Agra-CULTURE: A Farmer’s Perspective

Finnriver Farm Chickens

In addition to providing the resort with fresh eggs for its guests, Keith and Crystie Kisler, owners of Chimacum’s Finnriver Farm, share Chef Dan’s commitment to restoring vitality to the rural local community through farm/restaurant partnerships. Below, Crystie offers a farmer’s perspective.

Farming is an act of food-growing and community-growing. Although many of the farmers I know are soulful, quiet folks who would prefer to spend their time in the fields with hands in the dirt than be out handshaking at a party with heap of people, still they know that agriculture (from agra for ‘land’) requires CULTURE to thrive. In our rural community here in Jefferson County, a wonderful sense of common purpose has developed among food growers and food preparers and purveyors. The ‘eat local’ movement has inspired conversation and collaboration that is successfully connecting our farms to restaurants and allowing folks at their tables to taste what is growing fresh in our fields.

Gathering Eggs

Chef Dan from the Fireside Restaurant at Port Ludlow Resort, for example, has been at Finnriver, our 33 acre organic farm and artisan cidery, many times now. His positive experiences on this land led him to make a commitment to purchase our organically grown, pasture-raised eggs for his kitchen. Making this commitment was not simple, although it may seem logical for a restaurant to source its food from a nearby farm. But in fact over the last fifty years or more, the modern food system has been moving away from local sourcing at a commercial scale and has instead looked for the cheapest source. The industrialization of agriculture has led to a system of food distribution that does not prioritize how or where food is produced, but simply how much it costs—the bottom line has turned eating into an economic act rather than an intimate one.

Chef Dan’s choice to purchase eggs locally from Finnriver requires him to pay a significantly higher price than he could get for commercially produced eggs from afar. But he knows who raises these chickens and, well, he knows the chickens themselves! He can speak to his restaurant customers with confidence and care about the fresh, local eggs and share with them the many benefits to both human and community health that come with eating those glorious, golden yokes.

Life on the Farm

Even though the agriculture system has been commercialized and de-personalized in many parts of the world, the good news is that many communities are turning this around by working together to nurture relationships between farmers and chefs. Through organizations like local farmers markets, Slow Food, the Chef’s collaborative movement, Cascade Harvest Coalition and the Olympic Culinary Loop, our local ag network is becoming stronger and more vital.

Recently a group of Resort at Port Ludlow chefs and managers came out to our farm to discuss ways we could work together. It was an honor to welcome them onto this land and to envision ways for us to grow together, celebrating life on the land and restoring vitality to a rural farm community.

Photo credit to: Tomo Saito

Farm to Table – Working to Sustain an Artisanal Food Community

Finnriver Farm

Supporting local farmers is a high priority for the Fireside Restaurant’s management team, and the commitment goes beyond just buying local!  In today’s post, Director of Food & Beverage James Robinson explains how the Fireside is partnering with local growers.

 Nestled against the sea and just minutes from East Jefferson County’s agricultural heartland, Port Ludlow is in a prime location to benefit from the bounty the area has to offer. From vegetables, to cheese, to fishmongers and bakers, there’s no shortage of highly quality goods. However, years ago the management team at the Resort At Port Ludlow’s Fireside Restaurant decided that it isn’t enough to simply purchase the goods. If we believe in helping to foster and sustain an active farming and artisanal food community – which we do – then we decided we must do more. We must lead.

Executive Chef Dan Ratigan

To that end, Dan Ratigan, our executive chef, convened a farmer and restaurateur summit this spring. The idea was to gather all the players in the same room in an attempt to solve some of our most vexing delivery and distribution challenges. One of the summit’s goals was to work toward creating predictability in the market by cajoling other restaurateurs into committing to sourcing a variety of products from area farms. With commitments, farmers could grow crops with the assurance that there was a willing buyer, or market, for their goods.

