Blog No. 267: Monks Walk for Peace, Lewiston Soccer Team, Amanda Gorman Poem

January 31, 2026

**The underlined words and many of the images in the newsletter are linked to more in depth information so don’t hesitate to click…**

19 Monks:
A Walk for Peace

Click image above to see a brief report of the Monks. Photo courtesy Kaitlyn Ross Journalist’s Facebook

Click image to hear about Beautiful Aloka, whose name means light in sanskrit. Photo courtesy Aloka the Peace Dog/Instagram

I always had a dream of starting a TV station on a national/international scale like CNN but just with good news. I haven't quite gotten there yet. Ha ha. But what if there was a news programs devoted exclusively to celebrating the good in humankind--switching our focus to inspirational stories, welllness, biographies of heroic figures, etc. etc., the ones Mr. Roger's mom called "the helpers." Sounds kind of sappy but it might also just change our focus and lead us to examples of better ways of living...

There is an event going on right now that is definitely worthy of such coverage and a few stations have taken note. It is happening through rain and snow across a portion of the United States and I am not sure many of us know about it. A group of Buddhist Monks, 19 of them, and a beautiful dog called Aloka are walking from Fort Worth Texas to Washington, D.C. every day, all day, with no regard to weather on a Walk for Peace. Their goal is to raise awareness of peace, loving kindness, and compassion across America and the world and it will take 120-days and cover 2,300-miles. Their intent is a simple yet meaningful reminder that unity and kindness begin within each of us and can radiate outward to families, communities, and society as a whole. Check it out…especially if you need a little relief from the horrible news of the day. We have to continue our fight against the terrible things going on but we also can’t let them take our joy away…

Lewiston
Soccer Team

**One Goal: A Coach, a Team, and the Game That Brought a Divided Town Together** by Amy Bass

My 15 year old grandson Toran lives in England and his passion is soccer. He won the equivalent of the lottery when he was spotted by a scout while playing on his local school team. Toran is diligent, extremely kind hearted, tall (6'2"+) and with the wingspan of an eagle...This scout introduced him around and gave him the opportunity to be seen by some of the top football leagues in England. Long story short, he is now on the development team of Manchester City and has moved from London to Manchester, going to school there and training every day.

He was here visiting over Christmas holiday—he comes often to the States—and as a gift, I gave him the book One Goal, about the Lewiston soccer team comprised mainly of Lewiston residents from Somali. Toran is of mixed race so I thought the story would be especially meaningful to him as I am not sure he is an avid reader….

I decided to read the book as well…. Turns out it is particularly relevant right now as Lewiston is in the news and I am learning a ton about the history of the town and how it has been revitalized more than once by immigrants. It approaches the question of immigration in a different and personal context--aside from a great sports read, through the book we get to know the players and what they have gone through previous to being repatriated to Maine.

One cannot help but show enormous compassion for what these immigrants have gone through, many of them living previously in refugee camps in Africa under terrible conditions, only to face racism here in Maine as well…

This is a good book for our youth—-it is also a good read for anyone interested in sports and learning first hand accounts of the plight of Somalis and Bantus in Lewiston.

Elizabeth Strout’s book The Burgess boys is a fictionalized version of a true hate crime that took place in Lewiston, Maine

Amanda Gorman
Poems

  
    "For Alex Jeffrey Pretti" 

Murdered by I.C.E. January 24, 2026

by Amanda Gorman

We wake with

no words, just woe

& wound. Our own country shoot

ing us in the back is not just brutal

ity; it’s jarring betrayal; not enforcement,

but execution. A message: Love your people & you

will die. Yet our greatest threat isn’t the outsiders

among us, but those among us who never look

within. Fear not the those without papers, but those

without conscience. Know that to care intensively,

united, is to carry both pain-dark horror for today

& a profound, daring hope for tomorrow. We can feel

we have nothing to give, & still belove this world wait

ing, trembling to change. If we cannot find words, may

we find the will; if we ever lose hope, may we never lose our

humanity. The only undying thing is mercy, the courage to open

ourselves like doors, hug our neighbor,

& save one more bright, impossible life.

Amanda Gorman also wrote a poem right after Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed.  Here it is:

For Renee Nicole Good

Killed by I.C.E. on January 7, 2026

by Amanda Gorman

They say she is no more,

That there her absence roars,

Blood-blown like a rose.

Iced wheels flinched & froze.

Now, bare riot of candles,

Dark fury of flowers,

Pure howling of hymns.

If for us she arose,

Somewhere, in the pitched deep of our grief,

Crouches our power,

The howl where we begin,

Straining upon the edge of the crooked crater

Of the worst of what we’ve been.

Change is only possible,

& all the greater,

When the labour

& bitter anger of our neighbors

Is moved by the love 

& better angels of our nature.

What they call death & void,

We know is breath & voice; 

In the end, gorgeously, 

Endures our enormity. 

You could believe departed to be the dawn

When the blank night has so long stood.

But our bright-fled angels will never be fully gone,

When they forever are so fiercely Good.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow. mixed media on canvas 59” x 87”. $8500

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

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 Frank Matheis entitled The Sophisticated Innocence of Pam Smilow.

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 266: Lessons from the Danish Resistance, Batsheva Dance Company, Mary Oliver on Resilience

January 24, 2026

Lessons from the
Danish Resistance

Courtesy Museum of Jewish Heritage, illustration by Sveta Dorosheva

Courtesy National Archives, College Park, MD, USA

We have much to learn from resistance movements throughout history. And no better example than what the Danish population did to resist the Germans during World War II. Last August, The Nation ran an article entitled The Danes Resisted Fascism, and So Can We which included lessons we can learn from this Scandinavian country’s resistance to the Nazis.

This ten minute documentary on the Danish resistance movement can also serve as inspiration to us. There are remarkable similarities to what we are experiencing now in the United States.

Under Hitler’s orders, Denmark’s Jews were to be deported on 1 October, 1943 – but in the space of a few weeks, an underground network and the country’s non-Jewish population spirited almost 8,000 people to safety via small boats across the Øresund to neutral Sweden.

Let Denmark be an example to us all…

Batsheva
Dance Company

I love dance and in my humble opinion, Batsheva Dance Company is a company worth paying attention to.

Founded in 1964 by Martha Graham and Baroness Batsheva de Rothschild, based in Tel Aviv, the company in 1990 transformed itself under the artistic direction of Ohad Naharin. Naharin is a figure worshipped by the dance community—The New York Times called him “one of the most important choreographers in the world. Mikhail Baryshnikov said that he had “never seen such a combination of beauty, energy and skill.” Dance Magazine stated that “Naharin may be today’s most widely worshipped guru of modern dance.”
Here are a few excerpts of Batsheva dances:
Naharin's Virus
Medley of different dances

In 2014, The Heymann Brothers produced documentary entitled Mr. Gaga based on Naharin and his unique dance methods, released on the occasion of Batsheva’s 50th anniversary; the title Gaga coming from a language of movement Naharin created, based on very small movements, on nuances, and on gesture. The film is not currently available to stream but Gilli Navot, Batsheva continues to produce beautiful choreography and performances…To access their full repetoire, go to Batsheva’s archive website.

Mary Oliver
on Resilience

I came across this entry on Facebook by Sarah Grain. The first part are her words. The second is the poem by Mary Oliver.

Today, I will let Mary Oliver speak for me, and the only thing that I will add is this: In the last 36 hours, I have seen these digital walls flooded with the most beautiful protest art. Poems, sketches, songs … and I’ve reflected on how important art has been in every single movement, every single resistance, every single attempt to dim the light of progress and prosperity. My hope for the next four years from Washington is not much. But my hope for art is great. Artists and musicians have a pivotal role in helping society make sense of the insensible; organize the chaos; disassemble the madness and then reassemble it into an explosive sculpture of color and sound and delight. I cannot wait for the art. Joy is not meant to be a crumb.

DON’T HESITATE
By Mary Oliver

If you suddenly and unexpectedly feel joy,
don’t hesitate. Give in to it. There are plenty
of lives and whole towns destroyed or about
to be. We are not wise, and not very often
kind. And much can never be redeemed.
Still, life has some possibility left. Perhaps this
is its way of fighting back, that sometimes
something happens better than all the riches
or power in the world. It could be anything,
but very likely you notice it in the instant
when love begins. Anyway, that’s often the case.
Anyway, whatever it is, don’t be afraid
of its plenty. Joy is not made to be a crumb.

Paintings of the Week

My friend Terrie Frisbee carrying a poster she made at a candlelight vigil for Renee Good.

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 265: 1963 Children's Crusade, Know Your Rights, History Teacher Unlearn 16

January 17, 2026

1963 Children's Crusade

On the occasion of America’s national holiday celebrating the birthday of the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., I share with you a 2005 documentary made by the Southern Poverty Law Center about the Birmingham Alabama civil rights marches in the 1960s, highlighting the bravery of young activists involved in the 1963 Children’s Crusade. The film won an Academy Award in 2005 in the category of Documentary Short Subject. This is a chapter in American history that many of us might have heard about but without being aware of its extraordinary details.

When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put out a call for people to go to jail in the fight against segregation (he himself was jailed for a period of time), much to his disappointment no adults responded—it was the high school students who volunteered and stood up, willing to go to jail in the fight for freedom. There was much controversy around that and protest from many of the parents but the children were unstoppable and the movement grew secretly and almost overnight. When King was confronted about allowing children in this role, he stood his ground and calmly spoke: “Don’t worry about your children. They are going to be alright. Don’t hold them back if they want to go to jail for they are doing a job for all America and all of mankind…”

about the Birmingham Alabama civil rights marches in the 1960s, highlighting the bravery of young activists involved in the 1963 Children’s Crusade. The film won an Academy Award in 2005 in the category of Documentary Short Subject. This is a chapter in American history that many of us might have heard about but without being aware of its extraordinary details.

