1. Stay Physically Active: Regular physical activity has numerous benefits for your overall well-being. Engage in exercises that suit your abilities, such as walking, swimming, yoga, or even gardening. Staying active can improve mood, increase energy levels, and promote better sleep.
2. Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Stay hydrated and limit processed foods, sugary snacks, and excessive salt intake. Proper nutrition can positively impact your physical and mental health.
3. Stay Socially Connected: Maintain and nurture relationships with friends, family, and your community. Social interaction can reduce feelings of isolation and loneliness, contributing to a happier life.
4. Pursue Passions and Hobbies: Engaging in activities you enjoy can bring a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Whether it's painting, playing a musical instrument, gardening, or joining clubs, pursuing hobbies can keep you engaged and satisfied.
5. Embrace Learning: Lifelong learning keeps your mind active and engaged. Enroll in classes, workshops, or online courses to explore new subjects and skills, stimulating cognitive function.
6. Practice Mindfulness and Gratitude: Cultivate mindfulness through meditation, deep breathing, or relaxation techniques. Practicing gratitude daily can shift your focus towards positive aspects of life.
7. Volunteer and Give Back: Contributing to your community through volunteer work can provide a sense of purpose and accomplishment. Helping others can create a positive impact on your mood and self-esteem.
8. Maintain a Positive Outlook: Focus on the positives in life and let go of negativity. Surround yourself with uplifting people and seek out activities that bring joy.
9. Stay Curious: Approach life with curiosity and open-mindedness. Explore new places, meet new people, and try new experiences to keep life exciting.
10. Prioritize Health: Regular medical check-ups and staying on top of preventive healthcare measures can help you maintain good health, allowing you to fully enjoy your senior years.
11. Stay Tech-Savvy: Embrace technology to stay connected with loved ones, access information, and engage in virtual activities. Learning to use digital tools can help you remain socially active and informed.
12. Set Goals: Continue setting achievable goals, whether they're related to travel, personal growth, or hobbies. Working towards goals can provide a sense of accomplishment and purpose.
13. Create a Supportive Environment: Surround yourself with positive influences, whether it's through friends, family, or support groups. A supportive network can contribute to your well-being.
14. Practice Self-Care: Take time for self-care activities that rejuvenate you, such as reading, taking leisurely walks, listening to music, or enjoying a spa day.
15. Reflect and Celebrate: Take time to reflect on your life achievements and milestones. Celebrate your successes and acknowledge your contributions.

Remember that happiness is a personal journey, and it's okay to seek support from professionals if you're struggling with negative emotions. By adopting these strategies and embracing the opportunities that come with age, you can cultivate happiness and fulfillment in your life after 60.

Have you ever noticed that finding fun jobs for retirees isn’t as easy as it should be? After all, we have decades of experience and a strong work ethic. Unfortunately, this isn’t always enough.

Here is our list of part-time jobs for retirees:

1. Craftepreneur – Sell your handmade craft and make money from what you love to create.
2. Blogger – Write about what you know and share your knowledge.
3. Gardener – Use your green thumb to make extra cash.
4. Seasonal Worker – Work in a national park, for example. 
5. Shop Assistant – Meet people and sell products.
6. Freelance Writer – Love to write? Sell your words.
7. Nonprofit Worker – Do something meaningful.
8. Massage Therapist – Get certified and work in a spa or a cruise ship.
9. Makeup Artist – Use your makeup skills to make money.

So, to help the women in our community who are looking for some extra work, I’ve compiled a list of 9 part-time jobs for seniors. I hope they help you to meet your financial goals!


Jobs for Retirees Don’t Have to Be Boring!Women over 60 are no strangers to hard work. Most of us have worked all our lives, whether it’s at a full-time job or caring for children or aging parents.
But as we approach retirement age, many older women are starting to think about the best part-time jobs for retirees – not only to make some extra money, but to find a sense of fulfillment and fun.
Some women are in a position where they don’t “have” to work for money. For them, finding a job in retirement may be more about staying involved and keeping their minds active and healthy.
For other women, finding work in retirement is more of a necessity. In either case, at our age, we are looking to do something that we genuinely enjoy.

If you aren’t sure what types of part time jobs would be most interesting to you, think back to what you loved to do as a child, or try to remember one of your favorite jobs from when you were younger.

