. Ages 21 months to 3years with adult. Enjoy 20-minuteprogram of stories and songs justright for toddlers. Registration notrequired.Preschool Story Time

Tuesdays, January 05, 12, 19, 26,11:30am. Ages 3 to 5. Join us for 30minutes of stories, songs and fun!Registration not required.Baby and Me Story Time

Wednesdays, January 06, 13, 20,27, 10:00am. Newborn to 20 monthswith adult. A 20 minute program ofstories, songs, rhymes and bouncesfor babies and a caregiver.Registration not required.

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CommunicatingWith Your Teen

Learn how psychological typeand preferences influence yourperceptions and responses whendealing with day-to-day anddifficult parent/teen issues. TheMyers Briggs Type Indicator will beused to identify parent preferencesfor communicating, interpretinginformation and making decisions.We’ll use this lens as a way ofhelping to reframe many of theconversations you have with yourteens. The workshop will be from9-4:30 January 16th. The cost is$125.00 per person ($225.00 for acouple). Call or email Dr. DanKaufman at 384.5118 ordan@integralpotential.com for moreinformation.

The Vashon Loop, p. 3December 18, ‘09

Visit us a www.yourHTR.com. To see more listings Or call Troy and Marie at 206.463.LIST (5478). We would love to help you with your real estate needs.

Seattle Metro West www.yourhtr.com (206) 463-LIST (5478) See all rentals available at

glendalerentshomes.com

Troy and Marie Do New Years Eve

Look at this view! One and a half acres of rolling lawn and woods command a sweeping eastern viewacross Quartermaster Harbor, Dockton and Maury Island. Beyond, the Cascades frame the view, and tothe south, Mount Rainier peeks through fir trees. The property includes an older but nice three bedroom,two bath manufactured home and a newer two car garage in great condition. A second tax lot of about1/3 acre of the bluff is also included, ensuring control of your view.

Incredible View ~Reduced Price

Now offered at $264,500 Call us and ask about MLS#29035811

This spacious single level condo is just perfect. Bright and quiet end unit with a small private yard and adeck is tucked away in a peaceful residential area within a short easy walk to town. Two bedrooms and twobaths plus a fireplace, vaulted ceilings, and lots of windows make it bright and inviting. Great opportunity tobuy in a neighborhood with little turnover. Take advantage of the buyer’s market!

Owner Financing!!

17318 100th Ln SW #2-B Only $280,000

Got Horses? This is for you!

This is what Island living is all about- a lovely home, sun-filled, lightly treed acreage, room for animals, gardens - all veryaffordable. Property is ready for horses, with fencing and shelter. Inside, vaulted ceilings let the sun shine into the freshlyrenovated home with two bedrooms and two full baths - one with a huge soaking tub. The cheerful kitchen leads to a spaciousliving room and a cozy media room. New Pergo floors, fresh paint, and lots of homey touches make this the perfect home.$265,000

28112 135th Ave SW

Call us and ask about MLS#29166112

We don’t know about you, but we are more than ready to leave 2009 in the dust and move forward to2010. It has been a challenging year for so many people in so many ways. People who were trying to selltheir houses know exactly what we mean – it’s been no fun at all!Join us in saying goodbye to this annus horribilis (as the Queen of England would call it) and ringingin the new year at the Quartermaster Inn. We’re serving a special New Year’s Eve menu featuring greathors d’ouvres and drinks. Troy’s band Loose Change will rock the house, and we’ll dance our way intoa promising new year. We can’t guarantee that real estate will turn around in 2010, but we can guaranteeyou a great time!

The Vashon Loop, p. 4 December 18, ‘09

PPPPPooooositively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively Ssitively Spepepepepeakingakingakingakingaking

by Deborah H Anderson 206.463.277717407 Vashon Hwy SW

www.vashonwomenshealth.org

Presenting a photo gallery ofimages by Rebecca Douglas inDecember. Stop by to enjoy a cupof tea and Rebecca’s beautifulphotographs.

Blending traditional medicineand complementary/

alternative approaches toprovide preventive health care.

Amber Tjemsland is featured in this photofrom Rebecca Douglas’ show VashonWomen: Maternity in Nature at the VashonWomens Health Center.

The first day I thought it was alla mistake to come and five dayswere going to be way too long. I washome…where I grew up. I take thatback. Where I was a baby, child andteenager. Most of my growing uphappened as an adult in Seattle andVashon.

Now if you are one of thosepeople who know everything, pleasedon’t read any further. It just won’tmean anything to you. But if you area person who has come fromsomewhere and survived andlearned new things that bring youwisdom and joy…read on.

Home for me is SoutheasternPennsylvania just west ofPhiladelphia proper. MontgomeryCounty. It’s where Jon and Kate areduking it out if you need yourbearings. Norristown, was where Iwas born, (and went to school mywhole life). Norristown StateHospital where Dad was chaplain,was my playground. MontgomeryHospital is where I stayed for threeand a half months after TheAccident when I was nine.

Jeffersonville is where I livedbefore we moved out to Betzwoodby St. Teresa of Avila school. (Thesign in front of it nowreads…Dedicated to spiritualgrowth and academic excellence.)It’s why I was totally comfortableand excited about my kids going toSt Ben’s in the Wallingford district.

Valley Forge National Park andAudubon are the places across theriver one way, and down the roadthe other where I would ride my biketo find peace and solace. It’s why Ilove parts of the Westside and thecovered bridge on Cove.

King of Prussia is the placewhere they built the Plaza that hasnow become THE MALL (secondlargest in America) where I had myfirst and second jobs in retail atStuart’s Dress Shop and JohnWanamaker’s department store.Home. It’s why I like downtownVashon or Westwood Villagetops…if you get my drift.

For the two weeks before the tripI was a neurotic mess. It had beenalmost two decades. I was goingalone to my fortieth high schoolreunion. In my head and heart I wasseventeen again. Only I was afraidI’d remembered it wrong. I wasafraid I would find out I hadn’tremembered what was real. “Whydo I call it home?” I would askmyself. I haven’t lived there since1970, my last summer at home. I’dspent my senior year in Europe. Soreally…longer than that.

The first day driving downmemory lane, following my nosepast familiar landmarks, I couldn’tstop crying and thought the wholeidea was a mistake and that I

Waiting for God toHappen…Ho Ho

Holy Prayer

certainly shouldn’t have taken along weekend to spend so much timethere.

Everything I remembered wastrue. There was the house in whichI was abused regularly. (I told you,if you have a perfect life don’t readthis.). My heart was filled with somuch sadness. And everything hadchanged. (Of course …it having beenalmost two decades since I wasthere)

But as I sat eating my afternoonmeal at what once had beenShrack’s corner and the Walker Farmand now was the biggest Lowe’s andWalMart Superstore, Giant Foods(complete with made up road withan historic name) I’d seen sincevisiting the suburbs of Chicago, Itook note of my heart. My head wasvery sad. My heart was, actually,very encouraged.

Everything that had beenchanged was for the better and hadbeen appropriately placed. The fieldsof the farm also held a new GreekOrthodox. I thought back to thedrive that morning. St Teresa’s hadgrown bigger and bigger. Theconvent was now an early childhoodlearning center. My old house hada new deck with a pool and aclimbing structure. My church hadmeals for the homeless and served abilingual population. Even ValleyForge now had tours withMinutemen dressed to help schoolchildren understand how ourcountry was born against all oddsfrom Imperial tyranny.

As I continued in reflection, Irealized God was showing me hehad answered every prayer. It’s aleap. You had to be there. Trust me.By the time I had enjoyed the entireweekend and was sitting eating aSalmon Quesadilla in the Detroitairport (I kid you not) I realized thatall those years, God had beenrescuing me over and over againfrom all kinds of bad situations. I wasjoyfully aware of the continuityof…drum roll…prayer.

