The Confidence of Knowing What Suits You, What Your Balance Reveals About Heart and Brain Health, and Estate Planning Essentials

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Fiction: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell – Ten years after her teenage daughter mysteriously disappeared, a grieving mother meets a charming stranger whose young daughter bears an unsettling resemblance to the girl she lost.

History (Non-Fiction): The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin – This gripping history recounts the devastating 1888 blizzard that swept across the Great Plains, trapping schoolchildren and settlers in deadly conditions and exposing the hardships of frontier life.

Memoir: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi – This powerful graphic memoir recounts a young girl's childhood in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, revealing how political upheaval, war, and cultural restrictions shaped her family and identity.

Self-Help: The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook by Edmund J. Bourne – This comprehensive workbook offers practical exercises and evidence-based techniques for managing anxiety, overcoming phobias, reducing panic attacks, and developing healthier coping strategies.

Romance: The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry – Two grieving neighbors struggling with devastating losses find comfort in an unlikely connection that gradually develops into a deeply emotional romance.

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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Sometimes you experience a pleasant shift after years of trying different things: You finally know what genuinely suits you.

You know which clothes you feel good wearing. You know whether you'd rather host six people comfortably than twelve impressively. You know which furniture you actually enjoy living with. You know which decorations brighten your life and which only meet some vague aesthetic.

This shift doesn’t mean caring less about how you present yourself. If anything, it means becoming more intentional about it.

Fashion offers an obvious example.

Trends come and go, but eventually you learn which colors, fabrics, shapes, and styles consistently work for you, regardless of today’s trends. Instead of wondering, “Is this fashionable?” you may be more inclined to ask, “Will I actually wear this?”

The same thing can happen at home. Perhaps you've discovered that you prefer comfortable rooms filled with books to perfectly coordinated spaces, or that the dishes you want to have ready and nearby are the used favorites instead of the perfectly matching set.

Knowing your preferences makes it easier to choose confidently and consistently.

Once you're less concerned with impressing people, certain things become more enjoyable.

Drink from the beaten-down mug that fits your hand perfectly. Wear the weathered boots to lunch when it’s raining. Invite friends over even if the house isn't immaculate. Order the dessert you were eyeing up even if nobody else asks for anything.

When the grip of external approval loosens, it becomes much easier to identify what you approve of.

Being comfortable with yourself doesn't mean abandoning standards.

You can enjoy dressing beautifully for dinner, setting an attractive table, keeping a welcoming home, or choosing something simply because it's elegant.

The difference lies not in what you’re doing but why you're doing it.

Making an effort because it gives you pleasure feels very different from making an effort because you're worried about meeting someone else's expectations.

Knowing what suits you can simplify countless decisions. Instead of constantly looking outward for cues about what's impressive, fashionable, or expected, you develop your own reliable sense of what feels right.

That's not caring less. It's choosing more intentionally.

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’ve probably been someone’s favorite teacher, even if teaching was never your job.

The discount: Econo Lodge

What it gives you: Offers senior rates at participating Choice Hotels properties, generally for guests age 60+

How to claim it: Select the senior rate when reserving a room

“The Last Day at the Factory”
From the life overview of Frank B., 87, Youngstown, Ohio. Shared with permission.

I worked at a steel mill outside Youngstown for thirty-two years. When I started in 1962, I was twenty-three years old. I retired in 2001. The work was hard, and the shifts were long. On most evenings, I came home smelling of oil and metal. That’s why my wife always made me leave my work clothes in the garage.

By the time I retired, the mill had changed considerably. Many of the men who were there when I started were gone, and younger workers were doing certain jobs with the help of automation—even though it once seemed impossible. I had mixed feelings about leaving. Even though I was tired, I couldn’t quite imagine what I’d do with my days.

On my last shift, the men in my department gave me a watch. It wasn’t expensive, but they still had to collect some money for it. The watch had a heavy metal band and a plain white face. During our break, the men presented it to me along with a sheet cake from a bakery down the road.

One of the younger fellows even prepared a speech for me. He’d worked with me for only three years, but he said I had taught him everything he knew about the machinery. I told him that was unfortunate, because he still had a lot to learn.

Everybody laughed, including me.

I drove home that afternoon in my old pickup, carrying what was left of the cake in a box on the passenger seat. My wife had made a special dinner for me, and many of our relatives were in our house to celebrate. People kept asking whether I was excited to retire.

