Our Blog is here to help keep you informed about new local projects, concerns, and news events going on in Maine and the country.
CAREGIVING | HUMAN TRAFFICKING | FOOD | SPIRITUAL | BUILDING COMMUNITY
Topic ~ Caregiving
Day of the Dead Celebrates Death with Amplified Whimsy
My father died when I was a little girl, and for decades, because of what had become the American culture’s view of death, I was scared of the very word “death.” Spoken in hushed terms, I was sure death was a final ending only to be considered in solitude and silence....
Compassion is the Food of the Soul
Compassion is the food of the soul. Certain foods are especially good for nurturing our souls. In order for this to happen most effectively, we should strive to apply a compassionate approach to all aspects of growing, preparing, and sharing food compassionately,...
The Value-added Health Characteristics of Onions Enhance Mom’s Chicken Soup
Chicken soup is definitely good for the soul. And for fighting colds and flu. When my mother lived in a walk-up apartment in New York City, she had neighbors from all over the world when women largely stayed home and took care of their homes. One advantage of this...
Topic ~ Human Trafficking
Is Human Trafficking on Our Dinner Menu?
Thanksgiving has come and gone and into the Christmas season I go. Outside lights already adorn the eaves. Inside will soon sparkle with lights and glitter. Most days, the sky has taken on a wintry look. Only a faint dusting of snow adorns the cold, hard ground and...
Human Trafficking Victims – We Share the Same Heart
When I think of human trafficking victims, I think of our sharing the same heart. We share the same basic dream of living safely in a world full of abundant goodwill. Human traffickers steal those dreams, as they steal the people who dare to dream. It’s nearly...
Chocolate and Trafficked Children
First published in Franklin Journal Valentine’s Day is straight ahead. Valentine’s Day has never been on my top ten list of holidays, indeed, even less so as the years have passed. I’m one who enjoys expressions of love every day. I don’t need a particular day to take...
Topic ~ Food
Pursuing Food Integrity Where Many Paths and Errands Meet
“The road goes ever on and on. Down from the door where it began. Now far ahead the Road has gone…” (J.R.R.Tolkien) Before I sat down to the computer this morning to do my daily writing, I sat pondering how far we’ve come from the days of living in a cave to the...
In Community with Bees, Trees, and Other Planet Life
I’m at the end of a tough week that included facilitating family caregiving groups twice a week and reuniting a lost four-year-old with her father. The child had wandered away in the grocery store. Because he kept apologizing, I had a distinct impression the father...
Reminiscing about Father’s Day and Cooking
Father’s Day is June 20th. So I asked my Twitter followers if they remember their dad doing any cooking. As most men responded, I think there must be a special bond between dads and sons when it comes to cooking. Responses ranged from pancakes to barbeques. One man...
Topic ~ Spiritual
In the Gardens of Memory, in the Palace of Dreams
"In the gardens of memory, in the palace of dreams, it is there we shall meet." (Alice in Wonderland) (Photo credit: Lillian Lake) On the afternoon of my mother's passing, I went by the lake alone to sit and gaze into the soft ripple moving against the shore. Since...
Tikkun Olam: To Heal or Repair the World
Several months ago, I had a dream in which I saw every religion represented by a building, such as you would think of temples and churches. The buildings were set in a large circle, and their doors were wide open, facing each other. The message was: when the doors of...
Normalizing the Conversation Around Mental Health and Suicide
Last year I thought I would generally write about my health crisis more than I did. I've since decided only to share pieces when I think they are most helpful. This week I share a piece of my story related to mental health. Following emergency abdominal surgery and...
Why are We Obsessed with the Passage of Time?
Certain events mark the passage of time, for which there is no need for a timepiece. Marriages, births, and deaths are a few such events. On these occasions and traumatic events, we mark the time by noting precisely what we were doing, where, why, and with whom....
Topic ~ Building Community
In the Gardens of Memory, in the Palace of Dreams
"In the gardens of memory, in the palace of dreams, it is there we shall meet." (Alice in Wonderland) (Photo credit: Lillian Lake) On the afternoon of my mother's passing, I went by the lake alone to sit and gaze into the soft ripple moving against the shore. Since...
Tikkun Olam: To Heal or Repair the World
Several months ago, I had a dream in which I saw every religion represented by a building, such as you would think of temples and churches. The buildings were set in a large circle, and their doors were wide open, facing each other. The message was: when the doors of...
Normalizing the Conversation Around Mental Health and Suicide
Last year I thought I would generally write about my health crisis more than I did. I've since decided only to share pieces when I think they are most helpful. This week I share a piece of my story related to mental health. Following emergency abdominal surgery and...
Why are We Obsessed with the Passage of Time?
Certain events mark the passage of time, for which there is no need for a timepiece. Marriages, births, and deaths are a few such events. On these occasions and traumatic events, we mark the time by noting precisely what we were doing, where, why, and with whom....