Author: sssmahh303

Museums

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann

From the beginning of civilizations, humans have been hoarders or to say in a kinder way, packrats.  Luckily, it has been a blessing, and we have museums all over the world to prove it.  The Pharaohs took everything with them for the afterlife.  Instead, it has given us today a view of what life was like for the select few in ancient times.  Thank you, King Tut!

We all know the big museums like the Smithsonian museums, The Metropolitan or Nature History Museum in NYC, The British Museum in London, or the Louvre in Paris.  We all want to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre – surprise, it was kind of small.  I walked by the Rosetta Stone at the British Museum several times until I asked a guard where it was.  It was also small.  How could several languages be on such a small slab of stone?  I thought it should be the size of a wall with such information.  Wrong again.  Then there are the dinosaur exhibits which are so prevalent at the world’s museums.  I have always loved seeing dinosaurs.  I think that most people do.  The dinosaur halls are always jammed and not only with children. 

One of the gifts of travel is the chance to see museums that are around the world, and those museums connect us to each other and our common humanity.  I remember years ago going to the Hellenic National Archaeological Museum in Athens, Greece.  They had a newly opened Children’s Museum. It was about children rather than for children.  It was fascinating to see how much in common today’s children had with children from 4000 years ago.  They had potty chairs and sippy cups.  The children played with small animals and balls that were captured in sculptures of the time.  Children remain the same.  A good lesson for us all – basically, we haven’t changed much.  

Museums can move you emotionally in both sad and joyous ways.  Anne Frank’s House in Amsterdam is an example.  I was surprised to find how big the attic space was.  As I read Anne’s diary, I had pictured the families in just a couple tiny rooms.  They were more spacious than imagined, but it was still confining to live silently for years.  You can only feel that by standing in the exact rooms.  Visiting Auschwitz in Poland, there is a solemn atmosphere surrounding the camp.  Walking into the showers and seeing the ovens stays with you.  How could humans treat other humans in such brutal ways?  Museums help us to remember.

As sad as some of the museums are, there are many more that brings great joy!  What could be better than looking at Monet waterlilies in the L’Orangeries in Tuileries Gardens in Paris.  Giant waterlilies!  It is breathtaking!  The Musee Marmottan Monet is on a quiet street in Paris, and it houses the largest collection of Monets in the world.  It is not a busy museum so you can take your time sitting and soaking in the masterpieces. By now you know that I love Monet.  Throughout the world, there are many museums that focus on the work of one artist.  You learn so much visiting each one, and you will be ready for the next game of Jeopardy!

Then there are outdoor museums like the ones in Scandinavia where you can see anything from a baby moose to handicrafts and replicas of ancient dwellings.  You get to walk around outside learning about the various cultures. There are sculpture gardens, and as you walk on winding paths through the woods, you see great works of art nestled into the landscape.  I have been to Millesgarden in Sweden and Grounds for Sculpture in New Jersey.  All fun!

However, my favorite museums are the quirky ones throughout the world. I am always looking for them when traveling.  In England there was a dog collar museum in Leeds, England – the kind that a big Mastiff might wear with pointed metal “teeth”.   A favorite was the Mummified Crocodile Museum in Egypt (featured below).  The Egyptians mummified crocodiles to honor the god Sobek.  The pharaohs took everything with them and maybe even the kitchen sink.  I guess they thought they would need crocodiles in the afterlife??  Drum roll!!! The most unique museum I ever found was The Icelandic Phallological Museum in Reykjavik.  Yes, a penis museum! It is like you have finally seen everything.  So, I am wishing you some great discoveries as you visit museums around the world. You never know what you might find along the way.  Maybe even a Pharaoh’s kitchen sink?

Ikigai  

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

You may or may not have heard of Ikigai.  The word has been showing up in the news recently.  Ikigai is Japanese for a reason to live.  It is about purpose.   As retired people, it is sometimes hard for us to give up our purpose which for the most part was our work.  It is our identity.  That is why some people cannot stop working. The Japanese do not have a word for retirement.  They plan on being busy for their whole lives, living with purpose.  It seems to keep them living long lives. 

Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles in their book, Ikigai, The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life studied how Japanese who live in Okinawa, a Blue Zone community, live. There, individuals live into their 90s and many well into their 100s. What were these people doing to live long healthy lives?   Their lives had meaning because they have purpose, Ikigai.  Garcia and Miralles interviewed a hundred residents that resulted in five areas that enhanced aging.  They included: don’t worry; cultivate good habits of eating, sleeping, and exercising; nurture friendships every day; live an unhurried life; and be optimistic. One person said, “The secret to a long life is going to bed early, waking up early, and going for a walk. Living peacefully and enjoying the little things. Getting along with your friends. Spring, summer, fall, winter…enjoying each season, happily.”   The little book is full of many ideas for living a good life! 

The book ends with The Ten Rules of Ikigai:

  1. Stay active; don’t retire
  2. Take it slow
  3. Don’t fill your stomach
  4. Surround yourself with good friends
  5. Get in shape for your next birthday
  6. Smile
  7. Reconnect with nature
  8. Give thanks
  9. Live in the moment
  10. Follow Your Ikigai

Each of us has a passion or talent that we know and maybe one yet to be discovered. That can be your Ikigai.  It does not have to be a full-time job.   When I retired, it was hard for me to not be productive every day.  For 40 years I was doing all the time, and I just couldn’t get that out of my head. I felt guilty if I took time to read or sit outside enjoying the sunshine, just being.  I thought I had prepared well for retirement.  I had made plans to keep myself busy.   However, I was still worrying about productivity.  I just couldn’t let it go. 

After reading this little book and studying Ikigai, I realize you don’t have to be productive in the traditional sense.  It is about being busy with things that inspire you and nurture your soul.  It may mean knitting or reading or cooking or gardening or crafting or volunteering or writing a blog.   You make your own Ikigai.  You bring meaning and purpose to your own life on your own terms.  Now, go find exactly what that is and enjoy the unfolding of your days as you discover your Ikigai!   

Address Books

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann 

Every few years I redo my address books after the Christmas holidays.  I usually have updated addresses that come with the Christmas cards.  Christmas cards are my way of touching base with all the people who have been dear to me through the years. I may not see many of my friends, but they are still important to me.  Because I have lived all over the country, my friends are from all over.  I view my address updating as a milestone in my life noting all the changes that happened over the years. 

 So, I ordered new address pages and began the update and transfer of addresses.  As I compared old addresses to the pile of new envelopes, you begin to see your sphere of friends unfold to the next stages of their lives – that life is unfolding for each of them in their own unique way.  I witness their lives through their Christmas notes and holiday letters. 

Most younger people, children of my friends, always have new addresses.  They are at an age when you move a lot so of course they change.  They often have married or had children.  However, my retired friends have downsized so they too often have new address.

One of the saddest changes at my age and what I find scary is the loss of friends.  Good friends have passed.  It is hard to x them out of the address book.  I pause at each one and say a little prayer telling them that I miss them.  Everything has changed for their family, and my life has tilted as well.

As I go through the address book, I notice that I didn’t hear from certain people.  This is my cue to text them to check to see if they are okay.  Many have given up sending Christmas cards; some are busy with their lives and don’t have time for correspondence.  Sometimes friends have become sick, or there are divorces. There is no Christmas cheer to share.  When a person is going through a rough time, they often are not ready to share their challenges or sadnesses with others.  When I check-in I say that I hope all is well, and I am here for you if you need anything.

This year as I did this housekeeping exercise, I found a file of all my old address books.  I decided it about time that I throw them out, but first, I need to go through them to determine if there was anything I need to keep.  As I was perusing the ABC of my friends, I found a few people who I could not identify.  I find that rather funny.  The person must have been a friend, or they would not be in the book.  As life moves along, people do come in and out of your life and change like the seasons.  It may not be a forever friend, but they were once upon a time important to me. 

So now I am set for a few years, and I do not know what life will bring until the next time.  Babies will come, people will marry, they will move, and some will die.  I will continue to send Christmas cards and many birthday cards to the people who are dear to me. It is my way of celebrating each of them for being part of my life.

Monikers

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

How can I help you, Young Lady?  How many times have your heard this?  Does it make you angry or insult you?  Among my friends, there is mixed reactions to being referred to as a young girl with gray hair.  

