Newsletter – The Fall Fun Edition – September, 2022
The fall FUN and GAMES Newsletter with secret messages to decode, a crossword puzzle, and a word search + websites to create your own!
Two Experts on the How-To’s of Happiness
Arthur Brooks, a PhD from Harvard, and my nine-year-old grandson, Dylan, are two experts on happiness. Here are their how-to’s of happiness.
The Facts of Life – Mathematically Speaking
A little bit + a little bit = a whole lot. This math-fact-of-life applies to every area of life and is the pathway to a rich life!
Do You Have a Bottomless To Do List?
For those with a bottomless to do list, I suggest the creation of a new type of play list – and instruct you to schedule play into your life.
Shrunken Heads vs Inflated Ones – In Praise of PRaise
Do you swell someone’s head if you praise them? I don’t think so! Thus I stand firmly in praise of praise for others and for myself!
High School Reunions – Love ’em or Loathe ’em?
Here are three little words that evoke lots of emotion: “high school reunion.” Where do you fall on the love ’em or loathe ’em spectrum?
JUNE, 2022 – Quarterly Newsletter
As school graduations take place in June, change is in the air for the new graduates and for those who love them.
Why William Faulkner Would Not Be a Successful Writer Today
Writers today are advised to use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. How would William Faulkner fare with these stipulations?
If You Don’t Know What Introspection is, You Need to Take a Long, Hard Look at Yourself
After two+ years of the pandemic, introspection seems warranted as we think about possibility, abundance, strength, compassion, & faith.
Celebrating WOW Women
For the May holiday, let’s celebrate the WOW women of our lives – the aunts, teachers, etc. who were there for us and became our role models.
How Did I Screw Up? Let Me Count the Ways.
I can be critical of myself in lots of situations, counting all the ways I screw up. Interestingly, there is research to explain this.
Are You Sick of Cooking?
If you are sick of cooking, I offer viable options for VERY EASY meals. Read this for five great suggestions and one warning!
50 Years ago
Preparing for my 50th high school reunion, I’m looking back 50 years to remember the news, books, music, TV shows, and movies of 1972.
Why Female Friendships are Worthy of Envy
It’s a no-brainer. Women do better on their own than men. Here are funny, serious, and even more serious reasons why this is true.
Victory Lies in Making the Journey
A letter to my 16-year-old self with previews of coming attractions and several bits of advice for handling life’s twists and turns.
Worrying About Field Sobriety Tests and Other Aspects of Aging
As a soon-to-be 70-year old woman, I take this opportunity to see how things measure up for me at this milestone.
Go Ahead, Make My Day
Famous movie quotes from the American Film Institute’s top 100 are used as the basis for a getting-to-know-you type game.
My Need to Be Successful
Columnist Carolyn Hax offers advice to people like me with the crazy need to be the all-caps-version of SUCCESSFUL.
Leave ’em Laughing
Today I share seven funny tweets I have collected from the online newsletter, Need2Know. As you will see, I have illustrated each rib-tickler.
Aging Parents Present Challenges for Children
It is shocking to realize that when newspaper articles talk about “aging parents,” they are talking about me!
Doing Splits at Thanksgiving
I wrote this Thanksgiving story 20 years ago. Though all the details have changed, the lesson is 100% unchanged. This is rock-solid advice.
In a Billy Joel State of Mind
Read along as I use Billy Joel’s, “Big Shot,” as a springboard to discuss anger and forgiveness. Carly Simon’s, “You’re So Vain,” is included.
Five Sinatra Songs, Five Reflections
Recently, I listened to a CD, Sinatra Reprise: The Very Good Years. Each song had something to tell me. Here are my five favorite lessons.
30 Reasons to Be Grateful at My Granddaughter’s Soccer Game
I am not a confident driver or parker. So, when I survived a recent parking challenge, I was grateful in thirty (30!) ways.
Playing Jeopardy with My Mom and Dad
My folks had a running gag when watching Jeopardy. If they didn’t know the correct question they always said, “Who was Ralph Waldo Emerson?”
