The cartoonist, Lynda Barry, contends that most adults suffer from “play amnesia.” Living in these dark times, many overlook play...
Grandmother Wisdom for Granddaughters
GUEST POST BY TONI KIEF For this post Toni collected grandmother wisdom from friends that are grandmothers. They are among the pairs photographed below. Dearest Granddaughters, Because of you, we joined the community of Grandmothers. We would like to assure you that it’s all worthwhile. Watching you careen into adulthood pressing forward, [...]
Pat Taub
My Father: The Good-Hearted Tyrant
Like most women I’ve spent endless hours analyzing my relationship with my mother, while giving only a passing nod to my relationship with father. With Father’s Day approaching it seems fitting to reflect on my father’s influence. I grew up in the 1950’s when gender roles were strictly defined. My mother, like most women of the era, [...]
Pat Taub
Street Theater, William Trevor, Remembering Kate Spade & More!
Street Theater Last Friday I participated in the silent tableau, “Gaza Bleeds” staged in downtown Portland. I joined with Maine Voices for Palestinian Rights to protest Israel’s shooting of unarmed demonstrators in Gaza who have been protesting for over two months calling on Israel to end their illegal blockade of Gaza. My task was [...]
Pat Taub
My Jane Fonda Problem
GUEST POST BY JANET WEIL “Wow… what a body – she’s incredibly well-proportioned!” The thought bubble over my head filled in as, a few months ago, my husband and I watched on Netflix a rather dull film (California Suite) with only 2 characters. Relaxed West Coast ex-husband, played by Alan Alda, hosts tense [...]
Pat Taub
Dark Times, A Granddaughter Graduates, RBG documentary & More!
Trying to Manage Dark Times Periodically the dark times we’re experiencing get to me. I sink into despair. I have discovered that the most effective way to climb out of my political despair is to join others in protest actions. Today, I’ll be standing with a Portland noon contingent in front of the US Attorney’s office to protest [...]
Pat Taub
Older Women Energy in Manhattan
I spent Memorial Day Weekend in Manhattan, where older women energy abounded. It felt like the Goddess was guiding me, sensing I needed inspiration for my own aging. I took in art exhibits and a play featuring older women and enjoyed pick-up conversations with older women I met along the way. I saw a spectacular sculpture exhibit at the Met [...]
Pat Taub
Crafting Healing Stories to Shed Anger
One of the most valuable lessons aging has bestowed on me is the importance of shedding anger. The less anger I hold the more inner peace I possess. I’ve learned to release a lot of my anger by imagining myself inhabiting the lives of those who have hurt me, resulting in a new story where I experience compassion towards the other. This [...]
Pat Taub
Call for Guest Writers
WOW is looking to feature guest writers on topics related to older women (50+) and aging. In particular, we’re interested in women’s wellness, personal experiences with ageism and sexism, but all topics will be considered. Our focus is to provide women a platform to disrupt the one-dimensional archetypes of women over 50. Writers [...]
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Gaza, Granddaughter Jane, Signs of Spring & More!
Poor Gaza! The past few weeks have seen 111 unarmed Gazan protestors shot by Israeli forces as they gathered at the Israeli border to mark Nakba, the day 70 years ago when Israel forced Gazans to leave their homeland. Ever since they have been living under tight Israeli military rule in what many call the “world’s largest open-air prison.” [...]
Pat Taub
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 or to restrict access to abortions. In her memory, I’m reposting my WOW post about her from May, 2018 [...]
Pat Taub