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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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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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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…
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Catch up with me in the Sunday paper
My columns and features appear often in The Oakland Press and several other daily newspapers in the MediaNews Group. My columns often run on Sundays in the Homefront section — in the print editions and online — and in the “Vitality” magazine supplement. You’ll find an archive of my previous Oakland Press columns and feature stories online here.
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Emotional baggage or timeless treasure?
“If a gift has come to you wrapped in obligations and tied tightly with a ribbon of guilt, then it’s not really a gift at all.” ~Peter Walsh, professional organizer Organizing an estate sale is probably one of the toughest things we have to do after our parents die. If your folks collected as many family heirlooms as mine did, you’ll face the emotionally loaded task of deciding which items to keep and which ones to sell or give away. And what happens when your grown kids don’t want to inherit the family treasures? For starters, it helps to learn and understand the generational differences in what we value. My…
