After all, that’s what friends are for: “Don, you may wish to pull up your zipper.” “Don, do you think your nose hairs are attractive?” “Don, stop — you told that story yesterday.” “Don, was it your plan to have a black sock and a dark blue sock on this morning?” “Don, …
The email responses to my blog posts are often spectacular. Do I deserve to continue to write when I’m outshined by my readers? A few of my favorites: “Dogs are angels in disguise.” “I’m old, bald and fat and so beautiful.” “My friends come in all sizes, colors and ages. I’m …
Warning: This blog post has no redeeming qualities. Friends refuse to ride in my 2011 Toyota Highlander because it houses mice and has for several years. They don’t care that the mice hide when I have passengers. They just don’t want to be surprised, and they claim there is …
One tip I have for an aging population is to return to something that gave you pleasure years before. It happened to me thanks to the arrival of two little kitties, Kevin and Karen. Within a week, they knew every cranny of our two-story house. Kevin’s the outlaw. I cannot …
A pond with 40 koi fish schooling around. A giant heron scouting from the aspen above. Four white Swiss shepherds standing guard. Ready. Action. The heron swoops down to the pond. Koi duck, seek shelter in deeper water. Shepherds rush to the pond. The heron has but …
Nigel J. Wiggins is getting up there in years. We got him as a puppy 13 years ago. He quickly became the alpha and led several groups of younger shepherds in his tenure. But now: Nigel is in his 80s (human age). So am I. Nigel walks with a limp due to spinal stenosis. So …
A few weeks ago, I asked readers to share what drives them nuts due to aging. My friends and I gave a number of our own, and boy did I get a great bunch from you guys. My two favorites from the original list: Toilets made for very short or acrobatic people. Purchasing a …
We Americans are talking less and less — almost 30% less over the last decade. The drop for youngsters is even more dramatic. My grandson told me speaking is going the way of the horse and buggy, and he informed me using very few words. This circumstance makes me almost …
All the famous publishing houses are clamoring for our book, “199 Things That Drive Aging People Nuts.” My guess is they will be offering us huge sums of advance payments. I can envision long lines of purchasers extending around the block at Barnes and Noble bookstores. …
I invested four long days (sometimes enjoyable, sometimes not) reading the advice of popular experts on what goes into living a good life. A few authors stood out in my mind: Arthur Brooks (determine a clear purpose), Brené Brown (embrace vulnerability), Oliver Burkeman (let …
