The Burien Library will be hosting a Teen ‘Iron Chef’ competition from 3 p.m. – 4 p.m. today, with teens utilizing items purchased from the weekly Farmers Market.

Teens will compete using items purchased from the market to make a Salsa.

“Make your own salsa using fresh ingredients from the Burien Farmers Market,” reads the KCLS website. “Local celebrity judges will taste your creations and choose a winner. Everyone who attends gets to enjoy chips and salsa.”

The actual event will take place in the Multipurpose Room of the library, and it’s open to children ages 10 and older.

From what we can tell, participants can just show up and register at the library – but may we suggest calling 206-243-3490 first to confirm.

For more information, check out the KCLS event listing here.

Speaking of my mom…

She has always told people that when it comes to making friends, my life is an open book. She should know, having been my librarian for years.

Ok, so that analogy was a stretch…but the point is, I talk to strangers. It’s just who I am.  Regardless of all the ‘Stranger Danger’ lectures from my parents, even as a child, I could not help myself.

My husband has accustomed himself to this reality and has adapted accordingly.

He has learned that if I’m in a public setting with opportunities to socialize, I will do exactly that. He avoids going out with me very much. Not really, but he has developed an incredible ‘game face’ about it.

Thankfully I’ve learned how to read people and am able to tell if they are receptive to chit-chat while seated next to me at the coffee shop. Especially if they have the good (mis)fortune to be stuck waiting for their take out sandwich. Enter Steve and Rebecca.

After spending too many hours web-surfing at Auntie Irene’s Espresso, I had the opportunity to meet Steve and Rebecca, my unsuspecting new friends-to-be. Steve was wearing a Marine (ooh-rah) t-shirt representing his son Eric. Which prompted me (as a military mom) to ask the standard questions: Marines? Duh. Current station? San Diego. Duty Assignment? Infantry…and so forth. Rebecca answered very kindly, and shared with me the same feelings common to military moms.

Steve smiled and nodded in all the right places (he has a good ‘game face’ too) and contributed occasionally as Rebecca and I shared mutual parenting stories and woes. We agreed that age of middle school is toughest…for parents…and observed the blessing/curse that is known as the digital age. We also risked sounding ‘old’ by stating that the current generation of kids simply doesn’t get the value of quality face time. During the course of our chitting and chatting I learned that Rebecca has garnered the Trifecta of Transition:

• Recent Move
• Unemployment
• Empty Nest

All happening at once. Add to that an active duty son in the Marines (ooh-rah) currently prepping for deployment, and she has every reason to be a babbling incoherent mess. But no. She’s charming, poised and gracious. I think I hate her.

Okay, not really. But I do envy her ability to compassionately listen and converse with the ramblings of strangers (me) while remaining patient. Even after her takeout lunch arrived, she lingered and politely let our random conversation wrap up naturally. Her life is nearly an ‘open book’ as mine.

After final pleasantries were exchanged,they headed out, lunch in hand and ready to go about the rest of their day, leaving me with a renewed inspiration to write and an empty wine rack still to be filled. But it looks like someone else just walked in the door. I wonder what they’re having for lunch…

This week has been both a new education and a return to my roots.  School was released last week to the jubilant cheers of students and collective groan of parents.

After the observations of how different the world is today and how quickly it can change, I took measured action to slow things down…for at least one of the children.

Saturday found us headed to my hometown. Although I am a Pacific North Westerner, my hometown can be found in central Eastern Oregon. Specifically, Baker City…which is also the hometown of Darling Husband.

Last weekend it was just us girls, youngest daughter and myself. Her world this past year has been moving way too fast, and the time had come for her to get a good old fashioned education. I took her to my brother’s ranch where we kicked it ‘old school.’ Awaiting our arrival was a considerably sized barn with stalls that needed a good mucking out.

