tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19097495895535703392012-01-26T17:27:13.854-08:00Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.comBlogger1231100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-56745564161966543082012-01-26T16:02:00.000-08:002012-01-26T17:27:13.887-08:00

I went to visit a friend today. He was a resident on this floor and he would join a few of us every Tuesday for dinner. He had moved in over the summer. He is a very nice person: soft-spoken, polite (he would stand up whe a woman came to the table), always wore a jacket and a tie, And now he has moved off our floor and is in hospice care in a hospital wing here.He has been there over a month and

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-56320895371070030742012-01-25T06:33:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:02:16.042-08:00

Before I start ranting-- personal disclosure. I am an 87 year old woman who has been an FDR Democrat all my life. I think it is in my DNA. By today's standards, I would be considered liberal and left. Personally, I think that is a good thing. Growing up in the Depression was not a totally bad thing. I learned compassion. I learned how to work - and I also learned that these things were not always

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-59020419443433206602012-01-18T18:37:00.000-08:002012-01-18T19:04:29.996-08:00

I learned how to write - print - my name a long long time ago. And that is how it starts. Put your name on a piece of paper and it becomes yours. And, if you are talented, it becomes you. When I was 5, or l5, or 25, and even older - I thought that would be an easy thing. Maybe that is why I like to read so much. I like to read everything: fiction, history, politics, newspapers and magazines. I

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-65345459479505623492011-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:002011-12-25T11:38:56.417-08:00

I live in the land of the disappearing people. One day there is an elderly man walking through the lobby - and then there isn"t. A record is kept in the Social Services offices of who disappeared and what happened to them. Some people go down daily to check the book. Then the information is shared in the dining room,In two years, a number of people have vanished from the building. It is very

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-31241126306242828612011-12-02T06:32:00.001-08:002011-12-02T09:46:45.714-08:00

There are days when I awake and immediately feel very very old. It seems to be a combination of achy-ness and angst. Or maybe I catch an unwanted view in the mirror. Or I write a list of what I did yesterday and the most prominent entry is "I took a nap." What happened?Inside someplace, obviously well hidden, I feel as if I was 50. But the world around me knows better and they know.............I

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-57126089335773125592011-11-15T05:55:00.000-08:002011-11-15T05:57:27.964-08:00

By some insidious thing that lurks in every computer -The above post was posted by ME - Not Gail!Why do these things happen?

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-82758013100898057732011-11-14T10:17:00.000-08:002011-11-14T10:25:13.560-08:00

I have given writing about the political cesspool - at least for now.I decided it is time to write about the subject I am beginning to know the best - The Care and Feeding of Old People (and the ridiculous things that happen to them).Although I am beginning to feel like an expert, I know there are many facets and u-turns that I have yet to explore (sorry for the mixed "metaphors.").You may not be

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-5554588637928454032011-11-01T16:38:00.000-07:002011-11-01T16:57:06.489-07:00

The last week in October was filled with memories - last year, Bernie spent his birthday - October 21 - in the hospital. The nurse brought him a cupcake and of course he flirted with her.On Halloween, he died. Such a big and vital man - and then the large empty space.Now it is this year and we mark the days - My son and daughter-in-law took me out to dinner and remembered Bernie with saki (

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-56454448916669615812011-10-25T16:28:00.000-07:002011-10-25T18:05:58.013-07:00

What is this love affair the Republican candidates have with Flat Tax plans? In their efforts (so far successful) to avoid raising taxes on the richest l% or 5% of the citizens, they are performing circus acts of graphs and accounting tricks to convince us that a flat tax is the fairest way to go. No it isn't.It sounds nice - everyone will pay 20% - what could be more fair? Except -- 20% of a

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-8329207477861503942011-10-24T10:39:00.000-07:002011-10-24T11:11:48.473-07:00

I have been trying to figure out how things went so wrong. And I think it all comes down to money - who has it and who wants it and what they have learned to do with it. Money corrupts - AND HOW. There isn't a politician in Washington who isn't beholden to someone or something because of money. Actually, I think there is hardly a politician anywhere who doesn't belong to someone or something that

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-54655274590014251032011-10-21T07:27:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:50:50.069-07:00

Today is - was - Bernie's birthday. He loved birthdays and the celebration and the cake and the presents and all the attendant fuss and bother. He once tole me that birthdays were not celebrated in his family - I don't think that is an accurate memory. But, we certainly celebrated in our house.And as he got older, we had special parties to mark his 50th, 60th, and on until the last big one - his

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-27738105844881681652011-10-15T10:19:00.000-07:002011-10-15T10:31:56.524-07:00

Politics today has turned into a zoo atmosphere. On one side are the chattering monkeys - scratching each other and chattering away and not accomplishing much. On the other side are the baboons - lurching around, getting in everyone's way. and equally incompetent. And someplace on the grounds are the beavers and the elephants and the bears (and others) who raise their trumpets and holler, or

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-41745090040786956952011-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:002011-10-09T13:48:25.383-07:00

Last week I asked my older son what he would like for his 60th birthday - a new phone? - a new gadget - a new shirt?? Finally he said: Make me a kugel. OK. I could do that. I went to the computer and found a recipe that looked relatively easy and would probably taste good - and I printed out the recipe. So far - so good.I checked the ingredients: 5 eggs - OK I had a dozen in the fridge, Golden

