Still Clickin

If you’ve ever had an itch to be creative, painting with oils is one of the most forgiving and fun activities to try. Unlike acrylics, oils don’t dry as quickly so they are more flexible and easier to correct. To give you a sense of what is involved, a brief outline of the process follows.

1. Start with a still life, and pick your subject carefully. You want it to be relatively simple, but something that you feel is appealing. It is more difficult to stick with the painting if you’d don’t find the subject enjoyable.
2. Sketch the subject in pencil first.

¨ it may be helpful to focus upon the background rather than the subject, and sketch how the outline of the subject interfaces with the background.

¨ measure the relationships of the key dimensions – not only with your eye, but with a stick or ruler as well.

¨ for a portrait, some key relationships are – 1/3^rd chin to nose, 1/3^rd nose to line of eyebrows, and 1/3^rd eyebrow line to hairline. Eyes are about halfway from top to bottom of head. Distance between the pupils of eyes is about the same as the width of the mouth.

3. Before moving to the canvas, prepare it by priming with a background color rather than leaving it white. You can even use latex house paint.
4. Then prepare your palette – cover it with wax paper, and then dab the colors you will use that session at specific spots around the edge. For example, a counterclockwise arrangement is – white, black, lite yellow, dark yellow, lite red, dark red, red-brown, green, violet blue, green blue.
5. Once prepared, and comfortable with the spatial relationships you have discovered doing the pencil sketch, lightly paint the outlines of the subject onto the canvas using a thin brush (filbert #2) and a light shade like raw sienna. Any mistakes can be washed away with a bit of Gamsol. Sketch in not only the subject, but the main features of the background as well.
6. When painting, hold your arm out and use the brush as an extension of your arm. A knobbed support stick can be used to steady your hand for detail work.
7. Once you’ve established your lines, it is time to analyze the coloration.

¨ hot colors (yellow) will predominate and come forward to the eye.

¨ cool colors (blue) will regress and fade away from the eye.

¨ to define a shape, e.g. an egg, use hotter colors at the center and cooler colors toward the edge.

¨ for a shadow, you swap from warm to cool.

8. All colors are combinations of yellow, red, and blue – but their differences are extremely varied, e.g.

¨ cadmium red is warm – alizarin crimson is cool

¨ cadmium yellow is warm – naples yellow is cool

¨ sap green is warm – viridian green is cool

¨ ultramarine blue is warm – cerulean blue is cool

¨ burnt umber is warm – raw umber is cool

9. Make sure you use enough paint when you are mixing colors so that you don’t lose the right shade before you finish. In addition,

¨ be certain that the light is good when you are mixing and applying colors because they will change in different light.

¨ some combinations can be predicted, e.g. flesh tones are composed of red+yellow+green+white

¨ phthalo blue and phthalo green can be combined to yield turquoise.

10. When applying your paints, the general rule is to start –

¨ from the center out, and

¨ from the dark to the light

11. Observation is the key to all painting. You must observe your subject and determine what color values are present. Once you have determined the color value of a given portion, create a mix of that value on the palette. Then use part of that mix to create a lightened mix and a darkened mix that you use to accent the core value. Apply the paint, using generous strokes at first to spread the color around. This is an initial application, not final. You are trying to lay out the major values, not the details. While the paint is wet, it is easy to blend these values. But in the process, you will continually have to go back and reinforce the initial darks as the lights are laid down.
12. Laying down the paint is an iterative process. The details become a bit more defined with each iteration. To help your observation, look at your work upside down or with a mirror. The change enables you to see aspects you would otherwise miss.
13. When cleaning up –

¨ you can preserve your palette oils for awhile by placing the wax paper containing them in a Tupperware container or a Ziploc envelope.

¨ brushes always must be carefully cleaned - first with Gamsol, then with Dawn.

¨ to assure you can open the caps on the tubes in the future, don’t tighten them all the way. If they are stuck when opening, you can free them up most easily by first tightening them more.

14. Be patient with yourself and enjoy it. This is an activity whose pace you can control and go back to again and again. You, and your friends, may be amazed by what you create.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

Human beings, as social creatures, are bound to live in community. But living in community brings with it two intrinsic elements - regulations and taxes.

In the history of mankind, you have to assume that regulations came before taxes. The first regulations likely involved the proper sharing of the food from the hunt. Time and work contributions to the community didn’t get replaced by taxes until some sort of currency was established. However, the lapse of time between the two couldn’t have been more than a few moments. No one with any power would skip an opportunity like that.

