“The Heart of the Matter is Free Education.” Caroline Simonelli, Fashion Designer How many people do you know who delight in the idea of working or vacationing in Beirut? My [ Read More ]
The Haunting of the Heart
Friday, March 9th, 2012
The talk of possibilities for Paint the Wind to become a movie or miniseries has caused me to be reminded very hauntingly of my mother. I should tell you, I think, that although my mother’s name was Kate, the family called her Manu, because it meant Giver of the Law in Hindi – she was [ Read More ]
This Wisdom Thing…
Friday, February 10th, 2012
Somebody called me a Wise Woman the other day and it almost made me laugh out loud. Isn’t that something like those Lifetime Achievement Awards they give you in Hollywood when they can’t find roles for you anymore, I wondered? But it set me to thinking… Nobody sets out to be a Wise Woman. You [ Read More ]
Life Outside the Box
Friday, January 6th, 2012
As you already know about me, I was born with a caul, so it wasn’t considered odd in an Irish family that I could see force fields around people, plants, things – not in color most of the time — but rather as some kind of exquisite electrical emanations. The whole world of matter seemed [ Read More ]
List for Dakota
Friday, December 2nd, 2011
My daughter Dakota is just about to graduate from college, and I have the awful maternal fear that I might have forgotten to tell her something that’s really important. So I made a list. I know the accumulation of wisdom is a lifelong task and can’t be hurried or culled from someone else’s hands – [ Read More ]
What Price Beauty
Friday, November 18th, 2011
I spent a lot of years in the Beauty/Fashion industry… I starved myself like everyone else did. Looking beautiful and sexy was a different kind of nourishment, and I made the tradeoff gleefully. But looking back, I’ve had lots of second thoughts about the unrealistic dream of beauty we’ve left our daughters. Real women don’t [ Read More ]
Body of Wisdom
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Have you ever looked in the mirror and just wanted to cry? I did that one recent morning, having had too little sleep and far too little coffee to cope with revelation. My body wasn’t any of the things I’d wanted it to be… that was clear from the get to. Not tall as Julia [ Read More ]
Friends to the End
Friday, November 11th, 2011
“Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.” Russian Proverb “Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry with your girlfriends.” —Laurie Kuslansky Thick, thin, life, death, moments, decades, loves, losses. Hearts blood or chicken soup, it’s the women friends who’ve been there. Advice or a boot in the [ Read More ]
My Aunt’s Perfect Blueberry Pie
Friday, November 4th, 2011
I was blessed with a family of great and merry women, who were kind enough to live into their 90s (one to 105!) so I could enjoy their wisdom, laughter and strength for much of my life… and also learn how to make great pies! I know we can’t recreate the best of our past [ Read More ]
Time Shares in My Body
Friday, October 28th, 2011
“How would you like to do a sacred ceremony to free you from whatever you choose not to carry with you, anymore?” my Medicine Woman friend asked me earnestly. “In tribal custom,” she continued, “when the time comes for you to become a Wise Elder it’s necessary to become whole again for the good of [ Read More ]