It was Valentine’s Day and things were still on lockdown.
I had entered the New Year with high hopes, but here we were, still staying in careful bubbles, social distancing when outside our homes, and communicating across multiple online platforms. “Ugh,” I thought to myself, “Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are all going to be a hot mess today.”
I checked my email quickly; there probably wouldn’t be any business messages because it’s Sunday, and there wouldn't be any Valentines’ day mail either, because right now, there aren’t any Valentine's in my life.
At least no one is asking me to do a zoom date today.
This story is the second in…
Tips from my fifty-year long love affair with nature
I was born in a city, to parents who had lived their whole lives in cities. As a young child, I lived in Queens, New York. The closest I got to nature back then typically consisted of going to the beach and swimming in the ocean.
One of my earliest memories from childhood was a time when a friend of mine and I snuck into a neighbor’s garden. I was around six years old and had never been in a garden before. …
The more it is still true that men…
It’s never too late to develop new habits that stick
I’m wearing jeans that are falling off right now. I wish I could say that’s because I’ve lost the 75 or so pounds I still need to lose. I have not lost all that weight, although I have lost 20 pounds in the last year.
The reason my pants are too big is because of my workout routine, which has made all of my muscles are stronger and more toned than they’ve been in a decade or more.
A few key components have worked together to make these positive changes sustainable.
I first put on weight in my early 40s…
A Rebel’s Prompt: A Grand Party.
“No, I don’t want to attend your f***ing zoom party!”
I erased the message, and just hit the “maybe” button instead, knowing full well I wasn’t going to be sitting at the computer, pretending to be happy, tonight, on this New Year’s Eve. The year 2020 was going out with a groan, and I wasn’t even vaguely interested in participating in yet another virtual celebration as if there was anything at all to celebrate anyway.
The chiming clock sounded at 10:30. I decided there was no reason to wait to open the bottle of bubbly I had shipped to me…
Connection is the direction
At 65 I had to learn a whole new way of looking at life
On my 65th birthday, I went to Ireland with my family. It was in many ways a wonderful trip, full of fun and time spent with my daughter and grandchildren.
However, it was also, in many ways, a challenging trip.
One of the most challenging things I did on that trip was a climb to the top of Queen Maeve’s tomb. The path was rocky, and often very steep. I was proud of myself when I made it to the top. …
My mother told me in 1966; I told the world 50 years later.
When I was twelve years old my mother talked to me about sexuality. It was a simple conversation, at a level that one could have with a 12-year-old in 1966. I’m fairly certain it was based on the fact that my mom loved to read and had probably recently read the Kinsey Report. One clue is that she described sexuality as being on a continuum. She told me some girls “liked” only boys, some liked only girls, and some were in the middle.
My mom was pretty progressive for the time she lived in. She openly had gay and lesbian…
Crystalclearcandace
Writer, poet, gardener, life-long learner, warrior for children, lover of faerie, freedom, and joy. She/her/hers.
