Note: This was originally an email to my subscriber list in 2021: Here in New York, we've been blessed with a pretty mild Autumn so far (isn't "Autumn" so much fancier and less stressful than "Fall"?) But for those who live with seasonal affect disorder, the low feeling that comes with colder weather and fewer sunlight hours, this time of year can be emotionally challenging. And that low feeling, can sometimes look like a seasonal depression. Depression can bring some unwant

Note: This was originally written as a subscriber email in 2022: Over the last week or two, I noticed a couple of funny interactions. They were situations where people wanted to pay me for something, and I found myself asking them not to. Which is weird, because 1. money is useful and 2. I had done something for them that normally people pay for. But these were specific instances in which I actively prevented payment. It got me thinking about the different reasons we will opt

Note: This was originally published as a subscriber email in 2022: I don't really like being told what to do- do you? (Well, except when I'm stuck in decision-making analysis paralysis- then I'm wishing for a prophet to tell me what to do. And it's usually at those times that it's most important for me to make my own decisions.. sigh.) Some people are natural rule followers, and appreciate the guidance and motivation to "do what's right." But others are by nature more rebelli

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a man who didn’t understand marital intimacy very well. This man married two women. This was a time and place in which polygamy was a norm but there was more to the story. He had a “use” for each wife, both purely physical. One was for procreation, and the other was for recreation. (Mainly his own.) One wife was given ancient birth control potions but lots of beauty products and fine foods. Her body was prioritized for aesthetics an