I recently found myself as the “loving” companion to my brother and husband for two separate medical procedures. I’m happy to say there has been a long hiatus for this kind of caretaking, because the first episode, about five years ago, was quite an eye opener. At that time, I was more focused on surviving the quirky US healthcare system and locating the best offerings in my local area…

To be perfectly honest, I am always on the lookout for challenges. Because of my history (and probably yours!), I feel ill-suited to placid times. I just know something terrible and unexpected is on the horizon. Somehow, the title of one of the very first crockpot…

Spring 2026 was one for the record books! Yes, it was very dry in April, and very wet and unexpectedly chilly in May. But climate conditions were not the cause for alarm. The issues of concern were my noticeably diminishing stamina and body resilience while completing all the same gardening chores I’ve done at my home for the last 15 years…

Recently, the young actor Timothee Chalamet created a stir when he stated that “no one cares about ballet and opera.” Although the backlash was swift and strong, there is no doubt that classical art forms are struggling in the modern world. The audiences are aging out, ticket sales and funding are dwindling…

When I was newly retired several years ago, I created a website for those rookies in my cohort, so they could benefit from my experiences transitioning to a new stage of life. On that website, I included a definition of retirement, which felt quite tongue and cheek at the time: “to withdraw to a place of safety and seclusion.”

One of the 10 commandments of retirement must surely be “Travel as much as you can!” Budget limitations not-withstanding, many early retirees view…

A timeline of retail shopping in America and abroad is an excellent vehicle for women of our cohort to chart their personal histories. Coming of age when individually owned shops prevailed, entering our prime during the age of the shopping mall, moving forward…

Whenever I tell friends I only stream international television, I usually encounter the same reaction: a blank stare, or a statement which negates the “supposed” onerous task of viewing a program with subtitles. While it is true that I have always preferred Art House films…

When I first retired at the tender age of 65, I posted a reminder to myself on the fridge: “Less is required of you!” I needed to look at that little nugget of wisdom repeatedly. One does not seamlessly shift gears upon receipt of a first pension payment…

Retirement planners have coined the clever terms Go-Go, Slow-Go, and No-Go to describe the three distinct stages of financial planning which ease the burdens of growing older. Equally, if not more significant, these phrases succinctly describe…