 Although the farmer-restaurateur summit drew a tepid response from the area restaurant community, the farmers were ecstatic. Moreover, the afternoon galvanized our resolve to stay front-runners in the Peninsula’s farm to table movement -- and not because it’s the trendy thing to do. But because the quality of the goods available here are unsurpassed; because it’s the right thing to do for the environment, because it’s the right thing to do for the local economy and the community and because it allows us to offer a menu we are extremely proud of. As a rule, our menu and business plan make the use of locally grown, locally produced, locally foraged and locally fished products paramount.

SpringRain Farm Chickens

In that regard, we are working with SpringRain Farm to develop a market for poussins – or young chickens. Although these chickens take a prominent place on our menu, we hadn’t found a local source – until now. As our relationship develops and we commit to SpringRain Farm, they are assured they have an outlet for their products and we are assured we have a source for a coveted menu item.

Chef Dan's friend, Graham Kerr, Visits Red Dog Farm 

The same holds true for Red Dog Farm in Chimacum. Before planting began last year Karyn Williams and Ratigan sat down with seed catalogues in order to ensure she grew crops with a guaranteed market.  We committed to rows, she committed to us. And now, fresh produce arrives daily, our relationship with Red Dog Farm is thriving and we are proud to showcase her high quality produce on our menu.

Just down Center Valley Road from Red Dog Farm lies Finnriver Farm – our sole source for eggs. Like Red Dog Farm, our partnership with Keith and Crystie Kisler runs deep. In addition to continually developing outlets at the Resort for their goods, our most recent project includes creating a roster of agri-tourism events and activities for Resort guests.

But partnerships, relationships and excellence grow in baby steps and it’s taken us years to get us where we are.  First you’ve got to plant the seeds and hope they germinate. Then you hope for conditions favorable for the production of strong healthy crops. Once the seedlings burst through the soil, they must be nurtured in order to produce.

As a business and organization, we have forged fast friendships and strong partnerships with the Olympic Peninsula’s premier growers but stay tuned, because we are not finished. Our seeds have sprouted, but there is still much to do to ensure that East Jefferson County becomes the epicenter of the state’s farm-to-table and locavore food movements – and not because it is trendy, but because it is the right thing to do. See you at the next farm and restaurateur summit!

A Year In The Making



Beautiful Petal

Our knitters had a wonderful 3-day retreat in June with a few staying over longer to continue enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of the Resort. They worked hard at the retreat – absorbing new knitting and dyeing techniques taught by their energetic and captivating teachers, mastering new cooking skills with Chef Dan and his team. They visited local Finnriver Farm each day, the source of The Fireside’s freshly laid eggs, tasting boutique apple ciders, preparing dinners for the group, and ending their days feasting on their bounty along with paired wine flights.

As tradition would have it, the knitters found the extra energy to “yarn bomb” the Inn during their stay.  One piece of knitted art had been in the planning process for several months. We call it A Year in the Making – not to be missed!  This beautiful piece surrounds our staircase light fixture … how did they install it with no ladders, no scaffolding?  It’s a mystery, a secret taken away by the knitters, never to be shared, yet this beautiful piece of art will remain to be enjoyed for years to come.  

A Year In The Making

This retreat’s site specific art installation is now available for public viewing –stop by the Inn at The Resort at Port Ludlow during the month of July to enjoy the knitting artists’ work. We have shared pictures of a few pieces here if you are unable to make it before July 31st.

How Did They Get Up There?!

Urbanites to Lavender Farmers

Sequim’s 2012 Lavender Weekend celebration is just a week away, July 20-22! The bloom is right on schedule, shrouding Sequim in a vibrant sea of purple!

Jardin du Soleil, one of 7 farms on the renowned Heritage Lavender Farm Tour, is under new ownership this year by a couple who just may hold the record as Sequim’s youngest lavender farmers ever!  An adventure of a lifetime led them to Sequim – and they are working hard and loving a new life that they never before imagined!

Summer Bloom

The Schiefen’s Story 

What would possibly motivate a thirty-something pre-school teacher and her insurance agent husband to pack-up their two small kids (ages 5 and 2) and the dog and chuck their comfortable urban life in Santa Barbara, Calif.  --  to become lavender farmers? Particularly when neither had any kind of farming experience whatsoever – in fact, they never even had a yard!  

