Columns

I’m told my great-grandmother was a child protégé on the violin, one who graced prestigious stages with her music. However, about 80 years ago, her mother had her put down her violin for reasons no one fully understands and she never picked it up again.  From that point on, her violin was handed down through my family. It was stored in different climates throughout dozens of moves and passed through several hands until it landed in mine.  I received it wrapped in bubble wrap, preserved as well as could be managed, but crumbling under the weight of years. Its sides had separated from its body in several places, the wood occasionally cracked and warped. A p...

“ Tell them you love them over and over again. Tell them too much, and never too little, for the time we have is short, but the love we have is endless.”  - Dane Thomas This week would have (should have) been my 35th wedding anniversary. I guess it is my 35th wedding anniversary. I&r...

Our nation is polarized and angry unlike any time since the Civil War. It seems that we are shouting at each other in person and online. Nobody is listening to one another unless they agree with their opinion. Social media and the 24/7 news cycle magnifies this tension. How do we lower the volume, stop shout...

When it comes to thrill-seeking, I’ve always embraced being one of the wimpiest of the wimpy. Why ride a roller coaster when you can watch all the fun from the sidelines? Rhetorical question, to be sure. Let’s just say I’ve been at peace with being a sidelines gal. My family is the op...

Packrat likes Prius. Wonderful engineering, mysterious passageways, fun, twisty-turns, tubing, wild sculpture unheeded expressions of unhinged art; must be a wonderful nesting opportunity somewhere in here, if she could only find it.  And so she looks, she’s young, the world is hers for explori...

Superman, Wonder Woman, and the Incredible Hulk all possess superpowers, but I enjoy supremacy even greater than x-ray vision, unlimited strength, or the ability to fly. My capabilities come from grocery lists in my pocket and canned goods on aisle seven. It’s the power of food acquisition and I’...

I have a confession to make: I love whiteboards. Even as a child, I was completely transfixed by the infinite possibilities they presented. I even remember asking my parents if I could cover all the walls of my room with whiteboards when I was around 11. Not surprisingly the answer was “no,” but ...

I think the difference between a politician and a statesman is that the people believe a statesman will do what he or she believes is the right thing regardless of the political consequences.When it gets down to it, a statesman would rather be right than reelected. It is generally accepted that Mike Mansf...

I like my phone. I rely on my phone. I truly appreciate my phone (and you, too, Siri!) but beyond that, well, my phone is just a phone. She does for me what I ask her to do, when I ask her to do it and as long as that consistency in our relationship exists, I’m good. We’re good.  But when...

Americans are divided over just about everything today. From politics to sports to entertainment, Americans do not agree on anything, except for their dislike of career D.C. politicians in Congress. Poll after poll indicates that over 80% of Americans support term limits for Congress, regardless of political...