Pluck It and Chuck It – Getting Rid of a Lifetime of Stuff
To trash it or not to trash it? That’s the question. This story gives five tips to help you sort through a lifetime of stuff.
Getting My Affairs In Order – My First Three Steps
When was the last time you reviewed your important estate papers? Do you need a do-over of documents? This story will help you start.
Five Life Lessons from Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton recently celebrated 50 years at the Grand Old Opry. Looking back on her vast career, I glean five life lessons from it.
It All Adds Up
If you have a collection of something, you know that it grew one small addition at a time. There are important implications to this fact.
Loving Anne Lamott Frizzy Hair and All
Anne Lamott’s sometimes-messy life becomes fodder for her writing. Life lessons abound in the nineteen books – fiction and non – she has written.
Two Recipes: One for Cake and One for a Meaningful Summer
The recipe for a meaningful summer is simple: Take a walk; read a book; make a friend. The recipe for a simple cake? That’s included too.
A Writing Contest – The Inside Scoop
Writing contests – a way to monetize your writing. Read stories by contestants Annie Wood, Barb Dalton, Christine Rains, Tonja Betts, and Teresa Lynn.
Help! I Like Zoom Better than Face-to-Face Meetings
There are lots of perks to Zoom meetings including these: You don’t have to drive anywhere, and you don’t have to put on pants.
Getting Out of Bed – a Moaning and Groaning Affair
I love to sleep in on weekends, & have to coax myself to get up the rest of the week. But one day, gratitude got me out of bed.
Upbeat!
The publisher of a newspaper I write for said to write an upbeat story. What the heck does it mean to be upbeat? Will this be Mission Impossible for me?
I’m a New & Improved Granny
Thanks to the pandemic I am a new and improved Granny. I learned how to play with the kids and how to engage them in meaningful conversation!
Do You Check Your Phone Before You Pee in the Morning?
In the documentary, The Social Dilemma, we are asked: “Do you check your smart phone before you pee in the morning, or while you are peeing?”
SPRING It On!
After the suffocation of a COVID winter in Ohio, my soul is bubbling in anticipation as Spring 2021 approaches. All I can say is, SPRING it on!
Can You Use Sarcophagus in a Sentence?
Merriam-Webster’s website features a Word of the Day. Here I try to use all 31 words from January 2021 in one cohesive story. Will I succeed?
How To Be Rich In Friends
Since a sense of isolation is a reality during the coronavirus, it’s important to actively think about and foster friendships.
Breaking Up Is Hard to Do – the Parent and Teen Version
Two novels about teenagers remind us of these dual facts: It’s hard to be a teenager; it’s hard to have a teenager.
The What Can I Do Now Dilemma
A mental health wellness tip for quarantine: Find fun activities and do them. Here are some ideas now! Genealogy, crafts, reading, and more.
Too Much Time on My Hands
Currently, “Nap on the Sofa,” is my lack-of-activity of choice. What can I do instead? Here are lots of options to chase away boredom.
The Pandemic Marathon…and more
A seasoned marathon runner offers tips that are strangely helpful for all of us who are trying to get to the finish line of the pandemic.
So Much Has Changed! I Will Too!
A catalog came in the mail recently. It had a two page spread of this year’s little-black-dress. Huh?! Has this company NOT heard about the pandemic?
Let the Good Times Roll!
Thanks to FaceTime, Zoom, and the ideas suggested here, you can win the game of togetherness with your loved ones, even during the pandemic.
My Holiday Plan: One Something
The holiday season is always a challenge. It’s even more so due to the pandemic. I have a simple resolution to this problem – One Something.
With a Song in My Heart
Do you need extensive therapy, Prozac, and a lobotomy to get current day bad thoughts out of your head? Try music therapy instead!
I Don’t Want to Do This Myself!
As a single woman, my inner voice had something to say when my basement had water damage. This was it: I DON’T WANT TO HANDLE THIS MYSELF!
Managing Our Losses During COVID-19
To manage our loss during the pandemic, we need to name it and claim it. Then we need to go on and grieve it.
A Wonderful Thing Called Experience
Experience is a magical thing. It often allows us to salvage unsalvageable projects. This is true for quilters, writers, engineers, and you!
