December 2023 Magazine

This December we feature Barbara McMichael’s Happy Road Trip that took her on a journey through the heartland of America, where she discovered oversized animal sculptures and other fun roadside attractions. In Barbie Gives Good Head, it is inconceivable that Barbie was nominated for Time Magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year!! On a more somber note, keep in mind that the holidays are often more difficult for those who are mentally ill. Every December I post An Ode to Hayden Brumbeloe to remind us to take care of the mentally ill around us.

 

 


Barbie Gives Good Head

As a tween or teen, Barbie never resonated with me. When I was fourteen, I went to a friend’s house for a sleepover. She had a collection of Barbie dolls, complete with a fantastic wardrobe, a pink plastic car, and Ken. Too old to play with dolls and bored, we whiled away the night trying to make Ken and Barbie have sex, an impossible feat. Both dolls lacked genitalia.


Roadside attractions and other curios

Barbara McMichael’s road trip takes her to small towns in the Midwest. Captivated by county courthouse facades and movie theatre marquees, she took pause at roadside markers and viewpoints that detailed local history, geology and other points of pride. Her journey through the heartland of America homes in on oversized animal sculptures and other fun roadside attractions.

 


Book Review: Democracy Awakening

Democracy Awakening is a must-read that imparts the unvarnished truth of American history, leading to the current state of our democracy. There has always been a conservative faction in America who are deeply afraid of losing their position as top dog. They truly believe in their own superiority and lay claim to an inheritance that is rooted in authoritarianism. 


Building a Superorganism

Building a Superorganism is Chapter Five in Dr. Peter Corning's ground breaking work: Superorganism. Superorganism is a cautionary tale of the ancient human societies that have vanished – many of them as victims of ecological disasters. To purchase Superorganism in its entirety, go to the local bookstore nearest you, or online via Cambridge University Press or Amazon


Picasso

The iconic Gertrude Stein hosted a salon in Paris that was a prestigious hotbed of creativity. The greatest writers and artists of the early Twentieth Century were brought together in this exclusive, mutual admiration club. 


NOVEMBER 2023

Happy November! Happy Veterans Day! Happy Thanksgiving!! If I take a look at the people who are in my life—and that includes all of you—then this is the moment when I can express great gratitude. Thank you for being part of this journey with me. This month we feature a flowering tale by Barbara Lloyd McMichael: Scott the Gardener brings joy to all of those who pass through his neighborhood in a suburb south of Seattle.


What the Gardener In My Neighborhood Grows

This month we feature a flowering tale by Barbara Lloyd McMichael. Scott the Gardener brings joy to all of those who pass through his neighborhood in a suburb south of Seattle.