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-27768016778734297602011-09-07T17:54:00.000-07:002011-09-09T15:21:10.329-07:00

It is obvious the election campaign for November 2012 is gathering steam - or. money, invectives, distortions, insults and every unpleasant and nausea producing tactic that anyone can think up. How -or why - can an election campaign go on for months and months? I remember the last general election and it seemed to me that by the time people went to vote there was "garbage" everywhere. Obviously,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-43435335569693949982011-09-06T16:28:00.000-07:002011-09-06T16:30:00.552-07:00

No wonder I have an upset stomach: Congress is back in town.And we all know how productive that can be.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-73226240995674823372011-09-04T05:04:00.000-07:002011-09-04T05:21:19.579-07:00

I wake up - disoriented by sleep. The clock blinks "7:15" - so I push myself awake, I am at the very edge of the king size bed, one leg dangling, ready to get up. I wait for the movement on the other side of the bed - and then I am fully awake. There will be no movement on the other side of the bed. Bernie is not there to move his large body and bounce up and announce his presence. Because, of

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-10462294829845869422011-09-01T13:12:00.000-07:002011-09-01T13:22:36.449-07:00

The news feed was that John Boehner made history yesterday by refusing the President's request to call a joint session of Congress for a speech on the economy. What a disrespectful and disgusting display of -- well, I don't know what to call it. Racism? (I think so) Contempt for the voters? probably. A little man making a big noise. I wish the President had told him to go to ---- a la Harry

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-4099828110982997502011-08-10T06:51:00.000-07:002011-08-10T07:11:08.098-07:00

Last week was depressing, enraging, mind-boggling. First, the spectacle of Congressmen playing "chicken" with the economic future of this country - And in the end it came down to no tax increase. Certainly the people involved could not shout "no taxation without representation" - since many of the Congressmen were bought and paid for (do I have to qualify that or prove that?) A lot of money went

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-7672817660423827102011-07-26T10:45:00.000-07:002011-07-26T13:16:46.240-07:00

I know. I said I wasn't going to rant again. But as I watch the politicians lob softballs at each other in an attempt to end the budget stand-off - here I am.Why won't the Republicans (mostly) and a few gutless Democrats, refuse to budge on the issue of taxes. Can't they add? Con't they understand the simple law of cause and effect? If you continue tax benefits for the wealthiest people, the

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-14525764307260896652011-07-05T06:22:00.000-07:002011-07-05T06:34:20.913-07:00

I just finished reading my morning newspaper and that's it. No more ranting. No more political musings. I give up.The pile of political s--t gets higher and higher and I am too old to pick up a shovel. Today's headline - ready to make Medicare and Medicaid cuts - that did me in. No headline for an end to tax breaks for mega money-making corporations - or for the 5% of very very rich taxpayers.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-38479361701433007092011-06-25T15:59:00.000-07:002011-06-25T16:11:50.619-07:00

I have to keep reminding my body to suck it up - nothing ventured, nothing gained - you have nothing to fear but fear itself. But it doesn't listen. One step just a nano-second off - and it says to me "the hell with it" and I end up sprawled not so gracefully on the floor. No critical damage - my dignity, a couple of bruises - reminders that I have to pay attention. I AM PAYING ATTENTION and it

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-45623832461876429952011-06-13T09:13:00.000-07:002011-06-14T17:44:48.575-07:00

I will be 87 years old in 2 weeks and I think that qualifies me to write with some authority about Old Age - which, with any luck at all, will be inflicted on us all.First of all, let's dump the euphanisims - I do not live in a Retirement Community. This is a home for old people - in all our various forms. Right now, I am in the first level - Independent living. From there, one can move to

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-82906532197560938792011-06-02T17:05:00.000-07:002011-06-02T17:22:25.529-07:00

Last night, the in-house tv movie was Judgement At Nuremberg." I had never seen it so I flipped the switch - and there it was - 2 hours of watching old memories. All the photos of the death camps, the stories of intimidation of people, the collapse of any kind of movement against the Nazis -- it seemed so old and yet so new, at the same time.The movie's background of the intrigue of the Cold War,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-31788785013163792452011-05-27T11:26:00.000-07:002011-05-27T11:40:15.536-07:00

The minds of some of the Republican Congressmen drive me nuts. Oh yes the tornadoes have created a national emergency. But wait - we cannot give money to the stricken areas until we cut the money from something else! Which, of course, could create another emergency. I know - we will cut unemployment benefits. Right? Then the unemployed won't have money for food and other luxuries but we can help

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-41376834444062438092011-05-07T12:49:00.000-07:002011-05-07T13:18:33.293-07:00

Some of my facebook friends have been posting pictures of their mother - a really great idea. But I have no photos of my mother to post - I am unable to scan and any photos I have are old and hard to handle.Therefore, I will write about my mother, Sara Hayden, who died in l979 at the age of 76. She had come to the United States when she was 6 or 7, with parents and 6 sisters. My grandparents had

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-52044202175673208792011-04-15T11:20:00.000-07:002011-04-15T11:37:02.026-07:00

