The Red Velvet Lawyer

Reading on the Sly  as a Kid I am not sure my Dad knows this about me.  As a kid, I was always reading on the sly.  When I was in grade school, I saved some of my allowance to buy a small flashlight.  I used it to read books under the covers after my parents forced me to bed. I shared a room with my brother, Greg, so I assume I waited until he fell asleep.  I am sure I read for at least an hour after bedtime. As I got older, I would sneak from my bedroom to the bathroom to read by the nightlight.  This habit might explain my poor vision today. When I heard my parents starting to come up the steps, I'd hurry back to my room.  On some nights, I'd find that my feet had fallen to sleep while sitting on the tile floor under the weak light. Then I'd have to hobble to my unsteady feet and pretend that I was using the toilet.   One time, mom came up the steps too quickly to give me enough time to cover my secret reading habit. ...

The Red Velvet Lawyer  Reaches a New Milestone I want to thank everyone for helping this blog reach this milestone. I will continue to provide good content for all my audiences.  Love you!

"Extreme Reading Habits" This morning I read this article on the habits of some well-known people. They read about five hours a week.  Just to learn stuff. This transition to Qatar took a toll on my reading habits. Basically, I have been too tired to read at night.  Also, good books are hard to find here.  We have one book store and it mostly sells office supplies.  In addition, TV is just too easy an option. So, as part of my 2017 reset, I am committing to reading five hours a week.   This week, I finished the November/December issue of Foreign Affairs .  It focuses on the rise of populism, but it also had good articles on the leaders in Egypt and Turkey.  I am also about a third of the way through the fourth book in the Harry Potter series. This weekend, I started reading a book on the culture of Taiwan because I will be travelling there for the Chinese New Year later this month. Soon, I will start a book for my book club calle...

I Love Them to Pieces I am wrapping up my third semester as a Clinical Professor of Law teaching at the Qatar University College of Law in Doha, Qatar. I did not anticipate the challenge of teaching undergraduate law students while also addressing the language and cultural gaps between us. Those challenges have made me a better and more supportive teacher. I am so impressed with the students here and their effort to complete my demanding Legal Research and Writing course. Last week, I shared with them four Facebook posts I had made about them over the second half of the semester. I don't think they  get much praise like this. It really lit them up. During Week 11 of the semester, I wrote: This is the moment in the semester when all the work of the professor and the students begins to pay off in very clear ways. Students become self-sufficient learners. I love it.   My students are showing up at office hours to work on the drafts of their memo...

Marking Time with A Marble a Week My Mom, Jo Ann Young, died of colon cancer in October 1997.  I was 43 years old.  She was 61. This photo of us together was taken shortly before her diagnosis. Shortly after her death, I filled a round glass vase with glass marbles.  Each marble represented one week of my life if I lived only to the age of 61.  I started with about 220 marbles. Each week, I would throw one of the marbles into my garden. I was making a symbolic promise to myself to live my life at a run and with purpose, in loving memory of my Mom.   When, I celebrated my 60th birthday, I was down to about 10 marbles.  I got my job offer for the Doha gig and threw the last of the marbles into the garden as an act of making way, moving on, and living larger. I was now living longer than my Mom had lived.   I remember Mom sitting at the kitchen table, just months away from her final days. She said she wanted to visit Hong Kong. My head...

Goal Setting Words for 2017 When I announced that I planned to move to Qatar, I got one or the other responses.  Nothing in between.  The first response reflected fear: " I could never do that."  The second response looked beyond fear: "What a great adventure!" In truth, how many 61-year old women sell all their stuff and move to an Arab country?  Admittedly, not many. But, never in that process -- something I blogged about in my 2015 "Countdown to Qatar" series -- was I afraid of the choice I was making.  In fact, I was running towards that new life.  Running. At one point -- in the selling, moving, packing, storing, and pitching process -- I looked at my personal assistant, Brenda , and said: " All I have to do is just get there!"  Just get through the chaos of transition. Get there.  Everything would be fine. Better, in fact. Much better. And, I was right. The theme of this post is finding three words that remind me of...

In Search of Goal Setting Words for 2017 Starting in 2014, I began picking three words to remind me of my goals for the year.  Chris Brogan gave me the idea.   Here is his post on the topic.  In 2014 , I picked:  Robin, launch, and wealth. In 2015 , I picked:  Well-being, manifestation, and love.  Last year, I must have completely forgotten about the goal-setting exercise in the midst of my hectic transition to Qatar. But, now that I am settled and content in my new location, it is time to find three new words for 2017. I first though about fierce , physical , and fire .   These words reflected my response to the Trump election, but also recognized my commitment to health and well-being.  This week, I started my 19th consecutive week of fitness training. My friend, Heidi, and I meet at 6:30 a.m. four times a week. I swim for 20 or 30 minutes in a 16 meter pool.  She runs.  Then, we lift for anoth...