Know Your Rights

Important information on ICE
from former law enforcement officer, Kramer Hammy):
"It is clear that US citizens' ignorance of federal laws and law enforcement duties, procedures, and limits of authority is getting to the point where it is deadly. I spent probably 3 hours watching and re-watching, and finding every single video and angle I could of the situation in Minnesota yesterday and came to one immovable conclusion based off of what I saw and what I know from a professional standpoint. This is long, but please give it a read.
"As a former officer, let me make something clear: ICE agents ARE NOT police officers, deputy sheriffs, or troopers. They are not local/state law enforcement. They are not federal criminal law enforcement. They have an INCREDIBLY limited scope of authority, and that scope of authority exists in detaining and arresting with probable cause and/or SIGNED WARRANTS those investigated and suspected of being in the US illegally.
"They cannot just pull anyone over for a traffic violation or because their car is in a place they don't want it. They have NO authority to pull people over for ANYTHING other than immigration enforcement- and even then that involves probable cause, such as a known vehicle of someone they have been tracking, or a warrant. On very rare occasions they have the legal authority to pull someone over if they are threatening the lives of others, but that was not happening in this case. They do not have the training nor the authority to pull ANYONE else over. They cannot arrest legal citizens. They cannot detain legal citizens without probable cause to believe they might not be legal. They have ZERO authority to be attempting to force entry into a vehicle- without even identifying themselves, without a warrant, without exigent circumstances such as a life being directly threatened- that is trying to drive down the street without probable cause in relation to IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. "This ENTIRE situation in Minnesota was outside of the scope of legal authority from the get go. None of it was done within the scope of authority of ICE. Every single behavior those agents made was procedurally incorrect, done without proper authority, and was based off of intimidation and the assumption that people do not understand the law and their rights in regards to interactions with ICE.
"On no planet should an officer, agent, or any human being ever step in front of a car in 'drive' that is actively trying to leave and use their body as a shield to prevent a person from LEGALLY LEAVING a situation in which they are not legally being detained. It takes maybe a week of any kind of actual law enforcement training to understand that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES do you ever place yourself in front of a vehicle in 'drive.' That agent had every single opportunity to simply take two steps to the right and not be standing directly in front of a vehicle attempting to conduct their legal right to drive away. "You can see the wheels are turned, [Renee] backed up and turned them to the right, moved forward a bit to leave, couldn't because an agent was standing in front of her, and continued to try to leave by TURNING HER WHEELS TO THE RIGHT and moving forward. He continually chose to stand there and not allow her to legally leave as she had every single right to do.
The officer pulling on her door and banging on her window and swearing at her had ZERO authority to order her out of her vehicle or attempt to make entry into her vehicle. NONE. A single day of actual training of the legal scope of authority and the LAW would've prevented that from happening.
"You now have a frightened citizen being blockaded by immigration agents (with another person in her vehicle) who had zero obligation to follow legally invalid orders from that agent, being blocked in and having a fully grown, masked man attempting to make entry into her car. If this were reversed, every single person would immediately feel she had every reasonable expectation to fear for her safety. It doesn't matter if she knew it was ICE because the agents weren't even acting in their scope of authority anyway.
"Whether or not she made the right decision by very CLEARLY- based off of how hard her wheels were turned and how low and to the driver corner windshield that shot was fired- trying to drive to the left of that agent is IRRELEVANT in the picture as a whole. None of this would have happened if those agents had done even one single thing correctly. Not just correctly, but within their legal scope of authority. Every single moment of that interaction was escalated by untrained, unprofessional, procedurally inept "agents" who not only had zero control of themselves but everything around them. And not because they are helpless, but because their actions that did not fall under their scope of power CAUSED this. Their tempers, lack of training, and the knowledge that they can get away with violating their own scope of authority caused this.
"I will always be the first to defend law enforcement when lethal force very clearly is required. But this was not even remotely the case, and as an actual TRAINED professional in that field with experience and understanding of both the law and procedures, there is no justification for this- and it would benefit EVERYONE to actually read up on the laws, scope of authority, and use a single shred of common sense to see that this situation was started, escalated, and caused by the ICE agents involved. I have zero respect for those in power who are ignorant of the scope of their authority and abuse it at the cost of lives around them." (courtesy Tom Hoefling's substack)

To make a Know Your Rights zine to distribute, click here

A Wonderful
History Teacher

I have a new hero--her name is Joanna--a history teacher par excellence--she is Unlearn16 on tiktok. This person is pure dynamite!

In clear, succinct, and simple terms, she walks us through the history of Venezuela and shows the role of the world and most specifically the United States' role in that country. Needless to say, the picture is not pretty.

She has produced many more history lessons on video--go find her on tiktok.

Here is another of her teaching sessions--her lesson on inflation that I found very informative...

Jumpstart Your Creativity

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 264: Nuremberg the Film, Poem by Fatimah Asghar, Eggplant Recipe

January 10, 2026

Nuremberg

I can't say that the film NUREMBERG will leave you feeling uplifted. Quite the contrary. But I recommend it wholeheartedly because it is an important film to watch at this point in history, given the circumstances of our day. For those of us that warned back in 2016 that T was a Hitler, thank you for recognizing the big picture ahead of most of us...

Based on the the 2013 book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, NUREMBERG is centered on the army psychiatrist Douglas Kelley who was hired to evaluate the characters of the top ranking Nazis in order to gauge their competency for trial and gain insights into their personalities in preparation before and during the trials. One leaves with a robust portrait of these characters, especially Herman Goering (played brilliantly by Russell Crowe). In addition, we gain a broad picture of the messy ins and outs of the international negotiations that led up to the trials, and insight into the key American and European figures who played the role of prosecutors. Douglas Kelley, played beautifully by Rami Malek, is a particularly poignant figure.

The film serves as a warning against those whose psychological tendencies mirror the Nazis in our world today. Perhaps this knowledge, seen through the lens of history, will enable us to do something about the current actors before it is too late...

NUREMBERG is available on Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Prime Video and YouTube Movies & TV.

And as an aside and a warning, I never thought I would be quoting Jesse Ventura, ex-governor of Minnesota, but listen to his admonition and urgent call to action.

Poem by
Fatimah Asghar

  
    
IF THEY SHOULD COME FOR US 
by FATIMAH ASGHAR

these are my people & I find
them on the street & shadow
 through any wild all wild
 my people my people
 a dance of strangers in my blood
 the old woman’s sari dissolving to wind
 bindi a new moon on her forehead
 I claim her my kin & sew
 the star of her to my breast
 the toddler dangling from stroller
 hair a fountain of dandelion seed
 at the bakery I claim them too
 the sikh uncle at the airport
 who apologizes for the pat
 down the muslim man who abandons
 his car at the traffic light drops
 to his knees at the call of the azan
 & the muslim man who sips
 good whiskey at the start of maghrib
 the lone khala at the park
 pairing her kurta with crocs
 my people my people I can’t be lost
 when I see you my compass
 is brown & gold & blood
 my compass a muslim teenager
 snapback & high-tops gracing
 the subway platform
 mashallah I claim them all
 my country is made
 in my people’s image
 if they come for you they
 come for me too in the dead
 of winter a flock of
 aunties step out on the sand
 their dupattas turn to ocean
 a colony of uncles grind their palms
 & a thousand jasmines bell the air
 my people I follow you like constellations
 we hear the glass smashing the street
 & the nights opening their dark
 our names this country’s wood
 for the fire my people my people
 the long years we’ve survived the long
 years yet to come I see you map
 my sky the light your lantern long
 ahead & I follow I follow


  

Eggplant Wrap Recipe

I love eggplant and I am including this Eggplant Wrap recipe (courtesy @DianeMorissey on instagram--it seems like a perfect and healthy recipe to start the new year. It can be totally vegetable based (or you can add some sort of meat) but it looks delicious. Here is the recipe and a video to go with it:

VIRAL EGGPLANT WRAP

Preheat oven to 350F.

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice an eggplant thin (I used one that was on the thinner side).

Arrange on a parchment lined baking sheet in a rectangle, being careful to make sure the ends of each circle are touching.

Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.

Sprinkle with 1 cup shredded mozzarella .

Bake for 25 minutes or until the cheese is golden.

Remove from oven.

Invert it and flip it over.

Fill it with whatever you want! .

Jumpstart Your Creativity

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 263: Zohran Mamdani, Power to the People, American Bald Eagle

January 3, 2026

Zohran Mamdani
Mayor of NYC

Zohran Mamdani with his wife, artist Rama Duwaji

I'd like to invite you to listen to Zohran Mamdani's inauguration speech as he was sworn in as Mayor of New York if you haven't already. Even though I am spending more and more time up here in Maine, this week I am definitely a proud New Yorker! I've had a tough few days, but this speech put a big smile on my face...And in the words of Zohran Mamdani, "we will do something that New Yorkers do better than anyone else. We will set an example for the world."

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also delivered a beautiful, emotional speech, which is also well worth a listen. And I would like to salute my cousin's son, David Kahn, who works for Jumaane Williams in the capacity of Community Organizer for Environmental Justice and Infrastructure. As a young person, David has a very strong moral code and has worked hard and stayed engaged over the years to promote liberty and justice for all...So proud of him!

People Have The Power

This is not the first time I've played this song but I couldn't think of a better way to start the new year than with a dose of Patti Smith singing Choir Choir Choir. Sing along at the top of your lungs to feel invigorated and empowered to continue to resist and continue the fight in 2026. Nos ganaremos..

American Bald
Eagle

Every time I see an eagle I take it as a sign of good luck and it always makes me feel privileged to be able to observe these amazing birds soaring high up in the sky. I see them more and more--often on a daily basis--and they are definitely making a comeback after near extinction. Their increasing numbers are a direct result of the power of conservation and the results of the Endangered Species Act passed in 1973.

Here are two stories from the instagram account Haunted Conspiracy, a site full of touching stories about animal rescues.

An eagle asks for help

A friendship between a horse and an Eagle

An interesting fact: The "bald" in bald eagle does not mean hairless in this case. The name derives from the Middle English word "balde" which means shining white, referring to its bright white head and tail.

Paintings of the Week

Pam Smilow Tree Tops, Detail of my Tree of Life Series pieces, each tree measurimg 60” x 22” mixed media on paper

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 262: Architect Frank Gehry, ICE Protests, Roots of the Americas

December 27, 2025

Architect Frank Gehry
(1929-2025)

Most of you know that I am a big fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and his architecture, especially since I grew up in Usonia, New York, a community founded by that notable American architect. So what am I doing honoring Frank Gehry, an architect who couldn't be more far apart and diametrically opposed to the principles and organic forms of Frank Lloyd Wright. Can I like them both for different reasons? I am much closer to the aesthetic of Frank Lloyd Wright but admire the pure audacity, daring and innovativeness of a Frank Gehry. What can I say, I have eclectic taste...

I got permission from fellow substacker Cool Stories About Art to include this AI video as normal buildings morph into Gehry's vision, with the help of NASA software.

