Elaine is home and our wonderful helper is back from Ocean City.  I'm not lonely any more.  I hope that you have someone in your life to care for.  It keeps you young.

An Ad for a Friendly Magazine

I'm sure many of you subscribe to Reader's Digest.  I've had a subscription since 1954.  My current copy comes in large print, to help my tired old eyes to see a little better.

I do have macular degeneration in my right eye.  I can see ok with that eye except for the large black spot that lives in its middle.  For years I suffered through painful eye injections.  After I had some optic bone repair, I decided that at my age I didn't want to suffer eye pain any more.

Over the years as an AARP Chapter President and as a member of the board of the local Aged and Disability organization, I had lots of interaction with the Maryland groups that provide assistance devices to the blind and the near blind.  They "showed" me all kinds of tools to make blind folks function as though they could see and take care of themselves.

If you are having trouble seeing, contact your local blind helping organization and be prepared to be amazed. 

One of my favorite magazines, the Reader's Digest captures my interest in several ways.

Vocabulary

There is a vocabulary test in each issue.  There is usually one or two words that I have never heard of before for instance:  celadon =  light green.

There is a monthly crossword puzzle which, I'm sorry to say is extremely easy except for a usual off-beat clue that isn't really a clue.  One has to try all kinds of letter combinations before giving up.  You can check me out on this by looking at the crossword in the July/August 2022 issue.

Humor

Each issue contains a lot of jokes and humorous stories that I like, submitted by readers and others.  I like a couple of this month's jokes that made me laugh out loud:

From the Florida Weekly

Lauren was lying in bed one night when she felt her husband caressing her neck.  Then his hand slid down her side, stopping at her knee, which was as far as her husband could reach.

Then he moved closer and did the same on her other side before stopping and moving away.

Delighted by this unexpected attention, Lauren whispered, "Honey, that was wonderful. Why did you stop?"

He answered, "I found the remote."

From Paul Lund

My old music instructor told me that when he taught music to elementary schools, she began each session by having the class sing a familiar song.

She said that one enthusiastic first grader stood out for his rendition of "God Bless America" when he belted out those stirring lyrics, "Stand beside her and guide her, through the night with a light from a bulb."

Information

There are always interesting articles, such as teaching us the favorite sandwiches in each of the 50 States.  For instance:

Maryland = Crab Cakes.  

I like regular crab cakes that are not put in sandwich form.

But I don't like placing soft shell crabs on white bread with mayo, lettuce and tomato and crunching down.  I don't like to think about those little legs sticking out of the edges of the bread, Yuk! Give me a pile of hard-shelled blue crabs steamed in Old Bay seasoning (with a stein of cold beer) and I'm in Maryland heaven.

Massachusetts

I must have missed this one.  A sandwich called "Fluffernutter."

Apparently, there was a popular jingle: "First you spread, spread, spread, your bread with peanut butter.  Add marshmallow Fluff and have a fluffernutter."

Don't use these Names

usbirthcertificates.com was referenced for a list of names that it is illegal to use to name your child in various countries. Here are a couple:

Friday in Italy

Monkey in Denmark

I'm sorry if I've just repeated what was mentioned in a Reader's Digest magazine issue that you may already have seen, but I wanted to whet your appetite for digging into the magazine that I have been faithfully reading for almost 70 years.

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