I cannot bear to part with many of my husband’s belongings yet. His toothbrush is still in the cup on the bathroom counter, his shirts hang in the closet and his pants line the shelf. I decided to make a memory quilt with some of his clothes, rather than give them all away. I chose
I get an inordinate amount of joy from organizing my closets and drawers. Since retirement, I have gone through almost every inch of the house to declutter and simplify. I don’t hold each item to see if it sparks joy and there is nothing magical about my process. It’s really a diversion to keep me
I was in Nashville for the solar eclipse on August 21 and it was everything I had hoped it would be – there aren’t enough superlatives to describe the spectacular display. I didn’t know what to expect in terms of crowds and visibility so I left my husband at home with the caregiver. Even long-time
I have always loved long road trips and the tingle of excitement at the thought of the open road. When my husband and I graduated from UCSB, we threw all our belongings into his Datsun pickup and drove from Santa Barbara to Chicago to begin our stints as VISTA volunteers. I remember the exhilaration and
June 30 was my last day at LAUSD and I turned in all my devices – laptop, docking station, portable hard drives, iPhone and badge. It was a bittersweet feeling – happiness at no longer being tethered to the District 24/7 but sadness at leaving longstanding relationships with colleagues and staff. All month, there were
We drove home from Mammoth a day early and I planned to spend the next day running errands that are hard to do on weekends when I have my husband in tow. He can manage the grocery store pretty well since we use the cart like a walker to help with his balance. The
We have been exercising for over six months now and the recent rains have altered our routine. At the first sign of rain, there are exchanges of texts with Coach D. “Are we working out tonight?” The answer from Coach D is always, “Yes, a little bit of something is better than nothing.” I
One week ago today, I was at the Women’s March in Washington, DC with hundreds of thousands of people. I took Friday off from work, left my husband with the caregiver and traveled to Baltimore, anxious and nervous. I had never participated in a demonstration before. I stayed near Annapolis with a friend of a
I was in Salt Lake City on Election Night, the first leg of a cross-country road trip with my son Zack who is headed back to Brooklyn. The day began so innocently and ended in a nightmare. The next morning, still in shock, we commiserated with his friends then drove south to Moab, somber
We have added boxing to our exercise regime and although I have never been a fighter, I find it exhilarating hitting Coach D’s boxing mitts. BAM! for the 40 crunches he makes us do. BAM! for the two minute planks. Coach D dances around, making us get in the proper position. “Protect your face!”
