writing
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PJs AND BIRTHDAYS
When the first freeze of winter hit, I pulled out my flannel PJs and found only one mismatched pair, which had a long-gone, elastic waistband. They were given to me almost 20 years ago. I did the math and realized that my next pair may well outlive me. So, I purchased these, so I’ll look… Read more
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by
in
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“OPTING OUT IS NOT NEUTRAL. IT IS PERMISSION.”
–MITCH JACKSON, LAWYER, AUTHOR, SPEAKER Given the events this week, I was not going to post, but Jackson’s eloquent wisdom gnawed at me. By now, you’ve seen the videos of Renee Good, the young mother of three shot dead by ICE agent Jonathan Ross, as she attempted to leave a protest in Minneapolis. Only seconds… Read more
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YOU GO FIRST
Remember in school when the teacher asked a question and you shrank down in your seat hoping he’d call on someone else? No one wanted to go first. Years later, at my very first dance, I quickly realized that waiting for someone to ask me could take forever. Life was too short to just stand… Read more
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The Bark & The Bikini
I found hundreds of these tree bark striplings lying in the gutter, covered with mud. They had fallen from a Manzanita tree on a populated street in La Jolla. Countless people stepped on them as if they were garbage, not noticing them at all. But their paper-thin delicacy and colors captivated my eye. After rinsing… Read more
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DO YOU SEE WHAT I SEE?
I saw this painting by Jorge Santos in a Santa Monica gallery recently and was absolutely captivated. Why? I’m not sure. Three people are packed together in odd juxtapositions with upside down dogs at their feet. They look spoiled, petulant and indolent. It’s riddled with hands and feet and flat out weird and I love… Read more
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RIGHT TIME? RIGHT NOW
They looked like the same pair when I slipped them on this morning in the dark garage. However, when I arrived in California and looked down, I was startled to see they didn’t match. Such are the joys of aging. When I get to the point where I look down and they still look the same? I… Read more
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LOVE IS BLIND
I just helped my 65-year-old client set up his first, online dating profile. Sadly, he stayed long past the expiration date of his marriage and is now starting over. Meanwhile, my youngest daughter has attended more weddings this year than I’ve been to in my lifetime. Statistically, 45% of those unions will end in divorce. That’s why… Read more
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by
in
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stupid is smarts gone AWOL
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” – Albert Einstein Sometimes I do something so dumb that even I am floored. Such was the case last night, when I decided to untangle string lights that a windstorm blew over the backyard wall. Despite my poor vision… Read more
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PLANTS GROUND US
I’ve had my hands in dirt since I was 10 and planted my first cactus garden. It took weeks and multiple thorns in my fingers to complete. When we moved, it was the only thing I was sad to leave. In the years since, I’ve planted bottle brushes in Sarasota, crape myrtles in Nashville, a… Read more
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magical thinking
I have a friend who cleans his sunglasses with paper money. He swears, “It keeps them cleaner longer.” However, the science says that’s not true. Paper, which is made from wood pulp, scratches lenses. So why is he convinced otherwise? Beats me. What matters is what he thinks—not what is. Neither truth nor science affect our decision making.… Read more
AGEFULLY AGING 