This is the day of kvetching! I awoke this morning and the sun was shining so I pulled up the blinds and the view was beautiful. The trees across the driveway were covered with tiny new green leaves and it all looked so fresh and new. And then I remembered I had no one to call out to - come see the trees. Look at the sun! The apartment silently chided me - there is no one here but me.So - 4 hours

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-49209658269911748612011-04-07T13:03:00.000-07:002011-04-07T13:27:54.758-07:00

The government is closing down - the congressmen are wearing their best ties and bringing out their best cliches - politics at its best. And then, just when you think the circus is calming down - here comes Donald Trump! The perfect clown in the parade.I was going to write about the budget impasse and the vicious cuts directed at Medicaid, health services for women and the shredding of what is

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-32209963339776878942011-03-01T07:55:00.000-08:002011-03-01T08:04:42.770-08:00

All these busy governors, and congressmen(women) focusing on pension issues for government workers - Why aren't elected officials included in these cuts? I would like to see the numbers. How much does it cost the State and Federal government to fund pensions for elected officials - after they are no longer elected officials? And how about their health benefits?How are these paid for? It seems

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-26570463527949633572011-02-16T08:15:00.000-08:002011-02-16T08:38:12.622-08:00

So many of the hurdles faced by Old People (me) involve the telephone. No, not the calls from families and friends. I am specifically talking about the phone calls that occasionally must be made to question an invoice, to get information about a service, and even to check on Social Security. No matter what the letters and emails tell you, it is not always possible to avoid a telephone call. And

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-50101644421702114352011-01-29T17:06:00.000-08:002011-01-29T17:28:15.162-08:00

What are old people supposed to do? There is all this time and somehow--what to do. I go to exercise I knit, I ;pay my bills, I talk to my friends. I go to a class once in a while - there is a lecture here once a month - I go to Yoga. I - I - I. I read my daily paper and silently argue with the columnists. I read a scientific analysis of the winter's weird weather and it scares me.I feel as if I

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-75323022674105808282011-01-15T09:09:00.000-08:002011-01-15T09:22:44.934-08:00

It has been almost 3 months since Bernie died. I have wept, and mourned, and grieved. We had a memorial service to honor his life and my family has put his wedding ring on a gold chain, which I wear now. I have good days and days that aren;t so good. Whatever the day, I know he is absent. The 4 year old came over for dinner last night and was happy to see me - and then she asked - where is the

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-82783102642037476762011-01-10T17:48:00.002-08:002011-01-10T18:54:02.682-08:00

The terrible shooting in Arizona has shaken my world - and I know, the world of many many others. Yes, there are unbalanced, sick people who will pick up a gun and go out for sick revenge. And that fact alone is enough to give us pause. And let us not forget the people who ran during the mid-term election campaigns advocating using "their second amendment rights" - if they did not get the results

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-49379665590220560512010-12-30T13:26:00.000-08:002010-12-30T13:44:31.711-08:00

My husband's closet has been cleaned out - all the warm coats and size l5 shoes and extra extra long pants and jackets and shirts and underwear and socks - all delivered to a shelter where people will use what he left behind. That is a good thing - right!? But I hate it anyway. The closet so much looks as if someone left it in a hurry - hangers and cleaning bags left behind - empty drawers

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-35698853687503272732010-12-05T07:42:00.000-08:002010-12-05T07:57:49.375-08:00

I cannot understand the logic (to say nothing about such basic things such as equality, fairness, equity - whatever you want to call it - that motivates the Senate to try to sell their continuation of tax cuts for the small percentage of people who earn more than $250,000 a year. If they are so concerned about deficit spending, this would be the logical place to start. No? No!Instead their next

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-77486951110191319312010-11-25T18:22:00.000-08:002010-11-26T06:56:02.372-08:00

63 years ago, I opened the door to my family's apartment, and there stood a very tall (6ft.4in) man with a wide bright smile - my blind date. He had dark wavy hair and green eyes, which lit up when he saw me. It was dazzling and yes, I was dazzled. So much so, that in December of that year we were married. We had full and exciting years. We had 4 children: 3 boys and then a girl. There were

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-14530838514288979072010-10-14T07:32:00.000-07:002010-10-14T08:00:30.652-07:00

This is a time for ranting. My friend Bill for one. He has also sent me proposals to assist in changing the way we elect people to the House and Senate. For example, term limits, cutting excessive benefits, etc. All things worth serious consideration. But I don't think that will do it.I have been reading about the outrageous amounts of money that have been raised in various campaigns for various

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-79795192056183595902010-10-03T13:02:00.001-07:002010-10-03T13:19:43.936-07:00

I was going to write a rant about the irrational arguments about taxes - and then real life stepped in.I sm sick about the cruelty and thoughtlessness that caused the suicide of the young man at Rutgers. There is such a disregard of basic decency and humanity. What kind of ego-driven sickness leads people to behave so carelessly and selfishly. Has the easy availability of cameras, the internet,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-83429619815812110522010-10-03T13:02:00.000-07:002010-10-03T13:03:16.008-07:00

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-58999728368259177052010-09-23T09:03:00.001-07:002010-09-23T09:24:01.247-07:00

