Musings of a Shore Life
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The Joy of Doing Almost Nothing
It is probably decadent to admit, but I can spend an entire day doing almost nothing. My seventy-something body occasionally sends me an unmistakable message: Enough! Stop! I need rest! I need to recharge! What follows is time spent doing almost nothing. It might be a short time, a couple of hours or longer –…
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The Humble Potato Shines on My Plate
The feasting season officially arrived. I finished leftover Thanksgiving fare on Saturday evening. My sister provided the banquet, and I returned home with a plate of delicious food: turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping – excellent examples of comfort food, typical American fare, but not the healthiest choices. Broccoli represented greens…
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Family and Community Thanksgiving Traditions
Families have their holiday customs. For years our family observed a tradition my sons are thrilled not to continue. The Gathering of the Leaves A lot of trees covered our property. Mature trees with leaves, the kind that sail to earth in the autumn. We never invested in a leaf blower. Why waste the money…
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Fact, Fiction, and Myths of Thanksgiving
In elementary school we colored pictures of Pilgrims and Indians dressed in clothes they wore in the 17th century – or so we assumed. Pilgrims and Indians were friends – we presumed. We gathered around our family table and devoured delicious dishes the Pilgrims and Indians ate 400 years ago – or so we thought. …
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Our Tapestry of Love
I don’t write poetry, but a year ago I lost a mentor and a friend. When I started writing about her, these words seemed the best way to characterize our relationship, and what she meant to my writing group. I open a door, shove one foot in front of another and step inside. Faces unfamiliar…
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Boomers Retreat as Winter Arrives and We Prepare for the Future
Politics is not usually a subject for this blog, but this year’s Presidential election affected folks deeply. Many of us have entered a period of mourning. Our candidate did not win. As a result we ponder an uncertain future and brace ourselves for a rocky road ahead. Winter is almost here, literally and metaphorically. I…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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