Women's Issues Midlife And Beyond
Saturday night, Dec. 12th. The auditorium lights are down and the concert underway. My husband and I, arriving late, crab-walk into the dark seeking our seats. Fortunately, the row is empty, so I don’t have to drag my ample butt past disgruntled and timelier guests. Unfortunately, the row is empty, which means a lot of people are missing out on… Read More
“C’mere,” said my husband. “I have something to show you, and I know it will make you happy.” Normally when he says that it is accompanied by waggling eyebrows and a lecherous grin. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve seen THAT before,” I say. “Naw, not that. Come out to the workshop…” It turns out, like Christmas presents; love comes in all shapes… Read More
Like furry gargoyles, our two cats, Giese and Pudgy, perch on the headboard of our bed and wait for their breakfast. If I sleep too long into the morning haze, they begin a choreographed plot of accidental pillow dives near my head. After the third or fourth “whoomp” of cat cannon-balling, I am forced to wake officially up. They… Read More
 Is it possible to have Easy-Bake Oven lust? Yes. Yes, it is. As a farm child, when the Sears Christmas catalog arrived in our mailbox, I was giddy with hope. The toys advertised, and advertised, and advertised during Saturday morning cartoons suddenly became possibilities on the pages of that slick and shiny book of endless desire. I was… Read More
As a Baby Boomer woman with her landing gear in place to skid and bump onto the tarmac of the considered old, I’m fascinated how loneliness and sexual satisfaction mingle at this stage of life. Rachel Maines’ book, Technology of Orgasm, (Maines, 1999) gave me not only a historical view of technology as a sexual device, but on the culturally approved… Read More
Grandma stopped mid-sip and put her coffee cup down. Her eyes followed the lines of the ceiling as if the answer hid among the shadows above. “Why don’t you look in the bedroom closet? The one by the mirror?†Ewww. The closet.  The scary closet.  I was young, maybe eight years old, pajama-clad, and spending the night with her as… Read More
And there it was. The sound of a bell rung with urgency. Like Pavlov’s dog, I responded. I don’t believe I salivated, but I did reach into my purse for my wallet. And there she was. A small woman with grey hair and shoulders hunched with age. Each year this woman stands in the entryway of our local grocery store… Read More
I found a money back guarantee on a beauty cream. Rushed down to the store. They took one look at me and paid me in advance. Phyllis Diller, stand-up routine, 1978 “It’s easy to see why you wear makeup. You just weren’t born a natural beauty like your sister and me.†Mom loved to appraise and to hurt. Over my… Read More
A Stop and Smell the Roses Moment! I follow an interesting, kind, young woman named Amber Vilhauer. Â Per her website:Â Amber Vilhauer (formerly Ludwig) is an online business development expert who supports authors, speakers and coaches to establish a powerful, integrated online presence that gets results and empowers them to make a difference in their industry. Today she sent out an… Read More
Picturing a Perfect Gathering, Getting Something Imperfectly Fine Instead I should be creating an apple pie right now, but I’m blogging. Why? Once I get into the kitchen and the flour storm arrives, it’s time to take refuge. I let go of my lists and focus on the pleasure of cutting into juicy apples, sifting aromatic cinnamon, and rolling dough… Read More
