Oral Sex: Is it Better to Give or Receive? Tracy E. Hill, Ph.D. With funding from the National Institute on Aging, researchers from Michigan State and Texas A & M Universities took a deep dive into oral sex. Published in the Journals of Gerontology: Social Sciences (2019), Drs. Hui Liu, Shannon Shen, and Ning Hsieh investigated how giving Read more
Did you know that married couples are less likely to develop dementia than other adults? According to Drs. Liu, Zhang, Choi and Langa, all unmarried groups of people (i.e., divorced, widowed, single, etc.) had significantly higher odds of developing dementia than their married friends. The researchers from Michigan State, University of Michigan and Texas Tech Read more
Guilt—A Wasted Emotion by Donna Scrafano Caring for a loved one can be, the most stressful job one may experience throughout a lifetime. In addition to the numerous tasks involved and the many, many roles one must play (nurse, doctor, advocate, parent, protector, domestic manager, accountant, chauffer, etc.), there’s also the “guilt” factor. I spent Read more
Simplify the Stress of Holiday Gift-Giving by Lucy E.M. Black The giving and receiving of gifts is traditionally seen as a way of demonstrating affection, thoughtfulness, respect, and appreciation. Individuals often carry strong emotional feelings about gift-giving, and many of us can recall a special gift we cherished. Cultural customs and family traditions also have Read more
The Emotional Battle Behind Cancer by J’Nel Wright “I will meet you for lunch on one condition. You have to promise not to talk about cancer.” When I first heard the news of my friend’s current battle for her life, I fought to find a suitable role that would provide her with something—anything—beneficial to Read more
Is It Hot in Here? Top 10 Ways I Deal with Menopause by Ute Mitchell It started with the night sweats. In the dead of winter, I woke up in the middle of the night completely drenched, my T-shirt clinging to my body. I wiped my forehead, and my hand was wet. So I got Read more
Widowhood: The New Normal by Alice Adams After the funeral is over, after the casseroles, cakes, and pies quit coming and after your family, friends, and neighbors go back to their regular routines, you find yourself suddenly alone. Oh yes, there’s much to be done—paperwork with the bank, insurance companies, etc. There are usual bills Read more
Written by Amy Crooks. I’m not sure why the topic of menopause is taboo. Once in a while, I will hear a friend say something about hot flashes, or watch them as they suddenly start sweating and peel off their clothes. But I really haven’t heard much from my friends or colleagues on this topic. No menopause stories, no trials and tribulations. Even friends who have reached the other side, barely mention what they went through. Read more
A Honeybee Apiary: Am I Helping Them or Are They Helping Me? by D’Cai Rhodes At fifty-four years old, I found myself unemployed, living in my travel trailer, and heartbroken. A successful safety professional, firefighter, and paramedic in my younger years, I never felt I’d be in this position. Refusing to allow myself to be down Read more
Foolish Things We Did for Love by Angie Littlefield I first spotted the rock through an opening in the shrouding forest. It rose up 30 feet from the river about a mile above Kakabeka Falls. I could see people diving from the top of the rock into the river. They swam in a broad arc towards Read more
