When I first read Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique in 1970, I cried with relief. Friedan had interviewed suburban housewives and found many were not fulfilled as homemakers. That was me. And like others in these first waves of feminism, I, after some painful soul-searching (chapters 5 and 6 in Caring Lessons), ventured out of …
Another year is dawning…
When I was a child living in a parsonage, we attended church services on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Imagine how we felt as kids when these holidays fell near a Sunday. Because we also attended morning and evening Sunday services, we would joke about just staying in our Sunday dresses and camping …
A shout out today for Becky Povich!
From Pigtails to Chin Hairs: A Memoir and More is the captivating title of blogger and humorist Becky Povich's new book. As a fellow writer and blogging friend, I'm thrilled she's made it this far and am happy to support her in her next goal of getting her book published. If you recall my story …
The Christmas Story, from The Message
Luke 2 (From The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language / Eugene Peterson / 2002.) The Birth of Jesus About that time Caesar Augustus ordered a census to be taken throughout the Empire. This was the first census when Quirinius was governor of Syria. Everyone had to travel to his own ancestral hometown to be …
Pray for Meaning and Peace
The New York Times reported yesterday that people in Newtown, CT, do not know the right thing to do now after the tragic loss of lives. But, as I thought about this last night, I knew the right thing for me to do today, on this primarily weekly blog post, was to extend my sympathy and …
Seventy: A Major Milestone for Women?
As quoted in an Atlantic article (12/2/12), psychological researcher Ellen Cole says, “Seventy is a major milestone for women—a wake up call." She goes on to say, “It’s the age at which, according to Pew, most women think ‘old age’ begins.” Wow. This struck home as I’m on this year-long celebration of turning seventy. I …
Who am I at seventy?
Do you ever ponder who you are? Now don’t get spooked, but I like to mull over who I am. Think, before you read further, of how you would describe yourself. Like others, I usually describe myself in terms of the roles I play: sister, wife, mother, grandma, nurse, teacher, friend, writer. But these don't …
Untapped potential? Try the Tennessee Fitness Spa.
I never heard of wallyball until two weeks ago when my friend Marianna and I spent three days at the Tennessee Fitness Spa. To celebrate turning seventy this year, we wanted to do something new, something different, and something a bit crazy. A fitness spa deep in the TN woods, home to a Natural Bridge …
Continue reading Untapped potential? Try the Tennessee Fitness Spa.
To my older friends: Don’t let the lovely fall leaves make you fall!
The first thing I did last week at the Tennessee Fitness Spa was fall. I have a history of falling. I slipped on a pebble in San Francisco (cut my elbow), fell on the ice on my front porch in Palos Heights, IL, (broke my arm), and caught my sandal on a sidewalk grate in …
Continue reading To my older friends: Don’t let the lovely fall leaves make you fall!
BSN to Doctoral Degree Programs
As a retired nurse educator, I’m excited about the trend in nursing to prepare nurses at a younger age for research and, particularly, academic careers. As we older nurses like to say, “in my day” as a new diploma grad in 1962, I never thought about a full-time career in academia. In fact, in those …
Write Along with Me 