Birthday greetings from Alaska

My cousin Gayle is such a faithful events greeter, and when the family lived in Alaska, we would be treated with colorful postcards and a personal note.  These three I found in the box I was clearing out today--one from the 70s, 80s and 90s: Kasilof, Fairbanks, and Angoon. Since she reads my blog, this is a special shout out to her.

Found in a Christmas card, December 1998

Still finding letters from my mom inside the card box I'm clearing out. By this time (1998) Mom and Dad were living in a lovely retirement apartment at Pinecrest, so the view she describes is from their front room window. Of course, it's nicer to see her familiar handwriting, so here is only the content. She was 86.

Marge invited me to go along to a Home Extension meeting yesterday.  I had been a 50 year member, so many of the group remembered me.  It was a very enjoyable time.  I even came home with a gift, a pretty pin to wear on my dress.  The meeting was at Marlene Witmer's. The Home Ext. ladies reminded me that there had been a Christmas meeting at the farm (near Franklin Grove).  I had forgotten about it.  It was quite a long time ago.

We had pizza at Amy's house last evening.  She had made 3 kinds and I chose olive and mushroom! Chris and his girl friend and Heather and boyfriend were also there.  Chris had his pet cat along in a carrier.  The cat had nearly been killed by the Tomcat and needed extensive veterinary help.  It was a lovely cat and reminded me of kittens in the barn when Clare and I hunted them.

We have 9 lighted pines to view from our front window.  Beautiful when the lights go on at 4:30.  We plug in our little Christmas tree then, too.  We have a wreath on the door.  It makes a very nice walk to do the 3 floors and view how cheerful it looks with so many decorated.  Our next door neighbor has their door covered with little Santas and other Christmas reminders.  There are many "Baby Jesus" pictures and it's not all Santa Claus.

My one little African violet is blooming again after a 2 months rest.  The geranium isn't getting any buds.  Think it needs some real sun.

Think I'll walk up town this afternoon sporting my cane.  Dad insisted I use one since I took that tumble in November.  This warm weather surely won't last.  I would really like to see a touch of pretty white snow and watch someone else shovel it.  I have my warm coat and gloves and boots all ready for cold weather!     Love Mother

Found with a birthday card, a letter from Mom

I used to joke with my mom about her crop and weather reports in her letters.  I'm sorry about that now--they are really very sweet when rereading 30 years later.  I don't have a date on this one (inserted in a birthday card), but she was looking for an out of print book with a copyright date of 1980, and she mentions her plans to go to Hawaii (with my sister Carol) which I think was in the early 90s. Reading the story of the mice reminds me of the stories she would make up while braiding my hair as a child.

"The tag end of the garden and fruit demand attention.  The compost heap is full of seeds, cores and peelings.  The apple crop is so huge, but of course lots of it is rather poor because we can't quite keep ahead of the small creatures.  The one apple tree is especially bad but when an apple is good it is very tasty.  It is a Jon-a-Del, I think.

There is a hole in the trunk where a little family of field mice are staying.  Little Kerby Jasper loves to have Amy show her where Jon and Del live.  One can peer into the hole and see their beady little eyes shine.  They seem to know they are safe.  The cats and dogs stand around and bark, but all is quiet inside where harm can't reach them.  We have now an on going story about Jon and Del's family.

The grapes are more than we can use but so far 2 bushel have been turned into juice.  The mosquitoes are so bad that it is torture to try and pick them while being bombed. . . .

Our trip [to Hawaii?] is drawing near and finding the lists are getting longer.  Probably do a day of shopping for small items Friday. . . We will surely get out to see you and Bob this fall.  We will talk about the time when I get back from Hawaii.

Sorting through old letters--again

Over the week-end I finished up my massive project begun a few weeks ago--rereading all the Christmas letters I'd saved since 1987, and running most through the shredder.  This is to save my daughter a lot of work somewhere down the road.  Some I just couldn't give up yet, so there are still a few in a separate pile.  Then I decided perhaps I should look through the greeting cards box--I also save cards for special events or special family and friends. Hard to believe it's been almost 17 years since retirement--but there were all the "Happy Retirement" cards from library and veterinary medicine staff.

