“Bath is the finest place on earth, for you may enjoy its society and its walks without effort or fatigue,” wrote 18th century Scottish essayist James Boswell of this English town that dates to Roman times. I daresay should Boswell visit Bath today he would find those walks somewhat more tiring as he dodged the throngs of tourists and vehicles alike, but once he took those in stride, he would likely discover that Bath is still indeed a fine spot for a visit—as I recently found out for myself. Bath is just a 90-minute train ride from London (whether you\’re coming or going,... Read More

Many women experience menopausal joint pain symptoms. Medical experts are pondering over the connection between hormonal changes and pain. Some women experience joint and muscle pain, mouth discomfort, headaches and some even report heart palpitations. Interestingly, women who suffer tension headaches, abdominal, or facial pain found their symptoms lessened after menopause. Scientists today feel there may indeed be a link between estrogen, hormone levels and this phenomenon. Menopause and Joint Pain: Symptoms of Menopause Menopause occurs when a women stops ovulating and her period ceases. Most... Read More

…by Prill Boyle Have you ever been determined to head in one direction, only to have life nudge you in another? That\’s what happened to June, a 54-year old dental receptionist whose deepest desire is to become an ornithologist, a scientist who studies birds. This September, she was all set to take her first biology course. Now she\’s having to put her dream on hold. Again. Like many late bloomers, June\’s passion began as an innocent hobby. Twenty-five years ago, the Brooklyn native moved to Shelton, Connecticut, a woodsy town on the Housatonic River. She promptly... Read More

…by Julie Clark Robinson “One hundred years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, how big my house was, or what kind of car I drove. But the world may be a little better, because I was important in the life of a child.” –Forest Witcraft              I had been feeling something ugly brewing for days – probably weeks – if I\’m to be honest. And by ugly, I don\’t mean the brownish/grayish sunken circles under my eyes, they\’re a given at this point. (My beloved Sephora catalog still waits for me in my reading pile. Inside, my... Read More

…by Mary Pearsall Remember the good old days when taking off 5 or 10 pounds merely meant eating less and exercising more? I had the formula down pat – if I wanted to get into my “skinny” jeans, I just stopped the double order of onion rings and rode my bike a few extra miles. Whoosh! Off it came. Now that I am in those marvelous menopausal years it just doesn\’t work that way any more. I hear the same lament from my clients and I am sure you have experienced the same if you are a boomer woman. I feel your pain. So, what is the problem here and what do we do about... Read More

Now that the(supposedly) relaxed pace of summer has come to a close, and everyone is getting geared up for returning to classes, work, and volunteer activities, we\’ve reached the time of year when our brains are at risk for system overload. You know what this means – more stress on our already fragile memories. And since memory of recent events is affected before memory of long past events, our daily activities can be immediately impacted by this forgetfulness. Every time I forget a name or a password, I worry that I could be literally losing my mind. The fear of dementia is never too... Read More

My idea of a leisurely Sunday afternoon is my couch, a plate of nachos, and Oreo\’s while I watch yet another rerun of Agatha Christie\’s, Poirot. Not so for my best friend, Liz. Hers involve anything announcing to the world we\’ve reached mid-life. Like paying some guy who dresses in nothing but a sheet and sandals twenty-five bucks to teach us how to … get in touch with our inner “baby boomer” selves, to find that child within, to … whatever. For some reason known only to my inner child, I agreed to go along with her latest obsession of self-finding. I should... Read More

I\’m sure many of you have heard the tragic story of Brooke Astor, the multimillionaire New York socialite who is alleged to have been mistreated by her son, who controls her $45 million portfolio. Obviously this case is making the headlines because of her celebrity and its easy – even comforting – to believe that this sort of abuse only happens when there are vast sums of money involved. Unfortunately, the reality is that elder abuse occurs in families of all races, backgrounds, nationalities and income groups. Sadder still, contrary to the popular belief that elder abusers are strangers,... Read More

The road you have traveled for eighteen years as parents is turning a corner, headed for a bridge. What is the truth about what is on the other side of the bridge? What changes do you have to address in order to stay healthily connected in your new role and your adult child\’s role with you? Does this change mean filling in free time or deeply discovering parts of yourself you had to put in the trunk? Crying is mandatory. Ok, there are no rules so forget mandatory. But I would bet tears will fall when you least want them plugging your nose and smearing your eyes. Last year a mom called me... Read More

The arrival of Labor Day Weekend signals the inevitable start of the busiest season of the year. It\’s a challenge to handle our life responsibilities in general. Now the kids go back to school, we are either hosting Thanksgiving or making travel arrangements to join family and friends and of course there is the end of the year frenzy involving gifts, travel and parties. An extra 5 pounds, anyone? A calm, organized, peace filled home will enable us to think more clearly about all those added responsibilities. Let me begin by asking you some questions. You may want to make some notes in a... Read More