Author of The Starlight Series

Try to grind your own if possible

In an effort to make aging a little more “fun,” I’ve come up with a list of magic foods that have special nutrients and chemicals unique to those foods.   I started by trying to find recipes with turmeric because there are some researchers and doctors who swear by it.  They say that turmeric helps to keep the circulatory system in good shape.  Since turmeric is a spice and not an expensive drug or supplement, I thought I’d give it a try.  However, the recipe must use at least a teaspoon of turmeric; I like the taste of it, but not that much.  So I started to look for flavors that could make a teaspoon of turmeric taste, well,  not so turmeric-y. (more…)

Last Saturday, I shared some new experiences with part of my family;  and I loved all of it.  It was one of those gorgeous June mornings: a sky filled with puffy clouds, a soft breeze, something to be thankful for, because we knew that noon would usher in humidity and temperatures in the nineties.  That’s just how it is in June in the Midwest.

In the early afternoon, my daughter, Becky, and I met her daughter, Jessica, her son, Nick, his wife, Karissa, and their six-year-old son, Caden, at the Science Center in St. Louis, MO.  They had just come from a great morning at the St. Louis zoo and lunch at the California Pizza Kitchen in the Galleria Mall.  Some wonderful exhibits were on display at the Center, but our goal was the Omnimax showing of the Hubble Telescope Satellite.

I had seen photos and online pictures, but nothing had prepared me for the “in-your-face” experiences of the launch, the repair and images transported back to earth from outer space.  I think I murmured, “Oh, my!”  and “Wow!” often.  It was an incredible experience, and I recommend it with unabashed exuberance!  How’s that for an endorsement? (more…)

The river that ran way to paradise-

During a brief span between wet and dry seasons, when the water level is just right, the many varieties of algae and moss bloom in a dazzling display of colors.

Without any roads leading to this river, it must be accessed by horse.

Becblog 1: Caño Cristales near La Macarena in Columbia

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He was born May 28, 1984, one more little boy added to the cast of muliple millions of people upon the earth.  He was a long time coming, a big boy, deemed by his mother as “worth the hours of effort” to get him here.  Like his father, Nicholas has dark hair and big, dark brown eyes, handsome from the start.  His skin is dark-toned, too; and he turns as brown during the summer months as residents of the Middle East.

Nicholas Alexander, Age Four

The first grandchild on both sides of his family, Nick received adulation from his grandparents,  aunts and uncles.  Since I am his maternal grandmother, I know whereof I speak!  Plenty of attention came his way, but he remained sweet-natured and was never hateful or mean-spirited.   He was a striking toddler, big for his age, with a mop of dark curls that framed his face.  Strangers often stopped in restaurants to compliment his parents on their beautiful boy.

Years pass so swiftly, and we become so immersed in the business of daily living, that we are surprised when our toddler becomes a teenager.  Before he reached that bittersweet stage, he presented me with the opportunity to drive him to an emergency room–two summers in a row. He and his younger sister, Jessica, stayed with me through the hours their parents worked during the summer.  (more…)