About half way through I came across a very clever hand made engagement and wedding announcement for the two daughters of the Palenske family from Christmas 1961.  So that's why I'm here at the internet again instead of cleaning out files and boxes.  I thought I'd try to track down my college era friend. We weren't that close except for 1959 and 1960, and I suppose I was still exchanging letters with her and was added to the announcement list.  I don't think I went to the wedding--it would have been about 4 weeks before my first baby was due, and we were living in Champaign, a four hour drive to their home in a Chicago suburb.

What I found on the internet was very interesting and I think I tracked her down.  One newspaper article for an event gave an e-mail, so I've dashed off a few sentences.  Stay tuned.  The last person I found this way (my first piano teacher, Miss Tinklenberg, a teenager who taught all the children in Forreston) responded, "Who are you?"

Update:  Yes, I found her and am sending her the cute announcement of her wedding.  No, she didn't remember me.

Prayer of St. Augustine

God of our life,
There are days when the burdens we carry
chafe our shoulders and weigh us down;
when the road seems dreary and endless,
the skies grey and threatening;
when our lives have no music in them,
and our hearts are lonely,
and our souls have lost their courage.

Flood the path with light,
turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise;
tune our hearts to brave music;
give us the sense of comradeship
with heroes and saints of every age;
and so quicken our spirits
that we may be able to encourage
the souls of all who journey with us
on the road of life,
to your honor and glory.

http://aleteia.org/2017/03/25/a-prayer-for-the-days-you-just-cant-take-it-anymore/

https://www.oursanctuary.net/augustine.html

Monday Memories--September 2003

Winds of war.  I think I know how this current situation in Syria will play out.  Big stories about WMD. Photographs of the horror.  A Republican president responds initially with support of both parties.  After action is taken, Democrats will decide to back off and stab the president in the back demoralizing the troops and giving comfort to the enemy.

I came across a letter from September 2003 while cleaning out my paper files.  I noticed this comment--not mine--about the media, especially the Washington Post, which I think has really become a useless source of information since Bezos (Amazon) bought it and even some thoughts on North Korea.  It seems things weren't much different almost 14 years ago.

"The Post bashes Bush every chance they can, though they were behind him on the war.  Their feature political cartoon is hilarious, and never flattering to the President.  He is always pictured with huge ears.  I have never noticed his ears--they must be somewhat large?  All these hearings, and everything else connected with the war makes me feel like "haven't we been there, done this before?" . . . Wonder if any of the boys on the Hill are thinking creatively about finances, or will we, as taxpayers, continue to pay the tab.  WWII has been over a long time, and all we need is one hit from N. Korea and it would take out a lot of our guys with little warning.  We just don't have the manpower to have troops stationed all over the world trying to keep a lid on things."

Not remembering that the Post had ever supported Bush, I attempted to track down what the Washington Post editorial board had said about the war in February 2003, and found another source that quoted it asking how anyone could doubt the seriousness of the WMD charges. The actual link didn't connect because later WaPo became very critical of Bush so I think the link was disabled at their end. These days, WaPo might as well be a mouth piece from a foreign, hostile government.

The news is on in the background as I draft this.  It really does sound like nothing has changed.

PBS and NPR funding events

Although I don't contribute to the fund raisers, it is my understanding the locals have done very well this spring. People fear loss of funding under Trump.  I think that's great. Sort of like the huge increase in gun sales under Obama. The issue of NPR PBS funding has never been about the paltry amount, but about the amount of bias in the coverage of the culture from news, to arts, to literature to politics. If it’s funded in part by taxes, then there should either be better representation of the whole population, or no funding. On the other hand, if most of the support is from left of center (don’t know which comes first, the coverage or the consumers), then that should be their direction, but without our funding it. I have certain shows I watch like the British dramas and comedies (now mostly reruns) and Antiques Roadshow, but never the news coverage. I can get that on broadcast.

Origen

"Origen, born into a Christian family from Alexandria Egypt around 185AD, was only a teenager when he witnessed his father, Leonidas, dragged from his home by Roman soldiers and ultimately martyred. He was inspired by his father’s heroic example to dedicate himself to a strict life of prayer, fasting and study. The bishop of Alexandria, Demetrius, recognized the talent and holiness of this young man and named him head of the catechetical school of this great center of early Christianity. Origen ultimately became one of the greatest Scripture scholars and preachers of the early Church. Though he began his teaching ministry as a lay catechist, Origen was ultimately ordained a priest and wrote commentaries and homilies that influenced subsequent Early Church Fathers from both East and West. Though he did not receive the grace of martyrdom, Origen was imprisoned and brutally tortured for his faith during the persecution that took place under the emperor Decius. Weakened by his ordeal, he died a few years later in 254 AD.

