Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.

Earth Day Birthdays and Death to Macbeth

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Celebrations for Shakespeare and a Healthy Bay
by Don and Peggy Doman

Peg Doman trying on a kimono in Tacoma, Washington.


Bella Doman blowing out candles on her birthday cake in Tacoma, Washington - image.We've been having granddaughters stay with us for a weekend, but finally got the always busy grandson Riley to join us. Over the years we've gone to his soccer games, baseball games, and concerts, but it's been two years since he joined us for a couple of days. The weekend coinsided with a birthday party for 13-year old graddaughter Bella. What made it even better was the fact that Bella's aunt Rachel threw the party and Rachel lives only a mile or so from our home.

The kids ran wild. Nephew Jacob returned from a foray out into the neighborhood soaking wet. He zigged when he should have zagged or come to a complete stop . . . when the sprinklers at Toby Jones moved his way.

In addition to Rachel's two children, we also saw our buddy Randy Melquist, who also happens to be grandfather to Bella. All in all, we got to spend time with Bella, her sisters (granddaughters Daron and Sophia). Rachel's husband Seth, and another neighborhood child and four underfoot dogs. The tacos and cakes were good, also.


Riley Doman peeking around in Tacoma, Washington - image.

Riley has an older sister and an older cousin who've wrestled with him ever since he was born, however, now he stands taller than all his cousins . . . and even his mom . . . and Peggy, so it was good to see him mixing it up with relatives he doesn't get to see all that often . . . and looking down on all of them.

Riley had been bragging that he gets up early. He claimned to know by when he went to bed exactly when he would wake up. I think the party wore him down a little bit, because the next morning we had to wake him up. I had given him a movie to watch when he went to the guest room for the evening. He fell asleep and didn't finish it.

We hated to wake him up, but we had a ton of things to do on Saturday.

Each day we have a grandchild over we plan some activities and then take advantage of others that pop up in the GO section of The News Tribune or we come across driving through neighborhoods. You just never know where the day will take you . . . or how long it will last.


North Proctor in North Tacoma, Washington - image.We got Riley rolling and out the door. We went to North Proctor, which was in the middle of it's Farmer's Market. I offered to pay to have Riley's face painted, "You could have it painted blue like the ancient Scots so you can take part in the play this afternoon." He declined. A friend of mine was celebrating his birthday in conjunction with Williams Shakespeare's birthday. Robin was hosting "Bard in the Yard" with the production of "The Scottish Play," as Macbeth is superstitiously called. Riley declined my offer.

For breakfast at Knapp's Restaurant we had lots of hashbrowns. I had eggs and sweet Italian sausage, while Peg had bacon and eggs. Riley had French toast and bacon. They do excellent bacon and excellent hashbrowns. We took hashbrowns home. Bacon rarely comes home.

I remember attending a Rotary committee meeting at Knapp's. As soon as I placed my normal order of "Hashbrowns . . . burnt, burnt, burnt . . . with an onion cut up in them," a number of people changed their orders to get the same hashbrown treatment. I also usually use hand gestures of chopping when I order. I almost always get the hashbrowns I like that way.


Citizens for a Healthy Bay celebrating Earth Day 2016 Tacoma, Washington - image.When we left Proctor we were a little ahead of schedule. We needed to visit Wanna Cupcake" in Puyallup for a Rotary donation, but Peg and Riley were talking about photography. Peg changed our direction and said, "Let's visit the wetland first." The Port of Tacoma's Gog-le-hi-te Wetlands are located along the Puyallup River, just over the Lincoln Avenue Bridge. We had enough time, so what the heck. We pulled into the small parking lot and saw a number of cars and peple wearing matching tees. I swung over to the dirt road which led to the levee. When we parked I saw the truck's logo for Citizens for a Healthy Bay. Our Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 has worked with them before when we had our Preserve Planet Earth Committee.

We saw a canopy about a hundred yards down the levee road so we walked down there and talked with the people. They were set-up to celebrate Earth Day. We looked over their display. Our newest member in Tacoma Rotary is Melissa Malott. Melissa is the Executive Director of Citizens for a Healthy Bay. What a coincident. Melissa had planned to visit the wetland later that day, but unfortunately, we had to move along.


Kimonons from Lyz Kurnitz-Thurlow, Washington - image.We scooted on out to Puyallup via the Emerald Queen. We cut through their parking lot because with the freeway construction the normal entrance was blocked off on Portland Avenue. After Puyallup we rushed back to Tacoma to see Lyz Kurnitz' wearable art show on Tacoma Avenue at the League of Women's Voters. Lyz searches for kimonos and then repairs them or alters them into wearable art . . . They are beautiful, but I would certainly hate to see something spilled on one.

We have a golden kimono hanging on one of our walls in the dining room. I bought it at an antique store in Centralia a dozen years ago as a Mother's Day present. For us, Peg's kimono is strictly art. Lyz's works were a joy to see.

