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Why We Build: Staying in Our Place, a blog about building a new house

Ferida Wolff, Blending In: My husband and I went on vacation to a place both foreign and familiar to me — the Middle East. The foreign aspect was that I had not been in that part of the world before. The familiar part had to do with my paternal family. My grandfather came from Palestine and my grandmother from Syria. This set the stage for an adventure that both surprised and delighted me

Julia Sneden, The Bored of Education: While it is often left to the populace to vote on bond issues creating new schools, the need for school maintenance and repair seems to me to be every bit as vital. Too often it is shoved aside for other matters, buried somewhere between the School Board’s purview and Central Administration offices

Jo Freeman, Gay Republicans Plan Their Future: Log Cabin Republicans are very dedicated, stalwart Republicans, who refuse to be run out of their party despite a hostile atmosphere. They have occasionally found allies among some of the other outsiders in the party, but not without difficulties

Dermatologist Cynthia Bailey, Summer sun protection is much more than just picking the right sunscreen: As a California dermatologist, I spend most of my time treating people with skin cancer. I teach my patients to enjoy being outdoors and keep their skin safe. Today, sun protection information is complicated by vitamin D information such that even doctors are confused

Diane Girard, Magical Money Trees: It’s like a religion — you believe in it, or you don’t. I believe that not everyone can become rich. However, some of us may manage to live out our lives without losing all our savings. I plan to be one of those people because I am a wuss. I am content to watch my small jack pine survive the storm

Reprise, Jeanne Hubbell Asher, The Theater of Estate Sales, Part One and Two: Aspects of the sale are rich subjects for high drama, theater of the absurd or sometimes a farce. Perhaps the sales could best be described as improvisational with deeply moving personal sagas tempered with, in some instances, comic relief

Jo Freeman, Book Review, The Wrong Side of Murder Creek: A White Southerner in the Freedom Movement: To those of us who were civil rights activists in the 1960s, Bob Zellner and Constance Curry were legends in their own time. Not big legends like Stokely Carmichael and Julian Bond, but people you knew about even though you never met them, saw them or heard them speak

CultureWatch: Lords of Finance, apart from being a wonderful lesson in international monetary economics and finance, is a page turner. No Room for Doubt will appeal especially to our readers as it shows how one remarkable senior woman who overcomes the odds and achieves greatness. Serena, a tale of ambition and intrigue of the rape of thousands of Smoky Mountains' acres. Fat Rose & Squeaky on DVD will resonate with those who are determined to stay in control of their lives, and to protect what they have

Margaret Cullison, One Memorable Friend: I met one of my most memorable friends at a time when I needed a good friend. I’d just moved to the San Francisco Bay area and, while still unpacking the moving boxes, my husband told me he wanted a divorce. After thirteen years of marriage and four children, we’d drifted apart but still his announcement knocked me off balance

John Malone, Sailing, Part One: It wasn’t until we began sailing in weekend races at the Pymatuning Yacht Club and won the handicap trophy that Papa stopped trying to be in control and let me handle the boat my way. We were notorious for having loud arguments out on the lake, so loud and prolonged that other boat owners used to joke, “Here come the Malone’s, sailing on hot air again!”

Jo Freeman, Six years since the invasion of Iraq and still protesting: What began with a bang is ending with a whimper. But the groups that organized the Iraq invasion protests aren’t going out of business; they're expanding their agenda

Roberta McReynolds, Treasure Hunt: Mom withdrew into a prison of continuous sorrow, leaving her surviving young child isolated in a world lacking the nurturing and affection I needed to thrive. A full circle of generational grief had been completed and another cycle was in motion

Joan L. Cannon, Wasting Words? We have more words than most other modern languages. Of course we don’t need to know them all and couldn’t use them all (though I think Nabokov may have tried). Yet, that richness makes maximum precision almost always possible

Julia Sneden, The Green-Eyed Monster as Constant Companion: Perhaps it’s human nature to look around and wish for something you don’t have. The alternative would lend to a kind of smugness that is at the very least unattractive, and at the most, would lead to a kind of stasis. If there were nothing to envy, there would be no reason to grow and change

Jo Freeman reviews Women Making America, covering women’s history from the Revolution to the present day. Chock full of colorful images, it swoops high and low, sometimes mapping the forest and sometimes looking at a tree

Sightings, Victory Gardens: Tennis Ball lettuce, Moon and Stars watermelon and Telephone peas in 1943; Ernest's garden in Garden City, LI; the First Lady's kale, shallots and fennel and a culinary historian's theory, ""The more democratic our Presidents have been, the more attention they paid to their meals"

Rose Mula, L’Antico, the Sicilian Confucius: No one who has ever heard it can forget the poignant, Passau du tempu ca Berta filava, or The time for Bertha to weave is ended,” roughly equivalent to “Make hay while the sun shines,” but probably means that synthetic fibers and automated machinery have replaced the loom, so Bertha had better take a crash course in computer programming if she expects to find another job

Kristin Nord, Alaska: "You don't land at the end of the road without a reason": Drifters, gamblers, adventurers, dreamers and an astonishing roster of wildlife. This is the last great frontier, to a great extent, and it lives up to that billing with its unfolding stories

CultureWatch: The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry should appeal to all readers of literary fiction; Roseanne McNulty's story becomes an alternative, secret, history of Ireland. Henry Alford is witty and literate, but somehow he has allowed his talents to be diffused, by mixing the intensely personal with the reportorial in How to Live; A Search for Wisdom from Old People. Bailey White's Quite a Year for Plums setting is southern Georgia; the characters are a collection of psychologically peculiar scarred individuals their inventor has endowed with flaws that in spite of being exaggerated don't become burlesque. Online attendance at Shakespeare's Staging is a feast of images and videos

Ferida Wolff, With Hammocks in Mind: It is winter, now, and the maple branches are bare of leaves. I have been yearning for a step-back-in-time hammock, a return to a place of beginning and exploration, where one hammock could embrace a whole family and that family’s dreams

John Malone, Hitting Bottom: Rather than continually apologizing for my behavior and then doing the same things over again, I was able to change my behavior, gradually and painfully. I still have to struggle every day with my inflated ego, my anxiety, my need to show off, to be right and to make you wrong

Joan L. Cannon, To Write a Paragraph: It was a small, special class of senior boys with an assortment of various handicaps, none physical, taking place at the end of a school year. I seriously questioned what in the world I was doing there

Sharon Kapnick, Languedoc: This big wine-producing region in southern France offers many big bargains — Languedoc has become known for good-value, popular international varietals, as well as wines using indigenous grapes that offer distinctive new flavors and personality

Julia Sneden, Niggly Things, to drive us around the proverbial bend, like the lower corner of the TV frame used to promote next week's offerings. Kyra Sedgwick pops up like a leprechaun, crouched to spring, disrupting Casablanca, let alone Schindler's List. The Screen Actors' Guild needs to do something, pronto

