sherryderen

Designer Senses

I experienced a decline in hearing while I was still working, and made necessary adjustments, like sitting closer to the speakers at Seminars so I could hear them. After all, I thought, hearing aids were for old people, not me. But when I began having difficulty hearing my 12-year old granddaughter and often had toContinue reading “Designer Senses”

Childish Toys for Grown-Ups

When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness … C. S. Lewis I agree, we don’t need to fear childish things. Perhaps we can benefit from seeking them out and adapting them. I recently watched my youngest grandchild, ten months old, gleefully playing in a Jolly Jumper. That’sContinue reading “Childish Toys for Grown-Ups”

It’s OK to Ask for Help

Priding myself on being independent for many years, it has been hard to ask for assistance since I retired. When I was working I had multiple resources to call on – an administrative assistant, an IT department, a human resources department, and others. All were happy to meet my work (and sometimes non-work) -related needs,Continue reading “It’s OK to Ask for Help”

Mixed Food Groups

Having a family dinner party years ago used to be a rather simple activity. I have a large extended family, so the first step was deciding who to invite. After that I could pretty much make whatever I wanted to serve and the main question was how much food to prepare. But as my childrenContinue reading “Mixed Food Groups”

Illogicalities

I have always been logical and analytical, perhaps that’s why I became a research psychologist. So it upsets me when I see things that seem illogical. Here are a few examples of things I have bought that don’t make sense to me: My husband has a prescription for Rosuvastatin, which is a generic name forContinue reading “Illogicalities”

COVID Vaccination Mingling- OY!

I am planning a family get-together to celebrate my granddaughter’s 14th birthday, and facing the challenges of inviting people with different vaccination statuses. It reminds me of planning the seating arrangements for a wedding or other big party. That’s when you need to keep in mind which of your guests are likely to get alongContinue reading “COVID Vaccination Mingling- OY!”

Divesting

Over the course of my adult life I acquired many things. This included several homes. When my children were young we lived in a Manhattan apartment and bought a vacation home in the Pennsylvania mountains, mainly used on weekends. When our apartment became too small we moved into a house in the suburbs. This meantContinue reading “Divesting”

Passover Passed Over?

I have participated in an annual Passover Seder all of my life. I grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home, and my mother prepared this ceremonial meal most of her married life, until she ceded the activity to my older sister. After I married, even though my Jewish religious affiliation changed to Reform and thenContinue reading “Passover Passed Over?”

Just in Case

As I look at many of the items I have accumulated in my home over the years, I see things that I have kept that are not very useful. As a child, when I left home my mother would remind me to take certain items just in case. This included a hankie or tissue inContinue reading “Just in Case”

To Dye or Not to Dye

I started dyeing my hair about 20 years ago. I have very dark brown curly hair, and when gray appeared it was quite obvious. My mother, who had a similar hair color and texture, had very little gray up to her death at 85. Given our many physical similarities, I thought my hair would alsoContinue reading “To Dye or Not to Dye”