A rewarding retirement starts here. Your life rests in your hands. How you live it, you choose. What it will bring to you during your days on earth, you choose. That responsibility continues into your retirement years. Some refer to that time as the third stage of life. I like…

An anecdotal look at a few differences — Long before my wife and my recent three-week vacation in Mexico, I had been to the Baja two or three times. At least once I motorcycled 2/3 of its length. On another occasion, my wife and I switched out our Hawaiian timeshare for a few weeks south of the border. …

A look at the engines and steam that power our cities — My wife Ingrid and I have been on vacation in Mexico. Three different cities in three weeks: the cities of Oaxaca, Guanajuato, and San Miguel de Allende. Each locale exudes magic in its own way. Each city has so much to offer in a one-week stay. Yet, the contrast between…

Living abroad is not paradise. — Years ago I saw an older man wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the saying “same same, only different”. I considered the conundrum but could not make sense of his message. I had to go over and ask him. He smiled and seemed happy to explain his shirt. “I was in…

The WWW is a good thing, isn’t it? — The digital age is defined as this current time of social media, international news, and history all at our fingertips. It’s not slowing down either. It screams forward now into Web3. All human knowledge can be accessed with a few clicks. …

How to be a better listener by taking in what your friend is really saying—and not trying to fix them — Years ago, a male friend was touting a book at our Alaskan book club. One of the joys of book clubs is exposure. Exposure to subjects that you would have otherwise never given a second thought. …

For years I wrote. Legal briefs, memoranda, and lists. Lots of lists, lists of things to do of top priority, and things to do of low priority. Grocery lists, goal lists, lists of work projects. And, yes, more legal briefs and memoranda. Eight years ago I began to write for…

Maybe it’ll make your heart sing too. — For thirty years my wife Ingrid and I lived in Alaska before relocating to the Tropics. One year while still in the North, Ingrid decided to form a new habit. She would write down 30 blessings every morning. …

Hint: It doesn’t involve exercise. — Have you socialized a little bit less with each passing year? Do you often forego a night out with friends to instead lay on the couch watching old movies? Have you failed to return to the gym, the card club, church, or other social gatherings since the Pandemic? Now is…