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Free To Subscribers – One Thing Or Another: Life, Aging, and the Absurdities Of It all (2nd Edition)
Now free to current and new subscribers:
One Thing Or Another: Life, Aging, and the Absurdities Of It All (2nd Edition)
Welcome to the Second Edition of One Thing or Another, a collection of humor columns that takes a look at life, aging, and the absurdities of it all. It’s been a few years since the first edition, and even more since they were written. The Big Six-Oh is now the Big Six-Seven, and life is just as absurd as it was the first go-round.
From our culture’s refusal to use the word ‘old,’ to the sometimes comical consequences of aging in body and mind, if not always in spirit, you’re sure to enjoy this skewed look at life’s foibles for the ages. Collected from the author’s personal columns, these short essays will make you chuckle, recognize yourself, and sometimes grimace at the not-always-funny price we pay for simply staying alive.
Current subscribers will receive a link to download their complimentary copy.
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LGBTSr Weekly Fun Facts: What You Might Not Know About Christmas
🎄 5 LITTLE-KNOWN CHRISTMAS FACTS
🎁 1. Christmas Was Once Illegal
From 1659 to 1681, celebrating Christmas in Boston could get you fined. Puritan leaders saw it as wasteful and pagan. The ban eventually lifted — but New Englanders stayed suspicious of Christmas for generations.
🌲 2. Upside-Down Trees Were the First Trees
In medieval Central Europe, Christmas trees were hung from the ceiling, point down. They symbolized the Holy Trinity and were decorated with fruit, nuts, and candles.
🧦 3. Stockings Started With Shoes
The Saint Nicholas story originally involved bags of gold dropped into shoes, not stockings. To this day, children in the Netherlands still put out shoes filled with treats.
🦌 4. Rudolph Was a Marketing Idea
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer began in 1939 as a Montgomery Ward promotional booklet. A copywriter created him because the store wanted their own Christmas giveaway instead of buying books from a publisher.
🎶 5. “Jingle Bells” Was Written for Thanksgiving
James Lord Pierpont’s song was originally titled “One Horse Open Sleigh” and written for a Thanksgiving church program in 1857. It didn’t become a Christmas song until later.
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Your Weekly LGBTSr Humorscope
♈ Aries (March 21–April 19)
You’ll have a powerful urge this week to reorganize your spice cabinet, and by “reorganize,” we mean stare at the paprika wondering how it got there. An unexpected encounter brings joy. Could be a dog. Could be a donut. Could be both.
♉ Taurus (April 20–May 20)
You’re craving comfort and carbs. The universe says, “Go ahead.” A small purchase leads to big happiness, especially if it involves cheese or socks with silly designs. Avoid people who say “Let’s circle back.”
♊ Gemini (May 21–June 20)
Someone misinterprets a text you send. Don’t panic — they already thought you were weird. Creativity flows by Thursday and a brilliant idea arrives while you’re brushing your teeth. Write it down before it slides away like toothpaste in the sink.♋ Cancer (June 21–July 22)
Your nurturing instinct kicks in this week, which is great until you offer life advice to a houseplant. Midweek surprise: you find something you lost, and it’s not dignity — that was long gone. Probably your glasses. Or keys. Or both. -
Savvy Senior: How To Prepare Your Online Accounts Before You Die
Savvy Senior
by Jim Miller
How to Prepare Your Online Accounts Before You Die
Dear Savvy Senior,
I recently had an estate plan drafted, including a will, power of attorney and advance directive, but I’m not sure what to do about all my online accounts – email, banking, and social media. What can I do to make sure my family can access what they need and protect my digital information after I’m gone.
Almost 80
Dear Almost,
In addition to creating an estate plan, you should also make a “digital will” that lists all your online accounts and login information. This will help your loved ones access your electronic devices and online accounts more easily so they can manage your electronic affairs, according to your wishes, after you’re gone.
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One Thing Or Another Column: Reunited And It Feels So Old
By Mark McNease
Nothing snaps you into awareness of your age quite like someone’s sudden death or a high school reunion invitation in your mailbox. It’s basically an embossed reminder that time has in fact passed. Suddenly you’re wondering what everyone looks like now, who’s collecting Social Security, and whether anyone else still remembers you making your escape to California in that orange Gremlin three days after you got your diploma. If you’re like me, you never looked back, at least not too closely, until that invitation showed up and you wanted just a peek at the old gang.
I couldn’t go the year of the 45th reunion, and I’m quite certain I’ve got plans that will prevent me from attending the 50th (and if not, I’ll make them). Still, there might be a strange thrill in seeing how this many decades have treated a group of people I once glared at across the cafeteria while they ate at their invitation-only table. I’ll just have to squint at the photos online like everyone else and marvel at how none of them look the same.
