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Financial exploitation…it can happen to you

March 1, 2017 by Sherry

Are you likely to get swindled? Be on alert

By Marci Vandersluis, Dayton Daily News

February 27, 2017

“On a recent trip to New York, just before arriving at the taxi stand, I was approached by someone wearing a nametag with the logo of a popular car service offering to drive me to my destination. My initial thought was that this was not the typical way that this company promoted its service. Nevertheless, there was a large line at the taxi stand and I was tired so I hopped into the back of his car. I did arrive at my hotel but later learned that I overpaid for the trip by $75. Along with reprimanded by my children for getting in a ‘stranger’s’ car, I was not surprised to discover that the driver was not an employee of the company. While my poor judgment caused more ego than financial damage, it made me much more aware that financial exploitation doesn’t just happen to someone else. Regrettably, our elders are particularly vulnerable to this form of abuse.

Coping with grief

February 28, 2017 by Sherry

What got me through the grief: The best advice from one widow to another

By Jan Robinson, The Telegraph

February 28, 2017

“When I wrote my first book Tips from Widows, I gathered advice verbally from 29 women who had lost their husbands. When I wrote my second, Tips from Widowers, I found that the 15 men felt more comfortable writing their feelings down for me, rather than speaking them aloud.

2016 bathroom remodel

February 27, 2017 by Sherry

Reasons for bathroom remodel: tub reglazed by previous owner made it too slick to stand in safely, cracked tile floor grout, granite tile counter, short toilet, old/moldy tub/shower, outdated shower fixtures, short shower head, one unnecessary doorway and hallway, popcorn ceiling, poorly patched walls

Initial Budget: $7,000 Actual: $10,500

I started this six-week remodel by removing the popcorn ceiling texture and the shower door enclosure. I used a small garden sprayer to apply water to the ceiling and then scraped the popcorn off. It was messy but easy. Taking off the shower door was also an easy process. I saved all the parts and put it up for sale on Craigslist after the Habitat for Humanity Restore turned down the donation. No takers on Craigslist so I ended up putting it in the landfill. Bummer!

50 Shades of Gray…Hair

March 1, 2017February 27, 2017 by Sherry

Gray, graphite, pewter, smoke, silver, slate, ash, dove, charcoal, gunmetal. No matter the name or if 50 shades of gray exist, most of us will experience a change in hair color as we age. Many women and men dye their hair so the gray doesn’t show. Ads tell us:

“L’Oreal Age Perfect by Excellence is specifically developed to color mature, gray hair…. Discover haircolor that flatters you perfectly.” Just for Men products, “Target the gray for a natural look.” The ads say gray doesn’t “flatter” and isn’t “natural.”

But the Bible says in Proverbs 16:31,

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.

Build humor into your day

February 22, 2017February 21, 2017 by Sherry

Laughing Until You Die

Humor May Be Antidote For Pain Of Death For Patients, Survivors

By Bruce Horovitz, For Kaiser Health News, February 6, 2017

“Just weeks before Christmas some years ago, Shirley Rapp and her family faced the devastating news that she had what appeared to be a terminal illness.

But that didn’t stop Rapp from wanting to do one last round of Christmas shopping for her kids. Her daughter, Karyn Buxman, a self-described neurohumorist and RN, went along. When the mother-daughter duo stepped into a St. Louis-area stationery store, Rapp picked up a day planner that she admired, turned to her daughter and quipped: ‘If I make it past Jan. 1, will you buy this one for me?’

That’s when Mom and daughter burst into laughter that attracted every eye in the store.

For some folks, the process of dying comes with less stress when it’s something of a laughing matter. Not a yuk-yuk laughing matter. But, at its simplest, a willingness to occasionally make light of the peculiarities — if not absurdities — that often go hand-in-hand with end-of-life situations.

An aging generation of boomers, the oldest of whom are now 70, grew up to the background sounds of TV laugh tracks and are accustomed to laughing at things that might not always seem so funny. There’s even a non-profit organization funded by donors, conference revenue and membership dues, whose mission is simply reminding people that laughter is a core ingredient of all facets of life — even end of life (emphasis added).

‘Laughter is the best medicine,’ says Mary Kay Morrison, president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, ‘unless you have diarrhea.'”

On its website, the National Cancer Institute urges patients to build humor into their day-to-day lives, in ways as small as buying a funny desk calendar and watching comic films and TV shows.

Retirement trends

February 20, 2017 by Sherry

5 Baby Boomer Retirement Trends

Baby boomers are expected to retire later and live longer than previous generations.

By Emily Brandon | Staff Writer for U.S. News & World Report, Feb. 12, 2016

“Senior editor Emily Brandon tells you how to get ready financially for retirement and to make your golden years the best they can be.

Baby boomers, the unusually large generation born between 1946 and 1964, are entering their retirement years and reinventing what it means to be retired. A recent Urban Institute data project examined how retirement is changing in America. Here’s how retirement for the baby boomers will be different from the generation that came before them.

Living longer
Better health
Do-it-yourself retirement planning
Working longer
More debt”

Valentine’s Day from the city of love…

February 14, 2017February 14, 2017 by Sherry

Since I have taken a break from dating and don’t have a special romantic valentine this year, I focused my celebration of Valentine’s Day instead on my family…specifically, my three grandchildren (ages 5, 3, and 1).

First, I purchased age appropriate Valentine’s Day cards and stickers for my grandchildren. They love getting mail. I mailed the cards through the Loveland, CO Chamber of Commerce Valentine Re-Mailing Program. The program volunteers stamp this cachet on the envelope before mailing it out: Valentine's Day

Next, I purchased 10″ chipboard hearts, 2″ chipboard letters and two cans of spray paint from Hobby Lobby. I wanted to mimic the hearts which hang from the light poles lining the streets of Loveland each year. I painted the hearts and attached them to a tree in my front yard. I had fun picking out the cards, stickers, and making the Valentine hearts. No regrets about not having a special valentine this year. I have three!

My grandkids made me construction paper Valentine’s Day cards. They are precious!

You don’t have to have a romantic valentine to celebrate this great day of love. I think this year’s Valentine’s Day has been one of my all time favorites because I can feel the love.

Please share your special time with your significant others this Valentine’s Day in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Financial exploitation…it can happen to you

Are you likely to get swindled? Be on alert

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Coping with grief

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2016 bathroom remodel

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50 Shades of Gray…Hair

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Build humor into your day

Laughing Until You Die

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Retirement trends

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Valentine’s Day from the city of love…

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Are you likely to get swindled? Be on alert

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Laughing Until You Die

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