top of page
_edited_edited.jpg)
Chickie's Blog
A Writer Looks at Growing Old and Growing Up
Welcome
Welcome to my blog. I call it “Old Dogs, New Tricks” because I’m an old dog always hoping to learn a new trick, and I imagine that many of you feel the same. My blog is anonymous - I realize it’s quite pretentious to write anonymously. It assumes someone cares. Other than me, that is; I want to remain nameless for now because I have a real career (yes, I am a writer), real family and friends, and the topics are very personal. I’m not big on sharing (except anonymously I guess).
Like many artists and writers, we want to communicate; we long to send our creations out there, but we don’t always want to discuss it afterward. So, I'm happy you are joining me. Please subscribe and comment as we grow bOLD together.
Search
The Practice of Tactical Whimsey
It's Maddy's turn...... Growing up in Montana winters, then living in Chicago and later in Minnesota, I became quite accustomed to living with ice. Recently, I was in Portland, staying three blocks from a new and different form of ICE and observed a key strategy for these times, regardless of your political stance: Apply Tactical Whimsey While this is not a good strategy for all situations in modern times, if you are any age, you need a repertoire of responses. For tense
ledelstein2
5 days ago2 min read
Halloween is Redundant this Year
A Trumpkin AI says: If something is redundant, it is unnecessary because it is repetitive, no longer needed, or has been made obsolete by other elements . I always liked Halloween and spent a crazy amount of time making costumes for my kids – I think the bunch of grapes was one of the best, but she had trouble sitting in class because the purple balloons presented a problem. And my kids complained that I ate too much of their candy. Oh well, nothing’s perfect. That was then.
ledelstein2
Oct 281 min read
5 Lessons from Protest Participation
This isn’t going to be political, so all sides can continue reading peacefully. This morning's post is an entirely sociological observation. When you show up at a protest, yes, you believe in the cause, but it’s better if you heed the following, so: 1. Bring a sign. Homemade is best. People stop and take your picture. You will feel clever. Maybe you will make a friend or find your picture in the local paper. 2. The noise is chaotic. Relax, it isn’t just aging – no one
ledelstein2
Oct 211 min read
Who Had It Worse?
I understand that AI is changing the world, that rap is music, snowboarding is an Olympic sport, and I am already so far behind in my 2 factor authentication that 'scam likely' might be my new best friend, BUT I still find myself favorably comparing my youth to today’s young people. Therefore, thus, and hitherto, I pose a few questions for your consideration in the category of Who Had It Worse: Our generation or today’s? Which is Worse? 1. A brick of Velveeta (even the nam
ledelstein2
Oct 141 min read
Presentations, Talks, and Other Useless Activities
I love to write my articles (and get paid for them); I still hope to write a novel one day; I attend talks and sometimes I give them. I ...
ledelstein2
Oct 72 min read
Close but No.....?
I have now lived long enough to watch feminism and the concept of women’s rights veer off the rails in ways that make me want to drink...
drckerr
Sep 302 min read
Forgiveness
It’s that time of the year for Jews all over the world– the days beginning with atonement at Rosh Hashanah and ending with overeating a...
ledelstein2
Sep 232 min read
Never Have a Conversation When Your Bladder is Full
I met with a magazine editor this week. Yes, in person. Big building, busy, security, all the things I don't need in my home office....
ledelstein2
Sep 92 min read
The Power of Memory
I visited my friend Irene this summer. We don’t see each other as often as either one of us would like, soooo.. there is always much to...
ledelstein2
Sep 22 min read
Good Riddance
With the perspective of age, I realized that, yes, there are things I miss—sharp eyesight, acute hearing. But I mitigate the sense of...
drckerr
Aug 261 min read
Time Passing
I have a plastic pill container with separate little boxes marked S M T W T F S. I'll bet you know what those letters stand for. Every...
ledelstein2
Aug 191 min read
Rethinking John Denver
One of my NYT games, Strands, had "inch by inch, row by row" as the clue a couple of days ago. I thought I remembered it as a song and of...
ledelstein2
Aug 121 min read
Change: Evolution vs Revolution
I’ve been thinking about change. I think about change a lot. Don't misunderstand; I don't like change and I'm not especially good at it -...
ledelstein2
Aug 52 min read
Adaptive Function of Denial. And a defense of ostriches.
I think every profession—or more accurately, every professional—has a few catch phrases that they over-use. For example, I’ve had some...
drckerr
Jul 292 min read
Apologies: The Good, The Bad, The Fake
non je regrette rien I used to be terrible at offering apologies – I wouldn’t do it. I imagined that I was somehow losing ground when I...
ledelstein2
Jul 222 min read
Characters Have Feelings, Too
Now that you all have read Linda's and Carol's book (don't tell them if you haven't and write a review on Amazon.com anyway ), I feel...
ledelstein2
Jul 152 min read
Connections Puzzle: Stages of Grief
Spurred on by my young cousin, I’m prepared to share my grief so that you will know you are not alone. Then, we can begin the 12 steps,...
ledelstein2
Jul 82 min read
The Organ Recital
At lunch, I watched the group of people at the next table. One woman fascinated me - she opened her purse and extracted a handful of...
ledelstein2
Jul 12 min read
Blog Birthday
Today is our one year blog birthday – feel free to send presents, the bigger the better. Shirley Temple sent a cake. For our birthday...
ledelstein2
Jun 253 min read
Tattoos
Guess whose coming to Chickie's Blog?? Maddy is back. Hooray!! When I was a child in the 1950s. I rarely saw tattoos. My uncle who’d...
drckerr
Jun 242 min read
Contact
bottom of page