September 2017 Vuecrest View Newsletter

September - its birthstone is the sapphire and its flower is the morning glory. The origin of the Latin word comes from "septem" meaning 7; in the original Roman republican calendar, it was the 7th month of the year. September is baby-birth-month - more babies are born in this month than any other.

National Teddy Bear Day- September 9th: The first teddy bear was made in 1902 and inspired by President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, who had just completed a bear hunting trip in Mississippi (upon finding a small helpless bear, he refused to kill it, condemning such behavior as "un-sportsman-like conduct"). After reading about this event in the local newspaper, Rose, the wife of Morris Michton, created 2 small fabric bears and displayed them in their candy shop window in Brooklyn, calling them "Teddy's bears". They were an instant hit. Thanks to such great success, the Michtons went on to establish the Ideal Toy and Novelty Company, which has included such wonderful dolls as Betsy Wetsy, Thumbelina, Chrissy and their more recent hit - the Rubik's Cube. By coincidence, Steiff of Germany, started producing its own teddy bear toys at the same time. Their Louis Vuitton bear with matching trench and luggage sold at a Monaco Charity Auction in 2000 for $2.1 million.

   Do you like hard-boiled eggs but wish they were scrambled? Now they can be, with the Golden Goose Egg Scrambler! This little gizmo features a silicone cradle with 2 pulleys attached by cords. Put the raw egg inside, in its shell, and close it up. Now, wind up the cradle with the pulleys and pull on the handles for about 20 seconds. Whirr! Whirr! This action rapidly rotates the egg forward and back. Boil for 10-12 minutes and you have a perfect scrambled (and golden-colored) egg to go! What a picnic surprise - and no need to tell anyone how you did it! Amazon/ $12.99

I must admit I am also quite captivated by the "60 Second Salad Maker". It consists of 2 parts: a white plastic bowl with horizontal slits every ½" and a cutting base. Pack your lettuce, cucumber, carrots etc. inside the bowl part, attach the base, flip it over and now slice thru the slits, all the way down to the cutting board. Chop! Chop! You're done! Open it up and throw it all in the salad bowl.  (Are you ready, David? Time to whoosh in those teenie tomatoes-) Salad's ready!! Get it on Amazon/ $8.98.

                               ******************************************

 Let's welcome our new neighbors David and Ling-Ling Tsou who have moved into their beautiful new home at 9640 Vineyard Crest. David has a business manufacturing business in Taiwan. Their son Joseph, is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Bear Creek High School where his favorite class is computers, and favorite sports are track, x-country, and basketball. Younger sister, Olivia, is 13 and will start secondary school in Bellevue after completing middle school in Taiwan. And why did they choose Vuecrest? Ling-Ling looked at several homes in Bridle Trails but "too many trees". They had seen the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" and were quite enchanted with our beautiful area. They enjoy skiing and aerobics.

 Also New to the Vue are Maggie and Gregg Eskenazi at 9368 Vineyard Crest. They had spent years on Mercer Island but after a friend spoke of Vuecrest as one of the original Bellevue neighborhoods, they decided to take a look - and liked what they saw. Their 3 sons Aaron, 21 is at UPS, Ray, 20 at Whittier, and Simon, 19 in Minneapolis. Maggie and Gregg are both tennis hot-shots - Maggie plays on Team Bloch and is heading to Oregon for the play-offs, while Gregg plays at the Bellevue Club. On occasion, they test their "love" on the court in "Doubles-Troubles". Rex, the "Jack-rat" (Jack Russell rat terrier) keeps his folks company, now that the kids are out of the house.

 Karl Hsueh and Karan have just moved into their beautiful new home on 1038 Sunset Way. After living in Enatai for 10 years, they decided they were ready to build their own home, and worked with Rudolph Architects to turn their dreams into reality. Karl works at Microsoft and enjoys the short commute time, and Karan stays at home, keeping an eye on their 2 sons Dylan, 13 who attends Medina Middle School and Evan, 10, who is at Odle. Both boys are in the gifted programs and love Lego super-construction, are intense readers, play video games and in their free-time - play piano as well as violin and viola in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. It sounds like a real busy house!

