Category Archives: Life
The Hug: A Handshake From the Heart
When I meet new people, I like to shake hands. I expect a firm handshake, accompanied by eye contact. If I find myself on the receiving end of a limp handshake, I struggle to resist the urge to wipe my … Continue reading
Fiery Fiends Find my Foot
I’ve always admired ants: they’re industrious, organized, and cooperative. Unlike humans, they’re unselfish. Unlike Congress, they get things done. Ants don’t have to receive orders: each one knows what to do, and does it. Among the most interesting and ubiquitous … Continue reading
Reconnecting in paradise
Three years ago, my cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer. The thought of losing her galvanized me. We began talking again, visiting each other, sharing secrets the way we did in childhood. But I had one foot in Philly and the other in Costa Rica by then. We decided she had to come for a visit- the sooner the better. “I won’t go through chemotherapy again,” she said, in the understated way she has. Continue reading
Authentic Happiness
Years ago, I discovered the Positive Psychology movement. Doctor Martin Seligman, of the University of Pennsylvania, a cognitive therapy guru, thought he knew how people could be happier. The big idea behind cognitive therapy is that we can change our … Continue reading
Rooster today, feather duster tomorrow
0savesSave BufferBack in August, I wrote about a chicken who adopted us. She laid us a few eggs, and though they were tiny, we had dreams of an endless free supply. We bought some chicken feed, named our girl Henny … Continue reading
“The rankest compound of villanous smell that ever offended nostril.” **
“I smell garbage,” I said. From his seat outside in the carport/terrace/studio, Jack replied, “It’s not me!” Jack can’t smell and doesn’t care much when I complain about odors. There was a noxious smell in the kitchen a few months … Continue reading
NaNoWriMo: Writing fools
Starting tomorrow, November first, I’ll become a writing fool. I’ve decided to participate, along with thousands of other writers, in “thirty days and nights of literary abandon.” I’m going to write a novel! NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month, in … Continue reading
Starring on highways in Pennsylvania: fall foliage
One of the things I love about Pennsylvania is the smash hit that plays along a highway near you around the last two weeks of October, and runs until the last leaves fall. In this production there are no bad seats, and the ticket is always free. It can be a sad story, a reminder of mortality; or a joyous one, with the implicit promise of renewal; regardless, it plays to packed houses. Continue reading
You CAN go home again
In Spanish, the word casa means house; as far as I can tell, there’s no word that means home. In English, we differentiate between house and home, but often use the two words interchangeably. Lately, I’ve been wondering: How can … Continue reading
