Summer ushers in the season of farmer’s markets. Lots of interesting booths fill the market, and one of the most interesting at my hometown market offers their product free — advice. — My local farmer’s market, open Friday mornings from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, offers a fascinating opportunity available free for all: Old Coots Giving Advice. Coots are aquatic birds. Coots are eccentric and crotchety elderly, usually men. Coots are also a group of talented, knowledgeable, friendly senior men and…

Time has a way of muddling memory and disremembering life experiences. Spending time with grandkids prompts recall. — Parenting is a great example of fading memory over time, at least for me. The specifics recede into a part of the brain rarely accessed nowadays. But spending time with the grandkids spurs my mind into action. …

Sometimes things don’t go right. They may be small things, annoying things, but irritating nonetheless. Like broken appliances. — My washing machine decided it needed a time-out. It didn’t care I had a lot of laundry to wash — dirty, smelly, summer-soaked with sweat clothes, sheets, towels, my outdoor table cover. It didn’t consider my needs. It died, at least temporarily. The repairman came the following day (yeah!), and…

Bad news, sad news, unabated nasty news. Enough! Times call for a bit of trivia nostalgia. — To temporarily take our minds away from the awfulness that too often seeps into our lives nowadays, here is a bit of trivia nostalgia. On July 9, 1956 — 66 years ago — Dick Clark appeared as the host of American Bandstand for the first time. Most of my generation…

Advertising products on the moon? Truth can be stranger than fiction. — Companies and their advertising agencies constantly create marketing campaigns to promote their merchandise. The Japanese company Otsuka Pharmaceutical, manufacturer of Pocari Sweat sports drink, announced that the beverage would be the first product advertised on the moon. …

Who ever thought I would live in an upscale resort community? Not me. I haven’t changed, but my town has. Clear skies, sunny weather, and the prospect of a holiday weekend lured crowds to Friday morning’s farmer’s market in my town. Free face painting for the kids kept grown-ups in…

Life improved in many ways, especially for women, during the 20th century. But there was always a minority afraid of change, wanting to not just halt progress, but turn the clock back. — Government’s first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives. — Ronald Reagan Boomers, and especially women, have been a lucky generation in many ways. Contraception — the pill — came on the market in time for young people to become fans. A host of pro-women and pro-personal…

Nostalgia: The arrival of my Nana for a visit, a much-heralded event, not only because I loved to see her but also because of the treats she brought with her. The tall, slim woman descended the Long Island Railroad station stairs attired in a pencil-thin skirt, matching jacket, and stiletto…

The auspicious day comes around every year. How we accept it, celebrate it, avoid or ignore it, depends on our philosophy of life, our age, and how we feel at that moment. Another year down… — A day will dawn this week and I officially will be another year older. At my age it is not a big event to close the chapter on one year and begin another. This year is not an auspicious one for me, one with a 0 or 5 designating a…