It’s complicated. Cook. Wash dishes. Mop the floor. Clean the toilet. Do the laundry. Change diapers. Even though we have careers, paying jobs, and own businesses, much of this work falls on our shoulders. And laps. And keeps us on our toes. In the last year, I fired our cleaning service and started taking care of my granddaughter June one day … Read
Celebrate Juneteenth!
Tomorrow is Juneteenth, the anniversary of the announcement of the end of slavery. It’s not a well known holiday for lots of reasons. One is that we don’t really like to talk about that part of our history. We don’t like to acknowledge the shadow side of our country and culture. But “If you are serious about American culture and … Read
Ain’t I A Woman?
“If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, these women together ought to be able to turn it back, and get it right side up again! And now they is asking to do it, the men better let them.”–Sojourner Truth, 1851 As I understand it, when Sojourner Truth spoke the … Read
Black History Month 2018
The day after the 2016 election, I met with D Anderson, a young Black man I’ve worked with for a number of years. I hadn’t slept much the night before. Eating dinner at the Drake Diner counter that night, the election results rolled in, and my dreams of a woman president rolled out. The night sky was a stunner as well. … Read
New Year, New Intention
So I’m driving home from yoga class listening to an interview of Sue Grafton, the great detective writer and thinking I need to just write a little bit every day this year. Well, is it too late since yesterday was the first? And then I realize I’m hungry, and I see that the garbage can is tipped over blocking the … Read
Lessons for Harvest Time
It’s harvest time in Iowa! It’s been a mostly warm September, and we’re bringing in buckets of tomatoes, bouquets of basil and parsley, and enough carrots to share with the Jolly Green Giant! Kids are gathering produce and learning in school gardens all over the country as well. It’s tempting to get all sentimental about kids raising food for their … Read
Gotta Have a Coach
Over the last four years or so, I’ve let my backyard get more than a little overgrown. One reason–an Amur Maple that we planted the first spring I lived here took a huge hit in an early snow storm. I wept over that tree the next morning when I found every branch either broken or split down the middle from … Read
There’s Always More
So many reasons to be excited about yoga. I teach it. I practice it. I study it. There truly is always more! Excited–check out this article about some preliminary research on how yoga may help with recovery from stroke and lessening the impact of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. I teach at Shakti Yoga Shop and we have some … Read
Let’s Figure It Out
As we go spinning around the sun, we tend to mark anniversaries. I have one coming up tomorrow. It’s been 11 years since I cleaned out my desk at Iowa State University Extension in Polk County and started my work here at Next Step. I was there til 8 pm on my last day! Who does that? Someone who is … Read
Run for Office
The loss of the 2016 election seems to have galvanized women to activism. The year of our next presidential election will be the 100th anniversary of women getting the right to vote. Just 100 years ago, our foremothers were still fighting for full citizenship in this country. The US has terribly few women in leadership positions. It’s a problem from … Read
