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Elaine Soloway's Widow Series: The Opposite of Caregiving & The Takeover
I know a time will come when lack of responsibility moves from respite to emptiness, when I will long for a beating heart nearby. Until then, I will talk to myself and my departed husband. For a smidgen of care taking, I’ll tend to the mixed bouquet on my kitchen table. Trim stems, change water, add crystal. I think I can handle that.
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Napkin Rings and Saving Ways
Julia Sneden writes: The fad for matched napkin rings has grown and nowadays even the catalogues feature such sets. They weren't meant for decor, and they certainly weren't meant to match. They were simply a means of identification that allowed us to reuse our napkins, usually for a week at a time. In the days before miracle laundry machines, before detergents with or without bleach, (never mind cold-water soaps or power boosters) people didn't toss napkins into the laundry after every meal. more »
The Music of an Auction
Sandra Smith writes: Waiting for the auctioneer is something like being present at a stage musical while the orchestra warms up. My stomach was a little fluttery. Would I understand? How fast would he talk? What if I scratched my nose and he thought I was bidding? I got so caught up in it, I forgot to listen to the amounts of the bids. more »
What is a Gender Mainstreaming Pilot District? Transforming Housing and Neighborhood Design
Traditional urban design tends to separate living spaces and commercial spaces into separate zones, which results in large distances between homes, markets, schools, and other urban spaces. Some urban designers have created housing and neighborhoods with on-site child-care and elder-care facilities, shops for basic everyday needs, and often primary-care medical facilities. "When we consider gender while designing communities, outcomes simply improve." more »