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Rounding Third: The truth of the quiet Golden Years

I always envisioned my retirement as the Golden Years. I somehow pictured days of sleeping in, reading after lunch, and playing tennis or an occasional bridge game. Oh – and not having too many obligations. I wanted to stop jumping through other people’s hoops. Fuggedaboudit. Besides, my tennis game left with the purchase of my new knees. And reading for pleasure during daytime hours still clobbers me with guilt. Maybe I’ll stick around long enough to outlive that. Of course, I never imagined having a computer and the possibility of falling down the internet rabbit hole each ...

As rich get wealthier, seniors wait for help

It’s been over two months since my wife and I tried to switch from our local pharmacy to go back on line to obtain necessary replacements for her Dex Com “arm sensor,” a necessary tab that clings onto her arm for 10 days when it needs to be replaced. The Dex Com device eliminates finger pricking to measure blood glucose which denotes if insulin is needed and if so how much. It’s a wonderful device. Upon making the switch to the local pharmacy, we learned we would receive only a month’s supply whereas on line we had obtained a three months supply. We switched back on ...

Rounding Third: Selling memories in the driveway

It’s time for a garage sale. I haven’t tackled this particular craziness in more than ten years, but it is time. In the years since, Dear Richard and I have donated saleable goodies to a handful of local charities as well as annual fundraising sales. We’ve dragged out furniture, rugs, and I even persuaded Richard to donate many of his unused tools. We parted with three air conditioners, lamps, and more of my late mother’s earrings than a jewelry store could stock at one time. Even my handblown wedding Austrian crystal now graces someone else’s dining table. But it was okay ...

U.S. shambles need fix

It’s hard to ascertain the mentality of the far left. Since 2016 the left’s vocabulary has contained words like Nazi, fascist, racist, all kinds of phobias, Hitler, garbage, deplorable, and more. When a sitting governor and former vice presidential candidate in 2024 recently made a toxic remark saying “maybe we’ll hear some good news” referring to President Donald Trump’s supposedly ill health, the listener has come to believe that the left has lost its ability to care about anyone who differs in ideologies or ideals. The hatred for this country and its founding ...

A Brooklyn weekend of gathering together

The many years ago that I lived in New York City, I never made it to Brooklyn. I didn’t ever have a compelling reason to go there until last weekend, and I wished that I didn’t have to attend the gathering. It was different than any funeral I’ve ever been to. Last month, my nephew, Michael, died suddenly. It took a few weeks to corral family schedules and create plans for what turned out to be a loving memorial. I seldom get to see my nieces and nephews. It seems we only get together now for weddings and funerals – one of the challenges of a scattered family. My late ...

Rounding Third: A lifelong love for golden smiles

A giant of the film industry died just recently, and his passing brought back a flood of memories. As I explored those moments, I realized that in a small, eye-opening way, Robert Redford changed my life. But first, a little history. Four years before I saw Redford, a date invited me to my first theater evening. I was seventeen. And thrilled. So sophisticated! The South Shore Music Circus in Cohasset, Mass. was a summer destination for professional touring shows. I think the circular stage within a tent was the reason it was dubbed a “circus.” That first musical was Showboat and ...