Category: boomer life
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Summer Sticks Around and Covid Comes
The unofficial end of summer came and went, but the sun gods did not receive the memo. Persistent, oppressive heat remains in my corner of the world, placing a damper on my desire to attack outdoor activities. I spent the Labor Day weekend in the Sunshine State on an exhaustive whirlwind of family activities, immediately…
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Touring the Edge of Two Worlds and Seeing My World a Little Differently
I spent two weeks touring Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, three small countries that were part of the Soviet Union during most of the 20th century. All three threw off the Communist yoke and declared independence in 1991. Today these Northern European states sit on the edge of two worlds – the West and the East, democracy…
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My Garden Bounty of Flora and a Couple of Fauna
My garden, small by most standards, a patch in the front of my house in lieu of grass, has been unusually luxuriant this year. Too often annuals planted, either seeds or seedlings, never sprout and bloom. Perennials die over the winter or, if they grow, look rather sickly. This year was different. Long, hot sunny…
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Bye Bye Amusement Parks
Summer is chock full of activities and experiences synonymous with heat, ice cream, water, lazy days, playdays, vacay days, outdoorsy days, and amusement parks. I discovered this week that I reached a new milestone in aging: I am too old for amusement parks. Early one evening my son, his wife, 7-year-old daughter Lila, and I…
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Musings on the Weather
I do not function well in hot, humid weather, or extreme cold. Three of my grandchildren call the state of searing heat, Florida, home, and two grandkids live in the pristine but too-cold state of Vermont. My preference for moderation finds me in-between, avoiding very hot and bitterly cold conditions. Most of the time. It…
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Tips for Travelling Seniors
Young folks have the audacity and capacity to bounce back quickly from minor adversities such as late-night dates, all-nighters cramming for exams, and red-eye flights. They can adjust to time changes without too much difficulty, jumping into a new environment and moving full speed ahead. Alas, I am no longer young enough to travel carefree,…
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Surrounded by Abundant Affluence
I am surrounded by an abundance of very affluent people, houses, stores, and stuff. Every day I meander around my town and am amazed at the upscale, bougie culture replacing my previous laid-back, casual, unpretentious neighborhood. And nowhere is this more apparent than in the massive homes being built, renovated, and reconstructed. My humble abode…
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Senior Stereotypes Stick Around
I played a game with my 6-year-old granddaughter. She had a list of questions on a variety of topics. I asked a question, and she looked at the picture and stated her answer. Which tail belongs to the squirrel? Which house looks like the one in the circle? What symbol tells you not to cross the…