Vashon Halloween

The Rock: Vashon's 80s throwback

I don't quite recall the first time we went to the rock but it was probably raining. We were probably desperate for a meal.  It was probably unplanned. I don't think we ever plan on eating at the rock. It just happens.

But the thing is, we go back. Good beer. Good pizza, Good salad, Chill ambiance. Kid friendly enough.  We are there. The pizza has a thickish crust, lots of sauce and cheese, nothing especially frou frou about it.  Just pizza.  We tend to get sausage.

The salad is an assortment of things: bacon, nuts, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and cheese with lettuce and really good dressing.  Again it's not froofy but it is good!

The beer: Irish death stout, Mac n' Jacks, a couple of other localish things, usually and IPA. Solid. Beer selection without being pretentious.

We really really enjoy this Island pizza establishment.  (the other one I have nothing good to say about it.) On an Island full of foodies and locavores and free range people and animals I appreciate how middle America this feels. It's good. It's not fussy.  Oh, and they hang the extra chairs on the ceiling.

And, in regards to kid friendly-ness. We have never even gotten a snarky look for leaving a mess.  Their is a tiny arcade where you can unload $4 in quarters.  There you have it!

http://rockislandpizza.com/menu.html

The most dangerous place on Vashon to take a toddler

It will not kill them.

It might make you want to kill them.

It will bring them to the brink of explosion.

It will cause them to wail, scream, and cry.

As they turn into little kids this place can still hold the power to make them pout, whine, and bully.

But for the toddler.  .  . the danger is right there. It is in there face waiting for them to discover it's lure.

You will not be able to untangle them from the vines of attraction.

The Vashon Pharmacy.

Seriously folks the Vashon Pharmacy has some toys for the kiddos to play with.  The selection is basically made for grandparents hunting for something special or parents trying to scout a good birthday present for the party that they forgot to RSVP for and are now feeling guilty and thus willing to spend a tad bit more.

But taking my 18 month old to the Pharmacy while he plays with the train table or pushed the shopping cart, or rings the bells or whatever he does is utterly brutal.

Dangerous folks. Serious emotional danger.

Granny's Attic Donations

Because they give so much of their money to Island non-profits, and because they have to pay to have your junk taken to the dump if you bring them unacceptable items. Here is a handy reference.

Strawberry Festival 2016- Some photos

Vashon Vaccination article

Before you move here with little ones (or medically fragile ones) read this.

From the Seattle Times

From the News Tribune

Huffington Post

Nytimes

Vashon in Seattle Times

Here is the lastest article in the Seattle Times about Vashon.

Vashon tries to keep it real

I don't really want to unpack my own thoughts on it.
So..I won't.

Ferry Dock construction.

If you have never lived on an Island you might not be able to imagine just how much your life is impacted by boats.  Consciously or not boats are critical to our lives here.  This week their has been drama over the method of loading the boats on the Fauntleroy side (I have only been reading about it online as I haven't car commuted all week).  It has made some of the buses later than usual.

The good news is that the all the work that has been done on the Vashon North End ferry dock is getting closer and closer to finished.  My guess is there are a few more months left but every couple of days you notice a significant difference that is closer to finishing!

I guess all that means is that whenever I find myself worried about the impending horrible earthquake I can be glad that if I am on the Seattle side...and I survive...and I am uninjured...and I manage to steal a boat to row across the sound THEN the dock will still be standing when I get there.

The Episcopal Church Labyrinth

I noticed the signs for the labyrinth when we first moved to the Island. It has been on my list of things to do since then.

Alas today I finally went to the labyrinth, mostly because my kiddos have been begging me to go there.  Their childcare provider has taken them. Like many parents I find the hour or 2 before dinner to be hard when I am at home with the kiddos.  So around 4 o'clock on this sunny May afternoon we headed to the Labyrinth.

