“The middle way is wide open, but it is tough going…” Pema Chodron, When Things Fall Apart One of the loneliest feelings I’ve ever felt is feeling lost in the middle of heartache. That heartache has taken all kinds of shapes in my life. Right now it’s the shape of unresolved family issues. They continue…
A friend of mine posted a question of Facebook asking: Those of you who were elementary schoolers in the late 70s and 80s: Could you please share a few books that you read then that meant a lot to you? Or that you just super loved? I responded right away without thinking. The “Little House”…
Yeah here’s something no one else is talking about. Which is of course the MAIN reason I bought 50 Shades of Grey. People kept saying they’d read it and then nodded their heads and going “mmmm HMMMM.” My friend said he went into Costco and a huddle of people were standing around the books reading it–…
I’ve discovered that my friend Colleen Bradford Krantz and her colleague, Paul Kakert (who is from my hometown!) have had their documentary film, Train to Nowhere, nominated for a regional Emmy. I’m so proud of them, but not really for the recognition from the awards people. More than that, I am proud of Colleen and…
It’s a question I ask myself everyday, really. I wanna know what my superpowers are! Mind Melding? No thanks! Too much going on up there as it is. Invisibility? Could I deflect that power onto others at times? Levitation would be super-cool though I am not sure how useful. What does one do once you…
From my “For Writers, By Writers” Series I bow deeply to pro-bloggers who keep the art of blogging closest to its journaling roots. My favorite pro-blogger is the erasible “Pioneer Woman,” Ree Drummond. Here are the five reasons why “Pioneer Woman” swallows entire mornings. 1. Personal. It’s the way that blogs are intended. Ree slathers…
Or, On the Research of Choosing You. Neuroscientists have been doing a lot of good work for those of us who consider ourselves creative, artistic and “right-brained.” Personally, I think we are all this way! This is fantastic news. Yes, our scientist friends are discovering that the Right Brain– with its power to love, mourn,…
There has been a small book on my bedside table for a couple months now. I opened it once, and after that I did not touch it. The book actually doesn’t seem to sit or even lie on the table. It seems to hover— held aloft from the earth and all its possessions from the…
I was thrilled that Fiona Robyn and Kaspalita selected one of my small stones to be published in their beautiful anthology… and here it is! pay attention: a river of stones is available is three formats: a stunning collectible hardcover (of course, I willsign your copy for you!); lusciously affordable paperback; and easy-peasy, ultra-portable, great-for-the-subway…
Ours is an immigrant existence, here in America, whether we want to admit it or not. This morning I am thinking about Haiti, which of course we’ve most of us pushed to the back of our minds because we are thinking about Egypt. This morning I am thinking about Haiti because I am listening to…
A conversation about boredom at Scoutie Girl yesterday got me thinking again about the daily tasks that constitute part of the “work” of my life. Not the least of these is feeding a family of six. Not the worst of them is laundry. Some I despise for no particular reason, like emptying the dishwasher. Whenever…
Cinnamon rolls have to be one of my favorite foods. Over at Pioneer Woman this morning I was drooling at her recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookie Sweet Rolls. The recipe even starts from the yeast, and not from a blue can you tear paper off of and bang on the counter’s edge. Man, I like…
Only once do we have the chance to ACTUALLY be brand new. We arrive on the earth, sticky and discombobulated, completely unprepared for all this light and noise. From then on, we are experienced. We’ve seen it all. So we have to do all manner of contortions to reinvent ourselves. The book I am reading…
My kids reallyreally like bananas and I am reallyreally glad about that. As some of you know, we are greeny-greensters, so we grow our own veggie garden, make compost, and buy organic and local. Well, sometimes. If we started to apply the “locally-grown” condition to our food (250-mile radius), what would be have to give…
Linda Wolfe and I are in the same boat. We feel lonely. You can get married, once or lots of times (23 in Linda’s case), and still feel lonely. Sure you might have a built-in partner who is around a lot, but never cures the echoes inside of each of us. I don’t feel “bad”…