It only seems to happen to women.  I don’t recall my father being called young man.  I am not sure you know a husband or father being called that.  I don’t think older men would put up with it.  As older women, we tend to do so.  I guess we don’t want to make a scene, no matter how angry it makes us or how insulted we are.  It is not worth the effort!

However, a moniker is an informal term for a name, nickname, alias, or handle and is often used to describe someone or something with a characteristic label.  The Big Apple is a moniker for New York City.  So that kind of moniker is a positive use of a name.  It is debatable if young lady is a positive moniker.

When we are called young lady, maybe we should try to see it in a more positive light.  At least, you are being recognized when you are addressed.  Maybe the person is really giving you a compliment trying to make you feel special.  Most of the time, it is a young person greeting you.  They are not saying, “Hello, Old Lady.”  I think that often Miss is a better way to acknowledge you.  Since we are women of a certain age, we often are taken good care of by the waiter or clerk afterwards. 

I think as women of certain age, we should smile rather than grumbling about the moniker.  We can give grace.  We can show the young person we are classy ladies.  If you feel that you need to say something – that “young lady” makes you uncomfortable, say it.  The person probably didn’t give it a second thought but will think about it in the future. 

As I was writing this blog, the phone rang, and an appointment clerk had called to verify a doctor’s appointment.  When the person was hanging up, she said, “Goodbye, Hon.” I know her so it was an endearment and not an insult.  Life is too short to dwell on such a small slight.  So next time you are addressed as young lady or sweetheart, be a sweetheart and give the person a smile.  Take it as a compliment.  It will make the world a little brighter, and we need more of that!

The View from Lake Como 

by sssmahh303, posted in Reviews

Mary Ann

Have you discovered the Adrianna Trigiani universe of books?  If you have, you know her wonderful stories and are probably like me waiting for her next book.  If you do not know this author, you are about to make a new friend with Adrianna.   I envy you a bit to have the opportunity to discover this masterful storyteller’s tales. 

Adrianna Trigiani is an author who writes about her Italian heritage from Big Stone Gap in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia to Greenwich Village in New York City to New Jersey and Italy. The heroine of her books are often women finding themselves and are on the verge of blooming into the strong women they were meant to be.  Their journeys unfold in small towns to big cities, and Trigiani will frequently tell the stories in trilogies, so you really get to know the characters well. You kind of grow with them too.  If you know Italian families, you will appreciate the dialog and biting humor of the families. Trigiani captures it all in her novels.

Since 2000, she has written 19 books – mostly fiction but she does do some nonfiction.  Her most recent book from 2025 is The View from Lake Como, the Jersey version, not the Italian lake; however, Italy becomes a main character in this story.  Giuseppina (Jess) Capodimonte Baratta, the heroine, is a woman who is finding herself.  Jess has endured several hardships with a death of a beloved uncle, a divorce, a controlling family, an unfulfilled career, and the other ups and downs of life.  She wants more from her small life in Lake Como, so she goes to Italy to find herself and what a new life could bring.  Jess is spreading her wings, and you get to join her on the flight!   We all see ourselves in Jess’s transformation, and you may learn a little about yourself as you accompany Jess on her adventure. 

I know that once you read one of Adrianna Trigiani’s stories, you will seek out her other books to be part of her one big Italian family throughout the world.  More importantly, you will be part of her big literary family as well enjoying her tales that are full of heart and soul!   

Small Towns

by sssmahh303, posted in Friends and Family

Mary Ann

My father grew up in Benton, a little town in Northeastern Pennsylvania.  That little town produced some very exceptional individuals who changed the world.  One was my uncle, Samuel B. McHenry.  He was an inventor with 43 patents that included brooms and brushes that paid the bills, but he also patented several alternative energy inventions like a wave machine and using stream currents to generate electricity – a man ahead of his time. At one point in his career, he got in trouble with a society lady in Chicago.  My Great-Grandfather, his brother Abram, had to go get him and bring him home to Benton.  He was “madly” in love with a young woman he never met – there is a thin line between genius and insanity.  

