Today is the beginning of a special adventure for many kindergarteners. And, for over 62 years, it has not changed. This is the booklet my parents saved from my first year in public school. Entitled “A Handbook for Parents of Beginning Pupils” and includes advice for families to assist in adjusting to “the first lap…
Category: Aging
The Trump Adjustment
I am unabashedly liberal but voted on a few occasions for Republicans through the years; I am 67. So many opportunities to chose over the years. Sometimes wars were an issue. Sometimes it was fiscal concerns. Always, women’s issues were a concern. This year seemed like a slam dunk. Really, while Hillary was a harridan,…
Who Am I and Why Am I Blogging?
Literally, I am a goal setter, life-liver, and a person with a simple philosophy — “bloom where you are planted!” At this point in my life, I find myself retired, living in an ocean resort, becoming a grandparent for the second time, and feeling transitional. I was a professional, academic book writer, adjunct professor, mother…
Understanding Medicare and the “Observation” Admission
This is a very important caution about passive consumption of health care recommended by a doctor. I just returned home from an “observation” admission which was very unclear to me. I was being kept in the hospital pending a decision about a critical surgery after I experienced a spinal bleed. I was admitted on a…
The Demographic
The Demographic As a Baby Boomer, I have always been part of the gargantuan bubble drum rolling through the chaos of the past decades. Continuing to move through life’s developmental stages with many of the other now 60 plus year old aging hippies is no different. As senior citizens, we are in abundance. Ironically the tasks of our development…
These Ole Bones
Since I feel like I am still 35 most of the time, today is a reality check….bringing me up short on the issues of aging. I have a pre-surgery physical this morning at 9:30am for a surgery in two weeks. Then, I have to rush home to take my husband for lumbar surgery at 2:15…
Today is the last day I will be thinking of that sweet little boy as my baby. Tomorrow night we will be sharing our last meal in Los Angeles, with his fiancé. The next day 150 people will descend on Los Olivios, CA for his wedding. How does time move along so steadily to stages…
Progressively Falling Apart
Are we progressively falling apart, or less dramatically, is the more significant question “what really is aging?” In the last year I have had three surgeries that required anesthesia. Friends of mine have had breast cancer, melanoma, falling incidents, accidents, and broken bones. Harrumph…is this what getting older is all about? Progressive frailty is a reality…
A Sudden Event
A friend of mine, not my very best friend but a good friend and previous long-time colleague, was hit by a car this past week. She was seriously injured and remains in a coma. She has many broken bones and significant head injuries. This is the second time this year she experienced an accident while…
Chicory and Late Summer
This reminds me of my childhood and summer walks in a meadow. Common chicory is also known as blue daisy, blue dandelion, blue sailors, blue weed, bunk, coffeeweed, cornflower, hendibeh, horseweed, ragged sailors, succory, wild bachelor’s buttons, and wild endive (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia). When cultivated, it is radicchio and Belgian endive. This plant has many…
Life Gets Better 