The cartoonist, Lynda Barry, contends that most adults suffer from “play amnesia.” Living in these dark times, many overlook play...
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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
The Trap of Being a Strong Woman
A neighbor, an elderly woman, who’s been through the mill caring for a husband with Alzheimer’s is referred to as a “strong woman.” I know several Maine women, well into their ‘70’s and ‘80’s, who have carved out self-sufficient rural lifestyles, including chopping their own wood. They too are called “strong women.” [...]
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
Awakening to Bliss
GUEST POST by MARGIE MARTIN CAMPBELL Have you ever felt blissful on a hot summer afternoon when the air was so still you could only get a very small breeze by swinging in the old porch swing? The one that Grandpa built all those years ago before you were born. Sure, the house windows are up with screens in place to “let a little air [...]
Pat Taub
The Journey Home to Self: Spirituality Late in Life
Aging has brought a renewed interest in the spiritual questions I grappled with during my late night college bull sessions. Is there a God? Can prayer make a difference in one’s life? What is my spiritual path? In my middle years I was too busy raising children and building a career to grapple with meaning of life questions with the [...]
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
When Standing Up and Speaking Out Gives You Hope
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN When one retires, the world around us often shifts in unexpected ways which can cause confusion and doubt. That was true for me. When I retired from teaching, I struggled with what direction my life would take and what I would do with my time. I began to notice friends going about their lives as they always did. Many, [...]
Pat Taub
Awaken Your Inner Crone: Claim Your Power!
Thousands of years ago during “The Age of the Goddess” older women, known as Crones were sought out and worshipped for the wisdom they imparted. Becoming a Crone was the crowning achievement of a woman’s life—a far cry from 2019 where our ageist and sexist culture dismisses the older women. Barbara Walker, author of The Crone describes [...]
Pat Taub
Politically Overwhelmed, A Swedish blogger, Nina Turner in Portland & More!
Stop the World I Want to Get Off! This week I’ve been identifying with the ‘60’s musical, “Stop the World I Want to Get Off,” rattled by the news of the blazing fires in the Amazon to reports that the world has experienced the hottest summer ever to the rolling out of Trump’s increasingly meaner migrant policies, like keeping [...]
Pat Taub