'All the leaves are brown'Effie Caldarola
''All the leaves are brown. And the sky is gray." As we lean into another Advent, that opening line of "California Dreamin''' plays in my head. I love the Mamas and the Papas 1965 ...
Before Roe v. Wade Effie Caldarola
I went to high school before Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court decision establishing a woman's constitutional right to abortion and an absolute right during the first trimester. In early May, ...
Lessons from Monte CassinoEffie Caldarola
The hairpin turns were gasp-inducing, especially to someone afraid of heights. As we climbed higher and higher, I alternated between covering my eyes and then peeking out at the remarkable landscape unfolding ...
Guard the net Effie Caldarola
When my daughter Maria was a senior in high school, the girls' hockey coach asked her to be the goalie for the team. This might seem a reasonable request except for one thing: Maria didn't play hockey. ...
The face in the mirrorEffie Caldarola
When my granddaughter Alice was just months old, she would lie on a blanket, surrounded by a plastic toy structure that had colorful objects hanging from it. When the structure was jiggled, things would ...
Picture this Effie Caldarola
I am on a decluttering kick, spurred on by months of being a virtual prisoner in my own house. I have bags full of clothes to give away, books someone else may enjoy, junk that needs to be pitched. Most ...
'The Social Dilemma'Effie Caldarola
My brother has been a faithful member of Alcoholics Anonymous for decades. He's the guy who opens the church and brews the coffee for the weekly meeting. But since March, his meetings have been on Zoom. ...
Driveway moments and justice Effie Caldarola
I think we've all had "driveway moments." That's when your favorite song comes on the car radio as you arrive home and you linger to listen. Or maybe it's a National Public Radio story you have to finish. So, ...
