You can’t help but think about it. Unless the two of you are in a plane crash or something, chances are, one of you is gonna be the last one standing. And, if you’re like me, you don’t know which is worse: dyin’ first, and makin’ your husband go through that trauma, or him goin’ first and bein’ left all by your lonesome to pick up the pieces. Good thing it’s outta our hands, right? There’s other kinds of leavin’, too, of course. I know from watchin’ my mom go through her cancer journey, your loved one can still be here sittin’ with you, but you’re actively missin’ the healthy person they once were. Same …

I remember when I first brought the subject up to Charlie. Boy, I hadn’t seen that level of enthusiasm since I told him we were goin’ on the Cabbage Soup Diet. “Geez Louise, Ida. Tell me you’re not serious.” “I am, Charlie, and I’m not takin’ no for an answer. We need to get our papers in order and discuss what we each want if something happens.” “Nothin’s gonna happen.” “Charlie, something happens every time you go out with the boys. Need I remind you of the time…” “No, no, I don’t need remindin’!” “Well, this is what I want for my birthday. Along with all the other stuff you were gonna get me!” That …

Celeste, Rita, Betty, Dot, Shirley and me got together for our girls night out last week, per usual. Betty was hostin’ and she whipped up a batch of her Marvelous Marcel Bars. Oh, to die for! I mean, what’s not to like about something that’s made with not only an entire bag of chocolate chips, but a bag of peanut butter chips, too. After wolfin’ down one with a white wine chaser, Shirley goes, “Thanks, Betty. I needed that.” “Tough day?” I ask. “Not one of Mini’s better ones.” Mini is Shirley’s mom. Lives in the mother-in-law apartment Junior attached to he and Shirley’s house. Shirley’s one of five and the only girl, so you …

The other day, I had the misfortune of seeing some photos taken at our New Years day brunch at Celeste and Bud’s. Rita got a new digital camera for Christmas, and while I’m happy for her, it was like spendin’ the day with the paparazzi! The posed shots are OK ‘cause you have time to assemble your parts and put ‘em where you want ‘em. You wedge yourself between a couple of friends and turn sideways. That makes you look thinner. Then you suck in your gut and do the Princess Diana bit. You know, tilt your head down a little and look up. This kind of camouflages whatever double chin action you got goin’. …

Man, I didn’t get enough sleep last night. I feel like I’m in a total fog this morning. I drove about eight hours yesterday, going back and forth to a book reading, which, by the way, went great. I love doing those. But Jeez, that’s a lot of time on the road. Now you’d think that when I got home at 11:00 p.m. last night, I’d be exhausted from doing all that, and you’d be right. But apparently, a little muscle in my left leg wasn’t as tired as the rest of me, and kept twitching just as I was about to doze off. Happens to me every now and then, and it’s irritating as …

It’s the first blog of the month again, and if you’ve been followin’, you know the drill. For those of you who don’t, my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, and I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit. Chapter Four in Finding Your Inner Moose is about aging, and today is April Fools Day. Coincidence? I think not. ‘Cause let’s face it, you gotta laugh, or you’ll cry, right? You know what I’m talking about. Sometimes it feels like just when …

Well, folks, this is my first blog of the month, and you know what that means. If you don’t, I’ll recap (or “cap up,” as my Grampy Gilbert used to say). I’ve decided to take my own advice and make this my year of “livin’ the good life.” Since my book, Finding Your Inner Moose, has twelve chapters, I’ve decided to dedicate the first blog of every month this year to a chapter. Clever, huh? My intention is to choose a little change or two from that chapter I can incorporate into my life, hoping it becomes a habit. January, I was focusin’ on bein’ kind to myself (much needed after that hectic holiday season), …