Each holiday season I writeabout the importance of Jesus in mylife. Everybody has their own guru.He’s mine. He’s more than a guru.In 1969 while in Europe, Isurrendered my heart and my life tohim. I’ve never regretted it. Evenwhen it cost me everything to followhim, no regrets.

But before Jesus…there wasprayer. Do you pray? Your ownprayers? Speak to God from yourheart? I hope so. It’s lifesaving. Lifechanging. Trust me. God is listening.Learn to order your life so you canhear God speak to your heart. Then

act on the conversation. Embracethe grand adventure of somethingbigger.

This season, pray. God wantsto hear it all. In your own words.God loves you. That’s the real reasonfor Christmas. Linus is right. Youknow…Charlie Brown’s Christmas.

Pray. In those prayers, God willteach you what is excellent and holyand beautiful. God will change yourname. God will healyour heart. Pray.

Merry ChristmasLoveDeborah

have trouble reading out loud andthe dog provides a perfect non-judgmental audience. Whateverthe reason, Paws to Read hasproven to be quite popular withstudents. In fact the programcould use more volunteers.Currently, there are sixvolunteers, working with 17students.

To be a volunteer: Teamsinclude a dog and handler. Eachteam needs to be registered withDelta Society (http://w w w . d e l t a s o c i e t y . o r g /Page.aspx?pid=259), anorganization that promotes andfacilitates the use of therapy animalsin academic or health-careenvironments. To register, teamsmust attend a workshop or completea home-study course. They are thenevaluated to determine if bothhandler and animal have the properskills and temperament to work inschools, libraries, or health carefacilities. Once a team is registered,they are then qualified to beginAnimal Assisted Therapy work.

What we offer: Paws to Read/Paws to Care is an Island group thatformed a little over a year ago. Someof our members volunteer at

Paws to Read Needs VolunteersContinued from page 1

Chautauqua, some at VashonCommunity Care Center. We arestrictly a volunteer group sharingour experiences to try and helpothers become registered. At ourmeetings we expose those interestedin animal therapy to the exercisesthat will be covered in a DeltaSociety evaluation as well as real-lifesituations that registered teams haveencountered while volunteering.We leave it up to the individualhandler to determine if additionaltraining with a professional isrequired. Many memberssupplement our weekly meetingswith obedience classes.

When we meet: 1st and 3rdTuesday of every month, 5:00 - 6:00,at Chautauqua 2nd and 4thMonday of every month, 6:30 - 7:30,at the VHS cafeteria.

For more information: LizStraube, straube@straube-HQ.com.

Eat at the...

The Vashon Loop, p. 5December 18, ‘09

I’m not a seasoned businesstraveler. It’s not a skill I hope toacquire, especially by experience. Iam fond of saying that I hate totravel for work.

Recently, I discovered that themovie “Planes, Trains andAutomobiles” wasn’t a work offiction, but in fact a sort of comedicdocumentary. I’ve come to realizethat large parts of that movie wererather straight, dry and prettyrealistic accounts of cross-countrybusiness travel in the depths ofwinter.

For most of the last week, I’vebeen trapped inside of that movie.Flying to the Midwest on businessearlier this week, before the blizzardhit, our airplane spilled gallons of jetfuel all over the tarmac, and wewere delayed several hours whilewe got a fresh plane that couldbetter hold its naphtha. The delaylanded me at my hotel in the middleof the night, dazed, checking inunder the rude glare of buzzingfluorescent lights.

Shortly after arriving at whatairlines insist on calling my “finaldestination” (which is differentthan my place of eternal rest), ablizzard dropped a foot and a halfof snow, with howling fifty-mile-an-hour winds, and daytime highshovering near zero. Power lineswere down as trees snapped in halffrom the cold. Knowledgeable TVmeteorologists provided wind chillestimates so low they lacked anysort of practical meaning.

All automobile traffic was at astandstill. Public transportation wasshut down. The business I had wascancelled. At the airport I found thatall airline flights out of town werecancelled. I waited three hours fora cab to take me to a hotel near theairport where I could wait for aflight out of town. I finallyabandoned the empty, desolate cabstand to walk the few miles to thehotel, and a cab driver chased afterme on foot and offered a ride in hiswarm cab with several otherstranded travelers headed back totheir downtown hotels. It was threebelow zero. He must have been analtar boy.

What’s amazing is not that mycarefully planned and plottedschedule was so completely blown-up by a severe winter snowstorm,but that such labyrinthine schedulesare even possible under the best ofconditions. The coordinated timetolerances that airlines and cabs andtrains and hotel shuttles and all therest operate on over thousands ofmiles are so tight that even minutedeviations between links in thechain throws the whole thing intodisarray. My world is a collapsing mugon a furiously spinning pottery wheel.

We’ve Gota Lot ofKids

by Kevin Pottinger

Frosty Pop

I had an idea that I could readthe kids a bedtime story from myhotel room every night, which didn’thappen. Failing to pack any kid’sbooks, and after searching fruitlesslyon the net for free, online, non-satanic bedtime stories, I settled forthe more practical short chat witheach kid in turn at bedtime. Whenlong pauses happened on the kid’send of the phone, I had to remindour youngest kids to use actualwords, rather than nodding orshaking their heads.

Eventually, things get sorted out,planes come and go and flightshome are available. On my way outof the airport I picked up fifty bucksworth of shoddy, but not cheapsouvenirs to distribute to the kidswhen I get home. To trade forManhattan: trinkets for the savage’samusement. I gave our five-year oldgirl a little souvenir fake-snow scene,with I-heart-something-or-other onit and she said “Thank you Dad.Now I’ll always have you with me.”Which slays me.

I’ve not traveled for work sincemy wife Maria and I have beenfruitful/multiplied. While I’ve beengone, she has been doing all thecaring and cooking and cleaning byherself. While she kept a brave face,at times her voice betrayed her,cracking at the ends of unrelentinglycheerful sentences. As a womanoften does, Maria took up the slackand did that which must be done,for her family.

There is only one person whoseflights are never cancelled becauseof inclement weather or spilled fueland is always home on time, andwhose aircraft never goesmechanical, as the pilots call it whena plane is taken out of service forrepairs. He flies completely aroundthe world in one night, in an opencockpit, propelled by eight reindeer,and visits every home where there’sa child and a wish. Everyone elseflies commercial. Merry Christmas,everyone.

Loopy sez: Deadline for thenext edition of The Loop isFriday, Jan. 1.

and intriguing items to therestaurant menu. House ManagerSasja Michael-Brown hasimproved the quality of service,creating a memorable diningexperience; be it breakfasts onSunday, mouth-watering lunches,ethnic buffets on Bingo Night,great dinners or appetizers forHappy Hour. Between the foodand the view, it is a great venuefor events as well as an eveningout with friends. When the poolis open, from May throughSeptember, there is no better placeto relax and enjoy.

In order to offer Island residentsmore, the Board is developing new,short-term memberships designed toallow everyone a chance to enjoythe club. The Golf Pass membership,the 2010 Dining & Pool membershipand the 2010 Golf membership areavailable now. Also in the works,weekend memberships, a Bed &Breakfast membership, business

memberships and several otheroptions.

Vashon Country Club willcelebrate its 45th anniversary in2010. It continues to support theorganizations that make Vashonspecial; Vashon High School, VAA,Vashon Youth & Family Services,the Food Bank and many others andto provide a place for familyrecreation.

The hope for 2010 is that moreIsland residents will discover the“Best Kept Secret.” For information,visit the website,www.vashoncountryclub.com orcall the office at 206.463.9410.

Continued from page 1

The Best Kept Secret on Vashon

Moisture Festival ofComedy/Varietè

coming to VashonIsland’s Open Spacevenue March 26,27 -Details in January!