We arrived late Saturday evening, had a quick visit, and then headed off to bed. Awake at first light, I rolled over to check the time; 4:45 a.m.! Because it was Sunday, we had planned to just relax that day and dig into the barn first thing Monday. I remained in bed for 30 minutes, and at 5:15 was unable to stay there a moment longer. My brother was already up, and the coffee was beckoning.  We sat in the clear quiet light of dawn chatting softly about what needed to be done over the next several days. He called me ‘sis’. I’ve always loved that. Hearing it again brought peace, comfort, and reconnection for me, as well as the hope that youngest daughter (known as ‘Wee One’) will have those same feelings by the end of this trip.

At that moment she emerged from her slumber.  Rubbing her eyes, she asked to go outside and play with the litter of ten puppies residing in the barn. Shortly after that, she joined her uncle to help change irrigation pipes, while I remained at the house and cooked breakfast. As a side note, there is nothing, and I mean nothing, better on a Sunday morning than bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs cooked in a cast iron skillet. Hearing the sizzle & pop, and having the delicious aroma fill the house was just another thing I’d been missing! I don’t care about the cholesterol or calories…it was simply amazing. The remainder of the day was spent visiting with friends and family to catch up.

Then came Monday… the day planned for the barn. This was the primary purpose for our trip and it was time to get to it. As barns go, it’s fairly large with approximately 12 horse stalls, (six stalls on one side, six on the other) with two corridors, a calving pen in and a tack room between them. (I knew this would not be a one day job)  Armed with pitchforks, hard rakes, shovels, and wheel barrows, the Wee One and I mucked out 4 of the six stalls on one side, the calving pen and most of that corridor. We finished the remaining stalls and second corridor the following day, and cleaned out the loft on day 3.  The Wee One surprised me by attacking this job with gusto, and never once complained. When so many kids her age would respond with “gross” or “eew”, she dug in and tackled the whole thing with heart and pride.

She also learned a few things in the process:

• Cowboy boots are also known as sh*t kickers for a reason
• There is always work to be done on a ranch
• Don’t leave a rake leaned/laying with tines out/up
• Close your mouth when pushing a wheelbarrow of muck into the wind
• John Wayne is an American icon.
• Sometimes it’s okay to sit on the front porch, listening to the world, and just ‘be’.

I re-discovered a few things about myself as well:

• I love the sweet smell of sage, juniper, and alfalfa after a summer rain shower.
• Watching horses run through a field makes me smile.
• Living on a dirt road means the car gets/stays dusty.
• It’s impossible to stay mad when holding a puppy.
• Spending time with my family can be fun and inspirational.
• Sometimes it’s okay to sit on the front porch, listening to the world, and just ‘be’.

Wee One now refers to her uncle’s ranch as her ‘happy place’, and stayed an extra week without me to celebrate the 4^th of July by watching a parade and see her cousins ride in the rodeo…

… and even though work obligations brought me back, I’m keeping the dust on the boots for a while.

All things considered, it appears that we both got much needed instruction and reminders about life in general, and my hope is that neither of us will forget the lessons learned about honesty, integrity, and the inherent value of a hard day’s work.  Happy Summer everyone!

“Best. Day. Ever.” Came the text message from one of our kids. The certain sign that school is out for Summer Break, and that their reference as to what qualifies as ‘best’ is somewhat narrow. For the moment, it is ‘best’ simply because it is current, and nothing more.  Over the course of the next three months, we expect to be bombarded with requests for sleepovers, pool party invitations, and group gatherings with no specific purpose other than to ‘hang’, all of which will be interspersed with moments when they will announce “I’m bored.”

One thing is clear. We are in a separate circle of hell known as teendom.

With each passing year, teendom as a concept never changes. Parents vs. kids. Filled with angst and eye-rolling, (theirs and ours) life in our home has been tempered with random skirmishes whilst the ever-adolescing neo-humanoid-units challenge us daily for their independence. Not that we’re unwilling to let them have it, (for the love of God, we SO want to let them have it) but we’d like them to have an understanding about how rapidly this world, their world, changes.

Our parents had a console stereo with a turntable, 8-track tape player, and ‘albums’ were cellophane wrapped vinyl records. Television sets still had dials, and electric coffee pots percolated. Their world was rapidly changing, and they wanted us to understand that.

