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Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Showing posts with label Betty MacDoanld and Winter on Vashon Island. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Betty MacDoanld and Winter on Vashon Island. Show all posts
Ich habe dieses Buch gekauft, weil Krimi-Königin Ingrid Noll Wolfgang ... sehr, daß wir die monatliche literarische Veranstaltung Vita Magica von Wolfgang Hampel bald einmal besuchen können.
When the ferryman directing cars off the boat from Fauntleroy
held up two fingers in a “V,” I thought he was flashing the peace sign.
Vashon Island, after all, has long had a reputation as a hippie haven.
Turns out the “V” meant Vashon; he was just making sure I wasn’t going
on to Southworth. Vashon was indeed my destination for a weekend escape. Islands are
especially good for getaways — the boat ride alone makes the trip seem
less of a jaunt and more of a journey. Geographically, of course, I
wasn’t traveling far. The ferry ride from West Seattle takes a mere 15
minutes, and plenty of Vashon’s 10,000-plus residents go back and forth
daily to jobs “over town” as they call the Emerald City. On
a clear day, there are knee-buckling views of Mount Rainier from many
Vashon vantage points. In summer, 45 miles of shoreline beckons
kayakers. But this was November. The largely rural island, surrounded in
fog, appeared to be huddled inside a gray hoodie several sizes too
large. Winter on Vashon, one local told me, is a time to do
indoor things. That doesn’t rule out a muddy hike through Island Center
Forest, or a misty stroll on the driftwood-strewn beach at Point
Robinson Lighthouse, where I saw two young lovers draw hearts with their
initials in the pebbly sand.
But
winter gives visitors a good excuse to curl up with a good book next to
a woodstove in a former chicken coop that is now a cozy vacation-rental
cottage; to see and sample the work of artisans and artists in
kitchens, galleries, wineries and distilleries; and maybe even to try
your hand at creating something unique yourself. Eat “Everyone thinks May is a great time to visit Vashon,” said Kurt Timmermeister of Kurtwood Farms.
“The weather is nicer then but there’s really nothing much to eat in
the spring. Everything is just starting to grow. Vegetables are tiny.
Right now I have a pile of produce that will take me through January or
February.” I ran into Timmermeister, a former Seattle restaurateur turned farmer and cheesemaker, at Zamorana
eating the Saturday special, pork-stuffed tamales. Jorge and Effie
Garnica’s Mexican eatery is so tiny that more than five customers make
it standing-room only. But the handmade tortillas, vibrant sauces and
fresh, local ingredients make the elbow-jostling worth it. Jorge’s
affinity for meat comes from years of tending farm animals, first in
Mexico and for the past decade at Kurtwood Farms, so it’s fitting that
his “queso fresco” is Flora’s Cheese made by Timmermeister. The Vashon Farmers Market is seasonal, but a few
farm stands operate year round. At Langley Fine Gardens near the
southern end of Maury Island (connected by a narrow isthmus to Vashon) I
found a produce table stocked with squash and potatoes plus a fridge
full of neatly bundled kale and collard greens, stem-down in plastic
tubs of water like hothouse flowers. The untended stand runs on the
honor system. Langley customers write down what they take, stuff a
check or cash into a slit tennis ball and drop it in the mouth of a
cartoon chicken whose gullet is attached to a tube that deposits the
payment somewhere secure. Sea Breeze Farm has a retail outlet in the town of
Vashon, the island’s commercial hub. George Page and Kristin Thompson
Page opened a full-service butcher shop attached to a tiny restaurant, La Boucherie, to showcase their milk, eggs, meat, wine and cheese. La Boucherie’s menu is almost totally dependent on the farm’s output,
augmented by produce from other local farms and bread from a Vashon
baker. Head butcher Lauren Garaventa has a talent for charcuterie, one
constant on a menu always in flux. Be glad if you chance upon chef
Dustin Calery’s luxurious beef stroganoff. He transforms the farm’s
dry-aged sirloin, his own crème fraîche and foraged mushrooms into a
velvety cloak for pappardelle noodles; the perfect dinner for a chilly
night. At May Kitchen + Bar, a popular Thai newcomer, phad
prik khing, a stir fry of beef and green beans in spicy chili and ginger
sauce, is sure to light a fire in your belly. The chowder at The Hardware Store will warm you to
the tips of your cold, wet toes. It’s loaded with clams, light on the
cream and bolstered with bacon and herbs. And no, you can’t get a pound
of nails with that. When Melinda Sontgerath turned the original hardware
emporium into a restaurant, the old wooden bins became one of many
decorative accents that preserve the antique character of this
century-old building. The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie occupies an old
fir building erected in 1914. Something of a coffee museum, it’s where
Jim Stewart started Seattle’s Best Coffee. Stewart has mentored owners
Eva and Ken Atkinson, who opened The Roasterie in 2003 and built their
own Heirloom Coffee brand. Eva’s son, Casey Deloach, is the head roaster. “I’m an arm of
that machine,” he says, pointing to SBC’s original roaster, a big, red,
German-made monster that can handle 140 pounds of beans at a time. “It’s
all hand-operated. There are no buttons or timers.” “This is a storytelling place,” says Eva, describing The Roasterie and its adjunct, the Minglement,
an organic market and health-food store. “The elders come every day.”