Ice Cream Reveries
As we manage the losses brought to us by COVID-19, it is important to cherish those things we still have. In my case, eating ice cream tops the list.
Influencers Are Everywhere, Not Just on Social Media
You become who you hang out with, or put more humorously, “funny how much better we understand the Jell-O when we’ve seen the mold.”
Reading Time Versus TV Time
Call me silly, but if my grandkids were binge watching TV, I wouldn’t be boasting about it, I’d be finding great books to suggest to them instead. I offer that same help to adults now. For anyone wanting to increase their reading time, here are five books to consider.
In Praise of Soup
I’m not alone in thinking soup’s a comfort food for stressful times. Thus during the pandemic, I’m eating lots of it. Here’s a recipe for fellow comfort seekers – plus five life lessons regarding soup.
My Personal State of the Union Address
It’s important to take inventory of your life. The President gives a State of the Union address annually. You should too!
Allowing Myself to Feel My Feelings
I am giving myself – and you – permission to feel whatever the heck we feel during the strange, difficult, frightening, challenging times of the pandemic.
Worrying…But Trying Not To
A friend once listened as I explained in detail something I was worrying about. The more I talked, the more dismayed he looked. Ultimately, he tapped me on the temple and asked incredulously, “What’s it like in there?”
When There’s No Plan B
Clearly, there are times in life where there is no Plan B and where we just have to deal with whatever comes our way. The COVID-19 situation comes readily to mind.
My Brand of Decision-Making: Paralysis by Analysis?
An abundance of choices is problematic whether we are buying jeans, or making decisions about education, career, friendships, sex, romance, parenting, religious observance, etc.
Diaper Need in America – Help a Baby Today
Here are some nightmares:
Some parents scrape the solid material out of a soiled diaper and reuse it.
Some parents take a diaper off, let it dry out, and reuse it.
Some parents use plastic grocery bags in place of diapers.
Some parents use newspaper and duct tape in place of diapers.
Some parents leave the child in the same diaper for 2 or 3 days.
All of these options can lead to diaper rash, urinary tract infections, and other severe infections. (An ER doctor states that he has seen diaper rashes equivalent to third degree burns.)
Beyond physical suffering, babies with diaper need have trouble bonding…
Why You Should Quit Reading eBooks and Go Back to Printed Copies
My back’s been hurting lately, and my posture is atrocious. I’m blaming it on the fact that I am ever-bent-over my smartphone. One of the ways I am trying to alter my addiction is by giving up eBooks on my Kindle app in favor of hard copies. As I do this, I notice a lot of articles praising the choice. If you are interested in your ability to sleep, to focus, and/or to keep your memory sharp, you may want to consider ditching eBooks too.
Walking for Good Health – How to Create the Habit
My dad had a heart attack in his fifties. This caused him to make lifestyle changes that improved his diet and added more exercise. He had been a weekend golfer for years, but after his sojourn in the hospital, he took up walking as well. A decade into his new habit, he recommended it to me. While he had a target heart rate that he tried to maintain – carrying hand weights to do so – he told me to forget all that, to just go for a walk four or five times a week. He said I didn’t have…
Would I Have Been a Gracious Receiver of Kindness in Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11?
When American airspace was closed after the terrorist attacks, all planes headed for the United States had to go elsewhere. Thirty-eight of them landed in Gander, Newfoundland, where they remained for almost a week. The warm welcome these 7000 “Plane People” received from the 9000 residents of Gander is an amazing tale that I will talk about next. But my question is this, would I have been a gracious receiver of the kindness of strangers or would I have been the “B-word” instead, just needing to get home, now!
We Are Family
I cherish family. I inherited this sentiment from my dad whose one black cloud in life was the fact that beyond his parents and siblings, he had almost no family. Everyone else died in the Holocaust. This fact gives each of us born in the next generations a special significance. We’re it. We’re the family.