I told them I was.

The next morning, I woke up at 4:30, as usual. Instead of getting up and preparing for work, I just lay there a while staring at the ceiling. At six, I made coffee. Then at seven, I went into the garage and started cleaning my tools.

I haven’t had to set an alarm clock for work in over twenty-five years. But even after all this time, I still wake up before sunrise.

***

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3D Pottery – Google Arts & Culture
Ever wondered what it would be like to make pottery on a spinning wheel? This interactive experience lets you shape, decorate, and fire virtual clay while attempting to recreate historical pottery from around the world. Your finished creation is scored for accuracy, making it a surprisingly entertaining combination of art, craftsmanship, and a little friendly competition.

Playback.fm – Music Quizzes
How well do you remember the musicians and songs that filled the radio decades ago? Playback.fm offers entertaining quizzes that challenge you to identify familiar performers, recognize music videos, and test your knowledge of legendary artists such as the Beatles. It's a fun way to revisit favorite musical eras while discovering how much you still remember.

Sheriff’s office warns of Facebook scam using fake death notices

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 an expensive telescope to explore the night sky. A simple pair of binoculars can reveal lunar craters, distant star clusters, and celestial sights that are difficult to appreciate with the naked eye.

Binocular astronomy is an excellent way to get started because the equipment is portable, relatively inexpensive, and useful for daytime nature watching, too.

For beginners, 7×50 or 10×50 binoculars are popular choices. The first number indicates magnification, while the second represents the diameter of the objective lenses in millimeters.

A 7×50 pair provides a wide field of view and relatively steady images, while 10×50 binoculars offer greater magnification but can be harder to hold still.

For more guidance, explore Sky & Telescope's binocular astronomy resources, which cover equipment selection and observing techniques.

The Moon is one of the most rewarding objects to observe through binoculars. You can see large craters, dark volcanic plains called maria, and the dramatic boundary between its illuminated and shadowed regions.

Try observing around the first-quarter Moon, when shadows along that boundary make surface features particularly noticeable.

NASA's Moon observation resources offer information about lunar features, phases, and upcoming events.

Once you're comfortable finding the Moon, look for brighter deep-sky objects.

The Pleiades star cluster, also called the Seven Sisters, is a beautiful binocular target. The Beehive Cluster in Cancer is another excellent choice when it's visible.

Jupiter's four largest moons may also be visible through steady 10× binoculars under favorable conditions, appearing as tiny points of light beside the planet.

Use Stellarium to locate these objects from your own backyard and see when they'll be visible.

Choose a location with a clear view of the sky and as little artificial lighting as possible. Allow your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, and use a dim red flashlight when checking notes.

A reclining chair or a tripod-mounted binocular setup can make longer observing sessions more comfortable.

For help finding interesting targets, browse NASA's skywatching guides.

Keep a simple observing journal with dates, weather conditions, and objects you've spotted. Over time, you'll build a personal record of discoveries—and realize just how much of the universe can be explored with two small lenses.

Sometimes a computer program freezes, stops responding to clicks, or displays a “Not Responding” message. This doesn't necessarily mean something is seriously wrong. Often, you can get things working again without restarting your entire computer.

Wait a minute or two before taking action. Some programs temporarily stop responding while processing large files or completing updates.

If the program remains frozen, try closing it normally using the X in the upper-right corner on Windows or Command + Q on a Mac.

If it still won't close, you can force it to quit.

On Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Find the unresponsive program, select it, and click End task.

On a Mac, press Option + Command + Esc to open the Force Quit Applications window. Select the frozen program and click Force Quit.

Be aware that forcing a program to close may cause you to lose unsaved work.

Afterward, reopen the program. If freezing happens repeatedly, check for software updates and restart your computer. Persistent problems may indicate insufficient memory, outdated software, or another issue worth investigating.

Today: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dubrovnik pairs a spectacular walled Old Town with sparkling Adriatic views, historic architecture, and inviting seaside restaurants. Beyond the famous walls, nearby islands and coastal villages make it easy to add a quieter side to your stay.

Ingrid’s Tip: Explore the Old Town early in the morning or later in the afternoon when it’s cooler and less crowded. And don’t feel you need to climb every staircase—the best vacation is the one you actually enjoy!

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: Old-fashioned sweets once sold for just a few cents.

YNNEP YDNAC

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