Or do they, and should they? — “Over the mountains and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go” was a tradition I thought would last forever. Me and my sister, along with our mom, aunt, uncles, and cousins, would gather for the feast every November. While the women squeezed into Grandma’s tiny kitchen to prepare the…

Did we eliminate this holiday because we’re no longer thankful — Really? It’s not even Halloween and I’m already sick of Christmas! We all know it’s about the money and I for one am mad as hell! We were milked for Halloween stuff way before Halloween. …

They can either make or break you — “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a sing-song poem we used to say as kids when someone insulted us. But don’t believe it — it’s a lie! Words can hurt; in fact, some words can scar you for life. My mother once…

Lessons learned from Eleanor Roosevelt — Thanks to Roz Warren, Writing Coach for planting the seed for this story. Sharks! Carrots! Traffic Cones! 10 Things I Learned from magazines this month.medium.com In this very funny story, there was a nod to Eleanor Roosevelt. Evidently, she punished her husband Franklin for his infidelities by serving him boiled carrots over spaghetti. For some reason, I thought that was comical.

There’s one in every family — Poor Uncle Stanley. I think of him often, especially during the holidays. When I was a kid and would visit my Grandma, Uncle Stanley was always there. He’d be in his plaid pajamas, lounging in his Lazy Boy, a cigarette burning, creating a foggy haze in the living room causing…

Just like the ones we used to know — If you’re hoping for a white Christmas, you just might want to keep on dreaming because — The Times They are a Changin’. — Bob Dylan According to a study published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, snowless winters could become more common as early as 2040, and “low-to-no-snow” will…

True stories from a seventy-year-old survivor — Dear Ladies of a Certain Age, You have my sympathy and my encouragement. Hang in there, Dearies. It will be over soon- maybe not soon enough, but it will be over. Just a warning: the memories may haunt you forever! It happened to me almost 30 years ago, and I…

THE WORLD WE LIVE IN Have Pickup Lines Changed From What’s your Sign to What’s your Diagnosis? The Influence of Mental Health Awareness If you walked into a bar in the 1960s or 1970s I’d bet someone would come up to you and ask, Hey, what’s your sign? At least that was a common pickup line on the campus of the Midwestern college I attended from 1968–1972. Some…

Having Realistic Expectations for Family Holidays — As the holidays approach I find myself reminiscing. I miss the days when my kids were little and my mom and grandma were still alive. I miss our long-standing holiday traditions. That stage in my life seems like it was just yesterday. Yet at the same time, it seems like…