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Promotionl Writing Seattle
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Case StudiesWhite PaperWhite PaperOver thirteen years, I've done a lot of business writing. Here are samples of a white paper, case studies, a press release, and contributing-writer blog posts.
Web writing: Please visit my Web Design Page and click through to any of the sites, which all feature my writing.
A passion for home cooking

by Abigail Hamilton

It’s a time of first, second, and even third careers for Americans, and Stephanie Jushinski is a great example of someone who has changed gears dramatically.

After a successful career as an executive for a large company, Jushinski opened Freeland’s gourmet pasta and take-out store, Sfoglia, in 1995. “I always loved gardening and cooking, and so running Sfoglia is wonderful. It lets me be busy doing what I love to do without the kind of hectic pace that takes the fun out of life,”she said. “People see the cooking right away because it’s what they come here for, but I put a lot of love into the surrounding gardens, too.”

A lifelong cook who has taken numerous culinary courses, Jushinski avidly reads what seem, crammed into a shelf in her shop, like a hundred wine and food magazines and newsletters. It’s no accident that Jushinski has never worked in a commercial kitchen. Don’t get her started on fussy European desserts with their formality and dearth of flavor. “I love American home cooking with its big ‘helpings’and rich, hearty flavors,”she said, adding, “and I think it is the generosity of my approach that gives my food what I call ‘eye appeal.’

Jushinski’s stance toward food and wine can be seen in the wines she carries. Eschewing the usual lineup of well-known producers, she offers just a handful of French, Italian, and Spanish wines with unfamiliar labels, made from varietals like Carignane, Arneis, and Granacha. They are chosen to complement her cooking which refelects her creativity and and tastes. At any one time she’ll be preparing dishes for the deli that, besides an array of desserts, include Thai noodles, Greek pasta salad, veal manicotti, carmelized onion and chevre tart, por loin with maple-syrup sweet potatoes. Clearly this is someone who likes to cook.

 

 

 Holiday gifts for Island seniors

Early-bird holiday shopping helps anesthetize the budgetary pain and lowers the stress of the season

by Abigail Hamilton

“Please, not more things! Nothing I have to dust!”You’ve heard this gentle, admonitory complaint from your parents, your [50+] spouse and your senior friends before...do you need to hear it again? With a little bit of thought—and our help!—you can make this year different. Before you start your holiday shopping, make a solemn vow to avoid bestowing household items on those who, now that you think of it, have been handing down their extras to you for years.
We didn’t think of everything, but we did round up some great ideas. With a new approach to shopping for seniors, you’ll find yourself focusing on quality of life improvements, buying gift certificates from your senior friends’favorite, convenient, local stores—instead of the gifts themselves—as well as gift certificates for services that that are guaranteed to please anyone who has all the clothing, knick-knacks, bric-a-brac and household items they’ll ever need.

The other facet of senior-specific holiday giving is the gift of your time, your self. Though this kind of gift makes generous giving possible when a budget is not in evidence, it’s much more than that: it’s an opportunity to spend time together. Often, a small favor or a get-together can have a huge impact on both the recipient’s psyche and his or her quality of life.

SERVICES

A whole range of services are available which make good gifts.

* Remember when the kids came running into the living room wearing muddy boots? How about carpet cleaning as a gift? There are savings flyers from Island ChemDry in the Record and News-Times frequently, and many other local firms offer high-quality cleaning at great prices, too.
* Increase their communication channels: Cellphone service, Lifeline service through Whidbey General Hospital, or Internet service can give peace of mind or, in the case of the Internet, open whole new worlds for exploration.
* Dry cleaning: Ask your senior to bag up needy dry-cleanables so you can whisk them off and bring them back all clean and pressed on those tell-tale paper-covered wire hangers.

THE GIFT OF YOUR TIME

Change oil in the old Buick or help with a fix-up project as simple as going through the house replacing burnt-out lightbulbs —or as major as pressure washing the mossy side of the house and maybe even the roof, too. When you’re tired of being useful, take your senior friendout to the movies and nsist on footing the bill for the popcorn and treats.

CLASSES

Classes through South Whidbey Community School, the Senior Centers, or Skagit Valley College offer a wealth of activities. There are classes in computer use, watercolor, cooking, just to name a few. Get a list and start trying to choose just one! Reach the Community School at 360-221-6979, Skagit Valley College at 360-321-0696, and the Senior Centers at (Oak Harbor) 360-679-6620 or (Bayview) 360-678-3373

GIFT CERTIFICATES

There’s a fleecy, warm universe packed into Langley’s Northstar Trading. Let your friend pick out a great pair of locally-crafted slippers or a fleecy hat to keep chill at bay.

* A gift certificate to his or her favorite salon can’t possibly be unwelcome; it might just be their favorite gift this year! Don’t stop at the haircut: include a pedicure, too!
* A trip to the spa, or a massage. Great for both men and women, a therapeutic massage puts a spring in the step, and is something a lot of people would never be so decadent as to buy for themselves.
* Let them pick up some of their favorite old-time music or refresh their selection with new titles: a gift certificate to a music store is much better than trying to choose a CD for someone else.
* Here’s something you know they’ll use, maybe sooner rather than later: a gift certificate to Island Drug or Linds. Whether it’s cushy insoles for their shoes or sugar-free diabetic candy, a prescription or a mantel frame for a picture of the grandkids, the opportunity to use this certificate will crop up.