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by Terry Edmund
Summer’s not nearly over and we’re bombarded with back-to-school ads. It’s an exciting time for school kids – time for new clothes and supplies, for moving up to the next grade and reconnecting with friends. One thing I miss about formal education is that fresh start every semester. Growing up on a farm teaches a lot about seasons. Summer was a break from school, but farm life carried on. here was hay to bale and pigs to ready for the county fair. Tomatoes and green beans from the garden had to be put up before family vacation. Then it was back to school and harvest right around the corner. Living life by the season was a necessity.No matter what age we become, we need breaks in our lives, when we close one season and start another. Some of us do it before vacation: we tie up loose ends so our minds are free to relax and enjoy.
Now is a perfect time to absorb the back-to-school vibe, to wrap up summer and get recharged to turn the page to a new season.

Wiping the Slate Clean Feels GoodBefore I copy the list of things I meant to do in July to August, I’m reminded just how hectic summer has been. What happened to the lunch date I was supposed to make with another busy friend? Well, I’ll just text her right now. Done.
How about ordering the prints I want to frame? Five minutes later, that’s done too. And those second quarter receipts I need to enter? It only took half an hour to wrap that up. I’m feeling free!
When we define our lives’ logical seasons – before or after the holidays, quarterly for a lot of businesses or back to school – tying up unfinished business helps create an excitement for what’s next. A ‘clean slate’ feeling is great motivation.
For me, the end of summer is the start of my slowest season at work. I’ll have time for projects I’ve put off, like unpacking the rest of the boxes from last year’s move and organizing the garage.
I’ll make time to paint the spare room, order blinds and hang some art. But I know that if I don’t wrap up what I’m doing now and make a plan for what’s next, those extracurriculars won’t get done.

Taking Stock of Spaces and SuppliesIn Florida, we have back-to-school sales-tax-free days. When school supplies go on sale, so do a lot of office supplies. It’s the time of year I declutter my desk drawer and see what I need or, more likely, don’t need.
I think about what will make my office work better and shop the sales. Last year, I added a small stand-up laptop desk which gets me out of my desk chair.
If I take the time now to go through my closet, I’ll see my best pair of jeans is a little weak in the knees. I can pick up a new pair on sale.
On the other hand, I can resist those cute boots in the Macy’s ad because I know my own pair just needs a shine to go the extra mile. I won’t shop that deal on walking shoes, but I will promise myself to do more walking in the shoes I already own.
I used to love an empty desk or locker at the beginning of each school year. By the end of the year, my tendency toward clutter caught up with me.
I will never forget walking into class one morning in second grade. On the blackboard were two words: Terrible Desk. The teacher had circled my name, the Terri in terrible. I don’t think a teacher could get away with that now.
They say you can tell a lot about a person’s state of mind by the order of their spaces. Even if your spaces aren’t in order all the time, the occasional decluttering helps clear your head.
For me, it’s a back-to-school season ritual. Besides my desk drawer and closet, I tackle the glove box in my car and that drawer in the kitchen that attracts everything. There’s something about an organized junk drawer that feels powerful!

Planning Is Productivity’s Best PartnerIt’s a perfect time of year to start a calendar or planner because so many 18-month ones are available at the beginning of the school year. My planner starts each month with a things-to-do-this-month page. It never all gets done, but I get it out of my head, which is my planner’s biggest purpose.
I email myself notes too. When I get stuff written down where I know I’ll find it later, my mind is freer for fun and creativity. My notes help clear my ‘psychic RAM’. As productivity master David Allen points out, “Your mind is for having ideas, not holding them.”
From my notes, I organize my next actions. When I start taking next steps like gathering supplies, projects are likely to get done. I just ordered sturdy shelves for my garage project, though I admit to a fear of “some assembly required.”
I don’t like that back-to-school starts mid-summer now and has become so commercialized. It puts pressure on parents to provide and kids to be cool. Commercialism and rushing the season have become a way of the world.


It’s only August, and I had to pass Christmas decorations to get to the framing department at the back of Hobby Lobby. I confess to picking up a snow globe and giving it a good shake… just for fun.

