Author Archives: sheilawill

Happiness 2015: The Givers and the Takers

Posted on January 2, 2015 by sheilawill

I’m an extrovert. I get caught up in the New Year’s hype. I’m glad that “the holiday season” is done and that it’s a time for starting over. That’s how I see it, but it probably isn’t as easy for … Continue reading →

Posted in Family Matters, Fight wimpiness | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

We may be a family of turkeys…

Posted on November 28, 2014 by sheilawill

I’m “grated full” — as one of my U.S. history students years ago wrote — of gladness on the day after Thanksgiving (boo black Friday). Dan joined me in Jersey City for my favorite holiday, despite the cold, icy rain … Continue reading →

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Back in the saddle of books: Texas here I come!

Posted on October 11, 2014 by sheilawill

Growing up in Connecticut didn’t stop me from imagining Texas just over the next hill. “Daddy, is that Texas?” I frequently asked my father on our Sunday rides to Blackie’s for hot dogs and chocolate milk. I don’t recall wanting … Continue reading →

Posted in Fight wimpiness, Mount Desert Island/Maine, politics, Tucson Festival of Books/good books | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Motherhood: 37 years/Tucson: 12 years

Posted on September 26, 2014 by sheilawill

How have 37 years gone by so quickly? On Sept. 25, 1977, my beautiful daughter was born, the first newborn I ever held. On Sept. 25, 2002, I drove into Tucson at sunset. “I don’t know what I’ll do now … Continue reading →

Posted in Bopping Around Tucson, Family Matters, Fight wimpiness | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Role models abound

Posted on September 21, 2014 by sheilawill

I’m old. I want to be older, but only if I can age like some of my new role models. Who are they? Two women, now in their early 90s, who have been friends for more than 65 years; a … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby Boomers, Bopping Around Tucson | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Tune-up for getting old (er)

Posted on August 30, 2014 by sheilawill

Life was going along smoothly. Kids okay, no tension at home, easy job compared to teaching. I was revved up for the three-day pre-nuptial Ethan and Steph celebration in Minneapolis last weekend. Surprises at a family gathering…is anyone surprised? Old … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby Boomers, Family Matters, Fight wimpiness | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

I feel like Ms. Rumphius…I’m so lucky

Posted on July 20, 2014 by sheilawill

   A highlight of summer in Maine is relaxation. I’ve relaxed so much this year that I  feel tired. Maybe there’s something wrong with me. Is this what relaxation feels like? I’ve been spending a lot of time looking out the … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby Boomers, Mount Desert Island/Maine, Nature Girl | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

A summer paradise at my Southwest Harbor home

Posted on July 12, 2014 by sheilawill

It’s 10:30 a.m. and I’ve been up since 6:30 a.m. Not exactly. I’m still in bed, looking out my window at the Cranberry Island ferry coming and going, sailboats gliding by, the one old house on Greening Island. Enjoying the … Continue reading →

Posted in Mount Desert Island/Maine | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

A colorful day on my own

Posted on June 1, 2014 by sheilawill

My man is off on an adventure, which I applaud. Before we met eight years ago, I would schedule a day a month to do whatever I felt like, try something new. That was fun but today is different. I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Bopping Around Tucson, The Rest of the World | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

I worry about surveys

Posted on May 22, 2014 by sheilawill

I took my share of statistics as a political science major in college. As a teacher and journalist I’ve spent a lifetime asking questions, which can be difficult because no one is objective. Consider the recent Anti-Defamation League survey on … Continue reading →

Posted in Journalism/Writing, The inconvenient truth about education, The Rest of the World | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments