Category Archives: friends and family

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

The collector’s burden

Posted on March 6, 2020 by stillalife

Living in ground zero of the U.S. coronavirus infection made me think twice before posting a blog on something frivolous. Then I decided that people might benefit from a short break from newspaper and TV news that focuses almost exclusively … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, friends and family, intergenerational, personal reflections | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Martha Stewart and me

Posted on January 9, 2017 by stillalife

I imagine that the first thing Martha Stewart does in planning a dinner party is create a guest list.  Of course it’s possible that, instead, she begins with an idea of some dish she’s been craving, say, pork belly and tomato … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, humor | Tagged , | 6 Comments

Seasons of change

Posted on September 5, 2016 by stillalife

Northwest skies are gray and our backyard plum and maple trees have already begun to let go of their leaves.  No matter how warm the days, nights are cool. Projects I began in the spring, then ignored while the sun … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, friends and family, health, seasons, support and caring | Leave a comment

Stroll back through time

Posted on February 20, 2016 by stillalife

This year I vowed to throw in a few blog topics that are uncomfortable to write about.  I’ve told my fellow novelists that we have to push our characters to do things we would never do. I’ve begun to do … Continue reading →

Posted in aging, friends and family, memories, personal reflections | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

One way to escape the sense of entitlement

Posted on February 2, 2016 by stillalife

Yesterday was my mother’s birthday. No matter what our age, we never stop thinking about our parents. Inevitably, when we’re younger something reminds us — not always as a good memory — of a childhood experience, a family outing, a … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, intergenerational, personal reflections | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The death of spontaneity

Posted on January 11, 2016 by stillalife

Spontaneity is becoming extinct, going the way of the dodo or the woolly mammoth. Years ago, when my husband and I moved into our first apartment, friends lived nearby.  We would drop in unannounced — a mortal sin these days … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, personal reflections, the unscheduled life | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Genealogy lessons

Posted on December 8, 2015 by stillalife

Yoo Hoo! School is almost over. Children and teachers might shout something like this near the end of every term, though as a rule retirees don’t.  But I’m saying it now.  I’m sick of homework and happy to have almost … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, intergenerational | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Surprises from the past

Posted on November 16, 2015 by stillalife

I always thought researching one’s ancestors was a job for old people.  I’m researching mine now and I’m old, so I guess I was right. Years ago, my mother gave me a short family history prepared by a relative of … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, intergenerational, personal reflections, writing | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Reconnecting with the past

Posted on April 22, 2014 by stillalife

What do you talk about when you’re eating lunch with friends from grade school? I wondered about this as I drove to meet a long lost group of women friends, most of whom I hadn’t seen much of since I left for college. … Continue reading →

Posted in friends and family, personal reflections | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments