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Sticky songs
“We become what we repeatedly do.” ~Stephen R. Covey Cher won’t stop singing “Dark Lady” inside my head. The pop tune — which was released in 1974 but happened to be playing on my car radio last week — now repeats itself on an endless loop in my mind while I’m drying my hair in the bathroom each morning. Then it starts all over again, later, while I’m chopping veggies in the kitchen. And it’s not like I’m a huge fan of Cher. What is it with sticky songs? According to my online research, sticky songs (otherwise known as “earworms”) have a scientific label: Involuntary Musical Imagery, or INMI. “According…
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A compass for everyday living
“Leave the road, take the trails.” ~Pythagoras When I’m in a hurry to reach a specific destination, I don’t mind driving the expressway. But my favorite vacation memories usually involve exploring country back roads, where greener landscapes or small towns await discovery. Side streets and backstories — even those near our own hometown — are too easy to miss when we’re speeding down the interstate. Today’s quote also serves as a direction for everyday living. Wherever your journey takes you this weekend, why not take the scenic route? ~CL
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Strange places
“Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.” ~Robert Hunter, of the Grateful Dead It’s amazing what a couple of weeks of illness and isolation will do for you. You realize, for starters, how many things you’ve taken for granted for so long. The ability to taste and smell your food. The company of good friends. The freedom to run errands or go anywhere you please. Last month, Doug and I were hit with unrelenting cases of COVID-19. As I write this, I’m on Day 11, still testing positive with mild symptoms. But there are glimmers of hope.…
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Love & inspiration
“Where there is love and inspiration, I don’t think you can ever go wrong.” ~Ella Fitzgerald I’m lucky to have so many talented people in my life. One friend knits the most charming creations, including toys for my grandson. Others create breathtaking landscape art with their cameras, and a few turn their photos or watercolors into greeting card prints. Still others are outstanding quilters, musicians, painters, writers, cooks, or designers. It doesn’t matter whether or not they market or perform their work. Or if they’re published or famous. What matters is that they make creativity part of their everyday lives — and inspire the rest of us to use our…
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Goodbye to Mom’s house
“No matter how far we’ve come, our parents are always in us.” ~ Brad Meltzer Even after we’ve grown up and moved on, the homes of our parents still hold many of our family memories and stories. If you’ve lost both of your parents, you know that the process of selling their last home — and the things they’ve accumulated — is one of the toughest parts of the grieving process. Yet it can be therapeutic, too. My latest column in The Sunday Oakland Press Homefront section addresses this bittersweet topic. You’ll find it in the Sunday print edition tomorrow (March 5) or you can read it online here. ~CL