The Vashon Loop, p. 6 December 18, ‘09

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Aries (March 20-April 19) I’ve oftenthought that all matters spiritual wouldbe easier to understand if we remove theword ‘spiritual’ from the language.Everything we think of in this ‘category’needs to be thought of as normal ratherthan as something distinct and special;then we will get it. That would includehaving a broad mental horizon, honoringethics, being honest, treating people asequals and the world as one place, andliving in the spirit of love. As I’ve grownolder, I’ve rethought my position on this;the qualities covered under my conceptof spiritual need to be identified andhonored as such. They need a place andas you know, that place is everywhere;it’s not church. Your charts this weeksuggest a return to the heart and soul ofyour faith. In that case we might well askwhy you are concerned about anythingelse.

Taurus (April 19-May 20) You havemany admirable gifts and attributes; theone you consistently forget to reach for isleadership. Even going back 15 years andup to the present day, you’ve been calledon to take a stand for what is right, and tohelp organize the efforts of others. Part ofwhy this is so frustrating to you is thatwhile you can accept people in theirimperfections, it’s another thing to beresponsible for their conduct, or todepend on the undependable. Trueenough. The solution is a new concept ofleadership, based on mutually supportiverelationships. You can think of theserelationships as involving sacredcontracts, where everyone involved getsthe purpose of the gig, and responsibilityand the burden of dealing with humanflaws are fairly distributed. You arecreating or renewing some of those sacredcontracts these very days.

Gemini (May 20-June 21) It’s oftendifficult for you to stand up to yourrelationships because you see so muchthat’s outside you as larger and moreinfluential than yourself. If we rememberthat the Galactic Core is in your oppositesign (which signifies relationships), it’spossible to adjust the scale and rememberthat nothing in our world is quite thatmonumental. You now have a point ofemotional access to a situation orcircumstance that once seemed daunting.That’s all it takes — a little commonground; the feeling of being recognized;the emotional sensation of trust, whereasbefore there was just an idea. If as theweeks and months progress you loseyour sense of scale, remember this feeling.Connect with the reality that people arepeople. We’re all in this together, nomatter what anyone thinks or tries toconvince us.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) Are yougrateful for your health? The planet is incrisis about this right now, and it’s notjust about how to pay for doctors. Betweenthe faltering global immune system, poornutrition and the constant overdose ofstress, I suggest you practice a yoga pathof appreciating even the most modestexperiences of wellbeing: such as makingyour own food and walking under yourown power. Yet it’s also time to reconsiderwhat exactly we mean when we sayhealthy. There is something in there aboutstaying connected to your source; to yourinner core, which is always alive andalways thriving even if we don’t quiteexpress it in the world, or feel it in ouremotions. This source can be tapped intowhen we need it. It takes practice, but youhappen to be in an excellent position tolearn (or relearn) the basics.

Leo (July 22-Aug. 23) Your potentialis opening up in unexpected ways. You’renever one to fear how amazing you canbe, though you have a way of gettingstuck on one level. Then you forget you’rethere. You’re suddenly rising to a newoccasion or accepting a mission thatstretches your talent. This has beendeveloping for a while, but now the senseof a calling is undeniable. You seem tohave made a decision about how you seethe world, or perhaps learned something

from an important relationship. This hashelped you redefine yourself; perhaps ananalogy would help. Imagine someonewho didn’t feel that beautiful caught aglimpse of herself in a mirror, in a certainlight or from an angle that provided anew perspective; and that momentaryglance changed her self-image forever.But this is not about how you look; it’sabout who you are.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sep. 22) Rememberyour relationship to the world. Not to the‘little world’ of activity around you, butthe very world. The whole story, thedrama of our time in history, and theplanet Herself: the planet that’s yourhome. Why you have such a deep senseof the Earth and her reality is not justabout Virgo being an earthy sign. It’sabout the placement of Sagittarius in your4th solar house: your roots, your safetyand your grounding. In one system ofastrology, Sagittarius is the signassociated with the Earth. This week’sNew Moon is an invitation to celebrateyour home; which as you know is part ofa much greater whole. I suggest you takesome time this weekend and celebrate thefact of your belonging, your involvementand your sense of authentic contact —rare among humans — with the planetyou belong to.

Libra (Sep. 22-Oct. 23) Have youfigured out that you think by divination?Most people hardly think at all, or try touse an outdated version of logic moreresembling MS-DOS than an iPhone. Yourmind is a crystal ball. You don’t exactlythink; you allow a moment of no-mindand ‘unknowing’ — then you recognizewhat’s really going on. You’ve just had abig glimpse into the crystal. So muchinformation came through that you mighthave forgotten the whole experience.However, it would seem thatinternational travel plans are involved,and that you suddenly have a sense ofyour long-term trajectory. And there wasthe latest pleasant shock into some newcreative or erotic territory, someplaceyou’ve been expecting to go for years, butare now suddenly willing to take thechance and explore with your senses andyour soul.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 22) Do youhave the feeling that you just avoidedsome grave danger that you only foundout about after it was over? Check in withthe year 1999 and see if that time in yourlife, or in the life of the world, has anymessages for you. You seem to be goingback over the territory of a relationshipthat happened then, which may beleading you to question some currentsituations in your life. True, there iscommon ground between the twosituations — but most of that involvesyour memory. You’re actually standingin a hologram of where someone close toyou was some 10 years ago. You’re ableto feel a little of what they felt, which isdelivering some surprising information.Stick with this process — it has a lot toteach you; and along the way you can begrateful for how far you’ve come sincethen.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 22)Feminine does not mean passive. True,most girls and women are raised to bemore fearful and retreating than are mostboys and men; but feminine is an alert,potent state of mind. Particularly in yourrelationships, the key to opening up toyour receptivity is allowing yourself toflow from experience to experience.Notice who notices you. Respond if youlike the vibes. Observe who is drawn inyour direction and notice the first thingthey say to you. Yet the real gifts will comefrom listening carefully to your intuition.Solutions to problems that have puzzledyou for years may enter your mind, butunless you notice and actually writedown what you hear, the benefits of thatinformation will likely pass you by. Thisyear has been all about learning to focusyour mind. Now is the time to put thatskill to work.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 20) Youseem driven toward a goal withoutknowing what the goal is. Well, it’s aboutyou, not a place, a thing or anaccomplishment. I don’t think there’sbeen a time in your life when you’ve beenunder so much pressure to becomesomeone you are inside. The early to mid-1990s contain a clue, but that was likelysuch a chaotic time in your life you don’tlike to think about it so much. Yet youlearned a lot, the most significant thingbeing that you can rise to the occasion ofhighly demanding situations. Growth inthis particular case involves dismantlingsome aspect of your personality: orreleasing some habit of existence that hasgradually become a false reason forliving. It would be nice if less were goingon at the same time. Yet part of whatyou’re learning is how to distribute yourenergy effectively, and to make personalevolution part of your life experienceevery single day.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) For a longtime it felt like you were not ready to act.Suddenly you feel overdue for action.Don’t worry about that interval betweenthe two observations about yourself.There wasn’t actually a moment whenyou ‘became ready’, though you’recurrently in the moment when you’renoticing. That’s the time to cast the chartor draw the runes. Recognition is theconnection point. You still have the abilityto drift, delay or pause; your next

reminder won’t feel like the originalmessage. You will have to summon moreof your internal will rather than movingwith the flow. At the moment, you havethe option to let go into the circumstancesand events that are shaping you andallow yourself to take a new form,precisely at the beginning of a cycle inyour life. You have reasons to make amove; you have reasons to hesitate,though remember — you can delaychange but not defy it.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) You’restarting to fill in the blanks on just howaccessible some extraordinary successreally is. Success is elusive to you becausegenerally it demands being competitive.While you’re capable of this, it doesn’tfeel good; no goal is worth feeling lessthan human. However, a truly humanversion of recognition and reward areavailable right now. This is partlybecause you’re so visible at this time ofyear. You’re finding it easy to be authenticlately, and someone who can provide avital connection is actually noticing whatyou’re up to. Proceed every day as slowlyas you can, whatever you may be doing.Emphasize what is beautiful about yourwork, without neglecting how muchyou’ve achieved. And if you’re doubtingthat, I suggest you make a list of how faryou’ve come in how little time. This willhelp you remember your confidence as aconscious act of will.