If you want to dig deeper, here's a piece CBS Sunday Morning produced on the Canadian architect and a great documentary entitled Sketches of Frank Gehry on his life and process.

This is the Way to Do It

This is the way to do it! Protesting ICE across the country:

Priest says No

ICE Out of New York City

Rockland Maine says no to ICE

Ohio's way of doing it

Minneapolis police resistance

Blocking ICE from exiting a parking lot in New York

"To read an article in The New Yorker about how Orange County is resisting, click here

Roots of the Americas

Here is a very important reminder from Martin McSweeney's substack Truth Matters @politicsusa46 about the roots of the Americas lest we forget:
With special thanks to Indigenous Revolution 🎥 TikTok

"We are not the past of this continent—we are its future."

A last minute Hanukkah video (a little late) with Mandy Patinkin and family and our new mayor Zohran Mamdani, who they tried to paint as Anti-Semitic…

Collage of the Week

Pam Smilow Heart and Soul mixed media on handmade paper

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 261: Michelle Obama, Poem by William Carlos Williams, Holiday Songs from the Whitt Brothers

December 20, 2025

Michelle Obama

How could I not write about Michelle Obama after hearing her interview with Jonathan Capehart on ms.now (formerly msnbc.com). There are not enough positive adjectives to describe this gem of a woman. This was her first sit down interview in a long while and she was relaxed, chatty and open. Most of all: real! A real person. Not pretending to be something she wasn't.

Full of amazing photos, The Look brings readers behind the scenes not only to reveal how her most memorable looks came together but also to tell a story about how we present ourselves, the values we reflect through the clothes we wear and how as the first black lady in the White House, she was in a race against time to define herself rather than let others, misogyny and racism tell that story....

I get the feeling that part of the reason Michelle wrote the book, in typical modest Obama style, was to celebrate the designers, the dressers, the braiders and hair stylists, the estheticians, the make up artists....voices of the people who have helped make her look possible... She mentions by name Meredith Koop, Obama’s trusted stylist, as well as her makeup artist Carl Ray, hairstylists Yene Damtew, Johnny Wright, and Njeri Radway, and many of the designers who have dressed Obama for notable events over the years.

Michelle Obama is unabashedly a clothes hound with great style and has been ever since she was a young girl. It was so fascinating to hear the story of her navigating the many roles she has had throughout her life: schoolgirl, lawyer and as the most important woman in America, while staying true to herself and her image. I personally had so much fun admiring the myriad of looks illustrated in "The Look. and hearing her thoughts on so many issues related to fashion, hair and identity.

Poem by William Carlos Williams

  
    Winter Trees

by William Carlos Williams  (1883 –1963)

All the complicated details

of the attiring and

the disattiring are completed!

A liquid moon

moves gently among

the long branches.

Thus having prepared their buds

against a sure winter

the wise trees

stand sleeping in the cold.

Holiday Songs

Brothers Bill and Eddie Holm, The Liner Notes by the Whitt Brothers

My friends, brothers Eddie and Bill Holm, host a weekly radio show on a local community radio station in Rockland, Maine entitled Liner Notes with the Whitt Brothers (Dim and Half, as stated in their typical self-deprecating humor). They have been producing it for over three and a half years and I usually try and tune in when I am home on a Tuesday night. They both love music and have a huge library between them of favorite songs, musicians, and genres, playing a true eclectic mix of songs. This is the playlist they put together last week for the holidays and I enjoyed listening. Maybe you will too and it might get you into the holiday mood... Their two hour show is on wrfr.org every Tuesday night, 6-8pm, for the best in music and story...

And just because Christmas is a season that Jews often feel left out of, I have included two of my favorite
Chanukah songs:

Maoz-Tzur

"Sevivon

The Menorah my Dad, Mel Smilow, made for our family. Simple, elegant, very mid-century!

Painting of the Week

Flower Power Series: Purple mixed media on canvas 55” x 97”

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 260: Costco's Founder Jim Sinegal, Snowy Night by Mary Oliver, Winter Songs Playlist

December 12, 2025

Snowy Owl in the Maine Woods41.25” x 29.5”, Watercolor, Gouache, Matt Medium, Embroidery on Rives BFK Paper

Costco Co-Founder Jim Sinegal

  
    When I was a kid, one of our neighbors, Marty Scheiner, gave away his very successful electronics business to his employees when he was ready to retire.  I remember my Dad making a big deal out of it, saying what a beautiful thing that was and how kind and unusual it was...As a result, I have always had my eye on CEOs and bosses who realize that if not for their workers, they wouldn't be where they are today...
I think Jim Sinegal is that kind of guy.  Co-founder of COSTCO (together with Seattle retailer Jeff Brotman), he is an example of a leader with a strong sense of humanity, placing employee and customer satisfaction over profits and shareholder interests.  And despite offering his workers a living wage,  it has still paid off for Wall Street... According to wikipedia, "Investors who bought $10,000 of Costco stock in 1992 found it worth $43,564 just 10 years later — a return of 354% (15.855%, annually). From 1985, when Costco went public, to 2020, the company's stock value increased 19,000%."

Sinegal, born in 1936, started at the bottom, beginning as a bagger at a grocery store in San Diego, California. Over the years, he found he loved the retail industry and made his way around it, ending up in 1983 as Costco's president and CEO. Sinegal always had a broad vision and his ideas and innovations created the first big box "warehouse club", selling a large variety of products including clothing, eye glasses, tires, food, electronics, pharmaceuticals, etc.  His approach was hands-on, and he made it his business to visit every Costco store across the country in order to stay in touch, ensure good quality control and worker satisfaction. You can kind of tell when people are happy in their jobs and I get that vibe there--when workers feel they are treated respectfully by their employers.  Quoting Sinegal from a Wall Street Journal article, "You can't say people are our most important product then treat them like shit...If you don't mean it, it is reflected very quickly.  The same thing is true about the quality of the product you are selling.  Your customers and your suppliers are going to see you don't really mean it..

For all the reasons above, he is a target for our current president...All the more reason to frequent and support Costco over other big box stores...I hope like me you are trying to avoid Target, Home Depot and Amazon as much as possible.

Snowy Night by Mary Oliver

Photo courtesy Peter Ralson, A Warm and Cozy Winter Break, available on his website www.ralstongallery.com

  
    SNOWY NIGHT 
by Mary Oliver


Last night, an owl
 in the blue dark
 tossed an indeterminate number
 of carefully shaped sounds into
 the world, in which,
 a quarter of a mile away, I happened
 to be standing.
 I couldn’t tell
 which one it was –
 the barred or the great-horned
 ship of the air –
 it was that distant. But, anyway,
 aren’t there moments
 that are better than knowing something,
 and sweeter? Snow was falling,
 so much like stars
 filling the dark trees
 that one could easily imagine
 its reason for being was nothing more
 than prettiness. I suppose
 if this were someone else’s story
 they would have insisted on knowing
 whatever is knowable – would have hurried
 over the fields
 to name it – the owl, I mean.
 But it’s mine, this poem of the night,
 and I just stood there, listening and holding out
 my hands to the soft glitter
 falling through the air. I love this world,
 but not for its answers.
 And I wish good luck to the owl,
 whatever its name –
 and I wish great welcome to the snow,
 whatever its severe and comfortless
 and beautiful meaning.
  

Courtesy Peter Ralston, Going By, available on his website at www.ralstongallery.com/winter

Winter Songs
Playlist

Photo courtesy Billy Heyman to accompany the song River written by Joni Mitchell

My first full December up here in mid-coast Maine. It's cold and I am feeling the need for some winter songs to keep me warm...

Here goes:

The River Joni Mitchell

Valley Winter Song Fountains of Wayne

Reindeer King Tori Amos

Quiet, The Winter Harbor Mazzy Star

Song for a Winter's Night Gordon Lightfoot

Winter Lady Leonard Cohen

Snowstorm Galaxie 500

Hazy Shade of Winter cover The Bangles

The River (again--I love this version!) cover Robert Downey Jr.

Painting of the Week

House im Snow, mixed media on canvas, 54” x 80” $8500

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Book of the Week

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 259: Graham Platner/Mike Herz, Artist Diana Arcadipone, Heated Toilet Seat

December 6, 2025

Artist
Diana Arcadipone

I love the way artist Diana Arcadipone interprets the world around her. I often feel that nothing gets close to touching nature in its raw form--so why even try and represent it through art--too tough an act to follow! And in Maine, landscape rules the art scene and it often leaves me "snoozing". I am sure many of you will think less of me for that statement but it's the truth from my eyes...

I feel differently about Arcadipone's work. My criteria for falling in love with art is when I find something that I would have loved to have created myself. And something that sends me right back into my studio all inspired. Diana Arcadipone's art has that effect on me.

She lives deep in the woods of interior Maine with her partner Scott and is content to lead a simple life. She swims twice a week, takes good care of her body with a personal trainer, is an avid cross-country skiier in winter and otherwise produces the most stunning of nature paintings. She has a complex of buildings on her property--one devoted solely for her art, another where they live in a very handmade kind of way, and a hip guest house for when she has visitors...Most of the construction work and interiors she and her husband have put together themselves. So in a way, her life is a piece of art in and of itself. What she produces in the studio reflects her simple life and appreciation for what surrounds her.

Her mixed media Tree Ring pieces, lovingly and painstakenly embroidered by hand, send my heart rate up...each piece more beautiful than the next...Her deer paintings combine a variety of media--gouache, pencil, handwriting, embroidery, beading, the kitchen sink (just kidding)...Enough said: have a look for yourself.

And if you feel so inclined, I would encourage you to visit her website and if you can, support living artists. We exist in the world because of supporters like you.

Graham Platner/Mike Herz

click image to hear Platner speak about his candidacy

One of the reasons I moved up to Maine at this time in my life was that, aside from needing more nature around me, I felt I could make more of an impact politically up here. New York City is so vast--I didn't always know where to start, and you don't see results like you could in a small town...Mainers are politically active, at least they are in my small town of Damariscotta--people are out protesting once or twice a week, every week and they show up at local town meetings, confront police departments and county jails on racial profiling and their relationship with ICE, and generally feel the importance of being a participant in our system of democracy.

