Greetings from Alison Wiley here in Portland, Oregon. I'm a writer/doer/thinker who lives happily by putting people, nature and God ahead of accumulating more stuff. Read more →
Which of us has not felt at some point that our quality of life absolutely depended on getting our spouse, child, partner, girlfriend or boyfriend to change? And how successful were we at getting them to change? Usually not very, huh. This is Part I in a 2013 series on creating happier relationships with whoever we spend a [...]
My readers told me in December’s survey that they want suggestions of good books to read, both fiction and nonfiction. Today’s post does that. Both books that I’m reviewing today share a theme of coping with change, i.e. a world that is warming. I read books to get deliciously lost in worlds and lives different from my [...]
Tags: adapting in place·Barbara Kingsolver·change·Flight Behavior·Making Home·Sharon Astyk
Have you or someone you love been affected by Irene, the storm flooding New York City that prompted the almost unthinkable closure of its massive transit system? How about the record-breaking
Tags: change·climate change·climate refugees·developed world·extreme weather·global warming·Irene·NASA Goddard Space Flight Center·National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration
What does President Obama’s suggestion we curb our national oil addiction share in common with the premise of the cool book I’ve just now added to my book recommendations? The belief that change and transformation are possible. And, the underlying belief that we can cultivate happiness, a sense of sufficiency and ‘enoughness’, without always chasing [...]
Tags: change·happiness·oil·President Obama·Smart Energy·time poverty
The new Grist site has an article titled Myth: Using Less Energy = Sacrifice. Its author David Roberts is saying what mainstream culture wants to hear: no discomfort at hand as we deal with global warming. No lifestyle changes needed. I know many progressive people, smart people, who promote this viewpoint. And I understand that [...]
Tags: change·climate change·culture·David Roberts·global warming·Grist·oil
While organizing the agenda of a difficult, contentious meeting at work recently, I told my coworker Pam that I was holding “No Drama Obama’ in my mind as my role model. She smiled and gave a thumbs-up to this notion, wanting a productive meeting as much as I did. The meeting turned out to be [...]
The New York Times reports this morning that stocks have now plummeted so far that they reached their permissible limits, and that data on the world’s (not just the U.S. ) economy is pointing to a profound slowdown. Most agree that big changes are ahead. I assume the fabric of our lives will change a [...]
Tags: change·economics·encouragement·fear·green living·happiness·life·middle class·thrift
I am blessed to be in a happy marriage. My husband Thor and I share delight and trust in each other. But my life hasn’t always been this way: I’m a survivor of two divorces, many more break-ups, and staggering amounts of emotional pain. I notice that things can change. Specifically, people can change. We [...]
Tags: aphrodisiac·barter·carbon footprint·change·divorce·finances·global warming·green living·happiness·life·marriage·mission·quality of life·relationships·service·sexuality·Stephen Covey·values·wedding
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