Author Archives:

How to Beat the Heat When You’re 50+ and Bikini-Challenged

Posted on May 29, 2012

By Mel Walsh. Published May 29, 2012 in the Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com.  Summer for Dummies          Some days I think I am no smarter than your average roadside weed. That’s because every year, come summer, I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing older, Health, Huffington Post publication, What to wear | 2 Comments

Checking Out of Checking In: Why Older Women Still Check Their Luggage and What to Do Instead

Posted on May 24, 2012

Yep, we all know that carryon luggage is the way to travel—no waiting in line to retrieve bags, no items stolen in the airport’s back rooms, no lost luggage or baggage fees. So why doesn’t everyone just carry on? My … Continue reading →

Posted in Huffington Post publication, Travel, What to wear | 2 Comments

7 Things to Know About Life After 50

Posted on October 13, 2011

1. The urge to cook evaporates. The urge to order out, go out and cop out of cooking takes over. After 50, there is no going back to four-course dinner parties. Those dinner parties now seem like dreams, a time … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing older, Huffington Post publication, Lifestyle, Retirement | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Growing Down: Incredible Shrinking Humans

Posted on September 23, 2011

I don’t need a shrink because I’m already shrunk. Over the years, I’ve measured the ever-diminishing me. I’ve lost two inches in height and I can’t seem to find them anywhere except in a pair of platform shoes. And I’m … Continue reading →

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Mirror, Mirror: Giving Up Those Face Patrols

Posted on September 13, 2011

I can’t tell you how to fly over the rainbow, but I do know one way to make yourself miserable as mud. Here’s how: Get a magnifying mirror. Then go on constant face patrol, a form of culturally-induced self-torture. Consult … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing older, Looks | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The 3,000 Mile Umbilical Cord

Posted on August 29, 2011

It’s funny about umbilical cords. They were supposedly cut at birth and they don’t extend to grandchildren. Then how come I’m still connected in some ancient mammalian way to generations of my family even though they live 3000 miles away? … Continue reading →

Posted in Family | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Size Matters: The Vitamin Pill Dilemma

Posted on August 10, 2011

I’m not a horse and neither are you. So why do supplement makers design giant horse pills that only Secretariat could swallow? Choking on the choices, we older adults with small throats have just one response to horse pills: Naaay. … Continue reading →

Posted in Health | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

For geezer orphans: Mother’s Day is never over

Posted on May 3, 2011

There’s always a way to say thanks to mom, even after she’s gone. Here’s one surprising idea , a way to keep the special day alive by adding a new phase to the celebration…  When my mother graduated from the … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Food | Tagged | 4 Comments

End of days: Why cats have it better than we do

Posted on April 19, 2011

Highly recommended: Free emailed posts from The Writer’s Almanac—a new poem a day and the kind of poetry a person can understand. Here’s today’s poem about the end of cats and the end of people–right on the money from Marge … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing older, Over 80, Philosophy | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

Are you autoliterate?: What older people need to know about the new cars

Posted on April 6, 2011

We’ve all heard about the reduced skills of older drivers: We’re less flexible so we can’t swivel our necks to see backing up. Our reflexes are slower and we’re more likely to get in accidents–blah, blah. Still, it is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Growing older, Health, Lifestyle, Travel | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments