Articles

My boomer daughter thinks I should spend time traveling.  After all, isn't traveling and taking life easy what "old" people are supposed to do? You've seen the TV commercials for river cruises that promise exposure to all kinds of cultural treasures in exotic places. She thinks that's ideal.  I look at those happy old people enjoying themselves and think, "get a job -- your … [Read more...] about Mom, You’re 86 — It’s Time To Travel

Many people probably remember thalidomide which was a popular sleeping pill prescribed for pregnant women starting in the 1940's because it was touted to help with morning sickness. It was eventually removed from the market after it had resulted in thousands of babies being born with skeletal abnormalities such as only having hands  without arms attached to their shoulders (a … [Read more...] about The “New” Morning Sickness Pill

  Reading is wonderful. Wonderful for your intelligence, as a pastime, to look forward to, to enjoy, to share, etc. Yet reading and the physical position that most of us read in, sometimes for hours at a time, can affect our balance in negative ways. Let me share a story with you: I was called to work with a wonderful woman in her late 80's named Thelma. Thelma … [Read more...] about Don’t Let Reading Hurt Your Balance

Well, I Did It! Good news! Really, it's beyond good news. It's a miracle. I passed the  California State real estate exam. What an exhausting experience! I went into the final exam feeling drunk with power because I thought I knew everything -- but wow, what a jolt of reality I got. The test questions were totally unrelated to prep material I had spent so much time studying. … [Read more...] about Short Shorts – August, 2015

  At this time of year, like many of you, I stay busy at the thermostat switching from heat to air conditioning. I’m not whining; actually I laugh at my having to do this. In S.E. Alabama, it is not COLD yet but cool enough in the early morning hours to have some heat for more comfort. A fact that might surprise many is that every four or five years, it SNOWS … [Read more...] about Switching Back And Forth

Some of the most questionable representations of older people are found in TV advertising and programming. There are basically two types of TV ads directed to older people:"serious ads", and for lack of a better word, 'funny" ads. In serious ads, older people are portrayed in traditional roles, generally living the good life, having fun with friends and family. Typical … [Read more...] about Older People Used And Abused on TV

I recently passed the last hurdle in my quest to get my California real estate license. In retrospect, the final exam seemed like trying to pass an entrance exam to get into Harvard Law School or qualify to become a secret agent for the CIA. It was that daunting. At the start of my odyssey, I enrolled in the Kaplan Real Estate School.  I studied my little tushie off. I was … [Read more...] about Getting A Real Estate License in California: What Test Takers REALLY Need To Know

The article title is a line of dialogue from a movie. I shared it with a friend who emailed back, "What does THAT mean?" So, let’s consider what it may mean to you and to all of us. It could mean we wish the opposite of what we're afraid of were true instead. Or, if we fear instability in some area of our lives, perhaps we wish security in this matter was etched in stone so … [Read more...] about Every Fear Hides a Wish