So, Dad is deaf, lives alone and recently lost access to his land-line (something to do with a software change at his condo community: all three-hundred land-line only users have no phone service and AT& T has apparently been less than helpful). He cannot hear through a cell phone due to hearing-aid interference. So he bought a Jitterbug phone, enabled the hearing-aid compatibility and downloaded the Hamilton Caption app. He enabled RTT (real-time texting). I Continue reading

Today is the fifth anniversary of my son Steve’s death from cancer. Some of you may recall the story I wrote about finding a poem he had written to me while I was organizing my music files about a year after his death. Today, as we are preparing to move the music equipment upstairs to the new “music lanai,” I again was sorting through my….again….hopelessly unorganized music. Our friend Michael Purdue is a gifted musician. Continue reading

Today would have been my son Steve’s 44th birthday. He died from complications of melanoma skin cancer treatment at age 39. We have a “Steve” wall: it is a narrow slice of wall that can be seen under the large tv that hangs from the ceiling. When I watch tv I look directly at that wall and his picture; him toasting the viewers by playfully tilting his beer glass toward us. The frame is adorned Continue reading

So I treated myself to this fancy-dancy underwater camera last year. It took great, clear pictures, but the last couple times out, it either would not turn on, or it did with zoom set to max (not noticed until I tried to process pictures that showed…..nothing but a blur). Then it started working again and took good shots on my last outing…..and then it would not turn on at all. New battery made no difference.  Continue reading

Last year, just after the pandemic hit, I lost two fillings. There was no way I was going to let someone dink around in my mouth, so I bought out the town’s supply of temporary filling  stuff. Fast forward a year, and now fully vaccinated, I dared to think that I might get those teeth looked at. I called the dentist’s office last week to see about getting an emergency appointment (is a year-long problem Continue reading

INGREDIENTS: 1 1/4 c milk 1/2 tsp Vanilla 1 pk Instant chocolate pudding mix, 3/4 c Flour 1 tbsp Light rum 6 Strawberries 6 Eggs ; separated Sugar 1 tsp Almond extract 1 6 oz pkg semisweet chocolate pieces 1/4 tsp Salt 1/3 c Cocoa 1 1/2 c Heavy whipping cream INSTRUCTIONS Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 10″ springform pan; set aside. In large bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites Continue reading