How long has it been since you’ve taken a risk and tried something new? For me it was last fall. It came in two parts. First, I took the Graduate Record Examination (GRE); then I applied to four MFA creative writing programs. After months of waiting, I now know none...

Can’t shake ‘em, I’ve got the Health Insurance Blues. Just when I thought it was safe to write a blog about writing, current events have revved me up (again) for the federal battle of the week. It’s one more fight that I’m just not in the mood for, yet fight I do....

I’m a card carrying member of Planned Parenthood. According to my membership card I’ve been one since 2003, but I’ve supported the organization for longer than that. Here’s my story. In December 1978 I was a new bride. My (then) husband, a journeyman in his trade, had...

Have you heard of the I’ve Got Mine Club? It’s not a formal organization, per se, but a human behavior that leads to barriers and exclusions. My dad first explained the I’ve Got Mine Club to me. The town I grew up in evolved from a sleepy mill town with a...

Leaving a house after 10 years of residency is hard. With this particular house, it’s not just the downsizing of possessions, the packing, the deep cleaning and everything involved in selling the place. This house is special. This is the house that Kate and Jack...

This time of year many people are succumbing to the flu, a highly contagious disease that is hard to avoid if you spend much time in public. We even had a mild bout in our household, in spite of flu shots and living quietly in a rural area. But there are other...