After a short lived affair as a cub scout, where I learned to leap out of trees badly, build shelters that collapsed and was never able to light fires by rubbing stones (or was it sticks?) together, as well an assortment of valuable life saving skills. I also learned to be kind and helpful to …more

Eleven-thirty was really too early for lunch, but Harry was busy heating up last night’s dinner anyhow. Preparing food made him feel useful. At least he was doing something productive, even if it was only taking yesterday’s stew out of the refrigerator and putting it in the microwave. Early lunch had become a ritual for …more

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Play ball! The season is underway again. Growing up, I was pretty good at baseball in our backyard if I could get by our dog, Lassie. When I was 9 or 10 years old, playing baseball on a borrowed high school diamond, I longed for our backyard. I was always sent to right field to …more

Six years ago, when my first grandson arrived, miracles began to happen. The first miracle, of course, was him– a perfect, healthy, brown-eyed bundle of joy.  Another miracle was the way his birth transformed our entire family, affording us all new hope after suffering trauma in the past, and more recently, loss of extended family …more

The sun already filtered her intense rays through more muted hues, a sign of the afternoon moving into evening there in the middle of Jerusalem. Our last stop of the day was Munitions Hill, the sight of a bloody and momentum changing battle in the Six Day War in 1967. Our guide, Ezra, expertly wove …more

My 92 year old father still drives. I went on a website to get ideas on how to have the “talk” with him about giving up his car. I memorized my lines and started out. “Hey Dad, can you imagine that one day you won’t drive anymore?” According to the website, he would say “Yes” …more

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“Young people need models, not critics.” (John Wooden) As a former soldier, one who served with the British Army, (thirty-five years unblemished service) I can relate only too well to the concerns of former military men and woman when it comes to our respective retirement years – ours was an occupation that demanded much more …more

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Many retirees I know claim to be retired, but their life resembles a 40 hour work week. At a thrift shop where I volunteer twice a month, there are several retirees who work 4 or 5 days a week. They are in charge of departments—jewelry, furniture, house wares etc. Nobody made them an official boss, …more