There is no point kvetching about being old while the political world spins seemingly out of control.Today the news showed Republican candidates promising to tear apart the health care bill. The insurance companies must be working overtime on this one. Do the people who deride it by calling it ObamaCare have any idea what they are raving about?Look at the provisions to protect those who have no

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-46043491108816792042010-08-08T13:40:00.000-07:002010-08-11T10:23:54.952-07:00

I used to be a political junkie. I watched all the Sunday morning talk shows and the Friday evening recaps. I would leap for the front pages of my newspaper. That is all in the past. I can barely tolerate the tv on Sunday morning. Or the papers. Or whar passes for the evening news broadcasts,The current insanity about the l4th Amendment boggles the mind. To amend the Constitution. Simple. Pull

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-58747275174805121252010-05-16T15:54:00.000-07:002010-05-16T16:07:29.160-07:00

My adjustment to my new environment is a work in progress - faltering a bit, now and then, but happening notheless.My dear dear greatgrandchildren come for lunch every week or so and it is an enormus treat. After looking at all the old people here (including me) it is so wonderful to see their sweet faces. Jack is 2 and a half, and Ben will be 5 in a week or so -they are very loving and recognize

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-49221557428057331132010-04-06T08:18:00.000-07:002010-04-07T12:26:07.687-07:00

And now it is April. Trees are blooming everywhere - pear trees and cherry trees - forsythia - the air is filled with floating stuff that makes my eyes itch. How is that for a half empty cup?I received an email from an old friend of mine who asked how I was doing - she didn't want to know about the family stuff. She asked how I was doing with this newest life change. To tell you the truth, I am

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-19241858841671212572010-03-02T07:49:00.000-08:002010-03-02T08:06:41.553-08:00

It is hard not to think about loss in a retirement facility. So many people are very old and very frail - people go in and out of the nursing section. And at some point, they disappear. But mostly I think about friends I have lost over the years - people not frail nor very old. But it didn't matter - they are gone and they leave us bereft. When my son died last May, it was the saddest thing

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-6013781426349705452010-02-23T12:30:00.001-08:002010-02-23T12:47:09.141-08:00

The state of politics is like standing on one's head. Everything is upside down, you get a headache, get dizzy, and collapse.Isn't there a better way?What happened to honest debate, give and take, exchange of ideas?? I suppose I am just too old. Some people complain about spending and taxing - and then, when there is a big snow, the States run to the Federal government for "emergency relief" -

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-46883602028187071072010-02-12T07:25:00.000-08:002010-02-12T11:49:57.878-08:00

This is really a new world - one I "knew" about, but not really. When we moved into the retirement place in Lincolnwood, I felt I was Alice falling down the rabbit hole.This is much different. Now I have stepped into an MGM movie set - where all the women "match" and the men wear sports jackets. When I walk into the dining room, I expect to find a string quartet playing Mozart. Everyone looks

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-5163629082986142262010-02-04T11:14:00.001-08:002010-02-04T11:31:00.851-08:00

On television last night, I heard someone talk about what makes people happy. High on the list was making your bed so it is ready for you at night. That MIGHT bring a smile to my face. But happy?Happy is watching my son before a Senate Committee reviewing his appointment to a vital and necessary role in the Government. This is happiness at its most personal and basic sense.I enjoy the success of

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-11523825583639361962010-01-31T08:41:00.001-08:002010-01-31T09:06:33.477-08:00

There are (were) 4 boxes sitting on the floor next to my computer. I keep shoving them closer to the wall so that I don't break my neck as I navigate around them. And today, finally, I emptied one of them. To be honest one of remaining boxes has overflow problems, to say nothing of the increasingly large assortment of papers on my computer table. But the box is empty and can be taken

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-57112928494511206372010-01-23T10:11:00.000-08:002010-01-23T10:34:22.406-08:00

I have been pushed - stumbling and unprepared into the age of more things technological than I ever knew existed. I know for younger people this is just a part of every day life. For me, each step is a revolution - of a kind. It is like learning to walk all over again (and I don't think I ever got THAT right). But my spirit is willing and my brain is coming along for the ride.Yesterday,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-47533792892183821212010-01-07T08:03:00.000-08:002010-01-07T08:18:08.876-08:00

For several weeks I have disappeared into boxes -- first, boxes to pack (which involves sorting and deciding and tossing and keeping -- and now, boxes to unpack. What is in that huge box labeled bedroom stuff? Linens? Blankets? When I open it up there are sweat shirts mixed with hats and mufflers, tape measures alongside ink cartridges, plus notebooks and rubber bands and magic markers. What was

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-65997536455097247482009-12-20T12:32:00.000-08:002009-12-20T12:43:51.532-08:00

today is moving day minus one - tomorrow we board the plane for Virginia (where there are inches and inches of wet snow}.They heard I was coming and decided to have the snow storm of the year. Bummer. I am packing and throwing away and paying the last of the bills. This has been a roller coaster week. A dear friend is very ill - I doubt she will get past this one. I mourn the loss of the life I

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-57742922069067104792009-12-16T07:31:00.000-08:002009-12-16T07:42:50.400-08:00

Our new plan is in place and we will be moving to Virginia on December 21 - 5 days from now. The boxes are in place, papers are stacked everywhere, lists are posted on doors, and I rush around with no particular goal in mind. Hopefully, every one will stay healthy, all the pieces will begin to fit together, and we will get on that plane on Monday. This is much harder than the move from our own