Eons later, we are still involved with community and still arguing about regulations and taxes. Conservatives want less sharing and stress the rights of the individual. Liberals stress the good of the community, and are more willing to accept regulations and taxes to enhance it. Obviously, both viewpoints have some validity. It is a question of balance.

Right now, the issue of Social Security is moving into the crosshairs of our Federal Government. Where is the proper balance?

When Social Security started out, it was an insurance plan. Our payroll deductions that were made for Social Security were insurance premiums. Like any insurance program, the money was to be invested and the benefits paid out of from the fruits of those investments. Those funds grew, performed, and began to look to tempting to ignore. Before long, Congress decided to “utilize” these funds and ignore the insurance concept. As a consequence, the program is under-funded today.

Now, what do we do? How about we allow senior citizens to work? Give them the choice.

• Possibly it is wrong to ask this question at this time when so many younger people are out of work, but many senior citizens would love the opportunity. But we live in a youth-oriented society, and in the workplace, senior citizens are more often tolerated than valued.
• Provide sliding scale tax incentives to companies that hire senior citizens. For example, one credit/hire for jobs that pay in the 20’s, two for jobs that pay in the 30’s, three for jobs that pay in the 40’s, etc. This would counter the earnings barrier that seniors face. As a professional who works to find jobs for seniors recently said, “The best opportunities that I can find for seniors in major cities pay $12/hour. I have people with PhD’s working for that.”
• Our current tax code already returns Social Security payments for anyone with some earnings. Working seniors not only recognize, but willingly accept that. Effectively, because of the opportunity to work, they are paying their own way.
• Promote job sharing so that those that didn’t want or need to work fulltime could share their responsibilities flexibly with another person. This arrangement could be very beneficial to organizations that have variable business demands.

Congress seems afraid to reduce Social Security, and the way things stand now, they should. However, if given an incentive, some of the younger members of our society might be courageous enough to stop calling us “Honey” or “Dear” and start treating us more as equals. They might be surprised that we have contributions to make and that experience really does have some value.

Today, Social Security is nothing more than guilt money. It allows Congress to assume the posture that the “senior issue” has not only been dealt with, but generously. However, if you ask anyone that has to live on it, they will laugh in your face. For many of these people, the opportunity for a job would be a gift.

Some sites for further thoughts are -

• There are a few opportunities, e.g. Experience Works
• A Canadian perspective, Senior Years
• Volunteering is the current option, e.g. Senior Corps

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

As we wind down 2010, the facet of our culture that seems most disturbing to any US citizen is the point that politics has reached in this country. And whether you consider yourself to be a Democrat, Independent, or Republican, it certainly doesn’t seem that 2010 will provide any improvement.

The latest poll by Gallup, taken on December 10 – 12, 2010 shows that 83% of Americans disapprove of the job that our US Congress is doing. This is the worst rating Congress has received in the 30 years that Gallup has been conducting the poll. Rather than being surprised by this result, one really has to wonder what those other thirteen-percenters that approve the job are thinking.

What is particularly upsetting is to hear leaders in Congress instructing party members to “do nothing”. Apparently, they can still draw a paycheck if they follow that advice. Did they ever hear that legislation involves listening, negotiation, and compromise? Aren’t they there to create legislation that will help this county perform better? Isn’t that their job?

Perchance it is time to for Congress to implement performance pay. They could create a commission plan based upon number of bills passed, with special incentives for high priority items, e.g. tax reform. If the recent threat of working during the Holidays was enough to expedite passage of so much legislation, think of what incentive pay could accomplish? Perhaps our Congressional Members in Washington would spend more time having a sandwich with members from the other party rather than having another fancy lunch with lobbyists.

This site has deliberately tried to avoid any political comment because civility seems to have been forgotten in our current discussions of opinion. Do you remember when talking politics was fun? Unfortunately, our current culture seems to be locked into “positions of principal”. What were once considered to be opinions that could become refined through further discussion now have transformed themselves into immutable principals.

Would that they would focus upon the principals of –

• Education, since America is ranked 17^th per Wikipedia
• Democracy, since America also ranks 17^th in that measure per Ranking America
• Healthcare, since America ranks 37^th per World Health Organization

Negotiation and compromise often lead to results that are less than ideal. Great deals are characterized by the result that everyone involved is a little disappointed. But as G. K Chesterton once said, “If a thing is worth doing, it is worth doing poorly.”

