Last week I received a picture in the mail, sent by a cousin. It was of Mom thirty years ago, vibrant in life at an age just two years younger than I am now. She was beautiful, strong - and I could tell - had an agenda ahead of her. I realized as I held … Continue reading Defining how we show up
Just because
Tips for reading in the bath (or how to avoid fines and electrocution)
And now, for a light-hearted break. I love to read in the bathtub. In fact, it's probably my favorite spot to read. Maybe it's the warmth, or perhaps the lack of interferences and distractions. I suspect most people, if they happen to find time to sink in the suds for more than five minutes, instead … Continue reading Tips for reading in the bath (or how to avoid fines and electrocution)
Real Oregonians do: in defense of umbrellas
Fellow Oregon author Matt Love penned a terrific book titled Of Walking in Rain. In it, Matt writes about what it is to live in one of the rainiest places on earth - a Western Oregon trait we worry may dry up with time. Anyone living in the Pacific Northwest must read this book, as I … Continue reading Real Oregonians do: in defense of umbrellas
The ritual of the tree
It's true. I adore Christmas trees. Truth be told, I adore trees. And while I did grow up in a (albeit, liberal) Christian Church and sang in the choir with the best of them, I admit my devotion to the season is more. I'll ignore, for now, paradoxical contradictions of religion. Instead, decorated trees awaken … Continue reading The ritual of the tree
Cramming it in
The frequency in which my work and personal thoughts intersect no longer surprises me. As work conversations occasionally focus on just what we mean by worker well-being, it's not uncommon for me to apply it to the life I know, or worry for those owning work demands - often accompanied by low wages, no benefits … Continue reading Cramming it in
Hair and formaldehyde, power and health
Life occasionally delivers moments when my newer author life intersects with my thirty-year industrial hygiene profession. I didn’t expect Brazilian Blowout to be captured within the pages of The Female Persuasion, as I leisurely read this 2018 novel by Meg Wolitzer while on vacation. This chemical hair straightener briefly shocked me away from my traditional … Continue reading Hair and formaldehyde, power and health
In this moment I eat blackberries
The smell of river summer doesn’t fully ripen until late June. It rises mildly on a morning, simmering until late afternoon as the banks absorb the sun’s warmth and then, finally, release the ultimate river smell: a fishy blend spiked with decomposing cottonwood fibers and soon-to-burst blackberry blossoms. … Continue reading In this moment I eat blackberries
From togas to trails in Cottage Grove
When we headed to Cottage Grove last weekend to cycle the Row River Rail-to-Trail, I didn't expect to learn about a plan to break the world's largest toga party record! Cottage Grove owned this title from 2005 until 2012 when Brisbane, Queensland, Australia beat them out. Cottage Grove will seek revenge in August to win it … Continue reading From togas to trails in Cottage Grove
Reflections on #MeToo
When I was in the midst of writing my memoir, My Music Man, conversations about sexual harassment - at work and beyond - were there, nagging and being ignored, as they have been for much of my life. #MeToo hadn't yet launched: encouraging nearly every woman I know to share her story into this bottomless … Continue reading Reflections on #MeToo
In appreciation of the Stafford Hamlet
There have been downsides to being married to an elected official. They all pale, though, when compared to one big gift: the people I've met. And our good friend Richard Fiala is one of those at the top of the list of people we're grateful to know. Richard and I can lose complete track of … Continue reading In appreciation of the Stafford Hamlet
Dede's Books and blog 