Now and then the power in my 80 year old home seems to surge some- lights flash, TV picture shifts... this only takes a split second and all returns to normal. It seems that these surges occur just as the refrigerator fan kicks on, though not every time. Can this be the issue? Any suggestions are welcome!

The fridge is probably on the same circuit as the lights and TV, and the blinking of lights is typical effect of a refrigerator starting, due to the characteristics of a refrigeration compressor.

These types of motors are under constant load, and when trying to start draw a great deal of current for a short period.

May be time to consider upgrading by adding some circuits.