When my parents were thrust into my teendom microwave ovens, cordless phones and cassette playing boomboxes, were the raging and current technology. The 8-track player was going the way of the dodo, and VCR’s were bringing commercial free movies to television (unless you already had HBO on cable). Video games were the newest form of entertainment, Asteroids and Pac-Man challenged our reaction time and improved our reflexes.

This was our world, our time, and we couldn’t see why our parents were making such a big deal of it. They just needed to open up and embrace the fact that the future was here.

So in the course of a few short decades, time has brought us into the future that our parents could not have predicted. Everything that we thought was so cool back then smacks of cheesiness today. Photos of permed hair and acid wash jeans evoke fits of giggles from our kids. We don’t even talk about mullets. Their present day reality contains smart phones, wi-fi, self parking cars, and instantaneous online status updates.

The difference in what we knew ‘then’ and what the kids have now can best be identified like this:

1. “Friending” was something done by sharing the Twinkie from your lunch.
2. “Tweeting” was what the birds did outside the window early in the morning.
3. “Text” was followed by “book” and usually wrapped with a brown paper bag covering.
4. Writing on someone’s wall was NOT a good thing, and could get you in serious trouble.
5. Messaging was passing a note in English.
6. Laughing Out Loud was heard not read
7. Touch-Screen just meant you’d be wiping fingerprints off the T.V.
8. 3-D was a novelty, nothing more.

So how do we dinoparents keep ourselves relevant? We don’t. We can’t. The kids look at us and see big-hair, acid-washed, asteroid playing dodo birds. Just as we scoffed at our parents, our kids are scoffing at theirs. But not for long.  I have an idea, an idea that has morphed into a plan. They won’t know what hit them, there won’t be time to be bored, and for me it will be the:  Best. Day. Ever.

Stay tuned…

Seventeen-year old Burien-native Marta Stahlfeld has authored and published “Darkwoods,” a 275-page book that is the first in a new epic fantasy series for teens and preteens.

Marta will be holding a local book signing also, on Saturday, June 18th from 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. at Burien Books, located at 824 SW 152nd Street.

Like many other popular teen series, all the characters in Darkwoods are animals, though they display very human-like strengths and weaknesses. “Darkwoods” is available at local bookstores, including Barnes & Noble locations, and is also available in print and eBook versions online.

“I have always loved fantastic stories,” Stahlfeld said. “Reading for me is a way to travel to different worlds and different times, and to have adventures I could never have on my own. If my stories can hook another kid on reading like I got hooked, that would be great!”

Marta Stahlfeld, 17, Author

Stahlfeld has already completed the next book in the series. “I’ve outlined six books, but I really like the characters, so there may be more,” laughs Stahlfeld.

The series begins with the Foxes leaving their home in Darkwoods, determined to conquer the world. Standing in their way is Princess Zuryzel of the Wraith Mice, with the ability to fade undetected into the shadows, and her allies among the Squirrel Tribes, Ranger Mice, and River Otters.

Like any good epic tale, Darkwoods includes battles, romance, and treachery, as well as the heroism necessary to defeat evil. But Stahlfeld was careful to craft her tale without gory battle details or language inappropriate for her audience. “Good books don’t need that kind of thing,” says Stahlfeld.

Interested readers can learn more about Stahlfeld and also sample the first five chapters of “Darkwoods” at www.DarkwoodsBooks.com. Stahlfeld can be contacted at DarkwoodsBooks at AOL.com, and on Facebook on the DarkwoodsBooks fan page here.

In addition to print copies available at Barnes & Noble locations and other bookstores, “Darkwoods” is available in print and eBook formats at Amazon.com, BN.com, and in all eBook formats at Smashwords.com, the leading distributor of eBooks for authors.

Stahlfeld just finished her junior year in high school and plans on majoring in English Literature or History when she starts college in 18 months. She is a voracious reader and has long been fascinated with WWII history. In fact, the Ranger Mice of “Darkwoods” were inspired by the U.S. Army Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc on D-Day, which she visted on the 4th of July. It was shortly after that day when she began writing “Darkwoods.”