                                                                                         Anne Frank/1929-1945/The Secret Annex

  Since none of my very recent reads are overwhelmingly needing to be shared, I've been thinking about classics.  And, of course, there ARE reasons those books are called classics!  In light of so many disturbing social events, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has been on my mind.  While many of us read the book in high school, I think that it, like many books that are more meaningful with maturity, deserves a re-read.  (Yes, I acknowledge the recently-published book by the same author, which actually was an earlier draft, and, in my opinion, was published now only to generate funds.  Enough said.)  To Kill a Mockingbird is very readable and very, very, very powerful.  Every life matters.  Period.  In a rare instance of the movie being just as good as the book, the same message comes across loud and clear.  Gregory Peck, as Atticus Finch, is unforgettable.   Melissa Hambleton

Warren wastes no time as she rails against the great disparity of income between America's rich and poor, and the stagnation of middle class wages, which has been particularly onerous in the last decade. She points out that the average wage-earner working full time today earns less than his counterpart did in 1972 (adjusting for inflation), and that Congress has not raised the minimum wage above $7.25 per hour since it was enacted in 2009. In contrast to this, the rich are still getting richer, with the wealthiest 10% of families controlling 76% of total wealth in America (please, read that again).

The "Great Recession" of 2008-9 was created by the greed of large banks and wiped out trillions of dollars in home equity. Again, the middle-class Americans took the biggest hit and many still remain "underwater" with regard to the value of their home when compared to their unpaid mortgage.

Warren is quick to take up the cudgel for her personal causes, of which she has many. Tax breaks for the rich do not stimulate the economy, they only increase debt; student loan debt (now at $1.4 trillion) should not be a profit source for the government or private banks; and banks should be separate from investment institutions (bring back the Glass-Segal Act). She denounces lobbyists and tax loopholes which favor the wealthy, as they simultaneously disadvantage the poor and middle class. She candidly expresses her disdain for America's billionaires, as exemplified by the ultra-rich Koch brothers, who use their wealth to manipulate elections that further their own political agenda.

   David Pitkethly

Now, here we are - this is my swan song - and unlike the original meaning of the word, I was certainly never mute (my mother would have attested to that!) and I absolutely am not dying! I will continue my work on the Welcoming Committee as well as the Social Committee for Vuecrest. I have a full life and plan to devote extra time to the many other things that bring me great joy - volunteering, baking, origami, catching up on my own reading list, traveling, our African orphans and so much more. If you struggle with the English language, come join my ESL class on Thursday mornings at Jubilee Reach, or volunteer to teach a class of your own! If you're a feline-o-phile, that is - a cat lover, I write a short weekly "blurb" about my work with feral kitties and would be happy to put you on my mailing list.  (contact me at: dtpit@uw.edu<mailto:dtpit@uw.edu>).

     (Woodie Guthrie/1935)

