“Funk, if the world is gonna keep crashing and burning, I’m letting our relationship burn too. Let’s see what ‘Us’ rises from the ashes.” I think my husband swallowed his tongue. You know how a deer looks in the headlights—trapped and frozen—well, that’s how Funk looked when I delivered those words. After 43 years, my man was quite happy continuing as we were. Not me. Funk’s always said the phrase “leave well enough alone” is like fighting words to me, and for once, he was right about something. Too many resentments had piled up, and with the pandemic having us […]

  Baby Boomers. We were born of parents who survived the Depression, World War II and the enormous cultural shift that occurred going from the 50s to the 60s. Raised by people who were living the residual effects of those traumas—the outcome for many of us was that our physical needs were met but few of the emotional ones. We are of a generation of children who were seen, not heard, who did as we were told. For if we didn’t, we suffered beatings that our parent’s unresolved traumas brought down on our bodies. On top of that, we bore […]

This is a for shit year. Can I get an Amen on that? I try to be as open and honest on this platform as I am in my real life. One, it’s just my nature. Two, I’m hoping that me being vulnerable will help others risk doing the same. We’ve been operating at a superficial level for so long now that being our true selves seems unconventional. The brutal thing is, being closed is killing us. Literally. There is an epidemic of loneliness in our country, with anxiety, depression and suicide at an all-time high. My greatest fear with […]

. I’ve noticed a wonderful turn-around this horrid year. It started with a chair. I phoned the store where I purchased it and was spoken to so rudely that I called the company to report the dude. A woman answered and I started off with an apology. Said I was upset, and that my tone had nothing to do with her and that I’d try to keep myself in check. I didn’t get very far into the story before she started talking to me like a best girlfriend. Understood how my upset wasn’t so much the chair, but the way […]

Vote. Because this darkness has to give. Vote. Your heart. Things are too screwed up for party lines. Vote. Not the future. For the here and now. Vote. Not for the children. Be selfish. Do it for yourself. Vote. Your intuition. Because that’s how this darkness will give. The photo: Me and my peacock will be casting our ballot come election day, Nov. 3 (“Darkness” lyric courtesy of The Grateful Dead.)

Across-the-board respect for authority? Not anymore. Not after two unnecessary cesareans back in the 80s, and a live break-in and no cops on the scene until 30 minutes later. Those incidents—and dozens more like them—including the one below, changed my philosophy. As I was editing my last Facebook post, the broiler set off the smoke detector in the hallway of the building where I was staying. The detector inside the apartment didn’t sound, just the one in the corridor, for about 20 seconds. Before I knew it, the building manager was knocking at the door to see if everything was […]

Power. That’s what 2020 is all about. A fight for power and control. On a global and personal level. The happenings this year aren’t random. We’re living a big moment in time. Since we’re right in the thick of it, it’s hard to make sense of what’s going on. In the small glimmers of understanding I’ve had, I feel the universe is shifting. That it’s demanding a shift. Is hurtling us towards a higher vibrational level. Whether we want to or not. Whether it’s scary or not. Whether we see the need for it or not. We’ve been complacent for […]

Who would want me? Well, wonder of all wonders, it’s seems my daughter does. She’s moving back to Kansas City and wants to build a little cabin in the woods and have Funk and I live in a separate quarter with her. There’s no way I’d live with my kid FULL time—I’d rather be homeless in Hawaii than be dependent on anyone—including a child of my womb. Still, it’s nice to be wanted. Or, maybe not. Perhaps Tara is like her father and is just using me. Say, for my excellent markswoman skills? I mean she did ask that I […]

“What a twat!” Some anonymous dude said that to me. Then added that I wasn’t rational. Of course, he did this over the internet. Because a guy with liquid balls doesn’t have the courage to say something like that to your face. Here’s what I wrote to elicit such words. “Not being a woman of color or male, this is how I feel about the murder of George Floyd,” 1) It’s not rational to kill a handcuffed man. 2) Nice wasn’t cutting it, and it was only a matter of time before the oppressed resorted to other measures. 3) As […]