Life Lesson: Good Enough is Good Enough
I have a long history of taking something simple and making it hard. Two stories about soup making will prove my point and get us to the epiphany of this tale: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
The Inside Scoop on Writing for Those Who Like to Read
A fellow writer on Twitter gave this writing advice today: “Don’t dumb it down. You don’t need to assume the reader won’t understand what you are saying. Assume they WILL understand.” I agree with him wholeheartedly but this advice doesn’t exactly apply for people writing online. My response to him was this: Anyone who uses WordPress for their website is actively dumbing down all they write all the time, or at least they are being encouraged to. In that 34% of all websites are powered by WordPress – including the likes of The Walt Disney Company, Microsoft News, and the…
On Matzah Balls, Legos, and Various Things in Between
This may very well be a reflection on my lack of baking skills, but I often have a helluva time getting a Bundt cake out of a Bundt pan. As much as I grease and flour the pan in advance, there seems to be no guarantee the cake will actually come out of it – in one piece – after baking. For Rosh Hashana my cake fell out of the pan with ease, sending me directly from the kitchen to my bedroom to record the joyous occurrence in my gratitude journal. I could take some credit here and report that…
Should I Bury My Shoes?
It’s interesting that something so insignificant as shoes can be so significant. Thus, as I consider mine, I think I’ll just let them rest in peace in the back of my closet. I walked all over Central Europe seeking out Holocaust memorials, I won’t have to walk far to visit this one.
The Whole Wide World vs the World Wide Web
The 24/7/365 nature of social media is problematic. Remember when you waited for a snail mail letter? When it did not come, you could be disappointed once a day, six days a week, but never on Sunday. As we wait for people to send us email, text messages, or to “like” our social media post, the responses can roll in at any time. There are 86,400 seconds in every day. That’s a lot of opportunity for disappointment for anyone’s nervous system.
Three Reasons to Write in a Journal
Journaling as a means of talking out a problem: When I tell a friend my problem, I give a piece of it away. The same thing happens when I tell myself the problem by writing it down in a journal. I once had a “friend” state that the problem with me is that I have to talk about every problem twice. This is not true! I actually have to do it three, four, or five times! While I would never dare to burden friends with the same problem repeatedly (I hope), I can go on and on about it in…
Alexander Hamilton and Bill Clinton
With this blog I am using Lin-Manuel Miranda’s take on history. As I tell you what he has to say about Alexander Hamilton, I am going to bring Bill Clinton into the picture. How do their stories coincide? Both men had extra-marital affairs that impacted their careers. The question I ask is this: Is honesty the best policy when it comes to fessing up – or not – about such a dalliance?
In Appreciation of Moms
The May 27th issue of People features an essay written exclusively for the magazine by former first lady, Michelle Obama. It’s called, “What My Mother Taught Me.” Without even reading the story, I was equal parts intrigued and hurt. Sure, I wanted to know what life lessons these famous people had to offer; but I also ached for my mom – and all moms – who were/are equally wise, in spite of the fact they do not have a national magazine singing their praises.
God Dancing on the Ceiling
My house is built on a man-made lake. Every window on the back has a view of the water. While beautiful in itself, the most stunning thing about the lake is that the morning sun bounces off it, sending ripples of light through my mini blinds and onto my ceiling. I like to think of this as God dancing there.
Being the Patient Versus the Visitor in the Emergency Room
“If your heart stops, do you want us to resuscitate you?” Being asked this question at 2:30 AM as nurses got me settled into my newly acquired hospital room was one of the most disconcerting things that happened to me last weekend. Even four-and-a-half hours in the emergency room with symptoms that were suggestive of stroke or heart attack did not rattle me as much as that question.
Rewarding Yourself for Reaching Personal Goals
My granddaughter had difficulty going off to school at the start of kindergarten. To make stepping onto the big yellow bus more palatable, my daughter created a basket of gifts. If Cookie left without a fuss in the morning, she could reward herself with one item when she returned home. I loved the concept and wanted to put it to work in my own life to help with tasks that were challenging for me, like sending my writing to publishers or promoting my new book to reviewers.
Evaluating Yourself – Earning All A’s in Life!
We need to reward ourselves for a job well done. An “A” on a report card always has and always will feel good. Whatever your grown-up version of an A is, give yourself one. You earned it!