The drama of American politics is playing out in Maine right now with the race for U.S. Senate. Graham Platner, an ex-soldier and oyster farmer is trying to take over Susan Collins' seat for the U.S. Senate. Collins, a republican, has been in office for 29 years, much to the chagrin of many. (She is a worm to put it in kind terms.) Platner represents a new generation of Democrats, fighting not only against Trump and the republican establishment but also the ensconced, old school, Democratic leadership.

89-year old Mike Herz, known as a "lifelong leader for change", has been active in democratic politics his whole life, and embodies that fight. Danish TV, as they do, found their way to him and the town hall in my small town of Damariscotta to familiarize themselves with Graham Platner and the American issues of the day...(I make a joke that when I want to hear about what is going on politically in the U.S., I ask my Danish sister-in-law Hanne, who is likely more informed than I am through Danish media!).

He shared this interview they did with him which aired recently on Danish TV (complete with subtitles)--as usual, leave it to the Danes to always be one step ahead of the rest of the world, in seeing a clear picture.

P.S. Mike is a new friend up here--he and his wife Kate live down the street from me and we have been having regular playdates for our dogs: my daughter's dog Frenchy, who is on an extended visit and their newly rescued beautiful, cheerful Holly...

Heated Toilet Seats

What? Is she really writing about heated toilet seats on her substack newsletter Things We Love?!? And bidets!! Has she gone completely crazy?

Curiously, on my recent trip to the Bay Area, there was one thing I literally found in every house I visited except one: a heated toilet seat/bidet! My guess is that California is ahead of the trend in this case too and pretty soon this will be coming to a town near you.

Sitting on a heated seat, much like the heated seats in cars, was a particularly pleasant experience for me. I never realized the toilet seat was cold until it wasn't and it felt great. Not in a sexual way, just in a cozy, I'm warm way...Here is some info on how to choose one from the Chicago Tribune, complete with a comparison of prices and companies if you want to get on the bandwagon early.

And by the way, if you are interested in the history of the bidet, which originated in France and spread to Japan, click here.

Paintings of the Week

Tree of Life Series I, II, III mixed media on paper 60” x 22” each

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 258: Dopamine Decor, Story by Rachel Macy Stafford Over A Leaky Toilet, Achievement

November 29, 2025

Dopamine Decor

When I told people I was going to paint my new kitchen bright yellow, the almost universal reaction was pale yellow, right? When I assured them I was going to go all out with a bright sunshiney lemon yellow, I think most people thought I was kind of crazy and maybe a bit tasteless...And then the next question was, "your landlord is going to allow that?!"

The truth was that I remembered Irmi Selver's Cape Cod kitchen from when I was a little girl and that bright cheery space stuck in my mind for sixty years! Even my Dad, who was Mr. Brown Beige Guy, loved it! So when I dared ask my really nice landlords, and they said "go for it," (the current kitchen was depressing dark navy blue walls and navy blue cabinets), I jumped at the occasion.

Turns out, who knew that the term Dopamine Decor is a current trend. And it is consistent with the theme of this newsletter. Joy! Happiness! Color! Positive Energy! Even Elle Decor has written about how Dopamine Decor can affect your whole being and it is neurological...

Story by Rachel Macy Stafford Over a Leaky Toilet

I came across this story by Rachel Macy Stafford on substack and felt in her a kindred spirit. It is about Arthur, a plumber she connected with when he came to fix her leaky toilet. This touching story about simple human connection felt so familiar to me that I wrote her and asked if I could share it on my substack newsletter too. This was her reply: "I am so honored by your request! I love the common themes of our work. Yes, you may absolutely share the story about Arthur in your weekly newsletter."

Here the story about a simple every day encounter in its full glory, including the poem inside the story that touched Arthur and prompted their connection:

GET OFF THE SCALE
by Rachel Macy Stafford

Get off the scale. It cannot measure the depths of your heart.

Put down the measuring stick. It is not long enough to assess your worth.

Ignore the score. It does not show your true potential.

Don’t get hung up on the salary. It doesn’t even come close to showing your value.

Ban the mirror. It cannot reflect how much you are loved.

Ignore the critic. It has no idea how far you’ve come.

Instead, look for evidence of a day well lived:

I made someone smile. I gave a tender kiss. I hugged and wasn’t the first to let go.

I encouraged. I laughed. I believed. I forgave. I lived. I loved.

What is most important in life cannot be measured, but instead felt through the hands, heart, and soul of each life we touch.

-Rachel Macy Stafford, Only Love Today, (p. 55)

Simple Lesson re: Achievement from Winnie The Pooh

Here is a simple pep talk from Winnie There Pooh--and a big reminder that it all comes down to kindness towards oneself and forgiveness...

Painting of the Week

Equinox Health Club, East 61st Street, New York, NY

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 257: Andrea Gibson Documentary; To Make You Smile; Some of My Favorite Stores

November 22, 2025

Andrea Gibson Documentary

If I told you that this documentary COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT, about the death of poet and activist Andrea Gibson, is full of life and joy, you probably wouldn't believe me. But it is!

Diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2021, the film documents the last year of the Poet Laureate of Colorado's life."

I first saw the film at the Camden International Film Festival a few months ago. Andrea's partner, Meg Falley, was at the showing. It made a huge impression on me and I 've been waiting for it to come out to the public so I could recommend it--and it was just released on Apple TV for all to see.. I would go as far as to say that Andrea Gibson and COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT is a manual of how to live a good life, even in the face of death...As they realized, When I accept it (their death), all of the sweetness trickles in....then I get to be with life." And they realized, "whatever you are feeling right now, whether it be fear or sadness, just call it love..."

Their partner, Meg Falley, in addition to their own substack, is carrying on their legacy by taking over Andrea's substack and they have found a beautiful way to continue to celebrate Andrea's beautiful life...I recommend, if you are interested, to delve into the lives of these two extraordinary human beings, who meet unbelievable challenges with strength and grace...

A Few Joyous Moments to Make You Smile Today

These very short clips, taken from instagram and facebook, will make you smile and celebrate the beauty that is human...We all need to focus more on this--after all, kindness and compassion are traits that the majority of people have--the news is just focused on the wrong things...

This one little kid turned a whole subway car into pure joy: Pure joy

Beautiful at a grocery store We could all do this, at least once in a while, at the grocery store

Story about a biker and his daughter. You will thank me after reading--it is really an unbelievable beautiful story...

Sweet wonderful dog story

Local Shopping

  
    I am trying my hardest to stop shopping at amazon unless I am totally desperate for something I just can't get up here in Maine.  But for the holidays, I have vowed to just shop local and I am going to share with you my favorite stores in Damariscotta, Newcastle and Wiscasset, Maine.  Although they may be far away for many of you, I think they are available for online orders and if not, let this serve as a reason for you to shop local too in your area...
  

BEACH PLUM

  
BEACH PLUM, 77 Main St ste b, Newcastle, ME 04553, (beachplumcompany.com)
Love this store, full of a lot of fun and unusual items, all in excellent taste with an eye for the playful, the colorful and the modern.  Items I had my eye on last visit were these really cool shaped animal rugs, unique rice paper jelly fish and star lamps, great dishware made in Portugal, fun puzzles, beautiful local jewelry, all kinds of candles, ornaments, and a very big of variety of very Christma-y- things!  And as a bonus, Amanda is a true artist in that creates out of paper mache amazing giant window displays that go with the seasonally...

THE KINGFISHER & THE QUEEN!

THE KINGFISHER AND THE QUEEN, 79 Main St, Damariscotta, ME 04543 (www.thekingfisherandthequeen.com) I always find really interesting things in this store--an eclectic combination of vintage inspired and new products, many things from Scandinavia and France. For this time of year, they transform their already beautiful store into a European Christmas wonderland complete with carefully curated items from the other side of the pond! They have a great children's section too--nice wooden toys (you won't find plastic here), really cute, high end children's clothing, and some of my favorite children's authors (Swedish Elsa Beskow, Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking, and Jan Brett to name a few...The store is scattered with literary references, handwritten quotes and often features a poem a week in the window.

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS 68 Maine Street, Wiscasset, ME 04578 (rockpaperscissorsmaine.com) is one of my favorite stores in the world. I have a long history with this place--it was a yearly tradition that we could stop by on our way back to New York from our vacation in Maine on Labor Day weekend and Morgan would get to choose her school supplies for the upcoming year. They carried the coolest folders and pens, some of it from Japan, and this ritual brought my daughter a lot of happiness and excitement about going back to school. The selection in general here is amazing--dishware, children's toys, wonderful stationary, jewelry, a huge choice of not your run of the mill cards, textiles, ceramics, arts and craft books, and on an on. Wonderful stuff!

IN THE CLOVER

IN THE CLOVER, 85A Main St, Wiscasset, ME 04578 (inthecloverbeauty.com) also in Wiscasset, right across the street from Rock Paper Scissors, is my clothing store of choice up here. They carry a great selection of women's clothing--the kind of stuff I like to wear--as well as jewelry, lots of bodycare products, scarves, and an abundance of terrific sweaters right now...They also have a carefully curated choice of a few books, all worth reading. The owner haw great taste and I go in there at my own risk--I can't just go in to browse--I always come out with something I love...

Paintings of the Week

Dress Series I, II, III each mixed media on paper 30” x 22” $1500

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 256: Laura Lynne Jackson, Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life, The Telepathy Tapes Season 2

November 14, 2025

Laura Lynne Jackson

Today I devote this blog to an extraordinary human being and I am proud to say, my friend: Laura Lynne Jackson. She is a psychic medium, and one of the most tested mediums in the entire country, most extensively by the Windbridge Research Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

Beginning at the age of 11, Laura knew something about her was different--on a hot day in the middle of July, swimming in the family pool, a feeling came over her and she insisted on going with her mom to visit her grandfather, even though her mom tried to convince her to stay home to stay cool in the pool... She knew right then and there that her grandfather was about to die and that this would be her last chance to see him one more time (he hadn't been sick previously). At that early age, she thought she was a freak and it made her very uncomfortable and ashamed but thanks to her wonderful mom, she explained to Laura that it was okay, there was nothing wrong with her--in fact it was a great gift that actually ran in the family...

Jackson's first book is entitled THE LIGHT BETWEEN US, and for anyone curious about mediumship, this is the book to read. No woo woo here, Jackson explains about her life and in a very clear way what it is like for her to receive the information she does and how it works in her mind...This is a great book for starters and an introduction to the paranormal...