Rose Mula, What Will They Think of Next? They’ve invented a car that parallel parks itself, but when will they give us one that will drive itself so I can concentrate on my cell phone calls, answer my laptop email, and eat my sandwich… without worrying that a cop is going to pull me over

Adrienne Cannon, Last in Line: I look around during rehearsals and classes and don’t see many of my age who are as persistent or energetic in trying to perfect their skill. I feel successful in many of the things I do, in spite of not being the best performer

Jill Norgren reviews the Met Opera's Live in HD, providing a front row seat to live opera through H-D simulcast. Camera work is intelligent and artful, with stunning close-ups and sensible renderings of choral and dancing ensembles

CultureWatch: The Private Patient by Baroness P.D. James holds our interest by the discovery of not just the who-dun-it, but the complex motives behind the actions. Anyone who loves dogs and brilliant descriptive writing will find Sawtelle rewarding. Wallace Stegner's Where the Bluebird Sings to the Lemonade Springs demonstrates that as a writer of style and elegance, he has few equals. Rancho Weirdo by Laura Chester contains humor that is integral, not incidental, and they are wonderfully irreverent tales

Liz Flaherty, More Than Meets the Eye: Piercings, Tattoos, Comb-Overs, Droopy Pants: There are a host of things I don’t mind. Skimpy tops with body parts hanging out — although I must confess to jealousy here; I’d give my earring collection to have the kind of body that looks good in those tops

Roberta McReynolds, Just the Icing on the Cake, Part Two: I felt the premature thrill of success; a moment later the sculpted flower slid off my fingers on its little wax paper toboggan, smashing upside down on the floor. I don’t recall what I uttered, but it wasn’t anything they taught in Home Ec

Julia Sneden, Shrink Shrank Shrunken: My spine has begun to collapse, and most cruelly of all, this is happening as my granddaughter is starting her adolescent growth spurt. Soon she will be kissing me on the top of the head and, worse yet, noticing that my part isn’t straight as she does so

Diane Girard, Keep Those Paws Off My Pajamas: There are pajamas I will not wear. I no longer buy the ones with critters on them. I have tried — but the animals disturbed me. I do not want to wear pink frilly nightwear either because then I feel silly, as if I’m stuck in a time warp at a pajama party

Joan L. Cannon, Am I Wearing Out My Welcome? Remember that your newfound cyber-pal has a life too. Don’t treat a new correspondent as though they already understand a) your family background, b) your phobias, c) your pet peeves, d) your most cherished dreams

Jo Freeman, Obama Inspires Republicans: African-Americans achieved a visibility at the winter meeting of the Republican National Committeenot seen in the memory of anyone there, and perhaps not ever on the national level

Dermatologist Cynthia Bailey begins a quarterly column with Hydrate Skin to Soothe Winter Itch: If you give the skin a little extra attention in the winter and employ some simple tips, it will be as soft and hydrated as it is during the warmer and more humid weather of summer

John Malone, Amha Goes to the Inauguration: Born in a remote Ethiopian village, Amha had been sold by his father to a traveling trader, survived in the mean streets of Addis Ababa and now stood with his adopted father witnessing a historic event on the Mall

Jo Freeman, Inaugural Journal, Waiting to Party: I did have my Obama moment. It was late at night on a dark DC street, but I didn’t have to wait for hours in the cold, or be crushed by a crowd, or even buy a ticket

Jo Freeman, Inaugural Journal, Tuesday: Touring the Outskirts: Eight groups had been given NPS permits for "first amendment activity" on January 20. I paused at a media check-in to shed a tear for the seat on the press riser that I didn’t get and went on my way

Jo Freeman, Inaugural Flashbacks: "Senator, are you ready to take the oath?" Mid 1960s ... Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s SCOPE project registered 253 Negroes in Newberry, SC. Two local Negroes decided to run for local office in the September primary

Jo Freeman, Inaugural Journal, Monday was Martin Luther King Day; It was a good day to protest, even if there wasn’t anything to protest about: Celebrating 'The End of an Error,' the Raging Grannies sang to the crowd and Code Pink did the Can-Can, as in 'Yes We Can-Can End War, a take-off on 'Yes We Can'

Jo Freeman, Inaugural Journal, Sunday: The combination of the first African American elected President followed by Pete Seeger, the 89-year-old folksinger who had been convicted for "contempt of Congress" in the year Obama was born, made one believe that the Sixties had triumphed after all

Joan Cannon, Lost: An Incredible Emporium — Wanamaker's in New York City had beauty, utility and art for art's sake in a commercial venue. It had an enormous staff, whose livelihoods depended on it for many years. The inventory was huge and so diverse it amazes me to think that they didn't close the store until the nineteen fifties

Rose Mula, Beyond My Wildest Dreams! If I won the lottery, I’d buy a new luxury car or two — every year for the next fifty. Furthermore, I’d look young and beautiful forever because I could afford plastic surgery to erase every wrinkle as it appeared

Adrienne Cannon, One Beat Behind: 9:30 AM. Saturday morning. Jazzercise class. The beat revves up as does the complexity of the moves. Uh-oh ... that old feeling has come back. Was it really three years ago that I began to lament my position of “last in line?

Julia Sneden, Branded: Sports venues used to be named after people of achievement, if they weren’t named for the teams that used them. Nowadays, despite the fact that most venues are built at least in part by taxpayer dollars, “naming rights” are sold for large amounts of money

John Malone, As I Look Back: Is this perhaps just a case of the criminal returning to scene of the crime? Or am I searching for answers about the real meaning of my life — the good, the bad and the ugly?

CultureWatch: The Seamstress of Hollywood Boulevard keeps one foot planted on the ground and the other tapping away in the world of the early motion picture industry; Where the Lake Becomes the River is a treasure for lovers of psychological fiction and a story to savor; Branch in His Hand moved our reviewer with its power, honesty and beauty; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a classic locked room mystery set on an Swedish island

Roberta McReynolds takes us on another of her adventures, Just Icing on the Cake, Part One: I allowed the cake to cool and readied myself for the process of turning my cake into two even layers. It seemed that the cake didn’t understand its role. The pieces falling off the sides of the cake as I attempted to side the wire through reminded me of icebergs calving off glaciers

Joan L. Cannon, A Curmudgeon's Complaint: If only we had Mark Twain or Voltaire to make the campaign speeches, Aristotle or Kant to force us to entertain enough thought to allow some expansion of minds. Farewell Harold Ross. You're missed

Julia Sneden, Fa La La La Frantic: Oh dear. I have once again blown last year’s resolve to approach the holidays in a calm, well-organized fashion. At my age, it should be getting easier to figure out how to navigate the season with equanimity, but somehow things always spiral out of control

Margaret Cullison, Frosted Cakes: Seven-Minute Frosting, 1234 Cake, Pound Cake Torte and Carrot Cake: I suffered from cake envy after attending a friend’s birthday party. Her cake that year looked like a lamb with white frosting and coconut curled fur. The cake completely enchanted me