Though several of Origen’s teachings were condemned after his death by Church authorities, it must be remembered that his erroneous opinions were expressed in matters that had not yet been defined by official Church teaching. In his lifetime, Origen was always a loyal son of the Church whose correct opinions far outnumbered his errors. Origen’s writings were profuse indeed, though only a limited number survive. He wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible, with his treatise on Song of Songs, Romans, and many homilies on the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament) surviving either intact or in large portions. He was the author of one of the earliest attempts at textual criticism of the Old Testament, the Hexapla, and was responsible for the first attempt at systematic theology in his famous De Principiis (On First Principles). His two works of spiritual theology, Exhortation to Martyrdom and On Prayer were widely read in the Early Church and are still read today, with many excerpts used in the Roman Office of Readings."

 https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/christs-body-a-temple/

Crossroads Initiative has many excellent resources, a good on-line library and blog, but I'm not entirely sure how the owner and creator of the material, although a Roman Catholic, relates to the Church.  There are many of these available on the Internet, just as there are for Protestant ministries. I know there are other Catholics who don't seem to include Origen in the Fathers of the Church category, so I'll have to check a few more links. 

 Summary of the controversies

I have an excellent printed resource (Protestant) I used for perusing ancient and modern writings on scripture and the church, Magill's Masterpieces of Christian Literature in Summary Form, (c. 1963) which I gave to my mother one Christmas, and then when she was downsizing in the 1990s, she gave it back. It does contain "On First Principles" in summary form, noting it is a work of systematic theology, first transcribed c. 220-230.  At the end of the summary, the editor of the article in Magill notes:

"Although the later judgment of the Church on Origen was unfavorable, we cannot overlook the recognition he received in his own day nor the influence he exerted for over a century on the theologians of East and West.  He produced the first great synthesis of Christian teaching and provided his successors with a method of Biblical interpretations which, if sometimes artificial and arbitrary, was at least consistent and thorough. He was an intellectual who applied all his powers to the teaching office of the Church, in defense of the Gospel and in opposition to the heresies of his day.  It is especially to his credit that he dealth with the whole of theology and not merely with one doctrine.  Origen represents the coming of age of Christianity as an intellectual force in the ancient world."

My Magill also contains a summary of Against Celsus, an 8 volume refutation of Greek pagan philosophy attacking Christianity by Origen.   Being a Biblical scholar, Origen argued from scripture rather than reason and morals to defeat pagan beliefs.

I was a one issue voter

and it would be nice if everyone, not just babies, could have a better life. Let's hope that Neil Gorsuch can make decisions based on law and not feelings or party pressure.

• Gorsuch wrote a book called “The Future of Assisted Suicide and Euthanasia.” He argues in the book that “human life is fundamentally and inherently valuable” and that “the intentional taking of human life by private persons is always wrong.”
• Gorsuch ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby in holding that Obamacare’s abortifacient mandate violates the religious beliefs of closely-held corporations.
• Gorsuch also ruled in favor of the Little Sisters of the Poor, defending the rights of nuns not to be forced to pay for abortion-inducing drugs in their health care plans.

Gorsuch forcefully dissented from a case in which the Tenth Circuit sided with Planned Parenthood and refused to allow the Governor of Utah to de-fund the abortion business in wake of videos showing its involvement in the selling of baby body parts

Syphilis on the rise among gay men

Data from 2015, analyzed with a new methodology, show that the incidence of primary and secondary syphilis among Men who have sex with men (MSM) was 309.0 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 2.9 per 100,000 among men who reported sex with women only. (Medpage Today, April 7)

April is STD awareness month.  Syphilis is passed from person to person through direct contact with a syphilis sore. In men, sores can occur on or around the penis, around the anus, or in the rectum, or in or around the mouth. These sores can be painless, so it is possible to have them and not notice them. (CDC fact sheet, rev. Feb. 10, 2017) Of course, CDC recommends condoms, but any sensible person would recommend chastity and monogamy.

 https://www.cdc.gov/std/syphilis/stdfact-msm-syphilis.htm

ROMEO

Retired Old Men Eating Out.

My husband ate breakfast, lunch and dinner out today, and will have lunch and dinner out tomorrow.