We conducted the following interview with Marta via email:

Q: What high school do you go to?
A: I actually attend a private Lutheran high school in Des Moines, Evergreen Lutheran High School.  I just finished up my last final of my Junior year last Friday, and have one more year to go. Before that, I attended Seattle Christian Schools in SeaTac.

Q: Do you still live here?
A: Yes, we live in the Shorewood area, in north Burien.  We’ve lived here in the same house all my life.  Both my parents are attorneys.  My dad has his own office in Burien (Eric Stahlfeld), and my mother works in downtown Seattle.  I have a younger brother, Karl, who is just finishing up 8th grade at Seattle Christian Schools. He plays baseball for RIPS Brewers (Des Moines Memorial Drive) and also plays the bagpipes – you can probably hear him at your offices when he practices, they are VERY loud. We also have a cat — Leonidas, or Leo for short.

Q: Were there any teachers in particular who helped you out?
A: Susan Seig, my Language Arts teacher at Seattle Christian, and Cheryl Knight, the secondary school librarian for Seattle Christian, both helped my in early editing of the book and were very encouraging to me.

Q: How long have you been writing?
A: When I was seven years old, I won a blank book in a bean bag toss at a neighborhood festival.  I was kind of disgusted at first — it didn’t seem like much of a prize to me!  But my mom challenged me to write a story in it, and so I did.  That’s the first story I remember writing, and I wrote short stories in it and other blank books or notebooks on and off over the years after that.

I started writing Darkwoods when I was 12. I have the next book in the series done and ready for editing (title: Pasadagavra), and I’m working on the third book now (working title: Graystone).  I also have other stories I’m working on.

Q: What inspired this book?
A: In 2006, my family took a trip to Europe.  During some of the down time while traveling (sitting on planes, trains, etc.), the vague idea of a story of quiet little animals defending themselves against attacking animals rolled around in my head.  But it wasn’t until we visited the Normandy Beaches on the 4th of July that I began getting some concrete ideas for the characters.  The first place on the tour that we stopped at was Pointe du Hoc where the U.S. Army Rangers scaled that huge cliff, under fire, and then fought when they reached the top.  I was amazed as I listened to the guide telling us what happened and looking down that cliff!  How could anyone do that?  But as we continued in the tour and learned more about what happened there on D-Day, I thought about it and I realized that people can do impossible things when they have to, and they can rise to be leaders when the need is there.  That’s where I got the inspiration for my Ranger Mice characters — they are well-trained warriors because they have to be, but they are also brave and come to help the other creatures defend their home from the foxes because they know its the right thing to do. When we got home from the trip, I began writing down the story.

My Ranger Mice characters are not, of course, really like the amazing U.S. Army Rangers who scaled Pointe du Hoc – they are just characters in a book.  But I did try to capture the bravery and dedication of the U.S. Army Rangers in my story.

Why animal characters?  I had read a lot of Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall series, and enjoyed his animal characters.  Its fun to write about the characters as if they are human then throw in a phrase like, “On the other paw,…”

Q: What authors inspire you?
A: Brian Jacques (Redwall series), Erin Hunter (Warrior series), J.R.R. Tolkein (Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit), and of course, J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series — in fact, I’m rereading those books now.

I would also have to say that knowing that Christopher Paolini wrote and published Eragon when he was younger than 18 years old helped me realize that just because I was a teenager, there was no reason I couldn’t get my book finished and published, too.

Q: What’s next for you?
A: Immediately?  The dance performances for Momentum Dance Academy on Friday — I do Irish, Contemporary, and Jazz dance.  I’m also visiting bookstores this summer to set up book signing dates.

In writing, I need to get Pasadagavra edited and then published, and otherwise keep working on the next books in the series.

Otherwise, I’m going to finish up high school next year and head off to college. My primary career goal is to be a novelist, but I am also interested in teaching — sharing with teens and/or preteens, either through books or school or whatever, is something I really enjoy.  I’ve been tutoring a fifth grade student this year, and that has been very rewarding. I plan to major in English Literature or History in college, and then get an advanced degree for teaching.

