Welcoming the new year has been special for me this particular year. I have had a few difficult years, 1997-98, and survived. This year, I have been thrust into a caretaker role for the first time since my three children grew up and entered professions that were self-sustaining. My husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer.…
Tag: aging
California Living: Highlights and Challenges to Consider
California Eureka (I Have Found It) Moving here to warm weather has been a life gift. I had lived here in the 70s and forgotten the appeal of summer wear almost year-round. I moved back to the East in 1978 to take care of my parents. In 2011, I retired and moved to the ocean.…
Retirement Bliss: Adapting to Life in the Desert
Living in the desert brings many challenges, some too stressful, while life is getting better (hahaha). The heat in the summer is 100-124 degrees. This summer, the average has been about 109, easier to manage. We do outside activities in the early AM and run errands. Midday is time for paperwork, reading, puzzles, writing, online…
Effective House Cleaning Tips for a Tidy Home
Regular house cleaning tasks involve a combination of daily, weekly, and monthly chores to maintain a tidy and healthy living space, no matter the type. Having access to housekeeping services is a gift, but many of us trudge through this process by ourselves. Many divide the cleaning process into daily, weekly, and monthly. I have…
How Musical Preferences Evolve Over Time
Musical preferences can be well defined and enduring. Early musical preferences are usually reflective of one’s peer group and reflect contemporary popular styles. Two exceptions of note include family exposure to a specific genre and individual musical talent. As we change through life experiences and maturity, our choices are influenced by peers and exposure. Our…
Embracing Retirement: The Gift of Time
Going out in the real world entails dealing with people, shoppers, drivers, store clerks, and parking. I used to be conscious of time and the use of it. While I still list-make and value time, I am able to step back and ease into most life situations. So many people are rushing around and making…
Monday Motivation
“Take joy in the process, because the process is the only thing you have control over.” I have always loved writing, generally to no substantive result. I have diaries from when I was a child with one-sentence entries. As I got older, I collected letters from middle and high school. These letters were either exchanged…
In-law Rant
This is a rant that is realistically due only to having kids in their early 40s, married, and having in-laws. One of my children’s mother-in-law subtly and pointedly insults me, even when she is having dinner at my house. After 11 years, last night finally got to me and hurt my feelings to the point…
Aging and Relationships: Embracing Harmony for Peaceful Coexistence
Aging brings a subtle but growing need for harmony in relationships. Relatives and friends are still who they are, but peaceful coexistence in life is the primary goal for me. It is easy to accumulate stressful moments and life-changing events instigated by the most important people in our lives. The challenge is what to store…
Worrying About Many Things
The difficulty of expressing the now versus the future is heavily burdened by the past. I grew up in the heyday of the 60’s, sex, drugs, and rock n roll. Throw in the major changes in moves to eliminate racial discrimination, and Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty, along with the loosening of pregnancy implications, and…
Life Gets Better 