Month: June 2025

The beauty of the guilt-free nap

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Kitties don’t mind napping, so why do we?

So there I was watching the financial news when my eyelids began to droop. I know. Shocking! You’d think all those colorful flashing numbers, fancy graphs, and scintillating  talking heads would have kept me riveted to the screen.

Then I had a rather naughty thought. “I think I might take a nap,” I said to my sweetie pie. Instantly embarrassed, I amended my comment. “Or I’ll read the paper,” I said with little conviction.

“There’s a third option.” Ryan eyed me. “Do both.”

Since I’m not much for multi-tasking and despite my guilt, I closed the blinds in the bedroom, grabbed a quilt, and passed out.

Before I retired from my full-time job, taking a nap rarely seemed acceptable. Even when I had the time, it just didn’t seem right to curl up in the middle of the day. Still, had I consulted WebMd, I might have reconsidered, because it seems naps are good for us.

Jennifer Soong’s article “The Secret (and Surprising) Power of Naps” pretty much says it all. “Need to recharge? Don’t lean on caffeine—a power nap will boost your memory, cognitive skills, creativity, and energy level.”

For years, the 20-minute power lap was praised for upping our alertness levels and improving our motor learning skills like typing or playing an instrument. But don’t worry if you’re like me and those naps tend to stretch on.

“Research shows longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity,” Soong said. “Slow-wave sleep—usually 30 to 60 minutes of napping—is good for decision-making skills, such as memorizing vocabulary or recalling directions. Getting rapid movement or REM sleep, usually 60 to 90 minutes of napping, plays a key role in making new connections in the brain and solving creative problems.”

While those lengthier naps sound enticing, experts suggest 30-minute siestas so we don’t wake up groggy. One should also keep a regular nap schedule and recline during the prime napping hours of 1 PM and 3PM, which doesn’t seem horribly practical. Still, a fixed nap time does sound nice and the idea of saying, “I’m sorry. I am unavailable because it’s nap time,”  just seems fun, doesn’t it? Note that a darkened room is a good idea for an afternoon snooze, as is a blanket, since our body temperature drops when we nap.

I woke up an hour and a half later and didn’t feel the least bit groggy. Though the whole thing felt rather sinful. But when you consider that naps can boost memory, ease stress and make you cheerier, well, what’s the harm?

So, fellow nappers, grab your blankies and join me. Let’s get some daytime shuteye whenever we’re in the mood. No guilt required.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

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Sea Turtles: Magical ocean ambassadors

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Any scuba diver will tell you that often the highlight of a dive is meeting up with a sea turtle. These almost magical ambassadors of the ocean rarely seem afraid of humans, even though we might appear scary clad in our diving gear, emitting plums of bubbles that make us appear much larger than we actually are. Yet, sea turtles often swim right up to us, staring as we stare back. Then they gently move their flippers and glide away, seeming to fly more than swim.

I mention sea turtles because last week I had the opportunity to head out to Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, a wild spot of forest and beach on the west end of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands where I live part of the time. The refuge was designed with sea turtles in mind.

Since I’ve been diving a couple of decades now, I’ve seen a lot of beaches, but when we emerged from the forest I gasped at the color of the water. It was a creamy turquoise caused by a convergence of currents that splash up onto a white sand beach scattered with long tendrils of green vines. Add in the various blues of the Caribbean Sea farther out and the early evening sky, and, as you can imagine, it was magnificent.

But while the view was exceptional, what was below us was of primary importance. Our guides from the St. Croix Sea Turtle Project explained that there were about 1,500 turtle nests beneath our feet, so the area is closed to the public from April through August. Green turtles, hawksbill turtles, and massive leatherbacks that can reach up to two-thousand pounds come to this beach every year to lay their eggs, a journey that takes them thousands of miles to Canada and back.

The volunteers of the St. Croix Sea Turtle Project were kind enough to escort us through the Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge where we learned all about the sea turtles that nest in the Virgin Islands. (Fun Fact: The final scene of the film Shawshank Redemption was filmed on this beach.)

That trip is fraught with danger. Often turtles come ashore with wounds inflicted by tiger sharks and propellers from boats. Fishermen take their share, as turtles are still harvested legally in some places for food. They also get caught in fishing nets and drown. And the land is not much more hospitable. Nests are ravaged by dogs, as well as mongooses and rats, invasive species brought to the islands by European colonists. Humans, too, take a toll. That’s why rules are in place on all Virgin Islands beaches forbidding chairs and tent poles that sink into the sand, as one never knows exactly where a turtle nest might be.

Sea Turtles today are an endangered species, the result of 200 years of over hunting, as they were valued for their meat, eggs, and shells. Climate change and coastal development have also eroded nesting and foraging habitats. Countries worldwide now protect sea turtles and in the U.S. penalties for harming them can including jail time and fines of up to $15,000 for each offense.

I sat in the sand and stared at the sea. Then I placed my palm on the warm sand. Was there a nest below? Would tiny hatchlings eventually emerge and head for the sea where only one in 1,000 would survive to adulthood?

As our guides herded us off the beach, I was glad these dedicated volunteers were there, focusing on sea turtle research and conservation, because a world without sea turtles would be a world with a little less magic.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

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Talking to myself and feelin’…fine

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The massive station wagon my family traveled in during the 1960s, much like this one, meant we kids could hide in the back and drive our parents crazy. Often, my father was reduced to talking to himself.

I recall traveling in the back of a baby-blue station wagon, a behemoth that I and my two siblings would pile into for what my father once referred to as, “the goddamned family vacation.”

Apparently, we kids squabbled a lot on those trips, and as many of those in my age group know, there was a lot of, “If you don’t stop, I’m turning this car around!” going on.

