Women's Issues Midlife And Beyond
“They told me ‘advertising is for dreams, not reality, and women dream to be young.’ That was their reasoning. It’s wrong of course. Not all women want to be blonde, thin, and young. But that’s the image companies want to sell. And you always have to fight it.” –Isabella Rossellini, on being sacked by Lancome I guess I’m odd…. Read More
I hate balancing the checkbook. Numbers and I have had an adversarial relationship for as long as I can remember, and I don’t see those hostile feelings changing anytime in the future. My husband, however, loves numbers. He sneaks out in the middle of the night to work on Excel sheets instead of staying between the bed sheets. What’s with… Read More
Hi Beloved Readers, It’s a super busy week for me so rather than not post a blog I went into the archives and decided to re-post one that contains: Sex. Sort of. Well not really. A nervous husband. A deep psychological study of why women like sex toys and sex shops.* When Our Naughty Bits Need Attention: The Anticipation Of… Read More
“When she smiles, the lines in her face become epic narratives that trace the stories of generations that no book can replace.” ― Curtis Tyrone Jones 99 and counting. Last week a friend’s mother celebrated 99 birthdays. When asked what kind of party she wanted she waved a hand dismissively and said she’s already thinking about the big bash for… Read More
“Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.” ~ Epicurus Growing up in a rural Minnesota community meant the world was relatively small in geography, culture, and ideas. It was, however, vast in shared beliefs, a dawn-to-dusk work ethic, and life lessons. Witnessing the values of my elders helped shape my young malleable views on… Read More
“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” ― Erol Ozan My son held out the car keys. “Here you go, Mom. But before you leave I want to go over a few things with you.” He then handed me a two-page, typed, list of things I probably shouldn’t do/use/try with his ancient Dodge Neon. Things like not using the… Read More
Each time I drive back to the farm I grew up on I witness changes in the landscape. The rural area once energized by small family farms and grazing cattle has succumbed to the passage of time. Barns once proudly used and maintained now sag under broken gray spines. Brush and weeds reclaim the fields and pastures my great-grandparents worked… Read More
In Minnesota, about two seconds after a stellar public firework finale, a voice in the darkness will utter, “!@#$, summer is over.” That sound is quickly followed by beer cans, tossed in the general vicinity of an overflowing garbage can, hitting pavement. If lucky, the smells from the porta-potties waft elsewhere. It’s a dismal punctuation mark to the giddy period of… Read More
If you’re always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be. –Maya Angelou Okay. I could stay home and do the work that needing doing, or, I could go to the North Shore with my photography club and play. A normal person would say, “Duuuuuuh! Go. Play.” I, however, agonized over the decision. For days…. Read More
“Progress occurs where truths are questioned.” ― Aniekee Tochukwu Ezekiel Aging. A word, a state of being, scrutinized more closely than George Clooney in a speedo. Almost. What does it mean to be a woman aging in a culture that is not fond of growing older? What scares us most? What body changes are the worst of the worst? What… Read More
