"Clean out a corner of your mind, and creativity will instantly fill it.”
—Dee Hock—

Here’s where we go wrong as women, and frankly as humans in general: We expect too much and give too little. Before you take that deep huffy breath, let me expound: We expect too much of ourselves and give too little to ourselves. Now, take a gentler breath.

In founding the women’s publications Pink Magazine 18 years ago, and Paisley Magazine 14 years ago, I have talked to some women throughout my publishing journey—thousands and thousands of women to be more descriptive. What I have found is a common thread amongst the majority of women—most give too little to themselves. (Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule.)

I don’t know if you’re mad about it but I am. I’m not talking about high gas prices,
I’m talking about Cortisol. I know no one else is talking about Cortisol, but Lord knows they should be. Why? Because it is out of control and making us sick and tired—
and you thought it was politics!

How is it fair in anyway that Cortisol, the stress hormone, gets to be in charge of abdominal fat? It’s like a tyrant running around to every organ in your body, which has to be tip-toed around to keep from punishing us. One study in Sweden monitored stressed-out men and determined those with the highest cortisol levels also had the biggest beer bellies.

“She smelled of sun and daisies
with a hint of river water.”
—Katie Daisy

As I read and edited all the stories on the following pages about brave women who have put themselves out there in the world, finding or making adventures everywhere they go, it made me want to embark on a summer adventure. The funny thing is, out of all the places, activities and adventures these women have taken on, and there are some amazing ones, the thing I’m most jealous of: They have managed their lives in such a way that their adventures have come true.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, here I sit, stressing on how I will take one little week off this summer without having to check into work every day. So, when I read about these women, my take-away is freedom—the absolute ability to leave the daily grind behind. These women have broken away from what is expected, what is deemed as responsible, what is safe and what is “normal,” and instead, blazed their own trails.

I enjoy a good old-fashion telephone conversation. Sometimes when I’m visiting my mother, who has had the same house for 54 years, I’ll go to my childhood room and call my old friends on the rotary phone that’s still there. It’s just so vintage, so connecting. It’s always fun to sit on the floor, play with the coiled phone cord, and talk and laugh for an hour. However, there are a few things I can’t stand to talk about on the phone:

I don’t mind hearing about someone’s diet successes, or helping them get back on board if they’ve slipped a little, but I despise when people, namely my mother, tell me what she’s eaten for the last 14 meals… “On Monday, I had oatmeal for breakfast, with a half of grapefruit that I had to put a little sugar on to cut the tartness, and a cup of coffee with my vanilla creamer, but it’s fat-free, and just a bite of coffee cake, to go with the coffee, you know. Then for lunch…”

“Your life is made of two dates and a dash. Make the most of the dash.”
—Linda Ellis

I can hardly bring myself to write about our theme this month— #MamaBear. The phase of life I’m currently in puts me dead center of the sandwich generation. My mother is 91 years old, and I worry every day if it will be her last, even though she has no critical illness. I know she worries about it, too, because she calls me every night to say good night. This is a new habit. It’s because she’s thinking about that classic childhood prayer that ironically scares us all to death—‘if I should die before I wake…” I can’t blame her for thinking this way; we all have an expiration date. Luckily, so far, we are both still “in date.”