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At a time when Hollywood recently was handing out awards, we decided to get in on the action and offer shoutouts to those with outstanding performances, not famous people in TV, movies and on radio/podcasts, but in daily life. Our picks reflect behaviors that we consider noteworthy in a good way and should be emulated. Then there are those people who act disappointingly, should not be copied and definitely warrant improvement.  The following represent our personal opinions. If you think you see yourself, we apologize, but we do not have any of our readers in mind, just people and actions...

  When difficulty has entered our lives, we each learned there can be safety and support in numbers. We each found a support group to help us cope with our distress and teach us invaluable lessons. You’ve probably seen support groups on TV with members sharing their challenges, from addition of drugs or alcohol to dementia and loss of a partner, spouse, parent or child through death or divorce. Everybody promises not to reveal names and scenarios outside the room.  Why it can work is that the support group becomes a circle of folks with the same concerns who offer...

It’s freezing outside now in certain parts of the country. It’s even cold inside for those of us who don’t warm up quickly, so we bundle up wearing a heavy sweater and even ensconce ourselves in a blanket, a scarf and heavy socks. Some of us layer in multiple layers. On days like this, we feel like cocooning, perhaps curling up with a book and by a fireplace; if only we had one. How about a good soup cookbook at a time when cold temperatures produce warm, heartier cravings. It’s a great opportunity to read recipes and beef up your...

Our parents are gone. With the death of Barbara’s mother in 2020, we both had lost all four of our parents and in laws. We officially became the older generation and being in this new position offered an eerie feeling.  One day when having a conversation about our ancestry, we mourned the fact that we hadn’t asked our parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles certain important questions when they were alive.  We admit that at times, especially as we age, we are consumed with curiosity about who we are, where we came from, why we turned out the way we...

  It’s gray, cold and gloomy outside, or it was for much of January, February and the beginning of March. Our mood at times has sunk lower than the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. We hunker indoors and walk less outdoors, frustrated by the cascading effects of climate change—the undulating temperatures, the wet pavements, constant drizzle of rain or snow, floods and the lack of blue sky. On a few days when the temperature has climbed and clouds disappeared, we feel uplifted that good weather is coming…soon.  How we wish these were our main problems. But we know...