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-41104834359554370822009-12-08T11:12:00.000-08:002009-12-08T12:21:42.888-08:00

It is very difficult for old people to make long term (more than 2 days) plans. We were really all set to move to Virginia on December 7 - the mover was ready, we were as organized as we would ever be - or on our way to being organized - flights had been scheduled. And then Bang - my husband collapsed, rushed to the hospital, IVs and scans and blood and doctors everywhere. And now he is being

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-14689876655440379962009-11-21T14:25:00.000-08:002009-11-21T14:44:39.022-08:00

My friend Bill says that Watergate was the beginning of the end of moral responsibility (my words). I am older than Bill and have tried to search my memory for what happened in the years before that infamous event. Perhaps he is right. Maybe it is the immediate accessability of information, whether there is truth in what is printed, or not. People are looking for the bold headlines. There is no

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-65844266729275414862009-10-26T13:11:00.000-07:002009-10-27T13:23:24.883-07:00

Someone sent me an email with an anti-Obama message. And although the person who sent it is someone I love, she doesn't know me very well. I voted for President Obama and I hope a public option is included in a health plan. This is not personal. I have very good, affordable health care (thanks to a retirement packaage). But every time I go to a hospital Emergency Room (which happens often at this

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-53928424535296692202009-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:002009-10-20T10:26:14.734-07:00

My dear friend Betty died this weekend. I had known her since I was l3. It was the summer before we entered high school and the Chicgo Tribune had a column called Sally Jo Brown. Every week or so, a different award was offered to 20 school children for various contests. This one was: Write a letter telling us why you want to go to a Cubs Game. I swooned. I had never been to a major league ball

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-52253203754435476692009-10-04T07:38:00.000-07:002009-10-05T15:34:27.984-07:00

Is it still a blog if I don't write anything for weeks at a time? Daily life has swamped me and driven me into the muck.Bernie was in the hospital (again), and he is slowly getting well; I was attacked by a flu-like bug that was very nasty.I have been doing a lot of very unpleasant qvetching - one of the problems with kvetching is that it isn't very productive. One can kvetch for hours (or days)

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-88594294235643398722009-08-25T09:37:00.000-07:002009-08-25T09:58:52.722-07:00

After several weeks of serious kvetching, I think Bernie is getting better. He did not have vertigo - he had a very severe calcium deficiency which caused the fainting, falling and disorientation. He finally rose from his bed and began to act like a human being again - I think the motivation was a really good, really pretty, physical therapist. Whatever - I am happy to see him (almost) upright,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-52015776925627235052009-08-08T13:30:00.000-07:002009-08-08T16:22:21.280-07:00

Some people have asked me about Bernie (husband, friend and co-conspirator). Bernie is fine. Or, he was until I began thinking about writing about him,He was doing just fine with this move - active on a committee, kibitzing with all the elderly women, arguing with management - sound familiar? Bernie is a big man: 6ft.3in. and 240 lbs. Very impressive in a group of tiny Eastern European Jews. And

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-41919296695452169482009-07-23T18:32:00.000-07:002009-07-24T09:41:06.233-07:00

Life for people in their 80s is one big comedy. I think. Not a Shakespeare As You Like It. or Midsummer Night's Dream - or even Breakfast at Tiffanys. It is more like a Mel Brooks mixed in with some vaudeville. It is a big shock to my system and I don't know how it worked out that way. One day I was in my 70's, jetting off to Paris, cruising in the Caribbean, going to Disney World with our

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-39457744465734929952009-07-05T06:14:00.000-07:002009-07-07T08:18:05.466-07:00

Our facility (I HAVE to find anothr word!) had the annual 4th of July barbeque yesterday. Chaos. 200 residents - plus guests -showed up at the dining room - room for approximately 90+ - around noon, accompanied by walkers, canes, an occasional wheel chair. The staff frantically tried to seat people. To clear tables promptly. We waited 40 minutes. I enjoy watching the results of poor planning.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-5611781586409540062009-06-27T07:05:00.000-07:002009-06-27T12:14:02.500-07:00

I have been hiding out - emotionally and literally. Grieving is hard work.This week the news has assaulted me. Pictures from Tehran - young people being bloodied in the streets. Dithering political "leaders" shredding proposed legislation into unrecognizable scraps - the obvious needs for changes in health care are thrown on the heap of "socialism". Real reform is buried in speeches and slogans.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-88682655638208834642009-06-14T14:37:00.000-07:002009-06-14T16:51:41.777-07:00

I never know when my brother Mike will come into my thoughts. Last week I was walking to the neighborhood farmer's market. It was a beautiful day out, but there wasn't anything special. Just a walk through my rather bedraggled neighborhood to get a few things for the house. Our friends were coming over for dinner with their 2 kids. On the way I passed something I had seen before - a photo of a

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-69872747280197475132009-06-02T13:11:00.000-07:002009-06-02T13:17:17.030-07:00

There was a memorial for my son yesterday. It was planned and carried out his 2 brothers and his sister. It was everything that my son would have wanted - informal, loving, accepting - with all the people who loved him. His siblings spoke about him, his niece sang - there was the traditional prayer. My three children gave me a priceless gift: love, and peace.People have said to me - it is hard to

