lummi island wine tasting aug 21-22 ’26
This week open Friday & Saturday 4-6 pm
calm waters, always soothing….
Friday Bread This Week
French Country Bread – A levain bread made with mostly bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat and a bit of toasted wheat germ. After building the levain with a sourdough culture and mixing the final dough it gets a long cool overnight ferment in the refrigerator. This really allows the flavor to develop in this bread. Not a refined city baguette, but a rustic loaf that you would find in the country side. A great all around bread – $5/loaf
Multi Grain English Muffin Bread – English muffin recipe baked as a loaf that turned out great. Bread flour, spelt, whole wheat, and oatmeal with buttermilk and butter for a nice light, tender crumb. Great toast or sandwiches. $5/loaf
pastry this week…
Muffins – Four muffins 4 per order includes 2ea of:
Cinnamon Roll Muffins- Made with all the traditional muffin ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs and butter with a brown sugar, butter, pecan and cinnamon filling that is swirled through the batter and then topped with a streusel made with more butter, brown sugar and pecans and as if that isn’t enough topped with a cream cheese glaze. Yum. Feed your cinnamon roll fix!
Banana Muffins – Butter, sour cream, eggs, sugar, and bananas; roasting the bananas first helps intensify the flavor and a streusel topping brings a nice crunch!
This week’s wine tasting
Maryhill Viognier ’24 Washington $14
Carefully picked and slowly pressed to extract vibrant aromas of melon, pear, and apricot with traces of pineapple and grapefruit, continuing into a sensational and crisp fruit finish.
Kiona Lemberger ’22 Washington $14
Perfumed aromas with traces of orange zest and flower, with notes of blueberry; an agreeable palate that pairs particularly well with spicy foods!
Rocks of Bawn Cab Sauv ’20 WA $20
Blend from several WA vineyards delivers bright fruit flavors, silky tannins, nice balance and intensity.
Economics of the Heart: The War for American Democracy Heats Up
USS George Washington continues Tweetster’s disastrous war
The coming midterm election is like no other since the Civil War. In that instance, slave-owning Southerners rebelled against the Constitution by attempting to abandon the Union and start their own nation where slavery would be the undisputed law of the land.
We all know how that turned out. National tension over the issue was so significant that by the time of the Missouri Compromise of 1820, Maine entered the Union as a free state, and Missouri entered as a slave state, along with stipulations that no other slave states would be allowed from the vast mid-continent territory acquired in the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803.
All of us who grew up in Maine paid particular attention in school to these bits of history. Those of us who grew up in Bangor often walked past the downtown statue of Hannibal Hamlin, a Bangor native and Lincoln’s VP.
Over the next several decades, the legality of slavery in some states and its illegality in others led inexorably to the Civil War and the elimination of slavery in every state. Nevertheless persecution, beatings, murders, and countless other miseries of black citizens continued until and still continue in many parts of the South despite the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment.
The coming mid-term election on Nov. 3 comes at a time when the US government has been taken over by a conspiracy of ultra-wealthy, white, self-entitled, fundamentalist so-called “Christian” men who are persecuting, rounding up, incarcerating, and murdering innocent people. At the same time, this same group (“Project 2025”) and the so-called Republican Party has been systematically dismantling Constitutional rights of citizens, immigrants, foreign visitors, women, and people of any skin color or shade other than White.
Between now and the election, no opportunity should be missed to fight for candidates at all levels of government who will preserve the Constitutional rights that have defined the United States of America for 250 years.
It is no exaggeration to say that if these idiots are not stopped, the future of all Life on Earth is in serious peril.
lummi island wine tasting august 7 ’26
This week open Friday only, closed Saturday
August blooms next door…
Friday Bread This Week
Baker’s week off…no bread this week! 🙁
This week’s wine tasting flight
Maryhill Viognier ’24 Washington $14
Carefully picked and slowly pressed to extract vibrant aromas of melon, pear, and apricot with traces of pineapple and grapefruit, continuing into a sensational and crisp fruit finish.
Argento Malbec ’22 Argentina $13
From organically grown grapes; deep purple hue; inviting aromas of red berries and flowers, and flavors of plum and sweet blackberry; finishes with ripe, balanced tannins– way over-delivers for its modest price.
Chiarlo Le Orme Barbera d’Asti ’22 Italy $23
Ruby red with hues of violet; elegant and intense aromas, with notes of fresh cherry and currant; harmonious palate, with good structure and roundness, beautiful savory finish, and a local favorite!
“Disaster Relief…?!”
Last week we lamented about the impacts of losing one’s wallet/purse/briefcase or whatever contains the legal documents that give us the personal & portable proof of Identity that define our legal existence and allow us to drive, buy, rent, or own the material things and services that make our lives possible and enjoyable.
