Week after week I wrack my brain wondering what I’m going to write about in this space. What’s happening in the news is often the stimulus. Sometimes the calendar guides me, though therein also lays a challenge. After all these years how can I put a fresh spin on a Mother’s Day, Christmas, Groundhog Day… Read more »
Dear Barb: Hi, I am in my thirties and most of my friends are around my age or a little older. We are all starting to get crow’s feet and sunspots on our skin. I am okay with this, but a lot of my friends are spending loads of money on botox, filler, and other… Read more »
Film: Her Director: Spike Jonze “Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” – Genesis 2:7, NIV “So the bodhisattva saves all beings, not by preaching sermons to them, but by showing them that… Read more »
“I don’t know whom I’m going to give the role to.” “That’s the ladder he walked under.” “It was a foolish thing to argue about.” “What should I end this sentence with?” What indeed? These sentences all end with a preposition, something that makes many English teachers cringe. But why is this considered unacceptable?and what’s… Read more »
Fear is a valuable instinct that can save your life, but when that instinct malfunctions, anxiety can destroy people’s lives. Now, science might have found a way to turn off your fear genes. The question is, should we really start tinkering with genes to deal with our phobias? It’s a question that, in the not-too-distant… Read more »
In the days leading up to the May long weekend the annual spring roundup has begun. After skipping last year, my sister, mother, and I are gearing up for our yearly multifamily garage sale. Sherry lives right in town so we use her address to capitalize on the location. If everyone is as sick of… Read more »
“I definitely believe that art is the best way to produce social change.” – Pedro Reyes Instead of doing a review this week I thought I’d write on a topic dear to the Mindful Bard’s Heart: the place where the creation of art meets society’s need for change. It’s a balancing act. The socially aware… Read more »
“Memory is a paradise out of which fate cannot drive us.” – Alexandre Dumas, fils Jack Malmstrom is the swing clarinetist who put together Jack’s Cats, a vintage-style jazz sextet based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that also includes keyboardist Gordon Fader, guitarist Dylan Quinn, bassist Mark Roberts, drummer Dave Skinner, and vocalist Kitty Farmer. The… Read more »
Dear Barb: Hi Barb, my husband’s friends are driving me crazy. They come over at all times of the day or night! I have asked them to call before they come, as we have two young children who are often in bed when they show up. As well, I am taking courses at AU and… Read more »
Having four-year-old Grady here for the weekend is good for one’s innate sense of play. How else could I justify spending hours watching those cinematic marvels called Toy Story 1, 2 and 3? I appreciate the underlying innuendo and adult theme. I can relive the early days of my own parenting through the featured toys…. Read more »