When I went to a small, liberal arts college in the late 1950s, my annual expenses — tuition, room and board — came to $1,800 a year. Working in the summer and part time on campus during the school semesters, I could pay my way without accumulating debt. Today, attendi
Like everyone else, I worry about identify theft. The stories I’ve read of what people have to go through to reclaim their personal information are harrowing. Losing your identify can happen to anyone. Certainly, the recent stories about hackers stealing thousands of persona
Here’s a new phrase to add to your lexicon: “situational awareness.” Situational awareness means being aware of the terrain — something I could use whenever I open my sock drawer. The term takes on a new meaning when we’re discussing outer space, which, believe it or
Several years ago, I suffered from a chronic ailment which traditional medicine couldn’t address. Doctors recognized the problem, but were ignorant about the cause and so, there was no treatment. Sharing my disappointment with a friend, she suggested I see a naturopath, one she
I was having lunch by myself the other day at the retirement center when a woman sat down across the table and remarked, “You seem like a happy person. Are you?” Well, that’s a conversation starter, I thought. Since I live alone, it’s true, I don’t spend much time argu
One of the lovely benefits of emails is that I can leave a message for someone to pick up at their leisure. Phones are a gamble. A ring might interrupt someone’s shower, or nap, or a family argument. No matter how polite my reception, I fear I might be an intruder. Sending
I’ve had a new doctor for the past year, a young woman in her thirties. My first medical exam with her turned up no interesting ailments or complaints, so this year she decided to expand her search by giving me one of those crude, mental fitness tests. Apparently, I passed becau
The quality of retirement establishments varies greatly. Some insist that difference depends on whether or not a company is non-profit or for-profit. Years ago, my mother moved into a retirement center run by the Catholic Church. Later it was sold to a for-profit organization.
Recently, I shared research that compared the benefits of meditation to other activities that focused the mind. That research found mediation had no significant advantage over other relaxation techniques, like listening to music. (Blog 5/7/15) Despite that report, I ended the
A Facebook friend requested that l like her Facebook fan page, the site where she promotes her books. She said she’d nearly reached 7,000 and hoped a few of us would put her over the top. My eyes popped when I saw the number. I have a fan page on Facebook. My likes stand at