Posted inGrowing older Home life

Old photos make me realize life is way more complicated than photos show

Today, December 25, I decided to use my free time (since my wife and I no longer celebrate Christmas, or accept presents) by going through a box of photos that's been sitting on a shelf in a mostly unused closet for, I don't know, forever. Or close to it.  At first it was bittersweet to pull out old photos from the envelopes that contained prints and negatives, which, young'uns, was how people got what their camera had taken back in the distant days when rolls of film had to be developed. Having turned 70 a few months ago, it was…
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Posted inHome life

Today someone told me they are going to kill themselves

It's a first. And not a pleasant first. About three hours ago I got an email from someone I've never met, but who I've communicated with via email about topics on one of my blogs.  He said he's decided to kill himself. He told me that he wasn't sure why he was writing me, but he wanted to thank me for sharing his ideas and participating in some interesting discussions. Early on in our correspondence this person told me that he has a genetic condition that leaves him in constant pain. He told me that his illness is getting worse,…
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Posted inHome life Humor

Behold! Laurel and Brian’s 2018 Christmas Letter

Once again, we defy the trends of the times by writing a Christmas letter that -- gasp! -- gets printed out and inserted into Christmas cards that are -- double gasp! -- mailed. Well, that "we" really means me, Brian. But after I cobble together a letter, Laurel reads it and has the opportunity to change it. This year she said, "Should we really talk about our health problems?"  To which I replied, sure. The problems are as much a part of our life as is our joy at the Democrats taking back the House in the midterms, which is…
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Posted inLiving with a catheter

Men’s “locker room talk” not conducive to openness about health problems

I had my annual physical today, Medicare variety, since I'm 70. I'm fortunate to have a family physician who is caring, compassionate, and willing to talk with me for as long as is necessary when I have a concern or question. Oh, the physician is also a woman. Which almost goes without saying from the description I just offered up. I'm not saying that male doctors always are businesslike and brusque. But most of the physicians of my sex I've gone to have been quite a bit less pleasant than my current family doctor. She and I talked about my…
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Posted inSalem

South Salem grocery store shopping carts rated

First off, please resist the temptation to think, This blogger guy has too much time on his hands. That thought denigrates the important subject of this post -- how I feel about the shopping carts at three stores in south Salem (Oregon version, not to be confused with the copycat Salem in Massachusetts; sure, the Massachusetts Salem came first historically, but we Oregonians consider ourselves superior to every other state because... well, just because). Yes, there are more important issues in the world. But I'm the designated weekly grocery shopper in our two-person household, our dog being incapable, or unwilling,…
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