Senator Warren’s female staff earn less than male staff

Exactly.  She'd have to have only millennials with identical college degrees and identical experience for women to earn the same or more than men. Women in technology, sales or marketing with two years' or less experience actually got salary offers that were 7% higher than those received by equally inexperienced men, according to the jobs site "Hired."  But it's been that way for years.  Only feminists and government agencies would compile stats figuring in the pay of day care and service industry with the engineers and air line pilots. Ms. Warren--fire the experienced, older men and hire more millennial women and accept the consequences.  It's for the good of the party line.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/04/05/women-in-elizabeth-warrens-office-make-less-than-men-report.html

Why do comedy shows and social media delight in ridiculing Pence's commitment to his marriage?

I know this question “why” is rhetorical and we understand why the reporter and other anti-Trumpsters think it’s worthy of discussion. The news babe/guy who first released it thought it was important to say "look over there," rather than report on important news like the former president spying on the current president, or the red lines Obama drew in his disastrous foreign policy. It’s difficult to light up social media or the late night shows by discussing serious matters. News people could report on how the whole "intelligence community" is stonewalling President Trump, but ridiculing Pence is more fun (and safe). I watch old Carson reruns, so I see only the routines from the 80s written by the then 20 somethings and don't catch the current  late night shows written by their grandchildren for O'Brien, Colbert, Fallon, Kimmel, etc.  The left loves to ridicule love, marriage, fidelity, faith, commitment, honor, virtue and honesty, and this is fodder for their limp, lifeless comedy routines. When they try to ridicule Trump, he ends up being right as he was on the “wire tapping” tweet, so they have to go after Pence and a perfectly sensible comment made years ago (as I recall the meme).

 

 http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/03/31/liberals-reactions-to-mike-pences-loyalty-to-his-wife-are-getting-more-unhinged-by-the-hour/

 

http://thestaffordvoice.com/2017/mike-pence-gets-mocked-commitment-made-wife/

 

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/karen-pence-is-the-vice-presidents-prayer-warrior-gut-check-and-shield/2017/03/28/

 

 

Three years ago

With cake and extra 25 pounds

Life style or genetics: The super agers

 I know a few "super agers" over 90, and although I can't comment on their exercise habits, I do know they maintain an active intellectual life (including e-mail, internet, music) and have a better social life than many younger people. 

"While there’s currently no proven method to preserve cortex volume, research has shown specific lifestyle changes that seniors can perform to help keep themselves sharp as they age, Kornel and Wright said. These include:

• Regular physical exercise, including strength training.
• A healthy and balanced diet.
• Brain workouts that involve challenging puzzles or tasks.
• An active social life."

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/brain-scans-reveal-mental-secret-of-super-agers/ 

Links to recent research on lifestyle and cognitive decline:

https://s3-us-west-1.amazonaws.com/paperchase-aging/pdf/NjJf3fWGKw4e99CyC.pdf This is the 2014 article with the chart on lifestyle changes like diet, exercise, supplements.

.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4931830/  This is the follow up article on the previous one. Reports on changes and brain scans.

 

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/circj/81/2/81_CJ-16-1011/_pdf Published this year about B12 and homocysteine. 

 

http://www.buckinstitute.org/buck-news/Memory-loss-associated-with-Alzheimers-reversed The above cognitive studies explained in everyday English

Bernie style socialism

This is somewhat simplified because the blog is written for parents and children to discuss together (questions at the end of the text). But it cuts through some of the sound bites we see on the internet or hear on TV. Most of the Democrats I know, and many Republicans, believe the government should make the decisions about how much money we’re allowed to keep because we personally are too successful, too selfish, or too ignorant to handle our own money. We already have 123 income transfer programs run (and overlapping) by the federal government (a lot goes to the state or local governments where it is further divided and paid out to government employees). How many more do you think are necessary to satisfy our politicians and federal bureaucracy?  Even before Obamacare we had five federal health plans, one of which is exclusively for native Americans who have the poorest access and results.

“Socialists believe that society functions best when members are forced to share economic goods. This means, for example, that if someone earns $100,000 and another earns $10,000 a year, both should enjoy the $110,000. Socialists think it is unfair that one person should benefit more than another because of his ability, effort, or circumstances in life. Socialists think that the government should determine how much money a person is allowed to keep and how much he should give to others. Some socialists think all people should have the same income, where other socialists think some people can earn more than others. But all socialists agree that the government should determine a minimum amount that each person in society should earn, regardless of his situation.

