Category Archives: Gray Matters
A Cleaner Neighborhood, One Piece Of Litter At A Time
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
I love to write uplifting stories, tales of altruistic do-gooders, helping hands, compassionate souls with a zest for living. Thanks to my friend, Arlynne Sammons, this column is a combination of all of that – all wrapped up in one person.
The name may not sound familiar to you, but if you live anywhere near Franklin Elementary, you’ll know who I’m talking about immediately. That man’s name is Mr. Sandy Goldstein.
Remembering Three Days Of Peace And Love
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
“Well, I came upon a Child of God, he was walkin’ along the road and I asked him, ‘Tell me where are you going?’ This he told me.”
“Woodstock” – Lyrics by Joni Mitchell
And where “he” was going, along with a half a million others, including me, was a place in Bethel, N.Y.; Max Yasgur’s farm to be exact, just about 40 miles south of a name that the whole world would recognize before the three-day “Aquarian Exposition” was over. It was called “Woodstock.”
It’s hard for me to fathom that those three days of peace and love is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month!
A Very Happy Seventieth Birthday To “Hey Jude”
By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor
Last month, Judith Kristen wished columnist Bob Wagner a very happy 70th birthday. It went over so well, Bob is currently hiding in his garage until, and I quote the man himself, “this whole 2018 thing blows over.”
As turnabout is fair play, I thought I’d give another one of our columnists, Judith Kristen, who will be a septuagenarian as of April 3, a taste of her own medicine. And since laughter is the best medicine… here we go.
Fond Seventieth Birthday Wishes To Bob Wagner
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
This month, I depart from my usual off the wall column and dive straight into the deep end of the pool.
While you are reading these 733 words of mine, my fellow columnist and dear friend, Bob Wagner, is aging faster than bad Camembert. Wags is turning 70!
Author Judith Kristen To Discuss New Book On Bereavement
Local author and All Around Pennsauken columnist Judith Kristen will be discussing her latest book, “The Art and Grace of Communication: Healing Broken Hearts After the Loss of a Loved One,” on Thursday, May 4, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Pennsauken Free Public Library, 5605 N. Crescent Blvd., Pennsauken; and again on Wednesday, June 14, 11:00 a.m. at Saint Peter’s Senior Ministry, 55 W. Maple, Merchantville.
Looking Back On A Well-Lived Decade, With Much More To Come
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
Well, here it is, April of 2017.
And on April 3, it will be my 69th birthday, the last of my 60’s and one more move closer to the BIG 7-0.
Irish For A Day, Magical Memories That Last A Lifetime
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
I guess it’s because I was raised around so many Irish Catholic families that yours truly tips her Viking helmet happily, every year, in celebration and honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
You know there’s a quote I love that goes something like this: “You may not always remember what people said to you, but you will always remember how they made you feel.”
And that’s my forever connection to St. Paddy’s Day – cozy feelings and happy memories.
Turning A Tragic 36th Anniversary Into Something Positive
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
For a generation of kids back in the 1960s a band from Liverpool came into our hearts and never left. Here we are 52 years later and our grandchildren are Beatles fans. February 7, 1964 is a date we all remember, the day those four mop tops walked off a Pan Am plane at Kennedy Airport and joyous American Beatlemania began.
Another date, a very sad date, came 16 years later: December 8, 1980, when John Lennon was gunned down outside his apartment house in New York City. I was 32 years old that day, but I felt like 132.
This December 8, I’ve decided to do more than call friends, play John’s music, and remember his life. I’m going to remember how he told us to “Imagine” and “Give Peace a Chance.”
Savoring The Many Seasons Of the Garden State
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
July in New Jersey.
And yes, my beloved California friends who read this column regularly, it is NOT the heat, it IS the humidity.
There are July days here when it’s only 78 degrees, but the humidity is 93 percent. It feels as if you’re walking through pea soup to get to your car. Even the birds and squirrels are in slow-mo. But, it is what it is. You’re wrapped in the sweaty embrace of a Jersey summer.
Sunday Mornings, Jelly Doughnuts, And Fond Memories
By Judith Kristen, AAP Columnist
Do you think it’s a coincidence that National Chocolate Ice Cream Day, Jelly Doughnut Day, and Father’s Day all are all celebrated in the same month? Not much of a happenstance in my eyes, folks.
