Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Wiser Than Me

Photo courtesy of ***Ryan Pfluger and August Image***

Women are wise. We all know that. And older women are even wiser. So says me and so says Julia Louis-Dreyfus, who has dedicated a new podcast to exactly that subject…Beginning in April of 2023, through her podcast Wiser Than Me, she has conducted interviews with such luminaries as Isabel Allende, Fran Liebowitz, Ruth Reichl, Jane Fonda, Diane Furstenberg, and Amy Tan, to name a few. Take your pick of any of these conversations-—they are all good! I especially like the Isabel Allende one for her openness and honesty and the Ruth Reichl one for her descriptions about food and what she says about perfection.

A Little Lift and
Songs of Peace

In light of all the horrors occurring around us, and because we all need a little lift and a laugh from time to time, here are a few things that should definitely raise your spirits, even if it is just temporary. If you click on one thing, don't miss clicking on Lipstick--if that doesn't make you laugh, nothing will.....

And here is a small selection of songs for peace:

Pride (In the Name of Love)
U2 Bono

Give Me Love
by George Harrison

Imagine
John Lennon

Peace Like a River
Dolly Parton and Dionne Warwick

Wahat al-Salam – Neve Shalom

Poster designed by Hunterwasser to raise funds for the village.

Being busy working hard in California, I hardly had time to be glued to the awful news coming out of the Middle East these past couple weeks--and am only now catching up and realizing the depth and breadth of the horror that is occurring in Israel and Gaza. It felt too important to ignore writing about it but I struggled to find the words to describe all the emotions swimming in my head around this conflict. When I asked a wise friend if she could recommend an article I might cite in my blog about the subject, she suggested I write about Neve Shalom/Wāħat as-Salām, a village half way between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, whose name and mission stands for "oasis of peace."

Founded by Egyptian born Father Bruno Hussar, Neve Shalom/Wahat as-Salam is comprised of 70 jewish and arab families, in hopes of creating a model and context in which peace is possible. In Hussar's own words; "We had in mind a small village composed of inhabitants from different communities in the country. Jews, Christians and Muslims would live there in peace, each one faithful to his own faith and traditions, while respecting those of others. Each would find in this diversity a source of personal enrichment."

It is the residents' hope that it can be a model for a different kind of future. And since it all starts with our children, the stories emanating from NSWaS and its school provide a glimpse of what might be...The young children of the primary school have yet to be tainted by hatred and historical grievances. "They epitomise the potential to rise above ethnic and national origins, underscoring the importance of liberating ourselves from our own biases."

Though nothing is perfect, I hope this offers a glimpse of what might be...

Photo of the Week

This is a part of a series of photographs I took while visiting Dachau, one of the first concentration camps built by the Nazis in Germany. It serves here as a reminder that anti-semitism is alive and well and we must do everything in our power to combat it as well as all other forms of hate that exist throughout the world…

Charity of the Week:
Doctor's Without Borders

About The Author

New York City based contemporary artist, Pam Smilow, began writing the creative lifestyle blog “things we love” in an effort to foster a sense of community during times of isolation and reflection. To read more about her and her art, visit her website and check out the essay written by the Hammond Museum's Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.