The sign of a good vacation is when you can barely remember how it started. I just wrapped up a mighty fine one and all it required was a bit of time travel, leaving me a bit confused about what day it was. I always appreciate it when a vacation is more than a week long because it allows me to fully separate from my normal routines and, I find, even begin to dream differently; yet this vacation took me even deeper. This holiday season took us back to the Poconos, to a charming community called Buck Hill Falls, a place where we have shared many good times. The community…

My suitcase came East for the holidays full of gifts, cookies, and in a side pocket, my new jump rope. A recent Dexa scan gave me the heads up that my bones needed more weight bearing exercises. So I splurged on ten sessions with a trainer at the Live Well Center at our local hospital. To my delight, my workout routine includes skipping rope three times a week.  My memories of childhood skipping include happy times singing rhymes side by side with friends and holding my breath when entering an already swinging longer rope called a Double Dutch. The rope was usually the standard hardware store variety, cut to size…

One of the unanticipated delights in writing for this blog is the opportunity to dig a bit deeper into subjects of personal interest, for example, the article – A ski industry icon attends his 100th birthday party – in our local paper, The Park Record, caught my interest, perhaps my motivation was that my father-in-law will soon be turning 100 and we are in the midst of planning his celebration. I read the article with keen interest and was thrilled when a Google search turned up a treasure trove of information. Klaus Obermeyer is an inspirational character. To my surprise, Klaus is credited with designing the first puffy down jacket…

By sheer coincidence, we share the same hometown, Marblehead, Massachusetts. A beautiful town with a long history, Marblehead is also sporty. Best known as the birthplace of the American Navy, Marblehead Harbor is unique in its ability to shelter over two thousand boats of all sizes and shapes. Less known is its high school football team. A long-standing Thanksgiving tradition is attending the game between Marblehead and their archrival, Swampscott. The Magicians didn’t have much magic when we were young but have since dominated the rivalry. Racquet sports were our passion and Marblehead continues to offer residents not only tennis, paddle and now pickleball but also badminton. The Gut ‘n…