Seeing the elephant in the room — When I managed a nonprofit thrift store, the book section was one of our biggest attractions. The books didn’t bring in much revenue because we sold them so cheaply, but they drew in customers who usually went on to buy other things. One February, a volunteer criticized me for not…

A Super Bowl ad stirs controversy — A Super Bowl ad spurred the Twitter crowd into renewing calls for churches to be taxed. Some people seem to believe that churches paid for the “Jesus ads” with money that would have been better spent paying taxes. The following comments were just a few that cropped up on my…

I hope so, but I have my doubts — I’ve known Margo almost 50 years, and she’s always believed in dreams. She told me I should write mine down because dreams have meaning if we know how to interpret them. But my dreams are fleeting fragments that skitter away as soon as I wake up. It’s like trying to…

Is it only women, or can men be a piece of work, too? — Last week I had lunch with a friend who said, “You really should consider not wearing those skinny jeans at your age.” I seethed inwardly for the rest of the lunch. I hadn’t asked for her opinion. I thought my jeans were cute. And I would never have said to…

The White House is keeping “all options on the table” — On February 4, United States defense officials announced that they were tracking a large Maga Hat Balloon drifting across the United States. Initially, the Pentagon thought it was a Chinese spy balloon. But closer inspection revealed it to be a gigantic red hat with MAGA emblazoned across the front. An…

How do you know when you need a root canal? — It started six months ago with what I thought would be a simple fix. Part of a tooth filling chipped, so I went to the dentist to have it repaired. But after the dental work, eating on the right side of my mouth was painful. I decided to wait it…

I belong to a Methodist church, and the denomination is steeped in controversy — This Sunday, 37 people joined our church. They were of all ages, from Baby Boomers to young families. During the service I attended, a new member in his early thirties was baptized. Financial contributions poured in when the church was closed for Covid, and they continue to pour in now…

Wills and burial plots can lead to more problems than you think — “What did you do today?” I asked my husband. I had just returned from lunch with girlfriends. “Have you ever thought about where you want to be buried?” He replied. That wasn’t the response I expected. But it turns out his question stemmed from his work on our will. We…

It’s not as hard as you think — This week I was on a Zoom call with a woman who read a humor article I had written several years ago. She’s putting together a series of podcasts on creative living and wanted to interview me about how humor improves relationships. Although writer’s block wasn’t the topic of our…