Twenty or thirty years ago, who would have guessed that food would become a hot topic, perhaps even an obsession? It’s difficult to pick up a magazine, have a conversation, or open a computer/tablet without finding a reference to food. Pictures of food dominate many social media sites, specialty television channels feature cooking programs, websites […]
Do you have a happy place?
Do you designate a special place as your happy place? Being content, at ease, and happy is supremely important. Many people carve out a special happy place in their homes where they can relax and de-stress. It might be a room, or a chair, or a sunny window seat. For others a happy place is […]
Why I Love Bookclubs
Until I retired in 2010, I never belonged to a bookclub. Joining a bookclub was an aspiration for which there was never enough time. Life was too busy. During hectic ‘career’ years I was lucky to read a book each month for pleasure. Most of my reading consisted of professional journals and industry publications — […]
Learn to Tie Shoelaces Correctly
As we were driving home from Florida last week, I heard several radio commentaries maintaining that most of us needed to learn how to correctly tie shoelaces! The first time I heard this bit of news trivia, I ignored it. However, it was repeated several times on various NPR (National Public Radio) stations as we […]
Staying Focused on Goals
Are you staying focused on goals and aspirations for 2017? Did you have aspirations or make resolutions to change habits, improve yourself, or chase a dream? Perhaps, like me, you started the new year with a review of progress toward a retirement dream and decided this was the year for big accomplishments. The start of […]
Retirement Happiness — Why bother with a blog?
When I meet with friends who are retired, they ask why I bother writing a blog. This happens often, especially when I refuse an invitation because of a self-imposed writing or posting deadline. Friends wonder whether I’m wasting my time as they know that I make no money from blogging. They often ask ” why […]
Retirement Happiness — Use Your ‘Psychic Armour’
One morning last week as I drove to the gym for morning exercise, I listened to a short documentary about the importance of psychic armour. I was intrigued. I had never thought of psychic armour as a method of protection from the inevitable stresses or anxieties that can unexpectedly hit anyone at any time. Whether […]
Relationships — Establishing New Networks
After moving to London, Ontario last year, I’m faced with establishing a new social network, not an online network, as, thankfully, this network moved with me, but a network of real people. Previous to this move, my husband and I lived in the greater Toronto area for 26 years. After such a long time in […]
Love Relationships
Valentine’s day is a perfect time to consider the love relationships in your life. It’s a perfect time to think about the people who nurture and support us. You might be fortunate to have many love relationships in your life. On the other hand, you might stop reading right now thinking that love relationships are […]
Retirement Happiness — Breaking Winter’s Back
Last week I heard a climatologist proclaim that we’ve broken winter’s back! He explained that we are halfway through winter! Environment Canada says that mid January, known as the dead of winter, is the halfway point where more winter is behind us than ahead. The astronomical calendar tells us that winter began on December 21, […]