The Cardinal and the Window

This spring we all heard the knocking, the repeated sound of something bumping into the window in the dining room. It didn’t take long to see that it was a cardinal smashing itself into the window. Repeatedly. I looked it up in a book and read that he thinks his reflection is a rival. Stupid bird, I thought to myself. And I told a friend of mine, “Our greatest enemy is within.”

Good News for Girls

by guest blogger Maya Rodale. There have been some great stories about women in the news lately. With all the bad news out there, sometimes it’s nice to revel in a batch of inspiring and feel-good stories like these…

The Case of The Mysterious Eye Rash

It started in April. An itchy, burning little rash at the corner of each eye. I thought it would pass. It didn’t. My first instinct was to apply Neosporin, which I did for one day. And then I asked a nurse and she recommended a cortisone cream. So I bought some. It still didn’t go away.

My Gerard Depardieu Film Festival

I must confess I have a soft spot for Gerard Depardieu. While you make fun, millions and millions of women around the world are devouring anything he does, just as they devour romances. He is not one genre, not a romance hero, a good guy, or a bad guy, he’s just someone who has managed to make a lot of great movies over a whole lifetime.

Let’s Talk about Sex

Let’s get things out in the open. I’m about to offend many of you. I wish that weren’t the case, but for so many people, just the topic of sex is offensive. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it.

The Desert of Maine

by guest blogger Maya Rodale. The Desert of Maine is one of those roadside attractions you just have to pull over for. During our recent jaunt through New England, my sister and I took time out from outlet shopping in Freeport to see what the heck was up with this desert that was just a few miles from the ocean and surrounded by pine forests.

The Secret Is in the Soil

by guest blogger Coach Mark Smallwood. The headlines are extreme: “Broiling Heat,” “Punishing Drought,” “Worst in 50 Years.” And the images are even worse. Miles of dry, cracked fields, crispy cornstalks, and stoic farmers holding tiny ears of kernel-less corn. More than half of the country is experiencing drought conditions, and counties in more than 25 states have been declared crop disasters by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).