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BAGS PACKED TO FLEE? WHAT DO YOU TAKE WITH TEN MINUTES NOTICE

February 26, 2022 by

You’ve got your bags packed to evacuate, to leave right now. What’s in your boogie bag if you thought you’d return to a home in flames? More important, what’s not in your bug-out bag?

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BEST CONCERT: A BOOMERPDX REVIEW

February 19, 2022 by

Reviewing for best concert happened the usual way: I opened a box of pictures and found Prince. I saw this show in 1985 for $17.50 with my then-girlfriend, driving up to Tacoma and back from Portland. We got married a year later. Prince The Closer?

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STARTING OVER? HOW MANY TIMES DOES IT TAKE A WRITER

February 17, 2022 by

Looking back, I’ve been starting over every day with a fresh, clean, screen and filling it up, just like today. But, as much as that feels like a new start, it doesn’t have the travel element. In my twenties starting over meant a road trip from one side of the country to the other. Have […]

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YOUR STORY DONE YOUR WAY; MY STORY IS RIGHT HERE

February 16, 2022 by

When you write your story, or tell it, or carve it into wood or stone, it’s your choice. For many baby boomers from the middle boomer aisle, not early or late boomers, the story includes things like: “We drank water from a garden hose, rode bikes without helmets, and ate everything on our plate.” I […]

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FAMILY CAREGIVING TIPS FOR THE NEW SANDWICH GENERATION

February 7, 2022 by

Family caregiving takes a turn with a new generation lining up for duty. GenX looks ready. And like other generations before them, like the Baby Boomer Generation, it will all come as a big surprise. Most of us don’t come from a tradition, or culture, that includes taking care of our elders living under the […]

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FINDING FAULT TAKES A HARD LOOK OUTWARD

January 27, 2022 by

Finding fault is one of the first things to do when things go wrong, as long as you don’t find yourself. And that takes practice. If you’re to blame and you know it, the job just got easier. Ask, “Why would I do that,” after a spectacular screw-up and you won’t get many answers. Why?

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HUMAN BONDING BENT BUT NOT BROKEN

January 25, 2022 by

If you over-analyze how life on earth works it comes down to one thing: human bonding. Call it trust, call it faith, because those are the ingredients. As humans we are bound by trust and faith in the recipe for human bonding. Take your car for instance:

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ADD LOVE TO A BLUE BIRD-SEAGULL DAY

January 24, 2022 by

Try and add love to every day, but it’s easier after a stormy night Does a clear sky clear the mind? It might, it might not, but at least it’s better than standing around in the cold, the wet, and the wind. Add a clear beach to a clear day for perfection. But not too […]

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PORTLAND WRITING: WHAT TO SAY AFTER IT’S ALL BEEN SAID

January 13, 2022 by

Portland writing classes made it seem like everyone in town was a writer. Publish a book and that’s good enough to fill a teacher’s role? Yes it is. Word of mouth got around, a friend offers space, and people pay to show up and listen. And learn. But what do you learn?

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PAIN WRITERS: GUIDELINES FOR A PAINFUL STORY

January 12, 2022 by

Pain writers draw inspiration from two sources: Their own pain. Someone else’s pain. The source of pain is a standard feature. Pain writers want you to feel it. For example:

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