I included a photo of his memorial at the cemetery where he is buried.  It was a representation of a craftsmen’s chest where tools were kept with the word Inventor engraved on it.  I always thought it was a treasure chest.  On top of the block of granite is a gizmo that Samuel invented called an Astronomical Demonstrating Device.  According to my father the top sphere represented the sun, and the bottom sphere was the Earth.  The device rested on a figure-eight base that had the months of the year engraved.  As the earth revolved around the sun, the device would move settling on the current month of the year.   Every time I visited the cemetery, the earth sphere was in the correct month of the year – almost like magic.  Apparently, the tilt of the Earth as it moved through space initiated the movement of the device to the correct month. 

The second person was Dr. Frank Laubach.  He was a missionary and travelled the world using the Bible to teach reading.  The premise was that “each one, teach one.”  I would teach you to read then you would teach someone else to read and so on.   His work was Nobel Prize worthy.  However, he was honored in 1984 with a stamp commemoration. The Laubach Literacy Program and the Laubach Method, developed with his son, Dr. Robert Laubach, is still helping illiterate people learn to read. Today, the programs have merged with ProLiteracy Worldwide and have touched people in 103 countries.  

 When I was little, my grandmother took me to the Laubach house in Benton to meet Dr. Laubach when he was home from his travels.  It was a rare moment.  I remember seeing him from afar as I was too shy to greet him.  I had no idea who he was.  He seemed to glow. Maybe his gentle soul was shining through.  I never forgot that encounter. 

Finally, the third person was Winton Laubach.  He was a childhood friend of my father’s.  Winston was legally blind and had to count the streetlights to find his way home after a day of play.  He studied math at Penn State and Columbia University and later taught the subject at Penn State and the Colorado School of Mines.  His book A Mathematical Medley illustrates his love for numbers. 

I once asked my father how a small town in the mountains of Pennsylvania could produce such noteworthy individuals.  He said that they were all trying to get out!  I am not sure that is true.  However, it was a close-knit community where everyone knew everyone.  When you went out to play, wherever you were at lunch time, you had lunch there. The community collectively raised all the children.  Their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins all lived in the same little town.  These extended families always supported the children, and they knew they were supported.  They all had long childhoods which allowed their imaginations to grow.  

The world is so different today with families far flung across the country and more recently around the world.  Families must work hard to develop such communities of the past.  I am thankful that my family roots run deep in this little community of Benton.  It has helped to create the person I have become.  America should have more small towns like Benton to help shape the future of the world in a positive way.

Exercise Snacks

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

I recently came across an article on Exercise Snacks.  Now, the definition of a snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals. Exercise snacks reflect the same philosophy with activity, as snacks do to food. Exercise Snacks are doing a small amount of movement from 30 seconds to 5 to 10 minutes of activities. It can be as simple as climbing the stairs to walking around the house to dancing to a favorite song.  It can also be gardening or housework – all activity counts!  

Dr. Howard Hartley, a cardiology, in 2007 coined the term Exercise Snacks.  These little burst of exercise or movement help elderly people to mitigate physical decline as they age.  The small amount of movement can have an impact on chronic conditions like heart disease, high blood sugar, and even dementia.  Every little bit of activity can make a difference in your overall health. 

Exercise Snacks can be done by all of us of a certain age.  We can take the stairs a time or two more a day.  We can walk around the neighborhood or around your house.  You can hop on a stationary bike for a five-minute ride and if that is too much than do it for two minutes.  Start out with baby steps and work your way up to longer sessions.  These small changes have big rewards and can support behavioral changes that develop habits.  It is hard to get started and to keep going when exercising. 

I have been kind of doing Exercise Snacks without knowing what it was called.  You probably have too.  However, since reading the article, I have been more conscientious regarding every movement I am making and that they will add up to better results if I keep doing them.  The bottom line is not to be sedentary.  Every household chore that I do adds up to more movement.  

Of course, it takes me a week to get my Christmas decorations up and then down rather than a weekend as in the past.  I am slowing down, but I am still moving.  That movement is making me healthier physically and mentally.  I need to celebrate that, and the little victory dance that I am doing now is yet another kind of movement.  If I miss a day because I have low energy, there is always tomorrow.  You can always begin again.  Piggyback on regular daily activity by adding a little exercise – an example, while washing dishes, do some heel raises.  When watching TV, do chair exercises.  Sitting is passive so adding some movement changes everything making you more active and being active makes you healthier.  It is time to begin Exercise Snacking  – Bon Appetite for better living!      

