What’s your Why?
I invite you to pause and ponder for a moment… Why do you get up in the morning? Why do you volunteer at the animal shelter?
Gardening, Insights
2020 Calendar
Marion’s 2020 Calendar
Order Here Some of my customers buy 7 or 12 at a time and ask me to autograph each one. As always, if you have any questions or comments, please post them below or contact me this way: Marion Owen 1223 Kouskov W Kodiak, AK 99615 [email protected]
Insights, Kodiak, AK
Have you every asked yourself, “Am I good enough?”
I have a confession: I’m learning how to play the harp. At age 62, no less. While practicing in the window seat that overlooks the bay, self-doubt often sneaks in, and I wonder, “Good grief, will I ever be a decent harp player?”
Gardening
My favorite natural solutions for feeding plants and controlling pests
While talking with a friend about indoor plants, we got on the topic of bugs. “Those tiny black flies that buzz around my face while I’m working on the computer? They’re driving me crazy!”
Photography
Love at First Light: White Sands National Monument
Alamogordo, New Mexico: Marty and I rose at 5:00 a.m. and after oatmeal and coffee, we drove to White Sands National Monument. We turned into the gate and chatted briefly with the ranger, a brusque fellow who could have
Insights, Photography
Winter hummingbird: My favorite photo of 2017
On Christmas morning, my sister sent me a photo from her iPhone. Not unusual, right? But when I tapped the screen, I froze and stared at my phone in wonder. In the center of the photo was the silhouette of a hummingbird,
Cooking
Ditch the sugar: How to enjoy a healthy Halloween
When I was eight years old, I was sick with the flu on Halloween night, hardly fit to hit the neighborhood up for candy. So, my brother offered to go Trick-or-Treating for me. What a guy.
Insights, Photography
Is every snowflake perfect? What about us?
The glow from a small porch light defined my coordinates on the globe: A trampled patch of snow, the size of a manhole cover, located between a sliding glass door and an outhouse ‘privacy’ tent.
Insights, Photography
Ansel and the Snowflake
It was 8 PM and I’d been trying all day to photograph snowflakes. But try as I might, the wind was howling and I could only “harvest” bits and pieces blown off the roof.
Cooking, Insights
Goodness gracious great balls of chocolate!
For health reasons, Marty and I recently adopted a plant-based diet, a personal story I share in this post. No more animal protein (meat, dairy, eggs) or processed oils. Suddenly the cookbooks I’d consulted for 40 years were no longer
Cooking, Insights
My New Year’s resolutions after a health crisis renews my love affair with plants
In October 2016 my husband experienced a mini-stroke. We were traveling in our motorhome at the time, camped near Utah’s Capitol Reef National Park. While Marty’s 5-minute episode didn’t leave any outward signs of damage,
Insights
Sustainable Santa knows if you’ve been good
During this year’s annual Harbor Lights Festival in Kodiak, Marty and I joined hundreds of friends and neighbors to walk the docks and vote for our favorite Christmas-y boat. One little boy looked up at us and with firm conviction declared, “Santa Claus is coming to town!” Yes, Santa Claus is coming to town
Cooking, Kodiak, AK
Kitchen Conundrum: How to store ridiculous-sized spice jars
There are a lot of fake kitchens out there. While designing our own kitchen, I came across many soul-less rooms featured in House Beautiful-type magazines. One look at the photos and I’d think, “Are you kidding? Knead bread on the counter? Keep a compost bucket by the sink?”
Cooking, Insights
A pumpkin pie recipe that’s sure to trigger conversations at the dinner table
Our food journeys are most pronounced during the holiday season. We wrestle with thawed-out turkeys, shop for once-a-year ingredients, and open cookbooks to pages stained with last November’s cranberry sauce.
Insights, Photography
Why take another photo?
I’ve been carrying a camera around since I was ten, starting with a Brownie Instamatic camera, a gift from Mom and Dad. It’s all digital now. Thousands of images later, sometimes I’d wonder, “Aren’t there enough photos
Cooking, Gardening
Got the sniffles? A sore throat? Try oregano-garlic tea
Your throat itches. Your nose drips. Are you doomed to suffer a cold? Nope. I’ve stopped many a cold in its tracks with this easy recipe for oregano tea. Research now shows oregano has essential…
Insights, Photography
Seven prayers for peace
Every year, the International Day of Peace falls on September 21. But why not celebrate peace every day? I’m not suggesting you run around with a billboard declaring, “World Peace or Bust!” That accomplishes little. To realize true peace, true happiness, you need to practice it as you go about your daily activities,