When I was a new mother, utterly and blissfully over the moon for my baby, I thought I would never feel anything less than that all-consuming, perfect love. It simply wasn’t possible.
Fast-forward twelve years to the Japanese Gardens in Portland, where a little family foray, meticulously planned by moi, precipitated a […]
Our house had just burned down. A few weeks later my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, not the best of times. I mention this only because it was during this season Mikie walked into my life. It’s always when we’re the most distracted by our own issues that […]
With the coming of Spring, so comes the fun of hosting a Tea Party.
The English in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I made a fine art of tea time. Fine tea from China and India was a staple of English life, as The East India Company had trade routes through […]
Outdoor kitchens are a great way to expand your overall living space. Outdoor cooking and entertaining can provide you with a summer “vacation” feel in your own backyard, and as a bonus, well-planned outdoor kitchens enable you to cook outside year-round!
Creating your outdoor […]
In the first quarter of 2015, the median price of a home in the city of Jacksonville increased 41.1% over the same period in 2014, with the median price of a home selling for $398,500. Jacksonville has now passed Ashland with the honor of having […]
At the risk of sounding like a disgruntled stage actor upset with his Wednesday afternoon matinee audience, I feel the need to share my thoughts about citizen attendance at our City Council meetings. Where, oh where are most of you? My one desire is to see more […]
May kicks-off the event season at Hanley Farm with two annual favorites, the Heritage Plant & Garden Fair and the Children’s Heritage Fair.
Mark your calendar for Mother’s Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 9-10, from 10:00am-3:00pm, for the Hanley Heritage Plant & Garden Fair. There will be a wide […]
Jacksonville’s lovely 1892 Queen Anne-style home on North Oregon Street is best known as the “Nunan House,” named after its original occupants, Jeremiah and Delia Nunan (profiled in the March 2015 issue of the Jacksonville Review). But to Herbert Howland Sargent and Alice Applegate Sargent, its second owners, the house was […]
You probably heard a while back that Weird Al Yankovic will be coming to J’Ville’s Britt hill. Yup, on September 2 that freaky accordion player who turned “Beat It” into “Eat It” will perform live right here in town. That early announcement was a rare “sneak peak” into the Britt […]
In thinking about this month’s article, I tried to define for myself what makes Britt so special. Over the past 5 years, I have observed that each concert has its own vibe and culture that brings people of different backgrounds, experiences, and appearances together in a safe and happy environment. Gratefully, music really is blind. […]
“If the English language made any sense, ‘lackadaisical’ would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” ~Doug Larson, columnist
My English Composition students are often overwhelmed by the word choices they face when they write an essay. It’s the same with me, as a gardener. When I pour over […]
The Northwest’s premier outdoor summer music festival presents performances by artists in pop, bluegrass, rock, country and classical music and more.
JACKSONVILLE, OR — The roots and jam band John Butler Trio, country artist Easton Corbin, pop flamenco act The Gipsy Kings, pop/rockers NEEDTOBREATHE and Switchfoot, the alt-rock band The Decemberists, prolific songwriter Randy Newman, progressive […]
“And the Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth’s dark breast
Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.”
~Percy Shelley (1792-1822)
For thousands of local gardeners, spring does not merely arise but leaps forth the minute they step into the Spring […]
At times, we all feel the need to fix some aspect of our life to be truly happy, often spending a lot of time and money on products and regimes that promise the quick results we yearn for. The most common pursuits for happiness revolve around love, money and health. Have […]
I sat down in a good mood on a sunny Sunday morning to look at my email and there it was, lying in wait. The email was from a colleague who is, in every respect, my doppelgänger: same age, same work, same writing style, graduate school, hair color, sense of humor—same […]
Channel surfing the other night, I landed on National Geographic’s Big Cats of the Serengeti. This is where my wife usually exits the room but not before shooting me a subtle yet unmistakable look of disapproval. Okay, I’m drawn to the drama of the plains but not because of […]
In 1907, the Fenton Glass Company in West Virginia produced a style of glass referred to as “iridescent ware.” Fenton called it Iridill and labeled it “Venetian Art.” The idea was to mass-produce a beautiful product that could compete with the expensive, iridescent art glass made by Tiffany and Steuben.
