well … let’s have a little dream here … but, have to admit to having serious doubts about “older men, open hearts” … (maybe should go back to the ‘cougar’ thread… ?! and, even when much younger was never looking for a ‘provider’, ‘baby-daddy’, ‘parent-pleaser’ etc. - those narrow notions seemed dated even then while searching for love and a true companion …) and, please, never ever “travel fabulously with a married man and then happily send him home to his wife who has to deal with …” - dear Judith Sills, please, even with a ‘maybe’, you can’t be serious, after all. you were talking about ‘meaningful maturity’ and the ideal you describe, finding again “the meaning … in that walk together and the bond between you” is a lovely notion (but hopefully never by stepping on another woman)

Dona, that’s what I so admire about you, to be involved with life, interested in others and to be as kind as you are! I had to learn a similar lesson (on a much less severe level) and it took me a long time to realize, that revenge is not our job and that hatred only poisons one’s own soul. You are a great example to all of us here!

… always loved Newport and its marvelous harbor … and many years ago was very curious when I heard that the lighthouse was named after a woman and learned about the family of lighthouse keepers … lighthouses and their keepers often have fascinating stories … still treasure the memory of a day when my crew and I were allowed into the light chamber of the Montauk Lighthouse … very exciting stuff …

“And in the United States, the share of elderly women living in poverty is highest among divorced or separated women” This poll/research rings only too horribly true to me … my divorce certainly threw me totally off track for years … my business and career suffered (not to speak of my meager savings, and borrowed money, going into lawyers’ pockets - my cheating ex had the, previously hidden, funds to drag out the fight …) Besides the emotional it was a severe financial blow, that even now I have not quite caught up with … almost ten years on, during which paying back family and friends their loans became a major issue (finally done! - next goal: paying down the mortgage, after all, this place is supposedly my ‘retirement fund’ …) And now it is even scarier to think, that what I did fight and work for so hard (the home) might not even be worth it all, not to speak of having hardly been able to acquire any other assets, while trying to stay afloat … Yikes, don’t even really want to get thinking about all this, but of course it’s a major topic for many single women over fifty! Vulnerable, indeed!

oh, thank you, Mignon, for reminding me of that! … yeah, Patti’s power and grace, an inspiration for a long time and still going strong! … ages ago, I used snippets from ‘Wave’ (which had just arrived in Berlin) on a soundtrack and my fellow film students just had big question marks over their heads … now in NYC, I have seen her play many times, lucky me … “dancing barefoot, dedicated to the rites of the heroine”

Laurel … amen to that, and I wish there would be one, at least one, really compassionate word out of ‘Suzanne/French Heart/To the Beach/Fluffy’ for the heart-breaking stories of Dona and others, who are the true victims of horrific crimes and really know whereof they speak … I bow my head to Dona who, through such pain, shows such tremendous heart and wisdom. Namaste.

Thank you, Ms. Lily, being ‘global citizens and working together’ is something I’ve always been passionate about, and I know so are you! Also, Ms. Desai is really a most wonderful person, I hope she will contribute here more often btw.: I hope you are well rested after your walk this past weekend … I have visited your peaceful forrest dell (on the net) a couple of times and really love smelling the coffee up there … left you a note about a week ago, and will stop by again …

yes, let’s multiply Patti Smith … not only belongs the night to us, but let’s give power to the people … (and for writing the most lovable song to her boy, The Jackson Song) but, I would also love to be Lucinda Williams, she’s so cool, and that heartbreak voice and her poetry! … and switching gender to jump into Mick J. … what great fun, just briefly… , but I really would want be Leonard Cohen for a day, the writing, the voice …

Ms.Vishakha N. Desai, Thank you for these comments - “America, China and India as well as the E.U. will have to work together to find shared solutions to the problems of climate change and environment”, … and not only those entities on only those issues … it is really beyond time to recognize that we live in one world and share all its problems. The ignorance of just too many Americans about connecting within the rest of the world is becoming insufferable, just as is the inability to deal with an unbalanced, unfair and dysfunctional domestic infrastructure … the next president will have to deal with a multitude of daunting tasks, here as well as abroad. And yes, it would certainly help to have (as one reader says) “new, young, worldly educated leadership”, as it would be good to have that combined with tough, politically experienced and willing-to-work leadership, with some compassionate wisdom added for good measure… And it would be even more important to promote the education of each individual’s knowledge of their own responsibility and ability to contribute to this society as well as to the global society. Off topic, but as the opportunity presents itself: I really appreciate your work at the Asia Society, particularly an unforgettable event / conversation you presented with Thich Nhat Hanh. Thank you.

… and wasn’t it fun?!! Whoopi’s the best! and I had so crossed my fingers for Patti LuPone … Yippie!

Jenny Jenny, I am also a Capricorn .. and I agree, Peggy’s weekly previews a very correct and insightful! Thanks, Peggy! … one thing though: I am a 1/19 Capricorn (last day, on the cusp…) … on your site that’s the date for Caps - thru 1/19, as with all other astrologers … but here on the wow site it says to 1/18 … ???

hi Frannie Em, thanks … glad to find you again, hope you are having a lovely Sunday! … I have been off the site for a bit … can’t really get used to the new design, find it all a bit confusing, maybe the topics … still pondering to send a ‘critique/suggestions’ of the site to wow, but don’t really have the time … but I loved reading the latest thread on Edith Ann … you all are so sweet and creative there … that’s fun

Thank you Adla, for reading my (over-long) post … guess that 30 years of trying to do this and (gently) nudge others to understand what we are doing to the planet … makes one a bit of a zealot … I totally agree with you bringing up the broader topic of “a society where people are consuming too much, therefore wasting too much”. Absolutely yeah and amen to “I think it’s time the world decided to downsize” - and, as always, that starts with the places we work and with ourselves. Namaste.

cath c. . ..thanks for this, just love the image conjured up, of Freya riding the sky in her panther drawn jewel chariot, and the aurora borealis …

* Good wishes to you, your husband and the baby to be *