Lyz and her husband John are travelers and lovers of the arts. I really like their home, there are always lovely things to see. John and I are in the same book group. We both enjoy the Guido Brunetti detective series by Donna Leon. Leon is an American who lives and writes in Venice. John and Lyz have been to Venice as Peg and I have. What a beautiful city. The detective novels all take place in the city of gondolas. There is also a TV series which presents very faithful presentations of the books. The TV show is produced by Germans with a German cast. So we end up with a production in Italy recorded in German with English sub-titles. We still love it.

Lyz's husband, John called while we were looking at the kimonos. He was on his way to the same play we were going to that afternoon. The play was directed by another one of our book group members. We had one or two more stops before we would make it the yard where the play was being staged.


Wanna Cupcake? from Puyallup, Washington - image.Wanna Cupcake? had donated a dozen cupcakes for our dessert auction as part of our annual Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 fundraiser. This year the theme was "Imagine." I can't imagine any other cupcake taking as good as the one's baked in Puyallup. In addition to the dozen for the auction, I bought six more for a birthday present and cupcakes around for Peg, Riley, and me. We had sat in the parking lot and ate our cupcakes. Well, Riley ate his and Peg shared mine. Sweet, moist, and interesting. I had a chocolate caramel. I was suprised with the chocolate center. The icing was perfect and the caramel was tasty. The owners are looking to expand and have a special offer.

Peg bought a package of two chocolate on chocolate cupcakes. I don't remember her sharing . . . but one of them seemed to be missing when I saw the package on Sunday morning. We dropped down a few blocks from Tacoma Avenue to the Hotel Murano and dropped off our cupcakes.

I bought dessert for a meeting of Tacoma Executives Association a few months ago. We had a combination of Red Velvet cupcakes and Lemon . . . The lemon nearly brought tears to my eyes. They were so tart and sweet. Everyone loved them. By then end of the meeting there were none of either left-over. I had even purchased extras!


Kilted piper welcoming the visitors for Bard in the Yard, Washington - image.Eventually, Riley, Peg, and I arrived at the home of Robin Evans-Agnew RN,PhD, UWT Nursing and Healthcare Leadership. As I said, Robin is a fellow member of my book group I joined several years ago. We mostly read non-fiction works. Discussions are always lively with plenty of good food to eat and something to wash it down with. There were three "bookies" in the audience and one in the cast. Robin was celebrating his fiftieth birthday AND Shakespear's birthday. He may help remember William every year with a play in the backyard. I'll have to ask.

We didn't know what to expect. We got there early. We brought along our own folding chairs and watched as people and kids started to arrive, while the actors who had been preparing and rehearsing since nine that morning, made themselves ready. People were perched everywhere. We were treated to live music from a very capable actor who just happended to play the bagpipes. What are the chances . . . Virtually on time, Robin stood on his deck and addressed all of us below. There would be voting for the Shatner Award. The award was for over-acting. I think this was a coveted award. One rumor was that Lady Macbeth wins almost every year.


Robin Evans-Agnew welcomed the audience to see the "Scottish Play" and advised of the voting for the Shatner Award for over-acting.

When shall we three meet, again . . . in thunder, lightning, or in rain?

King Duncan asks his son Malcomb how the battle went.

Soon the killing began. First with King Duncan and then with Banquo.

Next came the wife of the Thane of Fife.

In-between the killings we were all up and dancing . . . once even to the music of "Ghostbusters."

Even with Lady Macbeth dead, Macbeth thought he couldn't die. How could Burnham Wood come to Dunsinane? By carrying sticks and limbs as camouflage, of course.

On the battle field there were two surprises. The first was the appearance of the Presumptive Presidential Nominee, Donald Trump . . . and then revelation that MacDuff was not of woman born. He was born cesarian.

After Trump, the final dispatch was delivered with MacDuff skewering Macbeth.


Ribeye steak from Joeseppi's in Tacoma, Washington - image.Approximately forty people made the trek down the alley to the battlefield at Junett Garden.

We could have stayed and eaten at Robin's, we had brought pineapple and broccoli slaw, but after being outdoors all afternoon, we opted for Joeseppi's Italian Restaurant. Our family members like the food and Joe Stortini always greets us so warmly. It's a very relaxing atmosphere. Riley ordered a pizza, while Peg ordered the salmon filet and spaghetti, while I ordered the ribeye steak and spaghetti. All were wonderful. Riley took home most of his pizza, while Peg and I combined pieces of salmon and steak along with enough spaghetti for another meal (for me anyway).

Besides the quality of the food, Joeseppi's is such a boon to the community. I don't think a week goes by that part of the profits from a "take over" aren't distributed to some local non-profit organization. Good food, warm welcomes, and community help. What's not to like?

Once back at home we were worn out. Sunday saw us having left-overs for breakfast before driving to Auburn to deliver Rile to his baptism class by 9:30. We returned to Puyallup later that afternoon for his mom's birthday party. We got home at eight . . . and we were tired! But, it was a wonderful weekend.

The grounds of the battlefield for the death of Trump and Macbeth.

Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.

Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.

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Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth, citizens for a healthy bay, macbeth tacoma, bard in the yard, shakespeare birthday celebration, joeseppi's restaurant, knapp's restaurant north proctor, wanna cupcake?, Earth Day Birthdays and Macbeth - Tacoma WA Washington.