Uniquely entrepreneurial …

CHERYL NUNN, a liaison representative for Cascade Custom Homes and Design, bridges communication between customers and subcontractors, managing changes and making sure the home owner is satisfied. She handles no more than three homes at a time in this unique position. “So far, I have been the only woman on the island to do this sort of work,” Cheryl said, noting that Cascade president JON ROBERTS has hired LISA MARTI to train with her, the idea is working out so well.

LEONARD JOHNSON, real estate and mortgage broker and owner of American Dream Real Estate in Anacortes, Oak Harbor  and Mount Vernon, loves what he does. He knows what it is to work hard, having given up a 12-year career as a physical therapist and Urgent care clinic manager to pursue the world of real estate. He helped my former neighbors buy their home and said business, at least in our corner of the country, will continue to be good. “Of all the shows I’ve done over the last four years, this was truly the most fun and best put together,” he said, calling the participation “overwhelming.”

They represent just two of the companies at the recent Uniquely Whidbey Trade Fair in Coupeville and agree the important thing was to have people stop, ask questions and learn about a service or product. If they save those business cards and brochures for future reference, now that’s a successful contact.

The good old days …

In an e-mail from CHUCK STEPHENS, a former Navy man who flew in Grumman Albatrosses in the late ‘50s at Annapolis, Md., he recalled a trip he and his wife SALLY made to Whidbey Island in 1989. Their son MIKE was an instrument repairman here and a grandchild was due around Labor Day.

“SCOTT STEPHENS was born the night we got there,” Chuck recalled. “We had a really great visit for the week, but when got ready to fly home, the Oak Harbor airport was socked in. We could hear our plane make a couple of approaches and hear him talking on intercom, but he couldn’t get down.”

Passengers were loaded on a van and driven to NAS Whidbey where they boarded their plane to Seattle and Chuck and Sally got their connecting flight home to Michigan.

“Whidbey Island is a place worthy of visiting again,” Chuck wrote. To which we add, amen!

Standing room only …

I arrived at Angelo’s Caffe on a recent Saturday, expecting to meet a friend for a quiet Saturday lunch. Who should surprise me when I stepped inside but MICHELLE MARTIN, back in the area after a year in Australia. By happy coincidence, I was wearing a beautiful scarf she made while Down Under.

I was soon joined by BEV BABB, and we ordered our favorites, spinach salad and chicken breast on homemade foccacia. Suddenly, music filled the air. One after another, people came through the open front door, drawn there by the sounds of soft jazz. BRUCE SEAVER plays the guitar and KIM GRIGALIUNAS the saxophone on Saturday afternoons. Bruce has a new CD in the works, but why wait when you can catch him live at Angelo’s.

Ladies who lunch …

LOIS REPOZ did a marvelous job of coordinating the “Strawberry Tarts” luncheon at the Whidbey Golf and Country Club. Each Red Hatter brought a tea cup that held a special meaning and wore vintage clothing they modeled after lunch.

BEVERLY POTTER’S blue taffeta formal was originally worn by her former mother-in-law to Bev’s wedding. Underneath she wore gym bloomers worn by her mother in 1922 when she was a student at Bellingham Normal School.

LYNN MURPHY’S tweed jacket was once worn by her mother in New Zealand. CHERYL ENGLE wore a fur coat given to her mother by her father RAY SHERMAN after an especially good cabbage crop. Mrs. Sherman even wore it to court on a hot August day to convince the judge they could provide for the children they sought to adopt.

MARY ANN McKOLE modeled her mother’s purple velvet evening coat, while MARY JO HODGES wore a red, wool car coat. LURENE RICHARDS and LOIS REPOZ both wore purple silk tops. Lurene also modeled a black fur jacket.

New member MARY ANN SAFFORD wore a hand-made sweater from the ‘50s, plus a fur hat, caplet and her mother’s necklace.

Dressed in 1890s vintage was YSELDAH APPLEGATE, wearing a long-sleeved, white satin blouse, a large brooch from her mother’s jewelry box, a long purple skirt and red boots.

See you in November …

“You’ll be so happy you did it,” people tell me. We’ll see if they’re right as I recuperate from total knee replacement surgery and begin physical therapy with STEVE HARADA. I’ll be back in about three weeks, but in the interim, will check my email at lifeonwhidbey@yahoo.com and phone messages at 360-675-6611, so let’s stay in touch!