From: David T. Pitkethly [mailto:dtpit@uw.edu] Sent: Friday, September 1, 2017 2:52 PM To: Eric Passmore <eric.passmore@gmail.com> Subject: Vuecrest Newsletter - September 2017 September 2017 Vuecrest View Newsletter Board of Directors Meeting The next Board meeting will be on Thursday, September 21st at 7 pm. It will be held at the Coldwell Banker Bain office, 150 Bellevue Way SE. All Vuecrest residents are welcome and encouraged to attend. Summer Picnic a Huge Success ! The Annual August Picnic just keeps getting better! We had it ALL this year: the petting pen with small furry animals, terrific live music, the balloon lady with her air-y creations, delicious Mexican food by Tacos Los "Koras" Express, Mark and his ice cream wagon with cold confections for all, and the Bellevue Fire Department truck. Many thanks to Melissa Hambleton, our Social Chairwoman, for her excellent work in organizing this event, and to all of our great volunteers! Compass Construction September Bulletin Wood framing and window installation on the upper floors is continuing. By the end of the month siding and brick work is to commence. TID-BITS! Welcome to September! Ahhh, September, the kiddies are off in school again - and mothers everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy a few, rare moments of utter silence. There's something about the fresh morning air that is invigorating. I love the sound of crispy leaves beneath my feet, that whiff of burning wood from a far-off back yard and the nip of coolness in the air that puts a little stride in one's step. Even the early sunset reminds us to stop lazing around and start getting things done; Clean your house! Finish that book! Write your relatives! And... you've had your very last ear of buttered corn until next summer! September - its birthstone is the sapphire and its flower is the morning glory. The origin of the Latin word comes from "septem" meaning 7; in the original Roman republican calendar, it was the 7th month of the year. September is baby-birth-month - more babies are born in this month than any other. There are 2 "not-particularly-important" holidays in September but that doesn't mean they aren't without their own cultural significance! Allow yourself the indulgence to celebrate, if you wish, no one needs to know...you can lock the door and PLAY ALL DAY! National Teddy Bear Day- September 9th: The first teddy bear was made in 1902 and inspired by President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt, who had just completed a bear hunting trip in Mississippi (upon finding a small helpless bear, he refused to kill it, condemning such behavior as "un-sportsman-like conduct"). After reading about this event in the local newspaper, Rose, the wife of Morris Michton, created 2 small fabric bears and displayed them in their candy shop window in Brooklyn, calling them "Teddy's bears". They were an instant hit. Thanks to such great success, the Michtons went on to establish the Ideal Toy and Novelty Company, which has included such wonderful dolls as Betsy Wetsy, Thumbelina, Chrissy and their more recent hit - the Rubik's Cube. By coincidence, Steiff of Germany, started producing its own teddy bear toys at the same time. Their Louis Vuitton bear with matching trench and luggage sold at a Monaco Charity Auction in 2000 for $2.1 million. National Play-Doh Day on September 16th: Play-Doh was devised as a wall-paper cleaner upon the request of Kroger Grocery, as homes were transitioning from coal heating to natural gas in the 1930's. The formulation was created by Joe McVicker of Cincinnati who had a soap manufacturing company. The putty-like substance was composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid and mineral oil. The "recipe" was reworked before being marketed to schools in the 1950's. In 1956 the McVickers founded Rainbow Crafts and started selling Play-Doh in 3 colors for 18 cents a can and were later acquired by Hasbro. Play-Doh still holds its place in popularity- over 300 billion cans have been sold in 100 countries and it is the #1 purchase in the arts and crafts category in retail stores. Kitchen Gadgets I tend to keep rather a sparse kitchen; I don't feel any need to have stuff all over my counter, even if it's used regularly. And I'm not one to buy the latest gadgets. I did succumb to a banana-saver several years ago, which has really simplified management of the remaining half of my daily lunch banana. I'm also a baker and dessert-maker. My first go-around was in 7th grade with those Dark n'Sweet puddings that had a flavor capsule in the powder and you had to cook and stir until it dissolved. I've upgraded my skills since then, and now enjoy putting almost anything in the oven as long as it has sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and, of course...chocolate. So, here's the problem: Let's say I bake a divine little cake for a party from a new recipe - I certainly can't cut out a chunk to make sure it's good! Instead I'm forced to "imagine" how wonderful it will taste, and hope that the guests will