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In Tough Times Stick With Familiar Activities


Since December several of my friends have dealt with parents with serious health issues. No matter what our ages, we don’t want to deal with our parents mortality. The likelihood is that we will out live them and we just don’t want to see that day come. My Dad died when I was in my mid-twenties and I of course miss him to this day. My Mom is still here at 96 and at least once a week she says “well how long do you think I’m going to be here?” I don’t know and today I don’t want to talk about it. So I can appreciate how they all feel. We can’t do much about these situations. We can be good supportive children and then the rest has to be left to prayer if you pray. I am here to tell you though that we need to do the things that will keep our sanity and give us bits of relief from our worries. For me and some of my friends that happens in the pool.

You all know that I am in the pool as often as I can be. Some days are better than others but all time in the pool is time I am not thinking about anything else. I sputter and choke a bit and still lack the stamina that I need but for sure I am not thinking about bills or ills when I am swimming. You may have something else that takes you away from it all and I encourage you to do that. Take the time for that familiar activity that makes you feel good. You won’t be sorry!

Nothing Smells Better Than New York City Street Food


As I took my weekly walk on the streets of lower Manhattan I thought for the umpteenth time that there is one good smell after another as you walk. Now I am proud to say that I don’t partake of all these goodies but I enjoy smelling them and the good memories that the smells bring. When I was a kid in New York some of my best times were weekend excursions with my Dad while he made sales calls to beauty salons and barber shops. He would always stop and get himself a hot dog at one of the street vendors. He would tell me that he would get me something to eat but not one of the “street dogs” because he wasn’t sure how clean the vendors were. Father logic? I guess but those hot dogs smelled heavenly. I couldn’t wait until I could buy one myself. Heck I have a New York stomach, I can eat on the street with the best of them and live to tell about it. Millions of people can’t be wrong can they? Anyway the best thing is that it brings back memories of my Dad who was the center of my young universe.

The sense of smell can be a wonderful thing!

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