By Trina O’Quinn for the NABBW Recently during a water physical therapy session, I was walking my laps and the music of my youth began to play. I looked around the pool and noticed that the six of us in the class, all women, had begun to move to the rhythm of the songs. I realized that while our ages ranged from 20 to 70, we were all moving to the beat of the same music. I started discussing the music with one of my pool companions. Slightly older than I, she recommended I watch the documentary Echo in the Canyon, a 2018 film which celebrates the popular music that came out of L.A.’s Laurel... Read More

By Trina O’Quinn, for the NABBW One would think that the stay-at-home and self-isolating orders issued by our various states in response to the COVID-19 pandemic would be food for an introvert’s soul. In some ways it is. It’s working well for my introverted personality, which tends to want to isolate to the point of invisibility. However, deep in my soul I know that it is working too well, and undoing all the therapy I have done around socialization. Socializing takes a lot of my energy, so I need isolation and rest to recharge. My extroverted friends, on the other hand,... 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

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

By Sandra Colony for the NABBW I think it’s safe to say that many American women obsess about their hair. No matter our hair type, we spend much of our time, trying to change it. We wash it too frequently, blow dry it regularly, dye it, curl it, straighten it and put all kinds of chemicals in it. We actually label some weather according to how it will affect our hairdo – as in “bad hair’ days. But we aren’t the only culture devoted to our hair. The hairstyles of the semi-nomadic Himba people living in remote Namibian communities are not only complex– they reflect the individual’s... Read More

Hot Flashes: Do You Feel Like I Feel? Amazon Author: Lee D. Tkaczyk Reviewed for the NABBW by: Anne Holmes Apparently Lee D. Tkaczyk is one hot mamma. Hot as in suffering from hot flashes. But she’s not about to suffer in silence. Her recently published 52-page book, “Hot Flashes: Do You Feel Like I Feel?” is an \’Animal Picture Book\’ with fun \’captions\’ which promises a laugh or two while showing you ways to get Instant Hot Flash Relief. A perfect gift for any Boomer Woman who is looking for a quick pick-me-up. Lee says she believes  laughter is always a good... Read More

Diane MacEachern Checks Out – and Reports On – The Green Clean Service Offered by the Maid Brigade Franchise By Diane MacEachern NABBW’s Going Green Expert Don\’t you love it when someone else cleans your house? I sure do – unless, of course, they “clean” it using products laden with nasty chemicals that leave my rooms smelling like antiseptic and that leave me with a big headache. I\’ve tried a lot of so-called green cleaning services over the years, but generally have found that, unless I provide my own healthy, non-toxic cleansers, most housekeepers... Read More

The Tragedy of 2013 Boston Marathon Reminds Us We Must Make Time to Celebrate Life By Anne Holmes NABBW’s Baby Boomer Expert The Boston Marathon has long been an event that celebrates human triumph.  It ranks as the world\’s second oldest annual marathon, and is easily one of the world\’s best-known road racing events. With a total purse of one million dollars, it is also one of six World Marathon Majors and annually attracts over 500,000 spectators.  With this being the 116th year for the race, “Boston Marathon or Bust,” has become the mantra of runners all over the world.... Read More

A Cruise I Couldn’t Refuse By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Expert Doing nothing is perfectly acceptable on the 150-foot Safari Explorer luxury motor yacht. You don’t have to jump up for whale sightings or watch bottlenose dolphin ride the bow wave. You can sit on the upper sundeck wrapped in Sky Father’s blue dome cooled by the sea breeze and enjoy your favorite book. Peering into the cobalt blue depths at the amazing adaptations of creatures living in the coral reefs is not mandatory. You certainly don’t have to partake in all the wonderful gastronomic delights placed... Read More