Living Alone Again, How Eating More Berries May Support Healthy Aging, and Planning Ahead to Prevent Financial Abuse

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Fiction: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak – In Nazi Germany, a young girl finds comfort in stolen books and storytelling while her foster family secretly shelters a Jewish man during World War II.

History (Non-Fiction): Embers of War by Fredrik Logevall – This sweeping history traces France's disastrous war in Indochina and the political decisions that drew the United States into the escalating conflict in Vietnam.

Memoir: Greenhorn: Episodes in an Immigrant's Life by Alex Krieger – This memoir recounts the challenges, discoveries, and defining experiences of building a new life in America as a young immigrant.

Self-Help: The Alter Ego Effect by Todd Herman – This practical guide explores how adopting a carefully chosen alter ego can help overcome self-doubt, build confidence, and perform more effectively in challenging situations.

Romance: Years by LaVyrle Spencer – A spirited young schoolteacher arrives in rural North Dakota and finds herself drawn to a reserved widowed farmer, sparking a tender romance complicated by their differences and small-town expectations.

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Living alone again can feel surprisingly unfamiliar, even if you've done it before.

Perhaps you've spent years sharing a home with someone else—a spouse, children, even pets—and your household has recently changed for whatever reason. Suddenly, dozens of small decisions that once involved another person belong entirely to you.

Some of these differences may take time to adjust to. Others you might find yourself relishing right away.

A home sounds different when you're the only person in it. There are no footsteps in another room, conversations drifting down the hallway, or sounds of someone making coffee in the kitchen, running a sink in the bathroom, or sliding the patio door open. For some people, that quiet feels peaceful immediately. For others, it might feel disconcerting at first.

You don't have to fill every silence. But if the house feels too quiet, experiment with background sound. Play music while making dinner, turn on the television in the morning, or listen to an audiobook while working around the house. Eventually, you may discover which kinds of quiet you enjoy and which kinds of noise you find comforting.

Living alone means you can eat dinner at 5:00 or 8:00—or not at all if you aren’t hungry. You can watch a movie in the afternoon, rearrange the furniture without consulting anyone, or decide that Tuesday is now the perfect day for grocery shopping.

After years of even small acts requiring communication and collaboration, that freedom can initially feel foreign.

Rather than trying to preserve every previous routine, ask yourself what actually works for you now. You may discover preferences you never had a reason to contemplate before.

People who share spaces naturally fall into patterns of chores. Perhaps someone folded the bed each morning. Maybe one person refilled the dish soap every time it got low. Perhaps one person always remembered when the furnace filter needed changing.

Some of these tasks can easily be overlooked when they seemed to have been fulfilled automatically over years. 

If the increase in your responsibilities feels overwhelming, create a simple list of what needs to be done. Separate those items into regular versus occasional needs, and note what needs to be done for each. Once that list is complete, it becomes much easier to set a schedule to ensure everything gets done.

When companionship isn't automatically built into home life, it can help to put it on the calendar.

Arrange a regular coffee with a friend, join a weekly walking club, invite someone over for dinner, or establish a standing phone call.

Having a few reliable points of connection can give the week a comfortable rhythm, all while keeping you from feeling isolated.

Living alone again isn't simply about adjusting to an emptier house. It's about discovering how you want your home, routines, relationships, and time to work now. Some parts may take time to accept and adjust to. Others may become pleasures you hadn't expected.

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.

Think that might be you?

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

If you have a friend you've known for 30 years, you've already lived through a remarkable amount of history together.

The discount: Weis Markets

What it gives you: Participating supermarkets offer senior discount days on eligible grocery purchases

How to claim it: Ask your store about its senior discount schedule and required identification

“The Green Convertible”
From the life overview of Carol B., 78, Richmond, Virginia. Shared with permission.

In 1970, I bought a used green Volkswagen convertible. I was twenty-two and had been saving for a car since I started working. When I saw it parked outside a dealership, I decided right away that it was mine. My father didn’t feel the same way. He thought I had lost my mind.

The roof leaked, the radio seemed to work only when it felt like it, and the driver’s door had to be slammed twice before it would stay shut. Still, I loved that car.