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-71317506674045158612009-05-12T18:09:00.000-07:002009-05-22T08:42:59.801-07:00

And now he is truly gone. This is reality.Even though Mike had not been well for a long time, and even though he had been hospitalized 3 times in the last 2 months, the phone call was a shock when it came. This was my oldest son - my first born - A beautiful boy with big blue eyes and curly blond hair. How did we get from there to here? He was slow to walk, slow to talk - and when he finally

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-24456453911582063042009-05-11T13:54:00.000-07:002009-05-11T14:20:55.441-07:00

My brother Mike died on Monday May 4. He was the eldest of the 4 of us. Mike's health had been deteriorating over recent months, but we were still all caught off guard by the sudden news.Larry was the one who got the call and he has continued to handle a lot of things long distance from Juneau, Alaska. Andy came in town on Wednesday and I followed on Friday. I talked to my friend Ruth who also

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-54041424597054192212009-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:002009-04-25T15:44:14.681-07:00

Today, Saturday, I decided to drive Denise to work and take the car. I really didn't have any big plans for using the car, but I thought I might as well enjoy the flexibility and see where the day takes me. The past several Saturdays I've been going to a class at the gym in the mornings, which didn't give me time to drive Denise to work and get back for class.Denise was working in the Presidio

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-79465105733691913452009-04-23T12:22:00.000-07:002009-04-23T12:53:27.241-07:00

No I did not disappear. Had to realign my planets and find a better place for my head.Then last night I went to a movie in our auditorium - called Paper Clips - which certainly helped me to have better perspective on what matters. It is a documentary about a middle school in Tennessee where a teacher was teaching about the Holocaust. The students could not get their heads around the number os 6

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-70246988588849069262009-04-02T11:21:00.000-07:002009-04-03T06:50:50.338-07:00

I finally posted a blog! I had an interruption for eye surgery - to repair my cornea. I didn't love it. But finally, my vision is beginnin to improve and I can see the screen again! To follow up on my complaints about our residence here - something happened! Two days after my blog, a maaintenace man knocked on my door. He repaired the light in the hallway. He shook his head over my shower and the

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-36163526291212334012009-03-31T09:46:00.000-07:002009-04-02T11:17:28.242-07:00

I am an aging rennasiance crone Living in a retirement home, Life's changes come at you fast And you need to learn how to adapt, To sidestep To play the game. Gain against pain. My skin is sagging, My body is lagging The changes are staggering. What do you want? Long life? No pain? Things you cannnot claim? The crone knows The wind blows Things change, Dig in and Take a stand. Claim your space.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-79395482699138535492009-03-16T14:20:00.000-07:002009-03-16T14:39:05.080-07:00

Another problem with retirement homes (and I have a feeling it is universal) that sometimes it is very diffult fo know what the truth is. The residents are mostly truthful: ask how old someone is, and they will proudly rell you in a hot minute. Ask a staff member why an activity has disappeared from the calendar and you will get a :"version of the truth" This can range from the prosaic"not

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-27289942001668153022009-03-14T13:10:00.000-07:002009-03-15T11:20:46.969-07:00

This blog is for my granddaughter. She will be l8 tomorrow and I have been thinking about her all week. I have her pictures everywhere - at my desk, on my dresser, on a shelf in one room, on a table in another. Obviously, she is a very important part of our lives.She was this amazing baby who looked so much like my son! She also had very strong opinions, even as an infant, and has carried that

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-53875997354061660432009-03-09T12:07:00.000-07:002009-03-09T12:17:09.405-07:00

Living in this retirement community (euphenism for old people's home) sometimes feels as if my husbnd and I are on this large liferaft in the middle of an ocean. We keep pulling each other back from the edge, and all our energy goes into staying on the raft. There are currents and sharks and sometimes the work is just too hard!We have been here a year and a half and I don't think I have made a

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-54166329379514619962009-03-01T13:22:00.000-08:002009-03-02T08:42:27.551-08:00

The other morning, when I switched on the TV news, there was a glaring headline - CLASS WARFARE - and the newsman was talking about what was happening because of the President's new budget plans. That headline made me think there were a bunch of old Wobblies marching in the street. And then it turns out that people(who?) are mad at me!After all, I have Medicare and I have a son who is disabled

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-37247096727621292332009-02-26T11:40:00.000-08:002009-02-26T11:57:16.061-08:00

One of the benefits of old age, is the opportunity to continue to learn. I have been thinking about the year plus we have been this retirement facility and there is no way to stay static. Eveything moves around me, and I have to keep my head up and my ears tuned (of course, considering my poor hearing, that can be a challenge)I have learned not to lose my temper. No point to it. If one has

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-43114544650106293342009-02-21T07:28:00.000-08:002009-02-21T07:37:55.132-08:00

I woke to the ugliest scene imaginable - snow. Covering cars, roadways, sidewalks. And it is still falling, even as I write this.I have never been a big fan of winter, and I hate snow. Oh yes, it is beautiful as it blankets the world with pristine white. But that lasts less than a day. Then the white is covered by soot, to be plowed into gray mountains that last forever. It just isn;t fair!The