The […]
In recent years, the synthetic grass turf industry has experienced rapid growth despite the slow economy in the commercial and residential building markets. The turf industry coasted through the recession relatively unscathed, propelled by growing demand primarily due to advancements in quality and cost reduction efforts by sporting venues, municipalities, […]
It looks like 2015 will be a great year for sellers to sell their homes and buyers to buy a home! It’s unusual that it’s a great market for both… but here is why.
For home sellers: the number of homes that have resold has increased by 18% and the […]
A Few Minutes with the Mayor – April 2015
As you know, this column seldom devotes attention to affairs outside of Jacksonville; numerous other news and opinion outlets exist for such information. However, reports on the national level about Hillary Clinton’s emails prompted me to join in the conversation, so please bear […]
With spring and summer vacations looming, some of you will be driving over the Siskiyous to visit family and friends in California; others may be looking forward to guests making the trip in reverse. Possible weather and traffic issues aside, drivers and passengers will be experiencing the luxury of riding on […]
This month we had the pleasure of interviewing Elizabeth Worcester of Daisy Creek Farm. Now in their 4th season of leading the agricultural activities at Hanley Farm, we learned more about no-till agriculture and what we can expect to see at the Farm this season.
What is no-till agriculture?—No-Till […]
Two men with irrevocably intertwined lives passed away at the end of February: a world-famous actor, beloved by millions; and a highly successful producer, well known in Hollywood, less familiar to people outside of entertainment circles.
The actor was Leonard Nimoy. He entered the business in l951, performing onstage and onscreen, […]
It is my pleasure to devote this column to introducing and welcoming Kay Hilton, Britt’s new Director of Education and Engagement. With 18 years of experience at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival as the Music Coordinator, she comes to Britt with an extensive background in performing arts and education. Kay is knowledgeable and passionate about music, […]
This summer, beginning on July 26, about 100 musicians will descend on Jacksonville. They’re all members of some of the country’s leading orchestras and come to town to be part of the annual three-week-long Britt Classical Festival. Many of them stay here in Jacksonville, where 41 local families open their hearts and homes to them […]
Trust is one of the most important ingredients in any relationship. It takes courage, time and effort to build trust. When we trust someone we can let go of fear and doubt. We get a comforting feeling in our bones that this person is true, honest and real. This allows us […]
I remember the day Mary’s obstetrician told us the baby was transverse lie breach (hugging mamma high and tight sideways) though we still had time. The due day was a few weeks out and there was no sign of an early delivery, not to worry! Leaving the office, however, […]
As a young girl I loved the Little House book series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, which chronicled her life growing up in the 1860s. I read the books many times and when the television series came out, I was glued to it. I recently got to revisit those halcyon days on […]
My friend Charlotte, in New York keeps me abreast of the latest decorating news. We are both lovers of mixing old and new. A new dress with a vintage pin—a vintage dress with a new scarf…an Ikea dining table with flow blue—a mahogany table with stark white. My daughter paired […]
Hardscapes encompass landscape components such as pavers, concrete, stone, brick, block or wood. As an industry, hardscaping saw significant growth in concurrence with the U.S. economic downturn when people started looking at outdoor living spaces in unconventional ways. Rather than spending hard- earned dollars on expensive get-away vacations, Americans began […]
If you unexpectedly find yourself with a home to rent, you’re what we call an accidental landlord. You never really planned on owning rental property, but maybe you’re facing a job transfer or recently inherited a piece of property. The local real estate market has rebounded nicely and homes […]
Are you troubled by the political discord today? I am! Not that it is anything new. It is as old as the art of politics. History bears that out. I remember the hatred directed at President Harry Truman. It was intense, personal, and vicious… especially after he […]
Our days are finally feeling longer as spring begins to show herself at the Farm. The field of daffodils greets us under the front walnut trees and green buds abound. The Volunteer Garden is actively taking shape as we tenderly care for over 200 heritage plants that were recently […]
Since March 17th celebrates St. Patrick and all things Irish, it seems appropriate for this month’s Pioneer Profiles to feature Jeremiah Nunan, one of Jacksonville’s Irish pioneers. Most people associate Nunan’s name with his elaborate Queen Anne style home on North Oregon Street, one of the town’s most photographed historic landmarks. […]
At the February 5th Classical Festival Announcement, Music Director Teddy Abrams promised an “epic season,” and after hearing about it, we believe him! Not only is Teddy’s enthusiasm infectious, his programming is diverse, bold and inspiring. The 2015 Britt Classical Festival lineup is already generating an energetic buzz around […]
British singer/songwriter Sam Smith is either a very lucky guy…or not quite so.
