Author Archives: stillalife

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About stillalife

I retired June 30, 2010 after working for 40 years in the field of education and most recently doing school public relations/community outreach in a mid-size urban school district. I wrote for superintendents and school board members. Now I'm writing for me and I hope for you. In this blog, I offer my own views coupled with the latest research on how to preserve our physical and mental health as we age, delve into issues most of us over 50 can relate to like noticing wrinkles and forgetting where we left our keys, discuss the pros and cons of different ways to engage our minds and bodies after we leave the workplace, and throw in an occasional book review, all peppered with a touch of humor, irony, and just plain silliness. Also, I'm on the third draft of my second novel since retirement.

Time: a solution to the problem of procrastination

Posted on July 31, 2023 by stillalife

After deciding to write a blog about procrastination, I opened a New York Times article, “Why You Procrastinate,” that begins with, ‘If you’ve ever put off an important task by, say, alphabetizing your spice drawer…’ Alphabetizing your spice drawer? I’d … Continue reading →

Posted in health, humor, personal reflections | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Changing things up

Posted on June 30, 2023 by stillalife

After several years of staying close to home and establishing a Covid-induced weekly routine, what do you do when that regimen has become a rut, but spending time in clogged airports and tourist-choked cities doesn’t sound like fun? Three months … Continue reading →

Posted in Covid, inspiration, personal reflections, touring town | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Fitting In

Posted on May 13, 2023 by stillalife

Years ago, I worked at a community college in an offbeat part of town. A well-known duo, elderly Pansy and her son George, added to the quirky nature of the neighborhood. The couple, known everywhere, never went out without their … Continue reading →

Posted in humor, personal reflections, stress | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Using our senses for sanity

Posted on April 4, 2023 by stillalife

When my cat spots a rabbit in the backyard, he devotes his eyes, all his muscles, and every paw-step to his prey. My ability to pay attention is much less impressive than the cat’s. “Where did I put my glasses?” … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, health, personal reflections | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

Broken pottery and other inconveniences

Posted on March 13, 2023 by stillalife

Recently, I’ve reverted back to life as it was during the months of quarantine, a time when ideas for new blog topics were as scarce as cat food and toilet paper. Quarantine returned last week after my husband and I tested … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Valentine’s Day and Our Health

Posted on February 14, 2023 by stillalife

Happy Valentine’s Day! February 14 celebrations have had many justifications, some of them very strange. Historians describe the Valentine’s Day of many centuries past as a dark holiday involving drunken, naked Roman romantics who “sacrificed a goat and a dog, … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, current events/themes, friends and family | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Drawing for the ages — or the aged

Posted on January 30, 2023 by stillalife

Some people excel in painting, ceramics, collage and other artistic media. I do well in photography, but not so well in others. But that knowledge doesn’t keep me from dreaming of success in every medium. A group of friends I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, arts and crafts | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Writing with robots

Posted on January 17, 2023 by stillalife

Lately, news reporters and cartoonists have been taking on the topic of Chat GPT, the Advanced A.I. If you don’t know what this is, neither did I, until recently.   “Chat AI for writers,” who are now known as “content … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Lost homing pigeon to be driven home

Posted on January 4, 2023 by stillalife

Here goes 2023. During December, three people asked why I’d hardly blogged in 2022; a friend on the East Coast emailed to ask if she’d been removed from the blog mailing list; and someone else said she’d like to start … Continue reading →

Posted in humor | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

The age of distractions

Posted on April 18, 2022 by stillalife

Recently, I read that the average adult can stay on a mental track for eight seconds, whereas goldfish can stay on track for nine. (How does anyone know the mind of a goldfish?) Fishy story or not, a lot of … Continue reading →

Posted in current events/themes, personal reflections | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment