7 rules to keep from feeling overwhelmed

Empty cup with the following words in it: You can't pour from an empty cup. Take care of yourself first.Are you feeling overwhelmed? Exhausted? Add to this the general malaise that’s plaguing Portland, and it’s no wonder some of us lack energy, let alone balance or sense of calm.

Then there’s the impending holiday season which leaves most people zapped. Plan, prepare, buy, do. Continue reading

Maintenance, and I’m not talkin’ cars

Old time photo of a beauty salon signWhy is it that as a woman ages “maintenance” time and cost increases?

As teens we started shaving underarms and legs. We graduated to wax and then started work on the nether regions and the brow. Mid-thirties arrive and the waxing now includes upper lip and chin. And then there are the “strays” that appear, unannounced and uninvited, every couple of days.

And that’s just the hair we don’t want. Continue reading

Perfection: It’s Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be.

Photo of three hangers, each hanging from the otherRaised by woman who spent three years of her early adulthood preparing to be a nun, there are many things I learned to be true:

1. There’s only one right way to do many things: folding towels and cutting onions are among them. Now chances are pretty good that a couple of moms would fold towels the same way that I do, but onions? I cut them the same way every time. And I can tell you with a great deal of certainty that my mother, who lives 2,000 miles away, is cutting them the same as I am. Continue reading

Happiness is…

Feet, wearing blue and pink striped socks, hovering above fall leavesWhen I was 12 I thought that someday I’d be happy when I had breasts. Or when I was allowed to wear pantyhose or make-up. Or when I no longer lived “at home.” But when that didn’t happen I thought maybe when I had graduated from college. Or when I was married. Or when I had a mortgage. Or when I was out of debt. Or at least when I lost “the weight.” Continue reading