That summer, my friend Susan and I drove to Virginia Beach on a Friday afternoon. We had no hotel reservation and almost no money. All we had was a paper map that kept folding itself back up whenever I tried to read it. We found a motel just before dark.

The next morning, we drove along the coast with the top down. My hair became a tangled mess, and by the time we got home, I had a ripe sunburn across my nose.

I sold the car when I got married three years later.

A few years ago, I came across a photograph of the car in an old album. I had forgotten how small it was.

I also noticed something else.

In almost every photograph from that period, I was smiling.

***

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Classic FM – Music Quizzes
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There's something satisfying about turning a few ordinary ingredients into fresh pasta. With flour, eggs, and a little patience, you can make silky ribbons of fettuccine, delicate sheets for lasagna, or small handmade shapes that hold sauce beautifully.

Homemade pasta is easier than it might appear, and you don't need expensive equipment to get started.

Traditional fresh egg pasta typically starts with flour and eggs. The ingredients are mixed into a dough, kneaded until smooth, and allowed to rest before rolling.

For your first attempt, try this homemade pasta recipe, which includes step-by-step instructions and photographs.

The dough should feel firm but pliable, rather than sticky or crumbly. If it's too dry to come together, add a little water; if it's excessively sticky, dust it lightly with flour.

After kneading, let the dough rest for about 30 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax, making the pasta easier to roll.

You can make excellent pasta using an ordinary rolling pin. Divide the dough into smaller portions, roll each one into a thin sheet, and dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking.

For fettuccine or tagliatelle, loosely fold the sheet and cut it into strips with a sharp knife. Unfold the ribbons and dust them with flour to keep them separate.

If you enjoy the process and want more consistent results, a Marcato Atlas 150 pasta machine makes rolling and cutting easier.

Once you've mastered basic ribbons, try hand-shaped pasta such as orecchiette, cavatelli, or farfalle.

This guide to handmade pasta shapes explains techniques for working with fresh dough and creating different styles.

You can also experiment with spinach pasta, herb-infused dough, or filled pasta such as ravioli.

Fresh pasta cooks much faster than dried pasta, often in just a few minutes. Add it to generously salted boiling water and begin checking for doneness early.

Simple sauces are often best for showcasing homemade pasta. Try butter and Parmesan, olive oil with garlic, or a light tomato sauce.

For additional inspiration, explore King Arthur Baking's pasta recipes.

You can also make extra pasta to freeze for another meal. Arrange portions on a floured tray, freeze until firm, then transfer them to freezer-safe containers.

The real reward isn't simply the finished dish. It's discovering that something you usually buy in a box can be made from scratch in your own kitchen.

When your phone connects to a cellular network other than your regular carrier's network, it's called roaming. This can happen when traveling outside your usual coverage area, especially in another country.

Within the United States, many phone plans include domestic roaming at no additional charge, although coverage and data speeds may vary.

International roaming is different. Depending on your carrier and plan, using mobile data, making calls, or sending texts abroad can result in additional charges.

Even if you aren't actively browsing the internet, your phone may use cellular data in the background to check email, update apps, or synchronize photos.

Before traveling internationally, check your carrier's roaming rates and available travel plans.

On an iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular > Cellular Data Options and look for Data Roaming.

On Android, look under Settings > Network & Internet > SIMs or Connections > Mobile Networks, depending on your device.

Turning off data roaming can help prevent unexpected cellular data charges, but it doesn't necessarily stop roaming calls or texts.

For additional protection abroad, consider using Airplane Mode with Wi-Fi turned back on, or purchasing an international plan before departure.

Today: Quebec’s Charlevoix Region, Canada

Between the St. Lawrence River and the mountains, Charlevoix offers dramatic scenery, picturesque villages, local food, and a peaceful countryside atmosphere. It makes a beautiful addition to a Québec City vacation.

Ingrid’s Tip: Pair a few nights in Québec City with a couple of nights in Charlevoix rather than making it a rushed day trip. The scenic drive becomes part of the vacation when you have nowhere to hurry.

Unscramble the letters to find a famous person, event, or object. Think you know it? Reply with your answer and show off your brainpower.

Today’s clue: Reusable vinyl shapes used to create colorful pictures on a smooth board.

LOROCFROSM

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