Musings of a Shore Life

  • In Praise of a Cookie 

    In Praise of a Cookie 

    We picked up friends returning from a trip to Florida the other night at the airport. Originally scheduled to land at 3:30 p.m., the plane was delayed and finally landed at 10:05 p.m. We were all tired and hungry and immediately headed for the nearest diner.  After dinner we piled back in the car for…

  • 10 Excuses for Missing Exercise Class

    10 Excuses for Missing Exercise Class

    Numerous articles appear in newspapers and magazines, on websites and blogs about the importance of exercise, especially for older folks. As an older folk, I often prefer to lounge on the couch rather than do almost anything involving bodily movement. Some days strolling to the kitchen for a cup of coffee qualifies as my daily…

  • Does the Customer Ever Come First?   

    Does the Customer Ever Come First?   

    A Tale of Customer Service Woes Comcast wasn’t working over the weekend. This was not the first time we experienced problems with our internet and cable. When attempting to access service a message appeared on the screen: “…call customer service and tell them you have an error 7.”  The calls, and the mounting frustration, began. The resolution process…

  • Election time! Vote! Especially women!

    Election time! Vote! Especially women!

    I voted! I marked my mail-in ballot for my President of choice and my selection for Senator from New Jersey. Please everybody VOTE in this important election year. Especially women. Our predecessors worked long and hard for the right to vote… The first women’s rights convention in the United States was held in Seneca Falls,…

  • Boomers on Food, Aging, Recovery, and More

    Boomers on Food, Aging, Recovery, and More

    It is a busy time of year – fall gardening and early holiday preparations, exciting sports games (Go Eagles! Go Mets! Go Yankees!), and the incessant bombardment of Election Day ads, news, and talk shows. But these goings-on have been background noise to my life for the past couple of weeks. I am recuperating from…

  • My Post-Surgery Misadventure

    My Post-Surgery Misadventure

    A favorite restaurant is located three blocks from my house. I walked out my front door early on a pristine autumn morning, not a cloud in the sky, the sun shining, warming the night-chilled landscape.  I walked slowly, unsure how my body would react six days after surgery. The past few days had been spent…

  • Little Girl’s Bicycle or Old Lady’s Bike?

    Little Girl’s Bicycle or Old Lady’s Bike?

    Years ago my son assembled a bicycle for me, a sleek golden model with thin tires, 15 speeds, hand brakes, and a top tube across the frame – the sign of a boy’s bike. I enjoyed the ride and relished the sensation on my face as I leaned forward against the wind and struggled to…

  • The Benefits of a Staycation with (or without) Friends

    The Benefits of a Staycation with (or without) Friends

    Staycation – a vacation spent at home or nearby.  I could take a staycation anytime. All I need to do is clear my calendar for a day, a couple of days, or longer. But I don’t. Day by day passes, and my daily routine overshadows ideas to investigate a temporary museum exhibit, explore a park,…

  • I Am a World-class Procrastinator

    I Am a World-class Procrastinator

    I have learned many skills over the years, a lot useful, others not so much, and many forgotten. For instance my ability to solve math equations and speak a foreign language disappeared. Those particular brain cells are dormant, and resurrecting them a chore more difficult than I wish to tackle.  One skill often used and…

  • Detour to a Bygone Era 

    Detour to a Bygone Era 

    Mom lives on Long Island, New York, a place populated with too many people, cars, traffic lights, paved roads, parking lots…I live in New Jersey. Hub and I drive the Garden State Parkway north, cross the Outerbridge Crossing (a bridge) to Staten Island, navigate the Verrazano Bridge into Brooklyn, meander on the Belt Parkway to…

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