Book Review: The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff

04/07/202104/07/2021

by Leslie Farin This month's recommendation from Great Thoughts, Great Readers: The Woman with the Blue Star: A Novel Pam Jenoff's new novel, The Women With the Blue Star, tells a story of devotion and self-sacrifice between two young Polish women as WWII rages on around them. Though similar in age, the two

Mother’s Day Got You Down?

04/06/202104/06/2021

originally posted April 25, 2019 updated April 6, 2021 Author: Leslie Farin UPDATE: It's been three years since Mom died and two since we lost our Mother-in-Law. I continue to miss both of these wonderful women more than I can say. Mother's Day continues to be a difficult holiday for me, though the

Yes, Your Nose is Bigger: It’s Not Your Imagination

03/13/202103/13/2021

by Ellen Blake originally posted 9.11.2019 updated 3.13.2020 Do noses grow with age? Looking in the mirror the other day, I noticed my nose seems larger. It’s always been prominent, but is it getting even bigger? Does your nose grow with age? It’s not my imagination! I decided to go through some old photos to determine

As the World Opens Up…Are You Ready to Lose the Lockdown Loungewear?

03/09/202103/13/2021

by Sara Heron, Owner, Personal Style and Color Coach Lockdown loungewear - the new norm All our lives turned upside down as a result of the worldwide pandemic this past year. Covid19 presented unprecedented challenges and forced many to live an unfamiliar life. Our lives became a rollercoaster of emotion that tested

Book Review: Band of Sisters

03/04/202103/12/2021

Reviewed by Arlen Kane, Manhattan-based award winning writer This month’s book recommendation from Andrea Peskind Katz of Great Thoughts, Great Readers: ENTER OUR DRAWING FOR A FREE COPY OF BAND OF SISTERS ON FACEBOOK (pinned to top of FB Page) ***NO FACEBOOK? NO PROBLEM! EMAIL US WITH YOUR ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AUTHOR

Mary Lou Retton Today: A Powerhouse in a Tiny Body

03/01/202103/02/2021

by Leslie Farin A powerhouse in a tiny body I was a fan of Mary Lou Retton's long before I attended the 4word 2021 Virtual Gala this past Saturday night. However, after listening to her interview with Molly Fletcher, who you may know as the first female sports agent, I love her

10 Words That Instantly Show Your Age

02/28/202103/02/2021

By Leslie Farin originally posted:11/23/2019 updated: 2/28/2021 Words that show your age Sometimes I notice my kids' eyebrows shoot up when I say certain words - words I grew up with and still use without thinking. The blank expressions on their millennial faces clearly show they think I am an old fuddy-duddy. Not that

Book Review: The Daughters of Kabani by Gayle Lemmon

02/13/202102/18/2021

By Harriet Gross This month’s book recommendation from Andrea Peskind Katz of Great Thoughts, Great Readers: The Daughters of Kobani: A Story of Rebellion, Courage, and Justice A Book About Role Models Was Gayle Lemmon trying to make role models for American women when she wrote The Daughters of Kobani? She doesn’t overtly say

7 Must Read Books in Honor of Women’s History Month 2021

books
Living

02/11/202102/12/2021

by Leslie Farin THE UNTOLD STORIES OF WOMEN IN HISTORY In honor of Women’s History Month this March, I want to highlight seven books about the untold stories of women in history to read in 2021. In these pages, discover the story of a woman who fought for her freedom from the Jacksonville

Self-Love and Valentine’s Day – Why It’s Important

02/07/202102/07/2021

by Marlene Caraballo originally posted January 31, 2019 updated February 7, 2021 Who to Give Your Heart to this Valentine’s Day Has it been a long time since you gave much thought to February being the month for sweethearts? After fifty, Valentine’s Day can come and go quite quietly. Maybe you’ll have dinner with your

When Valentine’s Day is Just Not Your Thing as a Married Women

01/29/202102/01/2021

by Stephanie Gonzalez originally posted: February 6, 2020 updated: January 29, 2021 Valentine's Day is just not my thing. I understand Valentine’s Day is a real holiday and not what people call a “Hallmark holiday”. Some quick research into Valentine’s Day shows it started in the 5th century and, in my opinion, is a

Goal for 2021: Practice Self Care

01/27/202103/16/2021

by Ellen Blake originally published 1.5.2020 updated 1/5/2021 How are your New Year's resolutions going so far? We are not even a month in, and already I feel my resolve slipping away. My list of goals for 2021 is long - and almost exclusively revolve around what I want to do for others.

The Housesharing Trend: Are You a Single Boomer Who Doesn’t Want to Live Alone?

Living

01/07/202101/09/2021

by Ellen Blake originally posted 8.5.2019 updated 2.8.2021 "Live with a stranger? No Way!" I hear this statement many times. But people are starting to rethink their living situations. For example, my active and youthful friend, Marilyn, was widowed last year at age 56. She and her husband planned to grow old together in

The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict

01/07/202103/01/2021

This month’s book recommendation from Andrea Peskind Katz from Great Thoughts, Great Readers: The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict The New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room returns with a thrilling reconstruction of one of the most notorious events in literary history:

Four Benefits of Senior Cohousing During the Pandemic and Beyond

01/07/202101/08/2021

by Ellen Blake updated January 7, 2021 What is cohousing? Cohousing is a style of living that originated in Denmark in the 1970's. It's an intentional community of private homes organized around common space, shared meals and group activities. In the U.S., cohousing started in the early 2000's. It is not the same

Micro Weddings Trending During Pandemic Times

01/06/202101/06/2021

sponsored post Just Say I Do You or a family member is ready to say “I Do” and you don’t want to put it off until who knows when. Your carefully constructed and thoughtful wedding plans simply don’t work with the current pandemic restrictions, and suddenly, the arrangements for your magical day

Are You a Curious Explorer? How to Live a Fulfilling Life

01/05/202101/06/2021

by Amy Temperly My life crisis Recently I had a life crisis. Maybe you had one of these little gems at some point. Life is smooth, and then all of a sudden, nothing feels right and you just don’t know who you are anymore. These episodes tend to happen during transitional times

You Can Begin an Exceptional Career at Any Age

01/03/202103/13/2021

by Ellen Blake originally post 6.3.2019 updated: 1.3.2021 Update: This article, written prior to the Covid19 pandemic, is more applicable than ever now. This past year was hard - financially and emotionally. Many of us lost our jobs and/or our purpose. It's not too late to start a new career; it will look

Home is Where You Park It

01/03/202101/04/2021

Author: Leslie Farin originally posted May 31, 2018 updated January 3, 2021 Update 01/03/2021 The Goldsteins are still living the RV life - and loving it. They continue to happily travel around in their 400 square foot home, a 41' long Heartland Landmark fifth-wheel trailer towed by a Ford F-450 Super Duty. As of

Why Long Term Female Friendships Enhance Your Life

12/30/202012/30/2020

By Leslie Farin originally posted November 10, 2019 updated December 30, 2020 I know I can't be the only one who thinks my girlfriends ROCK - but mine really do. I just returned from a much needed girls trip with a fabulous group of women I met in 1999, a few years after