agree. Now, along comes the "Nibble Pan" which allows me to bake my cake and eat it too! This nifty little creation has a 2nd small slot that holds a silicone mini-cupcake holder; after you've poured the batter into the main pan, fill that little nibbler-cup and Voila! when you pull your cake out of the oven, you'll have a mini-cake of your own for sampling! It's available at Amazon for just $10.85. Of course, there's a downside: no left-over batter in the bowl for the cook. Drats! A couple years ago I found this clear 6" tube with an interior blade that slices teenie tomatoes with one fast "whoosh", right down the middle. Then, with a quick turn of the wrist, they spill straight into the salad bowl! It was a Christmas present for my husband, the sous-chef in our family and he was thrilled. We eat a lot of salads so he's gotten to be an expert whoosh-er and never seems to tire of this "toma-toy". So, here's his schtick - he sneaks up behind me as I'm chopping the romaine and makes his annoying "Whoosh! Whoosh!" sound right in my ear as tomato halves tumble into the bowl. Unfortunately, the darn thing seems indestructible, and he'd probably buy another one anyway, just to keep himself amused. Amazon / under $10. Do you like hard-boiled eggs but wish they were scrambled? Now they can be, with the Golden Goose Egg Scrambler! This little gizmo features a silicone cradle with 2 pulleys attached by cords. Put the raw egg inside, in its shell, and close it up. Now, wind up the cradle with the pulleys and pull on the handles for about 20 seconds. Whirr! Whirr! This action rapidly rotates the egg forward and back. Boil for 10-12 minutes and you have a perfect scrambled (and golden-colored) egg to go! What a picnic surprise - and no need to tell anyone how you did it! Amazon/ $12.99 I must admit I am also quite captivated by the "60 Second Salad Maker". It consists of 2 parts: a white plastic bowl with horizontal slits every ½" and a cutting base. Pack your lettuce, cucumber, carrots etc. inside the bowl part, attach the base, flip it over and now slice thru the slits, all the way down to the cutting board. Chop! Chop! You're done! Open it up and throw it all in the salad bowl. (Are you ready, David? Time to whoosh in those teenie tomatoes-) Salad's ready!! Get it on Amazon/ $8.98. And just when I thought there couldn't be another single thing invented that might cause me to take a second look, I saw an ad for "Herb Scissors" with 5 blades. Sure, all that little green stuff is easy enough to chop with just a knife and a cutting board but now, the ad insists, you can cut the prep time in half! In HALF?? I was never good at math, but with 5 blades, shouldn't it be more like 80%??? Snip! Snip! What a time saver this could be for me! Amazon/$13.97 I've given a lot of thought about surprising my husband with another fun kitchen toy, just to keep him amused and attentive. But then I'm sure he'd try to out-cute himself and I'd be subject to even more ridiculous sound effects, like whirr-whirr, chop-chop and snip-snip as he shows off his silly new skill. As far as I'm concerned, I can barely tolerate his intolerable "Whoosh!" - there's really no need to push the culinary envelope any further. QUIRKLES! It sure is hot in the United Arab Republic! How hot? Well, for the month of August, temperatures varied from 108' to 112' and oh my, what they'd give for a little cool breeze...but wait! Just such a breeze will soon be on its way...in fact a whole CHUNK of cool Antarctica will be arriving! The UAE is one of the top-10 water scarce countries, and ironically one of the biggest water consumers. To meet the rising demand for more water and some cool breezes, the Emirate Iceberg Project plans to tow a free-range iceberg (the size of DELAWARE!) for over 5,000 miles, on a year-long journey across the Indian Ocean. Once it is sitting nicely in its new digs, it will be chipped into ice cubes (ok, very, very BIG ones) and is expected to provide about 20 billion gallons of fresh drinking water - enough to quench the thirst of 1 million people for 5 years. The "tow-job" is expected to start within a year for an undisclosed price tag (and you thought bottled water was pricey!?) Only one small problem - the berg is currently populated with polar bears and penguins who really aren't too keen on the desert life. ***** I'm from a teenie-tiny Vermont town and a loyal subscriber to its weekly "bugle", which always offers great amusement. The best part is the "Police Blotter" with its short descriptive narratives. Here are a few examples from the past several months: 7:33AM, "A pair of reading glasses were turned in at the police station. If you can't read this, call the cops"; 2:06PM, "Police were called to investigate a suspicious moose standing in a field by Stagecoach Road. Police determined he was hungry and enjoying lunch". 3:48PM, "A pooch was found prancing on Mountain Road and will be held in puppy prison until claimed by his owner". 4:28PM, "A tree fell on a house on Houston Farm Road. No one was home. The jury's out on whether it made a sound or not". 