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-79656170912457013102009-02-18T11:58:00.000-08:002009-02-19T10:30:44.602-08:00

The stimulus bill has been signed. The auto makers want a few billlions more. And they are laying off thousands of people. So no matter what happens, who will be around to buy cars? Not any of the thousands and thousands of people who have lost their jobs over the last months! It just doesn't compute.I am certainly not an economist - barely passed my math tests. Yet, this all is beginning to look

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-24109947944213456202009-02-15T09:39:00.000-08:002009-02-15T10:15:55.873-08:00

February has been the month of my deep deep funk. I feel stuck in the malaise of winter woes and bad news niggling at me. Maybe it is a post election let-down. Maybe I thought the whole world would change when Obama got elected - and we all know that didn't happen. Instead, the worse kind of partisanship reared its head - snarling and bickering reminiscent of Newt Gingrich at his most vitriolic

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-3890506321285622712009-02-03T13:59:00.000-08:002009-02-03T14:03:30.569-08:00

Yes, this is going to be all about politics. I am warning you now.What happened? I thought the good guys won? So what are the Republicans doing in the Senate? Where is Harry Reid? Why a Republican at the Dept. of Commerce? Why is Tom Daschel such a jerk. Nothing is getting fixed!I am really too old to be so upset about National politics.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-16686183492690954542009-02-01T09:22:00.000-08:002009-02-01T09:41:43.830-08:00

Three of my children visited me last week. One came from the West coast, one from Alaska, and one from the East coast. One by one they flew in and we checked out each other. It was terrific. When they were in college and they would come home for a weekend, or a holiday, they slept late, ate enormous amounts of food (which I cooked) and left behind piles of dirty laundry - sheets, towels, etc. Now

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-46068917616805661232009-01-24T08:20:00.000-08:002009-01-24T08:35:17.705-08:00

My dear friend, Betty, made me stop and think about the women in the beauty shop. In this facility, there are many women who are greatly diminished, both physically and emotionally. My physical problems are fairly trivial, compared to what I see every day, and I am fortunate to know my cognitive abilities are only slightly affected. That said, I went downstairs to the shop to get a haircut

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-12246158596301514142009-01-17T17:00:00.000-08:002009-01-17T17:24:52.720-08:00

My mom has been so prolific in 2009! I cannot keep up.The excitement around Obama's inauguration on Tuesday is permeating the airwaves and internet and even the neighborhood. Two doors down the street, an artist who rents a little studio has 11 paintings of Obama in her window. Her sign says these are 11 of 100 portraits she has done as a single art piece inspired by Andy Goldsworthy's "Spire".

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-21999580304189988172009-01-16T08:06:00.000-08:002009-01-17T12:34:06.635-08:00

My love affair with words is not new. But now I have more time to think about words and what they can mean and how people - writers - use them. The NY Times reviewed a memoir on Jan. l4 - "Somewhere Towards the End" by Diana Athill. And the reviewer headlined his review - Cataloging the insults (and joys) of old age. I think that is a perfect phrase. Old age IS certainly brimming with insults, to

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-89644233938360926432009-01-12T12:34:00.000-08:002009-01-12T13:03:00.937-08:00

It snowed most of the weekend and it is cloudy today with prediction of a blizzard for tonight and tomorrow. Enough! I get it - it's winter. Now I just want to quietly inch our way towards better weather. I don't think I ever liked winter very much. I remember when I was growing up sidewalks and streets were not salted very much and the first one down the street made a path and that was that. The

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-2433267651618935292009-01-10T11:53:00.000-08:002009-01-10T13:02:15.663-08:00

Maybe it is a medical report - or simply a kvetch. Remember the song - the hip bone is connected to the thigh bone, the thigh bone is connected to the ankle bone???? I am living proof of all of that. On Sept. 24 I had a new hip placed in my left leg. The hip is fine - great range of motion, but an ugly scar. And since then, like dominoes in a row, my body is falling apart. I have really bad

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-62344577512199330362009-01-04T09:42:00.000-08:002009-01-04T10:36:50.229-08:00

Today, it really feels like a New Year has begun. The Sunday talk shows featured what ifs and maybes and vague forecasts in every direction. War rages in Gaza and picket lines form everywhere on both sides of the issue. At dinner last night, Bernie made a reference to the ground invasion and our friend commented that the rockets came from Iran and that is where we should bomb. Bomb bomb bomb. Our

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-24360895022663013612009-01-03T14:07:00.000-08:002009-01-04T10:37:55.559-08:00

I was really ready to wave goodbye to 2008. But I don't think 2009 is going to be any more peaceful or "better" than last year. We seem to have packed up all the debris and disasters and put a new label on the box. Today, on the other side of the world people are shooting and bombing and dying. Peace seems to be a myth that no one believes in.And on that cheery note, we look to the new year. I

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-80031917529839100862008-12-28T09:04:00.000-08:002008-12-28T09:34:49.464-08:00

This posting is for Kirk who commented on my posting about hair - a relief from the seriousness and doomsday feelings about everything else in the world. At any rate, Kirk wrote about his struggles with hair problems, and suggested I have is cut as short as possible and then it would grow out better and stronger.Kirk, what you don't understand is that I live in "Haircut Hell". You live in San

