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Senior Lifestyles: College Towns

Successful agers do not let stereotypes define what they do with their lives.  Senior lifestyles include relocating to college towns.
The “Road to Retirement” series from CBS Nightly News validates the radical move we made by pulling up roots in Texas and relocating to Ann Arbor, Michigan.
College towns offer a variety of activities to keep body and soul active and engaged.  These include:

Attending class
Following local sports
Pursuing lifelong learning… More

Senior Helpers: The Virtual Assistant

Jobs and Services
Virtual assistants are online helpers who work from home or through outsourcing firms. A virtual assistant is a real person who can be located anywhere.  The services they provide range from professional administrative, technical, personal, or creative assistance.
If you are semi retired with suitable skills you may be able to make money working from home.   Rates range from about $5 per hour to $50 per hour.
Aging in Place
If you are a senior who needs help… More

Every Day is Valentine’s Day for In Home Caregivers

We Are All Caregivers
Today is Valentines Day.  For most of my life it was one of my least favorite holidays because most of my significant others would either ignore it or panic under the pressure.   I felt guilty for wanting some acknowledgement of feeling.  I envied friends who received flowers, jewelry, and chocolates on Valentines Day. In my older age I have learned to recognize and show love no matter what day it is.  It is one of the best things about aging.
We Know When… More

“Anything Goes” in Ann Arbor

Seeking Out Fresh Experiences
Thirty days after moving to Ann Arbor from Dallas we have taken advantage of very few of the delightful and unique opportunities offered in our new town.  We did manage to catch a movie at the Michigan Theater.  Otherwise, most of our time has been spent completing renovations, unpacking boxes, hanging pictures, making trips to Lowe’s, paying bills, and getting to know our neighbors.
There were at least a dozen events I wanted to attend… More

Moving is a Pain in the Neck

Happy New Years to you all!  A week ago, we left Dallas.  We made it safely to Ann Arbor two days later and are still waiting  for the moving van to show up with our furniture.
Moving Day
Moving Day was pretty miserable.  The truck was at the house by 8:30 a.m., and the movers loaded our stuff into it until 6:30 in the evening.  It took another two hours to clean the house since we had to leave it shiny since it is now empty and For Sale.  By the time I was done polishing floors I… More

Better Ideas for Aging: Multi-Generational Housing

We are moving furnitures, offices, pets, and all our worldly goods from Dallas, TX, to Ann Arbor, Michigan, this week.  We have lots of new insights about moving in middle age, but we are also pretty distracted.  So, some other authorities on aging are supplementing our “Better Ideas for Aging” archive.
This one is from NBC Nightly News and features reports from Dr. Nancy Snyderman from NBC and Amy Goyer from AARP.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world… More

Ingredients for a Happy Life

The details of David’s and my life are a mess because we are moving in and out of houses while also doing our “real jobs”.  For the short term things will still be chaotic, but the big picture is beginning to look very healthy.
Friends
Today is my 59th birthday.  I barely have time to think about it.  Lucky for me, I have five new girlfriends here in Ann Arbor, and they insist on sharing the evening with me.  After eight years in Dallas, I doubt I have five girlfriends… More

The Joy of Independence in Ann Arbor

The Joy of the Bus
Yesterday morning, Todd, my carpenter and painter, tells me that we were short about five boxes of hardwood.  I get my morning tasks done and pop out the door to catch the 12:35 #1 bus south to Lowe’s.  The #1 ends its route on the North Campus of the University of Michigan.  I get off a stop too early and jog to the next stop.  The #22 Connector South passes me and waits until I arrive out of breath. (The bus never waited for me in NYC.)
The Joy of Eating
When I step… More

Ann Arbor: New Town Grows Into New Home

 
Aside from ordering flooring, carpet, and tile and hiring contractors to do the installations, I have been getting to know my new town with short adventures.
“The Ride” Bus Line
The public transportation system is called The Ride.  Last week I picked up the bus on my corner, rode into town, walked through the fabulous gourmet food market, visited an attorney and three banks, caught another bus to Lowe’s, and then grabbed yet another bus home (transferring… More

Where Do You Want to Grow Old?

Choosing My Future
In my previous post, Moving to Ann Arbor – Now! I announced exactly that.  This post goes into more detail about the process of choosing a suitable community as you get older.  Of course, you can stay right where you are.  But for many of us, some adjusting and changing may be in order.
Perhaps because I make it my business to analyze options for aging and urge my readers to take control of their own futures, I am hyper-conscious about my own choices.  There… More