Category Life & Times
It’s so wholesome when hikers excitedly call you over to share a colony they’ve spotted 🐞
A layoff in 2002, well before the Affordable Care Act, forced me into my first experience buying individual health insurance. The Blue Shield PPO I ended up with cost $350/month with a modest deductible. I was a healthy 20-something with… Continue Reading →
“You have to stop wearing your wishbone where your backbone ought to be.” – Elizabeth Gilbert
Amid the visibly destructive frontal attacks on the rule of law as well as our most valuable institutions, there’s a quieter yet equally destructive attack on our data. The US government has traditionally kept databases separate, with information about citizens… Continue Reading →
Some days I think I was born to sit on a mountain and wisely — if pretentiously — ponder the great imponderables. (Sadly, it doesn’t pay well.) I especially love philosophical questions that challenge me to consider and balance opposing… Continue Reading →
When President Obama was elected in 2008, it felt like the beginning of a new era. There was good reason for hope and optimism — we had elected a President who was inspirational, thoughtful, and highly capable. His years ushered… Continue Reading →
This quotation from President Truman goes to show there’s nothing new about today’s political divisions. Truman presided over the country from the end of WWII until 1953. Continuing FDR’s legacy, he championed progressive New Deal reforms and successfully brought Democrats… Continue Reading →
Imagine you’ve had a friendly relationship with your next door neighbor for generations — almost as long as you’ve lived there. They are the best neighbors you could ask for! You visit each other often to share backyard harvests and… Continue Reading →
As I started to talk about last time, the city of Montréal set the tone for a relaxed, happy trip. It’s a vibe! The murals, the street scenes, the food, the people, everything. I loved it. My rusty French stalled… Continue Reading →
Except for getting stuck overnight in Toronto on my way home, I couldn’t have asked for a better trip. Everything planned went well and every day there was at least one happy surprise — a charming couple I met over… Continue Reading →
The biggest misstep I made planning my trip was not understanding the topography of Vieux Québec. My lovely hotel was at the tippy-top of the upper town, higher even than the Frontenac, which meant that every outing involved going down,… Continue Reading →
Building on my trip to the forest, the next day I continued nature bathing at Montmorency Falls (aka Chutes de Montmorency) located on the eastern edge of Quebec City. This trip fell just before autumn colors, but I got a… Continue Reading →
It took me almost 20 years from the time I bought a travel book for Québec — so long ago guidebooks were still relevant — to setting foot in the province. But I made it! And while I’m not the… Continue Reading →
Last year my long-term relationship evaporated overnight. While I can’t say there were no warning signs, they were certainly faint. Silver linings from that have been similarly faint. But one upside has emerged in the wake of another painful loss… Continue Reading →
Yesterday a friend was telling me how computer games only render the rooms we are in to save memory, and that our brains aren’t so different. When we encounter something different or enter a new space we force our minds… Continue Reading →
Whoo! Back from a 1840 mile, 12 day solo driving trip home to Tucson. What a bittersweet trip, one of tears and mortality and also of life-affirming friendship and beauty and nature. The universe really came together on this one… Continue Reading →