La Palma? No, I don’t mean La Palma de Majorca or Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, but a little known island paradise, which is one of the seven islands (or maybe it is 8, depending upon your definition of an island, and political persuasions) that together make up the Canarian archipelago. The island is the …more

Several months ago I posted about collecting Social Security early (at 62) and how long it would take for others starting at full retirement age or at 70 to catch up in payments. Several people have pointed out that while my assumptions may make sense for individuals (especially those who may not be in great …more

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Like many of the boomer generation, I had thought about volunteering with the Peace Corps after graduating from college in 1972 but opted to get married and have a family instead. I also worked in my career as a Public Health Nutritionist until 2009. When my husband died suddenly in 2007 I had to ask …more

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I call myself a city girl, but I’m really not. I’m only one generation removed from the fields of West Texas where both Mom and Dad were raised. But Mom hated country life, and she and Dad moved into town as soon as they were married. At first they lived in small towns. I was …more

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There are a number of people edging towards retirement, wondering what they will do on the other side of the employment valley. At first, that seems like a silly question. Why? You will sleep in! Travel! Volunteer! Spend more time with the kids and grand-kids! Those goals are well and noble and rightly deserved. We …more

I’m off to the Canarian island of La Palma, which is also known as ‘The Beautiful Island’, again next week. Although I live on the island of Gran Canaria, all of the seven main islands that make up this fascinating archipelago are very different to each other. I try to visit each island from time …more

I wish that you would stop telling me about how great it was back in the old days. Truth is, it was a struggle and we both kept wishing things would be easier. We just refuse to remember that it was not as easy as we’d like to remember. I can hardly remember, and you …more

Motivation is sometimes the most difficult part of exercising. In an effort to make exercising more appealing and an activity we could do together, my husband and I bought bicycles. The last time either of us owned a bike we didn’t have driver’s licenses or high school diplomas. After a 25 year hiatus, we were …more

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