Exactly seven years ago, following an incident involving my husband and the whereabouts of fresh garbage bags in our kitchen, it occurred to me that if I should elope with a handsome construction guy, or suddenly disappear for any reason, my sweetie might be ill-equipped to deal with the ordinary requirements of daily living. So, I wrote an essay entitled “If I Should Die Before You…”.  The essay included a list of helpful tips regarding need-to know items that keep life moving like a well-oiled machine.    Practical stuff like how to load the dishwasher, or, the location o ..read more

Would cheugy by any other name be as drip? Now that I’ve completely confused my Spell Check as well as anyone reading this, let me remind you that it’s once again time for my ESL quiz.  That is, English as a Second Language as spoken by our high school and college-age grandkids. Spring break is upon us and with it comes the children of our children seeking warmer climes and perhaps a beach.  They bring with them not only their dirty laundry but a vocabulary of the latest slang words that have you wondering if your hearing aids are working properly. Well, fear not.  Communication ..read more

No, this is not an exposé about Sherlock Holmes overdosing on vitamins.  But it is a commentary about vitamins and other nutritional supplements guaranteed to improve your mental acuity, your energy level, your ability to stay awake past 7:30 PM and your overall quality of life or your money back, as seen on TV! As one who watches entirely too much television and isn’t inclined to channel surf when a commercial interrupts my favorite Law and Order rerun, I tend to notice the advertisements.  And perhaps it’s because I’ve just added another candle to my cake that I’ve become acutely a ..read more

     Every February there is someone I like to honor, an important woman whose birthday should not be overlooked.  So, without apology, I repost this tribute. Raise your hand if you know that today is the birthday of Susan B. Anthony.  As I thought.  Only one hand raised, and its mine.  Or maybe there was one other hand raised somewhere in the back row.  What a responsibility it has been all these years to be the only person in the room harboring this important piece of knowledge. And how is it that I became the keeper of this factoid? The answer to this ..read more

     Anthropomorphism, that’s what. You may not know the word, but I’ll bet you a month’s worth of Starbuck’s Chocolate Cream Cold Brew that you know what it is.  We all grew up with it.  Kids still do.  Mickey Mouse, Pluto, Bugs Bunny, Mr. Ed, talking teapots, minions, and the like. Anthropomorphism, a multi-syllabic word that’s difficult to pronounce on one exhalation, is defined as the attribution of human characteristics or behaviors to a god, animal, or object. Even as adults, we are constantly exposed to it in TV commercials:  talking lizards, bear ..read more

Off with the Old, on with the New….Year that is.  And I can’t say I’m sorry to see 2023 ride off into the sunset.  Overall, it hasn’t been a great year.  Two wars are raging, thousands of people have been displaced, natural disasters have run rampant.  2023 saw record-breaking tornado events, wildfires affecting air quality hundreds of miles away, and the hottest year ever recorded.  Here at home, we have a border crisis and a Congress that’s too divided to get anything done.  But I don’t do politics, so let’s move on. On the bright side, 2023 wasn’t all bad.  ..read more

     Yesterday was the last day of Hanukkah and hopefully the last day that the scent of grease will linger in my kitchen.  Yes, folks, I succumbed once again to that primitive urge to mark the holiday by cooking Jewish potato pancakes, otherwise known as latkes.  But tradition is tradition, after all, and in keeping with the tradition of the season, I offer once again my ode to this delicious, cholesterol-laden treat. Fried White Potatoes As much as I gripe about the tedium of the holiday season, I must confess that there is one time-honored December tradition to whic ..read more

Warning!  If you are even slightly shy, you might want to stop reading now.  Because today I will be discussing an intimate body part known as the “intergluteal cleft.”  Translation for those of us not having a medical dictionary at hand, I am referring to our butt cracks! If you watch even a smattering of television, I’m sure you’ve noticed the commercials for a product called Lume, pronounced Lu-mee.  (Sorry, my keyboard doesn’t have the appropriate diacritic key.)  It’s hard to miss.  The in-your-face face of its inventor, one Dr. Shannon Klingman, does a close ..read more

It’s been a while since I’ve griped about TV news.  Eighteen months and 16 days to be exact.  That’s because I’ve been on a diet – a kind of Golo for news junkies.  But who can stick to a controlled viewing plan when the world is standing on its head? At the time of my last “rant” I took up arms to combat the over-usage of metaphors that permeated TV broadcasting.  In addition to a diminishing tolerance for cliches, I resented their repeated usage because they were downright intimidating.  Their use is supposed to signal that the person using them is an up-to-date expe ..read more

     It’s once again fall, my favorite season.  I love the fall colors.  Standing near a tree aglow with orange, red, and rust-colored leaves is very flattering to my complexion.       Fall is also the time when you might be considering a wardrobe update.  As you stow the linens and retrieve the sweaters, you might be browsing through fall fashion preview publications.  This can be a very disheartening experience for “women of a certain age.”  So, to ease the pain just a little, I’ve decided to repost “an oldie but goodie.”  It’s ..read more