
View Betsy Pfau's profile
My mother was terrified of dogs. Dogs had been used during the 1906 pogroms against my grandparents in Russia. My grandmother would cross to the other side of the street to avoid coming close to a dog. She instilled that fear in my mother as well. I guess I understood, but I LOVED them and…
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I’ve always loved to dance and grew up in and with Motown and the Jackson 5. Little Michael was a phenom. Great voice, dancing whiz; he could do everything and captivated us. We loved to sing along to those early songs and imitate the dance moves. He outgrew his brothers and became the biggest show…
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Like any self-respecting teenage girl, I listened to Top 40 radio incessantly. As someone growing up in the shadow of Motown, of course, I loved that music, but listened to it all, and think the mid-60s were a remarkable moment in time; Motown and British invasion music flourished side by side. They couldn’t be more…
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At his mid-afternoon press briefing on Wednesday, February 17, Governor Baker announced that anyone over the age of 65 would be eligible for vaccination the next day. The roll-out had gone badly so far, with only health care workers, first responders and those over the age of 75 being eligible to receive vaccinations and many…
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My mother graduated from The Ohio State University in 1935. She wanted to study modern dance in New York City and was forever grateful that her father cashed in his life insurance so she could have a year to do that. She studied with Doris Humphrey, whose most famous student was José Limón. Before heading…
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I might have been a top software sales rep in my former life, but I never understood how to code or the underlying workings of the software. EVER! I could always call on a smart professional from my division for help going from the general to the specifics of how my company could help the…
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Growing up in Detroit, I attended an integrated, large elementary school which encompassed grades K-8. At that time, the curriculum was excellent, but even during the years I attended, 1958-1963, it was already over-crowed and I began kindergarten the February after turning 5, as they had split sessions to accommodate the large numbers of students.…
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My mother and her two sisters had excellent manners. They always knew what to wear for any occasion, how to behave, how to write a lovely thank you note. Very proper women. And these they taught to their children as well. I used to call them the “white glove ladies”, as you can see from…
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I appreciate the classic movies and my husband is an avid watcher of Turner Classic Movies. But when I am home and unencumbered, my eyes no longer able to focus on the printed page and I choose to relax alone at night, I have my go-to favorites that I watch over and over. I…
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Where did I go wrong? Now the breakfast dish is left on the counter, The ice cream bowl from the night before put in the sink with no water. The peanut butter knife put in the dishwasher, but not rinsed. I tell him – he needs to rinse dishes before placing them in the dishwasher.…
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Penny’s Puppy
Prompted By Naming Pets
/ Stories

Billie Jean
Prompted By Separating the Art from the Artist
/ Stories

How We Listened
Prompted By Remembering Radios
/ Stories

Vax Thrill
Prompted By Vaccination
/ Stories

Working Mother and Not
Prompted By Stay-at-Home Parent
/ Stories

Baffled By Technology
Prompted By Technology Tribulations
/ Stories

Jonathan Kozol
Prompted By Inequality
/ Stories

White Gloves
Prompted By Manners
/ Stories

A True Romantic
Prompted By Rewatchable Movies
/ Stories

Dishes in the Dishwasher, Please!
Prompted By Pet Peeves
/ Stories
