I love it when my husband says, “You’re retired. Don’t do guilt.” I’m into my third year of retirement. Looking back, I haven’t accomplished a damn thing that I dreamed of doing once I quit my job for good. Sure, I could blame a lot of things I didn’t get…

Sometimes, self-help is all we have left. — A little old lady pulled a lawn cart down the street with two large plastic garbage bags behind her. One of the bags was ripped, and $20 bills fell out onto the sidewalk every once in a while. A policeman stopped her and said, “Ma’am, $20 bills are falling out…

Hold my beer while I work on this here list. — Is your To-Do list getting smaller? No? Do you feel hopeless? Does it seem like you’ll never finish another project again? How many projects do you wish you hadn’t started in the first place? How many times did you call yourself a loser last week because your list got bigger…

Compassionate healthcare workers can make or break a day of caregiving. — It was time for that annual mammogram. I put off making the appointment for two months. One day, I was looking for papers to shred. The “We miss you, and it’s that time again for your mammogram” letter was on top of the pile of papers. I called, made the appointment, and assumed that day would be…

Now I treasure every good day that I have with my husband. I lived at a hospital with my husband when he was on a ventilator for 2.5 months. My camping gear consisted of a cot, sleeping bag, and pillows. I slept on the floor of the side of his…

I try to be a courteous shopper. Sometimes it backfires in my face. — Some stores have signs in the express checkout that limit quantities. I pride myself in being considerate of other shoppers. So if an express lane sign says no more than 20 items, you can bet your next paycheck that I won’t use Express if I have 21 items. It never…

This is my revised wish list at age 65. I’m becoming more of a realist as I grow older. — The Wish List is still the same as it was ten years ago, but lately there have been additions. #1. Most importantly, I wish for World Peace. I’ve waited over 65 years for it, and I’m getting tired of waiting. For real…I’m really tired of waiting. #2. I wish for those damn Robocalls to stop waking me up. Why can’t they give me a person I can have fun…

Chalk up another caregiver fail. — It’s frightening when your spouse with Dementia is on the loose alone at a crowded casino as he drives his electric scooter. We were supposed to have a fun night in Tampa, Florida at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino. It was a spur of the moment 2.5 hour drive that seemed like a great idea before we left home. My husband’s new electric scooter was secured to the lift on the back…

It’s funny now. It wasn’t at the time. — We were on our way home after my husband’s doctor appointment. The torrential rain from the morning stopped, and the sun started to peek out from the clouds. My husband and I had a beautiful stress-free morning, and it carried into the afternoon. Life was good… Out of the blue…