Tarot Time: When you’re feeling stuck “Try not to get discouraged if you feel that you are not living up to where you thought you would be on your journey.”
Tarot Time: Relationship metamorphosis “This is a good time to turn our attentions a bit closer to home and focus on our connections.”
Ask a Medical Biller: Rage against the Medicare Advantage Plan “If you choose to go to a different Medicare Advantage plan, do your research.”
Teaching during COVID: a tough balancing act “We may never get our normal back, but I really can’t wait until I have students back in the computer lab.”
New year, new health insurance “If you’re someone like me who has chronic health problems, then a New Year is something to dread, with new deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. If you’re like a lot of Americans, however, you probably aren’t quite sure what those are.”
Tarot Time: Looking past 2020 “How have you been coping with the stress that this year has brought? How are you preparing to keep the momentum of change going? How could you be tending to your emotional side a little better?”
Recipe: white chocolate cranberry pistachio cookies “There are three main substitutions I am highlighting that will make your baking healthier: use all organic ingredients, use gluten-free flours, and make vegan substitutions.”
Pieces of My Father’s Life Sitting in my father’s living room, I study and ponder its contents. I am surrounded by his life. This room is steeped with his presence even in his absence.
Burnt “The icons melt together, but I manage to find it. Quickly, I snap a picture of the license just as the van disappears down a side street. My hands tremble as I dial 9-1-1. My voice sounds strange, eerily calm as I tell them about what I’d witnessed.”
Your ism doesn’t erase other isms “He laughed and made jokes about taking my plate. I laughed along with him, although internally, I felt ashamed of my physical limitations. Looking back, he was probably joking to cover his own hurt feelings. We were both hiding our isms from each other.”
Pandemic dating “What is love like for a single person in their thirties in a less than progressive town? How do you find a like-minded person when you feel like you are different from everyone?”
Tarot Time: Under pressure “While we may not always be on the same path or stage in life, it is my hope that we can all learn certain lessons together and allow the cards to offer some guidance.”
Tarot Time: Reflections “Now is a time to regain balance, to be mindful of how we make decisions while still looking after our own mental health.”
Build a healthy immune system for fall “A healthy immune system is one way we can bolster our bodies to fight off infection and disease. The good news is there are simple steps you can take to improve your immunity that will also enrich your overall wellbeing.”
When will I be beautiful? “I know I would be healthier if I were thinner, and I know I have to take responsibility for my body and my health; I just wish I could somehow disconnect my feelings about my outer shell with my inner self-worth. I have to learn that I am beautiful in my own way...”
I’m not a parent “I shouldn’t be surprised that in a country where healthcare is a luxury and health complications are often seen as the patient’s fault, there’s also an attitude of ‘if you don’t like it stay home’...”
Knitting pattern for a fall/winter wrap “Because August’s project/pattern will take a bit of time, I am sharing it now, so you can have plenty of time to knit one up. It is a lovely, textured wrap I designed to keep me snuggly warm in the cooler months.”
A survivorship story “I didn’t survive Cancer. I wish I could say I did. I wish I could stand up and say Cancer didn’t defeat me, nor will it! But, I won’t.”
Ageism and Star Trek My generation is increasingly guilty of ageism, which is why I think the resurrection of Jean-Luc Picard’s story is refreshing, timely, and necessary.
Ice cream in the apocalypse: A COVID-19 diary “We’re both introverts. Brendan finds that being separated from people has given him more energy for projects at home. I am also enjoying the isolation from others, which makes me feel kind of guilty.”
A parent’s response to her transgender daughter “Was this a surprise? Yes. An adjustment? Yes. But using her correct name and pronouns has been easy because she is our child who we love deeply and intensely.”
"Reopening" is a dream of a world we can no longer hold. We need new dreams. We all want to wake up from this nightmare and go back to living the dream that was in our hands mere weeks ago.
