Fun in the Empty Nest By Natalie Caine, M.A. NABBW’s Empty Nest Expert Parents ask me what I do for fun since they are gathering new ideas for themselves. Here\’s a short list: Read about chefs, meet them and eat at their restaurants (do you know who is in the photo I captured?) Start my day with black coffee and pruning my organic veggie and flower garden Read novels and newspapers Movies with chocolate covered pretzels for snack Out to dinner with hubby so we can catch up and laugh away from home Day trips on the road Music Yoga Zumba Cooking Time with friends, anywhere,... Read More

Interview with Birding Adventurer – James Currie By Linda Ballou NABBW’s Adventure Travel Expert James Currie is the driving force behind Nikon Birding Adventures TV which focuses on destination and adventure bird-watching. He explores the best exotic birding destinations on the planet; the most unusual, rare and highly sought after bird species; amazing cultures and wildlife. He is the informative, passionate – and sometimes crazy! – host for BATV that portrays a unique blend of information and adventure, making bird-watching refreshing, contemporary, interesting and... Read More

Another Bad-Dog Book: Tales of Life, Love, and Neurotic Human Behavior Author: Joni B. Cole Website: http://www.jonibcole.com/ Reviewed By: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This fun little book is a collection of twenty-eight personal essays. Despite its title, it is not a dog book, and only the title essay concerns the author\’s dog Eli, a Chihuahua mix. No, this is a book about people, and its scope is personal. In it author Cole shares her most private thoughts: her worries that her husband is not her “best friend”; her obsession with her previous book\’s rank on Amazon.com;... Read More

Chronic Illness and Recovering from Loss By Mary J. Yerkes NABBW’s Living with Chronic Illness Expert “I have your MRI results,” said Dr. Price, my rheumatologist. I was in the midst of a strategic planning meeting at the office, but I quickly stepped out into the hall to take the call in private. Although I had been having back pain for the last three weeks, I wasn’t concerned. A recent bone density scan revealed I had the spine of a 20-year-old, which left me completely unprepared for what followed. “You have not one but three compression fractures to your thoracic spine.”... Read More

The New Normal after Separation By Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D. and Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. Do you want to know an unexpected finding from the Framingham Heart Study, a research project that has been conducted over six decades? Happiness is contagious and the secret may very well be in the connection. Social relationships correlate positively with happiness. That is, if your friend is happy, that increases your probability by 15%. If you\’ve recently separated from your partner, this can be a lonely time for you. Although your marriage may be over, your relationship with your children, family... Read More

Powerful Tools to Reach Your Career Goals! By Dumont Gerken Owen, Ph.D. NABBW’s Women & Work Expert Many of you are working extremely hard to reach your career goals with little success. Maybe this is the time to try another approach. Try some of these powerful ways to manifest success in your career goals. 1. Define your ideal career. Visualize each detail: What are you doing? In what setting? Who would you work with? Is it consistent with your passions? Often professionals such as athletes improve their performance by the use of visualization. 2. Attract the results you most desire.... Read More

The Power of Journaling – Article 9 in a Series: Come on, everybody, do your “Exercise” By Erica Miner NABBW’s Journaling Expert Greetings, Boomers! Now that you\’ve had a sampling of some of my favorite journaling methods, let\’s discuss some exercises to further entice you into your journaling ritual. Don\’t be intimidated by the length of the list. These are intended to be savored, one at a time. Linger over each one for as long as you like. Take your time to fully explore whichever one or ones give you the creative impetus you need. Ready? Let\’s... Read More

Heaven is for Real: A Little Boy\’s Astounding Story of His Trip to Heaven and Back Author: Todd Burpo with Lynn Vincent http://http://heavenisforreal.net/ Reviewed by: Anne Holmes for the NABBW This is the true story of Colton Burpo, son of a small town Nebraska pastor who -at age four, during emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix — slips from consciousness and enters Heaven. The book is narrated by his father Todd and is available in instantly downloadable Amazon Kindle format. Colton survives his surgery and soon begins talking about the fact that he briefly died and went to... Read More

Just a Little Love Affair with Thrift By Barb Tobias NABBW’s Thrifting Expert I am the queen of the unwanted; a collector of “orphans.” The truth is … I simply love to thrift! Over the years I\’ve embraced the flawed, snatched up rejects others snootily passed over, delighted in the blemished and greedily coveted any object that is defined or distinctive. Like metal to magnets, garage sales, consignment shops and thrift stores continue to lure me into their murky depths. And, on any given day I can be found contentedly combing through the shelves and musty boxes within... Read More

Five Fabulous Functional Foods By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement We know we have to eat to live – food provides the building blocks to grow and repair our bodies, and we need food to produce energy to run vital processes. Beyond those basic needs, though, is the concept of “functional foods” – foods that might “provide benefits beyond basic nutrition” according to research and the International Food Information Council. What are some examples of these “functional foods” and what can they do for us? Blueberries –... Read More