I wanted to bring your attention to one of my favorite blogs. This recent post from Caitlin Kelly inspired me to do something I've never done, write a letter to the editor. I did not expect it to make it to print but it showed up in the opinions section of today's Boston Globe. I... Continue Reading →
Post Diet, “You Will Still Be You”
My middle-aged dieting history is not much different from the carousel horse, up and down. Throughout my youth I ate absolutely anything I wanted. However at the age of 23, a major spinal injury led to my doctor directing me to never again play sports, ride a horse, run, or do anything of the active... Continue Reading →
No More Sorrow
Two funerals per month seems to be my current average. With the recent loss of my aunt, I remain thankful to still have both parents; each the last living sibling in their families. Today, the anniversary of the killing of George Floyd and the very recent killing of innocents at the Uvalde elementary school have... Continue Reading →
Memo: Do Skin Check ✅
In the earliest days of humankind, every person possessed natural skin pigmentation that absorbed harmful ultraviolet rays, thereby preventing damaged skin. After hundreds of thousands of years of human migration and evolution, lighter skin required additional sun protection. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks found solutions in natural ingredients such as rice bran, lupine and olive... Continue Reading →
Tailored for the mature woman
My digital newsfeed is filled with advertisements for clothing brands I've never heard of, all designed for the "mature woman." The clothes are cute and pretty much the exact style of clothes I've worn all my life. Apparently, I've been a mature woman since I was ten. These ugly knees require longer hemlines and I've... Continue Reading →
Raucous applause for the volunteers!
April 24-30, 2022 is National Volunteer Week! I would like to devote this week to animal shelter volunteers. As an overview, volunteers provide assistance in cleaning, feeding, walking, and providing enrichment for the animals. Such personal interaction and socialization of an animal improves its adoptability. The volunteers who know the idiosyncrasies of each animal then... Continue Reading →
SOLD on Trekking poles!
I sat on the examination table in my paper gown, my legs hanging off the side, wondering if I should hop down to get a book to read, when the door opened. The older, white-haired, orthopedic specialist who looked to be over 70, entered with a young resident-in-training glued to his side. From the moment... Continue Reading →
Michael Jordan’s DNA
I come from a family of three girls whose childhood dream was to visit Prince Edward Island. In 2003, I married a man with three boys whose dream was to see Michael Jordan play basketball. Unfortunately, he retired, the second time, from the Chicago Bulls in 1999. However, Jordan went on to play for the... Continue Reading →
Find your identity, through music
One day as a grown-adult, I happened to be traveling in the car with my mother. As usual, I took control of the radio when it dawned on me I had no idea what music my mother preferred. As a child, my father controlled the radio. As teenagers, my sisters and I controlled the radio... Continue Reading →
When older isn’t wiser
A friend asked for my professional review of an article. One quick glance at the article and I knew my conclusion would not be positive but I wanted to give it due diligence out of respect for our friendship. Two quick Google searches later and the result was worse than anticipated so I put it... Continue Reading →
“Grumpy and curmudgeonly”
Is this our destiny? In my late 30's/early 40's, a discussion question posed to my singing group was, "How would you describe yourself; as wind, water, earth or fire?" Next, we were encouraged to ask our partners, or someone who knew us well, how they would describe us? My friends all defined me as 'water,'... Continue Reading →
Play it again, SAM(HSA)
Recently, the headlines informed us of a former beauty queen who tragically committed suicide. Such events are often followed by a flurry of headlines pleading with those suffering from mental illness to 'seek help.' My intent is not to sound cliché but the sad truth is we, collectively, need to recognize signs and symptoms of... Continue Reading →
How am I changing the world?
At one time, I believed I had the power to change the world. I was pretty full of myself. Some called me a leader, my sisters called me “bossy.” It’s true. As the eldest of three, “Dad left me in charge. You have to do as I say!” My sisters just laughed in my face.... Continue Reading →
What makes me feel stronger?
My immediate reaction to this question took me back 10+ years. In my mind, there was nothing better than getting super sweaty after a really tough workout. Admittedly, I'm not a great athlete but that didn't stop me from trying. Like the time I decided to enter a 65-mile bicycle ride to raise money for... Continue Reading →
Longway
He called me late, as I was settling in for the evening. "My best friend's uncle was killed," he said. Unfortunately, this was not the first time I received one of these calls. He lost many friends and family members to gun violence. And every time he suffered a tragedy and wanted to talk about... Continue Reading →
Fun with Emojis
I love emojis. If you haven't gotten on the emoji bandwagon, it's okay. They aren't for everyone but I personally don't know how we ever delivered textual messages with the appropriate emotional intent without them. Take the following for example: I am so happy for you. 😃 (Interpreted as: Yes, I am happy for you.)I... Continue Reading →
Today’s things for which I am thankful
The truth is I rarely open my eyes upon awaking and immediately start listing things for which I'm grateful. Maya Angelou made a great point when she wrote, "This is a wonderful day I have never seen this one before." Today, I am thankful for: a dog that does not bark or complaina spouse who... Continue Reading →
Write it down!
Bloganuary Day #8 What I like most about my writing is the ability to preserve a memory while it's still fresh in my mind. My family has occasionally joked about my ability to remember things "from the womb." Of course I can't but I associate my long-term memory with the fact that I have always... Continue Reading →
Midlife Skateboarding?
Comedian Stephen Colbert tweeted the following, this morning, in response to this article suggesting skateboarding as a solution to midlife depression. If you have not started following the social media accounts of comedians as a means of bringing joy and laughter to your life, I highly recommend this. Throughout the pandemic, my husband and I... Continue Reading →
Listen to Your Body!
If you were involved in any athletic activities in your youth, you may have grown up with such phrases as “No Pain, No Gain.” Although this phrase became synonymous with sports and exercise, it is actually a very old proverb instructing us that sacrifice is necessary to gain success. But the actual, definition of ‘pain’... Continue Reading →
Living Over The Hill 