Category Archives: My Blog

I welcome responses, so that women can begin a dialogue here, with one another and me, on topics that matter to us.

Life Actions: Interior and Exterior

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Nancy

This past weekend Port Townsend had its annual, and well-respected film festival. Writer/Director John Sayles and his producer wife, Maggi Renzi were the special guests this year. I thought I had seen Lone Star, but discovered I hadn’t on Saturday … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged active brain, artistic choices, creative process, engagement with life, inner work, learning from another, life values, life's journey | Comments Off

Loss Of Longtime Partner

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Nancy

An old friend from college was out of town when her husband, in his late eighties, but quite healthy, became ill. There was a lot of scrambling to get him into good enough shape to board an airplane for their … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged aging, death, disturbing loss, engaging with life, finding answers, giving comfort, last third of life, letting go, losing a partner, losing friends, loss of loved ones, meaning of life, moving on, returning joy | Comments Off

Far Away From Loved Ones

Posted on August 11, 2014 by Nancy

My partner, Wonono, and I visited my daughters in Bend a couple of weeks ago. Bend is eight hours from our home, and though beautiful, a pretty long haul here and back. My grandchildren were obviously excited to see us, … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged adult relations with adult kids, aging, conundrum, distance from loved ones, friends vs. adult kids, living life fully, too close too far | Comments Off

Anger And What We Do With It

Posted on July 14, 2014 by Nancy

I’ve been thinking a lot about anger in the past few weeks because someone in my life has been doing some raging, an historical issue that leaves me struggling with how I am to behave on the other end. When … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged 'for now', becoming mute, clear boundaries, distancing, fear, fear of anger, pushed away, rage, refusing to engage, response to rage, self care | Comments Off

Memory Loss And Aging

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Nancy

A few months ago one of my daughters told me she was very worried about my memory loss and thought something was wrong. She did so with the force of her personality, which made it doubly distressing. I was already … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged accepting change, aging concerns, alzheimer's, dementia, distress, forgetting, frightening change, lumosity, memory loss, mental health, normal forgetfulness, terrifying, worrying | Comments Off

Love As We Age

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Nancy

I drove my partner to the airport in Seattle, a two-hour trip, on Saturday, and was startled at how empty I felt as I drove away from the curb. He and I have been together for eight years now. Our … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged acceptance of another, acceptance of myself, grateful for a shared life, growing together, loving intimacy, Partnering, pride of person, respect, sense of humor, sex, shared sensibilities, tenderness | Comments Off

Friendship And Loss

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Nancy

My oldest and dearest friend called me from Italy, where she lives half the year, to tell me that her doctor in Genoa had discovered a small polyp in her vagina. She was waiting for the results of a biopsy. … Continue reading →

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Identity Crisis

Posted on May 5, 2014 by Nancy

Yesterday I read an article in the Sunday New York Times about Philip Roth as an English teacher. The writer, Lisa Scottoline, whose books I really enjoy, said the following. “In those days, I dreamed of marrying what I wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged 'be like him', 1950's ideas of selfhood, discovering goals myself, finding direction through another, identity crisis, marry what you want, marrying to become 'me', my own person | Comments Off

Creativity: Where Does It Come From?

Posted on April 21, 2014 by Nancy

When I was a child I made up stories that my friends and I would then enact. I assumed other kids did the same thing, though I now realize most did not. My friends loved playing with me because like … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged choreography, creativity, dance therapy, dancing, make-believe, overcoming anxiety, perseverance, story telling | Comments Off

Friends Forever?

Posted on April 7, 2014 by Nancy

Years ago a friend from high school told me that I ‘did friend’ really well. She is no longer my friend. This loss has been deeply disturbing to me. She and I met in French class, a language she was … Continue reading →

Posted in My Blog | Tagged availability, bitterness, bonds, boundaries, dependence, disturbing loss, high school friend, limits of friendship, natural loss, outlasting welcome, privacy, regret, renewed friendship, resistance to help, retiring, transitions | Comments Off