Confined to a parochial school for the first four years of school, through subtle but effective misbehavior (incessant chatter), I was asked to relocate to a public school (hahaha). In awe the first day, I entered fifth grade, not knowing what to expect. The class size was only 30, compared to 60 my prior school.…
Category: Retirement
Embracing Retirement: Overcoming Challenges and Rediscovering Passions
Retirement sometimes bring a strange mix of morning emotions. When I worked I woke at 4:45 every day with energy and a “can’t wait” approach to the day. I had long days, many challenges, and “work” friends I valued. Now, after 13 years of retirement, I awake and still wait for the “moment” of daily…
Getting too old for a puppy?
Having lost my 14-year-old dog two years ago, I felt a strong need for loving dog companionship. When I mentioned this to my family members, everyone was skeptical. Most of them don’t live in my home except my spouse. My veterinary daughter was supportive but also expressed some concerns and raised many issues. My other…
Parental Affection Across Generations: A Personal Reflection
Did your parents hug you? A lot? Never? Only on special occasions? After spending the weekend with my 8 year old grandson I realized that he was okay with hugging me. As a Grammy I want to be hugged repeatedly and in a hard embrace. This is new to this generation, from my experience. I…
Walking My Way to Youth?
Walking… every where you turn newspapers, Facebook ads, and random emails create a rallying cry for becoming younger, thinner, and healthier. In my younger days I ran a couple miles about every other day. I was younger, thinner, and healthier then. Now, I walk about a mile every day, do chair yoga, and am working…
The New Reality
Although shocking in his out-of-the-box comments, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butler is a disquieting reminder of how societal norms have changed, maybe not in the Life Gets Better movement. While his comments in a personal setting would be an acceptable reflection of his own beliefs, directing college students to an out-of-step marital relationship status…
Am I too old for a dog?
Living in a community that is populated with what we now call more mature residents, few have dogs. Some family members do bring their dogs, especially the younger ones, and there are a few Millenials hanging about with pets. My three children counseled against getting a dog, especially the young and small puppy I was…
The Wind
The wind has taken over…three days of unrelenting gusts to 45 mph and what is euphemistically called a “windy day on the desert floor!” Living at the ocean had breezy days. Heavy winds occurred when there was a nor’easter, which was not all that frequent. Here, multiple warm, windy days can occur, often without warning.…
Back to My Organized Life
Unexpectedly, an opportunity to relocate from Ocean City, Maryland, on the east coast, to Rancho Mirage, California, on the west coast, emerged like a welcoming call to return to an area of my life that I thoroughly enjoyed. In 1972 I moved to Hermosa Beach and began an amazing and tumultuous period of my life…
On the Road Day #2
Some days the road is just that — a road. Made the travel journey on Route 58 from Davis Lakes, Virginia to Hope Mills, NC. Passing the cotton gins and cotton fields brought back visions of Southern movies. The Bluff Mill was built in 1841 and remained through out the Civil War and remains today…