7:41PM, "Bear vs. car on Route 100 near Ebenezer Place. The bear didn't make it". 8:50PM, "Someone called to report there were individuals inside Jolley Car Wash who were up to no good. Turns out they were employees closing up". One last note about Vermont: "Happy Hour" is illegal there and though the bill, H.238 is clearly backed by the many taverns, bars and restaurants that hold a first-class liquor license, such modernization of laws on alcohol seems to fail year after year. ("The party's over, it's time to call it a day.../ Bells are Ringing/1956) ***** You know Pringles - Those potato chips in a tube! For true connoisseurs, they've just come out with some new fresh (?) and irresistible(??) flavors: Dill pickle! Baked Potato! Ramen Noodle! Now if they'd only add Crunchy Carrot, Summer Squash and Edamame to their line-up, I might be ready to give them a try! ****************************************** New to the Vue! Let's welcome our new neighbors David and Ling-Ling Tsou who have moved into their beautiful new home at 9640 Vineyard Crest. David has a business manufacturing business in Taiwan. Their son Joseph, is 16 years old and is a sophomore at Bear Creek High School where his favorite class is computers, and favorite sports are track, x-country, and basketball. Younger sister, Olivia, is 13 and will start secondary school in Bellevue after completing middle school in Taiwan. And why did they choose Vuecrest? Ling-Ling looked at several homes in Bridle Trails but "too many trees". They had seen the movie "Sleepless in Seattle" and were quite enchanted with our beautiful area. They enjoy skiing and aerobics. Also New to the Vue are Maggie and Gregg Eskenazi at 9368 Vineyard Crest. They had spent years on Mercer Island but after a friend spoke of Vuecrest as one of the original Bellevue neighborhoods, they decided to take a look - and liked what they saw. Their 3 sons Aaron, 21 is at UPS, Ray, 20 at Whittier, and Simon, 19 in Minneapolis. Maggie and Gregg are both tennis hot-shots - Maggie plays on Team Bloch and is heading to Oregon for the play-offs, while Gregg plays at the Bellevue Club. On occasion, they test their "love" on the court in "Doubles-Troubles". Rex, the "Jack-rat" (Jack Russell rat terrier) keeps his folks company, now that the kids are out of the house. Karl Hsueh and Karan have just moved into their beautiful new home on 1038 Sunset Way. After living in Enatai for 10 years, they decided they were ready to build their own home, and worked with Rudolph Architects to turn their dreams into reality. Karl works at Microsoft and enjoys the short commute time, and Karan stays at home, keeping an eye on their 2 sons Dylan, 13 who attends Medina Middle School and Evan, 10, who is at Odle. Both boys are in the gifted programs and love Lego super-construction, are intense readers, play video games and in their free-time - play piano as well as violin and viola in the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. It sounds like a real busy house! Volunteering! "How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world" Anne Frank/1929-1945/The Secret Annex Kindering! A wonderful place where you can improve the lives of many thru the simple act of giving of yourself! Kindering was established in 1962 by 5 Bellevue-area mothers of children with disabilities. From such simple beginnings, they now serve over 4,000 children and families per year at two different campuses (in Bellevue at 16120 NE 8th St., and in Bothell) and employ over 200 staff members. Their focus is on early intervention for children with special needs, and a place for parents of all ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds to find hope and promise. As the only neurodevelopmental center on the eastside and the largest in the state, Kindering fills a critical need in our community. It is estimated that 85% of brain development occurs during the critical window of birth to 3 years, so their commitment is intense. To quote Mimi Siegel, the Executive Director: "Kindering is committed to provide meaningful opportunities for volunteers to express their talents, skills and creativity in the hope of creating a brighter future for the children and families we serve". Learn more about Kindering and what you can do to be a part of this incredible organization at www.kindering.org<http://www.kindering.org> and click on the "Get Involved" tab. Sign up today to volunteer just a little time! You are so needed! CALLING ALL READERS!!!!! Angela Flournoy's National Book Award Finalist, The Turner House, is our choice for the September 11 meeting. Planning ahead, the October book, In the Woods, by Tana French, will be discussed on October 2. While I feel that I should claim that our meetings are purely literature-based, it is quite possible that a good bit of chatting (ahem!) might occur. At any rate, we really have a great time getting to know each other AND talking about good books. Join us! mhambleton@comcast.net<mailto:mhambleton@comcast.net>. BOOK MUSINGS Since none of my very recent