The first day of summer in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a day I look forward to every year. The sun is warm, and the air feels fresh. It’s nice to be outside and see the green trees and flowers in bloom. Sitting at one of the overlooks, I can see the mountains stretch out in front of me, and it’s so peaceful.

As the day comes to an end, the sunset is a perfect way to finish. Watching the colors change in the sky brings me happiness. The first day of summer here is special and reminds me of all the simple joys in life.

Now, these very well-dressed shoppers would have looked right at home on the “Queen for a Day” show! That’s a pretty snappy fridge for 1941. The older I get, the more I enjoy seeing these vintage ads. I looked up how much a fridge like this would have cost — $250 back then. And, guess what, shoppers? In today’s dollars, that’s a whopping $3,280! My dad was a mailman at the time, and I can’t even imagine what his take-home pay was.

Long before smartphones became popular, we relied on incredibly skilled telephone operators. It’s pretty remarkable to think that nearly every city had its own version of this setup.

I still fondly remember dialing “o” and hearing the operator kindly ask, “number, please,” or a similar phrase. There was also a special joy in calling just to hear the time of day, which always felt like a little treat. This was another example of cheap entertainment on Vallejo Street. I was pretty lucky my mom missed me dialing away.

Yesterday, a friend shared with me that she had sold an unused weed eater on Facebook. She’s actually the last person I expected to hear that from! But honestly, I’m not too surprised — the internet has become this huge, sprawling marketplace for all kinds of new, lightly used, and sometimes totally unnecessary items.

It’s interesting to note that nearly 55% of new items bought online get returned, and in my experience, that rate can be even higher—over 50%—because a beautiful picture of an item often doesn’t quite match what you see in real life. I can’t count how many items I have returned to Amazon; when you are looking at their items, everything looks perfect. When you open your package, it’s often a different story. Now that they have a gigantic warehouse near me, they offer same-day delivery — I can’t imagine how many items are returned the next day.

In my childhood household’s breakfast routine, I always looked forward to my bowl of Wheaties. My dad loved Raisin Bran, my sister enjoyed Grape Nuts—which I thought tasted like glue—and my mom stuck to her usual morning routine: a gallon of coffee and plenty of cigarettes. She puffed Raleigh cigarettes passionately and often collected their coupons to redeem for small, inexpensive items.

I have searched several grocery stores near me, and there isn’t a box of Wheaties to be found. There are dozens of boxes of sugar-loaded cereals, which are not good for anyone’s health. As for the cigarettes, I think they are about $15.00 per pack on average. Fortunately, that’s one vice that never appealed to me.

Like millions of Facebook users, I try mightily to eliminate or minimize ads on the site. Recently, they found a way to insert “sponsored” ads on the corner of my PC screen. I don’t need a new coffee pot or an interview to become a garbage man. This is another sneak attack, to be sure.

One of the real perks of getting older is discovering what you’re willing to live with—and what you’re not. As you age, the desire to accumulate more ‘stuff’ tends to fade, and instead, your focus shifts to what’s truly meaningful in life. Last evening I had a great conversation with a wonderful friend – we’ve known each other for close to 60 years.

Soon, you’ll start realizing just how precious friends are and how truly irreplaceable they can be. I’ve heard many people say they have friends everywhere, suggesting there’s an endless circle of familiar faces who welcome them wherever they go. But in my heart, I believe it’s not about how many people you consider friends—it’s about those who really matter to you the most.

I can count my true friends on two hands, maybe even just one. These are special people I’ve known for decades—they are the ones I know I can always rely on. More importantly, they are dear friends, no matter how far apart we are or how much time passes. I truly cherish each and every one of them. A few years ago, I was watching a Seinfeld episode where a pool attendant, who didn’t know Jerry very well, asked if he could be his best friend. Jerry hesitated and said, “Sorry, I don’t need any more friends.” I totally understand what he meant by that.

Growing up, I always looked forward to family meals, especially ones at my Grandmother’s house. She loved to cook, entertain her large and wonderful family, and have her daughters nearby to help.

My aunts were all amazing; however, my Aunt Dorothy streaked to the head of the pack when it came to specialty cooking. She was a creative (tough to do in the ’50s), imaginative, and excellent cook.

She particularly excelled at building Jell-O mold salads, each an individual work of art. Almost anything imaginable found its way into her salads. Cottage cheese, tiny mandarin orange slices, minuscule carrot pieces, stuffed olive slices, pineapple, miniature marshmallows, and my favorite, banana slices.

I have no idea how she created these works of art. Other family members always brought their favorite dishes (my mom’s ace in the hole was some sorta’ garlic sausage dish), but no one could overtake Aunt Dorothy. In childhood, she contributed many things to me; the Jell-O salads are near the top of a long list of her outstanding accomplishments.