If you’re casting about for a way to take the edge off Trump’s wrecking ball, I heartily recommend the uplifting powers of a great...
A Tragic Loss, Oklahoma Teachers’ Strike, A Great Video & More!
The Death of a Remarkable Woman This past week Connie Chandler Ward, 82, of Tenants Harbor died in a car crash. Her sudden death has jolted her community that reaches across the country. Connie had been the chaplain at Wellesley College before leaving there to become one of the three founders of Greenfire, a women’s spiritual retreat [...]
Video Therapy: Videos to Match Your Mood
Life under the Orange Monster requires time out to maintain one’s sanity. Video watching has become a favorite form of escape for many, but with Netflix and its cousins, like Amazon Prime churning out productions at a dizzying rate, choosing a video can be daunting. To facilitate your selection process I’ve developed mood categories [...]
Gun Control March, “Roseanne,” London-Bound, Spring Signs
Last Weekend’s March for Gun Control I’m still reverberating from last Saturday’s March for Gun Control, still taking in the inspiring and impressive turnout of teens and their riveting speeches. I find myself looking at teenagers with a new respect. They need and deserve our full support. Here’s a photo from Portland’s march [...]
Learning to Be Old
What if the US had an official agency called “Learning to be Old”? Here’s how I imagine it: older women and men are scheduled for aging interviews where their aging progress is assessed followed by recommendations for a meaningful old age. When I show up for my interview I’m escorted to the women’s section and led [...]
Basketball, Gun Control March, A Cool Retirement Home & More
March Madness Tournament My basketball team, Syracuse, has advanced to the NCAA’s “Sweet Sixteen,” playing Duke tonight, who’s heavily favored. It may be painful to watch, but then again the Orange surprised most sports writers and me by getting this far. Out of love for his grandmother, my 12 year-old grandson, Max has promised [...]
“Happiness is a Choice You Make:” A Book Review
In his best-selling book, “Happiness is a Choice You Make,” the author, John Leland makes the intriguing claim, “If you want to be happy, think like an old person.” Curious about Leland’s thesis, I scooped up his book, eager for tips on being happy in my advanced years and wanting to escape the lot of the old people in my family [...]
Amazing Teens, Agnes Varda, Remembering My Lai & March Madness
Amazing Teens This past Wednesday’s coast-to-coast school walkouts were extraordinary. Some 3,000 schools participated. Student leaders delivered intelligent, inspiring speeches. They made it clear they won’t stop protesting until our gun laws are reformed. They may turn out to be Trump’s most formidable opponent! Let’s all try to [...]
What’s Missing in Our Reflections on Women’s History Month?
In honor of this year’s Women’s History Month, on March 11, 2018 the New York Times made a move to correct their longstanding emphasis on male accomplishments by publishing a special supplement entitled, “Overlooked.” This section celebrates 12 women of achievement who never made it into the Times obituary pages. I welcome the Times [...]
International Women’s Day, More Snow, A Great Read & More
International Women’s Day How thrilling to see photos of women from all over the globe taking to the streets on March 8th in celebration of International Women’s Day. Spanish women rocked, staging a “feminist strike” where they refused to go to work; the strike included women in unpaid jobs like at-home mothers. The impact was felt [...]
The Power of Magic
Typically a film makes me cry because of a redeeming ending like when two lovers are reunited or when social justice has been delivered. I cried for a different reason after watching Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar winning-film, “The Shape of Water.” I cried because this beautiful, magical film burrowed deep inside me to a place that is seldom [...]