The Vashon Loop, p. 7December 18, ‘09

Island Epicure

by Marj Watkins

Call 56-PIZZARelax....We Deliver

Open Fri-Sat 11-9, Tues-Thurs, Sun 11- 8

Located between Vashon Market and Vashon Dance

Its hot outside.... let us cook for you.... Call us now

Once a year I make mincemeatpie like grandma used to make andmy best beloved enjoys asentimental flashback to Christmasdinners of his youth. This is the oldrecipe, with real meat in it. Thefruits and spices cover up the meat,though . You might not notice it, butit flavors the pie and gives it proteinand texture. Not all my readers arecarnivores, so I’ve included a veganmince pie filling.

QUICK MINCEMEATfor PASTIES

Makes enough for 1 pieOr 6 to 8 “pasties”1 cup chopped Granny Smith

apple½ cup raisins½ cup currants¼ cup diced beef fat or butter,

cut in small bits1 cup brown sugar or brown

Splenda®1 teaspoon cinnamon½ teaspoon powdered cloves¼ teaspoon nutmeg1 teaspoon salt½ cup canned consommé

or ½ beef bouillon1 cup chopped cooked beef or

bison2 Tablespoons fruit jelly, any kind¼ cup brandy or Madeira wine

Combine all the last 3ingredients in a large saucepan.Simmer 30 minutes.

Add meat, honey, jelly andbrandy. Simmer 15 minutes. Makeinto a two-crust pie or 6 to 8 pasties(turnovers).

QUICK, EASYMESCLIN PASTRY

Makes enough for 1 (9-inch)2-crust pie

Sift into a mixing bowl:2 cups wheat flour½ cup rye flour1 ½ teaspoons salt1 ½ teaspoons sugarStir briskly in a measuring cup:½ cup light olive or canola oil1/3 cup milk or water

An Old-FashionedMincemeat Pie

Make a dent in the dryingredients. Pour the liquids in andstir until the dry flour is all absorbed,adding a few more drops of waterif necessary. Form a two balls for a2-crust pie, or one large ball for abatch of pasties.

Place a ball on a sheet of waxpaper, or a 20-inch strip of waxpaper for 1 large ball.

Cover with another, same sizesheet of wax paper. Flatten wellwith the palm of your hand. Finishrolling out with a rolling pin.Transfer to a cookie sheet.Refrigerate a few minutes to solidifywhile you roll out the second ball.

Repeat with the second ball ofpastry.

For a 9-inch pie:Peel off the top wax paper. Flip

the pastry into your pie pan. Peel offthe other wax paper. Ease the pastryto fit. Put the mincemeat filling in.Moisten the pastry rim.

Peel the top wax paper from thesecond pastry. Invert it and positionit atop the pie. Remove the othersheet of wax paper, which is nowon top.

Trim the edges and crimp withthe tines of a fork to seal.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.Bake 12 minutes.

Leftover pastry from trimmingmay be balled, rolled out, sprinkledwith cinnamon and sugar, and cutin shapes to baked along with thepie. Those ‘cookies’ make goodsnacks.

SUZANNA’S VEGAN MINCEPIE FILLING

Makes enough for a 9-inch,2-crust pie

Or 2 single crust pies1 cup currants1 tart apple, chopped1 cup chopped walnuts1/3 to ½ cup honey¼ teaspoon salt1 teaspoon cinnamon¼ teaspoon clove powder¼ teaspoon nutmeg1 heaping Tablespoon flour½ cup apple juice or ciderJuice of ¼ lemon

Mix the flour with a little juiceand stir into the other ingredients ina large kettle. Reduce the heat tomedium low and simmer 20 to 25minutes, stirring occasionally.Transfer to a pre-baked pie shell.

The Vashon Loop, p. 8 December 18, ‘09

SpiritualSpiritualSpiritualSpiritualSpiritualSmartSmartSmartSmartSmartAleckAleckAleckAleckAleck

by Rick Tuel

www.spiritualsmartaleck.blogspot.com

A benevolent fund has beenopened for Rick Tuel at Chase Bank.He is no longer working for WaterDistrict #19 due to health issues.Our community can donate fundsto help Rick deal with his mountingmedical expenses. People cancontact Rick at Box 238, Vashon.Folks can also purchase a CD of Rickand his wife Mary in a trio at thewebsite www.threedampduck.com.

Help Out Rick Tuel

Nov. 5, 1970 Fri.After breakfast, two fellows by

the name of Allen and John cameby from the Albion Ridge Ranch,which I guess must be down aroundwhere we thought Felix jumpedship. They too spoke of engines andleft saying they would return withmore information.

When we left to find Brian andhis truck, we discovered roads (orperhaps ruts is more accurate) fartoo impassible for Oatus’s bulk.When we finally located his truck,there was no one home so wefollowed a path down to the bottomof a ravine and up the other sidewhere we found an abandonedchicken ranch to explore.

The Log of the HMVOatus, Part 3: NosesRun; Water Does Not

Illustration by Rick Tuel

Later in the afternoon another ofGranny’s many friends dropped byto use Everett’s truck to haul a loadof trash to the dump. Butch was hisname and at the moment he is acandle maker by trade.

By way of another trade, welearned of another engine that wasbeing housed at present in an old1952 Plymouth that was quietlyreturning to the soil on his property.If we worked fast we might be ableto rescue it before it disappearedaltogether. We made a date fortomorrow.

Nov. 6, Sat.Man, the weather has been low

and wet lately! For some reason, myown system has been closelyapproximating the conditions of mysign, which is Air (I’m a Gemini); forsome reason all the air in the area isheavily congested. Wheeze!

Late in the morning Butch cameby; we loaded tools, batteries, andNigel the dog, and sputtered off tovisit the old Plymouth.

The land is truly good here;Autumn has nipped into these hillsquite nicely. Butch’s property isblessed with an old Gravensteinapple orchard and I happilymunched on a few whilewandering about in the rain.

We were too late to help the oldengine (which offered no responseat all) so Butch built a fire out backand began melting candle wax in abig cauldron. We drank tea, atefruit, helped put wicks in 140quarter-sized candles, anddeparted with a glow.

Chris and I got back to the RedShanty just in time to go take asauna with Everett, Berta, andUnkie, a great relief for usTrucknics! We’ve been growingprogressively smellier for a weeknow. This is the only way to getclean in Fort Bragg at the momentsince the whole town is on waterhours. I thought I left this sort ofthing behind when I got out of theNavy!

Perhaps the people who operatethe sauna also run the local watersystem. Theirs is the only place intown that has water and the wholetown is lined up to bathe on aweekly schedule, at $1.50 a pop!What a sweet deal! Everett, Bertaand Unkie’s time slot is onSaturday, from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.;not only did they get us admittedas their guests, they also paid ourway!

I think they wanted to be surethat we wouldn’t miss out on anopportunity to clean up and in theirkind, tactful way, decided to goahead and foot the bill in case wedidn’t happen to have the gate fee.Since we have no way of knowinghow long we will be their guests, thisprobably amounted to an investmentin their peace of mind and wastherefore well worth the money! AsI noted earlier, we’ve been growingprogressively smellier for a weeknow.

Nov. 7 Sun.Today we thought to recuperate

some. My raging head cold hasopened a branch office in Chris’shead and he awoke this morningsnuffling, spewing and snorting. Wegot a fire going and kept to ourbunks, attending to our individualafflictions.

