Ann Hood explains the Red Thread of destiny

I attended an event this morning sponsored by Where the Sidewalk Ends bookstore in Chatham. Author Ann Hood came to the Chatham Wayside Inn to share breakfast and coffee with us, and to discuss her latest book, The Red Thread.

The blurb on the bookstore's website reads:

"The ancient Chinese spoke of a mythical red thread that connected a child to all of the people who would eventually play a role in his or her life. As time passed, it was believed that the thread tightened, shrinking the distance between that child and those people, until both were finally brought together.

In her latest novel, THE RED THREAD, Ann Hood, the acclaimed author of The Knitting Circle, explores the unique bond between parent and child, and the red thread that binds their lives."

If you ever get a chance to hear her speak, go. Ann is a wonderfully warm, charming, and dynamic storyteller. Her intimate and heartfelt tales made me both laugh and cry as I sat along with the rest of the audience sipping my coffee.

The event was also a fundraiser for WE CAN, a local nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Cape Cod women in transition. Now in their second decade, WE CAN has helped thousands of women on Cape Cod, giving them the ability to lead successful and productive lives.

More literary events are planned for this summer. To find out more, visit the bookstore's website, and be sure to check out the Summer Issue of CapeWomenOnline magazine for my full story.

I love my job.

There are times when I have to smile and say, "I love my job."

Not every day, mind you. Not when there are problems afoot, or writers missing deadlines. But other times, when you get a sign from the Universe that you've done something good.

I didn't work this weekend, as my daughter's Girl Scout troop was on a camping trip. As their Leader, I was camping too. I like camping, but those first few hours of getting things set up and getting all the girls situated in tents can be hectic.

In the midst of all the hectic-ness, one of the other leader received a phone call and had to step away from the mayhem. She was gone for a while (which is why we have several adults in each unit, just in case.) I worried that it was bad news of some sort, but when she returned she was smiling.

"That was a friend of mine," she said, still smiling. "She just read my article, and wanted to tell me that she really loved it."

I met Dorothy Cohen three years ago, when my daughter was first assigned to her Brownie troop. I wasn't an official Leader that year because there were already three leaders. Dorothy was my favorite. She was down-to-earth with a self-deprecating sense of humor that I appreciated, and she was an animal lover. We quickly bonded for life.

The following year, she talked me into being a Leader with her. I'm still a Girl Scout Leader. And now, she's also a writer for CapeWomenOnline magazine. Her article in the current Spring Issue tells about her volunteer work with the Brewster Animal Rescue League.

It made me feel good to see her so excited by the positive feedback. Like I did something really worthwhile.

Editing can be rewarding.

Back online and Greener than Ever!

Did you miss us? Well, CapeWomenOnline magazine is back online once again.

We were missing from the Internet for a few days while our Web Princess transferred us to a new hosting service. Our new home is at Fat Cow, a solar and wind powered company based in the mid-Western U.S.

By switching over to Fat Cow, we're voting with our pocketbooks for greener, more sustainable sources of energy. Better for us, better for you, and better for the planet.

There shouldn't be an visible difference in how the website looks, feels or operates. The Spring Issue still has all the same great articles and links to our creative and wonderful contributors, advertisers and sponsors. The only difference will be our reduced impact on the environment.

Going green feels pretty good.

CWO is Getting Even Greener!

The ocean is beautiful this week. The water is clear and sparkling, in stark contrast to the images on the television news of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

The oil spill wasn't the main or only reason but it tipped the balance in our decision to make the magazine even greener: We've decided to switch our web hosting over to Fat Cow, a solar and wind powered company in the Mid-West. What a great fit for our already "green" magazine!

In the interim, the magazine will be offline for a day or two while the transfer occurs. The Web Princess is working closely with the nice people at Fat Cow to get us up and running as quickly as possible. Since it's more than a month until our next launch date, it seemed like a good time to try this.

We apologize for any inconvenience, and promise that when the magazine comes back online, you won't even notice the change. It'll still be the same great magazine.

Only greener.