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On Dreamshaping: When Staying the Course Means Hitting the Iceberg
Mark McNease
How many times have we kept doing something because we were convinced it would have the result we wanted if we just kept doing it? We stayed the course despite possible detours or course corrections because it felt safer and more familiar to trudge ahead, even though the ground we walked on got softer and muddier and harder to free ourselves from.
Jobs are a good example of this. Relationships, too. We plow ahead, ignoring warnings and our own deep understanding that this work or this person is not helping us live the life we want. It doesn’t have to be a partner, either. It can be a friend or family member whose world view is so at odds with ours that we’re better off wishing them well in our hearts and putting them out of our lives.
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Savvy Senior: How Medicare Covers Alzheimer’s Disease
Dear Savvy Senior,
What exactly does Medicare cover when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease? My husband was recently diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer’s, and we would like to find out what’s covered and what isn’t.
Planning Ahead
Dear Planning,
I’m very sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis, but you’ll be happy to know that most medical costs to treat beneficiaries with Alzheimer’s disease are covered by Medicare. Unfortunately, long-term custodial care costs that most patients eventually need are not. Here’s a breakdown of what Medicare does and doesn’t cover when it comes to Alzheimer’s disease, along with some tips that can help you plan ahead.
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One Thing or Another: Brave New Retirement
By Mark McNease
It’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.
“What day is it?”
It took me very little time after retiring from full-time work to ask this question, common among the post-job legions. After spending years with a life organized around a work schedule, one of the first things you may notice when the schedule is gone is that you’re uncertain if it’s Monday, Sunday, or some other day of the week you used to spend punching a time clock of one kind or another. For myself, I’d invested the previous five years staffing a deli counter at a grocery story, Thursday through Sunday. I’d called it my semi-retirement job, since I only had to put in thirty-two hours a week in exchange for benefits. The main reason was to provide health insurance for myself and my husband, and I’d promised myself that as soon as he was on Medicare, I was out of there. And I was!
It’s early days for me in this less restricted life. I can go to weekend festivals again. When we take our two-night getaways, they don’t have to be early in the week, when the hotel rates are cheaper but most of the restaurants are closed. I’d enjoyed that for a long time, but now we can book a room somewhere for whatever nights we want to be there, and it’s almost an overdose of freedom.
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One Thing or Another: Brave New Retirement
By Mark McNease
It’s always One Thing or Another… a lighthearted look at aging, life, and the absurdities of it all.
“What day is it?”
It took me very little time after retiring from full-time work to ask this question, common among the post-job legions. After spending years with a life organized around a work schedule, one of the first things you may notice when the schedule is gone is that you’re uncertain if it’s Monday, Sunday, or some other day of the week you used to spend punching a time clock of one kind or another. For myself, I’d invested the previous five years staffing a deli counter at a grocery story, Thursday through Sunday. I’d called it my semi-retirement job, since I only had to put in thirty-two hours a week in exchange for benefits. The main reason was to provide health insurance for myself and my husband, and I’d promised myself that as soon as he was on Medicare, I was out of there. And I was!
It’s early days for me in this less restricted life. I can go to weekend festivals again. When we take our two-night getaways, they don’t have to be early in the week, when the hotel rates are cheaper but most of the restaurants are closed. I’d enjoyed that for a long time, but now we can book a room somewhere for whatever nights we want to be there, and it’s almost an overdose of freedom.
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Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in Lesbian Herstory (April 30 – May 6)
Ronni Sanlo’s This Day in Lesbian Herstory makes the past ever-present with daily rundowns of historic events and people.
Ronni Sanlo
THIS DAY in LESBIAN HERSTORY -
Cover Reveal: Open Secrets: A Maggie Dahl Mystery
I hope to be finished soon with the loooooong awaited sequel to Black Cat White Paws: A Maggie Dahl Mystery.
In the upcoming Open Secrets, local author Shanna Delaney, who first appeared briefly in Black Cat White Paws, becomes the center of a murder mystery. Shanna has written a follow up to her successful first collection of essays about life in a Delaware River town, and this time she’s rumored to be naming names. Not everyone whose secrets she could reveal wants them made public, and someone may be willing to kill to stop her.
