Category Archives: inspiration

A contemporary fairy godmother

Posted on August 18, 2011 by stillalife

There are times in all our lives when we need a fairy godmother, not the one whose sprinkling of magic dust turned Cinderella’s pumpkin into a coach and the castle’s rodents into horses, but someone with the same rousing spirit … Continue reading →

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What’s your mission?

Posted on August 7, 2011 by stillalife

Do you have a personal mission statement (also called a “manifesto”)?  A statement of beliefs and intentions? A set of guiding principles for how to live your life?  It’s possible that you do somewhere in the recesses of your brain. … Continue reading →

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Reading as a cure for nearly everything

Posted on July 19, 2011 by stillalife

As someone who loves to curl up with a book — any book, good or otherwise — I was interested to read an article about “bibliotherapy,” in an on-line magazine called Ode, which came to me via the DailyGood newsletter.  It … Continue reading →

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Worthy of biographies

Posted on July 14, 2011 by stillalife

“Every human life is worth a biography if only we could find the right author.”  Ruby Ewan, retired school teacher from Montana Yesterday we held a memorial service for my mother, and David Kratz, the minister conducting the service, wove … Continue reading →

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The pursuit of happiness

Posted on July 3, 2011 by stillalife

In honor of tomorrow’s Independence Day, this Sunday’s sermon focused on the lines from the Declaration of Independence that say that all men are created equal and that among our inalienable rights are “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” … Continue reading →

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The sound of one hand blogging

Posted on June 28, 2011 by stillalife

Note to readers:  I had shoulder surgery last Friday and am struggling to become proficient as a one-handed blogger, at least for a month, which is how long I must wear a sling.  Thus the title for this post.  If … Continue reading →

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Becoming my own “tiger mom”

Posted on June 7, 2011 by stillalife

Saturday night, my husband and I heard the Charles Lloyd Quartet with Zakir Hussain. It was a spectacular evening.  We had heard Mr. Lloyd once before, maybe 30 years ago, and were as impressed now as we were then.  He … Continue reading →

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Other people’s diaries

Posted on May 31, 2011 by stillalife

Other people’s diaries are often more interesting than our own.  I drew this conclusion recently after reading a summary by my friend Walter, professor emeritus, expert on Ottoman poetry and speaker of many languages, based on diaries he recently obtained and … Continue reading →

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Haiku for the generations

Posted on May 28, 2011 by stillalife

Haiku is one form of poetry that both  children and adults can understand and create themselves;  it is a great tool for helping us focus on our surroundings, especially when we travel.  So says “The Traveling Haiku Contest,” the cover article by … Continue reading →

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Are you listening?

Posted on April 28, 2011 by stillalife

Are you a good listener?  I’m not.  Today I found myself reading and replying to an email while someone was telling me a long story on the phone. I thought I had been tracking both conversations, until at some point I … Continue reading →

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