Maybe, with a bit of listening, we can accomplish worthwhile things once again, even if they are done “poorly”.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

What Will You Do?

The smartest question I ever heard about planning for retirement was not, “How do you plan your finances?” Instead it was “What are you going to do?” Most of us don’t appreciate how much structure and purpose the daily grind of a job adds to our lives. It is easy to focus more upon the frustrations rather than the rewards. But work adds challenges, rewards, and interest to our everyday experience.

What happens when that is gone?

There are some people who truly delight at chasing a little white spheroid around a golf course, and plan to do it everyday of their retirement. Others can be just as passionate about the game of Bridge. Still others plan to exhaust the cruise circuit.

But some people are still fixated upon the idea of making a difference. This group of people are unsatisfied, or feel just plain guilty, unless they are spending a good portion of their time engaged in some activity that ‘Makes a Difference’ on this planet. Some examples available in most locales include –

• tutoring at local schools,
• providing support services at hospitals,
• fund-raising for charities,
• driving the local ‘Senior Van’, or
• volunteering at a community organization.

Unfortunately, none of these pursuits produce a shred of revenue, which has become a more urgent requirement for those with 401k’s and savings devastated by our current economy. Is it possible to ‘Make a Difference’ and ‘Make a Buck’ at one and the same time?

The answer is ‘Yes’. It is called the non-profit sector of the economy. Jobs are available, but all at lower pay scales than they would be in the for-profit business sector. As noted in this article, Volunteer Your Way to a Job, the best way to approach the sector is to first volunteer. Once you are inside the organization and make yourself known, you will be in a much better position to land a paying job doing work that ‘Makes a Difference’.

Some helpful sites for volunteering are -

• Learning and Volunteering
• Volunteer Opportunities
• Volunteering Approaches
• Volunteer Match

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

What kind of pet person are you? There are bird-lovers, dog-lovers, cat-lovers, and goldfish-lovers. Everyone has their own particular favorite that was usually established during their youth. People that have had pets can even be classified as such. For example, we have dog-people, cat-people, and bird-people. Are you a certain pet-person?

If you are, maybe you are currently pet-less and rethinking that decision. Obviously, there are a number of pros and cons to such a decision, but the choice of the type of pet has a lot to do with most of them. There are a wide variety of pets that seniors may choose.

Dogs -
Dogs need and give love. Many studies indicate that having a dog really can help a senior’s health and attitude. Not only do they offer companionship, but their needs serve as an ongoing encouragement for some good exercise as well. Also, they are probably the best security system available on the market today.

If you are particular about breeds, you can contact the American Kennel Club and get a list of local breeders. Be prepared to open your wallet, however, since many breeds now go for $1,500 or more.

Another approach is to take a visit to the local animal shelter. These pets often have that wonderful price of ‘free’, although small donations are very welcome. These pets can vary widely, so you must look carefully to find the right dog for you. The people in the shelters understand animals and can provide you with a wealth of information. Don’t be afraid to ask. Before you “take the plunge”, consider -

• Age - If a dog is older than 18 months, it will not only be housebroken, its teeth will have grown in and it will also be less inclined to eat your slippers. If a dog is older than six, you may find not only health problems but an inability to adapt to new surroundings.
• Size - Golden Retriever mixes and Labrador mixes are great, but if you are going to walk the dog, you may need a smaller dog (who won’t pull you over when it chases after a squirrel). However, if you aren’t used to having a small dog around, you probably shouldn’t get a dog weighing less than 25 pounds. You don’t want to trip over the little thing because you didn’t see it.
• Allergies - If you have avoided dogs because you are allergic, look for dogs that don’t shed. Many terriers and poodles have this trait.
• Temperament - Undoubtedly, the vast majority of dogs have better temperaments than many people. A few, however, may have experienced poor treatment and developed a nasty streak as a consequence. Pay attention to how the dog reacts to you, since initially you are a stranger.

Cats -
“For a balanced ego, a person that has a dog to adore him should have a cat to ignore him.” That old quote is harsh, but contains an element of truth. Cats are much more independent than dogs. As long as they are properly fed and stroked occasionally, cats require far less attention than dogs. They quickly learn how to use a litter box and can amuse themselves for hours with a favorite toy. This independence allows a cat to tolerate much longer absences from their owners than dogs.

If you are looking for a cat at a shelter, many of the same cautions for dogs apply to cats. Their sizes, however, are much smaller. They compensate for their small size by their pronounced ability to quickly leap out of the way.

