My husband, as an aerospace engineer, worked on many NASA projects, but his favorite hands down was the Voyager 1 and 2 missions. Recently we reminisced by watching the new PBS special, The Farthest—Voyager in Space. Launched in 1977 the Voyagers made a plethora of significant discoveries, including: 3 new … Read More
Celebrating My Happy Day in the Aftermath of a Mass Shooting
Today October 4 is my official “Happy Day,” but wondering how and even if to celebrate it after the Las Vegas mass shooting? As a child, I enjoyed an October day of playful exhilaration outdoors with warming sun, blue sky, and crisp air. I felt vitally alive and connected to … Read More
For a Successful School Year…Use That Library Card
A Seattle blizzard is a rare occurrence, so I remember this day very well. Snow blew and fell all night long and we woke up to 2 feet of snow. No school! Excited, my sons then ages 7 and 9, starved for snow as Pacific NW children are, were bundled … Read More
Prepare for Back-to-School with Embodied Cognition. Start with Wonder Woman (or Superman).
Right about now, many parents worry what summer may have stolen from their kids’ heads. Three moms recently asked me: “Our days have been so laid back, will the gains my child made in math last year be erased over the summer?” “Yikes, I just realized we haven’t had a … Read More
Protect Your Energy; It’s Your Inner Chi Availability
I think of my personal energy as my inner chi availability—not only because the words rhyme, but also because inner chi means “vital life force.” Sometimes spelled Qi, the word originates from ancient Chinese and other eastern cultures and literally translates into “breath” or “energy flow.” Although mainstream medicine considers … Read More
Lies, Falsehoods, and Alternative Facts: 3 Steps to Help Our Kids Know the Difference
The current political climate has many of us dizzy sorting out, “What’s a lie?” “What’s not?” And helping our kids distinguish between lies, falsehoods, and alternative facts is now yet another unprecedented parenting challenge in modern society. We no longer have the grandfatherly wisdom of a Walter Cronkite to rely on and … Read More
Wishing 2017 A Year “Rich in Loss”
I wish you a year “rich in loss.” I believe that’s a good thing, but requires explanation: I lost two good gal friends in 2016. One left the planet; the other moved to another city. Never being able to see someone you love again may be one of life’s major … Read More
Waiting, in the Dark…Suffering…
Here in the Pacific Northwest, dark descends soon after 4:00 p.m. during these final days of autumn. I marvel at how different I feel from summertime when I could begin a long hike at 4:00 p.m. and still be back before dark. Now it’s cocooning and going within as much as possible. … Read More
Our Most Effective Message Exchange Is Who We Are
Reading Neal Gabler’s piece, “Farewell, Democracy,” in reaction to the presidential election, I was struck by his quoting the end of W.H. Auden’s poem, September 1, 1939: “Defenseless under the night Our world in stupor lies; Yet, dotted everywhere, Ironic points of light Flash out wherever the Just Exchange their … Read More
Light, Labor, and Illumination
Light, at the end of the summer is a thin light—a bit less radiant than a month ago. Its brashness replaced with a gentler touch, light seems to be saying, “I’m not exactly fading, but I am retreating a bit.” And here in the Pacific Northwest, it adds, “Enjoy me while you … Read More