Wayne Shorter, Jazz Artist, Sharing the Creative Process The Wayne Shorter documentary currently streaming (Zero Gravity) blew me away. It’s not often I see a piece on screen, or read an essay, that allows me to enter into and understand … Read More
I thought my great-aunt was just a cook My Great-Aunt Olga emigrated from Sweden at the beginning of the 20th century. Like other immigrants, she found employment as a servant in some of the great houses of New York City. … Read More
Sweet Corn and Braiding Sweetgrass I sat in front of the band at the farmer’s market to drink in the happiness all around me. It is the beginning of September, and the vendors’ stalls are full of sweet corn, tomatoes, … Read More
Only Niagara Falls, in the U.S., has a greater volume I had never heard of Willamette Falls until I moved here, close to Oregon City, Oregon. It is second only to Niagara Falls in water volume in the U.S. I … Read More
How a whole-person approach has worked · First the disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. But I am an aging woman, with aging parts. I bought a jumper, the one-piece bodysuit that looks so cute on two-year-olds and teens. … Read More
The Women’s Club provided role models for me Carol Bly was intimidating at the breakfast round table. “Common ground,” she opined “doesn’t exist. I hate when anyone talks about common ground.” She pronounced common ground a lost cause in the … Read More
I’ve given up maintenance for more time. The decision to retire someplace without snow and ice was made when I was flat on my back on the sidewalk in Minnesota. The black ice was invisible, and I had stepped off … Read More
Dahlias provide color from August until frost A delight of retiring to Oregon, which I didn’t know before I moved, is the plenitude of flower farmers. Many farmers open their fields in the blooming season, to bring in customers and … Read More
What if you were alive now at 80? Your skin was turned inside out. Raw is the adjective used for you. Raw emotions. Raw voice. Raw talent. But you were starting to learn to control your voice, so it could last many … Read More
The Sun, Moana, the Greeks, the Celts, and me. The sun inset with a spiral floated on the banner behind the altar in front of the sanctuary of the United Church of Christ. I was struck by the spiritual image, … Read More