The Red Velvet Lawyer

  How a Pandemic Caused Economic, Political, Social, and Religious Upheaval in France The Black Death  reached Italy's shores at the Messina port in October 1347.   The Genoese ship had stopped previously in a port on the Black Sea.  They offloaded trade goods and a devastating infection.   The diseased sailors showed strange black swellings about the size of an egg or an apple in the armpits and groin.  The swellings oozed blood and pus and were followed by spreading boils and black blotches on the skin from internal bleeding.  The sick suffered sever pain and died quickly within five days of the first symptoms. As the disease spread, other symptoms of continuous fever and spitting of blood appeared instead of the swellings or buboes.  These victims coughed ans sweated heavily and died even more quickly, within three days or less, sometimes in 24 hours.  In both types everything that issued from the body -- breath, sweat, blood fro...

Respecting, But Managing Fear --- Wisdom from Elizabeth Gilbert and Elaine Bailey-Anderson At a time when our already hectic and stressful lives breed chronic anxiety about work and home, we are now facing new fears tied to the global pandemic of COVID-19 . Recently, one of my former coaches from Christine Kain 's UpLevel coaching program offered her insight to managing fear.  It was so great, I asked for permission to share it here.  From Elaine Bailey-Anderson, CoachBrilliant : Whenever things get scary, or I get frightened I write a letter to my fear. Then I burn it to release my attachment to it. I learned this from Elizabeth Gilbert ❤️  She also suggests that if you are feeling extra fearful then give fear a chance to express itself first and be with it - Allow your fear to write a letter to YOU before you write one back.  Take a moment to surrender to your fear and ask it: “What are you actually terrified about, in this s...