reads are overwhelmingly needing to be shared, I've been thinking about classics. And, of course, there ARE reasons those books are called classics! In light of so many disturbing social events, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, has been on my mind. While many of us read the book in high school, I think that it, like many books that are more meaningful with maturity, deserves a re-read. (Yes, I acknowledge the recently-published book by the same author, which actually was an earlier draft, and, in my opinion, was published now only to generate funds. Enough said.) To Kill a Mockingbird is very readable and very, very, very powerful. Every life matters. Period. In a rare instance of the movie being just as good as the book, the same message comes across loud and clear. Gregory Peck, as Atticus Finch, is unforgettable. Melissa Hambleton This Fight is Our Fight by Elizabeth Warren You can always count on Elizabeth Warren to challenge the ideology of the political right and their issues in a forthright and forceful manner, and in this book, she stays true to form. Warren wastes no time as she rails against the great disparity of income between America's rich and poor, and the stagnation of middle class wages, which has been particularly onerous in the last decade. She points out that the average wage-earner working full time today earns less than his counterpart did in 1972 (adjusting for inflation), and that Congress has not raised the minimum wage above $7.25 per hour since it was enacted in 2009. In contrast to this, the rich are still getting richer, with the wealthiest 10% of families controlling 76% of total wealth in America (please, read that again). The "Great Recession" of 2008-9 was created by the greed of large banks and wiped out trillions of dollars in home equity. Again, the middle-class Americans took the biggest hit and many still remain "underwater" with regard to the value of their home when compared to their unpaid mortgage. Warren is quick to take up the cudgel for her personal causes, of which she has many. Tax breaks for the rich do not stimulate the economy, they only increase debt; student loan debt (now at $1.4 trillion) should not be a profit source for the government or private banks; and banks should be separate from investment institutions (bring back the Glass-Segal Act). She denounces lobbyists and tax loopholes which favor the wealthy, as they simultaneously disadvantage the poor and middle class. She candidly expresses her disdain for America's billionaires, as exemplified by the ultra-rich Koch brothers, who use their wealth to manipulate elections that further their own political agenda. Along with her attacks against the Republican Party, she documents her remarkable rise from a poor family in Oklahoma to graduating from college and law school, continuing on to a professorship at Harvard Law School, and finally winning election to the U. S. Senate representing Massachusetts. Though she is, in fact, a self-made wealthy woman, she has never lost her focus in championing financial reform and women's reproductive rights. This book is a tour d 'force and very contemporary in our present political situation. Of course, those with a liberal bent will tend to appreciate this book more than a conservative. Regardless of political affiliation, I highly recommend this book, and it is available in the Bellevue Public Library. David Pitkethly A Brief Walk Down Memory Lane How many of these do you remember? Skaggs at Eastgate - The Christmas House - Overlake Seafood between Sears and Pay n'Pak - Kirkland Custom Cannery -Payless Drugs - Gail Chase Gallery - Pappagallo on Bellevue Way - Stitchin' Time in Bellevue and Totem Lake - Images in Rattan - Sunshine Kitchen Company at Stanco, yes and the movie theaters and even the Moto-Photo booth - Dance Academy of Bellevue, under Merry-Go-Round, next to Cody's Restaurant (the chubby but beloved sports announcer for the Seattle Seahawks) - Hole in the Wall Western Wear. Jafco across from the hospital, and Ming Tree... ("Memories, pressed between the pages of my mind. Memories, sweetened thru the ages just like wine. Quiet thoughts come floating down and settle softly to the ground like golden autumn leaves around my feet. I touched them and they burst apart with sweet memories." / Elvis/ 1968) Out and About! September 1-3: Celebrate the end of summer at Bumbershoot<https://www.bumbershoot.com/>, a spectacular festival of music, film, comedy, and arts on Labor Day weekend in 17 venues at Seattle Center, as well as a main stage in Memorial Stadium. Included in your Bumbershoot ticket is the opportunity to watch short films and documentaries at 1 Reel Film Festival<https://www.siff.net/year-round-cinema/film-festivals/1-reel-film-festival-2017> at the Seattle Center. Bumbershoot has been a Seattle tradition for 46 years, if you've never been - go now and see what it's all about! ***** "Ski-Bonkers", the quintessential ski and snowboard sale for enthusiasts of all ages, will hold their spectacular once-a-year, shop-till-you-drop event from Sept. 1-4. Many say skiing is an expensive sport - but this is the place where you can save money on all the necessary equipment. Shop early; items have a way of being snatched up in moments. 