Her second book entitled SIGNS: THE SECRET LANGUAGE OF THE UNIVERSE (you might have seen it around as it is extremely popular), explains her belief that we all have the ability to connect with our loved ones on the other side and through many amazing examples, shows how ordinary people can ask for certain (nothing is too outlandish) signs and they will receive them. Very comforting for those who are going through grief, her books are also mind expanding about the nature of reality and even the most skeptic of all skeptics has to at least entertain the idea that there is something more here...

Jackson's third book: GUIDED: THE SECRET PATH TO AN ILLUMINATED LIFE, another extraordinary book, was just released on 11/11/2025. I write more about it in the next segment...

click image to hear an interview with Laura Lynne Jackson

**Click image to hear an interview about SIGNS: The Secret Language of the Universe**

Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life

Laura Lynne Jackson and me at the launch party of her new book Guided

Some of the people whose stories are included in Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life

It is my great honor and with enormous gratitude that I share with you that I am included in Laura Lynne Jackson's latest book: GUIDED: THE SECRET PATH TO AN ILLUMINATED LIFE (Chapter 17). The book features people that the author felt guided towards and I had the amazing fortune to be one of those chosen. Through anecdotes and descriptions of our individual experiences, Jackson illustrates and shows examples of what it is like to listen to one's intuition, what it means to be open to the universe and what existence has to offer us beyond our frontal lobes...

I first met Laura Lynne Jackson when I attended a workshop of hers at the Open Center in New York City quite a few years ago. In it, she showed the participants that our souls live on, that the energy does not dissipate, and that everyone is able to connect with their loved ones if one remains open to it. We did various exercises to show that we all have powers well beyond what we experience in the day to day. The one exercise that stood out to me was with very rigid, long parfait spoons that she handed out. She explained that with the group energy of 100 people in the room, we were to concentrate on bending our spoon, even though the task seemed impossible because they were extremely rigid and not bendable at all...I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't done it myself but every person in that room bent their spoon, mine into a horseshoe and some people's spoon released more than once into a pretzel..That workshop opened my mind and in many ways changed my life...

I am at a time when things have just synched up from different aspects of my life: art and creativity-wise, my understanding and acceptance of myself and who I am, what I want to focus on in the future, and I am able to see more clearly the meaning in my life.. The synchronicities, which I used to think of as just coincidences, just keep coming on a daily basis. My Jungian therapist called this "being in the Dao"--experiencing a flow like the ins and outs of our breath... I have to say this is one of the reasons I am enjoying getting older... The chapter on me in GUIDED actually contributed to a better understanding of myself in a more wholistic and cohesive way...Thank you Laura for that and I also would like to acknowledge and thank Alex Tresniowski who worked with Laura on GUIDED and helped me also to see myself in a new broader light... ..

I can't say enough about the book or about the fascinating stories and people that are featured. Laura Lynne Jackson is the real thing and all of us have a lot to learn from her...

The Telepathy Tapes Season 2

Some people say we are on the cusp of a big change--that those who embrace love will survive and those who insist on our current path of disharmony and hate will stand to lose...The Telepathy Tapes Season 2 for me maps out that change--the acceptance that the world is not what it seems and that there are amazing things going on that defy the current model of what we think life is.

After losing my husband Gert in 2013, many of you know that I set out to try and figure out where he went, what death was all about and whether consciousness survived our bodies...Season 2 of The Telepathy Tapes covers and spells out very clearly so much of what I discovered over my ten year research on death and dying...So much of what they talk about will blow your mind. If there is one podcast I highly recommend, I can guarantee you that if you embrace it, and as far as I can see, you have no reason not to, it will change your life...

And as synchronicity would have it, I came at the Telepathy Tapes totally independent of Laura Lynne Jackson, but she is the focus of Season 2, Episode 2 of Ky Dickens Telepathy Tape Podcast...

Paintings of the Week

My newly painted studio in my newly moved in space in Damariscotta, Maine. Still not totally inaugurated and looking a little pristine…Thank you Michael Gorman for doing such a great job tranforming the space by painting the walls white…

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 255: A Simple Profound Thought, Psychic Comedian Peter Antoniou and Mentalist Oz Pearlman, The Mighty Sweet Potato

November 8, 2025

A Simple Profound Thought

Pam Smilow All You Need is Love, mixed media on canvas 54” x 54”

Today I share a simple profound thought, wonderfully expressed by a sweet little girl on youtube. And in the background is a beautiful song entitled Je Te Laisserai Des Mots by Canadian singer songwriter Patrick Watson. I love this song. If you like the sound of it too, to hear more of his music, click here.

Peter Antoniou and
Oz Pearlman

Oz Pearlman who calls himself a magician/mentalist.

Peter Antoniou who calls himself a comedic magician/psychic

I am very interested in mediumship and psychic abiltiies and know the real thing when I see it--stay tuned next week for a piece on the amazing and very real psychic medium Laura Lynne Jackson. But in the meantime, I am trying to figure out whether Peter Antoniou, who deems himself a Comedic Magnician/Psychic, and Oz Pearlman, who calls himself a Magician/Mentalist are really mind reading or just highly skilled magicians, as they sometimes call themselves.

Last year I attended a performance of comedian/psychic Peter Antoniou at the Waldo Theatre in Waldoboro, Maine. Peter has appeared in many interactive shows in the United States and Europe (he is British), on London's West end and including an America's Got Talent performance, and he has even headlined in Las Vegas. His performance puzzles me to this day. How does he do what he does?!? I have seen true mediums and psychics before so I don't doubt that people have abilities way beyond what we can imagine but still my reaction to him was the same as the hosts of America's Got Talent--one of disbelief, awe and wonder. I was one of the audience members he chose out of the blue and to this day I have no idea how he knew very specific things about me and seemingly was able to read my mind, with facts he had no way of knowing...He knew I was about to travel and to where, even told me I need to go to Las Vegas--that's where I will make a lot of money selling my paintings. I haven't been yet so it is yet to be tested...

Last week I saw another of these mind-reading "mentalists" named Oz Pearlman on MSNBC's Morning Joe and again, it blew my mind. As it did too for Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Have a look at this Morning Joe segment of last week and if you can figure it out, please tell me in the comments how he knows what he knows...

Oz Pearlman has a new book out where he apparently explains somewhat how he does things...It is entitled Read Your Mind: Proven Habits for Success from the World's Greatest Mentalist.I plan on reading it...

Sweet Potato Recipes

  
    Sweet potatoes are really healthy for you!  Native to Ecuador, they are loaded with vitamin A, packing almost 700% of the recommended daily value in one medium potato. They also have about twice the vitamin C of other potatoes and are a great source of potassium.  Just in one medium sweet potato, they have approx. 103 calories

2 g protein

0 g total fat

24 g carbs

4 g fiber

7 g sugar

43 mg calcium

62 mg phosphorus

31 mg magnesium

542 mg potassium

21,909 IU vitamin A

22 mg vitamin C 

Here is a recipe that looked inspiring to me:

AFRICAN INSPIRED PEANUT AND SWEET POTATO STEW
INGREDIENTS

* 2 tbsp olive oil

* 1 medium onion diced

* 3 garlic cloves minced

* 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated

* 1 tsp ground cumin

* 1 tsp smoked paprika

* ½ tsp ground coriander

* ¼ tsp cayenne pepper optional, for heat

* 1½ lbs sweetpotatoes peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes

* 1 can 14 oz diced tomatoes

* 1 cup creamy peanut butter

* 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth

* 1 can 14 oz coconut milk (optional, for extra creaminess)

* 3 cups leafy greens kale, collards, or spinach, chopped

* Salt and pepper to taste

* Juice of 1 lime

* Fresh cilantro to garnish

* Chopped roasted peanuts to garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

* Sauté the Aromatics: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

* Add the onion and sauté for 3-4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin,smoked paprika, coriander, and cayenne pepper (if using). Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.

* Add the diced sweetpotatoes and canned tomatoes to the pot. Stir well to coat the sweet potatoes in the aromatic mixture.

* Simmer the Base: Pour in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

* Stir in the Peanut Butter: Whisk the peanut butter into the stew until fully incorporated.

* If using, add the coconut milk for extra creaminess. Simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

* Add the Greens: Stir in the leafy greens and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or a pinch more cayenne if desired.

* Finish with Lime: Stir in the lime juice to brighten the flavors.

* Serve and Garnish: Ladle the stew into bowls and top with chopped roasted peanuts and fresh cilantro or parsley. Serve with crusty bread, rice, or flatbread for a complete meal.
* Tips for Success: For a thicker consistency, mash some of the sweet potatoes with a fork or potato masher.
Courtesy the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission

BAKED SWEET POTATO FRIES

Courtesy Mark Bittman

INGREDIENTS:  (4-6 servings)

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:
Heat the oven to 400 degrees

Cut the sweet potatoes into sticks ¼ to ½ inch wide and 3 inches long, and toss them with the oil.

Toss the sweet potatoes in a bowl with salt, spices, and pepper..
Spread them out on 2 rimmed baking sheets.

Bake approximately 15 minutes, until brown and crisp on the bottom, then flip and cook until the other side is crisp, about 10 more minutes. 

MAPLE CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
Melissa Clark

You can always count on Melissa Clark to deliver a straightforward old standard which is perfect as an accompaniment for Thanksgiving: 
INGREDIENTS
(serves 10 to 12)

5 large sweet potatoes (3½ pounds)

⅓ cup maple syrup

⅓ cup apple cider

3 tablespoons butter

1 cinnamon stick

2 whole cloves

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

 Wash the sweet potatoes and prick all over with a fork. Wrap in foil and bake in a 375-degree oven until very tender. This can take anywhere from 50 minutes to 1½ hours, depending upon the girth of the potato. Thinner ones cook more quickly. Cool. Peel just before using.

 Heat oven to 400 degrees and in a small pot, combine syrup, cider, butter, cinnamon, cloves and orange zest. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until somewhat thickened, about 15 minutes. Pour syrup over sliced sweet potatoes and bake, uncovered, until bubbling and brown, 25 to 40 minutes.

Painting of the Week

Visited one of Gert Mathiesen’s paintings in a client’s home in Truckee, California on my recent trip. It made their hallway come alive which had previously just been dead space…

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 254: Flipper, Forgiveness, Carl Sandburg

November 1, 2025

Flipper

On my recent trip to the Bay Area, I stayed with my new friend Emily in Bel Marin Keys, an area I had never been to before in the town of Novato (Marin County). The development of 700 homes consists of waterways and open space, bounded by tidal wetlands. One might have guessed they were in Florida rather than the Golden State--everything said lagoons, the tropics, the Caribbean to me...

