By 1977, Jackie Onassis and others had led a successful campaign to preserve Grand Central Station, and the Commodore Hotel, next to Grand Central, was over fifty years old and losing money. New York City was in the depths of … Read More
Anne Morrow Lindbergh published Gift from the Sea in 1955. It was on my mother’s nightstand, and like many women of that era, I think she treasured the book. I was surprised to see it described as a proto-feminist book, … Read More
When I lived in upstate New York, a friend bought a nineteenth century home, not uncommon in that area, and discovered a stash of empty Lydia Pinkham’s tonic bottles in the attic. For those of you not familiar with Lydia … Read More
When will the Baby Boomers move off-stage? The daily political discourse right now is an assault, and I am not attributing that assault to age, but maybe this generation has had its run. What would be the impact if tomorrow … Read More
I went to a poetry slam on Sunday night and I placed second, out of not many. I lost to a young woman who used the F-word in all forms of speech – adjective, adverb, verb, noun – but she … Read More
Every autumn I wait to see how late in the calendar I go before I turn on the furnace. I don’t know why this frugality is a pleasure, because the self-abnegation, the suffering, is only mine to bear. I don’t … Read More
Remember the marshmallow test? It still comes up in casual reference. Forty years ago, a Stanford researcher put a marshmallow in front of a small child, and basically said “Don’t touch it, I have to leave the room.” The ability … Read More
I was labelled “wise” by the new leader of my last workplace. The label was a euphemism for irrelevant. Her vision was transformation through metric-driven, tech-savvy efficiencies. I thought it was the right vision. So I retired. I wasn’t pushed … Read More
Strippers from Casa Diablo, a vegan strip club (only-in-Portland?) were in church and part of the sermon/dialogue a few weeks ago. The minister preaches – and practices—radical inclusion. His stewardship sermon last Sunday was Please don’t Give Us Money, if … Read More
When people ask how many children I have, I hesitate. The answer is two, a bio child and adopted child, but it is easier to say “one.” Like other simple questions in idle chat, the answer is messier than social … Read More