Step by Step to Reinventing Yourself
My two-step recipe is intentionally simple. One needs to have a routine and stick to it; and one needs to take one step a day in the direction of a new life.
Reinventing Yourself: A How-To
Most people do not think of it this way, but we are all experts at reinventing ourselves because we have done it countless times in life:
When we graduated from high school – When we graduated from college – Or perhaps after getting that advanced degree – After we got our first job – After we lost that job – After we moved to a new city – When we got married – Or maybe divorced – When we became parents – And then empty nesters – After we reached a milestone birthday – Or maybe we retired – After the…
Odd Life Lessons from the Gym
Here is a life lesson I learned at the gym: When you go to a birthday party, be sure to eat the cake. I am certain this is not what you were expecting to hear, but then you don’t know my personal trainer, Rob Anderson. Yes, he’s taught me how to properly do squats, crunches, presses, and the like, but he has taught me much more than that.
I Accept What Is
PLEASE DON’T RUN when I tell you that today’s column is about how to design a quilt. Instead, be assured that whether I am writing this column, making a quilt, or just sitting at my kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper, I am always hunting for life lessons to share. In the quilt design process, I promise to tell you a few. Here’s one now: When life gives you scraps, make a quilt. Sew far, sew good? Then come on along!
Trip to Israel
I have to confess that before the Israel trip I was trying to bolster my courage as I worried about various things that might be thrown my way. One thing I did not anticipate, however, were the strong emotions I would feel in this Jewish homeland.
Convincing Myself to Be Courageous
This blog is a parking lot. I am parking everything here that I am worried about as I prepare to travel to Israel with my twelve-year-old granddaughter, Tillie. All the little things that would ordinarily have me nervous when I travel are exacerbated by the fact that my daughter wants me to swallow my fears and project an image of female strength and courage to Tillie. As I prepare to move into Helen Reddy mode – I am woman, hear me roar! – I will try to give away my fear as I write about it here.
What Book to Read Next
I love books and find that reading them provides me with three benefits. Books give me conversational currency – stuff to talk about – with friends. Novels take me away from what’s happening inside of my head, giving me the protagonist’s problems to worry about instead of my own. And like a bedtime story for kids, books at night are a sleeping aid, signaling my brain it’s time to rest.
Love Is All Around You
On November 26, 2018, Newsweek.com printed a list of “The Best Christmas Movies of All Time.” On the list, at position #33 out of 50, was Love Actually, one of my favorite movies at any time of the year.
Struggling with the Art of Life…and Finding Success!
The War of Art is a book that is ostensibly for artists, however it really holds lessons for anyone who is struggling with the art of life. The author, Steven Pressfield, lists these strugglers: anyone in the creative arts, anyone launching an entrepreneurial venture, anyone starting a diet or exercise program, anyone trying to overcome an addiction, anyone pursuing education of any sort, anyone pursuing spiritual advancement…In short, anyone pursuing a long-term goal.
Time to Refresh and Refuel at a Retreat!
I was at a retreat last weekend. It was not with a bible study group but yet, to borrow from the bible, it certainly did restoreth my soul. For four solid days I was away from my desk
Life Lessons from My New Fitbit
The Fitbit is a device that is worn on the wrist and used to track activity. At its most basic level, it counts the number of steps a person takes daily.
Jewish Biscotti – Recipe Included!
When I tell you that this is the world’s best cookie I am willing to concede the point that perhaps it’s because it has so many wonderful memories attached to it.
Bubble, Bubble, Toil, and Trouble
A traditional holiday dinner for a Jewish family finds the homemaker slaving over a hot stove. It’s astounding how many things have to boil in big pots.
The Shoulds of Travel
Thou shalt not “should” upon thyself. These are wise words that I would love to live by, but gosh, there are just so many “shoulds” in life. One area that is fraught with them is travel. I always feel like I should see all the major sights wherever it is that I am traveling.
Some Traditions are Waiting to be Broken!
At the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony, there is the dramatic moment in which a wine glass (wrapped in a napkin) is placed on the ground. The groom stomps…
Is There a Stigma to Getting Psychological Help? I Don’t Feel It!
