Month: December 2008

buddhist carnival – december 2008 edition, part 1

merry christmas! you know what’s funny? by 1992, i had pretty much foresworn elaborate christmas celebrations, and was quite happy with it. that’s the year i met my husband. now he grew up in a buddhist household. “yay, a bonus!” i thought. and yes, definitely, i’m very lucky to have married into that family. but… Continue reading buddhist carnival – december 2008 edition, part 1

disfigured: anorexia, obesity and a friendship

reviews seem to be the theme these days. here’s a video i was sent – disfigured. i wonder who shouldn’t watch it. one-track-mind rambo fans, perhaps. people who can’t stand delving into other people’s psyches. those who don’t like sex scenes on screen, no matter how elegantly presented. and if you don’t like watching people… Continue reading disfigured: anorexia, obesity and a friendship

hurry down sunshine – a father’s story of mental illness

hurry down sunshine is the supremely well-told, literally mind-boggling tale of a father, michael greenberg, who suffers through and survives the experience of watching his teenage daughter go through her first extreme manic episode. it is an iridescent story, shimmering with many facets in the hot new york summer that provides the backdrop of this… Continue reading hurry down sunshine – a father’s story of mental illness

thoughts, blogs, and not much to say

another paid review! haven’t done one of them for a while. let’s just make this a bit of a wild, woolly and completely inconsequential romp. so i’m supposed to review thoughts.com. this is what they say about themselves: thoughts.com is a unique site with interesting conversations and sometimes heated debates. membership is 100% free and… Continue reading thoughts, blogs, and not much to say

inability to regulate feelings at the root of fear of flying?

a guest post by captain tom, on the topic of fear of flying that we’ve discussed on and off here on this blog. first, by way of introduction, i’m both an airline captain and a licensed therapist. working with people who have trouble with flying has been my specialty for twenty-eight years. i am fully… Continue reading inability to regulate feelings at the root of fear of flying?

meaningful stories and idle chatter

a theme for me in the last little while has been to hear from others, “i don’t want to talk about this because i don’t want to be a burden.” i honestly think i’m wired differently than most people. hearing people’s meaningful stories, whatever they’re about, is rarely, rarely a burden for me. and when… Continue reading meaningful stories and idle chatter

cats, sanskrit, and 9 kinds of love – or was it 96?

first thing this morning, i opened the kitchen door and let rum in, our cat. i bent down, stroked her thick gray fur, and told her how beautiful she was. i love rum. this love is tinged with admiration. we call her our zen cat; she is one of the most even-tempered creatures (humans or… Continue reading cats, sanskrit, and 9 kinds of love – or was it 96?

another novel excerpt

did i post at least one excerpt from the novel i’m working on during NaNoWriMo?  i don’t think so.  anyways, i think it’s time for another one. this plays on a sugar plantation in louisiana in the beginning of the 19th century.  mr jones-patterson is the neurotic plantation owner, elise his daughter.  joe,  the “field… Continue reading another novel excerpt