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Couple’s last wish, a city pocket park

Couple’s last wish: to turn their West Seattle home into a city pocket park

When I read this story in the Seattle Times I immediately liked it.

A West Seattle Couple wished that after their deaths, their land in West Seattle would be donated to the city to make a “pocket park”. It is a nice lot with a great view on the Puget Sound and Olympics. Their daughters agreed. The house has already been demolished and the pocket park will be ready soon to welcome people who would like to rest on benches and enjoy the view of the Olympics.

But why donate their piece of land to the city?

As read in the Seattle times, the husband “considered himself a lucky man that the King County commissioners had unanimously decided that property auctioned because of unpaid taxes would be sold only to veterans.” So he bought it for $100 in 1946 and decades later decided to “do what he thought was right”: give it back.

This notion of giving back may not be at first understandable.

Recently I read an article on line telling the story of anotherWest Seattle couple giving all their inheritance to the government of the United Seattle. People commented that they were crazy, that they should have made a donation to a charity, and so on and so forth… But when I read the story, it really made sense. Coming from Czechoslovakia, this man had survived forced concentration camps as a teenager during World War II.

After his family died there, he immigrated to the United States, where he acquired citizenship and began a great life. He was thankful for his freedom and wanted to give back to the United States of America!

At the corner of SW Willow street and 39th ave SW

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I’m 20… in my glass!

All French boys and girls who had lunch at the school cafeteria (cantine) in elementary school played this game.

Duralex glasses were so sturdy, almost unbreakable that they could be found in every cantine. On the bottom of our Gigogne Duralex glasses were engraved numbers (a serial number between one and 50). It was supposed to be our age. There was no real point, it was just simple entertainment while waiting for our food and a reason to laugh at each others. Who was the “Baby”?

This old style glass is now very trendy in restaurants and stores. You can find the Picardie Duralex or the Gigogne Duralex almost everywhere.

The other day, I had lunch at London Plane and… Happy me, I was 20 in my glass. I felt so well for the rest of the day!

Duralex USA 

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He writes poetry for others

One Sunday morning at Ballard Farmer’s Market, a sign saying “Poems, your topic, your price” drew my attention. In front of this sign were two men tapping on old fashioned typewriter on recycled paper. One of them was Willhelm Curius.

I asked him if he could write something for my eldest son who was abroad for his sophomore year and whom I missed. He asked for a few more information and I gave him more details and described Pierre a little bit. There were a lot of people at the market that day and he told me he would be done 30 minutes later.

When I came back he offered to read the poem aloud. I found it very moving and I was touched.

— At Ballard Farmer’s Market

www.yourtopicyourprice.com