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hope you all had a good Memorial Day Weekend. The 1st day of summer is sneaking up on us.
The farmers markets are back in full swing, so take advantage of all the fresh fruits and veggies and my favorite flowers. Baseball games and fireworks are just around the corner.
Traveling Neighbors
Edy is off on another work trip to the UK, she comes back and a week or so later she is going south this time to Brazil.
Jerry and I took a road trip to Montana to visit family. It was a nice trip, pretty low key, lots of family time, a bit of shopping and eating too much.
Drake & Andrea Two-Week Spring Road Trip
Andrea and I drove to Newport Beach in Orange County, California to see old friends and enjoy 
great restaurants. On the way down we discovered that the Hop Valley Brewery in Eugene was a pretty good place to eat. In Stockton, CA we found a very popular Dave Wong’s Chinese Cuisine that was so delicious we stopped there again on the way back north. Never mind the Starbucks and Krispy Kreme donuts for breakfast.
While in Orange County we often find the Laguna Beach Museum of Art to be a worthwhile visit. The main exhibit was the spectacular jewelry of local Laguna craftsman, Adam Neely. Check out his work at Lagunaartmuseum.org. A museum docent told us that his creations have been compared with Faberge.
The highlight of the return drive was to spend a day in Ashland, Oregon and experience a little of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. Macbeth was the major play being performed but we opted for a half hour “Preface” which was both fun and informative. We stayed in the old Ashland Springs Hotel on the ninth or top floor and had a beautiful sunset view the of southern Oregon hills.
It may be hard to believe but we drove from Ashland back to Seattle on a Friday and returned to Shoreline by 6p.m. I don’t think we broke any speed limits in Washington either. It was an enjoyable trip.
Drake Loeser
The last of the season’s book club meetings was held on May 13th at Cheri’s home. The discussion was about A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon, a true story set in the American revolution. Carole reports everyone enjoyed the book. I wasn’t there so didn’t get to enjoy the chat about the book or Cheri’s hospitality, apparently, she served a wonderful chocolate dessert. We will be suspending Book club through the summer, picking up again in Sept. How about each of us bring the names of our all-time favorite books, just a couple, three max and then we can pick out books for the following season.
Recipe Du Jour
Classique Panna Cotta
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 c whole milk
2 ¾ tsps. Gelatin
3 c heavy cream
2 inch piece vanilla bean, slit lengthwise with a paring knife(or substitute 2 tsp vanilla extract)
6 Tbsp. sugar
Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Pour milk into a medium saucepan; sprinkle surface evenly with gelatin and let stand 10 minutes to hydrate gelatin. Meanwhile, turn contents of two ice cube trays (about 32 cubes) into a large bowl; add 4 cups cold water. Measure cream into a large measuring cup or pitcher. With the paring knife, scrape vanilla seeds into the cream; and place pod in cream along with the seeds and set mixture aside. Set eight wine glasses or 4 oz. ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Heat milk and gelatin mixture over high heat; stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved and mixture registers 135 F degrees on a instant-read thermometer, about 1 ½ minutes. Off heat, add sugar and salt; stir until dissolved about 1 minute.
- Stirring constantly, slowly pour cream and vanilla into a saucepan containing milk, then transfer mixture to medium and set bowl over the ice water bath. Stir frequently until thickened to the consistency of eggnog and mixture registers 50 degrees on a instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Strain mixture into a large measuring cup or pitcher, then distribute evenly among wine glasses or ramekins. Cover the glasses with plastic wrap, making sure that the plastic doesn’t not mar the surface of the cream; refrigerate until just set (minute should wobble when shaken gently), 4 hours.
- Serve panna cotta in wine glasses, or you can unmold panna cotta from ramekins and serve immediately.
I often serve it with raspberry sauce or another sauce of your choosing.
Entertainment Recommendations
TV Recommendations
We have been watching the 3rd season of Clarkson Farm, a funny expose of a working farm in the UK with owner Jermey Clarkson of Grand Tour fame. Having grown up on a farm it was interesting to me. Mind there is a bit of rough language. Start with season one. You will find it on Prime.