1100 Bellevue Way NE, free parking. ***** September 2-3 -Vintage aircraft. See vintage airplanes, autos, bicycles, and clothing at Vintage Aircraft Weekend<http://vintageaircraftweekend.org/>, which includes food, music, and rides at Everett's Paine Field. ***** September 2 - 3, 2017 - Night Market and Autumn Moon Festival with 30 food trucks, beer garden, vendors and an all-ages dance party at Union Station Plaza near Chinatown. Free! ***** Sept. 6-11 - "The Sound of Music" at the Paramount. Now, I expect you to climb every mountain to go see a few of your favorite things - and this show should be one of them! Don't confuse the dates...it is NOT the sixteenth going on seventeen... it is Sept 6-11! So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, adieu... (and so it was for the supremely talented songwriter Oscar Hammerstein ll who died 9 months after his terrific show opened on Broadway, in 1960) ***** Sept. 9- Artisan Cheese Festival. Here's your chance to meet our cheese producers, taste their cheese and other artisan delights and ask all those cheesy questions you've had on your mind. (Remember the old adage: "Free cheese can only be found in a mousetrap..." unless, of course, you attend the Cheese Festival!) To be held at the Seattle Design Center, 21 and older. ***** Sept. 10 - Live Aloha Hawaiian Cultural Festival with songs, performances, historical exhibits, food and traditional arts and crafts at Seattle Center. It's time to get your HULA on! Free! ***** Sept. 16-17 - Latin American Festival (OLE!). Celebrate independence from Spain at "Fiestas Patrias", with mariachi music, dancing, art show, games, food and craft vendors at Fischer Pavilion at Seattle Center. Free! ***** Sept 17 - Happy Tails Wine Walk in Woodinville- Enjoy a casual walk to 15 wineries plus a doggie zone with games, and 18 vendors. Age 21 ID required, pooch optional. ("Happy tails to you, until we meet again. Happy tails to you, keep smiling until then..." Roy Rogers & Dale Evans/ 1952) ***** Sept. 22-24, St. Demetrius Greek Festival, known to all and always, just terrific! Enjoy homemade Greek food such as lamb, calamari, souvlaki, baklava and, of course, Greek wine. Dancers will be performing in costume. Montlake. ("A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free"/Zorba the Greek) ***** Why wait another month for Oktober Fest when you can celebrate it in September in Kirkland? Enjoy beer, sauerkraut, bratwurst, wiener-dog races, costume contests, games and live music at Kirkland's Marina Park ***** Sept. 23 and 30 - Marymoor Park Concerts. Bring your own blankets or low-backed chairs. Beverages must be sealed and not in glass bottles. No pets. Check out their website: www.marymoorconcerts.com<http://www.marymoorconcerts.com> for details ***** Sept 30 - FREE State and National Parks day! No entry charge at any of the 140 state parks, as well as Mt. Rainier and Olympic National Parks. Don't let a terrific deal like this pass you by! Go play and picnic! ***** "What's New, Pussycat...I've got flowers and lots of hours to spend with you..." (Tom Jones/ 1967). Did you read in the paper that due to Hurricane Harvey, a shipment of 400 pussycats are coming to Seattle shelters and will be in need of homes? Can you foster one? Or 2? Or maybe 5 or 6?? If not, here's what you CAN do that would help - support your local Humane Society in the form of a cash donation (Can you spare $25? Ok, then how about $50??)! If you want more bang for your (tax deductible) buck, join me at the "Sexless Soiree" which will be held at the Women's University Club on Saturday, Sept 23. The evening will include a silent auction, and Dessert Dash and all proceeds will benefit the Feral Cat Spay and Neuter Project. And if your dance card is already full for September, keep in mind the Black Cat Ball that benefits Purrfect Pals on October 28 in Meydenbauer Center. Every kitty deserves a safe place to sleep, a little food in the tummy...and love! Let's make it happen! HAIR! Gimme a head with hair, long beautiful hair, shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen Give me down to there, hair, shoulder length or longer, here baby, there mama, everywhere daddy daddy, Hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair, hair- Flow it, show it, long as God can grow it, my hair, let it fly in the breeze, and get caught in the trees, Give a home to the fleas in my hair; a home for fleas, a hive for bees, a nest for birds There ain't no words for the beauty, the splendor, the wonder, of my...hair, hair, hair, hair, hair- I want it long, straight, curly, fuzzy, snaggy, shaggy, ratty, matty, oily, greasy, fleecy Shining, gleaming, streaming, flaxen, waxen, knotted, polka-dotted, twisted, beaded, braided Powdered, flowered, and confettied, bangled, tangled, spangled, and spaghettied! (Hair /1967) ......hmmm...not you? Sorry, oh