Staying Close to Grandchildren Who Live Far Away, the MIND Diet and Alzheimer’s Risk, and How Roth Accounts May Offer More Growth

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Fiction: Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly – Three women from different backgrounds find their lives intertwined during World War II, revealing extraordinary stories of courage, survival, and resilience amid the horrors of Nazi occupation.

History (Non-Fiction): Ghost Wars by Steve Coll – This sweeping history investigates decades of CIA operations, political alliances, and covert conflicts in Afghanistan that helped shape the rise of al-Qaeda before September 11.

Memoir: Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig – This deeply personal memoir recounts a struggle with severe depression and anxiety, exploring the difficult journey toward recovery and the small moments that make life worth living.

Self-Help: The Mountain Is You by Brianna Wiest – This insightful guide explores the roots of self-sabotage and offers strategies for recognizing destructive patterns, developing emotional awareness, and creating lasting personal change.

Romance: The Fine Print by Lauren Asher – A billionaire tasked with renovating a beloved theme park clashes with a creative employee whose bold ideas and irresistible personality threaten his carefully controlled world.

No matter where you are in the process—an idea, an outline, a rough draft, or an almost-finished manuscript—we can help you get your book across the finish line.

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Check a few boxes, and we’ll match you with trusted options and initial consultations—many completely free—across insurance, housing, travel, finances, and more. It takes about five minutes, and you’re not committing to anything—just seeing what can save you time and energy.

When grandchildren live in another city, visits can become big occasions. Everyone looks forward to them, and many grandparents try to cram the schedule with activities to make the most out of a few precious days.

But closeness isn't built only during visits. Often, it's the small exchanges between visits that help grandchildren feel you're part of their regular lives—even when home is hundreds of miles away.

A small tradition can give your relationship its own source of individuality and rhythm.

With younger grandchildren, you might read them a book over the phone every night, have them show you their drawings over videocall, or, send them simple puzzles in the mail.

With teenagers or young adults, sharing a mutual interest can give you a natural reason to stay in touch. Maybe you share your predictions on your favorite sports team, send each other a new recipe to try each week, or form your own long-distance book club.

The tradition doesn't need to be elaborate. What matters is that it belongs to the two of you.

It's easy to focus conversations on major updates: How did the big test go? How was the tournament? What are you doing for your birthday?

While big events can make for exciting conversation, asking about everyday life is often a more natural path to connection.

What are they reading? What's that funny story that happened at practice? What is their favorite subject in school? What's their favorite thing  to do with their friends?

Remembering those details the next time you talk shows that you're interested in their world, not simply keeping track of milestones.

The way you stay connected with a seven-year-old probably won't work quite the same way at seventeen, let alone twenty-seven.

A grandchild who once loved lengthy phone calls may eventually prefer occasional text messages. Someone who seemed too busy to talk as a teenager may become much more communicative a few years later in their twenties.

Allowing the relationship to change and evolve at its own pace can help keep it comfortable for both of you.

Living in different cities changes how you spend time together, but distance doesn't determine the strength of a relationship. Familiar traditions, genuine curiosity, and consistent small gestures can instill a strong sense of connection between visits—and make the visits all the more fulfilling by allowing you to spend less time getting to know each other and more time enjoying each other’s company.

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.

You don't have to make a big change today. Sometimes a good day starts with a good conversation.

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“The Wrong Wedding”
From the life overview of Dorothy S., 83, Cincinnati, Ohio. Shared with permission.

In 1965, I went to the wrong wedding by mistake.

I was twenty-two and had been invited to the wedding of a girl I worked with at a department store. The ceremony was at a church I had never visited before.

I arrived about fifteen minutes late, so I slipped quietly into a pew near the back.

Everyone was dressed beautifully, and the music had already started.

I remember thinking that the bride looked lovely. Then I noticed she wasn’t the bride I knew.

I looked at the program. Wrong church.

I quietly stood up and tried to leave without anyone noticing. Unfortunately, the woman sitting beside me had already moved her purse for me to sit down, and when I stood, she asked if I was feeling ill.

I whispered, “I’m at the wrong wedding.”

She started laughing. The people in front of us heard her.