Meanwhile, a year after her husband’s sudden death, Maggie finds herself on a date with a man who just may be the one to lead her back to a life away from the grief she’s known. Can she love again? And more importantly, will she?
Find out in Open Secrets, releasing fall, 2022.
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Cover Reveal: Open Secrets: A Maggie Dahl Mystery
I hope to be finished soon with the loooooong awaited sequel to Black Cat White Paws: A Maggie Dahl Mystery.
In the upcoming Open Secrets, local author Shanna Delaney, who first appeared briefly in Black Cat White Paws, becomes the center of a murder mystery. Shanna has written a follow up to her successful first collection of essays about life in a Delaware River town, and this time she’s rumored to be naming names. Not everyone whose secrets she could reveal wants them made public, and someone may be willing to kill to stop her.
Meanwhile, a year after her husband’s sudden death, Maggie finds herself on a date with a man who just may be the one to lead her back to a life away from the grief she’s known. Can she love again? And more importantly, will she?
Find out in Open Secrets, releasing fall, 2022.
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An App for That: Easy Anytime Parking with ‘Park Mobile’
An App for That is a regular feature at LGBTSr highlighting useful apps and technology tips for our readers.
We were walking down the street recently and my husband, who only pays for parking if there is no other option, noticed how many parking meters had no time on them, yet cars were parked beside them. Lots of cars, up and down both sides of the street. We checked the posted signs, and sure enough, they were all supposed to pay. Yet we had walked several blocks to evade the meters. What was going on?
We asked a server at the restaurant we went to, and she said, “Oh, they’re probably using Park Mobile. It’s a parking app.”
I don’t know why it had never occurred to me to get a parking app, but considering how many times I’ve wanted to park closer to our destination but had no quarters for a meter (the town in question still uses coin-fed meters), you’d think I would have gotten a clue much sooner. Which brings us to Park Mobile, one of the most popular parking apps available. Check out the features and see if it’s for you. It makes parking a breeze, and it’s as available as your nearest smartphone.
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The Twist Podcast #192: Decomposing Democracy, Praise for Retirement, and Our Favorite American Carnage Memes
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we process the leaked Supreme Court decision clarifying the majority’s radical plans, offer some thoughts on the joys of retirement, and consider our decomposing democracy.
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The Twist Podcast #192: Decomposing Democracy, Praise for Retirement, and Our Favorite American Carnage Memes
Join co-hosts Mark McNease and Rick Rose as we process the leaked Supreme Court decision clarifying the majority’s radical plans, offer some thoughts on the joys of retirement, and consider our decomposing democracy.
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Ask Your Uncle: Do 10,000 Steps a Day Really Make a Difference for Your Health?
Welcome to Ask Your Uncle, a regular feature at LGBTSr.com answering questions big and small. Have something to ask your uncle? Email us at Uncle@LGBTSr.com.
Q: Everyone seems to be counting their steps these days, with the general consensus being a minimum of 10,000 per day to maintain basic step-health. Where does that come from, and is 10,000 steps really a magic number?
A: Uncle sees step counters everywhere and wonders the same thing. Why do so many people consider 10,000 steps to be a basic daily requirement? What are they basing this belief on?
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Savvy Senior: Specialized Moving Services That Help Seniors Downsize and Relocate
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend any businesses or services that specialize in helping seniors downsize and relocate? I need to find some help moving my mother from her four-bedroom home – where she’s lived for nearly 50 years – to an apartment near me.
Overwhelmed Daughter
Dear Overwhelmed,
The process of downsizing and moving to a new home is a big job for anyone, but it can be especially overwhelming for seniors who are moving from a long-time residence filled with decade’s worth of stuff and a lifetime of memories. Fortunately, there’s a specialized service available today that can help make your mom’s move a lot easier for her, and for you.
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Savvy Senior: How to Find Educational Trips for Retirees Who Love to Learn
By Jim MillerDear Savvy Senior,
My wife and I planning to travel much more frequently in retirement and are very interested in educational trips and adventures. Can you recommend any groups or firms that specialize in this type of travel geared towards retirees?
Love to Learn
Dear Love,
Educational travel, which combines travel with in-depth learning opportunities has become a very popular way of travel among retirees. Here are a few good places to turn to find these types of trips in the U.S. and abroad.