When life shifts — new chapters, uncertain moments, unexpected turns — one thing has the power to steady us: friendship. It’s the laughter that shows up in hard seasons, the encouragement that reminds us we are not alone, and the quiet support that fills the spaces where words fall short.

“Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, ‘It will be happier.’” ― Alfred Lord Tennyson “If you don’t like the road you’re walking, start paving another one.” ― Dolly Parton

In the coming year, I will turn 80 — a reality I sometimes find unfathomable. But given our national discourse, I find many of today’s realities unfathomable. What I find most troublesome however, is how I am coping with these realities. Among my circle of friends, concerns surrounding aging, death and dying ...

What makes a gathering of people magical? Well, it’s the waiting for everyone to drive up the drive. It’s the hellos and the hugs and stories of the trip and how the dogs fared. It’s waking up in the morning to, “Who wants coffee? I got some on to brew.” Pancakes? Waffles? Eggs? Scrambled or fried? While brea...

As I was sitting down to write this piece, I saw a story in the Times-Standard about North Coast Ophthalmology closing because the retiring owners have been unable find anyone to take over the practice. Regular readers of Senior News will be aware that we’ve been tracking the declining medical scene here in H...

On Leap Year Eve 2020, I retired from the federal government. I thought I would be traveling to exotic locales, but COVID stopped my international travel plans. Living on the East Coast, I visited national parks during the pandemic. This led me to move to Humboldt County in October 2020 to breathe clean air, ...

The state housing department has adjusted its measure of what it means to be “poor” in California, the nonprofit news source CalMatters reports. For housing purposes, a single person without dependents earning $109,000 is considered “low-income” in five California counties — Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, S...

I gave up New Year’s Resolutions designed to improve myself several years ago. Let’s face it — that ship has sailed. Resolutions sound much more like a wish list for FedEx or DoorDash to deliver … ASAP. This New Year, I have only three things I desperately want to drop out of the sky and land on me without ma...

I have seen my fair share of grief with death over my lifetime. I lost a father at age 12 from excessive drinking, and an older brother whom I was close to, from suicide when I was 18. My mother died at 72 from a heart attack when I was 36. My older brother died at age 49 of melanoma when I was 38. The good n...

Eleven smiling faces, including my own, captured in a photo 24 years ago. It was a Saturday afternoon and we were enjoying a late lunch at the legendary Berghoff’s in downtown Chicago. My friends had gathered for a three-day weekend to celebrate my 50th birthday. The echo of laughter from that weekend still r...

In November, I wrote about sarcopenia — muscle loss — and how it can negatively affect aging. This time, it’s about a second disease affecting older adults, osteoporosis — weak and brittle bones. These diseases can often occur together. When that happens, you can lose your independence — a major fear for seni...

The older I get — and I’m already pretty old — the more I think about transitions. I’m sure you know what I’m talking about, and don’t feel bad if you’re thinking about it, too. At our age, it’s important to understand that a transition is a word, phrase, sentence or group of sentences that relate a preceding...

One of the most lasting and wrenching transitions of my life was losing my brother Woody 30 years ago. I was 47 and Woody, my best friend and confidant, my ally, my teacher, was 54 when he died of complications from AIDS. Some of the light went out of my world. I always think of Woody at this time of year — h...

“Ommm at Home: Can Humdrum Housework Be Holy?” “The Lure of the Painful Childhood” “It’s Not Just Hammocks and Margaritas: My Life As An Expat in Mexico” “6 Life Lessons From My Month In Post-War Bosnia” “How Bicycling Along a Dusty Country Road in Morocco Saved My Marriage” Great variety of themes, eh? Such ...

Judicial Temperment AND MORE LETTERS ON PAGES 24-26 To the Editor: I am honored to support Ben Mc-Laughlin for judge. I first met Ben in the halls of the Humboldt County Courthouse. I was struck by his dedication to the clients and his willingness to collaborate with all parties in the criminal legal system. ...

To the Editor: As a civil litigator in Humboldt County for the past 24 years, I have come to know our local judges and what it takes to be a good judge. Steven Steward will be an excellent judge. I have had the unique experience of being neighbors and friends with Steve and his family for several years. Steve...

When Ted suggested an issue on “growing gardens,” leaving open the idea of including personal growth, my mind wandered. My initial response was, “What I grow in my garden is tired.” But I then uncovered fascinating research on the value of “earthing” or “grounding.” I’ve come to realize that spending time in ...

Painting the Ocean By Margaret Kellermann One Saturday 33 years ago on Governors Island, a tiny asphalt-covered patch in the middle of New York Harbor, I was feeling fragmented and lonely. Watching my two young sons climb the monkey bars at the playground, I was concerned about all the boxes I had to unpack i...