The holidays used to be pretty easy to plan. I’m an only child, so even when my kids were little it was off to my parents for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Now that my kids are married with kids of their own and my parents are in their 80’s, the holidays are a lot harder to […]

Today I turned 62 years old and like always my daddy asked, “What do you want for your birthday?” I said, “Nothing, Daddy. I have everything I need. I feel very blessed.” What I wished I would have told him is that he gave me everything, not only for my birthday but for every minute […]

About 71.6 million people received benefits from programs administered by the Social Security Administration in 2023, including income for former workers, their dependents, and many disabled people. More than 50 million beneficiaries are older adults who receive monthly Social Security retirement benefits. As many have complained, the rules for how and when to claim benefits […]

I have so much gratitude for the men and women who gave themselves for our country. Since the very beginning of this brave land, the women also gave of themselves to make this country great and to keep us all free. Two weeks ago, I met an extraordinary woman named Kay Sherman, age 92. I […]

Seniors, too often the targets of cyber-savvy or fast-talking scammers, are again being singled out — this time by admittedly ingenious “spoofers” masquerading as representatives of the Social Security Administration (SSA). Typically, the newest spoofing scam works like this: Aware that most people now screen their phone calls by checking the caller’s number before they pick […]

Updated April 2025 While lamenting the losses, limitations, and inevitable aches and pains that come with aging, many people are also quick to put a half-positive spin on it. “Well, it beats the alternative,” they’ll say. Or as nicely-aging actor George Clooney recently said, more forthrightly: “I’m kind of comfortable with getting older because it’s […]

This Tuesday, my parents celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary. Every year they celebrate a birthday or their anniversary becomes a lot more special to me. It just seems like the older I get, the more I appreciate my parents. I know there will come a day when these memories will see me through. Mama was […]

It might not be too cold yet where you live, but the cold is coming. We’ll need warm clothes, a snug house and our heaters need to be in good working order. Heating our homes can be costly, so keeping that warm air where it belongs can save a lot of money. Weather stripping around […]

October 17, 2018 marks 29 years since the earth shook the Bay Area with a vengeance. They called it the Loma Prieta Earthquake. I remember looking up at the ceiling fans and seeing them sway and we lived a hundred miles away in the Sacramento Valley. The scenes on the television were too much to […]

I just love this time of year! It seems I can smell fall in the early morning air. It’s pumpkin picking time and there are apples ready too. How about the first fall day when you look for that comfy sweater? Even though the temperature each day here lately has been unseasonably warm, there are […]