Ferida Wolff, A Christmas Blessing: The musicians begin playing and a sweet, haunting sound suddenly comes from the band. The song is suspended in the air, shining like the crystal ornaments on the Christmas tree. A hush settles on the residents

Rose Mula Reprised, Don't Mess With Mother Nature: She can morph into a sneaky, evil, conniving witch in an instant. Get sucked into the goody-goody myth perpetuated by her public relations staff and let your guard down for just a moment, and she’ll turn on you mercilessly

Joan L. Cannon, Wishing for "A Modest Proposal." There seems to be no excuse for the callousness of [Namibia] for the exploitation of conspicuous consumption. I thought of Swift's ability to flay human folly and wished I could convey in the way he would have the combination of fury and incredulity that assailed me

CultureWatch: 100 Essential Modern Poems by Women reveals that a number of the poets suffered from bitter conflicts with their parents or from their physical or emotional absence. Chinese Lessons is written in an artful and entertaining style; China's Government policies are not soft-pedaled. Heartbeat for Horses will speak to anybody who has ever loved horses, either in reality or in literature

Joan L. Cannon, A Plea for Imagination: Surely, there is a real danger to what we like to call civilization when so many people appear to have lost the ability to imagine ... if only to learn how to fear something that may not yet be evident, if we are to prevent it

Jo Freeman reviews Red, Blue, and Purple America: The Future of Election Demographics — The authors offer numerous insights into voting trends, a few surprises, and much food for thought. If you want to know why the 2008 election was not an aberration, read this book

Sharon Kapnick's Reviews Wine Books for Gifting: On Inexpensive Wines, Must-Try Wines, Politics, Seasons, Corks and Beaujolais — Among them books that advise what to sip for each season; How Governments, Environmentalists, Mobsters, and Critics Influence the Wines We Drink; 1,001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die and To Cork or Not To Cork

Sighting, Happiness, A Commodity? " ...when performing tasks for others, an atmosphere of distrust reduces individuals’ motivation and accomplishments, trust in each other has declined much more steadily and consistently than our trust in institutions and probably increases the cost of doing business"

Julia Sneden, What's So Black About Friday? The author's mild synesthesia colors her understanding about connecting a color to a day of the week. But what does it have to do with holiday shopping?

Rose Mula, The Holiday Hustle Hassle: It seems we keep playing, “Can you top this?” You know how it is. If you think Richard is going to squander fifty bucks on you, you feel you must spend at least sixty dollars for something he probably will never wear/eat/display or splash on his face or body

Jo Freeman, Going Green, Going Strong: A Green Festival shows off products for the home and body designed to make both people and planet healthier

CultureWatch in Paperback: 1421, The Year China Discovered America makes even relatively ancient history shine with adventure and amazement; the final part of Musicophilia covers both illusive connections and evocations music bring to minds consumed by melancholia and the healing powers that music can have as the mind deals with loss and sorrow; a pre-holiday review of 3 children's book involving SWW's Ferida Wolff

Patricia Beurteaux, The Election of Barack Obama: One Canadian's (Probably Impolite) View: Can he bring the kind of change needed to make the US image that of a good neighbor and friend and not a bully or opportunist?

John Malone, Comfort Captain and Team One Director: On the Road to an Obama Victory — When it was getting dark, a volunteer came to a ramshackle house to find an 86-year-old woman who had not voted in 20 years. She couldn't read nor write and hadn't a car. He took her to the polling place

Obama Dispatches: SeniorWomen.com Contributors Nicola Slade and Jane Shortall weigh in from England and France about the new President

Jo Freeman, The Polling Place Grinch: Election Day, 2008 — I started this election day as an ordinary voter. I soon became an angry one

Joan L. Cannon, Be Our Guest? We came contentedly back to our rumpled domicile replete with cat hair and odd bits of broken leaves off our dog's feet, where our coffee table is hidden under magazines and half-finished newspaper articles, the couch cushions not plumped and the curtains not even drawn

Julia Sneden, Election 2008: In the Nick of Time! The lead-up to my moment in the voting booth has been made unbelievably fractious, exciting, surprising, and ultimately exhausting as candidates fell by the wayside and the early veneer of goodwill and sportsmanship between the two front-runners dwindled

Ferida Wolff, Mom's Jewelry: What I loved best of all was a bracelet with milky stones that my mother called moonstones. I will know that no matter how beautifully a jewel glows, it is the human spirit that truly shines

Jo Freeman reviews Black Americans in Congress 1870–2007, the kind of book that one explores both for business and pleasure. If you read, write, or research Black or US political history, you will want to keep it handy

Rose Mula, But Wait! There's More!! Another beautiful spokeswoman grabs my attention. She says she’s seventy years old. My hearing must really be going. She looks seventeen. “You heard me! And I owe it all to this amazing, priceless beauty cream"

Julia Sneden, On the Nose: Her voice was ever soft, gentle and low; an excellent thing in a woman — King Lear, Act V. Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a rising pitch and increasing nasality in the speech of American women?

Jane Shortall, Madame's New Chapter: A visiting friend to the Ariège Pyrénées remarked that it made him feel as if he had stepped back to the 1950's: the slow pace of life, taking every day as it comes, enjoyment of small things and good food and wine

CultureWatch: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a clear winner on the side of delightful; A Voyage Long and Strange is an interesting history of exploration and settlement of the Americas; The Monster of Florence readers will find it fascinating, frustrating and challenging

Margaret Cullison, Third Time's Charm: Even though we’d been together awhile, I’d been single for over 25 years, and I hadn’t forgotten how I’d yearned for another go at marriage. The time had come.

Roberta McReynolds, Catalog Season Begins: I can’t think of anyone who might enjoy a battery operated, motorized, plastic ice cream cone ... nor has a situation come up when I found myself yearning for a pocket laser light show, complete with a wrist strap and fold-out stand

Joan L. Cannon, One of the Throng: There are prizes of one sort or another offered for just showing up — at races, contests and social events. It seems as if society is devaluing achievement in favor of effort and, too often, for minor exertions

Ferida Wolff, Shhh: Three decades have passed since I had full charge of a child. I hoped I remembered my mothering skills. How different could it be? I wondered

John Malone, Part Two of Traveling : After retirement, as our five children grew up, moved away from home and started families of their own, our travels took on a different form: the pursuit of our grandchildren, fiercely competing with their other grandparents for face time

Rose Mula, Where Have They Gone? Where has modesty gone? Today the woman who is not displaying at least four inches of cleavage (and no panty lines because she’s not wearing panties) is definitely overdressed

Jo Freeman reviews Battle for Seattle: The villains are abstractions: the US, the western world, trade policy — some of these abstractions have faces, but they don't have major parts

Joan L. Cannon, Serendipity: Something I remember reading long ago by Joan Didion, I believe, is absolutely right: that to write is one of the best ways to discover what you think. In fact, it may also be a way to discover what you know.