Therefore it is quite disturbing to suddenly lose any parts of the precious trove of identifying documentation we usually carry with us everywhere to prove our social identities and economic relevance when we suddenly find ourselves with no cash and no ID.
After several searches in numerous places I had been that day, none turned up any clues. Active credit cards were canceled, banks were advised, and processes were begun to get replacements even as the search continued.
That went on for nearly two weeks, until I had vacuumed up some of the dog fur that gradually accumulates around the house this time of year, including under a couple of comfy and well-used chairs in the living room. The chairs have round, circular wooden bases with curved struts that make a perfect hiding place for anything wallet-sized. I tilted each of them a bit to the side to push the vacuum under each one. Lo and behold, a short time later the missing wallet appeared, quietly lying on the floor between the two chairs, looking completely innocent, as if it had been there all along.
Whew and Hallelujah, what a relief! How it got there remains a mystery. BIG sigh of relief, and a brief thumbs up thanks to St. Anthony with a brief eyebrow lift for the long delay…! 🙂
Economics of the Heart: Lemming Gene Confirmed in Congressional Republicans!
Arctic lemming courtesy Wikipedia
Recent DNA analysis has confirmed that nearly every Republican in Congress shares a little-known gene with the tiny sub-Arctic lemming. The finding emerged from numerous studies by behavioral scientists trying to make sense of the extraordinary similarity between the observable suicidal behavior of both species.
Lemmings, of course, are well known — and often thought of with sadness — because of their occasional penchant to commit mass suicide by throwing themselves into icy Arctic waters. In a sense it is understandable. These darling little creatures are small, only 6-7 inches long, and as you can see in the photo, they are Really Cute! But they live a tough life, being among the smallest, most fecund, and most vulnerable prey of their larger ecosystem.
Republicans, of course, are not cute at all, yet we see very similar behavior in their spineless unwillingness to defend themselves against the constant bitching of their Boss (the Tweestster), who seems to enjoy fantasizing about which one’s leg he will have for dinner tonight, and which one’s brain tomorrow. As their numbers diminish, the skittishness of the Congressional herd grows more debilitating by the day. As you can imagine, when the most important thing in your life is getting the approval of Unreasonable Leader, and he knows it, you will be forced to do things that even YOU find disgusting. SAD!
Lemmings, on the other hand, are not at all interested in any of this nonsense. I mean, c’mon, they are just a sweet bunch of Really Cute, Really Sweet little furballs, and you just have to pet their soft fur and hear them gurgle in pleasure. Think about it…what the Heck kind of person could ever want to hurt these sweet little bystanders…victims of a sort, really…or see or hear them suffer…? You know, besides the Tweetster, who actually only bothers to stay alive for the sublime pleasure of making other creatures suffer…Nothing else can even come close.
Like the lemmings, most of us are just trying to get along as best we can with the resources we have at hand. We believe in rules, in compassion for every living being, in keeping kindness going around and coming around, and saving our Planet from the inevitable extinction if Global Warming is not turned around immediately.
We find Life on Earth itself threatened mightily because one Very Stupid Man is motivated by only one emotion, Cruelty, and has successfully used it to bring the continuing existence of our Nation and Life on Earth itself into question.
There is no excuse for Big Oil’s deliberate choice to have lied to the public for over 50 years about global warming while accelerating production and use of fossil fuels when they KNEW the consequences from studies that THEY THEMSELVES had sponsored! There were several and they all agreed that increasing average global temperature by more than 1.5 degrees C would be catastrophic. So what did they do? They lied, and instead of curbing production did everything they could to increase it.
This isn’t any old crossroad, folks— this is THE crossroad for the survival of life itself on this planet. CO2 must start coming down immediately. Renewable energy must replace fossil fuels immediately. The US government must be restored to its Constitutional order immediately.
Everything about today’s politics derives from the same hubris that somehow makes money today worth more than survival tomorrow. That’s just Crazy!
lummi island wine tasting july 30 ’26
This week open Friday only, closed Saturday
reefnetters ready to start fishing this year’s runs!
Friday Bread This Week
Dried Cherry and Pecan – a levain is made the night before final mixing of the dough, starting fermenation and gluten development. The final dough includes bread flour, fresh milled whole wheat, dried cherries and toasted pecans. A nice rustic loaf that goes well with meats and cheese – $5/loaf
Pan de Cioccolate – A delicious chocolate artisan bread made with a levain, bread flour and fresh milled rye flour, honey for sweetness, vanilla and plenty of dark chocolate. Makes fabulous toast, even better french toast – $5/loaf.
Remember pastry sells out fast. I can only make so much – and all pastry is a popular! if you wait to order I’ll probably be sold out and you’ll be sad.