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-62172398592008267372008-12-19T13:06:00.000-08:002008-12-19T13:21:30.341-08:00

Today is our 6lst wedding anniversary. Someone asked me yesterday, and I said - we never could afford a divorce.Here we are, growing old together, and trying to "value the passing time." I think that is the tricky part and we succeed most of the time. We need and appreciate each other. We shoulld have known this earlier in our lives - but aren't we lucky to have lived long enough to have learned

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-59253533143894110852008-12-14T10:46:00.000-08:002008-12-14T11:12:37.834-08:00

Living in Chicago, I grew up knowing that the precinct captain had the power, the Mayor was God, and the Govrnor always ended up in jail. and then came Obma. Since November 4 I have been in a euphoric haze - the good guys won. imagine that.And now, the Governor exposes on tape what was really common knowledge - that he is incompetent, dishonest and vulgar - and has the worst haircut in the United

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-34136336134371677592008-12-14T10:28:00.000-08:002008-12-17T17:51:29.283-08:00

Mom called this morning to check in and to tell me to read Roger Rosenblatt's piece in this week's New Yorker, Making Toast. "It's sad," she warned me. But she loved it - expecially the message to "value the passing time."So I read it. And now I feel sad (thanks, mom). But truly - it was a beautiful piece. And I had been thinking about how some days I can move through my day and sort of take it

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-50427131909700227722008-12-07T10:21:00.000-08:002008-12-10T10:10:21.367-08:00

You will note that as you age, your body turns on you. Body parts begin to sag, your skin is loose and wrinkles in odd and unattractive ways, and then there is the issue of hair.From the time I was old enough to know it was there, I never liked the hair on my head. It was straight and a muddy brown color and it was efficiently cut in a kind of Buster Brown version. When I was in my teens, I used

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-46752009710329977562008-12-02T12:52:00.000-08:002008-12-10T09:17:49.039-08:00

Someone said I am not kvetching - I am musing. At 84, anything I write is by definition a kvetch.For example, yesterday when I left the dining room after dinner, I left in a huff because Bernie was being a little too "Irving" for me (Irving is prone to loudness, insensitivity, and lapses of manners, etc.) Anyway, I grabbed the walker from the side wall and marched out and up to our apartment.

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-53041966479550268262008-11-30T10:34:00.000-08:002008-11-30T13:48:20.663-08:00

After reading the New York Times today, I began thinking back to my own experiences with the Great Depression. I was born in l924 and in l929 the economics of the day hit our family with full force. What ever savings we had was represented by Chicago Yellow Taxi stock. The joke in the house was we should paper the walls of the bathroom with it. My father was a cab driver and the big spenders were

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-3281868850719364922008-11-27T10:27:00.001-08:002008-11-28T11:47:47.908-08:00

Last Thanksgiving was the first at the retirement home. When we saw a menu announcing a dinner from ll:30 to 2:30, we decided that was a little more "retirement home" than we wanted. So we went with Mike to Andy's Restaurant, a psuedo mediteranean restaurant in Andersonville. It was fine - a warm welcoming place where we all felt comfortable. So that is what we are doing today. I guess, for now,

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-59846660781653326842008-11-23T08:09:00.000-08:002008-11-23T08:23:58.625-08:00

During our recent medical crisis - my surgery and the follow-up kvetches - Gail began calling me often to check on status, etc. Then with my return calls, we were talking on the phone every day. And she said that was OK, we could talk on the phone every day. And so now we do. It is like an endless gift. Yes, we can and do send emails, and yes, we do have the blog. But the phone calls are

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-63524655306106979462008-11-10T09:37:00.000-08:002008-11-10T09:48:16.569-08:00

I'm glad Gail went ahead and posted her thoughts - on Chris and April's wedding, on proposition 8, and the election of Obama. It has been quite a week. The first time I voted in a national election was in l944 when I voted for Franklin Roosevelt. I was so happy he ran for a 4th term so that I would get a chance to vote for him. And then, somehow now at 84, I voted for Barack Obama. Seems like a

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-79382659235805979982008-11-08T14:38:00.000-08:002008-11-08T15:16:59.363-08:00

Well, I can see that I need to step in and write a post because Claire is not back in the groove yet. I know she has a lot to say about the election, such as "winning is fun!" But I guess I'll just have to go first.Election day was surreal. Denise and I went to City Hall with our best friends Chris & April and their 2 kids so they could get married before Proposition 8 possibly put an end to all

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-33273888221798643702008-10-21T19:11:00.000-07:002008-10-21T19:12:57.389-07:00

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-33815376313649852272008-10-21T17:09:00.000-07:002008-10-21T17:14:19.977-07:00

Gailhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17102231836784655234noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1909749589553570339.post-37313413673644563392008-10-18T06:25:00.000-07:002008-10-18T06:40:13.540-07:00

I pushed my walker over to the computer, and here I am! I love Gail's updates. No, she did not over estimate the kvetches. I have been at top form. I have had 4 weeks (!) to contemplate life, getting old, and all the cheery introspective wanderings of a kvetcher. At the rehab center, I was not the only 80+ person recovering from suegery. My roomate was also an 84 year old woman recovering from

Clairehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09031943641122214025noreply@blogger.com0