Drinking Wine – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly By Jan Cullinane NABBW’s Expert on The New Retirement Friend or foe? Pleasure or poison? There has been a lot of discussion about wine over the past decade. Let\’s take a look at how this “nectar of the gods” affects adults over 50. Studies are based upon “moderate” consumption of wine, defined as no more than one drink per day for women, and two drinks per day for men. A drink is defined as five ounces of wine. The Good (assuming wine isn\’t contraindicated because of medications, disease –... Read More

Country French Green Bean and Potato Salad By Pat Sinclair NABBW’s Cooking for Two Expert Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. Time for lazy days, easy cooking, less baking and lots of icy beverages. Easy cooking means more cooking on the grill, a method that produces great tasting food and doesn\’t heat up the house. When I don\’t know what to fix for dinner, my husband is always ready to cook something on the grill. The problem with that is someone still has to figure out the rest of the meal, that would be me. One of my go-to side dishes is an easy potato salad... Read More

Day Trips & Hotel Sex By Dr. Dorree Lynn, Ph.D. NABBW’s Expert on Boomer Women Sexuality Sometimes it seems like there’s nothing better than taking a trip with that special someone, spending the day seeing the sights and finishing the night with some nice, no holds barred hotel sex. Often, our daily lives get the best of us. We give our all at the office and then we’re give out by the time we get home. Sometimes we have to remove ourselves from the mundane day-to-day, get out of town for a bit, and just spend some quality time with someone we care about. The benefits of hotel... Read More

Remaining Positive When Facing a Chronic Illness By Mary J. Yerkes NABBW’s Living with Chronic Illness Expert A diagnosis of chronic illness can bring with it feelings of denial, anger and grief. But, at some point, the emotions subside and you are faced with a harsh reality—you are no longer the person you once were. Chronic illness has robbed you from your sense of identity and purpose. Do you even stand a chance of rebuilding a meaningful life? According to Judy Gann—a breast cancer survivor who suffers from fibromyalgia and other autoimmune disorders—you can. She took her experiences... Read More

Recovering Stolen Property in Probate By Liza Weiman Hanks NABBW’s Estate Planning Expert Dear Liza: I have a sister who came into my father’s house after he passed away and took the only valuable item in the house. My grandmother gave it to my father over 30 years ago. It was in the house as long as I can remember. I strongly protested and requested for her to return it back to my father’s estate since. No positive response as to date. It has been now over 2 years and we are not on talking terms. I have just been appointed as the administrator of my father’s estate. What is the... Read More

Trust, Transparency Critical in Philanthropic Quest By Margaret May Damen, CFP, CLU, ChFC NABBW’s Philanthropy Expert Country music diva, Kathy Mattea’s lyrics, “Standin’ knee deep in a river and dyin’ of thirst,” could well apply to the quagmire many people get into when they start their philanthropic quest. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) there are more than 1.5 million not for-profit organizations in the United States. How does a caring and motivated person whose values are aligned with the causes they wish to impact chose the organizations... Read More

As a baby boomer woman, you probably have endured many joys and challenges during your life’s journey. A dear friend of mine, Carrie E. Pierce opens her heart and shares her story of a loving relationship that ended abruptly and how she was able to heal herself by seeing the beauty of her wounds. ‘The wound is the place where the Light enters you.’ – Rumi Four days before this past Christmas, Life delivered a kick to my gut that sent me reeling -on many levels- and drove me so hard to my knees; I struggled for two weeks before I could remotely regain my footing. During this time, I was... Read More

It Takes Time By Nan S. Russell NABBW’s Winning At Work Expert The story goes that after one of Ludwig van Beethoven\’s performances, several people were offering him their congratulations, when one woman commented, “I wish God had bestowed me with such genius.” “It isn\’t genius, madam, nor is it magic.” Beethoven replied. “All you have to do is practice on your piano eight hours a day for 40 years.” That\’s not the message most people want to hear. Most prefer buying the magazine which headlines, “Miracle Weight Loss Discovery,”... Read More

Walking Vacations By Carol Sorgen NABBW’s Travel Expert When Matthew and Ellie Fink of Chevy Chase planned their vacation last summer, they wanted to get away from phones and faxes, do something completely different, go somewhere completely new to them, indulge their interest in history–and get a little exercise. They came up with the ideal solution–an 8-day walking trip to the borderlands of Scotland. “Our primary criterion,” Mrs. Fink laughs, “was, \’It can\’t be too difficult.\’ We\’re way out of shape.” Both in their early 50s... Read More

Stand Up & Speak Out for Real Wellness By Barbara E. Friesner NABBW’s Elder Care Expert Many companies these days are focusing the employee benefits on wellness. That makes sense and I applaud them for it. Unfortunately, when they think of wellness, most companies are thinking exercise programs, healthy eating, smoking cessation, stress reduction, etc. However, the point that many companies are missing is the root cause for these issues – that many people aren’t exercising or eating healthily, and are smoking, drinking, self-medicating, and totally stressed because they’re... Read More