I started to see a psychologist when my oldest child was 14. I saw that psychologist, Pam, for 21 years. I would have seen her longer except that she retired six years ago.
A Novel Approach to Self-Forgiveness
The past cannot be changed, forgotten, edited, or erased. It can only be accepted. I believe that these words are true. I also believe that it is easier…
Facing Fear in the Night
My daughters are unhappy about my single status and are often after me to find a new boyfriend. I tell them it’s a very rare moment that I think I need one, but I will confess that on Sunday, April 29th, at 1 o’clock in the morning, I was at that very rare moment. I needed help!
Is Jumping Naked into a Lake the Key to Happiness?
My friend, Marilynn Asch, is known for the funny things she posts on Facebook. A recent post showed an obviously older couple, holding hands, as they jump from a dock into a lake. Adding to the humor is the fact that they are naked and their saggy tushies are in full view.
Destination Denver (A.K.A. Surviving Travel Woes)
I’m in a plane, on a runway, waiting to take off. It’s three hours past my originally scheduled departure time and I’m on a different airline headed to a different town.
Long Story Listener
“Long story short” is a common expression these days as the speaker shortens a SAGA into a SNIPPET. But what if you need to tell the whole long story? For that you need a Long-Story-Listener.
Following Your Passion! (What Does that Mean?)
Lots of people who do motivational work teach this recipe for happiness: FOLLOW YOUR PASSION! But what the heck does that mean? This movie, Maudie, explains the concept vividly.
A Devastating Fire’s Happy Ending
Recently I visited Yellowstone National Park. Among other things, I learned about the HUGE system of fires that took place in the park nearly 30 years ago in July through September 1988.
Life Lessons from Eating Cadbury Crème Eggs?
I am a proud member of the Secret Society of the Cadbury Egg. Actually, along with my two daughters, I am a founding member of the club. Over the years, the purpose of our group has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime.
Writing Love Letters
I am a prolific writer of love letters. I write nine per year, one to each of my grandchildren on the occasion of his/her birthday. In the letter I reminisce about family fun we shared,
When it Comes to Success, Slow and Steady Wins the Race
A little bit plus a little bit adds up to a whole lot. I learned this life lesson 25 years ago when I needed a portrait for the jacket of my first book. I visited a local photographer & was enthralled with his studio.
New Year’s Resolutions – The Importance of Having a Game Plan
My financial adviser is a smart guy. He believes that we need to set up rules for my investments and stick to them. This keeps me from getting greedy when the market is up and from getting scared when it is down.
The main thing about this strategy is that it is a strategy. We don’t just behave in a willy-nilly fashion, we have a plan.
Still Young Enough to Have a Crush
There’s this man. I guess I’d have to say I have a crush on him. He’s my age and he’s tall with a wiry build. He still has hair – it’s wiry too. And a mustache. I like mustaches.
Heartbreaking and Hopeful
When my son was a child, he had major surgery. As he was wheeled off to the operating room, I was comforted because he didn’t go off alone, he went clutching his beloved Pooh Bear.
Cappuccino at Speedway, etc.
It is interesting to approach gratitude from this point of view: What things can I do today that I might not be able to do in the future? Of course, the list is long – I can see, hear, smell, taste, speak, walk, etc.
Kindness is Contagious – Spread Some Today!
Over dinner, my son-in-law asked my grandson, “How were you kind to another classmate today?” I was wowed by this query! Just imagine if every family asked their children that question every day.
Life Lessons From Reading a Novel
This memoir deals with a mother/daughter relationship as told by the daughter who didn’t think – at least in her early 20s – that she and her mom had anything in common, nor did she think they had a basis for relationship.
Life Lessons from a Soccer Game
You might think to read my title that I will talk about teamwork, or practice making perfect, or the fact that you win some and lose some, but that’s not at all what I learned today at my four-year-old granddaughter’s soccer game.
Life Lessons, They’re Everywhere!
One of my goals in life is to continue to learn on a daily basis. In my effort to do this I have discovered that all people and all things can be teachers. Here is a sampling of the great variety of educators I have found.
