Do you Google yourself? What about Google Alerts? Since I tend to forget to regularly Google myself, I set up alerts for my business, and myself. This morning there were several alerts for “Anne Maxfield”…all obituaries. Nothing like getting up in the morning, waiting for that first mug of tea, and finding out that someone sharing my name, had just passed away. Curiosity (morbid, and the regular kind), made me check it out.
In the old days, like last year, when someone died, the family wrote a small obit, and paid for the local paper to run it. If you were famous, the paper would write a larger one. I’m sure you know many people who still turn to the obits first, some to see if anyone they know there, others to see if there might be an apartment available…
Now, obits like everything else, are posted on the Internet. You can virtually sign the guest book, and even add photos and videos (think about those Facebook and YouTube postings going strong for eternity). Not to mention, if you’re still looking for an apartment, you can subscribe to get obits e-mailed to you daily. The site even gives you starter text for the guest book, links to florists, and ideas for writing condolence cards. And of course, a Facebook link.
But, let me pay my respects to another Anne Maxfield. From her obituary: Anne was an active community volunteer in her later adult life. For over eight years, she was a volunteer for Carroll County Against Domestic Violence and Rape, where she received training and received an award for her outstanding service. In 1995, the Wakefield Police Department recognized Anne for her outstanding dedication to voluntary service with a certificate of appreciation. Anne was truly an “Angel.” She continued her close relationship with the Wakefield Police Department, deepest thanks to all they did for her.
Archive for the ‘family’ Category
Do You Google Yourself? Look What I Found.
Monday, September 6th, 2010What would you do for a raspberry blueberry pie? Secret family recipes.
Sunday, August 15th, 2010
Does your family have secret family recipes? Mine does. My mother’s secret recipe is for a raspberry blueberry pie. It’s powers are so strong that years ago an old friend of mine agreed to drive my parents’ cat from their house in Maine, back to Boston, in return for a pie of his own. Now I know you’re thinking that it sounds like a pretty sweet deal, pun intended, but the cat in question was not a good passenger. Not only would he howl for the entire four hour trip, he would manage to do so in between throwing up on whoever or whatever was in the back seat.
My grandmother, on my father’s side, was famous for the caramels she would make every year for Christmas. We couldn’t wait for the package to come from Michigan. There was always a small box with perfectly wrapped caramels full of buttery goodness. My parents would dole out the caramels day by day if we were good, until Christmas when the box usually was finished before dinner.My brother got the recipe from Grandma before she died.
The next time you get together with your family, remember the great recipes that are part of almost all our heritages. What’s your family’s heirloom recipe?
Don’t forget this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival!
Lettuce Running Amok, Infidelity, THC, RV’s, It Must Be The Blogging Boomers Carnival!
Monday, July 26th, 2010
What do you think is the number one site used in divorce cases involving infidelity? What happens when lettuce runs amok? Where else could you find the answers to these and other burning issues for Boomers, but the Blogging Boomers Carnival? I’m hosting this week and invite you to check out and comment on:
And I’ve got another blog,the Accidental Locavore, check it out and see what I’m cooking and eating that’s local and fresh. This week’s farmbasket was loaded with tomatoes, corn, and lots of other goodies.
July 4th, What’s Better Than A Barbecue?
Thursday, July 1st, 2010With all the talk about grilling up a storm this weekend, it got me to thinking, what’s your family’s July 4th tradition?
What's on your barbecue?
Is there something traditional you toss on the grill?
Or something special you do to a burger?
How about corn?
Does your family have a ritual for July 4th?
Pack a picnic and watch fireworks?
Make ice cream? I just made an amazing chocolate ice cream. Easy, and if you comment, I’ll post the recipe.
If we’re up in Maine with my parents, we usually down as many lobsters as we can, and if we can convince my mother to use (inferior New Jersey) blueberries, we can talk her into the famous raspberry-blueberry pie, but that’s about as big a tradition as we’ve got.
Her neighbor Nancy has a big July 4th party, and my mother makes tomato aspic for that. If you don’t know what tomato aspic is, think of it as being like a large bloody Mary jello shooter. As much as I was never a big fan of anything jiggly, this is pretty refreshing on a hot day, and maybe my mom will comment and give us the recipe.
Happy July 4th to all! What will you be tossing on the grill?
Family History. Is This a Harder Conversation Than the Money One?
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Why is it that most families are reluctant to discuss family health histories? A good friend of mine died last year from prostate cancer. He got it at a pretty early age, and at a pretty advanced stage. When he was finally diagnosed, it turns out that there was a long family history of the men in his family having and dying from prostate cancer, going back at least three generations. But nobody talked about it, and so my friend was never warned in time to start getting himself tested at an even earlier age.
- Side note: there was a fascinating study recently about using dogs to detect prostate cancer. Turns out there’s something in the urine, that trained dogs can smell. So if a dog keeps sniffing around an embarrassing area, maybe it’s time for a check-up.