But there was something else happening, as well. When we kids were worn out from fighting, and all was relatively quiet, we would notice that my father would often mumble to himself. One of us would call out. “Dad! Who are you talking to!” Then we’d all giggle.

I don’t recall him ever telling us who his mystery friend was, but I do remember laughing at him.

Today, I’m reconsidering my behavior.

“Who are you talking to?” my sweetie pie called when I was slicing fruit in the kitchen.

I bit my lower lip. Who indeed?

After locating my reporter’s cap and doing some checking, I determined that muttering and saying random things out loud could be a sign of a mental health issue, like schizophrenia. And while studies show that 96% of people carry on an internal dialogue, just one in four admit to talking out loud. But don’t worry. For most of us, it’s a normal cognitive process, one that can help us reduce stress, improving our problem-solving skills, and help us organize our thoughts and feelings.

We talk to ourselves for a number of reasons. It helps us debate ideas, make decisions, and serve as a pep talk when we need one. Interestingly, talking to ourselves can also curb loneliness.

What is important is what we’re saying in those conversations with ourselves. According to Psychology Today, “The content of your self-talk is important because, believe it or not, you are the most influential person, in your head. Yes, other people can certainly influence the way we feel and think, but at the end of the day, we are the ones who accept or reject the messages received from others.”

The idea is your conversations with you should be the kind that build you up not tear you down.

There can be a certain stigma to talking to yourself, but today, with people everywhere conversing via Bluetooth, I’m guessing few even notice those of us who are chatting with no one nearby. And when you consider that the habit is said to be a healthy problem-solving tactic, I say talk away.

I just wish my father was still around so I could apologize for laughing.

“Sorry, Dad.”

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

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Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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The youth sports landscape is crumbling

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We have forgotten the point of youth sports, and if we don’t alter our behvior someday there may be no youth sports at all.

Recently, I found out that a long-time sports reporter friend is, for now, hanging up his microphone.

“Lately the landscape has had its share of toxicity, with overzealous parents and poor leadership coupled with unsavory social media standards, which has now led to me taking some time away from broadcasting! My decision,” he said in a Facebook post.

This man spent 45 years covering sports, especially high school sports.

While I am saddened that he’s stepping down, I understand his frustration. Amateur sports, especially youth sports, has become a mess in the last decade or so. Why? There are a number of reasons.

First, I’ll blame parents who have ridiculous expectations. The number of adults who believe their child will earn a DI scholarship and go onto the pros borders on the bizarre. Less than two-percent of high school athletes will play at NCAA Division I schools, and just one percent receive full-ride scholarships, funds that are awarded for just one year, so if a kid breaks a leg or struggles in the classroom, bye-bye sports dreams.

And then what? Parents who put their kids on the year-long, one-sport merry-go-round, spending what could amount to college tuition on personal coaches, deny their children the chance to branch out and grow. Maybe play an instrument, or perform in a play, or even participate in a different sport, things they should be doing throughout high school. This single-mindedness will doom their children when they can no longer participate in the single thing that occupied their lives. Every athlete has to stop playing at some point. Something that tends to happen when we’re young. As I often mentioned to my students who insisted they would one day be professional athletes, “What happens after that? The average professional career lasts between three and six years. What will you do then?”

Before I go on, note that I spent 40 years officiating amateur sports. I called ice hockey, soccer, and basketball games, but spent the vast majority of my time on football and baseball fields. I realize today how lucky I was that much of my career came before the advent of social media, which has made calling games a nightmare. It used to be that when I made a mistake—Yes, all officials do, just like players and coaches.—the hysteria and verbal assaults were pretty much over when I left the field. Today, however, fans splash video and photos of calls they dislike all over the Internet, often implying the official made the errant call intentionally to benefit a team. Trust me. No official wants to make a bad call. We just do. Sometimes we’re tired from working our day jobs, or we’re hungry, or we just blink. Those of us in the amateur ranks only get one look at a play. There aren’t replay officials or nine-camera angles to check. And yet, we are required to be perfect, which is simply impossible.

Recent studies show that approximately 45% of officials say they have feared for their safety because of the behavior of administrators, players, and fans. One in three officials have received threats or felt unsafe at a game, something I understand since I have, on occassion, required a police escort to my car. So, is it any wonder that roughly 50% of new officials quit within their first two years? Myriad games are being cancelled at youth levels because of a dearth of officials. And this trend will get worse.

Here’s what needs to happen, though I won’t hold my breath. We need to remember the real purpose of kids sports. Children learning teamwork and punctuality, how to follow rules, goal-setting, social skills, and resilience. And, perhaps, most importantly, leadership skills. All of which will make them better human beings.

Maybe, if we adults adjust our expectations the miasma surrounding youth sports will clear. And then my friend will once again pick up his microphone and go back to the thing he loves.

Your Forgotten Sons

Inspired by a true story

Anne Montgomery

Bud Richardville is inducted into the Army as the United States prepares for the invasion of Europe in 1943. A chance comment has Bud assigned to a Graves Registration Company, where his unit is tasked with locating, identifying, and burying the dead. Bud ships out, leaving behind his new wife, Lorraine, a mysterious woman who has stolen his heart but whose secretive nature and shadowy past leave many unanswered questions. When Bud and his men hit the beach at Normandy, they are immediately thrust into the horrors of what working in a graves unit entails. Bud is beaten down by the gruesome demands of his job and losses in his personal life, but then he meets Eva, an optimistic soul who despite the war can see a positive future. Will Eva’s love be enough to save him?

Release Date: June 6, 2024

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Bookstores, libraries, and other booksellers can order copies directly from the Ingram Catalog.

Anne Montgomery’s novels can be found wherever books are sold.

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