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My Meetup with Little TED: How I prepared for a TEDx Talk

130 I have a date with TEDx. Nov. 8 at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. Our meetup was arranged by TEDx Chemung River. TED (Technology, Education, and Design) is a global nonprofit committed to the power of shared

A Painting, a Pyramid, and my Longing

On October 28, 2014 / Creativity, Family and Friends, My Land and Home / 23 Comments

171 “I brought you a gift,” my daughter-in-law Liz said the day after the launch party for Leaning into Love. She seemed unusually shy. “Really, Liz? Another gift? You gave me the gift of driving from North Carolina

Nature’s Seasons of Grief and Hope

On October 21, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Creativity, Nature / 20 Comments

59 My husband’s death left me with tears and longing, but Nature soothed me. I walked the trails of my land and felt supported during the hardest transition of my life. Like the first crocus of spring or the last Monarch

A Book Launch, an Engagement, and a Pyramid

On October 7, 2014 / Creativity, Family and Friends, My Land and Home / 24 Comments

92 My family enjoys extravaganzas. It was my husband Vic’s style. If you can’t celebrate in a big way, why bother? I remember my surprise birthday party staged by Vic in 1968. Friends walked down the hill toward our

Searching for Sparks: Camp Widow Toronto

On September 30, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life / 16 Comments

49 I went to Camp Widow to meet new friends, give and receive comfort, and share peak moments. Our widowed lives can be lonely and empty compared to the lives we had with our partners. No matter how long it’s

My Lover’s Secret

On September 23, 2014 / Family and Friends, Psychology and Mythology / 32 Comments

347 “What did you do before you came to Cornell?” I asked. We sat on his couch, drank red wine, and listened to Buffy St. Marie on the stereo. He was sturdy and muscular with dark curls.

Birthing and Dying: Do They Have Similarities?

On September 9, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Family and Friends / 42 Comments

158 “I didn’t expect it to hurt so much,” I said in a little girl whine. My husband Vic sat next to the hospital bed where he’d been all night. “Oh no, here comes another one.” “Pant,

A Light that Holds the Dark

On September 5, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Spirituality / 28 Comments

205 I stood in a small room with high ceilings. A shiny cloth covered lumps on a tall table. On a wooden bench next to me, Mommy lay on her belly, hiding her face in her arms. I watched the

Guides to the Other Shore: Women Swimmin’ for Hospicare

On August 12, 2014 / Bereavement and End of Life, Political Action / 12 Comments

144 As we walked downhill toward the lake, hundreds of kayaks, canoes and paddleboards bobbed in choppy water. Small balls floated near them–bathing caps and bare heads. Wet paddles sparkled as they moved toward us from across