Rum Raisin Brioche: A delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Filled with golden raisins and chunks of almond paste and topped with a chocolate glaze before baking. Ooh la la, what’s not to like?! – 2/$5.
This week’s wine tasting flight
Kremstal Sophie Singing Gruner Veltliner $15 Austria
Sustainably produced; youthful nose of orange blossoms, straw, and apples; spritzy on the medium-bodied palate, with notes of yellow grapefruit and a refreshing crisp acidity for a sunny afternoon.
Matchbook Red Gravel Cab ’22 California $17
Medium-bodied white wine with dense texture, rich, elegant aromas, and succulent flavors of pineapple, lemon zest, chamomile, sea salt, stone fruits, and a bright, tangy acidity, pleasing creamy texture, and deep flavors!
Edi Simcic Duet ’21 Slovenia $27
Balanced blend of merlot, cab sauv, cab franc; bold and compelling, with notes of chocolate, cherries, cheesecake, and coffee on silky tannins, a lush, ripe, fruit-full body, and a finish that goes on and on.
A Brief Lament (wah!) on Personal Identity
Last Saturday morning we went to the weekly Saturday Market next to the Islander, shopping and schmoozing with vendors and neighbors, then took the dog for a quiet walk at Curry Preserve, then home, and learned that somewhere in those activities I had lost my wallet! That began a fruitless search of tracing steps at home, cars, market vendors, but all coming up short.
I know that many of you have gone through this, and while I felt some sympathy hearing about each one, one doesn’t really “Get It” about the intensity of the intrusion it imposes until you experience it. When it happens to you it is like being hit by some kind of locomotive. Every aspect of our social identities is tied up in those credit cards, driver’s license, ID’s, cash, ferry punch cards, health insurance, library, and more. Without them we are suddenly ghost-like, not quite fully materialized, with, literally, no purchase on Reality!
All of these bits of identity have to be replaced with new ones, and each one involves its own strange trip over its own particular hurdles, rules, idiosyncrasies, websites, robotic phone menus, and occasional helpful, knowledgeable agents that walk you down from that particular ID ledge toward solid social ground of actual existence!
We also know, of course, that anyone who finds the cards will have the opportunity to try to use them to buy things, sell them, or use them in various scams. It’s a really creepy experience, one that qualifies for the comment of an old sailor in his book on Heavy Weather Sailing: “experiencing a hurricane at sea in a small sailboat is “something most devoutly to be eschewed.” Well, maybe it will turn up.
Fingers crossed…!
Economics of the Heart: The Brutality of Republikan Avarice
The goals for the New Republikan America are now becoming fully visible in all their sadistic cruelty, selfish entitlements, environmental disdain, misogyny, and self-importance, making them a pretty good manifestation of the Seven Deadly Sins defined not in the Bible, but in the teachings of the early Catholic Church. Over the centuries the teachings of the Church let everyone know that, yes, these are the things you must reveal in confession and do penance for if you sincerely desire not to spend Eternity in Hell (for a mortal sin) or a big chunk of Eternity in Purgatory (for too many of those pesky venial sins) before an eventual (how long is half an eternity…?!) transfer to Heaven. This is what I learned from the nuns in their complicated black robes.
It was certainly enough to generate some seriously terrifying nightmares when I was just 6 or 7 years old. Nowadays our government uses fear and coercion to control our behavior by “disappearing” people off the street, never to be seen alive again, like American Ice does every day. It is to get us to shut up and toe the line or expect trouble ahead.
So on the one hand spreading the concepts of Deadly Sins- confession- penance on a social level– made for a peaceful, kind society where the Church played a dominant role. But at the same time it opened the door to all kinds of abuse as well. So it promises to be if the Republikan billionaires-turned-Christian Nationalist succeed in doing away with all vestiges of democracy, Constitutional rights, or civic action.
On the current Republikan trajectory we see the mobilization of a very different kind of so-called Christianity where mercy, kindness, moderation, responsibility, and service to others have been replaced by a sociopathic structure more akin to a Russian Gulag, a sadist’s tools of torture, and a disdain for individual rights. Postponed indefinitely are attending to essential survival needs to reverse global warming, to value and nurture each human being, and to pool global knowledge and intention toward building a sustainable, interdependent world where every family has the resources for comfort and safety.
In various ways Republicans are trying to Own the emerging subservient Christianity, control media where people get information, and get the masses to keep settling for less and less. Every day it becomes more and more clear that they are to a person a cruel, heartless lot who seem hell-bent on the destruction of all life on Earth.