Next the the church the labyrinth sits amid a clearing in the forest. At one end are the names of deceased members of the church community on stones and the labyrinth is clearly the highlight.   I have prayed a labyrinth before so with the kids running around I just started.

I lasted about 4 minutes. I would like to blame the kiddos I really would. After all, my 1 year old really wanted to hang out up by the road and my older kids were running amok.  But the truth is my problem is with the width of the path.  The path is so narrow it's like walking on a beam.  Literally you must place one foot in front of one another. I twist my ankles easily so it was no good for me.

I really wanted to like it.  I really did. I wasn't expecting peaceful quiet prayer- I brought my 3 kids after all. But I was hoping to take in a reflective moment, let my kiddos run around, and be intentional about a moment.  I did that.  The problem is that I did that on the bench next to the labyrinth.    It's just too narrow for me (and for most people to be honest).

So alas it isn't for me.  But my prayer life isn't really about movement. I tend to be more about awareness of the sacred around me and also embracing of silence and stillness.    It is located in a lovely area but the noise from the highway makes it not the quietest place on the Island.  To be honest I think that might be one of the selling points- it's away from the chaos but the chaos is close enough to invite reflection.

All in all it is a lovely lovely little prayer space.  I could imagine myself bringing a journal and sitting there for a bit.  I just can't imagine praying the labyrinth there.

Vashon Island Facebook Groups

I like and use social media a fair amount.  I used it in work, private, and in other spaces.  There are, of course, many Vashon related facebook groups.  There are groups for birders, gardeners, farmers, historians, community members, parents, power outages . . .

Seriously there are a lot of Vashon related facebook groups.

My very straightforward advice.  If you aren't spending too much time on the Island then don't spent too much time trolling the facebook arguments, disussions, groups and various posts.

Some of these groups foster more debate than others. Some of them shut down debate faster than others, sometimes things run wild.  In my Vashon social media impression Vashonites are very whiny.  That cannot possibly be true. But it sure seems true!

I guess it is no surprise but when I look through facebook discussions it makes me feel like an outsider, or sometimes it makes me feel unknown or misunderstood.  For me, and maybe for you, it is important that my social media that is unrelated to my personal relationship and more related to my geographic

Vashon EMTs. Our experience.

Several weeks ago our children were in a car accident (with an adult other than their parents).  I don't want to go into the details of the car accident.  Except to talk about Vashon EMTs.

Our two kids (ages 1 and 6) were transferred to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.  When I got the call that something had happened I talked to one of the EMTs.  I believe it was a Captain.  He introduced himself and said, very reassuringly, "Everyone seems to be just fine. We are doing this as protocol." He walked me through what was going to happen. And called 2 more times before they arrived at HMC (I was in Seattle when I got the call).

When they finally arrived at the ER, our 1 year old was sound asleep on on EMT's shoulder.  Our 6 year old had been well comforted.  They had thought to scour the car for things like a bottle, diaper bags, car seats and all the stuff we would need for a long day in the ER.

What they brought most of all was a load of compassion.  They talked to us in a humane way. They were gracious, communicative and did their job so so so well!  I honestly couldn't believe how kind they were.

We also learned weren't going to receive a bill.  An emergency transfer to a hospital is apparently part of our property taxes.

Vashon-spiration

Before we ever moved to Vashon and were living in Seattle we came over to buy a piece of furniture from craigslist.  It was rainy wet,  I was pregnant and we were trying to figure out some furniture for the baby's room. . .

So on this day trip we stopped at Cafe Luna.  We had coffee and a pastry and while we were there I used the washroom.  It was the washroom that convinced me I wanted to move toVashon.  No not the toilet or the soap or whatever, it was all the signs in the bathroom.  The events, the discussions, the classes, the sales...it all seemed like stuff I could appreciate in my community.

Winter Closures

The Vashon Bakery and Snapdragon are both closed for a couple of weeks.  I find this quiet charming!  After all shouldn't people be able to take vacations.

It does however seem to me that they would benefit from not being closed at the same time.