Nostalgia
Alive and Kidding
I Miss My Old Bicycle
As I whooshed past the scenery (all of which had become nothing but a blur) and toward the intersection at the bottom of the hill, visions of myself becoming a permanent part of the logo on the side of an 18-wheeler flashed through my mind.
Just Sayin’
The Magic of the Fry Pan and Fried Chicken
Astounded and perplexed, the doctor was silent. I intervened, “Doc, don’t you know southern fried chicken is healing and the fry pan, magical?”
Musings of an Undefeated Matriarch
Service for Fourteen
I remember the days when yard sales were unheard of because people never threw, sold, or gave away anything. Regardless of an object’s value, it was stored in the attic or basement or an outdoor shed.
Silver Screen, Golden Years
The Barrymores as Pop Culture Icons
John, Lionel, and Ethel Barrymore were the dynamic trio of siblings who dominated theatre in the early decades of the 20th century, and came to have a prominent place in film — becoming icons of pop culture in a way entertainers had never been before or perhaps since.
Social Insecurity
Make Love, Not War—Then Take a Nap
Truthfully, I never was a real hippie. Oh, I dabbled in the long hair, bell-bottoms, beads, etc., thing. And I spent my fair share of lonely days and nights hitch-hiking across various states.
But I never got into the commune-living, drug-taking, free-sex (dang it) stuff.
Singing like Connie Francis in a Poodle Skirt
A span of 54 years has not lessened the memory of that terror and immobilizing embarrassment. My lips moved but virtually no sound came out. The bandleader looked at me with alarm, trying to hush the musicians to barely audible. But there I stood, emitting not much more than whispers and sweat.
Silver Screen, Golden Years
The Strawberry Blonde
There is much bickering and posturing about modern women, whom Cagney disparages and about whom he scoffs with one of his many platitudes, “An empty barrel makes the most noise.” He will marry Olivia, but it will take until the end of the film before he actually realizes how lucky he is.
We're the Old People Now
We couldn’t resist telling the parents that when we bought our strollers in 1987 they cost $99 and didn’t come with GPS, seating for three and ultra-padded dashboards. We’re the old people now.
How to Handle Seasonal Depression
Don't others feel exhilaration and sadness during religious and cultural celebrations? Perhaps, instead of how-to-avoid we need positive reinforcement and reassurance that, at times, it's okay to experience temporary depression.
Social Insecurity
How Did We Get from Summer of Love to Summer of Bifocals?
Some folks look back at that period of pot-smokin’, free-lovin’ hippies with disdain. But I’ve got to tell you, all that wild and crazy behavior sounds pretty darn good to me at certain times nowadays, like when I’m sitting in the hospital lobby waiting to get my colonoscopy.