For months I’ve been ruminating about what to write next. Here it is the beginning of 2018—and as my niece posted on Facebook, “Two thousand seventeen has been a long decade.” That leads me to my problem. Where could I begin? Where would it end? Why bother? I’m just one person. What can I do? …more

To change up holiday traditions this past Christmas, my husband and I gave the kids (and us) DNA kits at Thanksgiving. Wouldn’t Christmas dinner be fun and unique if we learned something about our DNA and fixed food from our various ethnic backgrounds during the holidays? We could then skip the traditional ham or turkey. …more

One wonderful thing about being retired is that one has time to think and make big plans. Sorry, there’s no money involved—just a big idea passed on throughout the land by observing a lowly safety pin. Stick with me. This might start something worthwhile. We can be in on the plotting. While shopping in the …more

Did you once-upon-a-time play a musical instrument?  Maybe like me, you started in elementary school with group lessons and played for years in bands and orchestras before putting the instrument away. It was predetermined that I would play the violin since my dad bought me one at the age of five months. Yes, he had …more

In the past I’ve written about how as a child I ate cottage cheese and peas with sugar sprinkled on the top. I learned how tasty sugar was early in my lifetime. Another strange tale from my childhood: It was during the same era when we colored margarine which came from the grocery store looking …more

Moving is never an easy activity. When you’ve retired and are planning the rest of your life, it becomes more of a burden—both physical and emotional. On a psychological scale, moving, divorce and death in the family are a three-way tie for being the most difficult of life’s occurrences. We were quite young (it’s all …more

My current problem—at least the one I’m telling you about today—has been with me a couple of years. I didn’t know how to deal with it. I couldn’t find proper “do-it-yourself” improvement books about it. My husband just didn’t want to talk about it. So, I’ll subject you to it. Perhaps you have experienced these …more