Book Recommendations
One of Jerry’s favorite authors is Victor Davis Hanson.
Victor Davis Hanson is a senior fellow in military history and classics at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and a professor emeritus of classics at California State University, Fresno. He is the author of over two dozen books, including The Second World Wars,
From ancient Greece to modern day politics Victor presents us with a well documented and reasoned understanding. His latest book, t
Everything Victor writes is very readable even though it deals a lot with classical literature.
Restaurant Review
The Victor Tavern
550 Main St , Suite 100
Edmonds, WA, located in the Commons.
425-599-4110
Open Daily 11:00 AM-10:00 PM
Happy Hour 4:00 PM-6:00 Pm
Weekend Brunch
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
They do take Reservations.
This is owned by Seattle restaurateur Chef Ethan Stowell. Chef Stowell has 2 other locations of Victor Taverns, Eastlake, and South Lake Union.
Jerry and I and a friend enjoyed dinner at the Victor Tavern Tuesday night. We rated it a 7.5-8, the food was pretty good, Jerry had a hamburger, as you all know he thinks the Blackbird has the best hamburger in town, so they had tough competition, he thought it was good but didn’t compare to the Blackbird. I had fish and chips, 3 large pieces and enough fries for at least 6 a little dry but still good. Service was great, a bit noisy but not as bad as we thought it would be. It was busy on a Tuesday night. There is some parking behind the building. They have a 20% tip already included in the price of the meal, so no additional tipping is required.
Local Events
Meet and Great, fire stating information. is coming up at the end of the month so have a great time kicking off the summer in style.
Shoreline Fire Department
More Fire Stuff
https://shorelinefire.com/events/aha-cpr-aed-certification-class-12/
|
AHA CPR/AED Certification Class – Shoreline Fire Department
Join us for an in-person CPR class Shoreline Fire Station 61, Training & Support Facility. Cost is $50. Sign up here. shorelinefire.com |
AHA CPR/AED Certification Class – Shoreline Fire Department
Join us for an in-person CPR class Shoreline Fire Station 61, Training & Support Facility. Cost is $50. FREE if you do not require the printed card from the AHA
Get free Naloxone: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd4Wut2Ai5SANt3ZAHj7WOC5KynstN9vcfzIXYIp9bNg6iVyw/viewform
| Washington State Naloxone Mail Order
Naloxone is commonly called Narcan. Naloxone is a medication that can help reverse an opioid overdose. People living in Washington State can receive free Naloxone in the mail by placing an order here. This mail order program is meant for people who can’t easily go to a community organization or a pharmacy to get a kit. Please – ONE order per person a month. This mail order program is intended for individual residents; no schools, businesses, organizations, or institutions. Naloxone is free at pharmacies for people with Medicaid/Washington Apple Health insurance. No prescription is needed. To find Naloxone near you, visit Stopoverdose.org Organizations that wish to distribute Naloxone to community members can apply for the Washington Department of Health’s Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program Click here to apply This program is brought to you by The People’s Harm Reduction Alliance. To learn more about PHRA and Naloxone, please visit http://phra.org/mail-order-naloxone |
Naloxone is commonly called Narcan. Naloxone is a medication that can help reverse an opioid overdose. People living in Washington State can receive free Naloxone in the mail by placing an order here. This mail order program is meant for people who can’t easily go to a community organization or a pharmacy to get a kit. Please – ONE order per person a month. This mail order program is intended for individual residents; no schools, businesses, organizations, or institutions. Naloxone is free at pharmacies for people with Medicaid/Washington Apple Health insurance. No prescription is needed. To find Naloxone near you, visit Stopoverdose.org Organizations that wish to distribute Naloxone to community members can apply for the Washington Department of Health’s Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program Click here to apply This program is brought to you by The People’s Harm Reduction Alliance. To learn more about PHRA and Naloxone, please visit http://phra.org/mail-order-naloxone
docs.google.com
Garden Stuff
This is a request for anyone who has been using the space in the garage in front of Vivian’s car, and in front of the huge fan as storage. It is a area where we have some garden tools hanging on the wall which will remain. There are several totes that need to be moved along with various bags of potting soil and other things. These need to be moved away from in front of the fan so workers can get to the fan. If you have questions, you can ask Cheri, Andi or myself. If the “stuff” isn’t removed by Friday June 7th we will be disposing of what is remaining.
