With a new year fast approaching it's time to think about what we want to accomplish and make lists of lofty goals that we may or may not achieve. I caught the tail end of an interview this weekend with a woman who was diagnosed with cancer that resonated with me. She talked about how her cancer scare made her realize that she needed to experience more and move outside her comfort zone. So she made it her mission to try something new and find different ways to change her usual routines by making small changes. She gave an example where instead of taking the train home one day, she decided to walk and marveled at all the wonderful places she got to see as a result. Her point was to begin and shift one's perspective in small ways.  I have the tendency to think that significant growth can only be accomplished with big lofty goals, only to be disappointed when they don't materialize. So this year I'm going to do things differently and make smaller changes more often and not wait for the big events in life to find personal satisfaction. I'll try a new shade of lipstick, not have Tuesday taco night every week, take a different route home, read mysteries instead of histories, drink a cocktail not Riesling and play in the snow instead of sitting by the fire. Move out of the comfort zone and challenge myself in small ways. Stagnation can result when we hang onto the same rituals and habits we have successfully created for ourselves in order to control our world and create a predictable, safe life.  Maybe Bill Murray's character in the movie "What About Bob?" had the right idea, with his "baby steps" approach toward overcoming fear and achieving a better you.

The lost art of letter writing that is giving way to emails and in some cases emails that are giving way to social media, is a source of concern to writer Simon Garfield. He writes a thought provoking article in the Wall Street Journal outlining his concerns that historians will no longer be able to piece together events as they have in the past by reading personal correspondence that have for hundreds of years been the primary source of historical information. Over the years I have personally saved all my letters from close friends and family that have helped me remember  long forgotten events and brought me back emotionally to important times in my life. Mr. Garfield laments the fact that family letters buried away in attics will be a thing of the past, as written communication gives way to a different form. Currently archivists at some of the world's largest institutions including the Smithsonian Institution, the British Library and the Brodleian Library at Oxford to name a few are grappling with how to handle the present forms of digital material. We have gleaned so much for example from love letters between historical figures such as Henry the VIII and Anne Boleyn and John and Abigail Adams about not only their feelings for each other but how they perceived events in their times. Mr. Garfield ponders that "The future of human communication is still a cloud of uncertainty".

To celebrate a milestone birthday in a fun and interesting way, the Flavor Of Rochester.Com Blogs, featured a woman who visited 60 wineries during a cross country trip to celebrate her 60th. She collected a bottle of wine from each winery and great memories along the way. You could take her clever idea and apply it to any passion or interest you have to come up with a meaningful way to celebrate a big birthday.  History buffs could celebrate by visiting the president's homes and presidential libraries scattered around the country. Nature lovers could have a memorable time visiting our beautiful National Parks starting from the shores of Maine to sunny California.
 I could conceive of celebrating by combining the wineries, history tours of the president's homes and libraries with stops at the National Parks along the way, for a great way to celebrate the impending 60th birthday, only a few years away.
 At any rate it's fun to think about a theme for your next "milestone birthday" and do some day dreaming about traveling and experiencing some places and things you have on your "bucket list" of things to do.

"Still Foolin' 'Em" by Billy Crystal, is his hilarious take on growing old from one of the funniest comedians of our generation. As he turns 65 and joins the 77 million baby boomers who are also hitting this milestone, he wonders how he got to this point and when he started looking like his uncle Al. "Where I've Been, Where I'm Going and Where the Hell Are My Keys". He captures with humor the physical changes and indignities of aging endured by boomers in American society. More trips to the Dermatologist than to see his grandchildren, older men who have given up and wander the malls after their wives, dental cleanings where jackhammers are now needed to chisel the tartar resembling a coral reef and embarrassing your spouse by nodding off at Broadway performances. It is also part memoir of his fascinating career and great stories of the people he met on his way up. You'll feel better after reading Billy's new book knowing he is also going through the challenging aging process with humor we can relate to.

Nostalgic baby boomers are gravitating in numbers to see tribute shows to the 60s and 70s rock stars we loved growing up. Recently I attended the Back To The Garden musical tribute celebrating Joni Mitchell, Carol King and Laura Nyro, at a packed show in the Ithaca Hangar Theatre. It was great to be in the company of so many boomers singing and swaying to the songs that shaped our youth.
 On Broadway there is the Night With Janis Joplin show packing the house where you can hear those favorite Joplin songs, Down on Me, Going To Montery and Bobby McGee sung by the talented and believable Mary Bridget Davis.  You can also see Motown on Broadway which tells the story of Berry Gordon, the founder of Motown and hear over 50 hits of various artists such as Stevie Wonder, Glady's Knight and The Pips, Diana Ross and the Jackson 5 to name a few. Then there is the Fab Four Beatles tribute show started in 1997 and still going strong around the country.
So be prepared to do some day tripping back to the 60s and 70s with the flood of memories that come back when music was such a force in our lives. It makes you feel young again hearing the songs that meant so much and remembering the events attached to them.
Long Live Rock and Roll!

