Author Archives: MaryFrances Knapp (Blog Writer, SevenPonds)

Translating Love: The Story of Nelly & Hubert Janssen

Wellness expert Mary Beth Janssen's mother translated the love letters from her youth -- bringing back many memories

“Death creates greater clarity,” says Mary Beth Janssen. We’re chatting over the phone before she takes her morning train into Chicago. It’s the start of yet another busy day for a woman whose passion for her work feels both inexhaustible … Continue reading

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How Can You Care for a Loved One Immediately after Death? An Interview with Susan Oppie, Part Two

One Washcloth offers a simple, moving way for the bereaved to care for one who has died

Today in the second part of a two-part interview, SevenPonds speaks with Susan Oppie of One Washcloth. Susan has been in the medical field for over 19 years and has worked as everything from a Home Health Aide for the … Continue reading

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Turn to White: Islamic Funeral Traditions in Morocco

For the Islamic of Morocco, white has always been the new black when mourning a death

Morocco is dripping in color and culture. Muslims, Berbers and Arabs dot the hillsides and winding roads. Cityscapes are flushed in burnt yellows and deep, majorelle blue with a kaleidoscope of tiles. However, this abundance of color is forgone when … Continue reading

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Breathing Light: James Turrell at LACMA

A retrospective of artist James Turrell's work offers a personal, spiritual experience to viewers

Artist James Turrell (b. 1943, Los Angeles) played a pivotal role in the West Coast’s Light and Space Movement during the 1960s and 70s. The movement was rooted in the flexibility of perception and manipulation of space, and Turrell’s pieces … Continue reading

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How Can You Care for a Loved One Immediately after Death? An Interview with Susan Oppie, Part One

One Washcloth offers a simple, moving way for the bereaved to care for one who has died

Today in the first part of a two-part interview, SevenPonds speaks with Susan Oppie of One Washcloth. Susan has been in the medical field for over 19 years and has worked as everything from a Home Health Aide for the … Continue reading

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“Middle Age: when you chose your cereal for the fiber, not the toy”

-- Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960
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