{Note: I wrote this on the flight to his funeral, after my dad died February 18, 2012.} Arthur Holter Born: Montana. Died: Wisconsin. Forever Home: Montana. May the circle be unbroken. My dad loved road trips. He died talking about them. There it is: that corded telephone. Dad was chatting with my older sister …
Our quintessential Seattle view: this Space Needle, that Mount Rainier. Tidbit: When clouds dissolve surrounding Mount Rainier, we say: “the mountain lifts her skirts.“ Seriously! (view from my house, a long time ago)
On the cusp of spring, a winter sunset lifts our spirits to the skies. (Seattle, March 4, 2013)
Six wisps of clouds line up obediently–like kids in school, or pods of orca whales, or horses loping along a trail.
Twin clouds, one day shy of the autumn equinox. (Seattle, September 22, 2011)
As a child growing up in Montana, I imagined my cowboy grandpa’s life to be as inspiring and majestic as the mountains around me. I was wrong. Continue reading
Seattle just welcomed summer’s first moments with rain – and this rainbow. Continue reading
I was raised to work hard – physically in caring for what I own – and mentally, in the work I do every day. When others ruin or take away what you love – it is stealing in Seattle. Continue reading
I flew from Wisconsin back home to Seattle to my tenderly nurtured Christmas bulb in full bloom – truly a Christmas gift. (BTW, “tenderly nurtured” is a joke because I have a bad habit of killing indoor plants.) Continue reading
It’s sad that so many of us in the U.S. – and especially in Seattle – live so far away from our families, our parents, our loved ones. That’s why spending time with my widowed mom means so much to me, here for Christmas in Wisconsin. Continue reading
Most of us hit a career bump with an insufferably bad boss. Perhaps once in a lifetime you’re privileged to work with a boss who encourages, mentors, and literally changes your life. For me, that is TV journalism’s legendary Phil Sturholm. Today – in laughter and tears – we honored his wonderfully rich life with countless stories over food-truck funeral food of cheeseburgers and fries. Continue reading
When my employer sent me to Siberia, it wasn’t punishment at all. It was a “once-in-a-lifetime” $25,000 train ticket on the Trans-Siberian Railway, creating on-the-fly videos and stories and unforgettable memories along the way. Continue reading
Walking to work every morning through Pike Place Market is a daily history lesson, looking at thousands of inscribed tiles laid into the floor. Today, at last, I found what I had been searching for, for years… Continue reading
A Seattle tradition since 1889, Norwegians (me among them) descend on Ballard to celebrate “Syttende Mai” – May 17th’s Norwegian Constitution Day. Continue reading
I’ve been saved.
I’ve been saved from a genetic DNA mismatch, the tumor suppressor MSH2 malfunction that wreaks havoc on health, on life, on longevity. It’s not just one cancer to deal with; it’s dozens. Continue reading
Is this not the prettiest walk to work in the United States? It’s along Seattle’s ever-changing magical waterfront and historic Pike Place Market. Lucky are those who commute to work across Puget Sound waters; it certainly beats sitting in Seattle traffic! Continue reading
Sometimes we know the end is near, and we prepare. That did not happen in my marriage. And it did not happen with my beloved feline companions of 16 years, Honey and Pepper. They were my faithful animal-shelter friends who filled the void of a marriage lost, teaching me love, devotion, and the power of relationships until death parted us today. Continue reading
People are wondering about TV news “families” in light of the horrific WDJB-TV murders, broadcast live. I’ve worked in several fantastic places, but nothing compares to my first job as a TV news reporter and producer at Seattle’s CBS affiliate, my “workplace family.” Continue reading
Seattle shattered its 1958 summer heat record! Results: tomatoes in my backyard, no-snow mountain views from my (nearly) backyard, Discovery Park, and a cool blue moon to boot. Continue reading
Born and raised in Montana, Wisconsin became my home in my teen and college years – a place of enduring beauty and seasons. Continue reading
Looking back, after an earthquake upheaval leaves nothing in my life at right angles. Yet, I am thankful. Continue reading
Tonight… lighting Christmas Eve candles and singing “Silent Night” one day early, in these parts… Continue reading
Wisconsin Thanksgiving: Grateful to be with my mom, say thanks to my 7th-grade teacher, Mr. Armbrecht, and return to my teenaged haunts: a lighthouse, and Lake Michigan. Continue reading
Before I was born, you knew me. You sang lullabies to me, still unborn. You memorized my kicks, my restlessness. Wept with joy in hope, and wept with fear in despair: how to feed this unexpected mouth? Your first baby died – you were just 22… Continue reading
It was my pure joy MC-ing our Central Asian Navruz dinner celebration (a sell-out crowd of 400!) with our Seattle-Tashkent Sister City Association. Thank you! – Katta Rahmat! Continue reading