Not for long though! Grannycame out and enlisted our aid inpicking up an old freezer over atsomebody’s house. We ended updoing it mostly by ourselves andwith effort and resolve managed todrag the damned thing back to theShanty in one piece; then it was backto the truck to chase continuingdrips in the roof; also the nose.

Because it’s Sunday andtelephone rates are low, I called myfolks to let them know we are inport for repairs. That’s the news fortoday.

A magnesium mantra may help yoube more moderate at the holidaybuffet and entice you to make sureyou have some healthy food alongthe way.

So, where can we getmagnesium? Before you run out tobuy a magnesium supplement, beaware that magnesium from foodlowered blood pressure whilesupplements did not. Magnesiumapparently needs to be absorbedfrom food to be fully functional inour bodies. Plant foods like nuts,whole grains, legumes, and greenleafy vegetables (Swiss chard,cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and such)are good sources of magnesium.Some drinking waters, where thewater is hard, are a good source. Wealso get magnesium from fish andother animal foods but when wecalculate the amount of magnesiumper calorie, plant foods are a betterprimary source.

MagnesiumContinued from page 9

Inflammation is a big factor in all chronic conditions including hypertension,arthritis, and diabetes. Excess abdominal fat is another inflammatory conditionthat takes a significant toll on your health. Fortunately, diet can effectively andeasily reduce inflammation and the problems it causes. In this class you learn whysome foods quiet inflammation while others increase it. Eating to quiet inflammationprovides significant benefits that include a relatively effortless weight loss (ifneeded), improved sleep, and the disappearance of annoying aches & pains.

New 5-week series: Tuesdays beginning January 5, 7:00 – 8:30 PMNew 5-week series for graduates: Back on Track, a solid 3-weeks on the

elimination phase, exploring plateaus, and some reminders why we need to quietinflammation.

Sundays beginning January 10, noon-1:30 PM.Advance registration at the Roasterie/Minglement andprepayment ($105) is required. There are also classesbeginning in Burien, West Seattle and Seattle andonline. For information on these classes go toToQuietInflammation.com or email Kathy Abascal atinfo@toquietinflammation.com

New Classes Starting By Kathy AbascalEating for Health & Weight Loss

Kathy Abascal is a professional member of theAmerican Herbalists Guild and was taught herbalmedicine by Michael Moore at the Southwest School ofBotanical Medicine in New Mexico and Arizona. Shehas written several books on medicinal plants includingClinical Botanical Medicine (newly released in a revisedand expanded edition) and Herbs & Influenza . Forinformation on private herbal or nutritionalconsultations, call Kathy at 463-9211.

The Vashon Loop, p. 9December 18, ‘09

Magnesium is a critical mineralfor our bodies. It regulates and helpsmaintain normal blood pressure.Magnesium also helps regulate ourcholesterol levels. Low stores ofmagnesium increase the risk ofabnormal heart rhythms, which areassociated with both heart attacksand strokes. Magnesiumstrengthens our bones and we storealmost half of our magnesium in ourbones. A diet rich in magnesiumprevents the formation of gallstones.

Lack of magnesium is a big issuein diabetes, being overweight, andin insulin resistance or syndrome X.Magnesium influences the releaseand activity of insulin, the hormonethat helps control blood sugar levels.When that system malfunctions, our

by Kathy Abascal

Magnesium for theHolidays.

blood sugar levels rise. As they rise,we start losing magnesium in theurine. In summary: Magnesium isneeded for more than 300biochemical reactions in the body. Ithelps maintain normal muscle andnerve function, keeps heart rhythmsteady, and bones strong. It is alsoinvolved in energy metabolism andprotein synthesis.

Unfortunately, most Americansdo not get the recommended dailyallowance of magnesium on aregular basis. To make mattersworse, we do many things thatdeplete our bodily magnesiumstores, especially over the Decemberholidays:

We drink more alcohol.Drinking causes a prompt, vigorousloss of magnesium in the urine. Asa result, the chronic intake of alcoholdepletes body stores of magnesiumand many of the side effects ofalcoholism are attributed to the

effects of too little magnesium.Because this mineral helps maintainthe heart’s rhythm, magnesium lossmay explain why women simplydrinking a class of wine a day hadmore heart arrhythmias, includingatrial fibrillation. Another problemwith alcohol is that while the liveris processing alcohol, it stopsmaintaining blood sugar levels andthey plummet. This makes sugarybreads, pastas, and desserts muchmore irresistible.

Tempting holiday foods rich inwhite sugar, white flour, and highfructose corn syrup quickly taketheir toll on the body. A high sugardiet uses up magnesium andpredisposes us toward insulinresistance and bad levels ofcholesterol. Free fructose in thosefoods interferes with the heart’s useof magnesium. One of theconsequences is an increasedtendency to form blood clots that cancause stroke and heart attacks. Andour typical diet today — withoutextra holiday foods — contains toomuch fructose. In 1980 the averageperson ate 39 pounds of fructose and84 pounds of sucrose. In 1994 weate 66 pounds of sucrose and 83pounds of fructose. Today some 25percent of our calories come fromsugar, mostly in the form of fructose.

Other things in the backgroundadd to our inability to maintainmagnesium levels. Many of us takecalcium supplements, and highlevels of calcium can blockmagnesium absorption. Many of ushave high blood pressure (oftenbecause we do not get enoughmagnesium) and we take a diureticdrug to lower that pressure.Diuretics, even those that sparepotassium, deplete magnesium. Soa vicious circle arises. Our diet istoo low in magnesium so our bloodpressure rises. We take a diuretic tocorrect our blood pressure but thedrug lowers our magnesium levelsfurther. In the end, this may wellincrease our chances of sufferingstrokes and heart arrhythmias.

Diabetes causes a loss ofmagnesium in the liver. High bloodsugar levels, which many of usexperience thanks to holiday eating,triggers a release of more insulin. Inturn, insulin increases the amountof magnesium we lose. Finally,consider a few more holiday triggersof magnesium loss: Sodas, coffee,high salt intake (think ham, bacon,and processed foods), and of course,stress. Yes, all the stress of trying tomake the holiday picture-perfecteats up magnesium.

As we move through theholidays, we need to keep ourmagnesium levels in mind.Beginning with Thanksgiving, wetypically eat fewer vegetables. Weeat more fatty meats, more mashedpotatoes, gravy, rolls, and chips. Wedrink more alcohol and eat lots moresweets. So we stop gettingmagnesium from our food anddeplete what little we have storedin our body. Our health begins tosuffer, and our immune systemresponds with inflammation. Weache more, we sleep poorly. As yougo to all of the holiday functions andparties try to remember magnesium.

Illustration by Kathy Abascal.

Continued on page 8

The Vashon Loop, p. 10 December 18, ‘09

by Rochelle GravanceNAFC Master Level CertifiedIYCA Level 2 Conditioning SpecialistPhysique Transformation SpecialistHabitsforming.comHabitsforming@yahoo.com

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206 571 2277

Get A Head Starton Your New Year’sFitness Resolution!

Join in December andTake 50%

Off Initiation Fees463-5601

What does it mean to be fit?How does fit feel? These are twointerestingly complex questionsunder the surface. The commonanswer may be to list particulargoals and once those goals areachieved then one should feel andbe fit. Is that really the case though?

It’s not uncommon to set fitnessgoals, achieve those goals and yet inour mind remain distanced from ourpreconceived archetypal prototype.It seems as if we may be chasing theelusive appearance of being fit.

What if we transitioned ourthinking in relation to being fit fromwhat we think we should look liketo how we feel? Too many of us linkour understanding of fitness toexercises, set/rep schemes, physicalappearance and the like. It is thenthat we enter into a relationship withthe unattainable. The chase is onwith the catch never to be realized.

