As her dementia deepened, so did her stubbornness. — I wore my mother’s necklace to church today. It’s a colorful, sparkly piece that usually isn’t my style, but I ran across it when I was rummaging through my jewelry drawer. I had put the necklace in her stocking the year she came to live with us, the year she…

Why older people fall, and how to avoid it — During my recent physical, the nurse practitioner asked a surprising question. “Have you had any recent falls?” Doctors and nurses routinely ask about medicines, blood pressure, alcohol, smoking and exercise. But asking about falls was a new addition to the list. I told her I had slipped on a rocky…

From leaf blowers to home renovations to dealing with the HOA, here is everything you need to know. — Moving to a new area can be stressful, so I’m writing some tips to ease the anxiety of your transition if Atlanta is to be your new home. But before we get into the nuts and bolts of what you need to know, I want to extend a big welcome…

Why it’s important to get an accurate diagnosis — “I’ve been shot!” My mother moaned, clutching her chest. It didn’t help to say, “No, Mom, you’re fine. No one’s shot you,” because she wouldn’t listen. I tried a different tactic. Approaching the large, leather recliner that had been her chair since my spouse and I moved her in with…

What have other writers experienced since Medium implemented its most recent changes? — I didn’t realize Medium’s latest changes did away with free reads until I tried to share several articles on Facebook using my friendship link. In the past, those readers had been able to access three free stories a month. Reading more than three stories in a month required a Medium…

Discrimination against women in health care is nothing new, but we can take steps to ensure we are heard. — My 13-year-old granddaughter’s symptoms started with a sore throat and fever. A lot of colds and viruses begin this way, so nobody was alarmed. It wasn’t until the next day when she began vomiting and complaining of stomach pain, that her mother, Alex,* called their new pediatrician. Alex had told…

In the eyes of his critics, Stanley is Pro-Gay and Anti-Bible — When my friend sent me a link to an article about Andy Stanley, I figured it would be critical of the pastor. Why did I think this? Because Stanley is a favorite target of church leaders, especially Baptist ministers, who crop up with predictable regularity to attack his “unbiblical” views. …

“Every drop of rain is glad it found her Heaven must have made her just for me” — from “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I’ve Got,” Hit song, 1972 What decade would I revisit if I could go back in time? Although I wouldn’t linger in any of them, I would dip back into the seventies, despite shag carpets, soaring inflation, Watergate and Vietnam. …

And Other Ways We Are Incompatible — My husband pointed to a skinny vine twining around a neighbor’s mailbox. “Why would anybody plant that?” “It’s a Clematis. They have beautiful flowers in the spring.” “I know what it is, but I don’t want vines around my mailbox.” That’s when it dawned on me that my husband is…