Timber December 26 - January 1, 2002
I'm usually sorry to see the holidays go, but not this year. I can finally stop sleeping with the fire extinguisher.
Our Christmas tree looked beautiful on the lot, its branches long and lush, its needles soft and silky.

 

Come, All Ye Faithful December 19 - 25, 2001
A year ago my friend was standing at a cargo counter of United Airlines, trying to persuade the man in charge to release the urn containing her husband's ashes. Sorry, he said, but he couldn't do it. Somebody somewhere had to sign off on it, and that somebody couldn't be found.

We All Need A New Hat December 12 - 18, 2001
When Blondie Bumstead got down in the dumps she bought a new hat. Our president is telling us all to go buy new hats. And maybe a new car, some spiffy clothes, a bigger house, a dozen CDs, flowers for our best girl, a stereo for our best guy, a bathrobe for Mom -- in short, everything that's for sale in this, the richest nation on earth.

The Quiet Beatle December 5 - 11, 2001
My friend and her parents were coming to visit; she asked if she might also bring along her two 20-something brothers.

Naughty And Nice November 28 - Dec. 4, 2001
We're always looking for signs to help us make decisions. Does finding a ring on the beach mean marry this boyfriend? What if the rainbow over the "For Sale" sign means buy this house?

You've Got Mail November 21 - 27, 2001 
Greeting cards, handmade envelopes and engraved letterhead are to me what diamonds are to Elizabeth Taylor; I can't get enough of them. The kind of paper doesn't matter -- linen rag, recycled grocery sacks, rice stalks, vellum -- they're all beautiful to me.

Thankful For Small Miracles November 14 - 20, 2001
We're always grateful for the big things:  our families, our friends, our dwelling, our food.  These are the "givens" for which we bow our heads and give thanks at the holiday table.

In this season of unease and reprioritizing, I find myself increasingly more aware of my smaller gifts.  Not that I don't want to think exalted thoughts; it's just that it's hard to concentrate with so much undermining my peace of mind.  It used to be that I was distracted because the car repair cost $243 more than the estimate, the dog's shots were a month overdue and two bills got left out of the weekly payment lottery.

That First Misstep November 7 - 13, 2001
It's always that first step that trips us up, that first footfall on the wrong path that leads to a place of no turning back.
Very smart people, liberal as well as conservative, have recently raised a very scary specter in their political commentary by hinting that Americans ought to start considering the possibility of torturing terrorist suspects to make them talk.

Stewing In Our Own Juice October 31 - Nov. 6, 2001
Twinkies may soothe some fevered brows, but the rest of us need heftier fare as we seek sanctuary from the relentless drumbeat of bad news.

One friend of mine has made 13 chocolate cakes in six weeks. Another is on a pie-baking binge. A third bought a bread machine and is awash in cinnamon raisin, poppy seed and cracked wheat.

Lead By Example October 24 - 30, 2001
A fine-boned young woman in a simple lavender raincoat, her backbone straight, her stride measured, the baby she carries a soft bulge in her thin profile, walks alone through the doorway of a United Air Lines jetliner bound from Newark to San Francisco.

Bull's-eye October 17-23, 2001
The first question at a recent Town Hall Meeting on the University of Colorado campus was, "Are the news media in America equipped to cover a war shaped by race, culture and religion? If not, why not?"
Not "If so, why?" The spin set the standard for two hours of media-bashing.

Scales Fall From Our Eyes October 10 - 16, 2001 
Since September 11, we see the world as it really is, not as we would have it be.
Even as we order takeout, shop at the mall and watch premieres of new sitcoms, we're getting used to the idea that the United States is at war, that two oceans and 21st-century technology no longer protect us from death on our own soil.

Come Fly With Me October 3 - 9, 2001
After Sept. 11, I wasn't sure I'd go. What if a war erupted while I was gone? If a nuclear or biological attack occurred, I could get stranded far away from home, as so many were in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Remembering A Good Man September 26 - October 2, 2001
Never has the popular phrase "life is choice" been more relevant than in recent days. Some men choose evil. Others choose good.
Now is the time for remembering, and celebrating, the life and lessons of violinist Isaac Stern, who died Sept. 22 at the age of 81. Stern chose to be, day in and day out, a Good Man.

Reordered Priorities September 19 - 25, 2001
For all that we've lost in recent days, we've gained some things, too. We're reaching out to strangers, and being embraced by them. We're holding our loved ones closer. We're a unified country. We're counting our blessings. We're trying to be better human beings.

