In widowhood I am fast becoming the comic relief for the neighborhood. It’s my Craftsman riding lawnmower’s fault. My late husband always insisted on being the operator of all things with belts, blades and horsepower. The last few years he did hire a man to mow the yard, as his illness and medications made exertion […]
A widow learns to mow again . . . the hard way Read More »
Rodney Dangerfield had it right. Only he had the wrong gender. I am now finding that being a widow at age 66 is a recipe for invisibility, especially where business dealings are concerned. Then again, maybe it’s not just widowhood, but being older in general. The perfect example of this showed up in a scene
Widow Journal: Older, solo women ‘don’t get no respect’ Read More »
Where would we be today without cushiony, perforated tissue (disregarding arguments about which way it should be placed on the holder)?
I’m grateful for toilet tissue Read More »
Finally admitting I could qualify as a helpless widow, I called my brother-in-law to ask for help from my nephews, knowing my son would not appreciate driving 45 minutes one way to put a 48″ light tube in a stupid socket.
Widow Journal Part II: Knowing when to ask for help Read More »
If we were to subject our visitors to a modern form of torture by forcing them to endure a tour of our basement storage shelves, the astute observer would immediately diagnose a bad case of java jeopardy in our house. The malady is apparent from the different models of coffee makers now relegated to a future of dust
We’re in the middle of a coffee conundrum Read More »
One of my favorite bloggers writes today about the stereotypes of ageism and sexism that are eroding our culture. In her blog Kristen Lamb points out that dumb blonde jokes and admonitions to never trust anyone older than 30 have reached the point of destructiveness. My own recent experiences in trying to find a part
OW or OG (Older Workers or Old Geezers): The country still needs us Read More »
When you’re retired, holiday decorating takes on a new, stress-free flavor. Some might call this the Grinch mode.
Retirement holidays: Practical antiques and diminished expectations Read More »
From the safe perspective of time and distance, we can all review our lives and notice the milestones, the pitfalls and missed opportunities and vow to do better in the future. This is especially true of writers. In my own case, the year 2014 has been as chock full as someone with ADHD could possibly
Old dogs can learn new writing tricks: True confessions of a new author Read More »
If you are not attending a family picnic on July 4, you run the risk of being labeled un-American. For some of us, the holiday is a perfect time to attend or organize a family reunion. A chapter of my book, “Letters from Home: Adventures with Mad Mother, Lemonade Man and the Kid,” (the book
July 4 is all about family reunions and storytelling Read More »
My grandchild is not due to make an appearance in the world until Sept. 1, so I don’t have a legitimate excuse to go see the new Lego movie. However, just seeing the trailers brought back memories of the days when those little plastic toys were a big part of my daily existence . .
The difference between male and female Legomaniacs Read More »