Within about thirty seconds, three other people knew.

Someone eventually pointed me toward the right church. Unfortunately, it was six blocks away.

I arrived twenty minutes late. By the time I got there, my friend was already walking down the aisle. She saw me in the back and smiled.

After the ceremony, I told her what had happened. She laughed so hard she had to sit down.

I never made that mistake again.

Mostly because I started checking the address before I went somewhere.

***

Want to preserve for future generations the stories, experiences, and wisdom that have shaped your life?
Have Your Life Overview Written

The Deep Sea
How far down into the ocean would you have to travel to encounter a giant squid, an anglerfish, or the wreck of the Titanic? This fascinating interactive experience lets you scroll from the ocean's surface all the way to its deepest known point, discovering strange creatures and remarkable facts along the way. The deeper you descend, the more extraordinary the discoveries become.

Typatone
What would your name sound like if it were music? This unusual online experiment turns every letter you type into a musical note, transforming ordinary words and sentences into little compositions. Try typing a favorite quotation, a short poem, or a message to someone special and listen to the melody your words create.

Officials Warn of New Healthcare Phone Scam

This daily section is brought to you by MemoirGhostwriting.com, experts in capturing life stories for loved ones and/or the public.

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You don't need to know how to draw or mix colors to create a painting worth displaying. Paint-by-numbers kits provide a preprinted canvas divided into numbered sections, with each number corresponding to a particular paint color.

The appeal is simple: you can concentrate on the pleasure of painting without worrying about what to paint next. And with today's selection of landscapes, florals, animals, and famous artworks, there's much more variety than you might remember.

Most paint-by-numbers kits include a numbered canvas, acrylic paints, brushes, and a reference image. Some also include a frame or hanging hardware.

For a first project, choose a design with larger sections and fewer colors. Intricate paintings with hundreds of tiny spaces can take considerably longer to complete.

Canvas by Numbers offers designs ranging from colorful landscapes to reproductions of famous paintings.

You can also browse Michaels' paint-by-number kits for different sizes, styles, and difficulty levels.

Set up your canvas on a flat, well-lit surface and keep a small cup of water and a paper towel nearby.

Work with one color at a time, or complete one section of the painting before moving on. There's no single correct approach.

A few useful habits can improve the results:

Once you've completed a few kits, consider turning a favorite photograph into a paint-by-numbers project.

Winnie's Picks offers custom kits made from personal photographs, allowing you to paint a family portrait, beloved pet, or memorable vacation scene.

Choose a clear photograph with good lighting and distinct subjects for the best results.

When your painting is completely dry, you can frame it, hang it on a wall, or give it as a handmade gift.

For a smoother appearance, some painters lightly blend neighboring colors while the paint is still wet, although this is entirely optional.

The pleasure of painting by numbers comes from watching an image gradually emerge, one small section at a time. It's a creative project you can return to whenever you have a spare hour—and the finished result is something you made yourself.

Found an interesting YouTube video but don't have time to watch it? YouTube's Watch Later feature lets you save videos to a personal playlist so you can return to them whenever you're ready.

While browsing YouTube, look for the three-dot menu beside a video and select Save to Watch Later.

If you're already watching a video, tap or click Save beneath the player. You may need to select Change to choose the Watch Later playlist.

You must be signed into your YouTube account to save videos. Once saved, they'll remain on your list until you remove them, unless the videos become unavailable.

On the YouTube website or mobile app, open the You section and look for Watch Later under your playlists.

Tap any saved video to begin watching. You can also use the three-dot menu beside a video to remove it from the list.

Your Watch Later playlist is connected to your Google account, so you can access it across devices when signed in.

One important distinction: Watch Later doesn't download videos. You'll still generally need an internet connection to watch them.

Today: Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen blends colorful waterfronts, royal history, beautiful gardens, and excellent restaurants in a city known for its relaxed atmosphere. Many of its highlights are concentrated within a relatively manageable area.

Ingrid’s Tip: Take advantage of Copenhagen’s harbor boats and public transportation instead of trying to walk everywhere. You’ll save your energy while still seeing plenty of the city.

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: Pink, chewy treat kids loved blowing into big bubbles.

BLEBUB MUG

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