A More Comfortable Bathroom, Spotting Skin Cancer, and 4 Social Security Changes for 2027

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History (Non-Fiction): Why the West Rules—For Now by Ian Morris – This wide-ranging history examines why Western societies gained global dominance and what long-term patterns suggest about the future.

Memoir: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park – The author recounts her escape from North Korea and the dangerous journey that ultimately led her toward freedom.

Self-Help: Finish by Jon Acuff – A practical, motivating guide to overcoming perfectionism, following through on your goals, and actually finishing the things you start.

Romance: Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn – A woman returning to her hometown uses an old teenage wish list to rediscover herself, with unexpected help from a reclusive former troublemaker.

Business: The New Market Regime by John R. Pangere – A practical framework for understanding shifting market conditions and adapting investment strategies to a changing financial landscape.

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When people think about making a home more comfortable for the years ahead, they typically imagine expensive renovations. But one of the most practical rooms to improve doesn't necessarily require a major remodel.

Small, thoughtful changes in the bathroom can make everyday routines easier, more comfortable, and safer—all while allowing the room to feel warm and welcoming instead of clinical. Indeed, many of the best improvements are the ones you hardly notice once they're in place.

Bathrooms are frequently used early in the morning or late at night, when good lighting makes the biggest difference. Fortunately, there are several ways to address a lack of light:

Good lighting makes everyday tasks like shaving and brushing your teeth easier while also helping reduce the chance of slips or missteps.

Today's safety products don't have to look like they’ve been transplanted from a hospital. Grab bars are now available in finishes that match modern towel bars and faucets. A comfort-height toilet can make getting up and down easier while still looking like any other toilet. A shower stool can offer extra confidence during long showers, and many can be folded for storage when not in used. A handheld showerhead makes rinsing easier, both while seated or standing.

These are just a few items that can make a bathroom more accessible without sacrificing its appearance.

One simple way to make a bathroom easier to use is to reduce unnecessary bending, stretching, and reaching. The best approach is to store frequently used items—namely toothbrushes, medications, hairbrushes, skincare products, extra toilet paper, and hand towels—at comfortable heights. If you use something every day, it shouldn't require crouching into the back of a lower cabinet or reaching dangerously onto a high shelf.

The bathtub or shower is one of the most common places where falls occur. But even without renovating, you can make the space safer and more comfortable by adding a few simple items:

Small adjustments like these make everyday routines much more secure without breaking the bank.

A bathroom should feel pleasant as well as practical. Soft towels, a small plant that enjoys humidity, a framed picture, or a favorite incense can make the room feel inviting. If you spend a little time there each day, those small comforts are worth enjoying.

Just like every other room in the house, the bathroom should be designed in a way that makes it both inviting and conducive for spending time in.

Sometimes the smallest inconveniences become the most noticeable over time. Like with safety matters, small changes can make a big difference:

These aren't dramatic changes, but together, they make the room noticeably easier to use.

One of the wisest approaches to aging in place is making small improvements while they're still optional. Adding better lighting, installing grab bars, or reorganizing storage now allows you to enjoy the benefits immediately, rather than having to make changes during a stressful time later. Many people find that these updates improve convenience regardless of age—and by the time you need them, you’ll be thankful they’re already there.

A comfortable bathroom isn't simply about appearance. It's about creating a space that supports independence, reduces everyday frustrations, and helps you feel confident using it for years to come. Often, the smartest improvements are the simplest ones.

We're looking for seniors who are embracing life with enthusiasm, purpose, and adventure. Whether you're traveling the world, starting a business, volunteering, pursuing a passion, learning new skills, or simply making the most of every day, we'd love to hear your story.

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Email [email protected] with a photo and a short bio. We may feature you in an upcoming edition of Seniors Magazine.

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“My Mother’s Recipe Box”
From the life overview of Patricia H., 73, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Shared with permission.

My mother passed away in 1996. After the funeral, I brought home a small metal recipe box from her kitchen.

It wasn’t worth anything. The paint was chipped, and the little dividers inside were bent. But it contained dozens of her handwritten recipes, most of which were written on scraps of paper. Some were on the backs of envelopes. One was even written on the back of an old electric bill.

