. . . you have too many candles on your cake! In the warm New England summers of my youth, I spent a great deal of time with my maternal grandmother. I can remember my parents making the trek to Burlington Vermont, packing my grandmother into the Buick sedan and bringing her to our…… Continue reading You know you’re getting old when . . .
Finding companionship in a simple coffee shop The other day I found refuge in an unfamiliar Dunkin’ Donuts; trying to kill a few hours while my husband attended a meeting. As I walked toward the entrance, I encountered two elderly people grabbing a quick puff before entering the establishment; they followed me in. As I stood…… Continue reading A home away from home
Why coffee bars scare me! Back in the good ole’ days when people ordered coffee it was black; uncomplicated and pure. Then some daring soul got the brilliant idea to add the flavorful duo ‘cream and sugar’ to the formidable black liquid. But, the real changes came mid-20th century with the advent of processed foods. No longer would we settle for…… Continue reading A cup of ‘Joe’ please?
Your pumped; finally, you’ve made the commitment to exercise. You’re ready to hit the treadmill and get your 30 minutes over with ASAP. But hold on, what about that pesky warmup and cool down ‘they’ say you should do . . . who has the time or patience? Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, you should make the time. Stretching,…… Continue reading Why stretching is so worthwhile!
Don’t throw away those holiday hugs with the gift wrap just yet. Those warm embraces given so unselfishly in December are just as important every day of the new year as well! One of the most memorable experiences I had over the holidays was when I made a quick pit stop at my neighbor’s house. With gift in…… Continue reading Beyond words: the power of touch
Wine drinkers everywhere who are waging war against their cholesterol levels are looking to be validated in their love affair with the fermented grape. Inquiring minds want to know: can a glass of red wine positively affect cholesterol levels? The answer is yes, but it’s not just wine that can do it. “Moderate amounts of alcohol raise levels of…… Continue reading The cholesterol/booze link
The tattoo – merely an artistic expression or a desperate call for attention by way of defacing perfectly good skin? Despite your view or mine, they are here in overwhelming fashion and can tell us a lot about the people who showcase them and about those who merely view them. The earliest forms of tattoos were thought to trace…… Continue reading Getting Inked
The first in a series: food, exercise and smoking- how they really impact our cholesterol. Going Nuts! Even though I eat healthy, exercise to a fault, and don’t smoke, my ‘genes’ still don’t seem to fit. Over the past fifteen years my cholesterol has teetered between 230 and 255 (not horrifying numbers but not great…… Continue reading Getting cholesterol under control: Why eating plant sterols and stanols works!
How old are your parents, your grandparents? How often do you text, call, drop by for a little conversation over a cup of tea and why does it matter? Webmd.com reported on a 2013 study on social isolation, loneliness, and all-cause mortality in older men and women, published in the online edition of the Proceedings of the…… Continue reading Eldercare: Why social contact is crucial for the elderly!
Why resistance training is crucial! Sarcopenia, which simply means a loss of muscle mass, is a condition that you might think is only present in the elderly, but the truth is it can begin its attack on muscles as early as thirty. For every decade we live and are inactive we can lose from 3…… Continue reading Fighting Sarcopenia with a one two punch!
Pretty Mama Cares 