New York, New York – Part 4

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann

8.5 Million People – All Unique! 

If you are walking down the street in New York City, you may see just about anything.  It may stop you in your tracks.  However, if you are looking around, no one else seems to be very interested.  Everyone in NYC is unique, so no one stand out as you might imagine.  There are characters everywhere, and we are going to meet some in this blog.  

In Time Square, there is a host of characters trying to charm the tourists.  You will find Elmo and Cookie Monster and Spiderman.  There is also the Naked Cowboy with a strategically placed guitar, so he remains PG for the children.  These characters are famous, but they do not even begin to capture the real characters of the city. 

As the fashion capital of the world, designers share their collections a few times a year during Fashion Weeks.  These creative individuals find inspiration everywhere, but in the streets of NYC, unique treasure can be discovered.  Sometimes on the subway, you will spot a young girl impeccably dressed in vintage clothes or sporting timeless accessories in a new way.  They are living fashion.  When I first got to NYC, long summer scarves were worn everywhere.  I believe, Jennifer Amastin, was big on them at the time.  So, of course, I had to get some in every color. Even though they were light weight, they were hot in the humid NYC summer.  This trend was somewhat short-lived, and I have a box of the scarves to prove it.  However, you see how a look becomes fashion.  I also love the girls who wear short skirts and stilettos.  It is not easy walking miles on concreate in 4-, 5-, or 6-inch heels, and Lower Manhattan has cobblestone streets.  They are kind of urban mountain climbers.  How do they do it?  If I were young when I worked there, I would have done it too!

The first December I was working in NYC, I had to go into the city for a work event.  As I sat on the subway train, a Santa Claus entered the train.  I thought, Santa must be on the way to work to spread a little Christmas cheer for children.  Then a second Santa got on the next stop, and by the time, I got to New York from Jersey City, the whole car was full of Santas. Something was going on.  I apparently did not get the memo that the world was dressed as Santa Claus today.  I found out that it was SantaCon, an event held in early December where everyone dresses like Santa, and they do a bar crawl from Mid-town to Greenwich Village for charity and FUN!  There are all kind Christmas characters – lots of elves and a particularly cute group of eight pretty girls dressed as reindeers.   SantaCons are held throughout the country, but as with everything, NYC does it in a big way!

There are two other events that are also full of characters.  Each March, there is a reverse migration of characters from New York to Hoboken, NJ, where St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated.  There are lot of leprechauns on the subways and ferries. There is a parade, lots of green everywhere, and bar crawls ensues.  During Pride Week in June, people are everywhere in costumes.  Again, there is a parade with floats full of very good-looking men – always fun to watch and see how creative everyone is.  

Still, the most-memorable character I ever saw and who is my all-time favorite, even beating Santa Claus, is a tall, stately, African American gentleman.  I would see him on the PATH as we were both commuting between NYC and Jersey City.  He was one-of-the -kind.  The first time I saw him, he was dressed entirely in chartreuse, green shag fur.  From the top of his head down to his shoes, he was green. He wore a green top hat which was exaggerated in size and carried a walking stick.  No one seemed to notice him, but I couldn’t take my eyes off him.  

The next time I saw him, he was dressed entirely in dalmatian print – white with black spots.  Again, he was wearing a large top hat and strutting with his walking stick.  I loved his panache. His fashion flair just made me happy.  The last time I saw him he was crossing the street in Jersey City.  This time he was dressed in red fake fur.  It was the same outfit just a different color.  I can imagine what his closet looked like and how he must muse each day what to wear.  I never saw him again.  I was always on the lookout for him.  I would have loved to talk to him.  He optimized what it means to be a unique NYC character.  Isn’t it wonderful that there is a place where you can be who you are, and no one seems to be concerned? 

New York City is the fashion capital or the business capital or finance capital or the publishing capital or the entertainment capital of the world.  It is also the character capital of the world.  Full of unique people just living their lives. 

Apple Support

by sssmahh303, posted in Taking Care of Business

Mary Ann

Don’t we all need a White Knight who will slay our dragons or defeats a horrific troll who is under our many bridges.  My White Knight is the Apple Support Team.  I am an Apple fan.  I can’t say enough good things about their products. I have an iPhone, an iPad, and a MacBook Pro and love the fact that all their products can be synched. 

However, what I love the most about Apple is their support team.  In fact, I just used it today as I was writing blogs.  My curser froze, and I tried everything I could to undo whatever I did to cause the freeze.  I then called Apple Support.  The heavens opened and rays of light showered over me, and I was speaking to Kristen.  I explained my dilemma, and she asked me a few clarifying questions.  Then she began to guide me through the various steps to solve the problem.  Within 5 minutes, the problem was solved, and I was singing her praises and that of the whole team. They never disappoint. 

When you call, you never wait more than a few minutes, and you have a choice of music including silence to occupy you as you move quickly through the que.  Upon answering, a friendly associate, male or female, greets you, and we discuss the problem.  Regardless of the Apple device, they can help you.  They verify you are you with a code texted to your phone.  When that is done, they will come on whatever screen with a curser and begin to instruct you in correcting the problem.  This is all securely done with your approval on each step.  If you must use passwords or any other personal information, they leave the website until you are done with it.  They return afterwards to continue to next steps.  Usually, my problems only take a few minutes, but the associate will stay with you until you are satisfied.  One time I had trouble with a Microsoft renewal.  The associate stayed with me for a half hour until we got me up and running again.  That is customer service at its best. 

As a former administrator in schools, I know good teaching when I see it.  Whoever is training these associates is doing an excellent job.  It is hard to teach, but coaching people how to do things that do not come naturally is indeed special.  The Apple Associates are well-trained individuals and are remarkable teachers. They are friendly and very helpful.  

I always tell the associate how good they are.  I always remark on the Apple survey sent after the session how special this help service is and how well-done it is.  Apple Support has saved me several times.  They are my White Knights.  If you have Apple products and don’t know about this service, it is time for you to use it when you are in trouble with computer woes. (800-275-2273) If you don’t have Apple products, it might be a good time to check them out.  I know the world is divided into Apple and PC people.  However, I happen to be a happy Apple person, maybe you should be one too???  We all need White Knights to save us.  

Hamnet

by sssmahh303, posted in Reviews

Mary Ann

It is that time of year when we hear Oscar Buzz, and this year is no exception.  Hollywood saves the best for last with films debuting at the end of the year and the beginning of the next. The holiday audiences boost sales, and the films get lots of exposure. Whispers of excellence, however, began to stir in November about a movie with a rather odd name, Hamnet.  Did they misspell Hamlet?  Kind of….

As I began to read more about it, I discovered that the movie is adapted from a novel by Maggie O’Farrell, so I hurried to read it before the movie premiered. Hamnet the book is about the early life of William Shakespeare and his love story with Agnes Hathaway.  The story doesn’t tell you that it is Shakespeare, but you know, and Agnes is not a new character because you know her as Anne.  The tale is based on facts, but as with all historical fiction, the imagination weaves the possible dialogue and circumstances.  The book is a fast read, and you intimately experiences all the emotions (lots of ups and downs) the characters experience as they live life.  I think Shakespeare would approve how the story unfolds.

The hardest part of writing reviews is that you don’t want to tell too much of the story to ruin it for the reader and not telling enough to dull interest to read or to see the movie or whatever.  So, I was ready when the advertisements began for Hamnet.  The trailers tease and then you want, you must see the movie!

Hamnet the movie, is just, in a word, beautiful.  The sets, the scenery, the engaging and attractive actors, the charming children, and on and on.  It all sets the stage for a story of love and loss and eventually healing. The movie is true to the book.  Hamnet didn’t last very long in the theaters.  Most films don’t run long anymore unless it is a blockbuster with dinosaurs or a slice of the Marvel Universe.  Eventually, Hamnet will come to one of the streaming services, or it may have a relaunch should it get an Academy Awards nomination. Regardless, both the book and the movie are worth your time.  It is literature and film at its best.  Enjoy!