Doris O'Brien, Veeps and Other Weepy Woes: If you examine the misfortunes of America's recent vice presidents (or wannabe candidates) one wonders why anyone would covet that office in the first place

CultureWatch: The Other is based on connotations stirred by an ironically simple and brief quotation from Rimbaud, Je est un autre. The Man Who Loved China is a fascinating panoramic picture of China through the millennia. Stand The Storm is the brave tale of a family's rise from slavery. Settling is an engaging romance that will speak to those of us who have lived through a few heartbreaks and recoveries of our own

John Malone, Traveling, Part One: Memories of that trip are mere flickers and flashes — the hot sand under my feet, seeing a starfish on the beach, the sound and smell of the sea as the cool water rushed around my ankles

Roberta McReynolds, I Painted Myself Into A Corner: I planned to paint a dancer in simple muted colors. I was aiming for something in the style of Monet (my sincerest apologies to Claude, by the way). I was in a high-powered creativity mode, covered with acrylic paint from fingertips to elbows

Jo Freeman, Goodbye, Republicans: Behind the scenes with a convention press operation less organized and more dispersed than I have ever seen before; a daunting security zone contrasted with a helpful volunteer cadre

Jo Freeman, Outside and Inside The Big Tent: Republicans who want back in are moderates, formerly known as liberal Republicans or Rockefeller Republicans, tracing their roots to Teddy Roosevelt's progressives and viewing themselves as "the real majority" in the Republican party

Jo Freeman, Marching to the RNC; The message of many obscured by the sporadic violence of few: None of the press reports mentioned the main march message, proclaimed in the lead banner, "US OUT OF IRAQ ... Money for human needs not for War"

Jo Freeman, First Impressions of the Republican Convention; Protests and Parties: Things are being done a little differently at the first Republican convention to be held in the Twin Cities since 1892. The differences are small, but just enough to blur the picture

Jo Freeman, Sarah Palin: A Risky Move and A Gift to the Women's Movement: McCains's choice for VP indicates he thinks he can shave off a piece of the population still unhappy with how Hillary was treated. It was a bold choice. A brilliant choice. A risky choice

Jo Freeman, The End of the Dream? Thoughts on the Finale of the Democratic Convention: There is another dream that was part of the New Frontier of the 1960s that is threatened with foreclosure. That is the dream of every American to speak, write and think freely, and to conduct their lives without government surveillance

Jo Freeman in Denver — This didn't feel like closure of an historic primary campaign. It felt like retreat: A sad ending to an historic campaign? A look behind the scenes at the Democratic Convention

Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com at the Democratic Convention: What Do (Democratic) Women Want? Hillary.... and Obama: Diversity is more than delegate deep. Women's events are still aimed at mobilizing women on behalf of Democratic candidates, but they also encourage women to run for office and celebrate those who did

Jo Freeman, Diversity In Play in the Caucuses: Much of the Democratic Convention activity takes place in caucus meetings. The convention proceedings are just a show for the media in which delegates are the backdrop

Julia Sneden, Learning Differently: We do not bind the feet of our babies so that all will fit into one, universal shoe size. Why do we try to wrestle their minds into one educational box? They are divergent learners, and our world is full of them

Jo Freeman for SeniorWomen.com at the Democratic Convention, Recreate 68? — A Protesters' Pipe Dream: There will be protests of varying kinds by different groups all week. But judging from the numbers (or lack thereof) I saw on Sunday, the police won't need the "overflow" detention center they created "just in case

Rose Mula, Paranoia, Paul Newman, and Other Pet Peeves: On my 'Unloveables' list are people who feel impelled to forward to me every single email others send to them regardless of my level of interest in the subject matter

Jo Freeman's book review of 500 years of Chicana women’s history: Women are now fighting not only in the streets and on their jobs, but through the political system. You will enjoy reading how Chicanas went from protesters to politicians — in only 500 years

Ferida Wolff, Friendship: In Memory of Harriet May Savitz: We had been together for family births and deaths, for achievements and disappointments, for joys and distresses. Our friendship was too deep, too dear, to slip away unrecognized at the end

CultureWatch Reviews by Joan L. Cannon: Pulitzer winner The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao is horrifying and often funny, gripping, sad and cathartic in the Aristotelian sense. Alice Hoffman's The Third Angel is literate, out-of-the-ordinary fiction. Robert Parker's Sea Change is a suspenseful story that carries one or two moral messages

Sharon Kapnick, Food Friendly Wines, Part Six, Pinot Noir: While Burgundian Pinot Noirs have been revered for centuries, all Pinot Noir wines have been gaining popularity in the US since 2004, when the movie Sideways demonized Merlot and glorified Pinot Noir

Doris O' Brien, The Girth of a Nation: Prohibition's failure proved that drinking didn't stop simply because the law, in effect, hid the bottle. The same can be said of any attempt to ban fast foods or the selective use of trans-fat. We learn good nutrition by example, not by condemnation

Joan Cannon, Surviving Outlook Express: Can you believe seven days, averaging six hours per day, to establish correct settings on Microsoft's Outlook Express?

John Malone, Broca's Aphasia: Why was Rosie the dog scratching at the closed bedroom door? Or, rather, why was the white, furry thing with the licking tongue and anxious, pawing feet trying to get into our dark bedroom? Because I did not really think of the word 'dog'

Julia Sneden, No Sweat: As I sprawled limply on a reclining porch chair, I watched the birds fluttering around our bird feeders. “I wonder how birds stay cool,” I muttered. Men perspire, ladies glow, but birds do the gular flutter

Rose Mula, Who is Simon and What Did He Say? Today’s kids would find our primitive pastimes not only boring but even pathetically ludicrous. We played unsophisticated games like Simon Says, Red Rover, King of the Hill, and Mother, May I? Formally asking Mother’s permission to do anything these days is rare

John Malone, A Retirement Odyssey: "The area is rife with magnetic leylines and vortices and contains the oldest mountains on the planet, including Mt. Mitchell, the highest east of the Mississippi, and Shining Rock, a peak of solid quartz crystal. We sensed the wonderful energy of the mountains as we searched the area for our spot to retire

Sharon Kapnick, Food Friendly Wines, Part Five: Beaujolais — These fruity, juicy, soft, smooth, light-to-medium body wines pair well with, well, almost everything

Ferida Wolff, Sister Perceptions: Was it time to see each other through new eyes? It wouldn’t be easy. Our assessments were entrenched over decades of automatic thinking. We had to get out of the past and let go of our childhoods

Nicola Slade, Writing About the Past: I did know that my protagonist was going to be called Charlotte in a slightly shame-faced homage to Miss Yonge, as well as in memory of our legendary family dog, Lottie

Sharon Kapnick, Food Friendly Wines, Part Four, Rosés: Some rosés are simple, eminently quaffable wines, others sophisticated gems. They’re all refreshing and meant to be drunk young, within a year or two of the vintage

Sharon Kapnick, Croft Pink Port — Perfect for the Patio or the Porch: A light ruby that combines white port technology and red port grapes

