Laura's Profile

The guy downstairs moved in recently. Before him was a young woman; we would nod and say hello, have a good day, as we entered or exited our homes or cars. This guy has upset my equilibrium: he uses the... Continue reading

Posted Oct 7, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Local Waves

I had thought about going to the beach today as an escape from the ordinariness of my days: to walk on the boardwalk and look out as the waves roll in, to think about the vastness behind what is seen... Continue reading

Posted Oct 5, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Rosh Hashanah 5780

It came to me as a thought, an acknowledgement on Rosh Hashanah eve: I do not believe in God as a being, an existence. Though I perceive that ideas and rituals which accompany belief have their origins in the core... Continue reading

Posted Sep 30, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Fall Morning at Huntley Meadows Park

This morning I walked at Huntley Meadows Park (5,063 steps). The dried plants and coloring trees attest that autumn has arrived. It was early, so the camera birders were out with their tripods and huge lenses to capture birds in... Continue reading

Posted Sep 28, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Kugel in the Oven

A potato zucchini kugel bakes in the oven. Grandma used to make them for us, children and grandchildren, in her tiny kitchen in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. She made foods from her childhood in Zhitomir, from before she came to America,... Continue reading

Posted Sep 23, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Today Is Saturday / Shabbat

Today is Saturday / Shabbat, a day of rest. I will not work or do anything I have to. I deserve a day with no obligations. It is afternoon. I just got my hair cut an inch-inch-and-a-half. Earlier, I got... Continue reading

Posted Sep 22, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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First Loss as Hospice Volunteer

M, my first hospice patient, who I started visiting in June 2018, passed away in October. Expected, but still difficult. I was grateful to have been a part of her life and the lives of those who loved her and... Continue reading

Posted May 27, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Friday Night Dinners

Friday night dinners used to represent home and family time. Of course, that was when I had to share one bathroom; now, I have two to myself. Growing up in Queens, on Fridays the table would generally be set for... Continue reading

Posted Jan 21, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Flowers for Me

As a rule, I don’t buy bouquets of flowers for myself. Occasionally I’ll buy a flowering plant that I can replant or expect to last long enough for me to feel that I got enough flowering out of the investment.... Continue reading

Posted Jan 6, 2019 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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From Eating Out to Taking Out

Rocktree The progression from needing to be around other people at mealtimes to accepting being alone represents an arc to wellness that incorporates, dare I say it, happiness. Suddenly I realize that the need to sit in a booth consuming... Continue reading

Posted Dec 30, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Not My Holiday

The other day a friend sent a pitying text concerned that I don’t have anything to do on Christmas. She failed to remember that not everyone celebrates Christmas. In the mad crush to bake cookies, buy gifts, regift gifts, model... Continue reading

Posted Dec 25, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Living Loss and Life

Yesterday, as I was pressing 7 repeatedly to delete the messages a saleswoman at a bathroom design company left for me, I accidentally pressed 7 an eighth time before I realized that I was in my saved voice mail box... Continue reading

Posted Dec 15, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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The Couples

All around me people are holding hands. Hand covering hand. Thumb caressing back of hand. Fingers soothing fingers. The gentlest of here I am gestures continually, lovingly, regretfully, thankfully. The activity room in a memory care facility. Husbands and wives.... Continue reading

Posted Dec 8, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Thankful for Conversations

I used to be a conversation snob. Small talk was not for me. If we didn’t discuss the meaning of life, then, why talk. Now, I find that all my conversations are casual update conversations. This is surely a by-product... Continue reading

Posted Nov 23, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Women Will Not Be Shushed

A weekend on an island, Respite from the Malevolence of Sexism, of Women’s lives Discounted, ignored, contested, belittled—raped. But still, Feasting on oysters, Watching ponies by the sea, Riding bikes to the beach, Climbing up the lighthouse, Were not enough... Continue reading

Posted Oct 9, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Summer Vacation: Together and Alone

Cycling in Northern Vermont My Quebec vacation was each person encountered, activity endured, meal enjoyed, accent savored, view valued, knowledge gained (then lost), and solitary pauses, as well as the totality of the week, which together fill a space of... Continue reading

Posted Aug 18, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Finding Value in the Small Things Amidst the Horrors

It’s hot, but the windows are open for the sounds, the bare breezes, the connections that reach beyond my imaginings as I sit at my table. Closed doors and windows confine cooled air, but they separate me from the raucous... Continue reading

Posted Jul 17, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Initial Hospice Visits

Potomac River from Alexandria My hospice visits have started, though I’ll refer to them as elderly visits since the people I visit will not necessarily be in hospice. One of the two people I started visiting is, thankfully, healthy enough... Continue reading

Posted Jul 11, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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All the Middle-Aged Single Ladies

Flat tire on the Meadowbrook Parkway; I managed to call for a tow truck. Just about every conversation I have with my middle-aged single lady friends will, at some point, touch on the subject of dating. That part of the... Continue reading

Posted Jul 8, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Families Belong Together Day

I went to the Families Belong Together Rally and March in DC with my march friend. At first we couldn't understand how people were grouped. Then we realized that they were gathered around trees: everyone seeking the "cool" shade. You... Continue reading

Posted Jul 2, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Hostility and Humility

Two horribly contrasting images of people have lodged in my mind. There is the vile image and the poignant image. There are the people who are okay (pleased, I dare say) with ripping children away from their parents, with taking... Continue reading

Posted Jun 16, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Easing into Purpose, My Own

Too many epiphany moments may be unbelievable, but not enough can make you slide into a complacency that starts to feel like boredom. It’s not helpful for all insights to be incremental. In that case, are they insights or merely... Continue reading

Posted May 13, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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An April Sunday

Cleaning up in Lake Accotink Park Has the world changed? It still revolves around the sun. Daylight comes in the morning and Dusk darkens into evening. People kill. People mourn. Some shout yes, others shout no. There are those who... Continue reading

Posted Apr 22, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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March for Our Lives: March 24

Let's march, rally, volunteer, and raise our voices tomorrow against gun violence in our schools, in our public places, in our lives. My Signs: My Weapon of Choice: Teacher Voice Continue reading

Posted Mar 23, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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Realizations about Religion

No glass of wine, bottle of beer, or Colorado gummy bear can make my mind fuzzy enough for long enough to stop the realization that is finally solidifying. I have wished that I was a religious person for much of... Continue reading

Posted Mar 4, 2018 at Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman

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