This year I’m enjoying the garden in a way I never have before, because I have carte blanche to just sit and enjoy it. This is a new experience for me, because in the past I’ve always been there to work to make it more beautiful, but I rarely just relaxed under a tree with...
Retirement is a big milestone for most people, whether you’re a musician, an engineer, or a bricklayer. It signals the start of the last leg and I can see why a lot of people put it off. Who wants to think about that last leg too much? And when you’re retired, you have a lot...
I’m an atheist, but I celebrate Christmas. Recently I started wondering why I don’t simply fess up that I’m not a Christian, therefore I ought to stop pretending to celebrate the (purported) birth of Christ. Of course, I’m not alone; many, many people who never go to church and have little to no Christian faith...
I’m living a surreal week. It’s the first time in my life that I’ve ever planned ahead to end the life of another living being. Before your mind immediately jumps to axe murder, be assured that I’m talking about my dog, Monty. Life for Monty has become a trial. He’s approximately 15 years old and...
When I was about 40 (the first “milestone” birthday that really hit me), I started taking medication daily for a minor condition. I suddenly became very aware that each pill signified one day in my life. Those pills were like the sand particles in an hour glass. As the month’s pills would start to run...
Someone asked me lately whether I regretted having children so young (I was 25 when Erica was born, 28, with Travis). It’s not the first time I’ve been asked, and I usually just brush off the question, because the easy answer is no. However, this time I paused and thought about the major milestones of...
Today it’s both. Double whammy. I’ve been thinking about how things like rainy days can affect one’s mood and outlook. It can be hard to handle, especially considering the month of November is the gloomiest on the calendar, in my opinion. I’ve always seen it that way… the leaves are gone…the snow hasn’t arrived to...
An ant found crawling in my linen drawer is enough to remind me how not cool I am with sharing space with certain other creatures on the planet who have as much right to be here as I do. In theory, I believe there are far too many of us humans on the planet and...
The old adage goes, “Youth is wasted on the young.” (I thought it was Oscar Wilde, but after a tiny bit of googling I found out it was more likely George Bernard Shaw, which you can read about here.) I’ve always loved that quote and admired the wit behind it. It evokes so much in...
I thought I’d do a short series on aging since it’s on my mind lately. There are obvious downsides to it (check my previous post here), but there are many upsides and I thought I’d do a couple of posts focusing on those. Most of us know the downsides, but if I remember being young...