The view from my friend's deck brought back great memories of one of my most favorite TV shows: Flipper. I kept expecting to see Sandy and Bud on the dock in front of the house, throwing fish to their beloved dolphin friend Flipper. And Porter Ricks showing up soon after in his Boston Whaler type skiff...If you are nostalgic and loved the TV series as much as me and my sister Judy did, have a look at a few of these episodes and tell me about it in the comments...

Sailor Bud Episode

The White Dolphin

What Happened to the Cast

Touching Story About Forgiveness

Found this story on facebook in several feeds. It is long but if you take the time, I guarantee it will touch you. It had me crying in the middle of my JetBlue flight back to Boston but in a good way because in the end, in the light of unbelievable tragedy and pain, it all comes down to forgiveness…

Today, that biker rolled up again—the one who sent my boy to the ICU—and for a split second, murder crossed my mind..Forty-seven days. Forty-seven days since Jake, my twelve-year-old boy, got hit crossing the street. Forty-seven days in a coma. And for forty-seven days, this biker—this stranger who destroyed my life—sat in that hospital room chair like he had any right to be there.

I didn't know his name for the first week. The police told me a motorcycle struck my son. They told me the rider stayed at the scene, called 911, did CPR until the ambulance arrived. They told me he wasn't speeding, wasn't drunk, that Jake ran into the street chasing a basketball.

But I didn't care about any of that. Someone on a motorcycle hit my boy, and my boy wasn't waking up.

The doctors said Jake's brain was swelling. They said we had to wait. They said coma patients sometimes hear everything around them, that we should talk to him, play his favorite music, remind him why he needed to come back.

I couldn't do it. Every time I looked at Jake with those tubes and machines, I broke down.

But this biker—this man I'd never met—he talked to my son every single day.

I first saw him on day three. I walked into Jake's room and found this huge bearded guy in a leather vest sitting next to my son's bed. He was reading out loud from a book. Harry Potter. Jake's favorite.

"Who the hell are you?" I'd demanded.
The man stood up slowly. He was maybe fifty-five, sixty. Big guy, probably 6'2", patches all over his vest. "My name is Marcus," he said quietly. "I'm the one who hit your son."

I lunged at him. I don't even remember doing it. Hospital security pulled me off before I could land more than one punch.

"You need to leave," the head nurse told him. "Right now. We'll call the police if you come back."

But he did come back. The next day. And the day after that.

The hospital couldn't legally ban him from the building. And my wife—God help me—my wife Sarah told them to let him stay. "He wants to be here," she said. "And Jake needs all the support he can get."

I couldn't believe she was defending him. "He PUT Jake in that coma!"

"It was an accident," she said, crying. "The police report said so. Jake ran into the street. Marcus did everything right. He stayed. He helped. He's been visiting every day because he cares."

I didn't want to hear it. As far as I was concerned, Marcus being there was torture. Every time I saw him, I saw the moment my son's life got destroyed. Finally one day, I decided to finish him and pulled out my .. gun from my jacket pocket. My hands were shaking, my vision blurred with rage. Marcus was there again, hunched over Jake's bed, his deep voice murmuring the words of *Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire*. He didn't see me at first, didn't notice the way I stepped closer, finger hovering over the trigger.

But then Sarah walked in. She froze in the doorway, her eyes widening as she took in the scene. "No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Please, no. Not like this."

Her words hit me like a splash of cold water. I looked at Jake—my boy, so small and fragile amid the beeps and whirs of the machines. What was I doing? If I pulled that trigger, I'd be the one destroying everything. I'd lose Sarah, lose myself, and Jake... Jake would wake up to a world without his dad.

I lowered the gun, stuffing it back into my pocket before anyone else could see. Marcus turned then, his eyes meeting mine. There was no fear in them, just a deep, weary sadness. "I get it," he said softly. "If it were my kid, I'd feel the same. But I swear to you, I never meant for this to happen."

I sank into the chair across from him, my legs giving out. For the first time, I really looked at him—not as the monster I'd built in my head, but as a man. His vest had patches from veteran groups, a faded American flag, and one that said "Ride Safe." His hands, rough and scarred, held the book like it was something precious.

"Why do you keep coming back?" I asked, my voice raw.

Marcus closed the book gently. "Thirty years ago, I lost my own boy. Drunk driver hit us on the highway. I was riding with him on the back of my bike. He didn't make it. I did. Been carrying that guilt ever since." He paused, swallowing hard. "When I saw Jake lying there in the street, it was like seeing my son all over again. I couldn't just walk away. I had to try to make it right, even if it meant facing you every day."

I didn't know what to say. All those weeks, I'd seen him as the enemy, but he was just another father haunted by what-ifs. Sarah came over, placing a hand on my shoulder, and we sat there in silence for a while, the three of us united in our vigil.

That night, something shifted. I started talking to Jake myself, sharing stories from his Little League games, promising we'd go to the Grand Canyon like we'd always talked about. Marcus joined in, telling tales of his road trips, the places he'd seen on his bike. Sarah played Jake's favorite playlist—Queen, The Beatles, even some silly kids' songs that made us all chuckle through the tears.

On day fifty-two, Jake's eyes fluttered open. Just like that. The doctors called it a miracle, but I knew better. It was the voices, the stories, the love that pulled him back. He was weak, confused at first, but when he saw us—me, Sarah, and yes, Marcus—his face lit up. "Dad? Mom? Who's the big guy?"

We laughed, really laughed, for the first time in months. Marcus knelt down, eye-level with Jake. "I'm Marcus, kid. The one who helped you out when you chased that ball. Glad you're back."

Jake recovered slowly but surely. Physical therapy, check-ups, the works. And Marcus? He became part of the family. Turned out he was a retired mechanic, so he fixed up Jake's bike (the pedal kind) and taught him some basic road safety—stuff every kid should know. I even went on a ride with him once, wind in my face, feeling a bit of the freedom he talked about.

The biker who put my son in the hospital showed up again today, but this time, it was for Jake's thirteenth birthday party. He brought a cake shaped like a motorcycle and a stack of new Harry Potter books. And me? I didn't want to kill him. I wanted to thank him—for staying, for caring, for reminding me that accidents don't define us, but what we do after them does.

Life's too short for grudges. We've got a lot of road ahead, and now, we're riding it together.

Carl Sandburg Poem

A FATHER TO HIS SON
by Carl Sandburg

A father sees his son nearing manhood.
 What shall he tell that son?
 "Life is hard; be steel; be a rock."
 And this might stand him for the storms
 and serve him for humdrum monotony
 and guide him among sudden betrayals
 and tighten him for slack moments.
 "Life is a soft loam; be gentle; go easy."
 And this too might serve him.
 Brutes have been gentled where lashes failed.
 The growth of a frail flower in a path up
 has sometimes shattered and split a rock.
 A tough will counts. So does desire.
 So does a rich soft wanting.
 Without rich wanting nothing arrives
 Tell him too much money has killed men
 and left them dead years before burial:
 the quest of lucre beyond a few easy needs
 has twisted good enough men
 sometimes into dry thwarted worms.
 Tell him time as a stuff can be wasted.
 Tell him to be a fool every so often
 and to have no shame over having been a fool
 yet learning something out of every folly
 hoping to repeat none of the cheap follies
 thus arriving at intimate understanding
 of a world numbering many fools.
 Tell him to be alone often and get at himself
 and above all tell himself no lies about himself
 whatever the white lies and protective fronts
 he may use against other people.
 Tell him solitude is creative if he is strong
 and the final decisions are made in silent rooms.
 Tell him to be different from other people
 if it comes natural and easy being different.
 Let him have lazy days seeking his deeper motives.
 Let him seek deep for where he is born natural.
 Then he may understand Shakespeare
 and the Wright brothers, Pasteur, Pavlov,
 Michael Faraday and free imaginations
 Bringing changes into a world resenting change.
 He will be lonely enough
 to have time for the work
 he knows as his own.
Courtesy Family Friend Poems

Products of the Week

Pam Smilow Tea Towels cotton/linen blend six design choices (click image) $25 each great for gifts

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 253: Human/Animal Connections, Next Steps After October 18th: We Can All Do This, Hasselback Chicken

October 26, 2025

Human Connections with Wild Animals

Those who know me know that I’m a sap for animal stories. I couldn’t help but be touched by the connection these humans have with wild animals they have had contact with. I wouldn’t try this at home, but I think a lot of what keeps us separate from the animal kingdom is fear and mistrust coming from both sides. These touching encounters brought tears to my eyes...

Next Steps: We Can All Do This

GET-OUT-THE-VOTE ELECTION DMs

Thank you Jess Craven of Substack, who really spells out a way to make sure we win everywhere on November 4th. Please copy these simple election-info messages, adapt them as you like, and then paste into text messages, emails, or DMs to friends and family in the state/city/county in question. This is called “relational organizing” and it’s actually more effective than postcarding, phonebanking, or even canvassing! People listen most to people they know! Please send these messages!

[If you see a mistake or an important election I’ve missed email me at hijesscraven101@gmail.com. I haven’t covered every single election happening but I’ve tried to get to all of the big ones. Find EVERY election happening on November 4 here.]