Roberta McReynolds, If The Cup Fits, Wear It: Shopping for bras is on my ‘Ten Most Dreadful Activities I Will Avoid as Long as Possible’ list. Every two or three years the issue of new bras creeps up to the top of ‘Things I Can’t Ignore Anymore’ list and I literally have to do the math

Joan Cannon, Latter Day Lady Godiva: I’m curious about how many of our readers are bloggers and read blogs. There’s something about personal blogs that both intrigues and troubles me

CultureWatch: Ladies of Liberty by Cokie Roberts has quality gossip. Even at its meanest, it's well-articulated and pertinent. Patricia Cornwell's prose in The Front moves fast and furiously, like the noire novels of the ‘30’s. The First 30 Days and Just Who Will You Be? represent books review-worthy in the self-help categoryericans of any political stripe

Julia Sneden, Going Forth for the Fourth: Carl Schurz, a US Senator and Interior Secretary gave us the famous remark: “My country, right or wrong: if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right.” That seems to me to be a sentiment that can be shared by Am

Sharon Kapnick, Food Friendly Wines, Part Three: Riesling — Many wine lovers consider Riesling to be the most important white wine grape. It used to receive the respect it deserved

Joan L. Cannon, Relativity: I try to take comfort in the thought that maybe we can’t climb a mountain if we aspire to that, but we can write about it, paint pictures of it, teach someone else how to do it … and if it doesn’t occur to us to simply sit back and be old, perhaps we won’t be quite so fast

Margaret Cullison, My Mother's Cookbook Quick Bakes: Cayenne Cheese Wafers, Coffee Cake, Meemock’s Nut Bread and Hannah’s Raisin Bread — For home chefs who have complicated schedules, quick bakes that don’t require rising and kneading time lend a flair to what might seem like an ordinary social occasion

Ferida Wolff, Getting Goopy: I know this emotional irritability is part of the menopausal profile but it doesn’t make it pleasant. It requires too much energy. And yet …

Jo Freeman, This is an historic election. Let's celebrate it: It illustrates what is good about America, at a time when many find it hard to see the good. It demonstrates that we can overcome historic prejudices, change deeply buried values and attitudes, look beyond the surface to see the substance

Julia Sneden, Foundations: Can we not wait for the teachable moment? When we cram our children full of facts and ignore spontaneity, or when we try to provide answers before questions are asked, we do so at the expense of wonder

Jo Freeman takes you inside the most anticipated political meeting of the year: Count Every Vote or Play by the Rules? That was the question at the DNC’s Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting

Sharon Kapnick, Food Friendly Wines, Part 2; Sauvignon Blanc: While it’s easy to like Sauvignon Blanc, it’s a difficult wine to get to know well. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on it, you’ll happen upon a version that tastes quite different

Rose Mula, Who's That Old Fogey Who Claims to Be Me? Even though she has managed to crease my face like an accordion, in my head I'm still seventeen, and I look like Catherine Zeta-Jones. But when I tell her that, she laughs hysterically and tells me I'm delusional

CultureWatch: In After Dark, Haruki Murakami’s virtuosity draws you in even as it puzzles and dazzles. Jhumpa Lahiri's writing in Unaccustomed Earth has a resonance that is rare in so young an author: every layer of it is full of rich intention. The Alzheimer's Action Plan is rich in medical and practical advice; run, don't walk to your bookstore for a copy

Roberta McReynolds, Last of the Cat Tribe: Mike knew there wasn’t any point in discussing whether the kitten was staying or not. I offered Mike the naming rights. His inspiration was from the exploits of the last survivor of a Native American Nation known as the Yahi

Sharon Kapnick, Food-Friendly Wines; Part One: Sparkling Wines — Sparkling wines offer a great way to make every day special. And no wine is a better all-purpose match for food

Jo Freeman reviews The Age of Impeachment: American Constitutional Culture since 1960. Calls for impeachment have become so common that we forget how recently it has entered the political arsenal. Once viewed as a blunderbuss, it is now used as a bludgeon

Jane Shortall, A Personal Memory of Nuala O'Faolain: “I thought there would be me and the world, but the world turned its back on me,” she said. “The world said to me, ‘That’s enough of you now, and what’s more, we’re not going to give you any little treats at the end’ ”

Julia Sneden, M's Day: When band aids and a kiss no longer suffice to help your child deal with life, we all reach for whatever once soothed — a hug, a song, a pot of halvah quickly stirred up, a swift joke or a shared family memory. It’s the best we can do, and sometimes it’s soothing, or at least the beginnings of a healing force

Doris O'Brien, It's Becoming a Habit: As grateful as we are for modern science, all the contradictory claims can prove downright confusing. It's enough to drive one to drink — or at least to nibble nervously on a heartwarming bar of chocolate

CultureWatch: Jo Freeman reviews Band of Sisters: American Women at War in Iraq. Putting death and injury aside, these are success stories of a dozen women who overcame numerous challenges and how the 'grunts' learned to respect the female soldiers as soldiers

Rose Mula, Do You Believe That Outfit?!: At least our clothing today is more democratic. We all have the right to look slutty and cheap, regardless of our social standing. And, of course, the fewer clothes we wear, the easier our laundry. (Wouldn’t you have hated to be Elizabeth I’s personal maid?)

CultureWatch — In The Thing About Life is That One Day You'll Be Dead the author's relationship to his father is full of love and laughter, but he reveals old wolf/young wolf competition; The Blue Star is more than evocative of the early days of World War II. It rings true in every way; The Life of the Skies links our desire to watch birds as from a time when apprehending the natural world was a matter of life and death

A Jo Freeman book review of Democracy Restored: A History of the Georgia State Capitol — It is "a conscious effort in historical memory making" which blends stories about politics and protest into a narrative about architecture and construction

Doris O'Brien, Democrats Coming to a Head: Al Gore will appear at the convention hall clutching his Hollywood Oscar and choking back tears of joy. Any reluctance he may have had at bumping Hillary and Barack will disappear with the roar of the crowd and the sea of "Gore for President:" signs

Roberta McReynolds, Exploring Railtown 1897 From Every Angle: I went through training to become a docent. The women wore fashions reflecting the 1897 timeline: long skirts, flowery broad-brimmed hats, parasols and reticules. That wasn’t my calling, however

Julia Sneden's supermarket trip in her new car becomes an adventure, Rules of the Road: I parked neatly, but I had to haul out the manual to figure out how to turn off the motor — excuse me, both motors (electric & gasoline). Gone are the days of turning a key in the ignition

Rose Mula, A Moving Experience: My movers were as inept as I, stacking boxes haphazardly everywhere. Though my new condo has two bathrooms, the paths to both were blocked with cartons. Crying was not an option. I had no idea where my tissues were packed

Jo Freeman, Priming the Progressives: Getting unmarried female Democratic voters to the polls in November could turn some red states blue. In states whose exit polls asked marital status, unmarried women voted at much greater rates in Super Tuesday Democratic primaries

CultureWatch: An Irish Country Village recalls Patrick Taylor’s firm grip on how to spin a wild Irish tale, full of very real (although often eccentric) folk, and the lively times in the life of the village of Ballybucklebo. Firefly Lane displays some good writing but its soap opera ways turns off our reviewer. Where Did I Leave My Glasses; The What, When, and Why of Normal Memory Loss demonstrates easy style and humor, along with the author's impressive research making this new book a must-have for anyone concerned about lapses of memo

Doris O'Brien, The Check is in the Mall: Some economic gurus suggest we boost the economy by spending our rebates only on American-made goods! Have these "experts" looked at the labels in their closets lately? Or at the appliances in their kitchens? Or the electronic goodies they find indispensable?