Other Critters -
For the most part, other small animals kept as pets live in defined enclosures. This reality makes them far less intrusive than dogs or cats. They each offer their own special qualities that can both divert and delight. They still require care, however, and someone else must mind them if you take a trip.

If you do live alone, having another living creature around the mansion has distinct benefits for all involved. Yes, they do require you to expend extra effort and care, but that is a gift. Answering needs is what life is all about.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

The vast majority of retirees spend their ‘golden’ years not only in the same town, but often in the same house. My wife and I, who spent practically all of our adult lives within seagull distance of the Atlantic, now find ourselves watching seagulls from the Pacific. We’ve not only changed houses; we’ve changed oceans.

Our first choice for our retiree home was a house on the East Coast that we thought would act as a magnetic and encourage visits from our three children. Unfortunately, the magnet had the wrong polarity. All three of our children landed in Seattle. Rather than live with phones and planes, we chose to pick up and engage the experience of West Coast living. After nearly five years of building a new nest and settling in, we still exchange glances at odd moments that say, “We did the right thing.”

What have we learned in the process?

1. The most important question every retiree must answer is not “Where will you be?” Instead, the real question is “How will you spend your time?” Activities of your choosing will define how live the rest of your life. Any destination you consider should be particularly suited to supporting how you want to spend your time. If alpine skiing tops your list of things you want to do, it is unlikely that Florida would be a good choice for you.
2. Location is the second most important choice for a retiree since it can enable or delimit so many other opportunities you will have. Make certain you are both comfortable with your reasons for changing your location. You both don’t have to have the same reasons, but you should understand what each other is expecting from the move.
3. Communication is key to this decision process. Some of you may be thirsting to try something new or to pursue a passion that has long festered. Others may want to get to, or return to, remote family or friends. You may find that some reasons may surprise you. But the only way to discover them is to talk a lot about it.
4. Once your general objectives for activities are clear, use them to build a balanced set of criteria for your new destination. Even if you already know the general area of your new location, you also have to decide on what are you looking for in any new home. Evaluating destinations seems to work best as an iterative process. Expect a few cycles of reevaluation before you start to feel comfortable with the ideas of both your choices. Obviously, there is no perfect home or place, but careful planning and discussion can increase your odds for success.
5. If possible, visit the new area a few times and talk to as many locals as you can. You want to find a place where people are quite willing to share their positive views. Each slice of geography and neighborhood has its own particular quirks. Use the time you have to learn as much as you can before you put the house on the market.
6. Once you are both comfortable with your decision, you must face the ugly realities of listing, selling, packing, and moving out. Home Buying and Selling can vary by market location, and the financial factors involved may influence some of your other choices. The only good thing about this process is that ultimately it has an end. The other side benefit is that you do get rid of a lot of ‘stuff’ that you have been meaning to discard for a long, long time.
7. The best advise we received for a major move was to rent for awhile before you buy any real estate. We thought we would avoid this step, but did not. In hindsight, we learned an awful lot during our rental period and made different purchase decisions as a consequence. For example, one of the first challenges in any new location is to [[find doctors, services]], and other resources to replace the familiar ones left behind. However, that search process can reveal a lot of subtleties about your new location that are impossible to detect otherwise.
8. Finding new friends can be the toughest challenge for seniors in any new setting. Since the kids have long flown the nest, the common meeting places of schools and youth activities no longer act as the common infrastructure for meeting and sharing with new friends. But friends are a critical component to any new location. Give yourself time, but fight any natural tendency you may have toward shyness. Prior to your move, research any local chapters of organizations or groups that you have belonged to in the past.
9. After you have learned the area and know what kind of home you are looking for, start your search and take your time. This may be your last nest, so make sure it has the features that are most important to you. Once you find it, you will both ‘know’, and the final stage of your relocation, ‘moving in’, can begin.

Some additional insights on relocation by seniors can be found in the Ohio State Senior Series.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

If you’re reading this, you already know about the Internet. The use of the Internet by the senior community is continually expanding. And it doesn’t have to cost you anything. At local libraries, computers are siting there waiting for your curiosity and fingertips.

What do seniors do with the Internet when their fingertips start moving? According to a report by the Pew Research Center, they are involved with -

*Email - This still drives their primary usage of the Internet. Keeping in touch without the hassle of time zones and time charges, email remains the primary reason why people keep going back to the Internet. It’s especially delightful when the message is from your grandchildren. Free email accounts can be established at Yahoo and other services.

