We offer inspirational real-life stories about PEOPLE OF FAITH AND COURAGE; menus and cooking directions meant to fuel your creative inclinations and your healthy body in the form of MUSINGS OF A MIDWESTERN FOODIE; and ADVICE FOR LIFE from the perspective of those who have lived it to maturity.
I read an inspiring article recently on the human tendency to clutter our brains with projected whys and what-ifs and fill our heads with discordant noise. This sets up a perpetual tennis match of energy-sapping worries that distract us while awake and then follow us into our dreams.
Read MoreWith a death grip on the steering wheel, I scan the landscape for maniacs and barreling 18-wheelers. Venturing into the fast lane always proves mildly terrifying for the first few minutes.
Read MoreHere's a blindingly brilliant stunner for you: "A key piece to solving loneliness? Friendship."
I got a good eyeroll out of that headline. But I also got a little ticked-off at the arrogance of the assumption.
Read More"I'm not sure how we're supposed to be feeling at [our age]." That was a friend's reply to a recent check-in text in which I asked the lame old question, How're you doing? First, I chuckled, but then I got to thinking about her frank remarks on life-after-youth.
Most of us find ourselves dealing with a few new health issues after retirement. If we're lucky, it's only life-altering stuff, not life-threatening. Maybe some joint issues that affect our movements in new and mysterious ways. Or a pricy prescription that has us seriously considering Tom Selleck's reverse mortgage pitches. Or maybe we just feel like the bounce in our step has been replaced by arch support inserts.
Read MoreTo this seeker of simplicity, the article headline was like a jig spinner dangled before a hungry walleye: Seven Simple Ways to Improve Your Life. So, I bit.
Read MoreI've been thinking about things in my life I'd like to revise in 2024. Not alone in that, certainly. Virtually every newspaper or magazine you pick up this time of year reminds us of our obligation to take advantage of a fresh start, a new beginning, a clean slate, and all the other clichéd redundancies.
But this year I felt a need to approach things a bit differently.
Read MoreNoise has always bothered me. The kaboom of Independence Day fireworks made me cower as a child. The roar of the State Fair midway sent me running in search of a saner space as a teenager. And as a 20-something, the frantic buzzing of rush hour traffic while waiting for a bus left me straining for escape.
As an adult,
Read MoreHow old are you? The blunt question came hurtling out of the blue, from a woman I had met only minutes before.
Read MoreI went neighborhood bathing before breakfast today.
Before your eyebrows disappear into your hairline, this did not involve my playing Goldilocks with various neighbors' bathtubs. In fact, no shocking display of inappropriate behavior was involved. This early morning ritual of ambling the winding streets surrounding my townhouse cluster is simply my version of what trendy types call "forest bathing."
Read MoreInfluencer. It's a fairly recent coinage. Online references paint the picture of someone who wields the power to affect purchasing decisions because of their authority, knowledge, position, or simply because they've You-tubed their way into the hearts of a large number of followers. Those who exploit their public popularity in order to steer public opinion and shape political thought also figure in.
Read MoreIt's time for some happy talk. So dive in for the latest in practical and research-based formulas for reclaiming bright spirits in a world that feeds our fears and insecurities as if it were tossing peanuts to hungry zoo animals.
Read MoreOkay, so I promised you some interesting quotes from the hidden depths of my bloated file cabinet. And yes, I am late in fulfilling that promise.
But if you knew the state of my filing system—not great—and the number of lengthy quotation books on my shelves (actually it's five), you'd understand the delay.
After some sifting, I came up with a few distinct categories. Choose your favorite or explore them all.
Read MoreIt all started with a broken tooth. I'd been wanting to replace it with an implant for some time. But once I made an appointment with the periodontist and recovered from the sticker shock, other maladies started sprouting like dandelions.
I moved last year. Stuff got postponed. When I finally got around to my overdue vision exam, it revealed lens-clouding cataracts. I had no idea. Two sessions of computer-guided lens replacement lifted the veil and I am now blessed with perfect distance vision. Miraculous.
Equipped with better eyesight, I notice that my left knee looks like a relief map of the Nile. Since the offensive bulging vein impedes my exercise efforts, I head to the vein specialist for a series of injections followed by two weeks in a compression stocking. Okay. No biggie.
Now, just as I am making appointments for the final incisor placement,
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