Michelle Garred

Last weekend in Amsterdam I queued up for two hours in cold weather to gain admission to the Anne Frank House museum. There was no guarantee that there would be space for me, or that my endurance would last long enough to find out. But I made it inside! It was a profound experience. I don’t … More A Warning from Anne Frank

My chiropractor recently told me ‘There’s no guarantee that you won’t have more than one problem at a time.’ He was speaking the truth about the health of my spine. And his words are equally true when applied to the state of our world. Most people who know me assume that I am preoccupied with … More The Other Thing Happening in Paris – Climate Change

In honor of Mother’s Day, this is a modified version of the eulogy that I wrote for my Mom, Nancy Garred, who passed away on 30 January. Mom loved being locally rooted, living nearly 50 years in Tumwater, Washington State, and all her life in the Pacific Northwestern USA. I, however, lost my local roots … More Homemade Lessons for a Global Life

I usually resist the urge to write about every heartbreaking event that comes along. I’m a slow blogger, and by the time I finally write something the moment has often passed. But here’s the thing: silence sometimes looks like acceptance. So let’s talk right now about Ferguson, Missouri. This looks like complex situation in which … More Ferguson: No silence, no acceptance