According to Jordan and Paul Schiefen, it all began with a search for a more  simple, stable life that involved selling the family business, buying a small trailer and setting off on a cross country journey with destination unknown. Their only requirements – wherever they landed must have ocean, mountains, and be within 3 hours of a major city.

After traveling from California to Maine and back to the west coast -- still searching – the Schiefen’s happened to roll into Sequim during an uncharacteristically rainy 2011 Lavender Weekend celebration. They visited all of the destination farms on the Lavender Farm Tour, and noted that the last one, Jardin du Soleil, was up for sale.

After touring the farm and speaking with owners Pam and Randy Nicholson, the stars aligned! This was what the Schiefen’s had been looking for! They made an offer the Monday after Lavender Weekend, and because harvest was imminent, got a 15-day Escrow!

Jardin du Soleil

A flight back to California to tie-up loose ends, then back to Sequim to undergo 3 intensive days of training with the former owners, and the Schiefen’s were on their own with a lot of lavender to harvest and lavender oil to distill!

“I had no idea one year ago how much work running the farm would be – growing, distilling oil, and running the on-site gift shop,” says Jordan Schiefen. “We’ve taken it step-by-step and the Lavender Farmers Association has been a big help along the way. We’ve loved every second of it! This is the life that we were looking for.”

“As we approach our initial year on the Heritage Farm Tour, Schiefen continues, “we welcome visitors to what is not just a business, but our family home – complete with playhouses, sandboxes and chickens! Our 5-year-old son will most likely be mingling with visitors selling the basket full of lavender bundles that he clipped. Oh – and there is no longer a ‘please hold your child’s hand’ sign on the gift shop door!

The Schiefen Family and Jardin du Soleil will be featured on King 5’s Evening Magazine on Wednesday, July 18 at 7 p.m. Be sure to tune in!

About Sequim Lavender Weekend
Sequim Lavender Weekend is comprised of two separate events – the Lavender Farm Faire, which features the renowned Heritage Tour of 7 destination lavender farms, each a festival unto itself, plus “Lavender in the Park” at Carrie Blake Park/Reuse Demonstration Park, a free family-friendly central source for all things lavender – food, music, cooking demonstrations, crafts, family programs and more.

The second event, Lavender Festival, features a self-guided “U-Tour" of more of Sequim’s many lavender farms, plus the annual Street Fair on Fir Street in downtown Sequim.

Totem Pole Depicts Port Ludlow's Evolution

Burner Point

The next time you visit Port Ludlow, take the short stroll from the Inn to Burner Point, a circle of lawn overlooking the Bay, and view the totem pole at its center.

Designed specifically for this site by David Boxley, a Tsimshian carver from Metlakatla, Alaska, the pole depicts the evolution of Port Ludlow from its past natural state to its present state as a residential community, in six Tsimshian figures.

Standing 40-feet high, the pole is carved from a Western Red Cedar tree located on the Olympic Peninsula at Nolan Creek, south of the Hoh Rain Forest. A wind storm in 1993 blew the 720-year-old tree to the ground, and Boxley chose it from amongst several trees for the Burner Point totem.

The initial cuts to the log were made at a sawmill in Gorst, outside of Bremerton, and the balance of the carving was done in a temporary shelter erected near to the pole’s present site.

Starting from the top, the figures are:

Eagle and Bear

The Eagle – representing the state prior to any human occupation.

The Bear – representing the ancestors of the local S’Klallam tribe.

Two Men with Locked Arms – Mr. Pope and Mr. Talbot, owners of the sawmill formerly located in Port Ludlow.

The Lumberman – representing the period of the sawmill, 1852-1935.

Inn At Port Ludlow in the Distance

The Beaver – representing the building phase of Pope Resources.

The Six Interlocking Figures – representing the people and community of Port Ludlow.

According to Boxley, one of the six figures represents an actual person. Tony Puma, who was the construction project manager for the Inn and apparently conceived the idea to place a totem pole at Burner Point, is the mustached man with the cell phone.

The pole was completed and raised in 1995.