How to you define the seasons of your year? What can you do today to clear your ‘psychic RAM’? What does your junk drawer say about your state of mind? Please give us your idea of cleaning up and decluttering!

by Carol Stanley 
There is always a lot of chatter about what to eat for breakfast and the importance of starting the day with a healthy choice. Many people feel if they skip breakfast they will lose weight.
T I have found that eating protein in the morning staves off hunger pangs until lunch.
My Mother’s Special Breakfast BreadMy mother never got up to make breakfast for us while growing up, but she always had a pan of this wonderful bread that she made. We coined the name ‘breakfast bread,’ because it was a very tasty morning treat.
I loved the fruit and nuts she put in the bread, and of course, as a youngster, had no idea of all the healthy ingredients in the recipe.
From memory, I reinvented this bread, and it came out really good. My husband often asks me to make it, and I told him not to push his luck. He has toast with almond butter every day, with a big bowl of fruit. On Sunday, I make huge omelets with everything I have – well almost.
Here is the recipe as I remember. You can add different fruits and nuts as you desire.
Special Breakfast Bread Ingredients Use a square Pyrex dish about 8 by 8 and about two inches deep
10 slices of whole grain bread
1 cup of milk
3 eggs
Approximately one cup each of:
chopped prunes
chopped dried apricots
apples
walnuts
2 tablespoons of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil or butter
salt
Directions

• Soak the bread in the milk until the mixture is thick
• Add the eggs and beat well
• Blend all the fruits and nuts together with the bread mixture,
• If it seems too runny add a couple of pieces of bread.
• Add two tablespoons of cinnamon
• Add a dash of salt
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
• Generously grease the pan with either butter or grapeseed oil
• Bake until the center comes up clean with a toothpick

Allow to cool. And dig in!
Empowered Peanut or Almond ButterIngredients1 large jar of natural peanut or almond butter
Approximately 3 tablespoons each of cacao powder, cinnamon, chopped nuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. You can pick and choose from these ingredients to what you like or what you happen to have on hand.
Directions

• Pour out the oil on the top of the jar and put in a small bowl. Blend in the other ingredients. You may have to adjust the amounts to get a thick and workable mixture.
• Blend this mixture with the rest of the butter in the jar. This may take a little effort and can be a little messy. There is a bit of trial and error here, but it is worth it.

This butter has so many vitamins and minerals that you feel healthy as you eat it.
Spread on whole grain toast or apple slices.
Quick but Healthy Breakfast OmeletsIngredients1 egg yolk
3 egg whites
1 heaping tablespoon of cottage cheese
1/2 cup of chopped spinach
1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, curry powder, fennel
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Butter or coconut oil
Directions

• Beat the eggs and save the yolks for future use. Actually, I buy a container of egg whites which I often add to omelets and egg recipes.
• Add the cottage cheese and mix well.
• Add the seasonings to the egg mixture, including salt and pepper.
• Heat the oil or butter and add the chopped spinach.
• Cook the spinach for about five minutes.
• Add the egg mixture and fold the omelets in half when almost fully cooked.
• Cook until completely done.
• You can sprinkle a little dry parmesan cheese on top of the omelets.

My Favorite Very Quick Breakfast IdeaI put about 1 cup of cottage cheese and a teaspoon of xylitol and cinnamon in the blender and blend until smooth. I add whatever fresh fruit I have around and chop it up.
After removing from the blender, I mix the fruit in the cottage cheese mixture. Thus I have a very tasty and nutritious breakfast. I usually add about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of fruit.

Let’s Have a Conversation :What do you do for breakfast? Are there favorite recipes that you’d like to share with the community? Please join the conversation below!

By Nicole Christina 
I’ve been singing the praises of bringing a grateful attitude into one’s life for years. If there is an award for being grateful, I’m in the running.
Radical gratitude got my podcast guest, Margaret Zhao, through being an “enemy of the state” during the Cultural Revolution in China, where she was starved and subjected to forced labor.
Now Margaret is a comedienne and healer in California. When asked how she survived, and what made her so resilient, she doesn’t hesitate for a minute: “It’s all about gratitude.”
Her book, Really Enough, documents the abuses she endured and how she managed to endure. It really shows how one’s attitude makes all the difference, no matter what the circumstances.
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By Kay Arthur 
What is the key to a meaningful relationship? Not just the one you have with your husband, lover, or partner, but any relationship. As we get older, our life journey becomes shorter and time becomes more precious. The answer to that question becomes more urgent. It is more sought after, and often more difficult to achieve.
I’ve noticed that as I age, the realization that I am now on the “other side” of the life span is a glaring fact that is hard to ignore. The balloons at our birthday parties, that we don’t want anymore, now say “Over-The-Hill” and “The Back Nine.” You get the point.
But, as difficult as it is to see those balloons, there is some truth to the words. We grit our teeth, we fake the smiles and force the laugh. Many people are thinking “No! I can’t be that old. How did I get here so fast!”
I remember watching Anthony Hopkins in the movie Meet Joe Black. I cried at the end when he says “Sixty-five years. Don’t they go by in a blink?” The really sad part is that at that time I was only 46 years old. I remember thinking that I had a long way to go before I could say that.
But it’s here. The 60s are here, and my child spirit is in denial that I’ve reached that age. I just don’t “feel” like I should be 60. I’m not fighting it, and I’m certainly happy to have reached this authentic stage in life. However, I totally get what Anthony Hopkins was saying. It happened in a blink.
But he also said, “To make the journey without falling deeply in love, you haven’t lived a life at all. You have to try, because if you haven’t tried then you haven’t lived.”
That is what this article is about – how emotional intimacy plays such an important role in meaningful relationships.
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What Is Intimacy? To me, intimacy means not only the physical aspects of loving someone but also the mental connection. It reaches into your soul, connecting the head with the heart. It’s the sense of “belonging” that we all want. We have a general desire to love and be loved, but intimacy is the string that connects two beings together.

It involves looking into the eyes and truly feeling the connectedness of souls. Intimacy is the unifying warmth of a hand in yours. It’s a hug that is so tight that you can feel the beating of the other’s heart.

I experience it with my granddaughters. When I take their beautiful little faces in my hands and look directly into their eyes, I feel our souls connect. It is an intimate bond.
I feel it with my husband’s loving hands or my children’s crushing hugs. We are connecting each other’s familiar souls. These are all forms of intimacy that we all depend on to sustain and nurture us.

Trust and Loyalty Are Key Components to Intimacy We need to take a good look at our relationships. Are we satisfied or are we craving something more? Opening ourselves up to a deeper relationship with another person involves putting ourselves out there.
It means we commit to give our love and receive love back from someone else. Our tender heart is vulnerable and on the line. To love and be loved. To give and receive. It needs to feel safe to offer itself up for love. So for emotional intimacy, trust has to be a key factor.
An intimate relationship needs a sense of trust and true loyalty. We must believe that our love and friendship can be received by someone who is completely loyal to us. It promises that our spoken secrets and dreams will not be shared or ridiculed. It acknowledges that we are accepted just as we are.
Loyalty from a spouse, child, or friend is essential to a deeply rewarding and lasting relationship. A sense of disloyalty can absolutely be forgiven but will more than likely keep a relationship at arm’s length.
We must feel safe. Without that, even subconsciously, a person will hold back. They won’t freely open the door to the possibilities of deeper, more intimate friendship.
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Intimacy Loves “Show and Tell” Talking or sharing is another component that fosters intimacy. We want to share and receive verbal affirmation that we are on the same page. Not only that, but we want to hear about each other’s lives.
Without stepping into personal space, we crave knowing how they are. We love hearing their voices and treasure time spent with them. We make it happen. Our souls love “show and tell” and feels replenished when time is spent together.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Lastly, respect for the other person is key to an intimate relationship. We care about their life journey. We acknowledge it. We respect it. We don’t judge. We love anyway. That is respect.
Understanding these components of relationships, intimate friendship is truly the most rewarding part of living. Do you feel blessed every day with the intimate relationships that you have? I do. And I will continue to do my very best to nurture and care for them the rest of my life. In the meaningful days that lie before us, it is what truly matters.
My wish for all of you today is to fulfill your life with intimate relationships making your precious soul so full of love that you can say “I don’t want anything more.”

Let’s Have a Conversation: Are there people in your life that you would like to have a more intimate relationship with? What is stopping you? Do you feel like you have loyalty in your relationships? If you were to be gone from this earth tomorrow, would your soul be fulfilled?​

