“Delusional” is the only way I can characterize Madonna Behen’s article, “Secrets to Stress-Free Doctor Visits,” which appeared in the August edition of Woman’s Day. (pg. 93). First of all, for me, a stress free doctor visit is a contradiction in terms. Either I’m in the
“Goodbye, Girl,” is Kyran Pittman’s lament to lost youth, published in the September issue of Good Housekeeping. Facing menopause, she has begun to notice how the image in her mirror no longer reflects the one she’s grown used to. What’s more, she’s gained 10 pounds myster
I’m always delighted to find an essay by Dominique Browning in one publication or another. She’s the former editor of the now defunct House and Garden magazine and I recommended her book, Around the House and in the Garden, in one of my early blogs. The story is a memoir of her em
Our human enchantment with trees shows itself everywhere in literature. Joyce Kilmer waxed poetically about them as did Robert Frost. The magic in Shakespeare’s plays usually takes place in the forest as they do in children’s fairytales. I, too, have written about them in these bl
Not long ago a couple of writers on my Facebook page advertised that their eBooks would be free for one day on Amazon. Free sounded like a good price but as I have no electronic reader, I was unable to take advantage of the offer. Later that afternoon, as I was browsing through the Au
As a senior citizen, I was drawn to an article in Money by Amanda Gengler “This Could Hurt—a Lot,”( 8/12 pgs. 70-73). Much can depend on a name, as Shakespeare warned, especially when an elder person is hospitalized under traditional Medicare. Being admitted as an “in-patient
If you’re an eclectic reader like I am, you may have noticed the rich vein of insanity that runs through the human species. Turning a year older hasn’t helped me grow wiser or learn how to accept our eccentricities. But I have stopped tearing out my hair. Here are recent examples
I admit, I struggle to keep pace with the electronic age. The steady stream of innovations requires me, or any writer, to be quick on his feet and learn new steps. Before the advent of laser printing, the publishing industry was like a slow waltz. Writers danced with an agent or the p
Susan Stoner, author of Land Sharks and Timber Beast, recommended a book recently, The Australia Years: the Life of a Nuclear Migrant by P. Anna Johnson. Johnson and her husband emigrated to Australia in the 1960s, around the time of the Cuban missile crisis. Apparently many Americans
When I was in high school, I had a math teacher who had a pet phrase: “Your freedom stops where my chin begins.” I always thought it was a good measure of personal rights. I am allowed to do as I choose as long as what I choose affects only me. In all other cases, my conduct must