Life

File this under “Things I’m not proud of but sharing in the interest of my fellow (wo)man”.  I think of it as me taking one for the team, the I-want-to-look-younger team. You might think 2020 is a cluster of a year, but 2019 was my year of the personal crisis. I always felt pretty good about myself. I ate well, exercised (sometimes), took care of my skin (sometimes), and did not feel my ripe old …

My mom is in a long-term care facility. My brothers and I are used to seeing her virtually every day. I have not seen her since February. This pandemic is real. It’s serious. And yes, residents of these facilities are at the greatest risk.  But there are some smart, safe ways to end the lockdown at long-term care facilities and allow us to see our loved ones. Residents of these facilities may not understand why …

It seems like as soon as everyone hits the age of 50, that ‘r’ word comes a calling. It’s funny but when I hear the word “retirement,” I instantly think of my grandparents. I guess I was 10 and they were 50ish. But today’s retirement is SO much different. We don’t quit working and sit on the porch in a rocking chair til we kick the bucket. Nope. Today’s retirement lifestyles are very active. And …

I took advantage of this quarantine to create a morning routine list. I had read about them. I read how top CEOs, busy executives, and just really cool people like Shonda Rhimes and Oprah both have healthy morning habits. And since I too often find myself, cup of coffee in hand, sucked into the social media blackhole arguing with nitwits on Facebook while my poor dog stands next to my bed squeezing her legs together, …

My kids are hungry. But they can’t afford to eat. This was happening long before the current economic crisis. My daughter, a long-time vegan, is a budding microbiologist who desperately wants to eat healthy but…college bills. She makes her own nut milks and cosmetics because she wants to be clean and sustainable. But have you seen the price of clean ingredients? (Just switch out the french fries for broccoli at any restaurant and you’ll see …

My mom uses cannabis oil. So does my daughter. I guess that makes me the sandwich generation of weed. My mom is 82 years old and suffered a stroke 18 months ago. She has significant deficits including aphasia which have left her unable to communicate. Until recently, her days were spent crying uncontrollably with no explanation. That is, until I introduced her to cannabis oil and got her stoned.  My young adult daughter introduced herself …