“Do you have drumsticks?” my 85-year-old mother asks the cashier at the checkout counter at Madras Groceries in Sunnyvale, Calif. The woman points to a pile of long, narrow, cylindrical vegetables near the counter. A half-hour later, a quick inventory … Continue reading
This is a story about an unlikely mix of topics: running, music, mothers, aging and a stranded blowfish. I was on an early morning run along the beach in Cape May, N.J. during a three-day getaway. It was a great run. Blue sky, shimmering water, warm te… Continue reading
(Editor’s Note: We’ve entered the time of the year when fresh produce is abundant in home gardens and at local farmers’ markets. This month, Next Avenue is focusing on how gardens can not only provide healthy options, but can also make an impact on the… Continue reading
Darcey Steinke’s personal flash count diary filled three black and white composition-style notebooks. In them were recorded the extreme hot flashes she experienced over a two-year period when menopause hit her hard five years ago, at age 52. There coul… Continue reading
We were 10, and dashing through the classic green grounds of the West Side Tennis Club – Forest Hills, Queens, and home of the U.S. Open. The place, which seemed immense, was, in fact, tiny compared to the hulking concrete stands of the National Tennis… Continue reading
By the time my husband and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary a couple of years ago, we were really just two people living together under the same roof. We loved each other deeply and we shared common goals and interests, but we didn’t exactly l… Continue reading
Remember the “man cave” craze? Back in the 1990s, thousands of American basements became pubs, game rooms and beer-tasting lounges — all so men could have a place to hang out in peace. It’s not surprising, then, that women soon wanted kid-free, spouse-… Continue reading
I was new to a transitioning Washington, D.C. neighborhood when I adopted two rescue puppies in 2015; Tennessee Williams and Hudson River were their formal names. They found a home with me in my urban oasis, a quiet enclave in the District, lined with … Continue reading
Dating in midlife and beyond is daunting, especially for someone who hasn’t done if for a while. However, for both newbies and longtime singles, there are skills, strategies, tips and techniques that can help ease what can be an awkward experience. Bef… Continue reading
When Carla Sofka’s mother died just before Thanksgiving 2017, Sofka didn’t immediately post the news on social media. She was busy planning the funeral, making travel arrangements and getting an obituary ready for the weekly newspaper in her mother’s c… Continue reading