I wish I’d had access to Merrick Rosenberg’s book, The Chameleon, Life-Changing Wisdom for Anyone with a Personality or Knows Someone Who Does, about 30 years ago, when I worked as a trainer for a personnel management firm. Back then, I worked for a company that provided HR services for businesses too small to afford an HR department. There was plenty of work for our organization, because whenever you get two or more people interacting together – or trying to – there is always opportunity for communication failure. Not because the parties don’t all speak the same language,... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Note: This is the last of  Linda’s series of three articles detailing the Ultimate Safari experience with Overseas Adventure Travel, aka OATS, in the countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. She thanks photographer Tom Schwab for  the fantastic images accompanying her story are courtesy of Tom Schwab. The journey to Zambia on Overseas Adventure Travel’s Ultimate Safari began with a ferry crossing over the Zambezi River where the four corners of Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Botswana touch. Our bush camp in Zambia, with luxury... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Note: This is a second in Linda’s series of three articles detailing the Ultimate Safari experience with Overseas Adventure Travel, aka OATS, in the countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. She notes that the fantastic images accompanying her story are courtesy of Tom Schwab.  When I told friends I was going on the Ultimate Safari that would take me to Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia, their first question was, “Are you going alone?” Well, yes, but not exactly. I told them that I would join a group of 14 other travelers upon... Read More

Friends of the Wigwam: A Civil War Story John William Huelskamp Reviewed for the NABBW by Anne L. Holmes Given that I live in Galena, Illinois, one of the main settings of this book and the home of nine Civil War generals, and I also have a fondness for history, I was delighted to be invited to read a copy of “Friends of the Wigwam” a meticulously researched Civil War-era historical novel.  With the exception of scenes that take place in Chicago and on Civil War battlefields including Vicksburg, Shiloh and Missionary Ridge, the majority of the story takes place in northwestern Illinois.... Read More

By Linda Ballou, NABBW’s Adventure Travel Associate Note: This is a first in a series of three articles detailing the Ultimate Safari experience with Overseas Adventure Travel, aka OATS, in the countries of Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. There is simply too much ground to cover in one article. It’s late May in Chobe National Park, Africa’s third largest wildlife preserve, and creatures great and small are fat and sassy. Tall golden grasses are plentiful. They are the favorite of the many herds of massive elephants and a host of antelope along with Cape buffalo, zebra, and more. The... Read More

I’ve recently read three excellent books – one a novel – by two NABBW members, both dealing with the topic of widowhood. Life as a widow is not a scenario I’ve ever given much thought to, despite being advised, many decades ago in a collegiate gerontology course, that since women tend to live about five years longer than men, if we don’t want to end up widowed  it’s best to marry a younger man.  (In my defense, I was already married by that time, so couldn’t act on this sage advice.) More recent statistics, provided by WISER, the Women’s Institute... Read More

Second Honeymoons Can Be Murder: Every Wife Has a Story (A Baby Boomer Mystery Book 6) Susan Santangelo http://babyboomermysteries.com Reviewed for the NABBW by Anne Holmes Susan Santangelo’s latest book continues the adventures of upstate New Yorkers Carol and Jim Andrews; typical Baby Boomers, except that Carol has an unusual habit of encountering dead bodies wherever she goes. Fortunately, with the help of her many friends – but not necessarily with help from the police – plucky Carol is always able to solve the crimes. As the story begins, we find Carol and Jim “canoodling”... Read More

By Karen Mathis for the NABBW Just because women hit 50+ years, doesn’t mean they (we) should no longer be targeted as fashion consumers. Why? There are millions of women 50+ in need of great clothing for their active and busy lives. The clothing businesses can always use more profits. #1 There’s A Very Large Number of Us According to the U.S. Census, there are 77 Million Baby-Boomers. Women make up approximately 50%, (inc.com). Forbes magazine and others write about it, “Women represent the largest market opportunity in the world,” (Forbes.com). #2 We have active, busy lives and need fashion... Read More

By Phyllis Stoller, NABBW’s Group Travel Associate Several weeks ago, I took connecting flights. On the first intra-Europe, the door to the pilot’s cockpit was open. At the second check in, I was grilled about why I was traveling, who I worked for, how long, what was the job description and more. So which airline was safer? Stats are that they both were! Here are a few items to investigate: Charters? ~ NO Most insurance companies will not cover you on either a charter or private plane. Code Shares: ~ YES  Code sharing airlines with US carriers are vetted by the FAA and the US... Read More

Title:             The Spirituality of Age: A Seeker’s Guide to Growing Older Author:        Robert L. Weber, Ph.D. and Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. Review by:  Anne L. Holmes for the NABBW As we Boomers age, and start to consider what’s next in our lives, many of us take stock of what’s happened to us so far. In the process of trying to make sense of our lives, we frequently find ourselves going back to review questions we asked in our teens and 20s – What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Only now, as we take stock, we are asking ourselves the questions in a slightly different... Read More