MEMBERSHIPS

Memberships are available in an incredible diversity of types. Here are two to get you thinking along the right lines —don’t feel limited by this small selection.

* A Membership to the South Whidbey Historical Society starts at $15; membership to Coupeville’s Island County Historical Society starts at $25. Members receive museum privileges and more.
* Membership to the Island Athletic Club, Momentum Health Club, Oak Harbor Fitness Center or Excalibur Gym can help provide the means for your senior stay fit and agile.

CHARITIES

A gift to charity or a favorite cause in your gift recipient’s name makes the world a better place. Local organizations include—but are definitely not limited to—HOPE , Hearts and Hammers, WAIF, Good Cheer, Help House, CADA, CAPF, Second Chance (Impact KIDS), and Planned Parenthood.

EDIBLES

Edible gifts are always appropriate. You can pick known favorites or go out on a gastronomic limb; anything you give that is secretly hair-raising to the recipient can be served to appreciative guests.

* A bottle of very good olive oil, tarragon vinegar, or some fancy salt from France is a tremendous gift for a cook. Look in your local gourmet store...we recommend Bayleaf in Coupeville, Sfoglia in Freeland, and Langley’s Kitchen Shoppe.
* For those who prefer to stay out of the kitchen except to use the microwave and toaster, a gift basket of treats from Seabolts near Deception Pass or Island Gourmet in Langley is a marvelous idea.
* Old-fashioned candies from Sweet Memories in Freeland will indeed bring back sweet memories, as well as an alternative to todays super-sour and novelty confections.
* Dinner out is fun. Purchase gift certificates for dinner at favorite locales, or plan to take your senior out to dinner with you. And if you do, save room for dessert this time!
* Personal chef service through one of the island’s providers is a great gift for those who consider themselves “post-cooking”but like to eat high-quality homemade meals at home.

TRIPS: NEAR AND FAR

Take your senior out to a theatre production at WICA or Whidbey Playhouse —or, get them a season ticket and plan to join them for your favorite plays.

How about one of those trips through the Senior Center? You don’t have to be a member to sign up, just over 50. They go to destinations from Leavenworth to Las Vegas.

FORGIVEABLE OBJECTS

Though the general rule forbids it, there are some objects that make great gifts for seniors: Albums to hold the growing surfeit of grandkid snapshots, a fresh supply of kitchen sponges and dishtowels, and that thing your friend keeps leaving catalogs open to, and mentions whenever you’re in earshot.

Royal Coach Limousine

by Abigail Hamilton

Going places this summer? Let car service from Royal Coach make it hassle-free to have fun. The company’s fleet includes a Cadillac 6-passenger stretch limo (outfitted with a TV, VCR, stereo, full bar, mood lights, and privacy divider), two Mercury Grand Marquis Sedans, and a 14-passenger van for all your transportation needs.

Each of these pristine cars is available for door-to-door service to Amtrak or Sea-Tac. Either trip in the limousine costs $130 one way, which includes ferry costs and all the passengers’fares. It can be a great way to start off or wrap up your hard-won vacation (Do you really want to crush your lei while struggling with baggage at the ferry dock?) The sedans go to or from Sea-Tac for $89, Amtrak in Seattle for $79 or Everett $45 one way. Add up the cost of Super Shuttle and ferry fees to the inconvenience of getting your luggage on and off the ferry (think narrow, steep staircase!) and the time wasted dropping off other passengers: The cost of car service reveals itself to be a good value for those who have the option.

The van is an exceptional value for groups. A door-to-door group of more than six pay HALF the fee charged by any other airport or Amtrak shuttle dropping you a whole body of water away from home. The van is also still offering a tavern service on Friday and Saturday nights giving you a safe and legal ride to and from subsidized establishments The Cozy Roadhouse, The American Legion or The Freeland Cafe for just $5, or any other establishment for $10 one way.
When you hire Royal Coach for your wedding, they not only take the bride and groom to and from the church and reception, but they are tireless in their efforts to be of service to elderly guests and kids and in helping round up and deliver gifts and outfits.

The most important thing Royal Coach offers, besides great car service, is a great attitude towards life and enjoyment of the job. Owners Scott and Donna Van Wetter know they’re there to facilitate memorable experiences.

Scott’s boss at Hanson’s Building Supply helped him get started with the limo service, and now offers him the kind of flexible schedule which allows him to be both an excellent driver for Hanson’s and for his Royal Coach clientele. Scott is grateful for the help that allowed him to stay on South Whidbey; he met Donna at Mike’s Place Restaurant, and is now the father of three daughters ages 11, 9, and 5. True to his strength of character, Scott returns the loyalty Hanson’s shows him. When asked what he’d do if Royal Coach grew to the point that he’d have to have a little talk with Vic, he replies: “I have seven more brothers and sisters. I’d have to go through all of them before I even thought about a talk with Vic.”