HTG Investment Advisors, Organizing Your Financial Records: What are my reasons for keeping records? Tax preparation and protection in the event of an audit probably come to mind immediately. But being able to access or recreate your information in the case of disaster should also be a consideration

Julia Sneden, Drugged: The drug companies represent an incredibly powerful industry. It gives huge amounts of money to members of Congress, ensuring that our representatives won’t be eager to regulate its excesses. We need a hero (think Teddy Roosevelt and his “trust-busters”) to set things right

Roberta McReynolds, Pieces of Eight: The sound of ceramic shattering on the linoleum echoed throughout the kitchen. Empty cardboard in one hand and a cup (now one of seven) in the other, I stood in the center of a ring of fractured pottery that had been a useful item just a moment earlier. I wonder if astronomers will find the rings of Saturn are actually debris from aliens lacking dexterity?

Revisit Long Term Care Insurance by reading Betty Soldz's article: You can get free unbiased assistance in understanding LTC insurance policies by contacting your State Health Insurance Assistance Program

Julia Sneden, Musings on the Grand Life: Multigenerational contact provides a depth or resonance to any child’s development... It’s not all sweetness and light, of course. There are bound to be what my grandmother called starchy times

Joan James Rapp, Part Two of Yin and Yang on the Yangtze; A Senior Adventure in the “People’s Republic of Steps:” China is a beautiful, fascinating country, a contradiction of ancient wonders and modern technology. Just because you missed seeing it in your salad days does not mean that you can’t have a memorable journey now

Ferida Wolff, Supermarket to the Rescue: Nowhere else are there so many options for cooling an overheated body. I discovered this over the course of many meltdowns while shopping. I’ll let you in on some survival tricks I have learned that can help you get through a supermarket flash

Rose Mula, Whatever Happened to ...? One thing I don’t miss from the old days is luggage that you needed a forklift to haul up off the floor. How come we sent men to the moon before someone came up with the brilliant, but simple, idea of wheels for suitcases?

Elizabeth Bernier, The Women in My Family: There is a great sense of gentleness in the lives of these women, a gentleness rooted in strength. They valued education; providing and encouraging it for their daughters. Education was seen as good in itself, not as a steppingstone to a career necessarily, but as a kind of disaster insurance

CultureWatch — People of the Book: Our reviewer didn’t get out of her chair for a very long time, and when she did, she made the move with regret; Beginner's Greek is a comedy of manners; it’s a cynic’s delight; it’s a social satire; it’s a paean to love at first sight. And If a high-class, feel-good tale is your cup of tea, you will love World Without End

Margaret Cullison's My Mother's Cookbook, Old-Fashioned Recipes: Rice and Lima Bean Casseroles, Buddy’s Baked Beans, Aunt Rickie’s New Year’s Cakes — Despite the variety of esoteric flavors that might cross our palates in trendy restaurants or the tasty but calorie-laden fast food we consume, nothing quite beats the simple flavors of these slow-cooked, time-tested meals

Jo Freeman reviews books by two women of the Sixties — America's Child: a woman's journey through the radical sixties and Flying Close to the Sun: My Life and Times as a Weatherman. Comparing their journeys illustrates some of the complexity of that tumultuous decade and the one that followed

Roberta McReynolds, Belly Dance Dropout, Part Two: I double-bumped at home while vacuuming the carpet in the days that followed. I practiced undulating belly rolls as I brushed my teeth. My hips moved in figure-8 patterns as my hands seductively folded clean underwear

Julia Sneden, Sighsmology: I have found myself noticing and cataloguing sighs ... My own repertoire is fairly impressive, but the inventiveness and expressiveness of the sighs of others put mine to shame

Ferida Wolff, The Birthday Candle Conundrum: Birthday cakes have become problematic. At least the candles have. Now, with so many decades under my belt, to light individual candles would require easy access to a fire extinguisher

Joan James Rapp takes us on the road again, this time to China: Yin and Yang on the Yangtze; A Senior Adventure in the “People’s Republic of Steps,” Part One

Rose Mula, Don't Mess With Mother Nature: Mother Nature can morph into a sneaky, evil, conniving witch in an instant. Get sucked into the goody-goody myth perpetuated by her public relations staff and let your guard down for just a moment, and she’ll turn on you mercilessly

Jo Freeman reviews Bella Abzug by Suzanne Braun Levine and Mary Thom: This is a tantalizing book. It tells some good stories, but makes you want more. Consider it a tasty appetizer to the serious biography of Bella Abzug that awaits its author

CultureWatch: Signed, Mata Hari by Yannick Murphy is a complex, brilliant, fascinating book; John Lithgow's Poets’ Corner would make a fine gift for any teenager or poetry-loving adult; Best Choices from the People's Pharmacy by Joe and Terry Graedon is a collection of common sense and effective self-care remedies covering hundreds of common medical conditions

Liz Flaherty, A Voice Like Starlight: In less than three minutes, with words that only covered a few pages, the songwriter and the performing artist had combined forces to share a story it would take me an entire book to tell

Diane Girard, Christmas Tree Memories: There was no tree like that first aluminum one. In some ways, that metal bottlebrush object was like my mother, steadfast and always bright with hope

Jane Shortall, Ring Them Bells: A Novel in a Month: I felt my heroine was a shallow, silly person, over concerned about her mother's attitude to her life, for someone well into her forties? The following [writing] days were no better, and another note said 'Wine Fair Toulouse, excellent day, spent lots of money. Only 5,000 words behind now'

Patricia Beurteaux tries out another view of The Season: I am not a fan of December. 'Holiday' movies exploit us mercilessly. My heartstrings do not need further pulling. At my age, they, like the rest of me, have had enough of that sort of thing

Sharon Kapnick, How Sweet It Is: Dessert wines for all budgets — There’s something sure to please every palate and every pocketbook, something appropriate to end a special meal or suit a special friend

Rose Mula, Aiding and Abetting: The bad guys are aware of our vulnerabilities, but maybe they haven’t considered one or two possibilities. Do we have to provide a detailed “To Do” list? I wouldn’t be surprised to find books titled Terrorism for Dummies and Burglary Made Easy featured on Amazon

Roberta McReynolds, Belly Dance Dropout, Part One: I tried to move my ribcage left and right as I immobilized my neck and shoulders. My hips refused to obey, sliding in the opposite direction instead of remaining still. I received the dubious honor of being the first student to be singled out and assigned to sit in a chair facing backwards