My favorite recipe of hers was the one for apple cake.

It said, “Two apples. Some cinnamon. One cup sugar. Flour until it looks right.”

That’s all there was.

I called my sister and read it to her. She laughed and said, “That’s exactly how Mom cooked.”

I tried making the cake several times. But the first one came out too dry. Then the second was too sweet. At least the third was edible.

Eventually, I figured out the meaning of “looks right.”

For years, I kept that recipe box in the back of a kitchen drawer. Whenever I needed a recipe, I would pull out a cookbook. The ones in the box were mostly useless.

Then, one Christmas, my granddaughter asked me how to make the apple cake like my mother made it.

So, I opened the box.

She looked at the recipe and said, “Grandma, this doesn’t say anything.”

I told her that was how my mother had always done it.

We made the cake together. It wasn’t perfect.

But neither was my mother’s.

***

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The Old Farmer's Almanac – Gardening Calendar
Enter your ZIP code and this online calendar provides planting dates tailored to your area, including when to start seeds indoors and when common vegetables can safely go into the ground. It turns general gardening advice into something considerably more useful for your own backyard. It’s worth bookmarking before the next planting season rolls around.

National Gallery of Art – Videos
This free video library goes well beyond virtual exhibits, with short films, lectures, artist stories, and explorations of intriguing questions in art and history. Recent subjects range from William Blake’s unconventional career to Civil War photography and an enormous artwork designed around the movement of the stars. It’s an easy place to find something substantial to watch without committing to a feature-length program.

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Think about what you genuinely enjoyed doing 10, 20, or even 40 years ago. Maybe you played guitar, painted, grew tomatoes, built model airplanes, sewed, fished, or spent Saturday mornings taking photographs. Returning to an old hobby can be surprisingly satisfying—and you don't have to pick up exactly where you left off.

Before buying new equipment, see what you still have tucked away. Pull out the old knitting needles, camera, fishing tackle, or guitar and spend an afternoon getting reacquainted.

If you've forgotten some of the basics, today's online resources make refreshing your skills much easier. Fender's free guitar lessons can help returning guitar players review chords and techniques, while the Royal School of Needlework's Stitch Bank provides instructions for hundreds of embroidery stitches.

Gardeners can browse practical gardening resources from the University of Minnesota Extension, covering everything from vegetable gardens to flowers and houseplants.

You don't have to recreate exactly how you practiced a hobby decades ago. Perhaps you once developed photographs in a darkroom but would now enjoy digital photography. Maybe you used to sew clothing but would rather make quilts or small home projects today.

If painting was once your thing, Artists Network's free art tutorials offer refreshers covering watercolor, drawing, acrylics, pastels, and other mediums.

An old hobby can also introduce you to new people. Libraries, community centers, craft stores, recreation departments, and local clubs often host groups built around gardening, photography, quilting, woodworking, music, and other interests. Meetup can help you search for hobby groups and gatherings in your area.

Most importantly, don't compare what you can do today with what you could do years ago. Give yourself time to rediscover the rhythms, skills, and small pleasures that made you love the hobby in the first place.

Sometimes the best new hobby isn't new at all—it's one that's been waiting patiently for you to come back.

Phones, computers, tablets, routers, and other devices can sometimes become slow, unresponsive, or simply behave strangely. Restarting is often one of the first troubleshooting steps worth trying because it gives the device's software a fresh start.

As a device runs, its operating system and apps constantly use temporary memory and background processes. Occasionally, one of those processes can freeze, fail to close correctly, or interfere with something else.

Restarting shuts down those active processes and reloads the operating system. That's why it can fix problems such as a frozen app, sluggish performance, a Wi-Fi connection that suddenly isn't working, or a feature that isn't responding properly.

Some software and security updates can't finish installing while certain parts of the operating system are in use. A restart allows the device to complete those changes and begin running the updated software.

Restarting is different from a factory reset. A normal restart simply turns the device off and back on and should not erase your photos, contacts, apps, or other personal files. If a problem returns frequently after restarting, however, it may be a sign that an app, setting, or hardware issue needs further attention.

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Today’s clue: Neighborhood place for a haircut, shave, and conversation.

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