Source: Port Ludlow Voice, June 2000

Life As Live Aboards

Dolphin Spirit

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live on a boat with the freedom to chart your own course, traveling when and where you choose in the comfort of your floating home? It’s a dream-come-true for Anne and Don Whipple, a California couple that moors in Port Ludlow for part of every year.

As guest bloggers this week, the Whipple’s share a bit about what keeps them coming back to Port Ludlow year after year.

Boating has been a big part of our lives since the early years of our marriage. We spent nearly 30 years houseboating, skiing, jet skiing, and fishing on a small Northern California lake. Our retirement dream was always to live aboard a boat and cruise. We envisioned ourselves exploring the historic waters of the Intercoastal Waterway--generally known in boating circles as "The Great Loop."

Anne Whipple

As sometimes happens to plans, fate and a good friend intervened! Shortly before we were ready to put our California home on the market and set off to follow our nomadic dream, we were invited to join a friend on his boat to cruise for a week on Puget Sound and in the San Juan Islands. We were smitten! We thought this was the most spectacular area we had ever seen!

Don Whipple

When our home sold a few months later, we decided to return to the area to see if it was still so magical. It was! Perhaps even more so!

We have been living aboard "Dolphin Spirit" in the Resort at Port Ludlow Marina since spring of 2004. We have met many wonderful people here and are active members of the Port Ludlow Yacht Club. We felt Port Ludlow was home from the very first time we saw it. That good feeling surfaces each time we return, whether from our summer cruising aboard Dolphin Spirit or our RV travels south in the wintertime. Port Ludlow is home.

And, as Dorothy said, "there's no place like home!"

Anne & Don Whipple

Meet Kori and Port Ludlow’s Seafaring Dog

Sir Christopher Ludlow Sampson

If you’ve been to the marina lately, you may have noticed a cute little Welsh Corgi trotting along a dock or taking an afternoon nap in the sun. That would be none other than Sir Christopher Ludlow Sampson, Port Ludlow’s seafaring dog and loyal companion of Marina Manager Kori Ward. While Sir Christopher has been “working” at the marina for the nearly seven years, Kori’s history with the Resort At Port Ludlow spans two decades.

Marina Manager Kori Ward

 Growing up in a boating family that made its home on the Hood Canal, Kori has always been at home on the water and was naturally drawn to a maritime career. She hired on as a dock attendant at the Resort in 1992, and worked her way up to Dock Master and finally to Marina Manager. She is the “go to” person for long-term moorage arrangements and manages a marina staff of seven.

Working with Port Ludlow’s resident boating community and the many guests that boat-in to the Resort or kayak on Ludlow Bay is what Kori loves best about her job. She is extremely knowledgeable, and regularly fields a variety of questions.

Asked what question she gets the most from visiting boaters, Kori replies, “what is the average temperature of the water in Ludlow Bay?”

If you’re reading this post, you may live in Port Ludlow or perhaps you’ve enjoyed a stay at the Resort. Do you know the answer? If so, tell us – or share your best guess – with a comment below! Kori promises to provide the answer next week.

Now that summer is finally here, we hope you’ll come out and enjoy the marina often -- whether it’s from the water or while relaxing with a glass of wine on the veranda and watching the boats go by!

Port Ludlow Marina

Port Ludlow By Boat

The Farmer’s Almanac has predicted a much warmer and slightly drier summer in the Pacific Northwest this year. If you’re a boater, this welcome news may have you making travel plans!  With so much to do – from calculating nautical miles to mapping out your cruising/sailing route to scheduling or performing maintenance on your craft to a million other preparations -- the best way not to forget something important is often by writing a “Note to Self.” The Ludlow Portal would like to help by writing that note for you.

Note To Self: Reserve a Slip at Port Ludlow Marina!
          

The Resort At Port Ludlow’s deep water full-service marina, Latitude 47 55.30’, Longitude 122 41.10’, is surrounded by pristine natural beauty and Olympic Mountain views. It has 300 slips (60 designated for guests) and can accommodate vessels up to 200’. More information here.

It’s a great base from which to enjoy the Resort’s amenities, such as championship golf and dining at the award-winning Fireside Restaurant.

