When a Beard Is More Than a Beard
About five years ago I appeared in a Stonington, ME performance of an original musical. It was both the pinnacle and finale of my theatrical career. The Last Ferryman told the story of the controversy over the construction of the Deer Isle suspension bridge that connects the mainland with Little Deer Isle and Deer Isle. […]
When Celebrities Vow to Beat Their Cancer
I can admire celebrities who are willing to be open about their illnesses because it brings important discussions to the fore and offers multiple teaching opportunities. But we need to change the discussion involving advanced cancer from the usual plan to beat the illness to something more nuanced. The most recent example of this is […]
Sam’s Ups and Downs on Whole 30 and on Eliminating Toxins
If anyone says to you, “Hey, I’m on the Whole 30,” you should respond, “That sounds absolutely fascinating… but I really have to be going.” Then, run like hell. Debbie, in her endless quest to improve me, and frightened by my recent appreciation for elastic waistbands, challenged me to a second go-round with this “toxin […]
Why You Will Not Live Forever… and Probably Shouldn’t Anyway
It seems that 2018 was my year to discuss immortality with a host of people – and if not immortality, the expectation of living to be 120 years old. The issues came up in routine conversations and in my multiple book talks, Q&As, and interviews for radio and podcasts. I doubt if 2019 will be […]
Forest Bathing on the coast of Maine
Sam and I have a new expression: forest bathing. We use it daily as a signal for calm and clarity. “Where are you going?” I’ll ask as he steps out the door. “To take a forest bath,” Sam replies. We learned the term from our daughter Eliza but it’s Japanese, a translation of shinrin-yoku. Shinrin […]
Truth-telling through Island Women Speak
2018 has been a busy year, marked by the publication of Sam’s book and his unofficial speaking tour. For my part, I created, produced and directed a women’s storytelling event at the Stonington Opera House that has turned out to be a big hit. It’s called Island Women Speak and features seven or eight local […]
The year of AT PEACE and what comes next
The year of AT PEACE is coming to a close. For those of you who hope this means I will be changing my email signature promoting my book – think again. No, it means that I will not be scheduling small group talks at churches, libraries and senior living centers. I will be open to […]
Back to France for Memory, Murder and Mystery
Sam and I fly to France tonight to make a second pilgrimage back to the boarding school I went to half a century ago. But it’s more than a trip down memory lane. This time, I am aiming to make sense of the extraordinary history of the French village of Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon, especially as it […]
Bad Blood: Worse than deception is false premise that more blood tests prevent disease and death
Debbie and I recently devoured the audio version of this summer’s hottest read: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by Pulitzer Prize-winning Wall Street Journal reporter John Carryrou. It’s a mesmerizing business thriller about the rise and fall of blood-testing startup Theranos, a Silicon Valley unicorn with a one-time value of […]
Déja Vu All Over Again: Three Physicians:
Yesterday I had one of those déja vu all over again moments. That’s a joke, of course. But there’s a good bit of truth to it when you’re over sixty-five and have a lot of memories AND you’ve specifically recalled certain of the most special memories over and over. Let me illustrate: 1973: Sam and […]