Q: Anything else you want to add?
A: I want to really encourage kids to read. If a kid doesn’t like fantasy books like mine, that’s okay, there are lots of other kinds of books out there for kids at all age levels. Books open up the world (or in some cases other worlds!) for the reader and can help the reader learn about other places, what motivates people, etc.  And sometimes it just provides a fun escape from boredom on a rainy day, a not uncommon occurence around here….  Books may take a little more work than video games or movies (both of which I also like) because you have to use your imagination more, but that’s what makes them so great:  you get to imagine what a character looks like, and the buildings, etc.  A good book is like a friend that you can revisit over and over again.

Ward says that the teens arrive at Sea-Tac Airport on July 1st, and are scheduled to depart on July 29th.

“They will be here to experience the ‘typical daily life’ of an average American family,” he added. “They are interested in learning about our culture, practicing their English, and seeing if we are ‘like what they see on TV’ in Europe. Are we really like ‘The Jersey Shore’ or ’90210′? The teens will not have a daily schedule, and there are no group activities planned. It’s simply a four-week language and cultural immersion program.”

All of these teens have homes except for these three (and no, they’re not starting a boy band, although they do have ‘that look’ don’t they?):

From left to right: Jordi, 17, Carlos, 16 and Jose Maria, 15, all need a place to stay during July.

Here’s more info on each of these teens:

Jordi, Male, age 17, #50473

• Interest and activities: SOCCER, BIKING, swimming, tennis, country life, jogging, cooking, videogames, movies, dance
• Do you smoke? No.
• What is your religion? unaffiliated.  I would participate in my host family’s religion if different.
• Do you have dietary requirements? No.
• Any allergies? Cats

Carlos, Male, age 16, #50459

• Interest and activities: SWIMMING, Sports & Soccer (but mostly running), PHOTOGRAPHY, READING, biking, videogames, computers
• Do you smoke? No.
• What is your religion? Catholic. I would participate in my host family’s religion if different.
• Do you have dietary requirements? No.

Jose Maria, Male, age 15, #50055

• Interest and activities: SOCCER, tennis, country life, cooking, shopping, videogames, reading, movies, music, concerts, history
• Do you smoke? No.
• What is your religion? Catholic. I would participate in my host family’s religion if different.
• Do you have dietary requirements? No.
• Any allergies? No.

If you can help host any of this kids, please email Andrew Ward at senorward@yahoo.com.

Andrew says: “It will be a fun way to spend the summer!”

Burien Bearcats Junior Football is holding signups over the next several weeks, and they’re seeking football players as well as Cheerleaders.

Ages of eligibility is 7-14 years old for football players, as well as for Cheerleaders.

“Teams are classified by age/weight for more opportunity and safety with five different levels,” according to the team website. “Other leagues may not have weight restrictions and may offer fewer levels of play. Our approach increases participation opportunities and safety for all players.”

Back in November, the Burien Bearcat 89ers won the Mountain Northwest Football Holiday Gridiron Classic, beating both Enumclaw and Sunnyside to win the title. They were the first team ever in an 8-year history to post back to back shutouts.

Also, as many of our Readers may recall, the Junior Bearcats played the Richmond Bulldogs in a championship game at U-Dub’s Husky Stadium in November, losing 26-13 (read our coverage & see photos here).

• Registration fees for returning participants before August 1st: $175
• Registration fees for new participants before August 1st: $200
• Registration fees after August 1st for all participants: $250
• Registration fee includes $50 gear deposit that will be refunded on posted gear return date.
• Payment plans available!

Here are the signup dates and locations:

• Sat. April 9th, 10am-3pm: Toshi’s Teriyaki in Burien and Albertson’s White Center
• Sat. April 23rd, 10am-3pm: Albertson’s in Burien on 160th
• Sat. May 7th, 10 am-3pm: Burien Library and Safeway on Roxbury
• Sat. May 21st, 10am-3pm: Albertson’s 128th and Albertson’s 160th
• Sat. June 4th, 10am-3pm: Toshi’s Teriyaki in Burien

Register EARLY for Junior Football or Cheer and SAVE.

If you have any questions please contact us at our website http://eteamz.active.com/burienbearcats/.