The marina is also ideally situated for access to the San Juan Islands, as well as day trips to Port Townsend, Poulsbo, Admiralty Inlet and other destinations.

Have you boated in to the Resort before? If so, what were some of the highlights of your trip? Please share your experience by commenting below!

Meet Brent Sasse of Westharbor Homes

Brent Sasse

Brent Sasse is the Construction Manager at Westharbor Homes, a full service general contractor that has been building and remodeling homes in the master-planned community at Port Ludlow for over 20 years. If you live in Port Ludlow, you may know Brent. Perhaps you’ve had the pleasure of working with him or have joined him on the links. If not, please allow The Ludlow Portal to introduce you to this most personable builder through a quick round of Q & A.

LP: How long have you been building homes?           

Brent:  I grew up in the construction industry. My grandfather started a family business –Sasse & Sons Construction -- and my Dad and his brothers all worked there. When I was old enough I joined them. I did everything– framing, dry wall, roofing, cabinetry, tile work, etc.  It gave me broad industry knowledge and experience, which I value today. Most contractors my age are specialty contractors.  

Brent and a fellow Port Ludlow Golf Club Member

LP:  What aspect of construction do you most enjoy?     

Brent:  The thing I enjoy most is building relationships with my clients helping them throughout their projects – that’s what it’s all about. I’ve made a lot of friends within the community, and the business has grown through word-of-mouth.

LP: You are originally from Southern California. What brought you to Washington?

Brent: The opportunity to work for Westharbor Homes! My family had vacationed in Washington, and when the job offer came through in 2006 we were ready to move.

LP: One of the really nice things about the residential community at Port Ludlow is the diversity of homes. Tell us about some of the homes that you’ve built.


Brent: I’ve built 12 custom and semi-custom spec homes in the community. They’ve ranged in size from 2,000 to 7,000 square feet with a variety of floor plans, surfaces and finishes. One of the really nice things about Port Ludlow is that all of the homes have either mountain, water or golf course views.



LP: Westharbor Homes will be breaking ground on a new project in the near future – Ludlow Bay Village Condominiums. What differentiates this project from other condominiums in Port Ludlow?

 

Ludlow Bay Village Condominiums

Brent:  First of all – the location. These units will be right on the water between the marina and the Inn at Port Ludlow, with fantastic views of Ludlow Bay and the Olympic Mountains. We’ll be using the most up-to-date building materials and practices. Project phasing includes redevelopment of the marina with new retail space, a restaurant and a boardwalk, which will give it an urban village kind of feel.

If you’d like to contact Brent Sasse in regard to building or remodeling a home, he can be reached at 360-437-8255 or BSasse@portludlowassociates.com.

Ludlow Bay Village Condo Project

Smell the salt water, see the eagles soar, be in awe of the majestic Olympic Mountains, hear the creaks of the boats and see the seagulls float on the wind.  This could be your dream vacation, second home or residence.  This project is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of waterfront on the sunny side of the Olympic Peninsula.  You could enjoy an easy commute from Seattle and Edmonds.



View from Covered Deck

Westharbor Homes is offering 4 condo units for presale in Port Ludlow, WA.  The units will range in size from 1,525 to 2,300, with pricing from $420,000 to $575,000.  These waterfront craftsman style condos are feet from the water’s edge.  The units are 2 bedroom, den, 2 bath and are Green Built with flexible design options, including outdoor living spaces.

Click here to see a short video presentation on the project.



Ludlow Bay Village Waterfront Units

A true piece of Northwest paradise, the master-planned waterfront resort community at Port Ludlow features an 18-hole championship golf course, a 300-slip full service marina, wellness complexes, 20 miles of hiking/biking trails, a boutique-style Inn and the award-winning Fireside Restaurant. Residents say that safety, a feeling of welcome, and wonderful neighbors are some of the things that they love best about the community. Strong friendships are forged through the many special interest and social clubs that thrive in Port Ludlow – from theater to hiking to “Dine and Discover” and more. The year-round mild climate – with high temperatures averaging 75 degrees in summer and 45 degrees in winter – is another plus!

