More Than Four Sides

Category: Uncategorized

  • Flying standby

    My first flight on my own, at the age of sixteen, I remember flying standby. This was on the recommendation of my aunt, who I was going to visit for an indefinite stay in London, England. She told me she always flew standby, because it was cheaper, and that was definitely a selling point to…

  • Missing out on reading with FL2W…

    I missed the deadline to read this month’s books, and I feel so left out!! The first book is  The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg.  It sounds like a fascinating story, and I have gone ahead and pre-ordered it for my Kindle app, but I’m wishing I could read it, and join in the discussion…

  • August … Already?

    I really hate winter and cold weather, and I struggle through the dark months of the year holding out hope for the reviving warmth of the sun. I have trouble with vacations, because my hopes and expectations often don’t match the reality that is possible. So far, this summer, we’ve gone away twice, once over the July…

  • A big change coming up

    We brought J to Kindergarten orientation yesterday. What a day! We started off with a walk with S and our friend A, to the bus stop. J was already feeling a little anxious, and he fussed a bit on the walk, and then gazed mournfully at the bus for several minutes after everyone got on,…

  • Familiar suggestions…to Thrive

    I first engaged seriously in meditation when I was about 15years old.  I had the tremendous good fortune to be part of the A-school (the “Alternative” school) as Palo Alto High School, and met an amazing teacher who invited us to participate in an optional “class” – meditation and chanting led on Wednesday mornings in…

  • End of life – no discussion

    Right after I had the encounter I described a few weeks ago, I received an email with terrible news. The email included a scanned hand-written letter – a farewell letter to family and friends. The writer of this letter is someone I have known for most of my life – a vibrant, lively, intelligent person…

  • Too old…for an engagement ring

    My first trip around the marriage carousel, we bought the full set – engagement ring and two bands. They were very cheap (we were on a tight budget), and they bent easily. By the time we split up, they were broken. My second trip around the marriage carousel started without a clear engagement. We moved…

  • Where I See Fashion

    I mentioned the other day that I find the social mediasphere to be daunting, but it does allow one to run across cool stuff.  Here’s another random Tumblr find that I found just stunning led me to this page: http://honestlywtf.com/art/where-i-see-fashion/ Here’s an example that I find breathtaking: Gorgeous, isn’t it? The original posting is by…

  • End-of-life discussion, part two

    I started a post about “End of Life Discussions”, and it’s taken me awhile to get back to it.  Life got busy.  But the thoughts have persisted… So, I was sitting in a clinic exam room with my patient, we’ll call her Eleanor, and her husband, we’ll call him Ted.  And I launched into my pitch:…

  • Laughter – real or fake

    Fake laughter doesn’t fool the brain, research reveals http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/JHxArNpdDQQ/140319222503.htm Did you know today, in addition to being the first day of Spring, is International Day of Happiness? Hope you have occasion for genuine laughter today!