Their personalized coffee mugs hang next to their table right by the
front door. A group of knitters meets every Saturday in a back room
called “The Library.” A Methodist prayer group, a book club and string
orchestra for fiddlers gather there at other times.
Self-serve thermoses on The Roasterie’s front porch dispense brewed
coffees. Try Front Porch French, if you like a dark, mellow roast. Ask
the barista if you want something fancier, like a lavender mocha. Browse
the shelves displaying jars of custom-blended loose tea, spices and
dried herbs. Sniffing is encouraged. Organic sandwiches and salads fill
the cold case and it’s worth noting that every Friday is Pie Day. Sleep Vashon lacks hotels but offers unique bed-and-breakfasts. Here are three: When Bonnie & Dean McCallister renovated and expanded a 100-year-old waterfront structure to create Villa Vashon,
they chose an Asian theme, groomed the garden for summer parties, and
added a private, 650-square-foot studio apartment upstairs for overnight
guests. A deck overlooks the bustling ferry landing, the kitchen is
fully equipped and the serene, Balinese décor features carved wooden
doors leading to a luxurious bath. With her braided hair and bluejeans tucked into knee-high
boots, Judith Lawrence could be a character imagined by “The Egg and I”
author Betty MacDonald, who once owned these acres, still called The Betty MacDonald Farm and just a five-minute drive south of the ferry landing. Lawrence regales guests with tales of resident eagles fledging their
young and visiting whales chasing salmon, all observed from the
sprawling red barn MacDonald had built in the 1950s. Lawrence’s many
arts and craft projects fill the barn’s lower level. At the top is a
rustically romantic loft bedroom where billowing amber curtains frame
paned-glass windows overlooking the eagles’ condo and the whales’
passageway. The homier cottage below sleeps four. A wood stove heats the
living room, a claw-foot tub has its own private, windowed nook in the
bathroom, and a refrigerator magnet sums up the rules: Bed &
Breakfast: you make both.
At Triplebook Farm off the island’s Westside
Highway, proprietor Molly Green, smartly dressed in what she calls her
“city clothes,” gave me a tour. Molly and her husband, Hal, restored
the1890s-era red barn and turned the former chicken coop into a cozy,
three-bedroom guest cottage. The furnishings — oriental rugs, handmade
quilts, books and games — have the stylish touch you expect from a
woman who takes care to iron her trousers when she wears them to the
city. Creativity abounds on this island of artists and artisans. Visitors can see and taste their wares, or even join their ranks. A former garage is the home of Ignition Studios & Gallery,
where a handful of artists share studio space that is open to public
viewing. Owner Lisa Hurst’s medium is encaustic, a technique that uses
molten wax. She offers weekend workshops for ages 14 and up — no
experience necessary. Even if you’ve never threaded a needle, Island Quilter is
worth seeing. There is no better antidote to winter’s gray than losing
yourself in the store’s 8,000-bolt labyrinth of vividly hued fabrics. A
2,000-square-foot gallery doubles as a classroom where anyone can learn
basic quilting techniques in an afternoon, says staffer Paul Robinson. At Palouse Winery, the winery and tasting room are
in one snug building. Visitors watched as vintner George Kirkish punched
down the cap on a batch of fermenting grapes, a glass of his finished
product in their hands. George and Linda Kirkish source grapes from
Eastern Washington’s Palouse. They produce several varietals but only
1,000 cases a year. Virtually all of it sells on Vashon, so if you taste
something you like, buy it. You won’t find it anywhere else.
Seattle Distilling Company has been putting the
finishing touches on its new distillery and tasting room. Their
handcrafted spirits will include vodka, gin, spiced rum and whiskey. CEO
Ishan Dillon says the tasting room will be open beginning in January.
They even have a swing set outside for the kids.
Providence Cicero is The Seattle Times restaurant critic. Contact her at providencecicero@aol.com
I've
ordered this book because crime novel Queen Ingrid Noll praised
Wolfgang Hampel's Satire ist mein Lieblingstier ( Satire is my favourite
animal ) very much. It's excellent.
Ich
habe dieses Buch bestellt, weil Krimi-Königin Ingrid Noll Wolfgang
Hampels Satire ist mein Lieblingstier sehr lobt. Es ist ausgezeichnet.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