With only 4 units for presale, these will not be on the market long. Contact us today at Homes@westharborhomes.com or 360-437-2101.

New Website Designed for Interaction

You’ve probably noticed that the Resort’s website has a brand new look and feel! The goal was to create a site that not only says “look at me,” but also “here’s what you’re looking for.” The new design is intended to engage you with relevant content, provide more opportunities for interaction, and enable you to navigate effortlessly throughout the site while discovering all that The Resort At Port Ludlow has to offer.  Enjoy your time exploring; we look forward to seeing you soon! 

Introducing The Ludlow Portal
A portal, by definition, is a doorway, gate or other entrance. In that sense our new blog, The Ludlow Portal, is intended to provide a visual entrée to life in this unique master-planned community.

While its surrounding beauty and serenity are evident, Port Ludlow’s unique personality derives from the people who live and work here, from daily “happenings,” and from ongoing events and activities. This blog is a place where Port Ludlow’s personality will shine – and where those who come for a day or stay for a lifetime – can engage in conversation.

Each weekly post will expand upon a monthly topic, from new projects and the people behind them to marina goings-on to what it means to “live the Port Ludlow life” and more, with timely “special posts” sprinkled in here and there. We welcome – and encourage – reader comments! What are your thoughts on a topic? Do you have information or insight to share? Are you aware of a source of additional information on a subject? If so, please post!

We can all learn from, inspire and entertain one another. So let’s get the conversation started!

Facebook
Also new, the Resort has integrated its 3 former Facebook pages – one for the Port Ludlow Golf Club; one for the Marina; and one for the Inn – into a single Resort Facebook page. Accessible from the Resort’s website or at www.facebook.com/portludlow, this is where you’ll find announcements, “happenings,” tips, events and other news posted on a daily basis. Some posts will expand upon weekly blog topics.

Visit us and join or start a Facebook conversation! We invite you to post your comments, questions, thoughts and suggestions, as well as photos (always fun!), and web links.

Twitter We’ll be tweeting news and information to our followers, too! Go to http://twitter.com/#!/portludlow and sign-up to follow us.

We hope that you will engage regularly in all of these social media opportunities, spark and join in stimulating conversations and help us to “put a face” on Port Ludlow!

 

Mom's Special Day

For as long as many of us can remember, families throughout the U.S. have been celebrating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. Ever wonder how Mom’s special day got its start?

Here’s a quick history.
                                  

Julia Ward Howe

The first North American Mother’s Day was conceptualized in Julia Ward Howe’s Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870. Despite having penned The Battle Hymn of the Republic 12 years earlier, Howe had become so distraught by the death and carnage of the Civil War that she called on mothers to come together and protest what she saw as the futility of their sons killing the sons of other mothers. In her Mother’s Day Proclamation of 1870, Howe called for an international Mother's Day celebrating peace and motherhood.

Anna Jarvis

Though Howe planted the seed that would blossom into what we know as Mother’s Day today, it would take the efforts of another woman, Anna Jarvis of West Virginia, to bring Howe’s call to national observance. Determined to honor her own activist mother, who was recently deceased, Jarvis devoted herself full time to the creation of Mother's Day, endlessly petitioning state governments, business leaders, women groups, churches and other organizations. She finally convinced the World's Sunday School Association to back her, a key influence over state legislators and congress. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. You can read more at www.mothersdaycentral.com.

Memories of Mom

Throughout our lives, we’ve all collected special memories of Mom – of time spent together, of the things she taught us, of “mom epithets” that we can still hear and find ourselves repeating to our own children.
Following are some special memories shared by Port Ludlow “kids."