A socialist thinks that it is the role of government to make decisions regarding private property. For example, if a family has 10 children the socialist thinks that the government should make sure the larger-sized family has a large enough house for the bigger family. This could mean that taxes from the family with 2 children will go to the family with 10 children to support them.

A socialist thinks that the individual rights of the citizen come second to the needs of the state, and it is the role of the government to determine what are the needs of the state. We have many examples in history over the last 200 years to help us understand what a socialist state may decide is the need of the state. In the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) in the 1900s, the government decided that religion was an enemy of the people. The U.S.S.R. forbade religious practice and tortured and murdered millions of people to enforce the ban on religious practice. Because of the tragic consequences of the U.S.S.R., many Americans fear socialism.

Senator Sanders describes his political philosophy as democratic socialism. Sanders does not want government to take away others’ property or severely limit individual’s rights, but he would like government to heavily tax those who are successful, and he wants government to distribute this money evenly. Unlike in the U.S.S.R., where people were forced to follow the government or die, Sanders wants people in the U.S.A. to vote and choose a government that will raise taxes. Sanders thinks that the amount of money in a society is fixed, and it is the government’s job to distribute it evenly among all.”

http://www.classicalhistorian.com/current-events--history/what-is-socialism-and-who-is-bernie-sanders

What is the church?

Full Question

I am Catholic. A Protestant told me that the people are the church, but I’m pretty sure that is not true. Can you help me? What is the Church?

Answer

Your friend was correct as far as he went. The Second Vatican Council, in Lumen Gentium, stated the Church is the people of God. Protestants see this as pretty much it. They understand church as a name for a structure-less body of people who follow Christ and believe in his divinity as the second Person of the Holy Trinity, revealed in the Bible alone.

Catholics, on the other hand, understand the Church also in terms of a hierarchical structure, with definite authority given to it by Jesus in the person of Peter and therefore to his successors. We see in Scripture much evidence that Jesus gave personal attention to the apostles, preparing them to minister after he was no longer with them. “Anyone who listens to you listens to me; anyone who rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me” (Lk 10:16). There was no reason for him to prepare them for only their lifetime. The early Church Fathers verify this. The early Church does not fall into the Protestant vision of a structure-less, sacrament-less body of believers. It was hierarchically structured and sacramental. The canon of the New Testament, on which Protestants base all their faith, is the product of this Church.

Everything changed after 1995--Monday Memories

The pre-Christmas holiday in 1995 was wonderful at my sister-in-law Jean's home in Indianapolis.  Even Bob's brother Jimmy DeMott was there with his girlfriend, Nancy, and his children.  My mother-in-law June was doing well considering that the year before she had almost died of a bleeding ulcer and her husband had died in October.  We were, of course, sad at the loss of my father-in-law Jim DeMott that holiday and we had been making weekly trips that fall to Indianapolis to be with Bob's mother. But it was good to have everyone, including lively little Caleb and Jake, together.

Yet, after that holiday season, with the warm "Christmas card" memories, everything seemed to change. It was one funeral and life change after the other, like someone wound up a toy too tight and it spun out of control.

In less than two months, my sister Carol Yoder died of a diabetic stroke and most of my family made the trip to Sarasota to say good bye and then to Mt. Morris for burial.  We helped my parents move from their home of 38 years a few blocks away into a retirement apartment at Pinecrest in Mt. Morris.  Bob's Aunt Babe died in May 1996 and my Aunt Marian died in September of 1996.  Then I was hospitalized and diagnosed with a heart problem.  Sam Calabretta, the architect who brought us to Columbus in 1967 and changed our lives, died in January 1997.  My mother had surgery for colon cancer in June and I hurried back to Illinois.  My boss at the OSU Libraries, Jay Ladd, died that summer.  Our daughter had surgery for thyroid cancer in February 1997.  My mother-in-law June moved into assisted care, then a nursing home, and died in September 1998.  My Uncle John Dickson died in January 1999, and Bob's dear Aunt Roberta DeAngelis, his father's older sister, died in July 1999.  Our son Phil got married in February 1999 and my sister came back to Illinois to marry in August 1999 as my parents also celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.  My Uncle Leslie, Mom's brother, died that November.  Orville Ballard, Dad's dear friend and also his uncle and best man in his wedding, died in January 2000.  It just a few weeks and then my mother died on January 24, 2000.  Aunt Esther Corbett, whose nick-name was PeeWee, died a few weeks later in California.  In February 2000 divorce stole a beloved nephew of 16 years from the family. Then we returned to Mt. Morris to help Dad move again after he bought my grandparents' former home, a Lustron, in April 2000.  It was there we celebrated our 40th anniversary in September 2000 as I retired from my library career at Ohio State University.  In January 2002 we moved from our home of 34 years on Abington Road into a condo, same community, but a few miles north.  Then I had a heart ablation to correct the problem diagnosed in 1996 while we were unpacking.  In April we moved Dad to a care facility in Franklin Grove, IL because his congestive heart failure diagnosed in June 2000 worsened, and he died May 18, 2002. In 2003 we traveled to California to celebrate with the Bruce relatives and siblings Dad Bruce's 90th birthday, and he died in April 2005.

