Where I'm published
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Summer hasn’t left yet …
“Summer nearly does me in every year. It’s too hot and the light is unforgiving and the days go on way too long.” ~Anne Lamott, humorist and author We tend to think of late August as the end of summer — but the season isn’t officially over until the autumnal equinox, which falls this year on September 23. So let’s not rush things! Don’t waste another minute complaining about heat and humidity. Grab a cold beverage and head for the front porch or patio. Invite summer to stay a while longer. And while you’re at it, make plans to savor every fair-weather activity you can fit on your calendar for…
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Big cheers for “Barbie”
“Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.” ~Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie doll Like many girls in the 1960s, I owned Mattel’s Barbie and Ken dolls and their vast miniature empire of accessories. The dolls inspired countless hours of creative play — and I’d even go so far as to say that Barbie influenced my writing career as well as my lifelong passion for shoes and clothing. Unlike other dolls of my era, Barbie had options beyond housekeeping and motherhood. The sky was the limit for Barbie. Don’t forget that Mattel launched Astronaut Barbie in 1965 — years before there was a real female in NASA’s…
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Summer memories: “The Art of Collecting Beach Stones”
“Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August.” ~Jenny Han, The Summer I Turned Pretty I’m taking a short break to catch up to a few projects while I celebrate summer in full bloom. This week, I’m sharing a few of my previously published posts and articles with a summer theme. Here’s a favorite essay I wrote for Michigan Blue magazine on the art of collecting beach stones — one of my favorite summer pastimes. To read it online, please click here. Wherever you are, I hope the sun is shining! ~Cindy La Ferle
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How to comfort a grieving friend
“If you’re my age, you’ve probably had your heart broken many times. So it’s not that difficult to unpack a bit of grief from some little corner of your heart and cry over it.” ~Emma Thompson Losing our parents and other loved ones is a reality of life as we age — a reality that’s easier to face if we have a nurturing support system. But sometimes it’s hard to know how to help and comfort friends who are grieving a new loss. That’s the topic of my newest column in The Sunday Oakland Press. You’ll find it in the Homefront section in the print edition (July 2) or you…
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Throwback Thursday: “Anatomy of a Skin Cancer Scar”
“Scars….can be a little ugly on the outside, but scars show that you’re a survivor, that you made it through something, and not only did you make it through, but now you’re stronger and wiser and more educated because of that tough time that you went through.” ~Kyle Carpenter Unprotected sunbathing was a common indiscretion for many teenagers when I was growing up. Going for the burn, we’d spend endless summer days on the beach, usually slathered in baby oil. It rarely occurred to us that we’d pay a high price someday. We didn’t realize that sun damage is cumulative, appearing much later in the form of sagging skin, wrinkles…