VIRGINIA
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important elections in VA on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and from what I’ve heard winning these Virginia elections is key to putting guardrails on him. Please vote for Abigail Spanberger for governor, Ghazala Hashmi for Lt. Governor, and Democrats up and down the ballot. Literally every race matters. Dems aren’t perfect but they’re pro-choice, pro-democracy, and anti-Trump. We’ve got to elect them everywhere we can. If you need help finding your polling place you can go to https://www.elections.virginia.gov/casting-a-ballot/polling-place-lookup/. Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

NEW JERSEY
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important elections in NJ on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and from what I’ve heard winning these New Jersey elections is key to putting guardrails on him. Please vote for Mikie Sherrill for governor and Democrats up and down the ballot. Literally every race matters. Dems aren’t perfect but they’re pro-choice, pro-democracy, and anti-Trump. We’ve got to elect them everywhere we can. If you need help finding your polling place you can go to https://nj.gov/state/elections/vote-polling-location.shtml Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

PENNSYLVANIA
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important elections in PA on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and from what I’ve heard winning these supreme court retention elections is key to putting guardrails on him and protecting the presidential elections in 2028. Please vote YES to retain Christine Donohue, Kevin Dougherty, and David Wecht. They’re pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ and pro-democracy. But there’s more! Please aso vote for Stella Tsai for Commonwealth Court and Brandon P. Neuman for Superior Court! And if you’re in Bucks or York County you have important school board races, too! Please vote for the Democrats! If you need help finding your polling place you can go to https://vote.pa/. Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

CALIFORNIA
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important election in CA on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and believe it or not winning Prop 50 is key to putting guardrails on him–we likely can’t win the midterms without it. Please vote yes–it’s the only question on the ballot, which should have been mailed to you. You don’t even need a stamp to mail it back! If you need more info on why to vote yes this is good https://www.independent.com/2025/10/08/vote-yes-on-californias-prop-50/ Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

NEW YORK CITY
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important election in NYC on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and believe it or not electing Zohran Mamdani is key to putting guardrails on him–Cuomo is Trump’s pick and we can’t have him winning. Please vote for Mamdani! If you need info on your polling place go here: https://www.vote.nyc/page/find-your-poll-site There are other important elections happening too. Please vote blue (anti-Trump) up and down the ballot! Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

GEORGIA
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important statewide elections in GA on November 4. I know you’re as worried about climate change as I am, and winning these Public Service Commission elections is actually super important to our future–and to lowering our utility bills! Please vote for Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard. There will likely be city elections on your ballot, too, and they’re really important. We’ve got to elect Democrats everywhere we can if we want our kids to have a livable future–and grow up in a democracy. If you need help finding your polling place you can go to https://georgia.gov/vote-early-person. Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

MINNESOTA
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important special elections in Minnesota on November 4. The balance of the state legislature will come down to the results and we can’t let MAGA win! If you’re in SD-47 ( Woodbury in Washington county and the southern part of Maplewood in Ramsey county) please vote for Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, a Democrat running to protect a seat in the Minnesota Senate. If you’re in Minnesota SD-29 (includes much of Wright County, and parts of Hennepin and Meeker counties) please vote for Louis McNutt, who’s running to flip a seat in the state Senate blue. If you need help finding your polling place you can go here https://sos.mn.gov/election-administration-campaigns/elections-calendar/senate-districts-29-and-47-special-elections/ Thanks and please tell anyone you know in those towns!

MISSISSIPPI
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important special elections in Mississippi on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and winning elections for Democrats everywhere is key to putting guardrails on him. Please vote for Dems up and down the ballot. They aren’t perfect but they’re pro-choice, pro-LGBTQ, pro-democracy, and anti-Trump. We’ve got to elect them everywhere we can. If you need help finding your polling place you can go to https://myelectionday.sos.state.ms.us/VoterOutreach/Pages/VOSearch.aspx Feel free to hit me up with questions and I’ll try to help answer them! Thanks!

MAINE
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important special election in Maine on November 4. I know you’re as worried and upset about Trump’s abuses as I am, and winning this election is actually key to putting guardrails on him and the MAGAs trying to make it harder to vote. Please vote NO on Question 1. This measure, championed by Maine conservatives, would upend election procedures, including by imposing a barrage of new restrictions on mail voting and requiring voter ID. We’ve got to beat it. If you need help finding your polling place you can go here . Thanks!

Douglas County, Colorado
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important school board elections in Douglas County on November 4. Conservatives have a 4 to 3 majority, and the right-wing bloc has sided with anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and undermined a state health survey. But on November 4 all four seats currently held by conservatives are up for grabs. Please vote for the Democratic-supported slate (Clark Callahan, Kelly Denzler, Kyrzia Parker, Tony Ryan). School boards are SO IMPORTANT! Find your voting info here: GoVoteColorado.com Thanks!

OTHER Counties in Colorado
Hi. Hope you’re well! Just dropping a line to make sure you know about the super important school board elections in Colorado on November 4. Aurora Public Schools, Cherry Creek School District, Jefferson County and Denver Public Schools are all having school board elections with huge consequences for kids. Please vote for the Democratic-supported candidates who won’t attack LGBTQ kids, ban books, or force MAGA ideology down anyone’s throat! School boards are SO IMPORTANT! Here’s a bit more about these elections https://coloradonewsline.com/2025/10/16/colorado-election-2025-school-boards/
Find your voting info here: GoVoteColorado.com Thanks!

MAYORAL RACES!
There are tons of Mayoral races I didn’t have time to write texts for, but if you live in (or know people who do) Connecticut (Bristol, New Haven, Stamford, Hamden Milford, New Britain, Danbury, Norwalk, or Stratford) they have Mayoral races where Dems need to win! Miami, Fl has a Mayoral race! So does Atlanta, Georgia, Topeka, Kansas, Annapolis, Maryland, Boston, Massachusetts, Dearborn, Michigan, Detroit, Michigan, Minneapolis, Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, Manchester, New Hampshire, Gloucester Township, New Jersey, Jersey City, New Jersey, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Binghamton, New York, Buffalo, NY, Syracuse, New York, Charlotte, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, Pittsburgh, PA, Columbia, South Carolina and Seattle, Washington! You can find out who the Dem candidate is here: https://boltsmag.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2025-general-election/

Hasselback Chicken Recipe

CNN Town Hall October 15, 2025 with Bernie Sanders and AOC

Molly Baz is a passionate cook who is determined to make all of us as enthusiastic as she is about food, great ingredients and literally the joy of cooking (apologies to Julia Child for borrowing the phrase). My husband Gert always loved hasselback potatoes so I was immediately attracted to this recipe. I prefer Chicken thighs but know that chicken breasts are less fatty and healthier for you so I am always looking for a chicken breast recipe that isn’t bland and dry. I’ve made hasselback potatoes before but didn’t realize that method could be done with the breasts of chicken.

HASSELBACK CHICKEN
Ingredients
* 3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes (about 1 large or 2 medium)
* 1 lemon
* 6-8 herb sprigs from a pack of poultry herbs (or a combination of rosemary, sage, and thyme)
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
* One large bone-in skin-on chicken breast (about ¾ pound)
* With a very sharp knife. Slice 3/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes as thinly as possible. If you can't slice your potatoes thinner than about ⅛-inch thick, you can just roast all of them underneath the chicken, on the baking sheet.

* Very thinly slice 1/2 lemon. Cut 3 tablespoons butter into small cubes.

* Place one bone-in chicken breast on a work surface. Make crosswise incisions, spacing them about ½-inch apart, cutting all the way down to the bone.

* Very generously season chicken with salt and lots of ground black pepper, opening the "slices" in order to season thoroughly.

* Slide one slice of potato into each slit, as well as the lemon slices, cutting them in half if necessary to fit. Add sprigs of rosemary, sage, and/or thyme into every few folds, as well as the cubed butter, letting whatever butter doesn't fit just sit on top of the breast.

* Drizzle a small baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil, schmear with your fingers to coat, and shingle the remaining potato slices on top, letting them overlap a bit to create a fish scale kind of look. Season generously with salt and pepper.

* Place the hasselbacked chicken on top and drizzle everything with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, giving special attention to the potatoes in the chicken, to help them brown.

* Bake 20 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven, tip it to one corner so the oil and butter can pool, and spoon or brush the chicken (and potatoes and lemon in the chicken) with the fat. (Feel free to drizzle more olive oil on the chicken or potatoes if anything seems dry.)

* Return to the oven and continue baking until the potatoes on the edges of the baking sheet are crisping and golden, and the lemons and potatoes in the chicken have taken on a bit of color, about 18-24 minutes more. At this point, the chicken will be cooked through.

* If you want the potatoes on the baking sheet crispier, remove the chicken to a cutting board and let rest. (If any potatoes in the chicken need more time, you can add them to the baking sheet as well, but I like the contrast of how some of the potatoes don't get entirely tender.)

* Increase temperature to 475 and return potatoes to oven until crisped to your liking, likely 8-14 minutes more.

* Squeeze the remaining lemon half over the chicken breast and potatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow Oatmeal Tree mixed media on paper 60” x 22”

Charity of the Week:
ACLU

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 252: Phil Ochs, Cats, CNN Town Hall

October 17, 2025

Phil Ochs

It is a good time for us to remember Phil Ochs: the songwriter, political activist and author of more than 100 topical songs of the 1960s and 70s...I was first introduced to him at Apple Hill Camp when I was about ten years old. My parents were leftists and they sent me to what Woody Allen referred to as a "Jewish socialist summer camp" when I was a kid...That is where I learned a whole bunch of protest songs, many of them written by Phil Ochs. They have stuck with me all these years later--I still remember every word.

Here is a selection of my favorites--no better time then to revive them now and salute this very talented and prolific songwriter who died tragically way to early, when he was only 35.

I'm Not Marchin Anymore

Draft Dodger Rag

There But For Fortune

The Highway Man

Changes

If you would like to delve deeper, here is a documentary all about this remarkable combination of musician/journalist/songwriter/politcal activist.

Cats, Energy, Vibrations and Edgar Cayce

I am an animal lover. When it comes to dogs and cats, I have always been partial to dogs but this youtube video above has given me a new perspective and just might make me a cat person too...

If even just a few of these observations about felines is true, I want to learn more...Thanks to discoveries in modern science, knowledge from ancient history through the Egyptians, the Celts and the Vikings and teachings from the the trance recitations of Edgar Cayce (known as the sleeping prophet), we have learned about the extraordinary abilities of cats.

I didn't know that:
*Every purr from your cat may be more than affection, it could be the exact healing frequency your energy needed to receive...

*Cats have an ability to detect electromagnetic fields

*They can read our energy

*The Egyptians believed that cats were living portals between the physical and spiritual worlds

*A cat’s purr vibrates at a frequency of 25 to 150 hertz, which is the same frequency at which muscles and bones repair themselves.

Bernie Sanders/AOC CNN Town Hall

I dropped one of my segments on this blog to include this very important CNN Town Hall with Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC). They spell out all the most important issues of the day--clearly and succinctly. Please share this with any of your friends and acquaintances on the other side--these two have the ability to speak to all of us and we need to have to stop just speaking to the choir...

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow Black Heart mixed media on paper 9” x 14”

Charity of the Week:
Indivisible
NO KINGS DAY OCT. 18th

**Please show up on October 18th! and click image to** **donate** **and find a march near you… Bring a friend or two!**

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 251: Do Protests Make a Difference, Mary Oliver Poem: Song for Autumn, Words of Wisdom

October 11, 2025

Do Protests Make a Difference

Feeling conflicted about showing up on No Kings Day on October 18th? Never been to a protest before? Don't believe it will make a difference? Think again!