A helpful approach one mightimagine to begin the transition awayfrom the unattainable and towardthe possible is to answer thesequestions:

1. What thoughts arrive in ourconscious mind during movements?

2. Do those thoughts drive ustoward or away from particularmovements?

3. How do those thoughts relateto how the movement feels?

It is not hard to witness thepsyche’s struggles within thedifficulty of challenging movements.When the mind’s struggle ismanifested in physical movement orvice versa, stay with the movementadhering to ideal form withpatience so that what you feel andhow you feel can be consciouslyunderstood as it evolves over time.This is challenging and difficult at

To Think andFeel Fit

times, and yet one can come out theother side with more understandingabout oneself and a deeper respectfor what fitness may actually be.

This philosophy of fitnessintegrates the coherent relationshipof human movement patterns andt h et h o u g h t sa n de m o t i o n srelated toor unveiledby thatrelationship.

N e x ttime youf i n dy o u r s e l fengaging in the attempt to achievefitness, ask yourself whichmovement patterns (or exercises)you may be avoiding. Now, performthem with ideal form and feel yourway through the movement. Havepatience, allow the movement to bedifficult and analyze the discoveriesyou come to understand. Usedescriptive terms as the feeling ofthe movement becomes morecalculated and apparent.

If you are unsure of what idealform is, ask for help from a fitnessprofessional. Once you are sure ofhow the movement is to beperformed correctly, begin to feel thesensations and thoughts behind themovement. I believe this approachto be the essence of self strength,pliability and fitness.

It is not the goal, it is therelationship of mind/body thatcreates fitness.

! LoOp Letters

This is a question I have heardmore than once – even recently.Quite honestly, it astounds me as amember of The Church of JesusChrist of Latter-day Saints that onecould think that we do not believein Christ. One needs to look nofurther than the real name of thechurch to obtain the answer. JesusChrist is the foundation of our faith.

Perhaps it is the constantreference to the nickname of thechurch – Mormon. Where does thisnickname come from? Mormon wasthe name of a man who lived around550 AD here on the AmericanContinent. Mormon was called asa prophet (just like Moses, Noah, orAbraham). The calling he was givenwas to summarize the writings of hispeople as there were numerouswritings compiled over the course of2,500 years). The prophet Ezekielprophesied of the coming of thisbook when he spoke of the stick ofJudah (Bible) being joined with the

Do Mormons Believe in Christ?stick of Ephraim (Book of Mormon)(See Ezekiel 37: 16, 19).

Mormon summarized theserecords and compiled them together– the Book of Mormon. The mostimportant chapters record Christ’sbirth and subsequent visit to theAmerican people after Hiscrucifixion & resurrection (John10:16). We use the Book of Mormon,together WITH the Bible, asscripture. The Bible and the Bookof Mormon contain the gospel ofJesus Christ our Savior andRedeemer.

Please join us as we celebrateJesus Christ’s birth during ourChristmas Service on Sunday,December 20, 2009 from 9:00 AM –10:20 AM. There will be a Brunchsocial to follow so bring your favoritedish and join in the fun.

Merry Christmas to all.Gene Kuhns, Jr.1st Counselor, Vashon Branch

Presidency, The Church of Jesus Christof Latter-day Saints

Sound Computing SolutionsMichael O’Donnell

206-463-9254, mobile 206-618-8760michael@soundcomp.com, www.soundcomp.com

PC & Mac Service and Repair In Your Home or Office

Doug and Colleen have metthese high and rigorous standards.They join McMurray math teachers,Jenny Granum and CorneliusLopez, who have previouslyreceived national certification.

Beyond the recognition ofteaching excellence is a $5,000annual stipend provided by the Stateof Washington. Two other VISD

Continued from page 1

Two VISD Teachers Honoredfor National Certification

Proofreading and Editing... from A to Z

EAGLE EYE PROOFREADING and EDITING Nancy Morgan onvash@hotmail.com 206/567-5463

PO Box 2393 206/819-2795 Vashon, WA 98070

MailersManualsMapsMarketingMemorialsMenus

MissionstatementsMusic notationNews copyNewspapersNovels

Online docsOrder formsPackagingPamphletsPersonalsPhoto captionsPlacards

PlaysPoetryPress releasesPricingProduct tagsPrograms

teachers are currently in theprogram and working towardcertification.

The Vashon Loop, p. 11December 18, ‘09

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Our first close encounter withLummi’s descendants since herdeath evoked gratitude, grief, andjoy simultaneously. Lummi’sgranddaughter Skagit (K13) glidedby with a cluster of relatives,followed by great-granddaughterSpock (K20) and her Vashon son,Comet (K38). Comet is now fiveyears old. In December 2004, MarkSears discovered K38 as a newbornin Colvos Pass.

Oreo’s family, the J22 matriline,also swam close to the point. Oreo’sstory is bittersweet. In a period ofless than two years, her sister Ewok(J20), mother Tahoma (J10), andbrother Everett (J18) died. Everett’sbody washed ashore in March 2000

Dorsal GrinsContinued from page 1

show that the Southern Residentsare currently eating blackmouth(immature Chinook) in PugetSound, in addition to or even insteadof chum salmon. Moreover, somefecal samples collected this seasoncontained parasites. Parasites addstress and deprive our endangeredorcas of vital nutrients, forcing themto work harder to find food thatfalls short of sating their hunger.

Consider the immense effortexpended by J, K, and L Pods just toforage. Watching wild orcas in ourwaters is an unparalleled privilegethat obliges us to be gentle,thoughtful, and respectful with ourdignified top predators. We mustgive them space and serenity.

On November 30 and December8, several observant Islandersspotted a solitary, juvenile graywhale around the Island. The whaleforaged for hours in Maury Islandshallows on December 8. Amphipodcrustaceans and other sediment-dwelling organisms were the likelyattractions. Gray whales feed byscooping mouthfuls of mud from thesea floor, and then filtering theedibles through their baleen. Mmm,ghost shrimp!

Need lastminute gifts foryour podmates?Check out “Art forWhales andWolves” at theVashon IslandCoffee Roasterie,December 19-20,Saturday andSunday. Tlingitartist OdinL o n n i n g ,www.OdinLonning.com,will be theredemonstrating. He

will have a variety of work for sale:carvings, paintings, drums, andclothing. Layaway is welcome.Support the VHP and Wolftownwhile enchanting your loved onewith a soulful, affordable art pieceby Odin.

Oreo (J22) and a close relative at Pt. Robinson, 12/9/09. RichardRogers photo.at Tsawwassen, BC. His necropsywas a gift to killer whale research.Oreo (J22) now cares for her twosons DoubleStuf (J34) and Cookie(J38), as well as her orphaned nieceRhapsody (J32).

On a humorous note, Slick (J16)and her family lagged far behind theother whales, rolling around alltouchy-feely in a group grope.Slick’s son Mike (J26), leviathanlothario, flashed us his, um, pinkfloyd/whale maker/junk, chooseyour euphemism. He showed us thelove on another level!

Please support the work of theVashon Hydrophone Project (VHP):REPORT LOCAL WHALESIGHTINGS ASAP TO 463-9041.Send whale photos to Orca Annieat Vashonorcas@aol.com. We aregrateful to everyone who calls! Seemore fabulous Point Robinson orcaphotos by Richard Rogers atVashonorcas.org.

About the research vessels: MarkSears and other NOAA researcherswork under MMPA permits thatallow them to approach whaleswithin 100 yards to obtain ID photosand collect samples of fish scales,regurgitations, mucus, and orcascat. Focal follows require theresearchers to move in quite close tothe orcas.

If our fish-tossing sea lions inColvos Pass are any indication, Ipredict recent prey samples will

Find the Loop on-line atwww.vashonloop.com.

