It’s been just one week since Trump won the Presidential election, catapulting many into despair, terrified of his campaign pledges...
Resisting Body Shaming
Whenever I visit Western Europe I can’t help but notice how much kinder it is to the aging woman than the States are. We are bombarded by media images that equate beauty almost exclusively with a young body. By contrast, women in Western Europe, while aware of their aging forms, don’t seem to experience body shaming to the same degree. [...]
Pat TaubCoping with Political Despair
During my church’s coffee hour this past Sunday I found myself in conversation with a politically concerned young woman who was eager to discuss Michelle Goldberg’s New York Times op-ed, “Democracy Grief is Real.” The gist of the essay is that Trump has induced profound political despair among liberals. My companion felt validated [...]
Pat TaubFriday 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 TaubFriday, the 13th, “The Testaments,” Hospice, Apple Pies & More
The Real Low Down on Friday the 13th Here’s a little known fact, which I learned during my studies of Women’s Spirituality: the number 13 was originally a lucky number. Thirteen was considered the most essentially female number — the average number of menstrual cycles in a year is 13. Thirteen is also the approximate number of [...]
Pat TaubAwaken 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 TaubBadass Older Women Tackling Ageism
I’m seeing a new boldness among older women who are talking back when ageist behavior is directed at them. These women are standing up for themselves and for all of us when they challenge a culture that demeans the older woman. Allow me to introduce some of these badass women: Rachel, age 69, is a frequent traveler who at just 5’ struggles [...]
Pat TaubIs a Renegade Retirement Right for You?
GUEST POST by SUSAN SAINT-ROSSY If you were super rich, and had all the support you wanted from family, friends, and society (no matter what), what bold thing(s) would you choose to do with the next phase of your life? This may sound like a frivolous question, but for some women, it is THE essential question in retirement. Finding the [...]
Pat TaubBig Apple Weekend, Cecile Richards Visit, Remembering Toni Morrison & More!
Manhattan Bound I’m off to the Big Apple this weekend to meet up with an old friend from Key West, where I lived briefly in the early 2000’s. I’m looking forward to immersing myself in art and off-Broadway plays as I take a newsbreak from all the escalating bad news here and abroad. Art museums in particular have always been a solace. [...]
Pat TaubNo Sex for Me
During a recent Sunday brunch with two single women friends both, like me, in their ‘70’s the conversation turned to sex, but not in the same way it did when we were decades younger, sharing juicy tidbits about our sex lives. This time the conversation centered on how sex had lost its appeal. One friend, B confessed to losing interest [...]
Pat TaubAging as a Lesbian
GUEST POST By DOREEN BLUMENFELD I’m not sure there is much difference to aging as a lesbian than as a straight woman. Same aches, same muddled brain, same thinning hair, and poor eyesight. What makes lesbians different as we age? Perhaps, and only perhaps, on the surface, some lesbians have a greater appreciation for women friends and [...]
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