ECCC 2025, Music, Science Fairs, and our Backyard Project

What a busy week for all of us! I’ll jump right into it.

Today, we experienced our second Emerald City Comic Con and had a blast! We took the light rail downtown and arrived at 10am when it opened. We viewed the many artists booth and shops. We attended two panels. One was titled, “The Five Pillars of Highly Addictive Characters” and there other was, “Hack that Plot! Starting and Finish Your Stories”. The kids enjoyed both panels as they offered great tips for their creative writing. We also watched “Jacques ze Whipper with Ses Carny“. Go watch his YouTube videos. Entertaining and funny! As always, half the reason you go is to people watch! So many characters to view throughout the day. I look forward to our 3rd ECCC in 2026!
Autumn started vibraphone lessons yesterday! She is very excited about receiving formal training on the vibraphone. She took piano lessons when she was in 2nd grade, but quickly didn’t like the lessons part. After starting drums in 4th grade, she has only received drum lessons. She started to play the vibraphone in school band in 6th grade and has been self-taught since that time – incorporating her ability to read notes (from piano) and practicing the mallets (her drum background). She is playing the vibes more often in her high school jazz ensemble because there are so many drummers and she wants to find as much play time as possible. She took a lesson from Ben Thomas yesterday and had a wonderful time! The one hour really changed her approach to establishing a solid foundation in how she plays the vibes. We look forward to more time with Ben.
Ethan is a busy researcher this week presenting his research at two science fairs. As part of his STEM Diploma work in high school, his senior English class is focused on STEM and learning how to research. While it’s a challenging class, he’s enjoyed the experience. Last Tuesday he presented his paper in a practice science fair at his school. It was a good opportunity to practice taking about his research and receive feedback. On Saturday, he attended the Regional Science Fair. Over 250 students presented their research. He was recognized for his work with the “Inspiring Excellence Award” (40 recipients received this award). His research project is titled, “Changes in Arc’s of Narrative in Music Genres”. It focuses on the lyrics and predictable language patterns/storytelling in different music genres. Ask him about it next time you see him.
Backyard Update: I took Friday off work to finish our retaining wall steps. This is the first time I’ve actually built steps. They aren’t complicated but require the right tools and some basic planning to ensure they turnout as I want. I purchased a wet saw to cut concrete blocks to make the job easier. I loved using this saw! Definitely creates a wet mess but minimizes the dust (dangerous particles) and speeds up the process.
Last, both kids participated in the Edmonds School District SE Quad Band Concert. This is Ethan’s last Quad concert. His first quad concert was in 2015 when he was in orchestra. Time sure flies!

Final Thought

“This Land is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land, and this land is my land
From California to the New York island
From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me

As I went walking that ribbon of highway
And I saw above me that endless skyway
I saw below me that golden valley
This land was made for you and me

I roamed and rambled, and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts
All around me, a voice was a-sounding
This land was made for you and me

There was a big high wall there that tried to stop me
Sign was painted, said, “Private Property”
But on the back side, it didn’t say nothing
This land was made for you and me

When the sun comes shining, then I was strolling
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling
A voice come chanting as the fog was lifting
This land was made for you and me

This land is your land, and this land is my land
From California to the New York Island
From Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me