In my own family, I bet there’s a history of depression, that no one has ever talked about. I’ve suffered from it, and think my father suffers from it. But we’re WASP’s so we don’t talk about it (until now). I know that my father’s mother had arthritis, and it looks like my mother has it in her hands. My doctor told me years ago that I had signs of early arthritis in my hands, but once again, no one talks about it.
Recently, my husband was told he has a “tiny bit of diabetes” and he should watch his weight and diet. You’ve probably already figured out what comes next. Yes, he has a family history of diabetes, and he knows it, but the extent of his knowledge, unknown.
So, how do we start this conversation?
Don’t forget to check out this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival, it’s the last one before the 4th of July!
Have You Ever Heard of a Credit From Goodwill? Read On.
Friday, June 11th, 2010My former business partner, Leslie and I have an ongoing challenge as to who has the cheapest mother. Over the years the title has bounced back and forth. There was the time several years ago when the Sunday NY Times ran an article about our former business, Project Solvers. I called my parents to see what they thought of the piece. My father sounded uncomfortable and mumbled something about talking to my mother.
“What, don’t tell me you didn’t buy the Times today!”
“Your mother will have to explain it to you…”
When my mother got on the phone, she told me that she had asked one of their neighbors who subscribed to the Times to save it for her. In the meantime, she had gone down to the train station, and snuck a peek from a copy there.
“Mom, it’s not like my last name is Bush, and I’m in every day. You should have told me and I would have sent you the $5.”
That kept my mom on top of the competition for quite a while.
More recently, in a cab going to dinner after my cousin’s graduation from Harvard (doctorate in Public Health, it never gets old!), my mother was telling us about a recent Goodwill purchase. “I talked your father into going to Goodwill because I had a $4.99 credit. I found a teakettle, and between the credit, the senior discount, and the Tuesday discount, I came out with a teakettle, and a credit for $.77!
I think the same thought crossed the minds of everyone in the car at the same time…
“Back up a minute. You had a $4.99 CREDIT at Goodwill? Aren’t you supposed to be giving them stuff?”
“Well, I bought something and I didn’t like it, so I returned it.”
Is there anyone who isn’t howling with laughter? We were!
“You returned something to Goodwill????”
“Of course, I bought a pair of jeans for $4.99, I took them home, and they didn’t fit so I returned them.”
More laughter!
Anyone got a story that could top that?
Shingles; Tips for Avoiding the Kind You Don’t Want
Thursday, June 3rd, 2010Whether you like it or not, mom is (almost) always right. 
- Play hard to get, check.
- You’re going to wear that? Umm… maybe check.
- You know I never liked _________. Check.
The last time my parents came to dinner, my mother asked about an old friend of mine. “She’s doing fine, but she just came down with shingles.”
“She didn’t have the vaccine?”
“What vaccine?”
“The shingles vaccine. I want you to call your doctor on Monday and go get the shot!”
Check!
If you’re a Baby Boomer like me, and most of my friends, you probably know at least one person who has had the shingles. From what I understand, it’s incredibly painful,and something you really don’t want to get. If you had chicken pox as a kid, you’re susceptible, and interestingly, the spring is the season for both the chicken pox, and shingles. Well, now you can prevent it with a shingles vaccine. It may not be covered by your insurance (why would it be, it’s preventing something), my shot cost $250 (I love NY), but knowing that’s it’s one thing I can really cross off the list, to quote MasterCard, “priceless”
And don’t believe everything you read.The common wisdom is that you can’t have the shot if you’re under 60. Not true. So do yourself a favor, and get vaccinated. Now my doctor says I’m good for another 40-50 years. According to a recent article on tampabay.com there are a whole host of vaccines that we Boomers probably think we’ve had or don’t need, but you’d be wrong. Here’s a link to a quick and easy quiz, to figure out what you vaccines you might need. And please, don’t feel bad if you didn’t know about this, most of my friends didn’t either, so mom wins another round. Check!
Big thanks to Life too for hosting this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival! You’ll like the blog about treating your spouse like a dog.
Baby Boomers Take Note: A Wonderful Use For Your Flip Video
Sunday, May 30th, 2010
Most Baby Boomers have a video recorder. It may be an older video camera you bought for taking videos of the kids growing up, or a cool new Flip Video, but you know you’ve got one. After reading this you’re going to want to dust if off and recharge the batteries.
For her mom’s 75th birthday, Ann Mehl had her filmmaker friend Mark McDevitt film her mother as she went around doing her daily tasks. Ho hum you’re thinking, right? Before you dismiss it as just another family video, check it out here on the NY Times site. Ann’s mother has dementia, and Ann has written several time for this blog, about her experiences caring for an elderly parent. Mark has captured her caregiving, and kindness as well as the wonderful spirit of Ann’s mother. Here are some ideas for video records for your own family and you don’t have to have a professional do them:
- Practical: Shoot videos of each room in the house, focusing on valuables. Copy this video to a thumbdrive and move it to a secure place off-site in case of fire or theft. This way you’ll have a record for the insurance company.