Don’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the BirdsDon’t Forget the Birdsby Ed Swan

Early this December on themonthly Vashon Audubon field trip,the group went chumming for gullsat the end of the Tramp Harborfishing pier. Gary Shugart, one ofthe trip leaders, whipped a bag ofbread pieces out and attracted theattention of the gulls. Pretty soon awhole bunch showed up from fivedifferent species: Glaucous-winged,Mew, Thayer’s, Herring and Ring-billed. Glaucous-winged is thecommon, year-round large gull andMew is the common medium sizedwinter gull. Thayer’s and Herringare rare in winter and Ring-billed arevery rare. Big flocks of Thayer’shang out at the Port of Tacoma andRing-billed Gulls forage there and inthe Seattle area but both just don’tcome over to Vashon much. Herringand Thayer’s Gulls provide a

Christmas Bird Count Excitement

significant challenge to tell apart.The gull flock created a greatopportunity to compare andcontrast and learn about a family ofbirds that people just dismiss as “it’sjust another gull.”

The Christmas Bird Countmultiplies by a dozen the groupslooking at Island birds and thechances to see and learn somethingnew. On Sunday, December 27,Vashon Audubon will hold thisyear’s Christmas Bird Count,counting as many birds as possiblein a 15 mile diameter circle centeredon Vashon Island. Group leaderswill take participants to all of theIsland hot spots and many lesserknown, out-of-the-way locations tofind and count birds. It will be agood way to get outdoors, enjoy ourbeautiful Island and learn about

birds. Beginners are welcome andencouraged to take part.

The count goes all day and endswith a potluck at the Land Trustbuilding to share sightings.Participants can join a countingparty for part or all of the day. Thosewith just a half an hour or hour cancount the birds in their yard or ontheir property and help out as a“feeder watcher.”

Some of us may go “owling,”listening for Great Horned, Barred,and Northern Saw-whet Owls aswell. That group usually startsabout 4am and goes until dawn. Itwould also help if Islanders wouldreport any owls heard frommidnight until dawn on the night ofthe 26th/27th and from dusk untilmidnight of the night of 27th/28th.

The Vashon Loop, p. 12 December 18, ‘09

Call for reservations206.463.5355

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The Vashon Loop, p. 13December 18, ‘09

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My full-grown and willfulGerman-shepherd mix, Trevor, washaving a tough time of it in obedienceclass. A trainer insisted on holdinghis leash while I walked off to callhim. “Otherwise he’ll chase anotherdog instead of going to you,” shestated.

I told Trevor to “stay” and wentthe required distance. “Come!” Isaid firmly. Trevor did — with gusto.The trainer kept up with him the firstfew feet and then fell face-first onthe wet grass. An undaunted Trevordragged her right up to my feet.

Slowly the trainer picked herselfup and looked into my stricken face.“Don’t forget to praise your dog,”she said and walked off.

There are some days I practicepositive thinking, and other days I’mnot positive I am thinking.

A woman was instructing thenew maid on the great care requiredin handling certain valuablehousehold objects. She pointed to thedining room and said with obvioussatisfaction,

“That table goes back to Louis theFourteenth.”

“Oh, that’s nothing,” the maidinterjected. “My whole living-roomset goes back to Sears the fifteenth.”

Answers from kids to science testquestions:Q: What is one horsepower?A: One horsepower is the amountof energy it takes to drag a horse500 feet in one second.Q: How can one determine howclose a lightening strike was?A: You can listen to thunder afterlightening and tell how close youcame to getting hit. If you don’thear it you got hit, so never mind.Q: What is an orbit?A: When people run around andaround in circles we say they arecrazy. When planets do it we saythey are orbiting.Q: How are clouds formed?A: I am not sure how clouds getformed. But the clouds know howto do it, and that is the importantthing.

Don’t you wish there were aknob on your TV to turn up theintelligence?

There’s one marked“Brightness,” but it doesn’t work.

Two retired professors werevacationing with their wives at ahotel in the Catskills. They weresitting on the veranda one summerevening, watching the sunset.

The history professor asked thepsychology professor, “Have youread Marx?”

To which the professor ofpsychology replied, “Yes. I think it’sthese pesky wicker chairs.”

“Mother,” said a little boyafter coming from a walk. “I’veseen a man who makes horses.”

“Are you sure?” asked hismother.

“Yes,” he replied. “He hada horse nearly finished. When Isaw him, he was just nailing onhis feet.”

Island Birding GuideIsland Birding GuideIsland Birding GuideIsland Birding GuideIsland Birding GuideTours to the best Vashon and

Puget Sound bird spotsSpecies IdentificationHow to Attract Birds

Ed Swan(206) 463-7976(206) 463-7976(206) 463-7976(206) 463-7976(206) 463-7976

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The Vashon Loop, p. 14 December 18, ‘09

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On Saturday, January 9, at 7:30 p.m. celebrated William Chapman Nyaho brings aunique cultural background and extraordinarily eclectic sense of music to the BlueHeron Art Center, propelling an evening of his music to, as one critic put it, “reach greatheights.” In addition to standard classical repertoire such as Lizst, Schubert and Bach,Nyaho will play and discuss music by composers of African descent. Books and CDs willbe available at the show. Call 463-5131 for tickets, $10 students/$13 VAA members,seniors/$15 general admission. Also available at Books by the Way, Heron’s Nest andbrownpapertickets.com.

Tickets available now for NYAHO!

Robbie Fulks is one of the moreheralded talents in the alternativecountry movement, displaying anoffbeat, sometimes dark sense ofhumor in many of his best moments.As time passed, he moved away

from the country twang of his earlywork and into a crunchier roots-rockhybrid.

Robbie is an Americanalternative country artist originallyfrom Pennsylvania but who is alongtime Chicago, Illinois resident.Fulks is known for his disdain ofmainstream modern country andthe country music industry, asexemplified by his scorching rebukeof Nashville titled “F*** This Town.”His live performances featureimprovised rearrangements of hisoriginal songs, off-the-cuff musicalhumor, and covers of songs byMichael Jackson, Cher and others.

As a songwriter Fulks is difficultto pigeonhole. Many of his

Robbie Fulks & Jennifer Sheinman Playthe Red Bike by Pete Welch

compositions are silly, funny orspoof songs, while others are seriouscountry songs.

Jenny Scheinman is a singer,violin player, composer and

arranger. She grew up in thesticks playing folk musicwith her family, went on tostudy at OberlinConservatory, and has beenperforming as a violinist/fiddler since she was ateenager.

She has taken the #1Rising Star Violinist title inthe Downbeat MagazineCritics Poll and has beenlisted as one of their Top TenOverall Violinists for the lastfive years. In addition, shehas garnered numeroushigh-profile arrangingcredits with artists such asLucinda Williams, Bono,Lou Reed and Sean Lennon,and has toured andrecorded with Bill Frisell,Norah Jones, MadeleinePeyroux, Nels Cline, ViniciusCantuaria, Jimmie Dale

Gilmore, and Mark Ribot.This is an all-ages show ‘til

11pm, then 21+ after that and thecover charge is only $10.

Jenny Scheinman, courtesy photo.

Robbie Fulks, courtesy photo.

Years ago I wrote an articlecalled The Balance. It was about theswinging of systems within predatorand prey and the environment andhow we fit into this equilibrium.

There is another Balance. TheBalance of Farming. I raised sheepnow for 8 years. These sheep arecrossed with primitive sheep toproduce hybrid vigor and traits thatfit into Vashon’s ecosystems. Ichoose sheep because my Grandpathought it a good idea. Sheepprovide meat, milk, clothing, hides,and soap. All of which Wolftownproduces by hand. We are creatingpaying jobs with this.

The sheep create these things bybrowsing the trail edges and somepasture. Not by grain ……but by thetime honored shepherd tradition offoraging. The wool hat you wearfrom the sheep is indigenous brush,recycled. This allows for forests tostay intact, which provides diversityof wild species. (A lot of our clothesare made with petroleum products.When you are done with wool clothyou can use it as mulch.)

The cuts of meat come smallerin our sheep, and very lean, likeathletes. The sheep grow slowly, asthat is healthy. They are smallerbecause in the niche they fit into,smaller, slow-growing sheep workbetter. However the meat is tastierand healthier. There are manyarticles on the internet about grassfed and the different kinds of fat.