well...then coif yourself at "Weldone Barber" (as in -Well done, Barber!), the new chain of luxury barbershops that will soon open in Bellevue, its 9th location. The brain-child of Bill and Suzette Nordstrom, Weldone will offer convenience and consistency with easy on-line booking and quality control, as backed by the Nordstrom name. Their Bellevue location is scheduled to open at 10047 Main St. Suite #102, on September 20th and will offer free haircuts for the first 2 weeks...and don't forget to ask about their hot towel and head massage treatment-heavenly! Hand me downs... "When she was just a kid her clothes were hand-me-downs (hand me down). They always laughed at her when she came into town, called her Rag Doll, little Rag Doll, such a pretty face should be dressed in lace." (Frankie Vallie & the Four Seasons/ 1964). And how about YOUR hand-me downs? If you've been in the habit of dropping them off at the delightful little Thrift Culture store on the main floor of Bel-Square, keep in mind- it has moved UP-UP-UP, that is, to the 3rd floor. Thanks to the generosity of Kemper Development Company, this little "Lifespring" goldmine pays just $1. a year in rent. It is staffed solely by volunteers and all proceeds assist Bellevue's 3,700+ children living in poverty and the 200+ children who are homeless. So, Donate! Volunteer! Shop! And feel GREAT! (then repeat, repeat, repeat). Swan Song What a funny phrase "swan song" is, I mean, I've never heard of "duck song" or "fish song", so what's it all about? The phrase hearkens back to a 2000-year-old legend that swans are mute during their lifetime but they sing beautifully and mournfully just before their death. Sounds quite romantic but it's just not so - even the so-called "mute swan" has a variety of vocal sounds that it makes during its many years of floating and flying. The myth may have started with the whooper swan, which, though not mute, does make a bizarre honking sound as it dies. This is attributed to its long tracheal loop as its final breaths of air flow thru its lungs; and though certainly not song-like, it might be considered somewhat musical. The use of the phrase "swan song", referring to a final performance or gesture before death or retirement, came into popular use in the 1700's and, though rather old-fashioned, it is a term still used today. So, here it is: for 2 years, yes, 24 issues, I have been writing our Vuecrest Newsletter and it has been a terrific experience! I have made many new friends who have opened their homes and themselves to me for my "Vintage Vuecrest" and "New to the Vue" segments. I have enjoyed many more Bellevue activities that - had I not written about them - I probably would have stayed home! I have attended board meetings, visited non-profit organizations, and have been able to spit out a swell joke when necessary, all because I had to report to YOU! And as for re-hashing those wonderful old songs that were a part of my childhood, I hope they brought back as many fond memories to you, as they did to me. My two contributing editors, Melissa Hambleton and my husband David, did their best every month, to share with you some intelligent reading suggestions so your idle time could be well-spent. Now, here we are - this is my swan song - and unlike the original meaning of the word, I was certainly never mute (my mother would have attested to that!) and I absolutely am not dying! I will continue my work on the Welcoming Committee as well as the Social Committee for Vuecrest. I have a full life and plan to devote extra time to the many other things that bring me great joy - volunteering, baking, origami, catching up on my own reading list, traveling, our African orphans and so much more. If you struggle with the English language, come join my ESL class on Thursday mornings at Jubilee Reach, or volunteer to teach a class of your own! If you're a feline-o-phile, that is - a cat lover, I write a short weekly "blurb" about my work with feral kitties and would be happy to put you on my mailing list. (contact me at: dtpit@uw.edu<mailto:dtpit@uw.edu>). You've heard enough out of me for these 2 years - so now give it your voice! It's time for the newsletter to find a new direction - do you have some ideas? Share yourself! Express yourself! The job is open - and I recommend it highly - it has brought me a renewed sense of discipline, an opportunity to play with old word-smithing tools and a sense of belonging in this fabulous Vuecrest community. What a treat! And don't think that you need to be a long-time resident to write this newsletter - I volunteered to take it on just 2 months after moving here! When you see me out and about, walking or on my little kick-bike, be sure to wave- I'm not going anywhere, just hanging out in "our" 'hood, my favorite place to be. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Mara "So long, it's been good to know ya, So long, it's been good to know ya, So long, it's been good to know ya, What a long time since I've been home and I've got to be drifting along..." (Woodie Guthrie/1935)