What are we talking about here…. ” a better World for fewer trillionaires…?”
lummi island wine tasting july 24-25 ’26
This week open Friday only, closed Saturday
crescent moon sunset
crescent moon sunset
Friday Bread This Week
Spelt Levain – Spelt is an ancient wheat grain with a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a milder gluten than modern wheat, from a levain of traditional bread flour, spelt flour, fresh milled whole spelt and fresh milled whole rye, and just a touch of honey. It is a great all around bread – $5/loaf
Italian Breakfast Bread – Made with bread flour eggs, yogurt, a little sugar and vanilla as well as dried cranberries, golden raisins, and candied lemon peel. Perfect for breakfast as toast or even better for french toast – $5/loaf
and pastry this week:
Brioche Almond Buns – Made with a delicious brioche dough full of eggs, butter and sugar. Rolled out and spread with an almond cream filling. The almond cream is a delicious creamy filling made with lots more butter, sugar and eggs as well as almond flour. Yum, yum! – 2/$5
This week’s wine tasting flight
Bread & Butter Chardonnay ’22 California $16
Essentially this is a mass-produced California chardonnay blend from many sources and engineered to mimic the pleasantly rich texture and smooth, vanilla-y, oakiness of CA chards of the past…surprisingly tasty and balanced.
Duck Pond Red Oregon $14
Curiously the thirty-year old family winery with a great reputation has no notes on this wine…puzzling, see what you think.
Angels & Cowboys Proprietary Red ’22 California $22
Attractive nose of red berries, orange peel, spices, and crushed stone; medium to full-bodied and succulent, with silky, mellow tannins and flavorful finish.
Economics of the Heart: Calling Out the Rascals
The topic of the day as we write was Heather Cox Richardson’s post containing the text of a lengthy presentation to the U.S. House of Representatives by Massachusetts Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern. She quotes it at length because it lays out in great detail the vast and somehow-still-growing Gulf between the planet the Republicans think they live on and the one their voters actually inhabit.
In a great speech, McGovern goes chapter and verse through the 24/7 litany of Republican lies, misrepresentations, fantasies, excuses, and crimes as they dissemble, assert, talk too loud, and keep their heads down as they dismantle democracy and kill the Planet. Their primary goal (pun intended) is to cover their own butts by giving the Tweetster complete freedom to tear apart our 250-year-old democracy and sell it to our enemies for bitcoin and favor with a handful of billionaires. Is a mere seat in Congress worth that depth of humiliation? Really?
All in all, McGovern’s tongue-lashing is a great example of the turning tide of public outrage at the trashing of everything that is noble and good about our 250-year national experiment with Constitutional Democracy. The underlying Republican principle that every person matters, deserves respect, an equal voice, opportunity, freedom, and agency is an anathema that aspiring oligarchs despise and fear.
Above all, McGovern is naming what a substantial majority of Americans are now feeling. Everything that has happened since this so-called Administration slimed itself into office has wrought a cheapening, a shallowing, a lowest-denominator dismantling of the entire social, legal, and governmental structure defined by our Constitution. Below are a few excerpts from his speech.
“Let’s talk about the Republican Party. A party that worships one man above the Constitution in a cult of personality. A party that demonizes immigrants and says they poison the blood of our country. A party that calls the free press the enemy of the people and sics the Justice Department on journalists who they don’t like. A party that says their political opponents are internal enemies and calls them, quote, the enemy within. A party that is okay with invading our allies, including other democracies…”
“The Republican Party has become the party of…far right fascists who are hell-bent on destroying our country and our way of life. And every single time they call us communists, it is nothing more than a projection of their own radicalization…they definitely don’t want to talk about the Tweetster’s increasing prices of groceries, gas, health care, housing, and taxes for their new, endless, illegal war which has now cost over $100 billion.”
One especially powerful section of Rep. McGovern’s caustic commentary noted that “in 1945, the United States War Department explained to U.S. Army personnel in the European theater of World War II that Fascism “is government by the few and for the few to seize complete control of the economic, political, social, and cultural life of the state…The People run democratic governments, but fascist governments run the people.” Hmm, I guess that does sound like a typical Republican platform.
Every day more and more Americans are seeing, feeling, lamenting, and beginning to rebel against this ongoing Republican effort to privatize public assets, restrict individual freedoms, and reorganize the economy into the hands of a small group of vaguely autistic multi-billionaires who seem to live, as James Joyce described his main character in A Painful Case as “living at a little distance from his body.”
It remains a mystery to understand what in the world a handful of multi-billionaires are pressing Republican politicians to get from a national economy in which they already own some 20% of everything.
And it’s even more of a mystery why so many Republican politicians seem so willing to surrender their dignity in such a pursuit. It would seem that all honor has been completely sold out in favor of some Scrooge-like need to have the biggest money bin. Or, maybe worse…getting primaried by failing the Tweetster’s daily loyalty tests.
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