Dylan and Jamo: The Community We Create

I'm a geek for community building. How can we love where we live? Make it the community we love to live in...with action.

Dylan and I love to give to and receive help from friends. We also volunteer a bit. The video (see below) is a PSA that featured our family. While we were not the biggest donors, the idea is that if I can give $100 as a single mom, you can too.




YWCA Pierce County "What Can You Do?" from Jason Ganwich on Vimeo.







The YWCA was the first domestic violence shelter in Washington state. Our community is a better place to live with a safe place for women and children to escape domestic abuse.

Can't beat the heat- join it!

We are experiencing a record breaking heat wave in Tacoma- AND loving it. Dylan is embracing the opportunity to swim with his friends everyday. My best friend Robbi lived in LA for many years and like Dylan is enthralled with the heat. How could I do anything but join in the fun? While Robbi stained furniture in the 102 degree heat, I layed a brick patio. This photo shows the pristine nature of her artistic staining and the filthy, back breaking truth of my brick paving.

We ended the evening with Uncle Jon and Jess. I made dinner and the whole gang enjoyed homeade ice cream. We busted out the ice cream maker that dad and mom used when we were kids.

A Lil' Piece of Americana Isn't Scary

Things I dreaded when "D" started elementary school 5 years ago:


1. The PTA
2. PTA Moms (AND DADS)
3. Becoming a PTA mom

Today the words came out of my mouth, “Oooh my two favorite PTA moms,” as I hugged the most sustainable greenest thumb chickadee I know in Tacoma and the associate publisher of the hippest art mag in the city.

I guess Halloween is an appropriate time to officially overcome my fear of PTA moms, though I’ve yet to become one. It was my costume tonight. And I was in good company. Jess, the cowgirl, confessed the key to being a cool PTA mom is throwing the “F-bomb” around occasionally. I laughed, realizing she’s either normal or we’re both abnormal. Either way she’s my kind of PTA mom.

I had a great time posing for our Americana picture with Cowgirl Jess and Politico Nathe at Dylan’s Halloween Sock Hop at Sherman Elementary. My pose throwing a PTA gang sign is to show that I still embrace diversity as a part of Americana, even if I’m following my other sheeple (and friends) to PTA dances. They’re good people to be a sheeple with- and I Fucking love the kids.

It wasn’t scary at all.

Hey Mom I Skipped a Grade!

Dylan's back in school and it’s a brave new year. They decided to put him and a handful of other 4th graders in an experimental 5th grade classroom. The teacher is very engaging. They choose Dylan not because he achieved the highest test marks, but instead because he shows the greatest aptitude. We are hoping the more mature student will increase Dylan’s self-efficacy (motivation).

Open house was last night. The students put mystery notes on their desks with clues about which desk belonged to each of them.

Dylan’s note was the only one that told the parents, “I love you.”

Guess some of that 5th grade maturity is rubbing off on him already.

Honestly it was the “my favorite toy is Bokugan,” that was clue that tipped us off to Dylan’s Desk. It was an unexpectedly sweet night. Dylan’s dad Brian is backpacking in British Colombia with my brother, Jon, but Brian’s girlfriend Emily came to the open house.

Emily and I were blessed with Dylan’s love for us…and Bokugan

What does a BBQ rocket launch look like?

Eat and play 2
Originally uploaded by jamiejchase

Ok, I admit it when the United Way pulled funding for Boy Scouts I looked down my nose at the organization and bought into the idea that maybe they discriminate against different religions or our gay friends.

What I didn’t know is that they don’t, at least not across the board as a constant. Apparently, the Boy Scouts are run like a credit union or our political parties at the local level. Each troop is individually owned by the community and has a vote at the regional council.

In fact, the councils set the stage for the national platform. So for all of you Boy Scouts, moms and liberals that love community and scouting re-engage. It is your organization.

Our experience has been wonderful. The handbook has guided important discussions that I never would’ve imagined. And the religion badge, if your child chooses to pursue it,crosses all cultures and sects-not just Christianity, seriously.


The event this week was so much fun. We did a rocket launch and BBQ in the North End of Tacoma. The kids had a blast, pun intended. Ha!

School Daze

The last days of school are so great for kids. Dreams of ice cream, swimming and no homework forever.

Yesterday there was a BBQ and field day with games at Mr. D's school. It brought back so many memories from Bolivar Elementary. I could almost feel the kick ball field between the playground and Burfield's Strawberry Farm under my feet. JB if you are reading this, I think we should plan a family field day back home.


I am so grateful that life keeps getting better and better. The last days of school are great when you are a kid, but like Christmas morning, it is even better as a parent seeing Dylan and his best friends enjoying the same innocent freedom that come with the last days of school!

Pushing Boundaries in the Volcano

I'm crazy about Seal. His words are set me on fire, hot. "In a world full of people why do only some of us fly? Isn't that crazy." Think about that. Me, you, we can do whatever we want in life to fly. And by fly I just mean to be yourself, free to be you-vibrantly.

There is an artist who exemplifies this. I wrote an article about her. Want a shot of empowerment? Read on:


Pushing Boundaries by Jamie Chase in the Weekly Volcano.

To intrigue you into reading the story...

Harry Hogwart Tacoma

Magical beasts, crystal amulets and the kids made wands too. Wish someone could've put a spell on me. Kids parties are dizzying and Dylan's 9th birthday was a Harry Potter bash. There were fifteen or more kids running round the backyard of the historic fire station we call home (North I ST behind Dave's Meat and Produce). At the end of the day the count of wounded soldiers was not high. One little girl will have glitter in her hair for at least a week, another had a muddy pant seat and my condo neighbors were kind about the a new mythical hiding spots in our hedge.

The childish good time turned into one of urban legend when my friend Josh delivered a gag gift to the birthday boy. What does a preteen want more than a Pokemon or the latest Transformer? Well, it is NOT a My Little Pony. Dylan's reaction was hilarious and he was a trooper-even in front of his little dudes.

A gift for Tacoma that is pure gold

My stomach gets geeky mom butterflies of pride for our community when I watch the Tacoma Art Place YouTube video. If you haven’t seen the video, the story is this beautiful man, Mark Bratlie, owner of Turtle's Shell Stained Glass in Chehalis, WA was selling a kiln for $450. When we saw it on Craig’s List, we wrote to him about Tacoma Art Place (non-profit art center in Tacoma inspired from art co-ops in West Africa creates affordable access to art equipment for everyone) and asked if he’d donate his kiln to the project. He did. In the video, Mark said of the kiln, “It’s a gift for Tacoma,” as he stood in front of one of his own majestic pieces of stained glass work with rays of sunlight beaming off of him as big as his smile.

As Mark and our friend Patrick Hogan loaded the kiln into a van to bring it back to Tacoma, my eight-year-old son Dylan said, “Mom, It’s pure gold.”

Put your sunglasses on, that pure gold is glittering in the hilltop this week! That kiln along with a second donated kiln and a darkroom are all now operational. Tacoma Art Place even held its first fused glass class this past Sunday. My brother, Jon Graef, took the class and said he enjoyed leaving with his own glass art.

So here’s the deal, what’s the cost to use all of this equipment? It’s the equivalent of $4 a month for an individual, only $48 a year and Tacoma’s best kept secret. To learn glass fusing with an instructor my brother only paid $20. It is a crazy inspiring good deal. Check it out: Tacoma Art Place

Spread the word. It’s a gift and it’s pure gold.