Articles, activities for boomers & seniors
Carl Reiner: Exit Laughing
Carl Reiner was born in the Bronx on March 20, 1922. He exited laughing on June 29, 2020, in Berverly Hills, California. “Last night my dad passed away. As I write this my heart is hurting. He was my guiding light.” This was Rob Reiner's tribute to his legendary father the day after Carl passed away.
A Return to a Slow Life
Many of us are familiar with the musical masterpieces of “Hey Jude” (Beatles), “Stairway to Heaven” (Led Zeppelin), “In the Air Tonight” (Phil Collins), “Bohemian Rhapsody” (Queen), and “American Pie” (Don McLean) — but can you name one characteristic that is common to each song? They all have an ascending tempo — the beat gets increasingly faster as the song progresses. This same attribute could also be said of modern American culture, or at least until COVID took center stage.
Be a Good Sport and Laugh at These Jokes!
Last Sunday, while I was playing golf, a man hit me with a golf ball. I said, “That will cost you five dollars!” The man said, “Well, I yelled, ‘Fore’!” So I said, “OK, I’ll take it!”
The youngster said, “Boy, I’d hate to be a fish.” “Why?” “I’d have to be in schools all my life.”“What position does your brother play on the football team?” Tom was asked. “I’m not real sure,” the boy replied, “but I think he’s one of the drawbacks.”
Things To Do With Grandkids - Summer 2020
This pandemic is hanging on a lot longer than we hoped. The isolation and limited travel opportunities are making all of us a bit antsy. Children are naturally antsy anyway, especially when they get bored. Having nothing to do could just be a way of saying, "I can't think of anything to do." Because of our current circumstances, we can't present our usual list of activities, events, and places to go, but we have culled some suggestions for indoor and outdoor fun. You can Google these ideas to find more details. Always remember to abide by health and safety recommendations.
Setting Goals — Legacy Series, Part 4
In our previous issue, we looked at the possibility of turning wishes into hopes and into goals — steps toward turning wishes into realities. A 2007 movie, The Bucket List, popularized the term, “bucket list.” A bucket list is a list of things you want to accomplish or obtain before you “kick the bucket,” a euphemism of unverified origin for “die.” It is a catalog of goals you intend to reach, no matter what.
Useless Facts That Mean Something to Somebody
Do you remember Leopold Auenbrugger? His father owned a tavern in Graz, Austria, and that's why a doctor taps your back, and sometimes, your front. The elder Auenbrugger judged the amount of wine in his casks by noting whether his tapping produced a hollow (empty) sound or a dull (full) note. Leo applied this to people, and now doctors can tell if the chest cavity is clear (hollow) or contains fluid or something else that shouldn't be there (thud). Now you know over 200 years of medical history!