I don’t normally stray into politics, but the last election cycle proved to be too much to ignore. No, I’m not going to rant about either side – though there is plenty to rant about against both extremes. Rather, this is a plea from those of us who care about the real issues and look for elected officials to provide real solutions. Once again, the vast majority of political ads, speeches, debate rhetoric, and even media coverage, focused on why not to vote for the opponent.

Welcome to 2026! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays as we wound down 2025. -------             Another year has passed, or more accurately flown by. It was a seesaw year with more downs than ups, but with the help of friends, family, and the organizations I belong to, I came out of it all OK. That support network kept me going and helped me to look at the potential ahead rather than dwelling on what I was leaving behind.             The year started with the stress of needi

Having just enrolled in my former employer’s 2026 benefits (which jumped 14% from 2025) I was reminded of this early post:        During lunch with a friend the other day he talked about not being able to retire as early as he’d like because of the cost of health insurance for him and his family until he and his wife are eligible for Medicare. This is a topic that has been on my list to write about since I started my blog but talking to him brought it back to the top of the l

Moving is never fun. The idea of a new start in a new place is of course exciting, but the act of packing and physically moving is a chore and can be draining. So many little things to take care of besides packing up your life. I’ll start with one of those little things. Being of a certain aga, I use newspapers to wrap dishes, cups, glasses and other fragile items. Since our local newspaper went online only, a supply of newspapers (also a prime source for starting fires in t

With all the stresses in life, it’s important to find ways to decompress and leave the stress behind for a while. For me, biking off-road and playing disc golf provide exactly that. Lately I’ve been playing disc golf much more than riding and a friend has taken up the sport, so I have a partner on the course.        Let me start by taking an excerpt from a definition of “zen”: “…its focus on mind-body oneness and a holistic understanding of reality. The term "zen" can also be

When we are young, we think we are indestructible but as we mature reality takes the place of that youthful myth. About to celebrate another birthday, I got to thinking about living by myself and being on my own again after so many years. A lot of things to consider as I looked for a new home and a lot to plan for going forward. After 25 years of taking care of a house and yard, I wanted to be free from that responsibility for a while. Plus, I didn’t want to spend a huge chu

A big shout-out to the organizer (thanks Alicia) and volunteers who made the convention in Richmond, VA a huge success. THANK YOU!        Since the travel time was basically the same to fly or drive, I chose to drive. It saved a ton of money but more importantly allowed me to bring back beer from several local breweries and a nice bottle of VA bourbon too. I was amazed and pleased to see my 14-year-old SUV pull 25 mpg on the drive. Not bad for an aging tank of a vehicle.     

One of my first posts that came up again amidst the changes in my life. As we evolve through life, our goals and priorities ebb and flow...

As we move from one phase of our lives to the next, we can choose to fight the changes or embrace the opportunities they present. I’ve...

With all the changes happening in my life right now, this old post came to mind as I ponder the future. Those of you old enough – or...

Now that I am in my new apartment, I want to share some lessons learned and insights gained as I packed up my belongings on the way to...

It’s summer and that got me thinking about vacations and more of the memorable meals I’ve had along the way. Those meals were enjoyed at...

The title of this post is a direct quote of advice I got from a softball teammate when I was in a hitting slump a few seasons ago. By...

Another of my early posts that I was recently reminded of:        As children we have a natural curiosity about everything, and we are...

I am lucky to have 2 close friends with whom I can discuss any topic without issue. One is more on the religious side than me and the...

Some late spring cleaning and de-cluttering at home got me thinking about this early post. If you’re like me, you have a lot of stuff...

This has been a tough spring for allergy sufferers like me to do a lot outside. Between the super-high pollen counts, rainy days, and...

Another previous post that I was reminded of by being in the process of adapting to some of life’s changes this spring....

It will very soon be 5 years since I started this writing journey in June of 2020, and it sure has gone fast. I started my blog as a way...

As I approach 5 years of writing this blog, another of my first posts jumped out while I was reminiscing, so I am re-issuing this one as...