When I was in my 20s the closest thing we had to an on-line community was getting to know the other women in line for chocolate rations during WWII. Sometimes we'd exchange telephone numbers and plan to meet at the dance hall for a Jitterbug competition, or trade canned fruit recipes that went well with tinned beef (fresh fruit and meat was hard to come by in those days).

As time went on, and our great nation entered the 1950s, the women of my generation scrambled to get married, buy quickly constructed homes in generic subdivisions, and open lines of credit at the local radio and television shop so we could stay up until 9:30pm to see the last broadcast on one of the 3 networks before the flag began to wave and the national anthem played as the picture on the screen got smaller and smaller, collapsing into itself like a black hole and eventually going dim.

These were peaceful, bucolic days... before cell phones, and home video game systems, and sectional couches with cup holders. To keep up with what was happening in pop culture we had to read Life magazine, or leave the house to go see a movie at the theater. Life truly was was simpler then.

Well, as an 86 year old woman it's getting harder and harder for me to leave the house to go see a movie, and Life magazine went under almost 20 years ago now. Thank goodness for grocery delivery or I'd probably have had to quit smoking 10 years ago.

In closing, I'd like to give a great big "Thank you" to Sugar Inc., for allowing this crazy old woman to re-insert herself into the goings-on of the world. I'd also like to thank my grandson for hooking up the Web TV system which allows me to flip back and forth between HSN and Sugar 30,000 times a day.

Warmest regards,

Yesteryear