The sheep are allowed to walkmiles per day in search of what they

The Balance of Farming

choose to eat. They never have footproblems. The cheese from them isincredible; however we cannot sellit yet. We need patrons to help usstart a dairy and wool mill.

We feed hay only to have a dayoff or a sick day. We try to use local.However, many pastures on Vashonlack something. The hay is cut late,because there is not enoughmanpower or equipment. Andnothing is ever added back on theland. So the nutrition of the hay isdown. (You can cut hay by hand.)We need grant writers and patronsfor this, this too will create jobs.

You cannot take and take. Youmust either put livestock on the landto fertilize it after harvest. Or spreadcomposted manure on the land. Youmust seed with forage that mostnaturally balances with this eco-system. And Vashon must makesilage, a fermented hay product thathelps preserve hay in this very wetclimate. (A lot of fertilizer boughtcommercially is made withpetroleum products. If you use limebe sure to check where it came fromand what it is made out of.)

Thank you Vashon, without thesupport of the community the workWolftown does would be impossible.We are always striving, because ofyour belief and support of us.

Please buy my new bookAmerican Lambs. Royalties go toWolftown’s agriculture program.

by T. Yamamoto, www.wolftown.org,463-9113

The Vashon Loop, p. 15December 18, ‘09

Christmas Lessonsand Carols Serviceat St John Vianney

The parish of St John MaryVianney Catholic Church ispresenting a Lessons and Carolsservice at 5:00 PM Sunday,December 20th, at the church. ALessons and Carols service is a seriesof Scripture readings paired withmatching Christmas carols, selectedto trace the story of Christ’s birthfrom the book of Genesis, throughthe Nativity story in the Gospelaccording to John.

There will be a varied programof Christmas pieces: carols for soloand quartet featuring sopranosJennifer Krikawa and MaritaEricksen, tenors Kevin Joyce and Dr.Gary Koch, and baritone AndrewKrikawa, and choral piecesperformed by the St. John Vianneychoir. Charles Lovekin willaccompany on piano and organ,and Kevin Pottinger will conduct.

The church is located at 16100115th Ave SW on Vashon.Admission is free. For moreinformation contact Kevin Pottingerat 463-2129,pottinger3@comcast.net.

McMurray Robotics Team Goes to State

obstacle course, while gatheringobjects, or performing functionsto earn points. The team thatearns the highest points wins –but the maze race is only ¼ of theteam’s overall score. Teamwork,robot design and a researchproject all make up the other ¾

of the overall score. The teammust decide on a specificresearch project within a FLLdetermined topic. The teamcollects their data and results andpresents it to an audience priorto the competition. During thecompetition they must againpresent it before a panel ofjudges. FLL chooses a new topiceach year for the competition.The topics have an underlyingtheme of how science andtechnology influence our worldand our lives. This year’s FLLsubject was transportation.

Team Ratfish surveyed nearly50% of McMurray studentsregarding how many days a weekthey rode the bus, the averagedistance from their house to school,why they did or didn’t ride the bus,and what improvements could bemade to get them to ride the busmore often.

They found that the majority ofthe students who rode the bus rodeit all 5 days per week. The maintwo reasons for their riding werethat they were made to ride bytheir parents, or they were ridingso that they could see their friendson the bus. The survey also foundthat 86% of students who did notride the bus at least once a weekwere driven to school. The mainreason given for their not riding thebus was that they were offered aride to school by their parents. 95%of the students were aware thatriding the bus to school was betterfor the environment than driving acar.

As part of the research project,Team Ratfish also calculated theenvironmental impact and dollarcosts of riding the bus versus drivinga student to school as an annualimpact per child. They gathereddata collected by the districtregarding ridership as well as fuelprices and costs for operatingbuses. Their calculations assumeda best case of one student beingdriven 4 miles school, and theequivalent student riding the busfor a school year of 180 days.

Driving a single student by carproduced 2,900 lbs of carbon dioxide,used 144 gallons of gas, required2,880 miles of driving, and cost $469dollars of fuel. (This cost calculationdid not include the operating coststhat are assumed by the IRS in theirstandard mileage cost value of 55cents per mile. Using this value forthe 2,880 miles would give an annual

cost of morethan $1500).

I ncomparison, astudent takingthe busproduced only372 lbs of carbondioxide, used16.75 gallons ofdiesel, required222 miles ofdriving, and cost$46 dollars offuel. Team

Ratfish members presented theirdata and conclusions to the Vashonschool district school board duringtheir November meeting. The schoolboard members were very impressedwith the presentation andcommended them for their work.

If you know of students who areinterested in joining FLL, or wish tovolunteer with FFL please contactVashon FFL atvashorobotics@gmail.com. Teams fornext year’s competition will beforming in June 2010. Thecompetition will be held inNovember 2010, and the theme willbe will be Biomedical engineering.

Continued from page 1

VIPP Adopt-A-Cat DayVashon Island Pet Protectors will host

an Adopt-A-Cat Day EVERY Saturdayfrom 11:30-2:30 at our NEW VIPPADOPTION CENTER at 12200 SW 243rdSt. Please go to vipp.org for directions orcall VIPP at 206-389-1085.

Sue Trevathan, the countcoordinator, divides the Island into

North, South and Tramp Harbor/Maury Island sections as well assections on the other side of Colvos

Sue Trevathan found this beautiful Snow Bunting atPt. Robinson in the winter of 2005. Maybe thecounters will get lucky this year and find one again.Photo by Richard Rogers.

Passage in Pierce and KitsapCounty. Contact Sue at 463-1484or sue.trevathan@centurytel.net to

go along with one of theroving count parties or to lether know about watching aparticular yard or property.

Still trying to think ofcreative gift ideas? Give apersonalized birding tour forhere on the Island or aroundPuget Sound to Nisqually, theSkagit Delta or Mt. Rainier. Iprovide tours findingparticular species birdwatchers would like to see orjust a general trip to see agood variety of Puget Soundand Island birds. Contact meat 463-7976 or

edswan@centurytel.net.

Christmas Bird Count ExcitementContinued from page 11

The Vashon Loop, p. 16 December 18, ‘09

with Acupuncturist at CourthouseSquare. Available Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat,

Sun. Ann Leda 206-463-3967

Share office suite/waiting room

(206) 463-3401$8 Nail trimming with no appointment

17321 Vashon Hwy SW Big Red building w/Animal Stuff on the porch

And each of you individually truly makes a difference for oursuccess.We’ve got lots of treats for your furry familymembers, stop in and see us.We are open Christmas Eve andclosed Christmas Day. We are open New Year’s Eve and closedNew Year’s Day.

206-463-9113wolftown@centurytel.net

www.wolftown.org

Wolftown needs your help in thesecritical times. We are helping others,

won’t you help us? Become a memberfor $35 or just make a contribution.

Wildlife season is upon us and we needto purchase medicines,

feed and supplies.Think $5 or $10 bucks doesn’t make adifference? What if everyone on island

sent $5 or $10 bucks.....Mail a check to

WolftownPO Box 13115

Burton WA 98013

Express Menu

(Available only to go)

Tacos - Assorted delicious tacos,

2 for $2.99

Tortas - A traditional Mexican

sandwich made with your choice

of filling for $4.99

Burritos - Flour tortilla stuffed

with beans, cheese and chicken,

ground beef or picadillo

Three sizes to fit your appetite!

Pequeno (8 inch) $1.99

Grande (10 inch) $4.99

El Muy Grande (12 inch) $6.99

Chips and salsa $1.99

(206) 679- 9859Seattle Metro West

Phil SpencerI’m here for all yourreal estate needs...

We wish you the best for a happy holiday season and a great new year! We sincerelythank you for your steadfast patronage and support over this last year, it means a

great deal to our families.