Smith reached the top of the charts last year with his soulful composition, “Stay With Me.” Then, just a few weeks ago at the 2015 Grammy Awards, the tune was named both “Song of the Year” and “Record […]
Britt Festival just announced their 2015 Britt Classical Programs! Tickets go on sale to both members and non-members on Friday, February 6, 2015 at 9am. Get your tickets at brittfest.org!
Friday, July 31 – 8 p.m.
ABRAMS: Visceral
SCRIABIN: Poem of Ecstasy
ORFF: Carmina Burana
Guest Artists: Hugh Russell, baritone; Celena Shafer, soprano; Javier Abreu, tenor, Southern Oregon […]
During these normally quiet months of winter, a special new garden is developing at Hanley Farm. In response to the alarming population crash of the iconic monarch butterfly throughout North America over the last ten years, a small group of concerned local citizens began establishing Monarch Waystations throughout the […]
Joyfull Living – February 2015
Seeing all the hearts around this month can be a great reminder to check in with your emotional heart and evaluate how you feel about your life. As I am writing this article, I just heard on the news that studies show that a happy heart is more likely to be […]
After twenty-five years of marital bliss, I’ve come to understand a great many more things about life, love, and the beautiful reality of imperfection called marriage. Some things can’t be taught in the classroom, only learned on the job. We raise our kids with the best of intentions especially […]
I don’t mean to burst anyone’s romantic bubble, but I thought a little education about the heart and the origins of Valentine’s Day might be of interest. An alternative, if you will, to the commercial sentimentality foisted upon us February 14 by Hallmark, Inc.
The modern, mid-month celebration of Valentine’s Day morphed […]
One thing I’ve been collecting lately is tiny, multi- functional, elegant, practical, universal, and easy to afford—my growing collection of Salt Cellars, also known as salts, open dips, open salts, salt dish, or master salt.
The individual cellar would have typically been sterling silver, […]
2014 Recap—2014 was a good year for the U.S. economy with 3 million jobs added and the unemployment rate dropping to 5.6%, the lowest level since June 2008. We also saw declining gasoline prices and natural gas prices in most of the Midwest and East Coast, all combined with […]
Before beginning this first column of the year, I wish to thank the editor/ publisher of this newspaper who approached me four years ago with the offer to write my own column, promising to allow me total freedom to write whatever I felt like. Now I ask you, […]
As Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year this month, we should not lose sight of the original “welcome” given Chinese immigrants when they first arrived in Oregon in the 1850s.
Jackson County greeted the Chinese with a $2-per month Chinese mining tax levied in 1857 and doubled in 1858, and Oregon included a […]
The movie Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid opens with this line on the screen: “Most of what follows is true.” While the main characters actually existed, their story’s timeframe has been truncated for convenience, and, some characters, for dramatic convenience, are consolidations of several actual people. Such is the […]
As we enter the New Year, Britt welcomes Jacksonville’s three newest City Council members: Ken Gregg, Brad Bennington and Jim Lewis. As volunteers, the City Council works tirelessly with the city’s administrative staff and citizens to provide a framework for the ongoing operations of the City. As I have participated in many proceedings over the […]
Love is a messy ordeal. The stomach bug is roaring through our house as I write this, and you all know how ugly that can be. Ugly. So here we are mopping-up messes off the floor at five in the morning, and sometimes it’s easy to wonder what in the world we signed […]
Soul Matters – December 2014/January 2015
The other morning I sat in the pre-dawn darkness on my porch, wrapped up against the cold, staring at the stars with their piercing, distant magnificence. I listened to invisible raccoons running through the trees, saw the inky outline of the branches bending under their weight. I heard the soft […]
Since the financial crash of 2007, Southern Oregon has suffered high unemployment and little growth; but that all seems to be changing. We have been watching quietly as new homes are being built, businesses continue to move-in and acres and acres of grapes are planted.
Home Building and Commercial […]