IF YOU’RE READING THIS YOU’RE probably old enough to remember the 1978 hit, Reunited, by Peaches and Herb. That song came out a year after my high school graduation, and it seems an appropriate choice now that I’ve been invited to our 45th reunion. I can’t make it this year because we’re going on our annual vacation to Provincetown. Had I been able to attend, it would have been a first: I have not gone to any reunion since leaving Indiana three days after snatching my diploma and packing up my orange Gremlin to head to California. It was a stick shift with no spare tire, but I made it across the continent, and only went back every year to see my parents until they passed away. After that, Indiana became a place to store memories, some of them great, many of them deservedly faded.
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Online Fiction Writing Workshop Sample Video (20 Minutes)
Thanks to Stacey, Michael and Steve for permission to share this. The workshop is two hours long, this is just a sample to show how they work online (and in-person!)
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NEW! ‘One Thing Or Another: Life, Aging, and the Absurdities Of It All (2nd Edition) Now Available on Amazon and IngramSpark
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NEW! Monthly Subscription, Weekly Delivery! Just $5/month
For those inclined to support LGBTSr.com with some spare change, you can now SUBSCRIBE MONTHLY for just $5. Cancel anytime, and get the LGBTSr email weekly.
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Book Your Holidays: A Holiday Gift Guide (Part 3) – Trivia Gift Books
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SezTrivia Gift Books by various authors
c.2025, various authors $12.99 – $35.00 various page countsYour mind is on the holidays.
There’s so much to do, so much to remember, so many people to think about that your brain is packed. So why not slip into a book that’s browse-able and easy to slip out of? Try one of these great (and oh-so-fun!) books to enjoy…
If you’re an animal lover, you’re also going to love reading “Trash Animals: The Animal Weirdos We Secretly Love” by Rachel Federman, illustrated by Clare Faulkner (Harper Collins, $12.99).
You’ve seen them on social media. You may have even seen them in person, so what do you know about the annoying, but admittedly cute, animals that live in our world? Creatures like bats, badgers, squirrels, skunks, snakes, pigeons, and possums are profiled in this book and the articles about them are long and short. Take a quiz about them. Read about what they eat, so you know how to feed them, if you want to. Find out what movies have featured them, and join a fan club for your favorites. Dip in here, learn a little there, this is that kind of book.
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Savvy Senior: How to Locate an Age-Friendly Doctor
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
My husband and I are relocating to a nearby state to be closer to our daughter and will need to find a new primary care physician when we arrive. We are both in our late 70s and are interested in getting a geriatrician to oversee our health care going forward. Any suggestions for finding someone?
Searching for Care
Dear Searching,
Choosing a geriatrician as your primary care doctor in your 70s is a good idea, especially if you’re dealing with various age-related health problems. But if you’re in relatively good health you may not need a geriatrician. A good primary care doctor with an age-friendly philosophy may be all you need. Here’s what you should know.
Who Needs a Geriatrician?
Geriatricians are primary care doctors that have additional specialized training in treating older patients. Those who can benefit the most from seeing a geriatrician are seniors age 75 and older with multiple health and age-related problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, incontinence, osteoporosis, cognitive decline, frailty, depression, or trouble with balance and falls.
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Your Weekly LGBTSr Humorscope
🌈 Your Weekly LGBTSr Humorscope
Your zodiac… but with a laugh track.
♈ ARIES (March 21–April 19)
You wake up Monday ready to conquer the world… then remember you promised yourself you’d “take it easy this week.” The stars suggest moderation. Your heart suggests pizza. Follow whichever one tips better.
♉ TAURUS (April 20–May 20)
You finally start that home project you’ve been putting off since 2017. Halfway through, you wonder why you ever begin anything. The universe sends you a sign: “Call someone who actually knows what they’re doing.”
♊ GEMINI (May 21–June 20)
You’re feeling extra chatty, which is great unless someone tries to get a word in. Let people talk, Gemini. You don’t always need the last word—just most of them.
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The Twist Podcast #310: On to Christmas, Colonoscopy Gift Ideas, and Prime’s ‘The Outsider’ Chills
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we head for the Christmas homestretch, take a break for Mark’s colonoscopy, and recommend Prime’s ‘The Outsider’ for some winter chills.
NOW ON YOUTUBE! Check us out each week on the MadeMark Publishing YouTube Channel. Playlist: The Twist Podcast.
Our holiday survey: What are your favorite parts of the holiday season?
You can treat your co-hosts to a cup of coffee … just $3 a brew!
