Gunk in my newish kitchen faucet threatens to bankrupt me. It started after a pipe burst. To date, I think I've had a plumber come four times to clean out the aerator. I don't have a tool small enough to do it myself. That must change, however, because once again, after my water softener ordeal …
Category: aging
F is for Marv’s Functional Furniture
Today, I'm honoring my late husband's hobby of making things. He made almost every end table, bookcase, and wall hanging I ever had. He did not claim to be a perfectionist; he was proud to call his creations "Marv's Functional Furniture," with an emphasis on "functional," not "perfection." He was especially proud of the wall …
E is for Emergency
Last night, for the first time since my husband died in July of 2018, I put a dab of his comforting Carlos Santana cologne on my wrist before I went to bed. I desperately needed at least the illusion of his presence. It had been a decent afternoon of running errands. But, when I got …
D is for Dimwitted
Today's entry was supposed to be about Dental Care. But that would have been about my two crown problems within twenty-four days. A picnic to be sure. An expensive one. But then yesterday an article arrived on my phone from the NYT and the word dimwitted caught my attention. A far more fun word than …
C is for Chicago
When I missed my connection and stayed overnight at O'Hare a few nights ago, all I could see of Chicago from my hotel room was this haze of clouds. It was almost enough to soothe my lonesome mind. Living in the Chicago area for fifty years does that to you. I imagine you have some …
B is for Birthday
Marv got an invitation to a birthday party today. It came in an email and the sender expressed regrets that he hadn't heard from Marv lately, and he wanted Marv to attend a birthday party. The party would be virtual and he pleaded with Marv to send money to support his cause. It apparently doesn't …
A is for Adjusting
This is the first in a series of posts I'll write in the Blogging from A to Z in April challenge. My theme will be Aging from a Recent Widow's Perspective. I had a high falutin' word starting with A to present to you today, but my experience of the last twenty-four hours gave the …
Blogging from A to Z in April
Last year I stumbled on a delightful Australian blogger who was participating in the A to Z April blogging challenge. The challenge involves blogging every day during April, except Sunday, on a letter of the alphabet, starting with the letter A on April 1. Makes sense right? Thirty days hath September, April.... Skip Sundays and …
Growing Older: On Turning 79
At the start of my 80th year, I agonize most about how much I still don’t know. As an advocate of life-long learning, everyday I’m confronted with new and challenging ideas and information. I’m grateful, however, that my parents instilled in me a love for learning and an insatiable curiosity. Always questioning. Taking nothing at face …
Grief at Twenty-three Months: More Writing
As I was approaching this two-year mark of my husband's death, I noticed not all is well yet as I'd hoped. I wasn't expecting the impact of loss to disappear, but I was hoping for fewer experiences of active grieving. This past month, a few members of Marv's family have passed away. That brought grieving …
Write Along with Me 