Barbara Klein

Are you weary of articles and experts telling you how poor your diet is? You’ve lived this long, right? I too, may be guilty of these proclamations. However, my approach frequently brings the phase ‘grain of salt’ to mind. And of course, I’m not referring to the saltshaker. Our bodies are amazing, they can deal with lots that we throw at them, or put in them. We survive bad injuries, bad habits and bad diets. You may continue to endure all of these. If you just want to ‘endure’, you might ignore or take the following suggestions with that aforementioned “grain of salt.” But if... Continue Reading

Late last year I had the opportunity to hear a (surprisingly) amusing lecture by David Tullar, a neurology expert specializing in memory. Now, who would expect to chuckle and even laugh out loud during a talk on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and other dementia issues? Especially puzzling to enjoy the humor as we ourselves age. Yet, that was the situation as Dr. Tullar gave practical advice on how to deal with those having memory problems.  (Hint: sticky notes have limited success.)  He considers the two most difficult challenges for caretakers to be: The never-ending question(s). Did the person... Continue Reading

GUEST WRITER – Hazel Bridges It’s no secret that aging can be a challenging and overwhelming experience. I’m not yet in the advanced senior category, but already starting to understand the next life stage. As we grow older, our bodies change and we often find it harder to do things we once nonchalantly took for granted (think walking up and down the stairs or getting in and out of bed). Many seniors opt to age in place, which essentially means living in the same home they’ve lived in for years — instead of relocating to another home or moving into a facility or community. Aging in place... Continue Reading

“We may not have a lot of money, but we’ve done better than our parents,” my husband said one recent morning. We were discussing the advantages of being rich vs. poor (in philosophical terms). The chatting began with our concern for younger people coming of age now. Surprisingly, after a few other observations of how we managed with our limited familial opportunities, he added another. I didn’t expect it. “I think one of our advantages was 120 years” he explained, referencing a book I wrote (now out-of-print) that was not commercially successful. I was amazed. How could he be thinking... Continue Reading

I encounter human-animal connections all around me. Just consider some of the quirky ‘celebrated’ days in the last few months of the year. I’m certain I’ve missed more obscure entries, but here’s at least a partial list. Nat’l Hummingbird Day Sept 2 Nat’l Wildlife Day Sept 4 Nat’l Pet Memorial Day Sept 9 Nat’l Hug your Hound day Sept 10 Responsible Dog Ownership Day Sept 16 Puppy Mill Awareness Day Sept 16 Nat’l Pet Bird Day Sept 17 Nat’l Elephant Appreciation Day Sept 22 World Rhino Day Sept 22 Nat’l Hunting & Fishing Day Sept 23  (oops, nix... Continue Reading

Common, but Solvable Postural Problem A good friend (I’ll call her ‘P’) is a tall, pretty woman, but with noticeably terrible posture. Frankly, weary of my insensitive commenting on it periodically, one night after a difficult project ‘P’ shot back “well, look at your slumped shoulders.” She was correct. Often when depressed or tired I will definitely look like I am “slumping.” However, she missed my more consistent postural issue, one which started decades ago, and with which I still struggle regularly. It’s noticeable to me. Others may not register the problem, but just... Continue Reading

A chapter of my life has ended. The story began about 46 years ago with the commencement of a long, but complicated, relationship. My undergraduate degree in music education with a minor in Special Ed led me toward a foreseeable step to music therapy. After teaching public-school music I was going for a 2nd degree. My friend, Shelley Samet, was an early innovator and author in the music therapy field.  That year she was an instructor at SUNY-New Paltz. I was not to know that I would rather soon abandon music therapy, but not my nascent friendship. We have been players in each other’s life... Continue Reading

Note: This blog is dedicated to my husband for our upcoming anniversary. And with that in mind, I’m taking off a bit this summer, but see you in July sometime. What in the world does that cruel-sounding title mean? Don’t be charitable? Disrespect the elderly? Fear getting old? Well, no, no and maybe. You don’t exactly fear getting older if you read a blog called Aging_with_Piazzazz. But it’s the “Pizzazz” theme we strive for – quality aging. “Keep on, Keepin’ on” as was promoted in the 60s (or maybe it was the 70s). We’re not trying to cheat death. Nevertheless, we want... Continue Reading

On Occasion, I’ve had friends, and a few readers, ask me to cover juicing. For a change of pace, instead of sharing my usual days-long, deep-dive into research analysis, I thought I would point out two recent articles. One with a video from the Today Show with Dr. Natalie Azar, and the other from a juicer manufacturer who consulted with Dr. Gillian Ehrlich. For full disclosure, the developer and owner of PURE Juicer (David Feinberg) is a friend of my husband’s. To make certain that you can consider these POVs based on the concept of juicing alone, I won’t include the recent links I’ve... Continue Reading

One of my several brothers-in-laws told me that his A1c test (also known as the hemoglobin HbA1c) has been at 6.2 for years. (This simple, and recommended, blood test measures your sugar levels averaged over 3 months, instead of just at the precise moment of testing.) Yes, 6.2 is a tad high, but he stopped worrying about the label of “pre-diabetic,” when he repeatedly exhibited no changes or bad symptoms. It didn’t seem particularly relevant for him. (Note for reference, the American Diabetes Association considerers “well-controlled” sugar levels are those kept around 5.6 A1c and which... Continue Reading