It’s a new year, hallejulah! 2025 was, for this retired 67-year old, a trying time. Sure, interspersed with periods of calm aboard cruise ships, grandson fun times, and still lucky with spousal and personal good-enough health, but… Loss of my father, and all the executor duties that entailed, topped the stress meter for the year. … More 2026 January Read and Ramble
Third month, 3rd installment of Stevie’s Monthly Read and Review. Back to finishing : March is living up to its reputation for wild weather. Snowstorms started the month, (yay, in like a lion, so maybe out like a lamb?), and today heavy rains expected. As is the river flooding probably this year. Not yet, more … More 2025 March Read and Review
You know you’re a military brat when… There are many ways to finish this thought. One way that I experienced this past week with my husband (and former brat himself, now a retired military veteran) while on a couple days getaway, is this. You are travelling, sight-seeing in a new area about a day’s drive … More You Know You’re a Military Brat when…
Reading List 2023 January What is it about January? I haven’t had a good start to a year since 2020, and we all remember how that panned out. (For details from this author’s perspective on 2020, check out “Lost Year A Pandemic Diary”.) But back to this January of 2024. Not a good start due … More 2023 – Reading List
I re-read the earlier post about retirement in Year 6 musings, and must admit, it’s been an eventful year of change since. As noted before, by about years 5-6-7, I no longer felt, nor do I now feel, “retired”. I’m just living life at the stage I find myself. Retirement goals of becoming a published … More Retirement Musings Year 7
Yes, I am still writing stories. No, I haven’t been very prolific for awhile. You know, life and all. But today I was pleased to find my short story, “I am Ken’s Beer Stein” published in the Ottawa Independent Writer’s group yearly anthology, “Connections”. And more than pleased to discover that the first review of … More I Am (Still) an Author
Mother’s Day 2023 sure feels different this year. I realize I’ve been celebrating/grieving/recognizing/ignoring this calendar day for 65 years now. My father introduced me to the celebration. “Come on, kids, make mom breakfast in bed!” So burnt toast and Dad’s bitter coffee with all 4 of us jumping on her bed and waking Mom up … More Mother’s Day Through My Ages
It’s here! 2023. So it’s also here – my reviews of books I read in 2022. January I needed dependable reading to start another crappy lockdown year. At least catching the latest virus variant and getting over it so easily like any mild cold was a plus for this January. So off to a known … More 2022 – Reading List
I’ve been retired for long enough that I no longer think of myself as retired. I’m simply living my life. My first years of retirement were busy establishing that new life, a life filled with hopes and dreams collected over the previous working lifetime, a life I was eager to achieve. I became a published … More Retirement Musings Year 6
So cliché, but seriously, where did the summer go? I must have said this before, but September feels like the start of a new year. And September 2022 finds me ready for a new start. Isn’t that just like life, starting over and over and over again? It’s not a bad thing, but it sure … More September : Time to Restart
Stevie Szabad, Author 