It wasn’t that long ago that I found out I owned a prostate. Now, my doctor tells me, I have a colon. I was sitting in his office discussing some test results, when he said, “I saw something I didn’t like in your stool sample.” It’s hard to keep a straight face when someone says …more

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“What’s Love Got to Do with It?” asked Tina Turner back in 1985. Or in this case, what does love have to do with death and fitness? The answer is in three parts. Love As any dog lover knows, our canine family members hold very special places in our hearts. Our dogs are like our …more

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On March 16, 2004, The Los Angeles Times published an article (which I still have) about school trustees who complained about a law regarding gender identity. According to The Times article,  “The law requires schools’ anti-discrimination complaint procedures to reflect the state’s definition of “sex” as male or female, and gender as a “person’s actual …more

I have been looking at my hands recently. They are not my father’s, they are my mother’s hands. I see the pigmentation blotches, the thinning, drying suntanned skin and I am becoming aware of slowly stiffening joints. These hands have done so much – built motor car engines, radios, played flutes and recorders, played double …more

My working friends often ask about my retired life. What is retirement like? What do you do with all that time? Do you work? Are you ever bored? Does it make you crazy to be with your spouse all the time? Retired for four years, now, the answers to those questions continue to change. My …more

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There exists within me a certain feel-good factor when I read of people’s wonderful memories on this (R&GL) website, recollections that are sublimely punctuated with personal trials and tribulations, joys and delights, to say nothing of the magnificent milestones so reached during full and inspiring lives. I too have been fortunate to have enjoyed a …more

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You plan your vacations and retirement, paying careful attention to details large and small. You check each box, working your way down the list. “Got it covered,” you smile and move on to the next item. But wait. Back up. Are you really as prepared as you think? Whether planning a long-term vacation or a …more

There’s a quotation I have always loved: “Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.” Loss is an inescapable part of our lives – a breakdown in a relationship;  the death of family and loved ones; people who come in and out of our lives and we lose touch – sometimes because of change …more