Grandmothers
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HELEN HUDSON HERE: RAISE THE ROOF!
Granny let me have a party at our house back in the 70’s with a bunch of my hippie friends. She bought potato chips and 7 Up and told me I could even crank my record player up a notch. (“In A Gadda Da Vida, Baby” was a fave.) As she retired to her bedroom,… Read more
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FILL-IN-THE-BLANKS THIS CHRISTMAS
Right now, this page is as blank as my cupboards are bare of gifts this year. I just read, “Breaking News” from the New York Times, which says that “Spending is down for November which indicates a gloomy forecast for 2012.” Part of me feels guilty for this downturn, for I have not spent a… Read more
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IT TAKES A LOT OF NERVE
It takes a lot of nerve to steal from someone but it takes even more to give what you’ve stolen back. Both scenarios occurred to an 83 year-old friend of mine yesterday. She arrived at the pool as she has, “for the last 40 years,” with her purse stuffed inside of her gym bag. She… Read more
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GET A LIFE!!!
When my oldest first said these three words to me I really was speechless. Then I laughed. After I wiped the incredulous look off my face I just stared into her then 16 year-old eyes and said: “I have one but unfortunately for you, you’re a BIG part of it.” Now if you have teenagers… Read more
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SHHH!! DON’T TELL!!
While rinsing the chlorine off this morning in the YMCA shower, a gaggle of giggling little girls squeezed altogether in the open stall next to me. Although several others were open, they chose to rinse off together. Like spies on a secret mission, they peeked out from behind their vinyl curtain as if to be… Read more
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DO WHAT YOU CAN—-WHILE YOU CAN
Granny impressed upon me early on to, *“Always DO what you can do when you can DO it.” While that advice has definitely gained me some friendships, it has also put me in some pretty awkward positions. Take today for example: There she was, a 40-something, dyed-blonde with a spectacular figure squeezed into watertight-jeans, a… Read more
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WALK LIKE A MAN!
My husband ruptured a disc in his back several weeks ago. Despite the many pain medications his doctor has proffered, he is still in agony and barely able to navigate from bedroom to kitchen. So, on the eve of our 31st anniversary, I drove to purchase him a cane. As I parked at Walgreens,… Read more
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in
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BE MY VALENTINE!!!
I love the company of men. Just came off the tennis court with three of them after winning the tiebreaker. The two who lost weren’t thrilled but they were gracious losers and even complimented me on being, “one helluva retriever.” Men play at sports and life, with an enthusiastic, ‘come what may’ attitude that I… Read more
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NEVER SAY NEVER
‘We’ just got a puppy for Christmas. In the last two days I have bent over with a paper towel and wiped or picked up at least 12 different ‘gifts.’ According to my research, I will be doing this for the next 3 months—if I’m lucky. Now I am not particularly wild about dogs, never… Read more
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SINGIN’ SWINGIN’ SENIOR
What a thrill I had at the supermarket this morning!! As I was coming through the checkout line with a single bottle of CHEER, the cutest little teenage checker gave me a huge smile and said, “Are you a singer?” “Why, yes, I am,” I said, perfectly delighted that she may have recognized me. “Okay,… Read more
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by
in
AGEFULLY AGING 