What a difference a day makes, and a haircut. As new year activity, we arranged for 12 free haircuts or manicures at the local beauty school. Six women could go one afternoon, six more a week later. Amber has straight dyed blond hair, which with time shows dark roots....

Sisters - by Bonnie My sister Sue - she died of cancer. My sister Darlene - she's loving life. My sister Joyce - she makes me laugh. My sister Kathy - is my friend. My sister Keri - is my friend too. My sister Sue - I've known four years. My sister Lore - she teaches...

A Memorable Trip  - by Laura In the spring of 1972 my sister, brother-in-law, 2 year old nephew, mother and I took a trip to the White Mountains in New Hampshire.  We were all feeling excited when we packed our cooler and picnic basket into the van and took our...

The Greatest Gift I Know - by Laura The greatest gift I know of is the gift of language, both written and spoken.  My own language, English, is, or at least can be, absolutely beautiful when used correctly. It has so many nuances and shades and possibilities that one...

If I Could Write a Book or Play   - by Laura If I wrote a play it would be about a woman struggling with mental illness.  I would show her as a person first, not as a case number in a computer.  There are many misconceptions about mental illness and people who have...

My Imaginary Garden  -by Laura "Mary, Mary quite contrary" is the beginning of a children's poem about a magical garden, but my garden would not have "cockle shells and silver bells and pretty maids all in a row."  Instead it would be more like a miniature forest with...

How I Get Up In The Morning I get up very carefully because when I wake up I usually have at least one cat asleep on me.  And another by my legs.  They act like it's a chore to get up and move so I can get up and move.  Usually in a hurry to go to the potty.  And the...

ED NOTE:  We had two wonderful student nurses with us every Thursday this year.  They did blood pressure and weight checks, consulted about meds and general health questions.  Both women fit right in and made a huge contribution. They will be away this summer and...

Something That Really Annoys Me - Laura Starbird Something that really annoys me is snow in April.  It should be a time of green grass and the first spring flowers, of bird song and newly opened leaves on the trees.  But this year Mother Nature played an April fools...

The First Paragraph of My Life Story... - by Laura Starbird My life didn't begin when I was delivered by emergency C-section after my mother hemorrhaged while scrubbing floors.  It didn't begin when I started kindergarten and had my first full-blown panic episode when...

Each Monday morning we have a Writing Workshop.  The women gather over "Marvelous Morning Munchies" (with real brewed coffee) and pick a topic to write about.  They write for 10 minutes, then read to each other what they wrote.  They then offer positive comments about...

My Favorite Animal -Kathy W At the moment, Rascal is my favorite animal.  She likes getting on my left shoulder.  Purr, purr, purr.  She goes to James for goodies.  When he rattles the bag she comes running.  She likes to play with straws and mild bottle caps.  She...