I’ve been on the road again, this time on an elegant nine-person tour of China with A&K. We stopped at the major tourist destinations: Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guilin/Yangshuo, and Hong Kong. I saw and learned a great deal, despite the reality that tourists are directed only to the most noteworthy locations. I expected to see
Articles Categorized Sandra Wagner-Wright
HAPPY ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS’ WEEK
Once upon a time, perhaps around 1955, there were four career paths for women. In alphabetical order women could become nurses, secretaries, teachers, or wives. Wives, of course, didn’t work. [Note the fictional aspect here. Of course wives worked, and there were lots of jobs done by women. But technically a job isn’t a career.
EMANCIPATION DAY IN D. C. BUMPS TAX DAY
Riddle: If April 15 is the deadline for filing Federal Income Tax, why is this year’s deadline extended to April 18? Normally, if the 15th falls on a weekend or a holiday, the deadline is extended to the next work day. This year April 15 was on Saturday, so you might think the due date
FATHER DAMIEN – HAWAI`I’S FIRST SAINT
In 1873 Father Damien accepted a call to serve people who lived with Hansen’s Disease on an isolated peninsula called Kalaupapa on the island of Moloka`i. Father Damien spent the rest of his life serving St. Philomina Catholic Church, building houses, schools, and hospitals, caring for patients and dressing their wounds, making coffins, digging
RAMA’S LABYRINTH – Free Kindle Edition April 2-6
Wednesday, April 5th is Pandita Mary Ramabai’s saint’s day in the Church of England and Episcopal Church. In commemoration and as a special thank you, the Kindle edition of Rama’s Labyrinth is available at no charge until Thursday, April 6. WHO WAS MARY RAMA? Mary is Rama’s baptismal name. When Rama traveled to the Community
CUPCAKE BREAK!
Life is stressful these days. It must be time for a cupcake break. Fun, exuberant little cakes, the cup cake is almost sincere in its potential for simplicity. There’s automatic portion control. The little cakes bake more quickly than regular cakes which makes them energy efficient. Serving cupcakes, especially with their paper wrappers, is less
THE MADNESS OF MARCH
March Madness, the biggest collegiate basketball tournament of the year, is in full swing. Some might say the entire game of basketball is somewhat “mad,” an invented game of known origins. I use “mad” in the English sense: being of unsound mind or mad as a March hare. [More on the hare, later.] In NCAA
IRISH IMMIGRANTS & ST. PATRICK’S DAY
This Friday is St. Patrick’s Day. There will be quantities of green beer, lots of people wearing green, parades, consumption of corned beef & cabbage, and festivities for young and old. The day is so much a part of American culture that it’s easy to forget the Irish were once unwanted immigrants. Between 1820 and
ART, HISTORY, POLITICS, & DOLLS
You know it’s March when cherry trees prepare to bloom. It’s also a month of female-oriented events. In the U.S. the entire month carries the label “Women’s History Month.” Go to any library or school campus, and you’ll probably see displays of notable women. Visibility in a good thing, but is it enough? Wednesday, March 8
Is There a “Perfect” Closet?
Spring officially begins in about a month. Some people think of bunnies and chicks. Some wonder if they should clean something. I dream of organizing my closet. There’s nothing really wrong with my closet. It has a rack and top shelf on either side. One side has a dresser with room to stand the
SOLITAIRE, A Sometimes Guilty Pleasure
It’s true, Your Honor. I play Computer Solitaire – and not even a complicated version. I play Klondike, the same game I learned to play with – gasp – actual playing cards. I love the colorful backgrounds, the tiny cards and the happy dance they do when I occasionally win. I love how looking a
Tamar, Judah & Justice
This is Tamar’s story. It’s not a story you heard in Sunday School but it is in the Bible. Funny how only certain stories get picked out for retelling – especially if the story’s about a woman. Very few women even show up in the Bible as any feminist theologian will tell you. The image
PARESWANATH TEMPLE – AN OASIS IN KOLKATA
There’s one more destination I want to tell you about from my recent trip to Kolkata. Pareswanath Temple is a jewel of serenity. My guide Anup Saha suggested we visit the temple and I’m so glad he did. As we walked up Badridas Temple Street in northeast Kolkata, I had no idea what to expect.
Controversial Elections – Part 2
The 2016 Election isn’t the first time votes in the Electoral College determined the winner despite the popular vote going to the other candidate. Last week we looked at what the Electoral College is. You can access the discussion and a look at early electoral controversies here. Each state’s Electoral Votes is the tally
The Electoral College & Historic Controversy
Image: George Washington This past Friday, January 20, Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. The election was close. The popular vote went to Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, but the Electoral Vote – the vote that actually elects the president went to Donald Trump. Donald Trump — Republican — 304 Electoral
Capt. Queeg, Col. Jessup, & Rev. Hastie?
CAPT. QUEEG Herman Wouk’s The Caine Mutiny appeared in 1951, one of many post World War II novels. The book sold well and won a Pulitzer Prize. The story of Ensign Willie Keith’s experiences aboard the minesweeper U.S.S. Caine resonated with men and women trying to make sense of the war that shaped their adult