Finding entertainment and healthy distractions can be a daily undertaking. Living with boredom is really an unnecessary state of being. Looking past the boredom to some special ways to uncover enjoyment and satisfaction and fun is an assignment for all seniors. Blaming others for your state of mind, means that your state of mind has no imagination.

In an effort to find fun, I/we are blessed with the presence in our families, immediate and extended, persons and pets who help stimulate such fun. In our 35 years of marriage we have enjoyed pets throughout that time. In turn we have been rewarded with their flights of enjoyment and play. Forgetting how to play is one of the plagues which can rapidly descend on and ruin the golden years. Keeping a sense of humor, finding joy in unexpected places, creating laughter or frivolity in the moment are all ways for us to pump energy and pleasure into our lives.

I love travel videos, providing they are well done.  The Internet is loaded with them.  Most tour organizations have a video and numerous travelogs that help to sell their programs, sites, hotels, prices, etc.  The sites below are not designed to sell anything, but rather to increase your knowledge of the various preferred areas of [...]

It is past our bedtime, which comes quite early. We are two hours behind our normal schedule. Our permanent residence is in the Central Time Zone, while our part time domicile is in the Mountain Time Zone. The phone rings. It is our granddaughter. “Oh, I’m sorry I woke you. You are Sun people.” That last part is correct. But to be awakened by our granddaughter is like having the sun come out and shine right over and around us. She is so (the words are typical for grandparents, but the grandchild is anything but typical) magnificent, wonderful, superb, loving, thoughtful, bright and a delicious part of our lives.

The greatest thing in the world is to have the phone ring and to have it be one of our grandchildren. The greatest thing in the world is to be showered with the attention, even if briefly, by our grandchildren. The greatest thing in the world is to be invited to be in their audience, to hear what is happening in their lives, to repond to a request to attend a concert, in which they/she will be playing,. The greatest thing in the world is to be asked to borrow a hat she will need in some upcoming school production., that we will also attend. That’s the greatest thing in the world.

The NY Times Travel section recently carried an article about a senior couple who decided to travel to Europe with just a pair of backpacks.  They selected one called a Kelty “Pod Pack.”  They had traveled abroad 30 times lugging suitcases around and their story is about “two somewhat over-the-hill” physical fitness buffs who traveled through [...]

A formula for serenity was offered up long years ago. There are various historical theories as to its origins. Most know it, at least that portion of it that speaks of the elusive serenity we all desire. Some can quote it. Others at least know where to find it in order to call upon it in not so serene times.

For those who wish to have it quickly available, I offer its inspiration here:

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;

This next website is worth a visit just for the superb photos. Geographic Expeditions has some of the most beautiful shots that I have ever seen and dozens of them.  While there choose Destinations at the top of the page.  Select a country or site one at a time and enjoy the award winning photography.  [...]

 Another exotic country that I have heard so much about is Costa Rica.  There is so much to see and do in this wonderfully civilized society.  Lonely Planet has lots to say about the merits of Costa Rica.  Just Mention Costa Rica and people think paradise. The country’s Disney-like cast of creatures – ranging from howler monkeys [...]

*^%#@$!, translated that means “this damn computer.” I have had more than a handful of recent articles turn bad on me. The computer, by the time I have written the entire article, chooses somehow to eat all of my proffered and offered content. The frustration lasts variously. Sometimes the tail spin seems quite dangerous. At others, nothing but resignation prevails. At still others, I edge tossing the whole thing into the recycle bin. I usually realize it would be no better for it to see its demise there than simply being allowed to be covered over at the local land fill.
It is, for someone who counts himself

Travel is full of pitfalls. One wrong step and your vacation could be ruined by a seedy hotel room, an overpriced restaurant, a wasted afternoon at a tourist-trap attraction or an overnight flight crammed in the middle seat. So, guarantee a smooth trip by planning thoroughly. Here’s how Time Magazine suggests that seniors make all [...]

Taking Care was the first installment of this series, demonstrating how taking care enables us to have fruitful, productive and more pleasant years of aging. Needing Care, the second in the series, was designed to address those issues that require attention and thought when inevitable decisions are required because of a decline in health, mobility and perhaps cognition. This is the time when decisions can still be made with your full participation.

We move now to Receiving Care, that time when, while some abilities still remain, others require assistance and competence in relying on others, knowing when to do so, and demonstrating grace in receiving that care.

The outcome of this phase is dependent