Cecile Richards died on Monday, January 20, 2025. She was the courageous President of Planned Parenthood from 2006-2018, when the organization...
In Memory of Cecile Richards (1957-2025): Guidelines for Trouble Makers
Cecile Richards died on Monday, January 20, 2025. She was the courageous President of Planned Parenthood from 2006-2018, when the organization was under sharp attack by conservatives. She helped fend off attacks to cut its funding [...]
Pat Taub
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The Choice is to Cooperate or Struggle Alone
Guest Blog by Toni Kief Responding to a challenge, I started to write at the age of 60. I stumbled along with a shared project and when it was over I had a new passion. I was in sore need of inspiration, so I searched online and discovered Meetup.com. I found a group just starting out, the Writers Kickstarter and signed on. We were a group [...]
Pat Taub
My Grandson’s Birthday, Nocturnal City Walks & A WOW Muse
My Grandson’s Birthday Today my grandson Max celebrates his 12th birthday. I always associate Max with Katrina because he was born a few days before the flood walls broke in New Orleans turning this beautiful city into a nightmare for its African American citizens. While caring for Max, my daughter-in-law and I were glued to the television [...]
Pat Taub
Engaging with Fear
The Trump wrecking machine is getting crazier by the day, leaving a frightened populace in its wake. Our increasingly unhinged president raises the ante through his racist speeches, threats to bomb the country du jour, attacks on the environment, ICE’s immigration raids, and railings against anyone who doesn’t agree with him. While [...]
Pat Taub
Charlottesville, A Visit from My Brother & “Citizen”
Reacting to Charlottesville Like most of you, I’ve been preoccupied with last weekend’s ugly white supremacy rallies in Charlottesville. I’ve been doing what I can to raise my voice in protest. I led a discussion at my Portland church (the United Church of Christ) last Sunday. We’re formulating a plan to offer the church for community [...]
Pat Taub
How Did Aging Become So Complicated?
Both of my grandmothers lived well into their 80’s, making an easy transition into old age. Neither one took mega doses of vitamins or exercised to stave off the Grim Reaper. Nor were they bombarded with advice on how to slow the aging process. They each continued to dress up almost every day. My paternal grandmother was rarely without [...]
Pat Taub
Iceland Memories, Traveling with Grandkids & Praying for Peace
Back from Vacation Short Takes returns after a two-week hiatus when I was on vacation. I spent five days in San Francisco and then flew to Chicago where my grandkids live. We flew from Chicago to Iceland to join a National Geographic Family Expedition. Icelandic Women Older women in Iceland display a confidence and ease with aging, very [...]
Pat Taub
What I Learned in Iceland
I was prepared for the soaring natural beauty of Iceland but not for what it taught me about the power of community. This tiny Northern country, the size of Kentucky with just 350,000 people, a third of which live in the capital of Reykjavik, and the other two thirds in small fishing villages or in remote farms, has a long history of a rapid [...]
Pat Taub
Milestone Birthdays – the Gift that Keeps on Giving
by Shelly Schlueter, Guest Blogger Professional boxers like to say that everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. Milestone birthdays can be that punch. On the other hand, there is also a Zen saying, “You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” At 50, the waters of life can get downright roiling. So, how was [...]
Pat Taub