A Simple Walk By Tracey Barnes Priestley On a recent weekday, I found myself with an unexpected two-hour lunch break. What to do? The obvious choice would have been to tackle my bills but one look outside and I knew that wasn’t going to happen. The sun was brilliant and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. The answer was obvious. I’d dash home, change clothes, hitch up the dog, and we’d have a glorious walk in the sunshine. Was I really considering such an irresponsible choice? I had a brief pang of guilt and quickly double-checked my decision. Paying bills vs. the countryside on a sunny afternoon?... Read More

Climbing Over the Fence of Logic into Faith By Chloe JonPaul, M. Ed. Have you really attempted to climb over ” the fence of logic”  to find God? We are living in an age where the forces of reason tend to dominate our lives. There are “self-assured” rationalists who belittle the role of faith and scientists are demonstrating even more details of creation and evolution of human life. Can faith and logic be compatible? The answer is a resounding YES! According to Saint Thomas Aquinas, “faith consolidates, integrates, and illuminates the heritage of truth acquired... Read More

God Recycles Too! By Chloe JonPaul M.Ed. As I fill containers with paper, cardboard, foam, plastic, glass, and metal scraps, I marvel at the thought that I can, in a small but important way, be helping to save our endangered environment.  The hairs on my head stand up like Brillo when I see people throwing trash on the ground – right next to a waste bin located on the sidewalk.  Then we have the careless fools who throw stuff out their car window as they whiz past. With a little effort but lots of determination, I have set up things in my household so that I can efficiently and routinely... Read More

Four Rooms You Should Visit Daily By Chloe JonPaul M.Ed. Well now, let\’s talk about those four rooms that I mentioned in my introductory post.  A wise Indian guru once said that man is a house with four rooms:  the physical, the mental, the spiritual, and the emotional.  The problem is that he tends to spend most of his time in only one of those rooms each day whereas it would be in his best interests to visit each of them every day. But…(I hear you moaning!) how is that possible? you say.  I can hardly keep up with my schedule as it is!  Well, that was exactly what I thought... Read More

The Weather Has Changed Now It\’s Your Turn  By Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph. D.  Now that summer is in full bloom, are you looking for ways to make new beginnings yourself? You\’ve been seeing flowers popping their heads up, risking bad weather to bloom once more. If you\’ve wanted to make some changes in your old habits but have been bogged down by winter\’s heavy gloom, now\’s the time to take a chance and go for it. Here are some tips to help you start instituting the changes you want make. This summer try out a new perspective as you... Read More

Chirping Bird Society Compares Winston Churchill to Capt. Charles Moore By Goffinet McLaren In 1937, Britain\’s Winston Churchill was \’chirping\’ incessantly like a bird about the territorial threats of Adolf Hitler and the potential of an upcoming war but the world was asleep and the messenger disparaged as a war-monger. The consequences of national slumber were devastating. Had people only paid attention to Mr. Churchill\’s chirping at that time, Herr Hitler could have been contained, WWII and the Holocaust avoided, and millions of lives saved from torture and death. In... Read More

Three Timely Tips for Caregiver Grandparents By Chloe JonPaul New census data reveals that 4.9 million children under the age of 18 live in grandparent-headed households. If you are one of those grandparents, you may want to consider these tips as part of your action plan to promote good behavior and cooperation with your grandchild. Communication Strategies When a child/teen-ager misbehaves, try saying: “I\’m not angry ` a bit disappointed, maybe because your behavior right now just isn\’t matching the good person inside you. I know that good person is in there and I want... Read More

Organize a Mid-Life Zest Fest By Georgian Lussier We all know middle-aged women who are talented, funny and wise; they are our friends and colleagues. Surrounding ourselves with good souls helps us keep our feet planted and our hearts open. Aging experts also recommend we consciously schedule time with people who make us laugh –it\’s good for our bodies, minds and spirits. Gathering a handful of women together, however, can be tricky. Experienced women are magnificent at multi-tasking, making their calendars changeable. For example, four of us friends, including a few who live forty... Read More

When Is Enough Enough? A Quick Look at Choosing Expensive Medical Procedures After a Certain Age By Chloe JonPaul Now that I\’ve reached the age of seventy-five, I know that I have lived the bulk of my life and unlike so many others, I have no desire to live to be 125! Four years ago, I was at death\’s door with gangrene, which had formed because my small intestines had wrapped themselves around old scar tissue from an old surgery. TThe doctors told me afterwards that if they hadn\’t found the cause of the intense abdominal pain I was having that I would have been dead within... Read More

The Importance of Forgiveness and Four Methods for Forgiving or Asking for Forgiveness By Stella Vance My mother\’s final words of wisdom to me were, “Stella, have you forgiven everyone?” “Yeah, I think so, Mom…” “Well, dig deeper! It\’s really important!” Those were the last words I heard from her before she died of cancer. As we boomers age, we need to think of forgiving everyone, and asking for forgiveness. Forgiveness is something we do for ourselves, not others. As I was writing my memoir, Dancing with Duality: Confessions of a Free Spirit,... Read More