Monthly Archives: August 2019

On the Music Pier Stall Wall

Okay, this is somewhat gross, but it is part of my history, and I wanted to get it recorded. If you are somewhat squeamish, just skip it. My family always took my father’s two-week vacation at Ocean City, and going … Continue reading

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The Lucky One Goes First

As my mother aged into her 80s (about my age now), her experience with dying couples taught her, “The lucky one goes first.” She turned out to be the lucky one, but by then my father was sinking into dementia, … Continue reading

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Apps

What is the difference between apps and programs? Apps, shorthand for applications, are mini-programs that run on the more limited power of tablets and smartphones and are designed to do just one thing. Programs run on computers and are more … Continue reading

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Jean Shepherd’s Travels

It is no secret that I am a big fan of Jean Shepherd with over 500 of his radio shows saved on my computer (somewhere).  His shows have a timeless quality and are still appropriate today.  But a series of … Continue reading

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Accepting Our Decline

My 14-year-old grandson lives about 5 miles away, so we see him often. We recently celebrated his birthday, as well we should because we know he is better than last year in many ways: stronger with better agility, making better … Continue reading

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The Metal Sponge

My mother often used what she called “the metal sponge” for difficult cleaning in the kitchen, such as removing baked-on residue from pans. As I recall, the sponges were more coarse than a Brillo pad, consisting of small curlicue turnings, … Continue reading

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Shamed

I passed a bookstall today, and a title caught my eye: I Was Shamed on the Internet—Now What? Forget it, Kid,  is my advice. Maybe I’ve been shamed, too, but I don’t know about it. Older people know enough about … Continue reading

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Lectures

My wife recently joined a friend for a lecture on a free day at our local Academy of Lifelong Learning that conducts courses for seniors on a variety of subjects by volunteer instructors.  They are quite popular, and you probably … Continue reading

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Cellar or Basement?

When I was young, every house had a cellar, not a basement, but, as common as the term was, “cellar” has disappeared. Every home had steps leading from the kitchen down to the cellar.  Basement?  What’s that? Nobody I knew … Continue reading

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Garrison Keillor On Old Men

I am, without shame, a big fan of Garrison Keillor. Even my style of writing is somewhat similar to his. That is no accident. I still read his weekly column (Wednesday), published on the Internet. He is only a little … Continue reading

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