Jo Freeman reviews Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker: A social and family history, full of fascinating stories about a fascinating woman, whose acid tongue became more vitriolic when her fifth cousin became President

Gina Nádas, Volunteering: A Two-Way Street for Seniors. The definition of retirement for today’s older American advocates activity and involvement rather than rest. The number of volunteers that give over 100 hours a year is highest amongst seniors 65 years and older. Just ask volunteer Emily Clack

Ferida Wolff, Making Peace With My Name: I had a nickname but that was just as problematic. My family called me Feri. Kids and grownups alike made fun of it. I became Ferry Boat and Ferris Wheel. It sometimes got perverted to Furry, which set off enough free associating to keep a shrink employed for a lifetime

CultureWatch: John Donne is an eminently readable book for the layman, especially for those of us who have read and loved John Donne’s poetry or sermons; Loving Frank is a remarkable piece of research, a novel, if you will, built on truth, and in the hands of a first-rate writer; The Italian Lover is about an American book conservator/restorer, who discovers a unique copy of Renaissance erotic drawings, Pietro Aretino’s I Modi.

Margaret Cullison's Recipes from Relatives: Buddy’s Oatmeal Cookies, Nadine’s Buttermilk Waffles and Date Pudding, Marcia’s Marshmallow Frosting — A bride moving into a home where her mother-in-law still lives can create a situation ripe for combat but perhaps that mother-in-law remembered when she married her deceased sister’s husband with a household that included her new husband, teenage stepson and two orphaned nephews

Jo Freeman reviews Where Women Run: Gender and Party in the American States — Even in states where party leaders are most receptive to running women, male party leaders look for candidates among the people and groups that they know best, and those are more likely to be men

Liz Flaherty, Thirty Again? No, Thanks! If I were 30 again, I’d have to give up the last 27 years. Those times of being broke and tired and occasionally heartbroken. Of smiling into the boyfriend’s eyes and feeling the warm silk of my children’s hair. If I were 30 again, I wouldn’t know how much fun it is to be 57

Canadian writer Patricia Beurteaux observes that the world is governed by 8-year-old boys, with no offense intended to 8-year-old boys: Boy Politician

Rose Mula asks "Why do I keep buying things I probably won’t eat? Because they’re good for me, and I know I should eat them. Instead, however, I usually pop a big greasy hamburger on the grill; but I do put ketchup on it, and eat chips with it — don’t they count as two veggies?" The Attack of the Vengeful Veggies

Rima Magee asks Name the Baby ... What? Unlike many girls with unusual names, I had no trouble with it in school. In fact, I stayed out of trouble because I was identified too easily. In high school, my creative writing English teacher insisted that my name looked nice in print. (I kind of like it that way, too)

Roberta McReynolds, I've Heard Aquariums are Soothing: "Have you calculated how much this all cost per ten-cent goldfish we have in there?" I mused ... Okay, so we haven’t quite reached that anticipated level of relaxation yet, but I’m sure we will soon. Maybe after we spackle the sheet-rock and paint the living room

Julia Sneden, Fall Folly: Fall in western North Carolina is usually long and beautiful, with vivid blue skies, colorful leaves, and crisp, cool nights. This year the trees are so stressed from the drought that they began dropping their leaves in late July ... The tulip poplars, usually a bright yellow, are shedding dun-colored leaves that resemble tanned leather

Jean Harris takes us on an adventure with her family and friends, relates the history of a gift of a famous suitcase and San Francisco in the '50s: Travels With JFK's Suitcase and Other Relationships

CultureWatch: By George is an engaging and sometimes confusing little novel. That’s not surprising, inasmuch as it is told in the voice of a ventriloquist’s dummy named George. If you love romances where everyone talks at length (o, endlessly) about feelings, The Choice is the book for you. Also, Books About Health and Retirement Concerns

Ferida Wolff, Mirror Image: I can focus on a flabby tummy and worry about my shape or see that I am in good health and be glad, depending on how I interpret what the mirror shows. I can find wrinkles and groan about it or discover new character reflected in my face. I can see sixty and still feel thirty

Rose Mula, Eeny, Meeny, Miney, Mo: I went shopping for a book to unravel the mysteries of digital camera. I eventually narrowed my search to Digital Photography for Dummies or The Idiot's Guide to Digital Photography. I panicked. I couldn’t decide if I’m a dummy or an idiot. So I didn’t buy either book

Doris O'Brien, Rooting for Our Roots: Family cads become charismatic figures; ordinary people eking out a living are viewed as unsung heroes who braved adversity; a suffocating shop transport in steerage class morphs into a grand ocean voyage of discovery to the New World

Nicola Slade, Go Hug an Ancient Tree: I was surprised to learn that there are trees in Britain whose age is measured not in hundreds, but in thousands of years. These incredible relics of the past aren’t usually oak trees though, not at that age. We’re talking about yews

Julia Sneden, L-Word-O-V-E-R: Falling in love with the dictionary takes time, but once it occurs, it’s a lifelong affair. Along with a fierce love for words goes an addiction to them as play things, as in rhymes, alliteration, crossword puzzles, acrostics, and even pursuing a word’s etymology

Margaret Cullison renews an interest in art near Oregon's Sisters Mountains, Wading Into My First Watercolor Workshop. "The workshop gave me insight into how I want to focus future efforts, and I have already chosen another teacher at a different location to study with next year"

CultureWatch: A Thousand Splendid Suns speaks deeply to the universal human spirit and the values of patience and loyalty and hope and honesty in the face of overwhelming odds. The Rest of Her Life is an event-driven novel about a family’s reaction to tragedy. Getting Rid of Matthew is a fun read that manages also to be quite touching

Ferida Wolff, Beach Combing: Another weekend was spent not buying that beach house I always say I want. One day, sometime when the greater world isn’t so insistent, perhaps we will settle into a sandy place of our own. Until then, our definition of beach combing will have to be broadened to exploring more than the coast at our fingertips

Sightings, Gertrude Bell - A new biography of the Oriental Secretary to the High Commissioner in Baghdad and her own account, Syria: The Desert and the Sown, online

Roberta McReynolds, Downloading a Headache: I slipped the ear-buds in and selected gentle music from a favored genre. I had made friends with my iPod and conquered iTunes within twelve days. My eyes closed in pure contentment. It lasted about a minute before my cat spotted the fascinating wires sticking out of my ears

Rose Mula, The Stormy Road to Publication: Forty years ago, when I sold my first piece to a magazine that has since died (not my fault!), I was thrilled. My struggle was over. It would be a snap from then on, I was certain. I was wrong

Julia Sneden, Auto Mated: "I’m a child of the automotive age,” my mother said. “As long as the wheels are going around, I feel wonderful.” So I drove her somewhere different each day, around town, into the countryside, up a mountain, to the mall, along the highway, on the twisty back roads. Like the old Reo, the vibration of the motor and the hum of the wheels did their magic

Ferida Wolff, The Last Box: How many boxes had I bought over how many years? Tampons accompanied me wherever I went. They were a staple of life. I would sooner have given up food than be without my tampons. Now I have no use for them

Pat Beurteaux, Thinking About Orbiting: So astronauts like to get plastered before take-off, eh? A lot of people wouldn't fly any other way. Don't those shocked and horrified NASA officials ever fly commercial?