Ginny

One of the many things my Mom taught me was the love of music. She raised seven kids (along with my Dad) and there was always music of some sort going on. To this day, at age 86, she performs in a "Kitchen Band" and is quite particular about this. She plays the "glasses" - they must be crystal and set, just so, for each performance. She was always quite a good cook too - and recently gave me her original Betty Crocker Picture Cook Book. (I guess she decided that, at age 86, she doesn't need this anymore!) It is carefully held together with tape and the pages are splattered and the tabs nearly worn out. It is inscribed in my Grandmother's perfect penmanship - Dec. 14, 1951 - To Ginny, with Love, Mom Unger - Happy Birthday. This was a few years before I was born - and a gift from my Dad's Mom to my Mom. On the inside cover it says: "Home is where the heart is." To be cherished.
                                                             - Debbie Wardrop, General Manager
                                                              The Inn at Port Ludlow

Kori and Mom

My Mother has taught me so much in my life; from coaching me in Little League basketball to teaching me all the lyrics to “Cover of the Rolling Stones” by Dr. Hook. A memory that stands out from childhood is a day out crabbing with her and my dad. We were using an antique crab catcher my grandfather had built. This contraption was dear to my father. Needless to say, it fell overboard. Dad told me not to play with it! My Mom spent the next hour diving off our boat into the cold Hood Canal trying to retrieve the crab catcher. As always my mom was successful in her endeavor. I thank my mother for passing along to me her strong work ethic, her desire to please and of course her goofy laugh. 

                                                                - Kori Ward, Marina Manager
                                                                  The Resort at Port Ludlow

Remember how when we were kids and talking about when we would have kids, we would say “I won’t do that because that’s what my Mom does”. Every time I say certain phrases, I think – Wow, I sound just like Mom. With age, wisdom must come, because I now appreciate the phrases and understand the need for them.

I learned many things from my Mom, but mostly to have patience, to be kind to others and don’t take life too seriously. Ever since I was born, my mother has been mentally handicapped. Usually, it was my older sister doing the mothering, but Mom still taught us some valuable lessons.

The patience came in dealing with her abilities on a daily basis. Some days were good and some not so good. She would not be rushed and could be very STUBBORN. However with a lot of patience and a little humor, she would give you a great big smile and do as asked.

Mom always asked everyone if they were being kind to their wife, husband, kids, animals, etc… This seemed to be a real concern for her. She genuinely wanted to ensure that you were being treated right and treating others right. Her attention to this imprinted that same concern on her children.

There were many times growing up that I wanted to die of embarrassment because of something Mom did. Funny, my daughter would probably say the same about me. At first it was hard to accept. What was the lasting effect – nothing! One time I remember being at the Mall and my Mom asked a perfect stranger if he was doing okay. He stared at us, I think trying to figure out why he knew this person. Then he asked if he knew her and I explained to him, that he did not know her and that she was just making conversation. After a while, I would just laugh and share a smile with Mom. Maybe she knew what she was doing all along – teaching a lesson.

There were many similar type incidents over the years and I learned if I smiled and found humor in the situations, no matter what the audience thought, it was not worth worrying about.

Gloria

We just celebrated Mom’s 79^thbirthday. She is doing pretty well today. Still gives me that great smile and appreciates the little things in life. Thanks Mom for being such a great role model.

               - Diana Smeland, President
                 Port Ludlow Associates

I never have been a gardener, never thought I would ever enjoy it. I bought my first place a few years ago and since have been constantly fixing and upgrading the property, which includes the landscaping. Today landscaping/gardening is an activity and time that I truly enjoy and cherish spending with my mother. 

I am so happy that spring has arrived and will allow us this time once again!

                                                                - Nathan LaPlante, Marketing Manager
                                                                  Port Ludlow Associates

My mom passed away a number of years ago but the thing I will always remember about her is that she would never let me leave her house without a kiss. It was almost a game I would play with her to see if I could sneak out without the “KISS.” Every once in a while I would make it out the door and I would hear the “MICHAEL GET BACK HERE!” I will never forget those words. Now that I have girls of my own I find myself doing the same thing.

                                                            - Vito (Michael) DeSantis, Director
                                                              Port Ludlow Golf Club

What’s your favorite memory of Mom? Post a comment and share!

Celebrate Mom!

How will you celebrate Mom this year? Why not start her special day with a scrumptious brunch surrounded by beautiful water and mountain views?! 

The Resort’s Fireside Restaurant will host an a la cart Mother's Day Brunch with a seven entrée menu and buffet station on Sunday, May 13, 11am-3pm. Early reservations are highly recommended. Call 360-437-7412.