I gave my middle finger to a particularly deserving driver and my mother (sitting in the passenger seat) about had a heart attack. Her generation valued “being a lady.” Mine decided “ladies” don’t get noticed/make history/climb the corporate ladder/etc. etc. . . . you get the idea. As a child, I was not supposed to be dramatic. Drama was for others with fewer manners. That was usually phrased as “a less...
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I’ve just finished a book I’m calling PAY ATTENTION TO THE FAIRY GODMOTHER. Title comes from a twist my grandmother gave the ending of the Cinderella story. At the end of that classic tale, she would sit back and say, “The prince is nice. Nothing better than a fine, handsome prince. But YOU pay attention to the fairy godmother; she’s the one who got things done.” Here’s the thing. She was my fairy godmother....
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Opened my email this morning and found several suggestions for remembering Mother’s Day–flowers (of course), a BOSE Radio, AirRibs, Godiva chocolates, a Mother’s Wisdom deck of cards (not sure what that is exactly), an Audiobook, and some kind of solar powered dancing flower knickknack. Not going there. With the recession, supporting the consumer economy is not a bad idea. However, I don’t think we talk enough about the...
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I hiked Glacier National Park last fall, tagging along with Douglas Chadwick, the famed wildlife biologist (see The Wolverine Way). We climbed up and down and all around checking wildflowers and bear sign–great experience That evening, after we’d kicked back in the Granite Chalet, he shared wolverine stories. Chadwick spent seven years studying mountain goats–not an easy gig. Goats go places humans find impossible. But...
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Yes, I know people who bemoan the fact that no one writes letters any more. Those same people aren’t blog savvy. If they were, they’d know that bloggers are the letter writers of the 21st Century. I read blogs on everything from a-poem-day to the history of Yellowstone Park. I see photos of food in restaurants and police brutality in Oakland. I am informed about everyday things and history-in-the-making. Christmas letters are...
Read MoreDon’t be fooled. The little folk of fairytale and fable are the keepers of the wisdom. What’s more, they’re not stuffy about it. Worldwide, no matter the tradition, folk tales challenge the norm, encourage creative problem-solving, even question who you are in order for you to grow into someone else. We need these stories. Proof is in the fact that if our families don’t provide, we will look elsewhere for them. I have a...
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