“I’ve put stickers behind everything valuable in my house because I don’t want my kids to throw them out when I die,” a friend said at dinner. Another chimed in, “Mine will too. They’ll get a dumpster and have a party.” A third said, "I've already given my kids everything I want them to keep." …
Tag: retirement
Gratitude Party Upon Turning Seventy-Two
Six hours ago, I turned seventy-two, so I am planning a long-weekend Gratitude Party.I will start my seventy-third year by hearing Jane Pauley talk about her new book, Your Life Calling: Re-imagining The Rest of Your Life , at a luncheon at the Union League Club. An appropriate title for a birthday celebration, agree?Soon after I …
Pedway Stained Glass – Chicago, 2014
Picture this. One day you're walking Chicago's pedway and the long wall across from Macy's on State is as boring as ever. Bland. No color. And a bit dirty.Then magic happens.Last week, I joined commuters racing on the pedway from trains to jobs and reveled in that long wall now bursting with color, excitement, and …
Why Don’t You Just Run Away?
That line was the funniest one I heard last week. The context? Imagine retirees, and the gal saying this to her husband. I’m sure you can conjure up many scenes that you want to say, perhaps yell, that line. Before I retired in 2000 I was aware of potential problems with Marv and me being …
Hazards of Marrying a Preacher’s Kid
Ask my husband about the hazards of marrying a PK, and he’s likely to tell you, “Be ready to drive off the highway at any inopportune moment.” You see, growing up as a preacher’s kid, I lived in five states. Marv was born and raised on the same farm. So by the time we met …
Chronic Itch Sufferers: Advice Welcome!
“Don’t tell me you are still itching,” a friend said yesterday. “That is just terrible! What’s been happening?” I’d not seen her in a month, and while she was off gallivanting across the world, I was continuing my journey from one doctor to another. As a retired nurse, I ask myself, every minute, What if …
Couples Therapy in a Kayak
“We call it couple’s therapy,” the young fella said who was orienting us to the art of paddling a tandem kayak. “Either you make it or you don’t,” he added, laughing. As we stood next to the Chicago River last Saturday, my husband, Marv, and I laughed along. I remembered when we’d tried to take …
U of Chicago – Degree and Certificate Program Convocation Ceremony – 2013
The only thing I know is that I don't know. A thought attributed to Plato or Socrates (From my notes the last day of class, June 4, 2013)Today I want to give thanks for the University of Chicago's Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults. And thanks for retirement years to be able to do …
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Senior Happy for Spring Break
I’m a senior, not in high school or college, but in life. You could also say I’m a senior in the University of Chicago Basic Program of Liberal Education for Adults, because I’m in my fourth and final year. It is Spring Break, and I’m happy to be free for a bit. Readings this past …
Snow Kindness in Chicago
Shootings in Chicago make national news. Snow kindness does not. It rarely even makes local news, except for the occasional gratitude letter to the editor about someone returning home to find his or her walkway shoveled. But my friend and I experienced a heartwarming degree of snow kindness last week, the day we had six …
Write Along with Me 