One weekend a year my son and I hang out. It’s the Reader’s Digest version of our lives condensed into a matter of hours, but hours that count. We like going to a local casino hotel because it offers the low key atmosphere we prefer, plenty of food, drink, and talk time. However, this year all the rooms were booked… Read More

My husband is a somewhat restless sleeper. There is an odd disparity in his patterns in that he can pretty much fall asleep anywhere, but cannot necessarily stay asleep. I tend to fall asleep much slower, but stay asleep unless I’ve had the 2 gallon turbo-chug glass of iced tea late in the evening. As we age the nuances of… Read More

The phone rang, bringing a most unwelcomed push to reality. I’d been reading a book on Tibet and was happily absorbed in life over there. The phone rang again, and seemed louder, angrier. I momentarily thought about my choices– ignoring it, smashing it, or answering it. On the fourth ring I put down my book and answered. I even managed… Read More

While sharing frosty glasses of iced tea with a friend today, the subject rolled around to empty nests. As in, “Glory Hallelujah, the kids are out of the house” empty nest. My friend’s youngest child recently graduated from college, and he wondered how bland and empty the house would now feel. I smiled. “Just you and your wife in the… Read More

Garth Brook’s song, The Dance, has long been a measure of meaning in my life. When I’m wondering if a failure or heartbreak was worth the pain, I think about his words and find perspective. “And now I’m glad I didn’t know The way it all would end the way it all would go Our lives are better left to… Read More

I was reading an article about older couples who choose to have a marriage ceremony, but forgo signing the papers. The gist of the article, in AARP’s newsletter, was that these older couples would lose too much of their financial assets if they legally join, so they fake a wedding to keep family happy and clueless. I had to smile… Read More

The stifling heat abated this morning, and it was a prime time for a walk. Booker and I headed up the road feeling good and a bit more energized. There is a short stretch of highway we must take to get to the dirt road we prefer. To my dismay the traffic seems to be winning the battle between man… Read More

My watch, flung off earlier, looked discarded and limp on the kitchen table. I didnt even recall taking it off when I arrived home. There are people who like a relaxed approach to life, and those who like structure. I tend to be in the structure group. For many years, I lived by the clockalways watching, always racing. My single-mother… Read More

I’ve been meaning to try an experiment. I want to watch television for selected two hour segments—a segment in the morning, a segment in the afternoon, a segment in the evening—and observe the number and types of advertisements aimed at seniors. Images are sneaky. We see them over and over and begin to identify with the content. The other day… Read More

I’m a big fan of Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estes. My first introduction to her work was in my Psychology and Gender class a few years ago. Dr. Claudia Kittock, my then professor extraordinaire—now fabulous friend—had us evaluate excerpts from Dr. Estes’ book, Women Who Run With the Wolves. Being a literal thinker, I struggled with some of the symbolism. However,… Read More

My husband has an active imagination, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. I remember, back when I was still a dental assistant, a cute-as-a-bug elderly gentleman who came in regularly for dental work. He would stare into the face of the other dental assistant and tell her she had the most beautiful eyes he had ever seen. She’d… Read More

It was to be a quick dash into the grocery store. I needed milk, fruit, and the usual run-out-of-too-soon items. I wasn’t overly concerned with my appearance because I was in “doing” mode, but I wasn’t exactly scruffy either. I had on black yoga pants, a black knit shirt, green and maroon Teva sandals, and a grey hoodie. My hair… Read More

I had the opportunity to spend time at a local casino this past weekend. My reasons for being there were mostly food related, but there was “a pull” to do more. (I really wish they still had slot machines with arms that pulled down…that made the experience seem authentic.) My mom, when alive, loved the casino. Even after her terminal… Read More

The temperature was not exactly warm todayabout 10 degrees less than averagebut the sun was at least shining. After finishing some work and pesky chores, I decided to sneak outside and absorb a little Vitamin D. Booker was sleeping in the garage, and I wanted to keep it that way. As much as I adore him, he tends to get… Read More

I had an e-mail from a friend of mine apologizing for not responding to my e-mail sooner. She is busy organizing her luggage and bring-alongs for a two month trip in Tibet and China. Besides working on her botanical drawings this woman intends to teach English to Tibetan nuns, work on improving their drinking water supply, and has started a… Read More

