After numerous requests to take on a major volunteer project, and after declining several times, I ultimately said “Yes.” That ‘yes’ resulted, for the better part of a year, in much more of my time than I had anticipated…

Several years ago, I wrote an article on Sixty and Me on the benefits of Shinrin-Yoku, spending time in the forest for health and well-being. I thought of my forest experiences, then and now, when I heard about a recently developed forest project near where…

A friend who is 10 years younger than me and I have a running joke. Her mother sometimes disapproves of our joint outdoor adventures, so she will frequently say, “Mary Lou is old enough to know better,” all in a joking way. Recently, I arrived at a rural venue…

This summer, I made a trip to Hawaii. This was not unusual. With family living there, I tend to visit once a year or so. Generally, people who live in this environment are keenly aware of the dangers of dehydration. Whether heading…

A suggestion from my wise older brother several years ago resulted in spending a few days traveling with our other siblings. On the second day of our travels, it occurred to me that this was the longest space of time I had spent with several sisters…

How gullible can this consumer be? I’ve been hearing and seeing bits and pieces of reports recently that recycling of plastics really has not been, nor was intended to be, fully implemented. And further, that the industry knew it would be infeasible…

We’re into our second full month of winter. I don’t need a calendar to tell me this. When I have misplaced one half of each of my two favorite pairs of gloves, we have passed the half-way point of winter. Thus far, my favorite hats are still accounted…

After a lifetime of multiple careers, many of us worked with a high level of skill. Competence was necessary. Now, in retirement, how about indulging ourselves in hobbies, projects, or activities where we are less than competent?

You may have seen the report from the Stanford Center on Longevity titled the New Map of Life. It is written not only with longevity of us, the baby boomers, but more futuristically benefitting our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. We are only the beginning…

Traveling solo can be an enriching and affirming experience. It can also be filled with worry and anxiety if we let self-doubt cloud our journey. Take on the ‘what if’s’ by planning ahead and putting yourself in charge of the resolutions to possible problems…