Last Friday, I went to my aerobics class. Look up. Look down. Look over your shoulder. Then over the other shoulder. Do windshield wipers with your feet. And so on. As usual, we sat in a mirrored room with music playing. And to my surprise, I actually enjoyed the exercise […]
Marie Snider – This Side of 60
In my early 50s, I was very busy at work and with family. In addition, I was working on a Master’s degree from a university 120 miles away from home. But still I wanted to serve on the city council. Our tiny city on the plains would be called a […]
Statistics report that the most read part of the newspaper is the headlines, followed by the comics. I’ve read both of those for years. But now, I’m also an avid fan of the crossword puzzles. What got me started was the conversation about crossword puzzles in my water aerobics class. […]
It was 30 years ago when we built our house. At first, we were situated in a wheat field with no trees. But still, we had a wonderful view of a neighbor’s orchard that blossomed in the spring, and behind the orchard was a picturesque old barn. We loved it. […]
I am very happy today. And how could I not be happy? The sky is so blue and everything is vibrantly green. The flowers are at their peak–red, pink, and bright orange. From my window, I see the tall trees in our backyard swaying in the wind and hear a […]
For as long as I can remember, I have been able to read. I still have “The New Winston Primer,” as well as the “First Reader” and the “Second Reader,” in my library. “Once a Wee Wee Woman lived in a wee wee house. The Wee Wee Woman had a […]
Now that our children are grown, we have only one car and one truck. The car is gray and the truck is red. But years ago, we had three cars– black, maroon and green. Don’t ask me what year or make they were. Until recently, I have always categorized vehicles […]
On the occasion of Katharine Graham’s passing last week, I was motivated to once again watch “All the President’s Men.” It had been years since we had seen this adaptation of the book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. It’s a gripping story as the two reporters […]
I’ve never met Tobi Brenneman Goldfus but still I feel that I know her. She’s the daughter of my college roommate, Helen Good Brenneman. Helen was a spectacular roommate. She was upbeat, bubbly, and vivacious, always smiling, and polite to a fault. Arriving at college before I did, she left […]
When I chose to retire several years ago, I ended a 25-year career in the same institution, but I was not given the traditional gold watch. What I was given, instead, was all the time in the world and very little money. In the beginning, I never meant to retire. […]
Every Sunday, I make it a practice to read the week’s obituaries in The New York Times, focusing on the important obituaries of 80-year-olds and 90-year-olds, with a sprinkling of centenarians. What wonderfully full lives many of them had! And I’m especially intrigued by those who continued to be active […]
It was my first year of high school teaching in a small parochial school with very high standards. I was intimidated and worked late in the night to prepare my lesson plans, and still was nervous when it came time to teach. More than anything, I wanted to make a […]
