Musings of a Baby Boomer

by Kay Hoflander, Scot Ritchie (Illustrator)

Overview

Join Kay Hoflander on an honest, humorous, and refreshing look back on the experiences of a unique generation and the challenges of aging digital. This humorous and whimsical approach brings to mind the writings of Erma Bombeck.

Musings of a Baby Boomer: Life Before X, Y, and Z is a collection of selected shorts from Hoflander's weekly newspaper column "Full Circle," featuring sometimes funny and sometimes philosophical stories with a continuous theme: the reluctant, but generally happy, aging of the Baby Boomer generation. In this collection, Hoflander tells stories about everything from yard flamingos and college move-in day to battling internet bots. She reflects on the simpler times of her childhood and addresses present-day changes to which, as a baby boomer, she adapts: memory loss, evolving technology, and politics. Through it all, she uses humor and wit to remind readers not to take life too seriously-and to focus on the things that really matter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781612545455
Publisher:	Brown Books Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/12/2022
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

Kay Hoflander holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has worked as a daily newspaper reporter and editor, freelance writer, and publisher of a biweekly newspaper-shopper. She loves writing, volunteerism, and politics.

Kay and her husband live in rural Missouri and are the parents of five children and ten grandchildren. Their big, boisterous, and lively family enjoys spending time together at the Lake of the Ozarks and in the Colorado Mountains.

Table of Contents

Rites of Passage
Trying to Remember to Remember
Medicare Birthday Alert: You Are Turning 65!
Class Reunion Anxiety Season Starts Now
Mastering online Dating at a Certain Age
Living to Be 100 and Moving to a Blue Zone
Become Bi-lingual – Stave off Alzheimer’s
Don’t Forget My Senior Discount
Using Colorful Words and Mixing up Others Can be Hilarious
Cleaning out the Basement Closet is Scary, but Illuminating
To Stay Young, Learn Something New
Winnie the Pooh Would Like a “No-Doing Day”
You Will Always Be You – What I Didn’t Expect About Getting Older

Happy Boomer Days
Boomers Won’t Go Quietly
A Beatles Song Triggers Memory
The Commencement Speech I Can’t Remember
College Move-in Day Tough on Parents
Empty Nest Syndrome Isn’t Always Depressing
Dawn of a New Error
Boomers Can Do Math without Calculators
When the Computer Dies, Grief Sets in
Does anyone eat liver and onions anymore?
Middle Years Bring Embarrassing Changes
Boomer Forgetfulness Makes Song a Hit Video
Do you have a bucket list?

Family and Friends
Honey, I Bought a Bridge
Jokester Gene Runs in the Family
Mother-of-the-Groom Advice: Shut Up and Wear Beige
When the AC Goes Out, So Does Good Humor
When the Landline Phone Rings, Do Not Answer
The Final Neighborhood Garage Sale is Never the Last
Flocked by Flamingoes
Genealogy, Arsenic and Old Lace
For Men, Haggling Over the Price Is Like Hunting
Time Flies Too Fast
You’re Never Too Old for a Summer Road Trip
Remembering Burma Shave Signs
Childhood Friends – A Good Barometer for the Future
Alzheimer’s, a Season of “Lasts”

Patriotism and Politics
On Independence Day Whistle “Yankee Doodle” with the Fervor of John Adams
Straddling the Fence is Not a Good Place to Be
The Flower of the Fallen, a Blood-Red Poppy, an Enduring Memorial Day Symbol
Naked Politicians, Common Sense, and Clothing Advice
Short Words Make People Say What They Really Mean
Do You Remember D-Day? Do Generations X,Y, and Z?
Cemetery Visit Takes a Turn for the Better on Memorial Day

The Joy of Technology
Boomers Are Gadgety Geniuses These Days
Waiting on the Cable Guy
What are you waiting on, Friday?
Siri, a High-Tech Genie in the Cell Phone, Not a Bottle
A Complicated Relationship with GPS
Telling a Story in Six Words
Attack of the Zombie (Email Spam) Part 1
Attack of the Zombie (Email spam) Part 2
Tweeting with Charlie Sheen, the #Sheenius
Novels Written with Flying Thumbs on Cell Phones – Bestsellers!
Key to Creativity – Ask a Kid or a Senior

Summers Past
Homegrown Tomatoes Sound Better Than Ever
Fried Chicken Has to Start Somewhere
Laziness is a Virtue in the Summertime
You Gotta Love the Patriotism of Bygone Days
Summer Romances Rarely Survived Until September
Making Hay While the Sun Shines was Once Serious Business
Summer’s End Brought Road Trips and Slide Shows
Paint-by-Number Crafts Filled Our Summer Hours
Cherished Summers Are at the End of the Rainbow

Wisdom of Experience
Lessons in Respect
The Road Runs Both Ways
Words Will Be Used Against Us
Some Days Nothing Goes Right
Note to Self: Save This
The Best Gift on Mother’s Day is to Take Her Advice
The Trouble with the Weather
Riding a Bike is Like Typing, We Never Forget How
Unlimited Wisdom Just a Click Away or Ask Ken Jennings
Waiting for Things to Come Full Circle

 

Editorial Reviews

This book entails family, friends, and wisdom from the perspective of the baby boomer generation! A great read for all! Delightful.” —Teresa Parson, First Lady of Missouri

"Kay Hoflander has just written a book that I think is critical for this moment: Musings of a Baby Boomer: Life Before X, Y, and Z. I recently turned 60 years of age and became a grandpa in the same year. I was born at the tail end of the baby boomer generation in 1961. America needs a bridge; it needs a book that reflects back upon a different era and age that some may deem uncool - but, in essence, we could use some of those principles and values today. Kay's book is not just about musings, it is a reflection upon a time, a period, in America where there were struggles, but there were also triumphs. Kay provides an opportunity to share with the current and future generations the lessons we learned from the Greatest Generation, men like my dad, who fought in World War II. America needs healing, and instead of destroying our history, perhaps musings from those who have been part of history can provide a way forward. That is what Kay Hoflander's book offers." —Lieutenant Colonel Allen B. West (US Army, Retired); Member, 112th U.S. Congress; Former Chairman, Republican Party of Texas

"Hoflander has the magical skills to hit upon daily life with humor and understanding. Her stories are delightful and impactful, stirring up many memories of my youth. For those of us who grew up in the '50s and '60s, these stories create great nostalgia. Some make me laugh, some make me cry, all make me remember. For younger readers, this book just may help you better understand your parents or grandparents. It is a book for all generations to enjoy." —Suzanne Skelly, University of Missouri Graduate Educator, Realtor, Genealogist and life-long Bibliophile

From the Publisher