Protests are the backbone of resistance. Showing up on the street, nonviolently, is a very valuable tool we have in our arsenal and has been proven to affect change all over the world throughout history...Still don't believe me: take a look at the links below:

The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world
by David Robson, BBC correspondent

Do Protests Make a Difference, CBS News

Why is Protest Important from Amnesty International

We all complain...Now do something! SHOW UP ON OCTOBER 18TH at
NO KINGS DAY and be counted--No excuses! You have the power to make this the biggest protest in history! We are on our way but we need your help... Click here for a protest near you...

Song for Autumn by Mary Oliver

  
    SONG FOR AUTUMN

by Mary Oliver

In the deep fall

don’t you imagine the leaves think how

comfortable it will be to touch

the earth instead of the

nothingness of air and the endless

freshets of wind? And don’t you think

the trees themselves, especially those with mossy,

warm caves, begin to think

of the birds that will come – six, a dozen – to sleep

inside their bodies? And don’t you hear

the goldenrod whispering goodbye,

the everlasting being crowned with the first

tuffets of snow? The pond

vanishes, and the white field over which

the fox runs so quickly brings out

its blue shadows. And the wind pumps its

bellows. And at evening especially,

the piled firewood shifts a little,

longing to be on its way.

“Song for Autumn" by Mary Oliver
Reprinted by the permission of The Charlotte Sheedy Literary Agency as agent for the author.
Copyright © 2005, 2017 by Mary Oliver with permission of Bill Reichblum

Words of Wisdom

These words of wisdom were shared with me in my Wednesday morning yoga class by the wonderful teacher Stephanie Winchenbach. Spoken by James Van Der Beek of Dawson's Creek fame, how do we define ourselves..."What am I?" It is short and well worth the reminder and listen.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow Blue Tree mixed media on canvas $8500 And my granddog Frenchy, not for sale…

Charity of the Week:
Indivisible
NO KINGS DAY OCT. 18th

**Please show up on October 18th! and click image to** **donate** **and find a march near you…**

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 250: Jane Goodall/Krista Tippett Interview, Bernie AOC on the Shutdown, Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen

October 4, 2025

Jane Goodall/Krista Tippett Interview (Revisited)

I posted this interview with Krista Tippett and Jane Goodall a few years ago but thought in light of Jane Goodall's death this week that it would be good idea to repost it again from blog No. 21. The title of the conversation from the nature and culture magazine Orion Magazine is The Shadow of Humanity

"It used to be that we thought we were the only beings capable of using tools. And that our intellect was way beyond any other animals in the animal kingdom. And we were the only ones who had feelings and the ability to self-reflect. Dismissing of animals as inferior to humans was a myth we told ourselves (not sure why that would make us feel good). Jane Goodall was a pioneer in the field of animal intelligence, leading the way in Well, take a look at crows! And elephants, whom Aristotle remarked as "the beast which passeth all others in wit and mind". Not to mention gorillas. Jane Goodall and Krista Tippett reflect on this subject in an interview in Orion Magazine. These days, I venture to say that animals might just be smarter than us humans…think QAnon...

Next time you are looking for something to watch, you might want to take a look at this wonderful documentary about her entitled The Hope

Bernie Sanders/AOC Explain the Shutdown

Photo courtesy Gage Skidmore (gageskidmore.com)

  
    Bernie Sanders and AOC clearly explain the government shutdown and what it means for normal Americans.  
  

Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen

EVERYBODY KNOWS
Still one of my all time favorites--for me Leonard Cohen is it! Click to hear him tell it like it is in a beautiful version of this song--love that instrument in the background but can't figure out what it is--please write it in the comment if you know what it is...

Everybody knows that the dice are loaded
Everybody rolls with their fingers crossed
Everybody knows the war is over
Everybody knows the good guys lost
Everybody knows the fight was fixed
The poor stay poor, the rich get rich
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
Everybody got this broken feeling
Like their father or their dog just died
Everybody talking to their pockets
Everybody wants a box of chocolates
And a long-stem rose
Everybody knows
Everybody knows that you love me baby
Everybody knows that you really do
Everybody knows that you've been faithful
Ah, give or take a night or two
Everybody knows you've been discreet
But there were so many people you just had to meet
Without your clothes
And everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
And everybody knows that it's now or never
Everybody knows that it's me or you
And everybody knows that you live forever
Ah, when you've done a line or two
Everybody knows the deal is rotten
Old Black Joe's still pickin' cotton
For your ribbons and bows
And everybody knows
And everybody knows that the Plague is coming
Everybody knows that it's moving fast
Everybody knows that the naked man and woman
Are just a shining artifact of the past
Everybody knows the scene is dead
But there's gonna be a meter on your bed
That will disclose
What everybody knows
And everybody knows that you're in trouble
Everybody knows what you've been through
From the bloody cross on top of Calvary
To the beach of Malibu
Everybody knows it's coming apart
Take one last look at this Sacred Heart
Before it blows
And everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows, everybody knows
That's how it goes
Everybody knows
Everybody knows

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Leonard Cohen / Sharon Robinson
Everybody Knows lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Concrete Blonde also did a great cover on this same song as did many others.

My Studio this Week

Treee of Life Series: Midnight mixed media on paper 60” x 22” $4000

Charity of the Week:
Indivisible

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 249: KINDNESS!, Mountain Climber Sheroze Kashif, Martin Niemöller Quote

September 27, 2025

KINDNESS!

In all the 4+ years that I have been writing this newsletter, I want to encourage you to watch this video (click here) and share it far and wide and with everyone you know.

It's a compilation of acts of kindness put together from Steve Hartman's CBS Evening News "On The Road" series.

How is it that I have not heard of him before--his show has aired for a long time now. If it has the same effect on you as it did on me, it will make your face hurt from smiling.

I do believe kind people are the majority.

Hartman won two well deserved 2013 Edward R. Murrow Awards (presented by the Radio Television Digital News Association) for the CBS Evening News. Three of Hartman's stories won in the Best Writing category.

Please share with me your comments on the video--I'd love to know if it had the same effect on you that it did on me...

Mountain Climber Shehroze Kashif

You never know who you are going to meet in Maine--so many interesting people--and you never know who you are going to run into in, a sauna of all places! But since I talk to everyone, this is actually the second blog post I have dedicated to someone I met in that way, in this case in a YMCA in Boothbay.

This time I happened to be sitting next to a guy from Pakistan, which was already a little unusual in lily white Maine, and this was definitely no usual guy. Shehroze Kashif aka the "Broad Boy" holds the world record for being the youngest person to summit all fourteen 8000+ meter mountains.

I have always been fascinated by people who climb mountains and in awe of their ambition, although I could never imagine myself being that driven to do something like that. But Shehroze fell in love with the mountains on his first visit when he was 11, and one can say he fell in love and it was almost that he was born to climb...

Here is a short documentary entitled Above the Sleeping Giants about this young mountaineer who became Pakistan's youngest to climb all fourteen 8000+ meter mountains--fascinating and definitely as close as I will ever get to these sleeping giants...

Quote from Martin Niemöller

  
    QUOTE FROM MARTIN NIEMÖLLER

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

—This quote was attributed to Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany.

My Studio this Week

Charity of the Week:
Indivisible

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...

Blog No. 248: Pep Talk from Bernie Sanders, Ian Volkov Speaks His Truth, No Kings Day Protest

September 19, 2025

Pep Talk from Bernie Sanders

This is the speech we all need to hear right now. It is short but will give us courage to keep going...

Please listen and allow him to be our fuel...What would we do without Bernie?

If there are numbers in the street, the media is forced to pay attention…

And while we are on the subject of pep talks, here is another one from the national treasure Heather Cox Richardson, spoken on September 18th. She is so wise, so calm, and we are lucky to have her as one of the most important voices in America right today, America's history teacher and one of our fearless leaders...

Truth Speaker Conductor Ilan Volkov

Click image above to hear Ilan Volkov’s impassioned speech to his audience at the BBC proms.

It takes a lot of courage to stand up and stand out, to stick your neck out even when others deem it is inappropriate to say something at that particular day or time. Ilan Volkov, prominent and renowned Israeli conductor, used the opportunity he had in front of a serious classical music audience at BBC Proms to speak his truth when he had the opportunity to reach a lot of people. And as he responded to a heckler, "You can go if you don't want politics--politics is part of life." I beg you to do whatever is in your power to stop this madness--every little action matters...

The pain he expresses in his heart, I feel it too...

Nationwide Demonstration October 18th

SO SHOW UP! Click image above to find a protest near you.

As many of you know, I usually like to focus on positive, optimistic stories in this blog and to steer clear of the news of the day. God knows we have enough of the darkness in our daily lives and I think it is imperative that we try and stay steadfast in preserving hope and not letting them take away our joy. But sometimes I just can't avoid trying to rally the masses, especially when I feel that we all have to get active and not just gripe.

On October 18th, there will be a mass nationwide protest (nokings.org) and I would like to urge you, whether you have protested before or not, to get out there on October 18th--plan ahead now to be free that day and recruit some of your friends to join you. Here is the link for you to find a local protest near you (zoom in to find your location).

The truth of the matter is that those who remain silent, whether they like it or not, are complicit. Please realize that it is so important that we have numbers in the street that day--to demonstrate to our lawmakers that we do not agree with the attack on our democracy and the desecration of the U.S. constitution and human rights. We need desperately, as one of the most effective tools right now, to show that we are not going along with this administration before it is too late. And while you are at it, get involved in other ways as well--on the local level, through boycotts (look at how successful the Tesla boycott has been--and think back to the United Farmworks Union strike in the 1960s).

I have been impressed with so many people in Maine who are out there on the bridges of their towns week after week with signs of protest but we need more of us. It is energizing to participate and it also shows the public, many of them honking in support as they drive by, that we are out there trying to resist and that they should join us... My mother was a victim of Nazi Germany and there were many that were against the regime but kept their mouths shut. We cannot make that same mistake over and over again...I believe we are the majority...so let's go! For the sake of all of us...

Born during the AIDS crisis, this pink triangle poster refers back to the symbol known for its association with the persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s.

Painting of the Week

Pam Smilow, mixed media on paper, 30” x 22” $1500

Charity of the Week:
Indivisible

Source: old-age-young-at-heart-chorus-mark-nepo-no...