If he’s disassembled your kitchen and can never find the right screwdriver, you probably know this man.
The “I’ll Build a Better Mousetrap” Retired HusbandWhen the guy who never paid attention to the dishwasher or the kid’s practice schedules suddenly wants to reorganize things and constantly asks, “Isn’t there a better way to do this,” it can be crazy making.
You’re in good company if you’re ready to scream, “Leave my mousetrap alone!”
The “No One Needs Me Anymore” Retired HusbandIt isn’t uncommon for a man who’s entered retirement to feel down and that he no longer has a purpose.
Depression upon retirement can become a serious problem. It can be hard to figure out what you want to do with the next chapter and who you are now that you’re not a “working man.” If your husband is depressed, he’ll need your support and possibly the help of a professional counselor to get to out of it.
What Retirement Is Doing to HimRetirement involves adjusting to a new dynamic in your relationship and daily life.
During retirement, the structured routine of work life is generally replaced with a more flexible and unstructured schedule. Adapting to this change can be tough for both of you, especially if one of you thrives on routine and predictability.
There can be several other things that also weigh on your husband that affect his behavior. Among the most common are:
Feeling OverwhelmedYour husband suddenly has a lot more free time. This sounds nice, but for some men, it can also feel like they don’t have a purpose. This can be one of the reasons he tries to become more involved in household matters or take charge of things you manage. It can also be a precursor to depression if he struggles to feel useful.
Retirement also can shift the balance of roles within a relationship. If your husband was the primary breadwinner, he might struggle with a sense of loss of purpose or identity.
Differences in InterestsWith more time on his hands, your husband might want to pursue hobbies or activities that don’t align with your interests. This can be disconcerting as it may mean less time together. On the other hand, trying to pick up activities you used to enjoy together or start new ones can mean rediscovering each other, but it can also mean he wants to be with you all the time.
Financial ConcernsEven if you’ve planned for retirement, the change in finances can be frightening. Depending on your financial situation, retirement might introduce new worries about money and budgeting, leading to moodiness, an unwillingness to do things that cost money, or communication struggles.
Changes in Social DynamicsIf your husband’s friends or colleagues are still working, he might feel isolated or lonely during the day.
Finding Balance in Your Marriage During RetirementFinding in your marriage a balance that allows for you both to feel cared about and respected, allowing room to enjoy each other and have some autonomy, takes work.
Just as every relationship is different, so are the solutions that create balance. The tips below can be helpful as you set yourselves on the right path.

• Discuss and practice a new daily routine that works for both of you and be flexible with it.
• Set boundaries, with outside interests and each other, and communicate your need for space and connection.
• Carve out individual time for yourself, even if it means finding a separate space for hobbies or interests.
• While it’s healthy for both partners to have separate pursuits, finding balance includes identifying shared activities that help strengthen your bond.
• Communicate openly about financial concerns and consider seeking professional advice to effectively manage your new financial life.
• Encourage him to build new social connections with other retirees or join clubs or groups that align with his interests.
• Encourage open discussions about the feelings you each have about this phase of your life and explore ways to find meaning beyond work.
• Be patient with each other and practice empathy. Frustrations are normal and should be addressed with compassion and understanding.
• Encourage physical activity and a healthy lifestyle. Exercise can boost mood and energy levels, and caring for your health becomes even more critical during retirement.

Retirement is a significant life transition, and both you and your husband need time to adapt.
If you find the frustrations overwhelming or persistent, consider seeking support from a counselor. A trained third party can help you better navigate these changes and communicate more effectively.
Remember, even if the road is bumpy to start, working together can make this one of the best, most loving, and most enjoyable times of your lives.
Let’s Have a Conversation:Is your retired husband driving you crazy? How many of the faces of a retired husband have you experienced? What have you done to successfully manage retired life together? Please share your experiences with other readers and join the conversation.
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By Eve Panzer 
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Even if you are not super competitive, we all like to be correct/win – especially when it comes to people closest to us like our family/partners. Wanting to be right can extend to almost any aspect of our lives – some significant, but many times trivial. It is important to distinguish when you need to insist something is right – for instance, for safety reasons – and when you can just let go.
My late husband and I got into some heated arguments about who was right and who was wrong about things – primarily insignificant things. As a result, we both kept a mental tally sheet of how often the other was wrong and how often each of us was right.
I must admit that on my tally sheet, my “right” score was much higher than his – except when it came to technology; he was always right about that! I genuinely thought I was wiser. But was I necessarily wiser? And was being right truly important?
Who Really Cares About “Who Let the Dogs Out?”What I wish I had been wiser about was realizing earlier in our relationship how many things we tangled over that were so trivial. For example, did it matter who was correct about the better route to take or the faster lane? Why argue over who left a light on or forgot to turn up the AC? What’s the big deal if someone bought green grapes instead of red grapes?
When my husband became ill with pancreatic cancer, the keeping score/being correct arguments became almost nonexistent. We did not want to waste what little time we had left. What was truly significant in our lives became excruciatingly clear.
A Clean SlateAfter my husband died, I was given a chance to change my ways. After two years of missing the daily companionship of a partner, I finally did the online dating thing. I was lucky to find someone I was very compatible with and who had similar wants for his next relationship. Several things we discussed almost from the get-go were honesty, no scorekeeping, and keeping drama to a minimum.
Keeping to these commitments has been easier since we don’t have some areas of contention married couples have – finances, children, etc. However, as I stated above, there are so many trivial topics to tangle over that come up in day-to-day living, and we have chosen not to. So, you can make a choice now and start with a clean slate. It is not always easy to do but try to catch yourself.