Archive for the ‘Leigh Spence’ Category

In October I will turn fifty. There, I said it. My philosophy on aging is to start telling people that is how old I am before it happens, to ease the transition. Today, I was thinking about aging in general. I think it was the mammogram appointment that got me going. I am always slightly [...] more »

On May 21, we launched 580 Kewpies into the world. Ambitious, creative, fun-loving people ready to tackle whatever lies ahead. About 120 of those students were “mine,” advisees that have been with me since their sophomore year. To varying degrees, I knew them. Some I knew through changing their schedules or helping with their college [...] more »

Over spring break, Sean and I went to New Mexico for a few days. One of the main attractions of the trip was to visit the home and studio of Georgia O’Keeffe in Abiquiu, about 50 miles outside of Santa Fe. more »

This week I am thinking about the prudence of silence. Sometimes not saying something is the most profound choice. more »

I feel like a mini vacation is headed my way this weekend with the True/False Film Festival. Here are ten reasons why: more »

Today when I drove to work I passed the Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) offices on Providence Road near Hickman. It was 6:55 a.m. and there was a line of at least 10 people waiting for the offices to open. It made me think. more »

Recently I was telling a student my “first real job out of college” story. more »

The recent shootings in Tucson have me thinking about mental health among our young people. more »

My mom’s 78th birthday has just passed. Some of you who read my Voices column or my blog may know some of her story. But with the passing of her day (or as she referred to it fairly recently, “The month of Roberta”), I thought it would be fun to tell a few anecdotes about [...] more »

From “The Old Gray Mare… A Daughter’s Blog.” — My mom has vascular dementia. Her favorite phrase is, aptly, “The old gray mare, she ain’t what she used to be.” So true. more »