Ellen Waterston

I‘m not one of those who can chop parsley and put a last-minute singe on the steak while simultaneously greeting guests. I try to get party preparations done in advance to avoid last-minute fussing. Once I’ve done what I can and guests start to arrive, I surrender to the will of the occasion, to its […]

Off on an early morning hike, a girlfriend and I encounter three younger friends of mine on the trail. Based on a lifetime of evidence I knew my nervous anticipation of a four-way introduction was the guarantee I’d forget a name. So, I defaulted to a brief if awkward hello to the threesome, and my […]

Off on an early morning hike, a girlfriend and I encounter three younger friends of mine on the trail. Based on a lifetime of evidence I knew my nervous anticipation of a four-way introduction was the guarantee I’d forget a name. So, I defaulted to a brief if awkward hello to the threesome, and my […]

This month, as it has for the past 36 years, the Summer Fishtrap Gathering in Joseph, Oregon, assembled a faculty of notable writers who offered a week’s worth of genre-specific workshops for registered participants. The authors also anchored evening readings and panel discussions open to the public. The year 2023’s impressive lineup included Craig Childs, […]

When I was six or so, my grandmother, who lived with us, would entertain me by pinching the skin on the back of her 80-year-old hand and then, letting it go, telling me to count slowly until her skin lay perfectly flat again, like a wave slowly reabsorbed by the sea. I easily counted to […]

Thanks to lots of snow and rain, our rivers are singing happy, highwater songs. It’s rafting season! Get out your kayaks and Catarafts! The last few years I’ve been invited to join five other women on a self-supported raft trip. Ten years older than my raft-mates, I relish the chance to (try to) match their […]

April can be a trickster. This year I’ve been April’s fool, falling for the here and there glimpses of sun. On a recent rare day of warmer temperatures, I pruned and raked and fertilized until dark, certain the drear and cold was over, that spring was finally here. I bet I wasn’t alone. One brief […]

So, New Year’s resolutions. Not a bad thing in concept. Despite their short shelf life, they do momentarily return us to better living habits, bring our attention to neglected goals: committing to a dreamed-of trip, more visits to the gym, eating more veggies, volunteering at Family Kitchen. Like most such lists they are often more […]