I peeked into the life of three famous Victorian-era women when I visited the Bronte family homestead in England. — The town of Haworth, England, is famous as the home of three Victorian-era writers, the Bronte sisters Anne, Emily, and Charlotte. I made a pilgrimage to Haworth and the Bronte homestead a number of years ago. The Brontes grew up in a tight-knit lower middle-class family. All six Bronte children…

I was the lucky recipient of a DoorDash gift certificate. The ordering process did not start out well… — I was the lucky recipient of a DoorDash gift certificate, and my husband and I looked forward to a dinner neither of us had to shop for, prepare, cook, and clean up after. The certificate did not linger in my email file for long. First, we chose which of the…

When housebound and bedbound, I searched for attention-grabbing beach reads to pass the time. I found what I was looking for… — A change in routine sometimes offers opportunities for activities not usually pursued. That is what occurred when I found myself housebound and virtually bedbound for almost two months. No programs to attend, no lengthy restaurant meals to savor, no car rides, no shopping trips. My environment comprised the confines of…

My son and I decided to tackle the garage, and so began my walk down memory lane — My son, in town for the weekend, wanted to be useful to his maturing parents. Contemplating the various tasks my estate (note the sarcasm) required, I settled on our outbuilding. No car had entered the garage during the 13 years we lived in the house. From the day we moved…

I passed the winter of my discontent occupied by three activities: drinking coffee, dozing on the couch, and scrutinizing my computer — I passed the hours, days, and weeks of my winter of discontent occupied by the following three activities: drinking coffee, dozing on the couch, and scrutinizing my computer. I also read beach-type novels — easy, quick reads — and watched mindless TV. I have squandered cold, dreary winter days over…

Folks of all ages celebrate the success of their local team, a bonding experience this boomer only recently embraced. I live in Philadelphia territory, which stretches from center city Philly in concentric circles north, east, south, and west, including across south Jersey to the Atlantic Ocean and my neighborhood. …

Day by day I remain a 24/7 couch potato… I spent the long New Year’s holiday weekend in the hospital, an unanticipated sojourn, the pull of the ER irresistible. I was pinched, prodded, and poked for four days before I had no veins left to jab and little blood left…

On a cold December morn, I found myself in a hospital pre-op room. — My heart pounded as I walked into the hospital. Surgery, scheduled a month previous, hadn’t worried me too much. But now it was real. It was happening. The lady at the information desk directed my husband and me to the surgery waiting area. …

Not an ideal retreat, a spa getaway or beach vacation, but a specific type of retreat I wish on no one. — I am preparing for a short hospital stay. The highlight of my visit — back surgery. I will rest, one benefit of a retreat, but I’ve been warned I will not be happy, especially the first week. I will be in pain. My caregiver, a.k.a. my husband, Steve, at various…