If you live alone, if your family is scattered far and wide, if you recently lost a partner or spouse, if you can’t afford the plane...
Short Takes
Key West, Susan Collins, New Films & More!
Key West I’m now enjoying my second week in Key West, indulging in the warm weather, while I read and write, feeling grateful for my winter escape. Here are a few Key West images taken on my walks. Roosters are everywhere and they crow all day long! The sign on the house in the bottom right photo says, “Key West Hunting Lodge.” [...]
Pat Taub
Key West, Political Turbulence, A Good Read & More!
Key West Arrival After a flying mishap where I was forced to leave a day late due to a late Portland departure and missed connections, I’m finally ensconced in Key West. I’m sharing a rental with an old friend for the month of January. It’s lovely to shed winter apparel for T-shirts and my faithful khakis. Yesterday I volunteered with [...]
Pat Taub
Depressing News, Christmas Holidays, A New Read & More
Bad News Week I hate to start my post sounding gloomy, but all I can think about at the moment are the epic fires in Australia which have generated the largest evacuations in the nation’s history, and a looming war with Iran, thanks to the Trump administration blatant assassination (without Congressional approval) of Iranian Gen. Suleimani. [...]
Pat Taub
Christmas Images, A Xmas Appeal, Family & More!
Holiday Images Walking around a very cold Portland I captured these holiday images. The first is from a new boutique on upper Congress St. I love the colorful tress of different sizes gracing the window. The other image is of the entrance to a townhouse in the West End. A Holiday Appeal This appeal does not involve money. [...]
Pat Taub
Friday the 13th, A Generational Divide, Agnes Varda & More!
Friday the 13thDebunked Did you know that Friday the 13thwas a sacred holiday during the era of the Goddess, which predated Christianity and the ascent of patriarchy? In fact 13 was considered a lucky number, but because 13 belonged to the era of women’s religions, once patriarchy was in place, the number became pejorative, like treating [...]
Pat Taub
Turkey Day Memories, Whistleblowers, & An Obit Request
Thanksgiving Memories This Thanksgiving my oldest son, his wife and two teenage kids flew into Portland from Chicago to spend Thanksgiving with me. After cooking for two days, I didn’t dare clock the time it took to gobble down our turkey dinner, lest I tear my hair out over the discrepancy between cooking and eating. That aside, it was [...]
Pat Taub
Impeachment Hearing’s Stars, Rethinking Gifts, Family & More!
Impeachment Hearing’s Stars Hats off to Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch and Dr. Fiona Hill. Both women testified this week in the impeachment hearings. They were professional, calm and collected, speaking in respectful tones as they described Trump’s corrupt, mishandling of US- Ukraine polices. Trump was true to form as he tweeted [...]
Pat Taub
CA Fires, A New Diet, A New Play & More!
California’s Fires I’ve been following the horrific California fires, and grateful that my son who lives in Santa Monica has been spared evacuation and fires near him, but I can’t stop thinking about the long term implications of California’s raging fires. Does it mean as the climate activist, Bill McKibben, asserts that California [...]
Pat Taub
Goddesses: Then and Now, A Gripping Memoir & More!
A Lovely Video The other day, needing a source of lightness and inspiration, I re-watched the film, “The Goddess Remembered.” It’s a documentary that tells the story of the Women’s Spirituality movement that flourished here in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s. The historical perspective on the goddess era is beautifully told through [...]
Pat Taub
An LA Birthday, Lisa Savage’s Run, A Good Read & More!
My Birthday in LA In what has become a birthday tradition, last weekend I traveled to LA to spend my birthday weekend with my youngest son, Jonathan, who lives in Santa Monica. We ate at wonderful ethnic restaurants, saw a bad play, an iffy film, but a wonderful LA Philharmonic concert at the Disney Center, led by the Phil’s star conductor, [...]
Pat Taub