Sharon Kapnick, Hot Diggity, Dog Diggity: What Wine to Drink with Hot Dogs — Yes, Hot Dogs! They say what grows together goes together. In Alsace that would be the delicious sausages and wonderful wines the Alsatians produce. The best-known Alsatian dish is choucroute garnie, sauerkraut with sausage and other meats

Jo Freeman reviews Red and Blue Nation? Characteristics and Causes of America's Polarized Politics: This is a readable book, full of useful information and provocative ideas. If you like to talk politics, you'll find plenty here with which to make people listen

Julia Sneden, I Think, Therefore Iamb: Last week, I found myself preparing Shakespeare’s Sonnet 116 (“Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediment ...”) for a reading at my niece’s wedding. In our language, you can hardly have a conversation without falling into the rhythm of iambic pentameter

HTG Investment Advisors: Is your house a good investment as well as a home? Utilizing home equity for retirement income can be problematic. A number of factors have to be considered

Margaret Cullison continues series of recipes from her mother's midwestern cookbook. This time it includes her aunts' contributions: Louise’s Chewy Brownies; Virginia’s Chili, Orange Bread and Cheese Cake

CultureWatch: The Blood of Flowers is set in 17th century Persia, a complex and fascinating tale written in the voice of a young woman from a small village; Still Summer is not the story to read before embarking on a cruise in anything smaller than a liner; Barefoot, a take on the interactions of siblings, as well as the anguish of a mother facing her mortality; The Empty Nest, a series of meditations on the fact that being a good parent demands the strength to let go of the job; A Run on Hose show us the universal through the use of details and characters that resemble the woman down the street

Rose Mula, The Curse of the Purse: The clutch is out and the mini-suitcase is de rigueur… bags so huge and heavy, even when empty, they should be on wheels. The irony is that despite the bags’ multiple compartments designed to keep things organized, you can never remember where you put what

Roberta McReynolds, Exercising my Heritage: I take after my parents when it comes to physical talent. Is that really such a negative thing? I actually excel at my father’s indoor ‘sport’ of catalog browsing. If it ever becomes a sanctioned Olympic event, I’m certain be a serious contender for a medal after so many years in training

Jo Freeman reviews Leon Aron's Russia's Revolution: Essays, 1989-2006 — He remains hopeful that "the vertical of power" that Putin espouses will not prevail ... and says that "having defended their right to be treated as free and thinking people, the Russians never surrendered it to a new tyranny" and never will

Ferida Wolff, Buddleia Isn’t Just for Butterflies: Instead of landing on the flower, it hovered, its wings quivering like a hummingbird. When we looked closer, we saw that it had antennae and a tongue that reached out and sucked up the nectar. What was this creature?

Sharon Kapnick, Beyond Beer: The Best Wines to Accompany Chinese Food: Food and wine should complement, rather than overpower, each other. As wine importer Rudi Wiest likes to say, "Whatever’s on the plate is already dead. You don’t have to kill it again.” You don’t want a wine that will overwhelm a dish; you want one that will stand up to it

Jo Freeman, Democratic Candidates Court Progressives: Six of the declared candidates for the Democratic nomination for President came courting at the annual Take Back America Conference; each had his or her own unique appeal

Pat Beurteaux, The Big LXV: It doesn’t help that, here in Ontario, one receives a congratulatory message from the Minister of Health. What is it really saying? `Congratulations. You made it despite our best efforts to kill you.’ Or `Best of luck. You’re going to need it’?

Elizabeth Bernier, A Family Tradition and The First Time (a story that recalls Jean Shepherd's A Christmas Story): I spent most of those summer days in the water. My mother called me her little fish. We would throw a sulfur rock in the water and have contests to see who could retrieve it the fastest. It would glow under water so it was easy to find, even for me

Culture Watch, Three for the Beach: Our reviewer confesses she read straight through North River, caught up in Pete Hamill’s lovely writing and the yarn he has spun. For a read that will make you laugh at the same time you’re shaking your head in recognition, JoeAnn Hart's Addled is it. If you’re looking for a lively mystery involving a grandmother who still has all her faculties including her sex drive, Relative Danger by June Shaw is for you

Julia Sneden, A Spoonful of History: I was always taught that it’s people, not things, that matter in this life. But sometimes things can connect us to people we never knew, simply through the stories that connect one generation to another

Doris O'Brien, Harvesting Nostalgia: We had signed on as part of the weekend display — not personally as relics, but as owners of an early, out-of-production motor home manufactured in the '60s and '70s, and still regarded as a revolutionary ancestor to the popular RV

Rose Mula, The Travel Bug Will Bite You If You Don't Watch Out: When you’re on vacation, do you really want to hear that your son flunked his finals ... your daughter is thinking of moving in with that loser she’s been dating … the nursing home is threatening to expel your grandfather because he was streaking through the halls again?

Jo Freeman's review of Belva Lockwood: The Woman Who Would Be President — Best known for running for President in 1884 and 1888, Lockwood .... was constantly pushing the boundaries of the possible. The book provides an enjoyable and enlightening narration of US history and women's history as well as the history of a life

Sharon Kapnick reviews The Oxford Companion to American Food & Drink which starts with A&W root beer stands and ends with zombie, the dynamite rum cocktail. In between, it serves up everything you wanted to know about a subject as well as everything you didn’t know you wanted to know

Julia Sneden, The Wedding Dress: My great grandmother Abby dyed her wedding dress black, and proceeded to wear it for the rest of her life. When fashions changed, she remade it to suit the mode, from hoop to bustle to whatever the current style commanded. Despite bearing nine children, she remained tall and slender and able to fit into the dress

CultureWatch: Afternoons With Emily: The characters, for the most part, ring true, and whether or not you’re interested in a new interpretation of Emily Dickinson, this book is fun to read. If anyone can keep the reader glued to page after grim page, Cormac McCarthy does in The Road. In the Naming of the Dead, female characters also have depth and dimension, something the male writers of thrillers often overlook

Jane Shortall, On the Road Again: The 2007 French holidays have been booked. The phone calls, e-mails and even two snail mails find us here in our tiny hamlet, in the foothills of the Pyrénées, informing us that various chums, family members and in one case, people we have never heard of, will be travelling from Ireland to France this year and all are looking forward to meeting up with us

Roberta McReynolds, Soap Opera: Determination won over my apprehension over handling alkalies. If my grandmother could make soap for her family a hundred years ago, then I could do it, too. Besides, I had decided to draw the line at rendering my own fat from butchered animals as she had done, so how hard could the saponification process be?