In ten short years we had become the older generation of our extended families.

The day we moved Dad into the Lustron

Cinderella, a cautionary tale

Cinderella is now 95 years old. After a fulfilling life with the now dead prince, she happily sits upon her rocking chair, watching the world go by from her front porch, with a cat named Bob for companionship.

One sunny afternoon out of nowhere, appeared the fairy godmother.

Cinderella said, "Fairy Godmother, what are you doing here after all these years"?

The fairy godmother replied, "Cinderella, you have lived an exemplary life since I last saw you. Is there anything for which your heart still yearns?"

Cinderella was taken aback, overjoyed, and after some thoughtful consideration, she uttered her first wish: "The prince was wonderful, but not much of an investor. I'm living hand to mouth on my disability checks, and I wish I were wealthy beyond comprehension.  Instantly her rocking chair turned into solid gold.

Cinderella said, "Ooh, thank you, Fairy Godmother"

The fairy godmother replied, "It is the least that I can do.  What do you want for your second wish?"

Cinderella looked down at her frail body, and said, "I wish I were young and full of the beauty and youth I once had."  At once, her wish became reality, and her beautiful young visage returned. Cinderella felt stirrings inside of her that had been dormant for years.

And then the fairy godmother spoke once more: "You have one more wish; what shall it be?"

Cinderella looks over to the frightened cat in the corner and says,  "I wish for you to transform Bob, my old cat, into a kind and handsome young man."

Magically, Bob suddenly underwent so fundamental a change in his biological make-up that, when he stood before her, he was a man so beautiful the likes of him neither she nor the world had ever seen.

The fairy godmother said, "Congratulations, Cinderella, enjoy your new life."

With a blazing shock of bright blue electricity, the fairy godmother was gone as suddenly as she appeared. For a few eerie moments, Bob and Cinderella gazed into each others eyes, breathless, gazing at the most beautiful, stunningly perfect man she had ever seen.

Then Bob walked over to Cinderella, who sat transfixed in her rocking chair, & held her close in his young muscular arms. He leaned in close, blowing her golden hair with his warm breath as he whispered...

"Bet you're sorry you neutered me.”

Ageism and 8 strategies

Almost 50 years ago Dr. Robert Butler, a gerontologist, coined the word "ageism." I was in my 20s then and probably laughed at the jokes and ridicule about the old that was so common in those days in the movies and on TV. Befuddled, confused, hair askew, thick glasses, sloppy, drooping socks that didn't match--it was standard fare, and probably the last group comedians could ridicule publicly with impunity. Except on social media (although now those sites have added hatred for white men to their list to demean and put down). I've logged out of those groups that called me an ugly old hag because of my faith or politics. Well, they'll learn. It was the boomers who were the writers and actors in those silly shows 30-50 years ago. And now look where they are--joking about the grandchildren showing them how to use their smart phones and forgetting the names of their neighbors of 20 years.

Butler died in 2010 and his final book, "The Longevity Prescription" listed 8 strategies, each a chapter in the book, for a healthy old age: maintain mental vitality; nurture your relationships; seek essential sleep; set stress aside; connect with your community; live the active life; eat your way to heath; and practice prevention. Good advice, even for millennials and gen-x. Genetics are only responsible for 25 percent of our length of life. The rest is lifestyle and environment.

And I'd add a 9th key--nurture your relationship with God.