- Delicious: Is there a family recipe or cooking technique you’d like to know about? Sometimes a pinch of this, or the right texture for meatballs or pie crust is better filmed than on a aging recipe card.
- Enthralling: What better way to have the family stories preserved, than by your family’s best story teller?
- Timeless: Do you really look at your photos on the computer? Wouldn’t you rather see your family as they were at that moment in time? The NY Times piece said “If we want to remember the people they were at 75 or 85 or 93, why don’t we document their voices and smiles and stories using today’s simple, affordable technology?”
- Creative: The Times article also pointed out that the younger members of the family may be the most adept with the technology, so why not let them have a shot at filmmaking?
What other uses for a video camera can you think of for your family memories? Leave a comment. As a side note, because I was so touched by the 75th birthday video, I’ve been working with Mark on another project, and it’s been a great experience.
Do You Text and Drive? Don’t! Oprah’s No Phone Zone.
Friday, April 30th, 2010
She’s at it again! Friday morning Oprah was on every talk show pushing her pledge to have everyone stop texting, or using their cell phones in the car. Since this blog was originally posted, I’ve noticed more and more people driving and texting. The scariest was coming back from LA where everyone is driving at 80 MPH on the freeway, and texting!
- Sign the no phone zone agreement
- Stop using your cell phone in the car
- Use a hands-free device or better still, pull over to have a conversation
- Don’t check your e-mail or text when you’re stuck in traffic or stopped at a light
Weeks ago, I was listening to the Oprah show, when she started talking about making her car, and every car in America, a no phone zone. That means (depending on your level of participation), no texting, only hands-free use, or just plain not using your phone while driving. Then she had her hands free to autograph a Chrysler…
I’m certainly down with no texting, and hands free in a car, but there are definitely times when having a cell phone in the car could be important, as my parents recent adventure being stuck by the side of the Mass Pike for almost an hour in the winter, with no cell phone proved. But the texting and driving thing, I don’t understand at all! How can you possibly think you can type and drive a car? If you think you can, besides the fact that you’re wrong, and there are too many deadly accidents to prove it, what is SO urgent, that you would put so many lives in danger? And if it is that urgent, should you even be behind the wheel of a car?
Years ago when I bought a sports-car (yes, middle aged women do it too), I took a two day driving course at Skip Barber, the scariest part of it wasn’t doing 360′s on the skid pad, but in the classroom when the instructor told us that people’s driving skills peak at 5000 miles, and go downhill from there. When did you hit 5000 miles?
And if you’d like to sign Oprah’s no phone pledge, click here.
This week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival is being hosted by the Baby Boomer Entrepreneur. Andrea always has great tips! Be sure to check it out.
ET Clean Home…What’s the Least Cleaned Item in Any House?
Thursday, April 22nd, 2010
Well, that's one way to clean your refrigerator.
Now that you’ve had time to spring clean your documents, closets, etc, you’ve probably built up an appetite. Not so fast. How about taking a look at one of the most used and least cleaned items in your house…the refrigerator. My guess is that unless you’ve experienced a prolonged power failure, you’re like most people in the US and haven’t tackled that large appliance in the kitchen for a long time. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal,”Most Americans clean their fridges only once or twice a year.” And here’s an idea I find really amazing, people are supposed to clean their refrigerators before they go grocery shopping! From the same article a 2005 Whirlpool survey found that “33% said they don’t spend any time cleaning the refrigerator before grocery shopping”. OK, but that means 66% do! My idea of cleaning it before I go grocery shopping is to check to see if we have butter and onions. What about you?
Once it’s clean, or not, then there’s the problem of how we put stuff in it. “Four years ago, in an effort to understand how people organize their fridges, Sub-Zero bought a week’s worth of groceries and asked a group of 12 customers to put away the items in refrigerators at the company’s research facilities in Madison, Wis.”
“What ensued was chaos. People put meat and soda cans in the crisper drawers, which have a temperature and humidity meant for veggies. They put their milk in shelves on the door. While the door shelves seem to be a perfect fit for a carton of milk, Sub-Zero says the area is the worst place to store dairy products because it’s the warmest part of the fridge. And most folks had no clue what to do with the special cheese compartment.” There’s an area I have down perfectly, which is probably why my fridge smells every time you open the door. I have started putting the milk on the shelf instead of the door.
Now if you really want to go for the gold, how about doing your parents’ refrigerator? Not that brave are you? My parents always have at least six cottage cheese containers in theirs, and you can bet that not one of them contain cottage cheese (yes, Dad this blog is about you). My friend Leslie swears that the best day of her childhood was the day they started dating milk.
What science experiments live in the back of your refrigerator? What’s the worst thing you’ve ever pulled out of that Sub-Zero?
Don’t forget this week’s Blogging Boomers Carnival. Barbara Weibel, intrepid traveler, hosts from somewhere on this continent, check in to see where’s she’s been.