Getting to Know You
I’m planning to add a new feature to my blog, it will be an interview with one of our RMC community residents. I will have a series of questions I will be asking each of you. We will start with our esteemed board President Jerry Taylor. Jerry was recently interviewed by a Retired Police publication so I will include some of the questions he answered in it.
Name: Jerry Taylor
I was born and raised in Eastern Oregon. Right after WW II my folks bought a cattle ranch outside of Baker, Oregon. I loved the ranch but the cattle business was not great at the time so my folks sold out and we moved to Portland. My dad was in the tire business and we eventually moved from Portland to Virginia, Minn. then Yakima where I finished high school. After that it was off to the UW where I graduated in 1960.
I sold insurance and then worked for Seattle First National Bank. Two children were born and I eventually became a Seattle Police Officer.
Hobbies: Sailing, SCUBA Diving, Motorcycles
When did you move into RMC?
We moved to Richmond Manor in 2006.
What do you like about Richmond Manor?
It is just a great community–not like so many condos. We are really a neighborhood and we all seem to care about all our neighbors. Plus the building is well built and well maintained.
What made you want to be a police officer?
When I was a kid, my dad had a friend who was an FBI agent. I was impressed as I knew a real “G-Man. Then, after the war, my uncle joined the Oregon State Police. That set the seed for thinking about law enforcement. I had a pretty good idea; that police work was not really like Dragnet, so I joined the reserve program with the King County Sheriff’s office. It was a good experience and fun. By this time, I was 25 years old and married and had two children. I saw that the job as police officer was paying $520 a month and had a good pension system promising to pay 50% of the current salary after 25 years’ service. That meant retiring at 50, with the ability to work in another line of work, after leaving the department. The Bank where I was working was only paying $525 so it was a pretty easy call to make. I did not yet recognize that being a police officer is not just a job, but more of a calling. I took the test and got hired.
Are there any memorable calls or cases that’s you were involved with that you would like to share?
In the Harbor unit, I was the commander of the unit, as the rank of lieutenant. We had a commercial diver get his arm caught under water. Our divers stayed with him as we were making plans to extricate him even to the point of lining up a surgeon to amputate his arm if need be. It went on for hours and involved changing his air supply and keeping his focus on surviving. It was outstanding work and the unit got little credit for their efforts. The diver visited the Harbor unit a few months after the incident to thank the Harbor patrol divers.
When I was a patrol lieutenant, I was the second officer into the Wah Mee massacre scene. It was a scene that just doesn’t go away. There was great work by our officers and Homicide.
What did you do when you retired?
When I retired, Doris and I moved to Port Townsend and built a house. Except for a couple of years in Florida, we spent 12 years in Port Townsend. In Florida, I took the job as assistant to the Chief of Police in Fort Lauderdale. It was an interesting time. After leaving Florida I did some contract work for the Department of Justice in Albania and Kosovo. After that I had a business designing and managing web sites.
Book Nook
I have had a couple of our residents ask about donating books to the book nook library. Apparently sorting books is a part if “spring cleaning” in the building. The questions have been “What kind of books are welcome?” All books are welcome that you think will be of interest to other residents. Obviously good novels, something you have enjoyed and think others will like.
Where to put them?
You can leave them in a box next to the wall or place them on the shelving that is behind the door.
The décor committee will sort and add them to the bookshelves, weeding out duplicates and books that we feel aren’t appropriate. These will be donated to the library. So, if you want to donate, please put them there in the next couple of weeks, then we can sort and arrange them all at once instead of getting a few here and there. Periodicals and magazines are also welcome.
Have a great June, enjoy our wonderful weather.