Senior News Line: Reading and writing for relaxation

If ever there was a time to turn off the television — especially during the evening news hour — this is it.

Between the stress and anxiety of current events that we can do nothing about and the shocking mistakes we see being made — not to mention the resulting disrupted sleep and rising blood pressure — we can easily just press the off button on the remote.

But what shall we do with our free time, once we have silenced the noise? We can read.

“Homework for Grown-Ups: Everything You Learned at School and Promptly Forgot,” by Elizabeth Foley and Beth Coates, is a trip down memory lane of all the facts and tidbits you used to know.

The topics are covered in bite-size sections and include English language and literature, math, home economics, history, science and much more. Still wonder if you should use “that” or “which” in a sentence?

Or, you don’t remember the answer when your grandchild asks, “What’s the difference between a parallelogram and a rhombus?” Or, if you need a refresher about rock, paper, scissors, the book will remind you.

At the end of each section is a quiz with answers in the back of the book. If you read a few pages every day, you’ll find it addicting.

And we can write. When is the last time you wrote someone a letter? Not an email, not a text message, not a letter typed on the computer and printed out, but a handwritten letter on nice stationery with a matching envelope.

And, yes, they still make such things, sold in sets. While you’re shopping for stationery, consider buying a journal.

If you make a habit of writing, without a daily dose of bad news, you’ll likely find yourself much more relaxed — and happy!