"I Love You, Goodbye" September 12 - 18, 2001
With only minutes to live, some passengers aboard Tuesday's four doomed airliners made one last call on their cell phones.
"I love you, honey," Californian Thomas Burnett, aboard United Airlines Flight 93, told his wife, Deena.
From the same plane San Franciscan Alice Hoglan heard her son Mark Bingham say: "I love you very much."

Virtual Realities September 5 - 11, 2001
Our young friends, Robert and Jenny, had an 8-pound, 1-ounce baby boy who measured 20 inches long when he was born at 4:19 p.m., on August 27. His name is Helio. He has big blue eyes, wispy blond hair, and his grandparents are thrilled with their first grandchild: "What a sweetheart! He is just precious. We love him already!" they say.

A Teacher's Reward August 29 - September 4, 2001 
Education is a gift parents give their children, bought and paid for with their tax dollars or tuition money. In return, teachers open up children's lives and pour in knowledge. It was in the classroom that I first heard classical music (Beethoven), listened to a narrative poem (Longfellow), saw an Impressionist painting (Renoir).

E Is For Elitism August 22 - 28, 2001
It's time for our children to be enthusiastic and optimistic about expanding their horizons in a new school year, but some students are already dreading the sound of the first bell.

Great Expectations August 15 - 21, 2001
Dear Baby,
We are impatiently waiting for you to arrive. You are so lucky -- you get to be the first child of Jenny and Robert, our young friends who have allowed us to share in the unfolding of this miracle.

Never Bet Against The House August 8 - 14, 2001
A publisher is paying Bill Clinton $10 million to tell us how it feels to be bad. That's $1.5 million more than the pope got to tell us how to be good.

Mega Stores Are Mega Headache August 1 -7, 2001
The bigger the store, the harder it is for me to find what I need. Cavernous buildings, unrelenting fluorescent lights and miles of shelving have replaced mom-and-pop operations where a friendly face helped me find that quarter-inch stainless steel screw I needed to hold up the shower nozzle. 

Remember  Katharine Graham July 25 - 31, 2001
Following her death from a brain hemorrhage on July 17, Katharine Graham was memorialized on editorial pages for her defense of the first amendment when her Washington Post published the Pentagon papers in 1972, and investigated the Watergate scandal the following year. 

Out Of The Blue July 18 - 24, 2001 
We see her crooked smile on the back of a racing car at Daytona, in national magazines, on the nightly news. Political pundits bandy her name about with familiarity, commentators editorialize about her, psychics look for her in crystal balls. Yet all the public really hears about Chandra Levy is that she had an affair with a congressman, was dearly loved by her parents and is missing.

Enjoy Getting Over The Hill July 11 - 17, 2001
It is accepted that youth has a dispensation to wander. After all, young people have strong limbs, few responsibilities and a sense of invincibility. Why not take a year off and bicycle around Europe, join the Peace Corps, or backpack through Asia? Sleeping in hostels, eating cheap noodles and having adventures is a rite of passage. Obligation finds us soon enough.

Someday Is Locked Away July 4 - 10, 2001
We Americans are a restless lot, always curious about what's over the next hill. If trends tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau hold steady, one in six of us will pack our life in boxes and hit the road this year in search of a better job, a bigger house, a less crowded neighborhood, more city perks, a cabin in the mountains, a cottage on the beach, or simply to look for that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Celebrate Summer With Baseball June 27-July 3, 2001
"Take me out to the ballgame, take me out with the crowd, buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack"... and cotton candy, popcorn, giant pretzels, chili dogs, hamburgers, nachos, nonfat yogurt, fat ice cream, 20 kinds of beer, bottled water and carrots.

This Is The Place June 20 - 26, 2001
From the beginning, I'd heard about this special place of childhood where he'd caught his first fish, built his first campfire, slept under the stars. It was where he was anchored to the earth, where he'd gotten an inkling that he wouldn't be able to wear suits.
It was also where he'd learned what it meant to be a 

Collecting Dreams June 13 - 19, 2001
When I was in college I earned extra money working on commission in a dress shop.  It took just a few days to realize that if I was selling wedding dresses I could make a lot more money that if I sold T-shirts.  Within the first month I'd talked my way into becoming the store's first "bridal consultant".

Out Of The Blue June 6 - 12, 2001 
The book arrived out of the blue, with a little note written in the author's hand on the inscription page: "See pages 165, 167, 168." Turning dutifully to the first marked passage, I read the following:
Sunday, December 26, 1943: Castelventrano (Italy)
"Word flashed to me at 11:00 o'clock that a P-39 had cracked up. I dashed over to the line but no one seemed to know anything about a crash. Then an MP reported he thought he'd seen a plane go down in an olive orchard near here.