*Finding Information - Once they finish with their email, people typically switch to Google or Yahoo to find out about something. They might be planning a trip, researching a problem, or comparing different brands of toasters. Not surprisingly, Most Internet searches on health topics are performed by seniors.

*Online Shopping - Once they have completed their research, seniors are not afraid to actually make a purchase. As noted in the Pew Report, nearly 50% of the online seniors actually are making purchases. One area of particular interest is travel, both planning and booking tickets. They also are not afraid to both sell and buy items on eBay.

In addition to these top three activities, seniors also explore other facets.

*Reading News - If they’ve moved away, seniors are very likely to scan the pages of the old hometown newspaper online. They are also avid readers of specialized news topics on politics, entertainment, and other targeted sectors. Even the headlines of major newspapers, e.g. New York Times, are available online.

*Sharing Photos - Whether directly through email or via a service like Flickr, seniors love to see the latest images of their grandchildren, grandnieces, and grandnephews.

*Skype - If you are geographically removed from loved ones, skype is a treasure for everyone regardless of age. Simply speaking, skype not only allows you to talk to those you love, but to see and interact with them from many miles away. The visuals of loved ones make them feel so much closer, and it can ease the worries and loneliness that distance can engender.

*Social Sharing - Seniors have not flocked to Facebook or Twitter. They might view a My Space or You Tube link contained in an email, but they are not going to enroll. At this point in their lives, seniors are far less intrigued by the social and gaming aspects of the Internet than are the younger members of our society. Instant messaging holds as little appeal as instant gratification. They prefer to respect privacy and to savor the anticipation of a thoughtful reply. They find important items more interesting than urgent ones.

*Blogs - Because seniors have the time, there are a surprising number of blogs by, for, and about seniors. They are quite often frank, intelligent, and very thought-provoking. They can not only make for fascinating reading, but they can often make you chuckle, cry, and pray. One huge favorite blog that publishes links to many others is Ronni Bennett’s Time Goes By A visit to Ronni’s site is always worthwhile.

The Internet presents all of these facilities and more. It has become an indispensable part of our lives. You should encourage any of your friends that are not involved to take a free course at the library. They may feel uncomfortable at first, but they will thank you profusely later.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

Selecting a computer was once a choice between an Apple and the PC. Then laptops were added to desktops. Now there are netbooks, mini PC’s, mini home theater PC’s, all-in-one’s, etc., etc.

But all these choices don’t have as much impact on the age 65+ market where an AARP poll reports that less than half of those seniors ever use a computer.

Is there any way for them to bridge that gap?

I have a relative, whom I love dearly, who does not use a computer. Her dear husband did, but he is now pushing daisies rather than pulling them. So she is left without email. Her grandchildren can’t send her photos of their latest activities. She lives “without a net.”

I suspect that we all know someone like that, and in some ways, we envy them. Computer viruses, spam, and printer cartridges are things they simply do not have to think about. They can ignore all the warnings about fraudulent vendors on eBay. Backup is what they do when they drive out of the garage. Files are only used for manicures.

But those of us that live with computers can no longer conceive of a life without them. Email is a daily affair. We are always investigating something on Google. And yet, we are frustrated to know that there are people with whom we can’t share certain things because they are not linked in. Is there any way to bridge this gap?

One low impact way to both learn about and use a computer is to visit one of your area’s Local Libraries. Most libraries today have multiple computers available for their clients. Usually there is a sign-up sheet. Although there may be a time limit of an hour or two, this restriction usually applies only after the hour that school is out.

But in addition to easily accessible computers, libraries quite often offer training. They particularly want to encourage participation among senior citizens. Inquire at your own local library, and I suspect you will be amazed at the amount of support available. For example, one library in Florida offers an extensive program of courses. And they are all free.

So if you are a senior citizen with an inch of curiosity, try a computer at your local library. You might be surprised at how much you enjoy the experience.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

If you are delving into your genealogy, one of the treasure’s you can explore is the local lore of family memories. I wish I had done a much better job of that when I was younger. I could have learned a lot. Now, I’m part of that older generation, and its time for me to recapture memories of our family’s shared past. For example, remembering the first visits to my father’s family when I was young.

I never met his dad, my grandfather. He died nearly a decade before my birth. But I do remember many trips to see Grandma. My Dad would go more often, but the whole family went practically every summer.

