Some time ago, David and I wrote a post about something my mom used to say, “Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.”(https://magnus.lisawhitsell.com/2019/03/its-later-than-you-think/) This post is a follow up and serves as a reminder that it really IS later than you think. And, for that matter, it really is later than I think too! A […]
Archive | Life Outside of Work
Know What You Don’t Know
Many years ago, a college professor of mine told me that knowing what you don’t know (or that you don’t know something) is an important sign of intelligence. It was an enlightening discussion and I think I’ve mentioned this in another post. But, it bears further discussion because we seem to live in a world […]
John Lennon
It’s about time I wrote a post about one of my favorite people, John Lennon. I’ve been a fan of the greatest band of all time, The Beatles, since 1964, when my wonderful father bought me their first album, “Introducing …The Beatles,” released on Vee-Jay Records. Although I liked Paul, George, and Ringo, it was John who […]
I was poorly prepared for the world of The Beatles and John Lennon when I met Melissa. I was not familiar with rabid Beatles fanatics, or as they are sometimes called, Beatles Freaks. It took me some time to comprehend Melissa’s lifelong love of The Beatles and John Lennon. I mean, I knew who the […]
The M’s
I have a friend named Marilyn Einbinder. We met several years ago at a Passover Seder hosted by her son, Marc, and daughter-in-law, Susan. Marc and Susan are our wonderful Megan’s parents and it was Megan who invited me to attend her family’s Seder. Immediately upon being introduced to Marilyn, I knew we were going […]
I think it is wonderful that M (Melissa) and M (Marilyn) clicked as they did. We’ve told M (Marc) he should have introduced them sooner. One never knows in life when connections will be made and this one was a bit of a surprise. Marilyn likes living a rich, full, life, and Melissa shares this […]
You can go to Wal-Mart, Kmart…
David and I have different ways of accomplishing the same task. We are frequently engaged in debates about how to perform seemingly simple tasks. When we catch ourselves in the midst of another debate about some mind numbing chore, one of us usually says, “You can go to Walmart, Kmart (sadly, that’s no longer an […]
The good news is that it usually lightens the mood when these discussions ensue. Or I should say, it now does. My Dad’s tendency in this regard sometimes got irritating in that he questioned so many trivial items. This includes debating in which parking space I should park when taking him and Mom to dinner […]
Ziggy’s Birthday Is Still an Event
I will always and forever miss Ziggy. For those of you who never met Ziggy, he was my cat and my friend for 19 years. I loved Ziggy so much that, after his passing, I wrote a book about him. I fell in love with Ziggy on October 31, 1977. It is the only time […]
Ziggy lives on in many ways. Melissa’s book (available on Amazon) is high on that list. Ziggy touched many people’s lives and his story is entertaining. He was “old” when I met him, with old being relative – he was 9. But he and Melissa were inseparable. He did things his way, like Sinatra. And, […]
Expand Your Horizons: Johnny Cash, Jazz…
Expand your horizons. Exit your comfort zone. Try new things. Visit new places. Meet new people. These are mantras to which I aspire. Many people are too afraid to venture outside things they’ve always done. They go to the same restaurants, then order the same things off the menu. When it comes to music, some […]
How broad one’s horizons, or comfort zones, are is probably relative. While some people consider Melissa and me to be adventurous in certain respects like music or food, I know, I for one, still draw a line somewhere. I know I have limitations based on foods because of 2 things. One is an allergy issue […]
Probing Questions and Difficult Answers
I went to my primary care physician recently for my annual check up. (As an aside, my physician is smart: He has a Ph. D. in addition to an M. D.) My physician is committed to helping medical students with their education. He has mentored medical students from The University of Miami for decades and […]
I loved hearing the story Melissa related about the young medical student shortly after her check up. It was a classic example of how Melissa’s interactions with the world are sometimes more than what people bargained for on any given day. I hope that, not only did this make a lasting impression on this future […]
Alaskan Cruises
Having just returned from Alaska, I am more aware than ever that going to Alaska means, for many people, taking a cruise. But, Melissa and I aren’t cruisers, so we did a land tour. Nonetheless, it is now impossible to be in Alaska without encountering cruisers. From the gift (junk) shops in Anchorage to Denali, […]
As everyone who knows me is aware, I have good reasons for not being a fan of cruises. I also dislike the changes they have brought to one of my formerly favorite places, Key West. The changes cruise lines and their passengers have brought to Alaska in the 31 years between David’s and my visits […]
Con Mucho Gusto
David and I have written in previous posts about one of our pet peeves, replying to “thank you” with “no problem.” We always get a little miffed when someone says “no problem” because we don’t think there is a need to mention any sort of problem when someone is being thanked for doing something. I […]
I do not speak Spanish. Living in south Florida all these years has not been enough for me to learn more than some basics and I depend on Melissa when we find ourselves in Spanish speaking countries, or places. But, it didn’t take me long to catch on in Costa Rica that the locals, Ticos […]