Home on Whidbey

Thursday

For Sale!

Bellingham house is ready for the market. Here's the kitchen, light, airy and very efficient.

Front door viewed through the front garden of largely Pacific NW native plants.

South facing French doors from dining area with small deck for enjoying the sun, neighborhood and orchard.

The first Saturday in May is Hearts & Hammers Day on South Whidbey. Hundreds of volunteers come together to help repair and rehabilitate the homes of their friends and neighbors who are unable to do the work alone. This is an annual event of neighbors helping neighbors with homeowners receiving labor and materials at no cost. Everything is provided by the generosity of the South Whidbey community including hard-working volunteers, churches, service and community organizations and the business community.

Ed and I worked in the kitchen this year helping serve the hundreds of hungry volunteers and then cleaning up the South Whidbey High School cafeteria after the event. The kitchen crew begins first thing in the morning preparing and serving breakfast for the volunteers. Then the mid day kitchen crew prepares dinner. The third shift helps serve dinner and provides clean up services. The entire meal operation, although huge, is small compared to the people in the field repairing homes. The entire operation brings tears to my eyes as you see the enthusiasm, skill, talent, generosity and caring this community pours into helping one another.

dbBrad (Brad and crew) worked on a home putting on a new roof, spending about 16 hours in two days making sure the job got done. Other contractors and individuals did the same. It is an awesome event.

When new people move to Whidbey I always suggest that a great way to meet people and feel a part of the community is to volunteer with Hearts & Hammers.

wednesday

A White Christmas

We enjoyed a white Christmas this year at Deb and Greg's cabin at the Pass. Christmas night it began snowing so the skiing on the 26th was terrific powder. After the driving work of the past few days it was wonderful to be tucked away in a cozy cabin, in the snow, relaxing with friends and family. A perfect way to restore ourselves.