Grandparenting is a special blessing of the bonus years
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland There’s a new twig on the family tree. Her name is Adelyn – rhymes with Madelyn. I now understand why so many say the greatest joy of the bonus years is grandparenting. Adelyn arrived at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington on October…
Even an unexpected journey cannot detour a purpose-driven life
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Long-time friend, Andy Borland, the esteemed former athletic director of Severna Park High School, called one day, “You must talk to Brenda Schoener! She’s an amazing woman who has done so much for our community – and a wonderful…
Even an unexpected journey cannot detour a purpose-driven life
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Long-time friend, Andy Borland, the esteemed former athletic director of Severna Park High School, called one day, “You must talk to Brenda Schoener! She’s an amazing woman who has done so much for our community – and a wonderful…
Helping the elderly with in-home care is a family affair
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Last week I was driving west over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge – returning home after an afternoon’s conversation with three members of the Christensen family, the owners of the Visiting Angels in-home, elder-care franchise in Easton, Maryland. Along the way, I was…
Elderly popes selected by elderly clerics talk wisely about aging
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Pope Francis energized the nation last week with his six-day whirlwind visit to Washington, New York and Philadelphia. The 78-year old pontiff started early in the morning and ended late in the evening. He gave 20 speeches officiated at several masses, visited…
You don’t need a lot stuff or a lot of money to be happy
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland Talk about downsizing, here’s one that takes the cake: How about trading a home of 3,000 square feet on 5 acres of land for a sailboat 28 feet long by 8.5 feet on the beam. By my calculations, that’s 238 square feet…
Our best-laid plans often take us somewhere else
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland It happened one Sunday at a gathering of the Fishermen’s Table. Fishermen’s Table is an informal program, nearly 10 years old, initiated by the Protestant congregants of the Naval Academy Chapel. The purpose: to strengthen relationships among midshipmen and between midshipmen and…
I may talk like a grand dad, but I know I’m only a relief pitcher
Unabridged from my Bonus Years column in the Lifestyle section of The Sunday Capital, Annapolis, Maryland For those in their bonus years, there is nothing new under the sun, right? All that’s left is coasting home, right? No. Not even close. Nearly every day brings something new as growing older brings many new experiences. Example: grandchildren. Ever since…
Tending to the future of our community is a “worthwhile thing”
Eddie Sutton is 79 years old. Many in their bonus years will remember Sutton as the first basketball coach to lead four Division I schools to the NCAA finals, including two to the Final Four: Arkansas in 1978 and Oklahoma State, Sutton’s alma mater, in 1995 and 2004. Award-winning journalist and Sutton fan Roger Rosenblatt…
Friendship is important foundation for successful aging
Friends matter – not the least in your bonus years and not the least for women. Back in 2010, Wall Street Journal columnist Jeffrey Zaslow published “The Girls from Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship,” a New York Times bestseller. “The Girls…” is an inspiring tribute to female friendships, a true story of eleven girls…