There was a segment on NBC’s Today Show discussing the growing reluctance of Baby Boomer women wanting to be called “Grandmother.” The consensus was it dredged up an image of an old, wrinkled, housecoat-wearing woman. “That is NOT us!” the panel of women guests proclaimed. They further debated the competition among grandmothers-to-be when it comes to what, exactly, they do… Read More

I was ripping out gi-normous weeds from our garden today. What the heck? We still havent had a stretch of decent weather, good plants are barely stirring, and yet the weeds are apparently on steroids and moving upwards. Have you ever noticed you can ruthlessly hack and mangle a weed, toss it aside on rocks to die, and come back… Read More

Sometimes reminders of aging come in whispers, and sometimes with sledgehammers. I had a sledgehammer moment today. My father, Alvin, is 83 years old. Up until a few years ago, he was always robust and freakishly strong for a man his size. Hard work made him happy, and he was happy a lot. Besides physical labor, Dad loved to be… Read More

Lawn and Order My daughter tells of the time she decided she hated dandelions. She was in her teens and wanted to go to the beach with her girlfriends. I was still in the newlywed phase of my second marriage and we had moved into a new home. My husband decided my daughter should spend time pulling dandelions from the… Read More

I went to the hair salon to get highlights today. My husband prefers longer hair, and so do I. Sometimes I think about doing something different with my hair, and then decide I like it the way it is. As I’ve gotten older I know my hair isn’t as resilient as it used to be. It seems to break easier,… Read More

My lovely friend Eva and I were discussing stress and balance today. You know, a little fluffy talk to go with our tea. We came to the conclusion that as hard as we might try to live a beautiful, happy, life there will always be areas of unhappiness. Maybe a loved one passes away, or something bad happens to a… Read More

It’s getting to be a standard line between my husband and me. He usually says something like, “Where did you put the car keys? I just had them.” I then harrrump, and ask why he always believes I did something with _______ (fill in the blank). He then says, “Well, it would be hard for me to admit I forgot… Read More

Does anyone besides me remember the scene from the television series Moonlighting where Cybill Shepard FINALLY turns the chemistry into a full on explosion in Bruce Willis’s test tube, so to speak? They cleared a table of some sort and experimented. While I can certainly appreciate the heat, passion, and flexibility such moments require, I find the table sex idea… Read More

My college semester is technically over, yet piles of papers and tattered shards of reminder notes cover my desk. At least I think there is a desk underneath the shrapnel known as coursework. I found a reason to reflect on what the disorganization means to me– My dear friend Kathleen came over for lunch today and I have to smile… Read More

One of the things I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older is the wavering levels in faith. For some people the questionable number of remaining days spur the need to re-connect with their somewhat dusty religious practices. For others a tinge of depression seems to make doing anything seem fruitless. And for still others, a peaceful attitude takes hold. I believe… Read More

I ran into an acquaintance today and, since it had been a while, we chatted about what was going on in our respective lives. She is several years older than me and was interested in what vacations my husband and I had been on recently. I explained that after two “big” trips last year we were chosing to stay closer… Read More

My son’s friend was recently sharing the challenges he has been facing as he searches for a job. It is not pretty out there, but he is determined to find his dream job and to move forward. As we were discussing his various interviews the topic of relocation came up. He said if he moved too much outside of the… Read More

I was brushing my teeth this morning and happened to gaze out the window. (A nice change from staring down at the blob of toothpaste on my clean shirt.) The sun was still a bit sleepy, but the glow from several tulips caught my eye. Yellow and pink, they swayed and waved from a bored brown landscape. Keep in mind… Read More

As Mother’s Day approaches, I’ve been hearing a lot of people reflect on what it means to be a mother, or how their mothers influenced them…for better or worse. Mom and I had a complex relationship, lending paucity to warm and fuzzy moments. Nonetheless, when I think about her, I always give a silent prayer of thanks for her sense… Read More

In an interesting chain of events, I had another view of female comparing. I was having lunch with a new friend today and she shared this story: Dianne was staying in a small village in Tibet. One day she decided to go to the next biggest town and visit the hot baths…a place that is not exactly an American spa,… Read More