Going Places May 30 - June 5, 2001
Yo, Graduate! It's your turn.

You survived all-nighters, too much cafeteria pizza, coed field trips, soccer games and SATs (twice!). The days are whizzing by now, memories crowding one on top of the other. You're hanging with your friends - the same ones you fought with, cried with, confided in - while fending off extra attention from your parents. "Stay home and have dinner with us," they plead, knowing they'll soon have to let you go.

Ego Key to Cell May 23 - 29, 2001
I'm glad I was being examined by the internist instead of the gynecologist when my cell phone rang. It certainly made it easier to turn the darn thing off.
I apologized to my doctor, who excused me by admitting he is also too attached to his cellular device. Despite our best intentions, we cell phone users have become road hazards, restaurant bores and deliberate contributors to secondhand noise, all the while protesting that what we really crave is a slower pace and a saner lifestyle. Except that we seldom hit the off button.

Veteran Recalls World War 11 May 16 - 22, 2001
Navy Pharmacist's Mate 3rd Class Robert H. Meyer -- survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the battles of Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Leyte Gulf and the Philippines -- has done that. 
He spent five years fighting World War II in the Pacific, beachhead to beachhead, beginning to end. Then he went home to Kansas in 1946, married his high-school sweetheart, and earned a law degree on the GI Bill in little more than four years. He became a prosecuting attorney in Mankato, Kan., raised seven children who also graduated from college, and, at 83, is rejoicing at the recent appointment of a grandson to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. 

Of Rats and Tim May 9 - 15, 2001
A rat has been wreaking havoc around my house lately. "Gotta do something," I mumble to myself, catching sight of two pointed ears in my peripheral vision as I climb the porch stairs. "Gotta get that guy!"
My cats are old and feeble, barely able to lift an arthritic paw as the rat skitters by. They've always done this dirty work; now it's up to me. But what to do? None of the options is particularly palatable.

Dear Suzan May 2 - 8, 2001
It's Mother's Day again. Lots of folks call this a trumped-up holiday to boost greeting card sales. I don't know what you'd think of it.
That's one of the things we never got around to talking about. One of the millions of things.
It's been five years since you left us, but I still talk to you a lot. All of your old friends do, and we talk about you every time we bump into one another. It happened again the other day, when Mike and I wound up at a journalism conference.

It's Tough Being A Grownup April 25 - May 1, 2001 
My husband hit the brakes; I hoped the guy behind us was alert enough to hit his. The oncoming driver swerved at the last second, looking as startled as we must have.
Disoriented, terrified and smack in the middle of the busy highway, a dog was wildly wagging its tail as it raced from one car to the next. Wearing a collar and tags, it clearly was lost and in desperate need of a Samaritan.
We drove on.

Off The Grid April 18 - 24, 2001
Mozart was coming from the radio, the refrigerator was humming away and this column was half-written on the computer as I talked to my friend on the telephone halfway across the country. Then everything stopped.
One blink: My friend disappeared in a static wave, the orchestra violins fell silent, the fridge sputtered to a stop, and the computer screen went black. 

Teachers Strikeout April 11 - 17, 2001
Standing in front of the canned tuna, I can't decide whether to buy white albacore or the less expensive stuff. My husband is on strike, and his paycheck has stopped. I have to make choices.

He Got Away April 4 - 10, 2001
Setting down the plate of pancakes, my fingers brush against the gouge in my dining room table. I feel my face flush. Is it rage, my friend asks? Yes. Yes, it is.
Our home was burglarized last week. When our houseguest telephoned us on vacation with the news, I couldn't grasp what she was saying: something about a television set, the police on their way, she was so sorry, she thought it was safe here.

Buddy, Can You Spare A Trillion March 28-April 3, 2001
I was in no mood to chat when my friend stopped by.
"What are you so happy about?" I grumbled, hardly bothering to look up.
I was on the Internet checking the stock market, trying to shade my eyes from the glare of all those red arrows pointing down.

And The Winner Is March 21 - 27, 2001
"And the winner is ... THE WOMAN IN THE ORANGE DRESS!"
Oh goody, it's Oscar time! A chance to eat junk food, applaud sappy sentimentality and talk back to the TV. Whether we're alone in our pajamas or living it up at a fancy party, Tinsel Town's big night offers a great excuse to watch Lycra instead of Lehrer.

