Unfortunately, depression is not always this obvious.

I feel compelled to share this story today. Perhaps Spirit is using me as a means of prevention.  

My husband, Dan, committed suicide on September 11, 2000, exactly one year before terrorists hijacked… Read full post »

This is not my car. The guy standing next to it doesn't own it, either. He just wanted his picture taken with a Maserati. 

I'm related to someone who knows somebody who owns this car. If I did have a luxury sports car I think I might command more respect on the… Read full post »

"Let me be clear: I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations." President Obama

Does hope merit a Peace Prize? You'd have to ask those who had dismissed us… Read full post »

I have questions.

When Open Salon readers hit "rate," it is always a good rating, right? Why do most blogs not rate a "rate," even when the comments are good?

Was this discussed in orientation while I was at the water fountain? 

Inquiring minds would like to know.

Does this rate?

If… Read full post »

Or -- How I Used FarmVille to Change My Mind 

There's nothing magic about it. What is magical is that I found a way to change my way of thinking with a simple little game. I must have been ready.

(Shades of Green Acres. Can you name the TV show pig?)

For those of… Read full post »

There seem to be many Americans who view politics as a spectator sport.  

If you are sitting in the bleachers and your team wins, do you feel like a winner? You can drive home smiling and honking your horn. But if your team loses, then, oh wow. Are you a loser? I persona… Read full post »

FACT: 

Petting your dog or cat can lower your blood pressure. That's why people with pets tend to live longer.

If you disagree and you died even though you had a pet, please give us a sign. Nothing works 100 percent.

(Asleep on the job.)

I… Read full post »

What set this off? The names and faces of former pets begin to work their way into my memory.

I don't know what happened to Muffin.

Muffin was a gray and white cat that I had around the age of 5. One day Muffin was gone. Mom and Dad said she… Read full post »

I have started watching M*A*S*H reruns. It probably seems like a strange way for a social worker to unwind after work, but the humor does me good.

Plus the writing is smart. The conversations are poignant and heart-breaking. The storylines have a timeless relevance -- as long as there are w… Read full post »

When I started blogging a few months ago it was because I had something to say about healthcare reform. I needed to blow off steam and I needed to tell it like it is from the front lines in the world of American healthcare.

Then I liked the way it felt to blog, like I… Read full post »

So you think you can mind-read?

You think you know what President Obama or his political opponents are really thinking as they go about business that either pleases you or disgusts you?  You are in good company.

Someone whom I consider to be very fair and open-minded about people made… Read full post »

Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.


O Divine Master, gra

… Read full post »

Conversation overheard at my nail salon:

Concerned citizen who speaks English as a second language: "Is it the pig flu that your boy has?"

Mom (from another planet): "No. He doesn't have pig flu. He's got the swan flu."

Third-party listener: "Don't you mean swine flu?"

Mom (from anothe… Read full post »

The debate about whether it’s okay to heckle an American president has skirted one issue that could plague those in favor of “You lie!” outbursts. That is: Children are watching.  And they are listening, too. Is that the kind of disrespect… Read full post »

My household is currently in a state of self-imposed quarantine with the "H1N1" flu, more commonly known as the swine flu. 

Here are some things we have noticed:

1.) Because children, teens and young adults reportedly are more vulnerable than older adults, there's a good chance that i… Read full post »

Light -- Pass It On! 

Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared. Buddha

Cathleen Hulbert/www.cathleenhulbert.com Read full post »

Fear is a busy thing, always multi-tasking. It wears so many hats and disguises and damn if some of them don't look half-way attractive. Lately I have become aware that fear circulates in my emotional system -- and has for years -- wearing the cloak of my own self-p… Read full post »

"Prayer is not a matter of conquering God's reluctance, but of aligning ourselves to God's eternal willingness." Eric Butterworth, from "The Universe is Calling"

 

I started my journey as a first-time novelist full of hope and expectation that exactly the right agent, followed by exactly the right publisher would materialize at the proper time and represent me. After all, writing my time-travel tale was a joyful experience. No suffering writ… Read full post »