Come and join the team that gives you the most equipment for your money!

From our sister site The White Center Blog:

The White Center Library will be holding an After Hours Teen Program on Friday, Nov. 19th from 6pm – 10pm.

This is a chance for 12 – 18-year olds in Middle and High School to hang out, rock out with Guitar Hero World Tour, make and take your own buttons, make a disco ball out of CDs, play cards, listen to music or use the computers.

Please note that proof of age will be required.

The White Center Library is located just north of Burien at 11220 16th SW; phone: 206-243-0233.

Sponsored by the White Center Library Guild.

This event/activity/offer is NOT sponsored by the Auburn, Federal Way, Highline or Shoreline School Districts, and these districts assume no responsibility for the conduct or safety during the event/activity/offer. In consideration for the privilege to distribute these materials, the Auburn, Federal Way, Highline and Shoreline School Districts shall be held harmless from any cause of action, claim or petition filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including allcosts, attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.

He interviewed himself.

As a Cartoon.

Which we present to you now in all its animated glory:

To see Bryan’s previous animation, which includes his soon-to-be-famous “3 Frog Bros.” series, click here.

To learn more about the innovative Big Picture High School, click here.

We’d like to cock our guns, load our Nerf darts up, aim and shoot a huge, kid-friendly welcome to our latest Advertiser: The Tag Zone, located in Olde Burien!

The Tag Zone is housed in the Karuna Arts Yoga Studio, and serves as the ‘yang’ to the studio’s usually calm, yoga-related ‘ying.’ After-hours and on weekends, the zen-like yoga studio at 819 SW 152nd turns into a fun-filled, exciting spot full of kids with Nerf guns, playing “tag” with their safe and harmless “weapons.”

Proprietor Johnny Basco, a former U.S. Army’s 2d Ranger at Ft. Lewis, started the business earlier this year as a way to not only entertain local youth, but to help them develop tricks, tactics and more.

“This is an exciting way to develop tricks and tactics, as well as controlling emotions and stress,” Basco said.

Basco adds:

“If you’re looking for a simple way to develop your group strategies and your team work, The Tag Zone will be able to do it while reinforcing communication skills between team members. What could be better than The Tag Zone for your next birthday or your staff get-together?”

And this Saturday (July 17), there will be special “Open Play” Hours during the Olde Burien Block Party, from 2pm – 10pm.

And as a B-Town Blog special, first-time participants will get two FREE games during Open Play – just mention The B-Town Blog for your discount (more info here).

Cost is just $6 per hour, and according to Basco:

“Kids can be dropped off to play a wide variety of controlled and refereed games. While they are here they are divided into teams equally as participants arrive and depart. We make every attempt to keep your kids and possibly their friends together on the same team however on occasion adjustments have to be made in order to keep the teams competitively equal.

Score is not kept but the competition level can still be pretty intense. We do not allow participants to argue with each other and definitely towards any of our referees or loss of one game will occur. “

Here’s more from their website:

At The Tag Zone, participants play an assortment of organized games with safety always on our minds. At The Tag Zone we do not allow the kids to just run around without any direction. All games are supervised with rules constantly being reinforced. We strongly encourage team work in order to play as many games as they can.

Some Points to Remember:

• The minimum age to play at The Tag Zone is 6 years old
• All players below the age of 18 will need a signed parental consent form
• All kids should dress in loose fitting, comfortable clothes

How do you play?
To begin, the group is separated into two teams of equal strength in order to increase the challenge. Then you are provided with an assortment of Nerf Guns, protective glasses and a vest to differentiate you from the other team. The qualified and experienced referee-leader will cater to all your needs, and assure you that all safety measures are respected. They will propose several scenarios with a maximum duration of 5 minutes. The player is out when he’s touched by a dart, ball, missile or arrow. If the player is uncertain that he or she has been touched, the referee will be able to decide.

The Tag Zone is located at 819 SW 152nd, in the Karuna Arts Yoga Studio; the phone number is 206-719-4632.

Tag Zone Propriertor Johnny Basco, surrounded by his "army" during Burien's 4th of July parade.