Hot Flashes is Heading to Boston!
And other news + programs, March 2026
And I could use your help, please. I’m super excited, but equally nervous about venturing this far from home. If you have any friends in the Boston area who might want the chance to be a part of creating Hot Flashes goodness, please share this link.
And if you know someone who would like to join the audience, they can buy a ticket at tinyurl.com/HotFlashesTewksbury.
Indigo Whimsy is our host site. They offer a range of workshops from centuries-old Japanese dyeing techniques to creating designs using high-tech laser cutters. Indigo Whimsy founder Christy Matte and I share a philosophy about the importance of making time and space to play and explore creatively while building a supportive community.
Calling My Supportive Community
Help us continue Isaac’s Birthday Cereal tradition.
To honor the memory and celebrate the kindness of my son Isaac, who died in 2020, we’re continuing the tradition of collecting donations of high-sugar kids cereal for our local food pantry for his birthday. When my boys were young, we only ate healthy breakfast cereals. But on their birthdays, they got to pick a big box of the junkiest cereal they wanted and eat it for the week. Likewise, many children whose families rely on food pantries for support eat a lot of plain oatmeal.
We invite far-flung friends to play along by making a donation to their local food pantries, neighborhood Little Free Food Pantries, and community fridges.
Hot Flashes: Make it Weird for Mother’s Day
The next Hot Flashes Show in Chicagoland will take place on Tuesday, May 12 at 7 PM at the Storefront in Skokie.
For the May show, think: Mother’s Day, but Make it Weird. We’re looking for hilarious, awkward, or slightly uncomfortable five or six-minute stories related to the mother who birthed you, the one who raised you, and/or the one you became. We’re especially looking for bad advice about periods, dating, sex, and menopause.
We’ve got some fun stories booked, but have space for a few more tellers. Click to pitch your story (it doesn’t need to be fully written just yet).
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I recently met Shawn Simmons, a professor at Milwaukee Institute of Art + Design. She’s working on a sabbatical project that centers on building community for women to discuss their health knowledge and challenges, especially regarding menopause. Can you spare a minute to help her out with her research? Take her survey.
If you were at the February Hot Flashes and learned how I finally linked dolphins and menopause, check out this related and adorable cardboard animation.
Save Your Seat for May 12 Hot Flashes in Skokie
Let’s Eat Cookies and Talk About Death
The recent Stories of Life and Love was beautiful and powerful. Take a peek. Thank again to presenting sponsor Mike Dyer, financial advisor with Edward Jones, and supporting sponsor Philip Flores, Jr. of Cremation by Water.
We’ll have another show this summer with the theme, Good Grief. If you think you’ve got a story, ping me. The date is still TBD.
I love this pic of me and Philip from the Chicago Environmentalists event on sustainable end-of-life options. I’ve got a tray of cookies and he’s holding the, um, “leftovers.”
Did you know I have a curated Bookshop shop with the titles of my favorite books on loss, grief, and end-of-life? If you make a purchase from it, I earn a small commission.
And, of course, give a shout if I can help your family or members of your organization talk about death, end-of-life, disposition options, or grief.
An Awe-Full Walk in the Woods on April 12
Join me to escape into a different time zone. For a brief period, life will slow down as we focus on what’s around us and in us.
We’ll ponder the connections we see and the invisible threads that bind all living things.
We’ll find wonder in the tiny, seemingly unremarkable things.
We’ll leave refreshed, restored, more resilient, and ready to practice finding awe in the mundane.
This is what will get us through.
Spots are limited; save yours today.
Until Next Time
Amazing art in partnership with trees.
It would be fun to produce something like this in a slightly larger format. I’m just trying to think of when and where I’d display it. (Also, how and why.)
Dueling reproductive organs?
Ah, AI. Let me know how you’re using it (or not).
Last month I put out a call for people who want to make friends with crows. Last night, I hosted a geeky dinner for the group.
Missed the February newsletter? Read it here.
Let me know what’s making you laugh or think these days. I’ll tell you more about ultra-processed information next month.
Kim
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Scrappy Affirmations normalizes being human in a complicated world. We help you build resilience and find your mid-life mojo through creative workshops, transformative coaching, heartfelt ceremonies, and essential end-of-life planning.