Riding Across America March 14 - 20, 2001 
It is zero degrees F outside, a day when most people who don't have to go out in the weather are hunkered down under an afghan with warm slippers on their feet, sipping something hot from a mug and dreaming of spring.
Alaskan Janice Tower is not one of them. She is pulling on four layers of clothing, a helmet and face mask and talking enthusiastically about pedaling as fast as the wind down a snow-covered hill, taking tricky turns on black ice and seeing through eyelashes coated in frozen crystals.
Why would a human being put herself through such exertion?

Mistakes March 7 - 13, 2001
Last week I made two mistakes. One damaged my leg, the other, my pride. Each was a reminder that as we hurtle through life at breakneck speed, we are sometimes careless -- and always human.

My Car's Evil Twin February 28 - Mar.6, 2001
There's a theory that we all have a twin somewhere in the world, that one day we'll walk down a street or stare out a window, and suddenly someone who looks exactly like us will come into view.

The Year Of The Snake February 21 - 27, 2001
On the first day of this Chinese year 4699, there was to be no yelling, no cursing, no telling of lies. Houses were to be thoroughly swept to get rid of dirt and old ways. Most important of all, there was to be no handling of sharp knives.
That night I went to a dinner party where verbally cutting up other people turned out to be the main course.

Kris Kristofferson's Promise February 14 - 20, 2001
Once in a while, a guest with something important to say visits AMONG FRIENDS. On this Valentine's Day, actor/singer/songwriter Kris Kristofferson - a man who has explored the meanings of loss and love in his many roles in life -- gives us a special love story to ponder:
While recovering from triple bypass surgery a couple of years ago, I was explaining to our youngest child - who was 4 years old at the time - about the things you could do with diet and exercise to take care of your heart. After a few beats, he said, "The best thing you can do for your heart is to love somebody."

 Great Expectations February 7 - 13, 2001
Good on 'ya, Jennifer Capriati! It's great to see your name back in the headlines, great to see a smile on your face, great to see you waving the Australian Open tennis trophy in your powerful right hand. The world labeled you a has-been at 17, but you reached way down inside yourself to come back a winner. 

Sign Where? January 31 - February 6, 2001 
Two contracts committing me to future professional services are on my desk.  I've verbally promised to do the work - in one case, it's already done -- but my word isn't good enough. In this litigious society, it's the signature
that counts.

 Touch The Future January 24 - 30, 2001
Every day we trot out our skills in the morning, use a few of them for the next 15 hours or so, then lay them to rest until next time, unconscious that everything we know is always there, waiting to be flexed, exercised, applied.
For years I have watched from a distance as high school students struggle to get into college or land a first real job by writing about themselves. Too often, however, they freeze in front of a computer screen, unable to express who they really are or what they really want. A bright, eager student won't get his or her dream because they can't convey their hopes and goals to strangers.

And So It Begins January 17 - 23, 2001
God Bless President George W. Bush and God Bless America.
Those are words we should all say this inauguration week. But they will probably stick in the throats of millions of voters who cast ballots for Al Gore or Ralph Nader. Half the country - and maybe even a little bit more -- believes George W. Bush is a pretender to the presidency, a man who should not to be standing on the steps of the Capitol with his hand on the Bible taking the oath of office as the 43rd president of the United States.

The Journey January 10 - 16, 2001
It's the same every year: Eagerly awaited Christmas cards get ripped open and hastily read, then tossed in a basket and ignored until the last dry pine needle has been swept out the door.
Finally, then, I sit down with coffee in hand and footstool at the ready to savor the last joy of the season, to reread the cards, laugh and/or grimace through the photocopied letters and intently study the images of smiling children, adorable dogs and faraway friends who surely can't be that old.

Late Bloomer January 3 - 9, 2001
Except for several billion dollars and their attendant problems and perks, Bill Gates and Gary Dolan are a lot alike -- two entrepreneurs who single-mindedly pursued their dreams and came up trumps.

But unlike Gates, Dolan got sidetracked for three decades before his dream could come true.

 Housekeeping December 27, 2000 - January 2, 2001
This is the week we set the record straight. 
Our old year is all tuckered out, its decisions made and emotions spent, its mistakes glossed over and small victories won. It's time to make amends, tidy up, mea culpa our way into a fresh calendar full of blank squares just waiting to be filled up.
 

© Copyright 2001 The Women Syndicate. The content on these pages is the property of The Women Syndicate and may not be used without express permission. Contact friends@tadbartimus.com

Last Revision:
Monday, August 5, 2002 11:12 AM