Adventurous boomers will like the Caretaker Gazette www.caretaker.org where for over 30 years they have advertised opportunities for house sitting and property care taking all over the world. You pay $29.95 for a year subscription where you can view interesting opportunities that may take you to a ranch out west or a French chateau. The responsibilities involve property and house maintenance plus pet sitting in some situations. The arrangements vary from a free place to live to receiving a salary in addition to rent free accommodations. Many years ago a close friend who was between jobs got an opportunity to property sit for a famous author in the woods of New Hampshire.
 In fact many of the properties listed are second homes and how interesting would that be to stay in the home of someone well known such as an author. There are also opportunities to stay and house sit in hunting and fishing lodges as well as bed and breakfasts where you would most likely meet many interesting people from many walks of life. 
This could be a great chance to experience a different part of the country for those boomers who don't want to be tied down and are looking for a unique opportunity in the world of house and property care taking.

I find Yoga to be one of the best forms of exercise to help ease stiffness and aches that so often accompany middle age. After tiring of my limited yoga tapes from the 90's I was happy to find the site http://doyogawithme.com. It has a large selection of  yoga videos ranging from beginner to intermediate which state the degree of difficulty and describes the work out. You can also take 6 week classes for those who enjoy a more structured approach. It is well organized, easy to use and best of all costs nothing.
 I especially love the convenience of being able to stream yoga on my computer where I can do my Down Ward Dog in private. It's also great for those who live in remote places or who can't make a class because of busy schedules.
I knew you could do yoga in many places, by the ocean or a mountain top but the most unusual place I recently saw, was a group doing their Warrior poses in what I consider to be extreme yoga, on their flat boards in the marina on Canandaigua Lake.  I was in awe that they were able to balance themselves on their boards while staying on top of the water, when I struggle to keep my balance on solid ground.
Where ever you choose to do yoga and what ever your level, yoga has health and emotional benefits worth pursuing. Namaste!

A wonderful example of American ingenuity can be found in the Beacon Hill Village Project in Boston beaconhillvillage.org where a group of individuals with little or no family, banded together to form a plan which enables them to stay and age in their neighborhoods. Together they hire their own staff to perform home repairs, provide medical care, deliver groceries/medicines and other tasks depending on the needs of the group.  They rent space for lectures, music events and book reviews designed to enrich their member's lives. Member's pay an annual fee of $675 for a single membership and $975 for a household. The Village Project was formed on the principle that their members want to remain fully integrated into their beloved communities living among all age groups and not in isolation found in many senior living communities. They also formed a national organization to advise others across the country on how to start their own Beacon Hill Village Project in both urban and rural settings.
 This concept could be very appealing to the millions of Baby Boomers who are beginning to face their own aging issues, as the first of the Boomers born in 1946 hit 65 in 2011. In my circle of friends some of those who are childless have expressed concern over who will take care of them in their advanced years. The Beacon Hill Village concept could be an alternative for those who want to remain in the communities they love or something similar to the "Golden Girls" where friends pool their  resources together and live in a communal type situation. One thing is certain that the Baby Boomer generation will do things different than their parent's and shape it to their needs where they have control over their health and lifestyle, not confined to the traditional models of  geriatric care.