I remember one trip during the early years of WWII. The five of us were packed into the old, black Dodge, and my Mother was worried that the car wouldn’t make it. But we cruised along up through the Pocono Mountains, and as we crested one hill, we could see the city of Wilkes-Barre spread out below us. It hugged the shore of the Susquehanna River

Grandma’s house was located at the top of a hill on a side street to a main shopping street. The houses lined the street, but all of the garages were situated on a separate alley behind the row of homes. They were probably first built for carriages, rather than cars, and sited to provide a bit of separation. Her house was surrounded by a wrought iron fence, and we could safely run around in the yard.

As you entered her front door, there was a pallor to the right. This room had the nice furniture and lace curtains, and you weren’t allowed to play in there. Walking back further into the house, there was a dining room on the right and a big kitchen in the back. The heart of the kitchen was a big, cast iron stove. It was heated by coal, and every morning Grandma would get up stoke the fire and add more coal to heat it up again for the next day. Wilkes-Barre sat in the heart of the anthracite coal region, and many people in the family and the region worked for the mines. Everyone used coal.

The smells from the kitchen were wonderful, and Grandma fed us and fed us. Sometimes she would use funny words when she talked. My mother told us that she learned those words in the “old country”. When we asked what she meant, Grandma would laugh and tell us what the words meant in English.

One day, our cousins, Jeannie, Annie, and Carole came over to visit. Annie was near my age, and she was nice. We all had our picture taken with Grandma on the front porch.

Aunt Margaret and Uncle Pat lived with Grandma. Uncle Joe was much younger than my father, and he would go out and play ball with us in the yard. During our visit, we went to a park and played in the cool water of Bear Creek. Uncle Joe was with us, and he tried to teach me how to swim. When I hesitated, he threw me into the middle of the creek and told me that I had to “sink or swim”. I swam the doggy paddle back to shore, and he was enormously proud. I’ve always loved swimming ever since.

After dinner, we would read or listen to the radio. The men would sit around the dining room table, play cards, and drink some Stegmaier Beer. The Stegmaier Brewery was located down at the bottom of the hill, and you could often smell the pervasive aroma of the hops. When no one was looking, Uncle Joe gave me a small juice glass of Stegmaier Beer. I drank it all down, but my father yelled at him and said I was too young. Uncle Joe loved to get us into trouble.

After church on Sunday, we went out the back gate, across and down the alley to visit the O’Donnell’s. Patrick was Grandma’s brother. He, and his wife Mary and daughter Kathleen laughed a lot and told us stories. They were very nice to us and served us the most cold, delicious root beer. Patrick and Grandma talked a lot to each other using the funny words, and said that was the language they used when they were our age. Uncle Patrick had to leave after a while to tend to the pub that he owned.

The next day, my father brought me to see Uncle Patrick at his pub. The men sat and sipped their beer while I had more of that cold root beer. After that, my Dad and I walked a few blocks over to see the house where he grew up. It was a nice house, but not as big as where Grandma is now and not as close to Uncle Patrick.

We had a great time at Grandma’s, and I remember being so sorry that we couldn’t go the following year because our gasoline rationing sticker wouldn’t allow us enough gas to make it. But we did make it the next year and many, many more.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.

You can have an American Express card and “never leave home without it.” Or you can have a Master Card because its “priceless.” To me, I think my local library card is worth more.

While Google, which is as close as your keyboard, has replaced the library as the first place to start research, your local library also has a fair amount of information and resources readily available. Unlike Google, it offers a tactile experience as you peruse the stacks in an area of interest that might have just occurred to you. For example -

• SIC catalogs for businesses
• Consumer Reports archives
• Numerous magazine archives
• Today’s newspapers, as well as last week’s
• How to manuals on innumerable topics
• A wide range of entertaining fiction
• Informative non-fiction
• DVD’s of a variety of movies and documentaries, and recently
• Downloads of recent publications for your Kindle, etc.

Of course, if you do have a Google itch that you must scratch, computers are stationed there just waiting to address that need. And for these computers, someone else worries about maintaining the anti-virus software. You don’t have to.

Our local library not only offers all these treasures, it provides quiet, comfortable niches in which to nestle and enjoy. Often, it can seem like a little vacation just to stop by for a couple of hours, browse for awhile, discover a new book or author, and park in an easy chair to devour the first few chapters. Our local library may not serve coffee, but one cozy corner does even boast a fireplace.

All these treasures, both near at hand and free. Your local library truly is a treasure. If you want a treat, discover it again this week.

NB. Click below to make a comment. Even better, expand on the original article by going to wikiSenior and clicking on ‘edit’.