I just returned from a "mini" college reunion with 3 of my buddies where we reconnected, reminisced and relaxed on the shores of beautiful Briggs Lake in Michigan. The conversation never stopped flowing as we picked up with each other's lives as if 2 years had never passed. We looked over the Alma College Face Finder or "Pig Book" as it was affectionately referred to and marveled at how young we looked and cringed at the late 70's hair styles. We wondered what became of others who never made it and dropped out, imagining their fate's. We were able to find some on Face Book to help fill in the blanks over the past 30 plus years. We talked about what attracted us to the small liberal arts school of 1200 students in the middle of nowhere, far from cool Ann Arbor or Central Michigan. For two of us it was our parent's college where we had grown up hearing their stories about Alma College. My father and his frat buddies were the original "Animal House" where he found out many years later at one of his class of 1953 reunions, were considered legendary by the younger generation of Delta Gamm Tau, known as the "Delts".
We have all fared quite well with our prospective careers and also in the marriage department with all four of us married over 20 years and 2 marriages close to the 30 year mark. We represent a cross section of our generation with 2 of the group choosing to remain childless, in a world that is different from our mother's with more options for women. One out of the four battled and overcame cancer, bearing out the statistics.
 Despite the years and struggles along the way we are still those same girls that found each other at such a pivotal point in our lives.  It was in college that we all had our first taste of freedom living on our own for the first time away from parent's in a stimulating, yet secure environment. It was an exciting time to seek out new experiences, explore ideas and discover who you were. A carefree time in life where we only had to worry about papers, grades and who was throwing the next party.
We are entering a point in our lives now where we have the time and desire to reconnect. Retirement is in the picture and our children are grown and out of the nest. Our attention is shifting away from careers and looking after others to rediscovering what we want out of life, a stage very similar in some ways to our youthful days of college. Fostering friendships both old and new is important for your health and emotional well being. I know I felt re-energized for many days after I returned from our reunion. Next year I am looking forward to "hosting" the next get together in the Finger Lakes wine country where we will sample some Rieslings along the Finger Lakes Wine Trails, and go down memory lane again, fondly remembering our Alma College days.

There is an interesting rent vs buy movement emerging as a result of the economic downturn. With money in tight supply due to job losses, early forced retirements and stagnant wages, many are renting out their possessions and services, ranging from parking spaces to baker's secrets. It also stems from the backlash to excessive consumerism and the reuse, recycle mentality that has griped Americans. You can find just about anything you can imagine on "Rent It Today" rentittoday.com
Then there is the French company "Zilok" us.zilok.com where you can rent items from both businesses and individuals. They provide the rental agreement and the parties arrange the exchange.
If you need a high end look for a special event then check out "Rent The Runway" www.renttherunway.com, where you can rent a designer dress, handbag and jewelry to make a lasting impression with out a huge outlay of money. To rent a villa or couch for the night depending on your needs and budget, go to "Air B & B  airbnb.com. There are a variety of dwellings worldwide that range from the unusual tree house to the more traditional city apartment. The company has a million dollar insurance policy against theft or damage for those worried about sharing their dwellings with strangers. If you are in need of a vehicle or want to make money renting out your vehicle then check out "Get A Round" www.getaround.com
The renting movement is an interesting concept born out of the necessity to offset costs during these challenging economic times. You just might want to check out your cluttered garage or think about that spare bedroom that could provide some extra income.

I accidentally discovered  RL.TV while mindlessly channel surfing one night which is the only online cable network for those 50 and over. Among the line up are several shows in particular that are worthwhile viewing. "My Generation" is based on the AARP lifestyle magazine series that tackle a variety of topics of relevancy to Baby Boomers.
 The "Art of Living" has personal stories about Boomers from all walks of life and their accomplishments. "Second Act" looks at those reinventing themselves through starting second careers they have dreamed about. "Health Line" deals with health care topics and medical issues facing older Americans. Joan Lunden examines care giving in our culture in "Taking Care". Then there is my favorite," Bookmark" that chronicles books with author interviews. An off shoot of "Bookmark" is "Books and Beyond" that uncovers the motivation behind the author's works.
It is refreshing to find intelligent TV specifically geared to the interests and achievements of Baby Boomers, who are undoubtedly shaping society in ways that are different from previous generations. I'll be putting RL.TV on my list of worthwhile programs to watch from now on.

With hefty college tuition bills to pay and little extra left over for my own pursuit of higher knowledge, I was determined to find something on line I could study and explore at no cost. That's when I stumbled across Coursera. org, part of the MOOC, Massive Open Online Courses. It offers literally hundreds of courses from University Professors around the world that you take from the comfort of your home, at your own pace and schedule. The weekly lectures consist of short video segments, under 60 minutes that typically run for 6 weeks. You can listen to them in one sitting or at different times. There are optional quizzes and assignments for those who want a challenge. I prefer to simply listen to the lectures and take my own notes, without the pressure of performing, which fits my style of learning at this point in my life. Presently I am exploring issues related to aging through Global Aging, the subject of image manipulation through The Camera Never Lies and topics related to nutrition through Nutrition for Health and Promotion of Disease Prevention. The possibilities are endless for exploring different topics. I look forward to my classes and being in the world of ideas.  Mental stimulation I certainly crave after a dead end career that is winding down.  So check it out, you'll be amazed at all there is out there for the taking. You are never too old to learn! coursera.org