Welcome to the Retirement News Articles for the week of October 30th:
My favorite articles for the week are:
- Bonus Story: The History of Halloween
- Travel for Seniors: 11 Beautiful Car-Free Places Around the World
- Food, Nutrition and Cooking: Recipe: Tomato Tortellini Soup
Though I am not the author of these Retirement News Articles, I have searched earnestly for quality content that will prove of value and interest to my subscribers. I hope you enjoy these articles and encourage you to comment on not only the content, but with thoughts on what subjects you would like to see in this weekly compilation.
Please note that you can now subscribe to this weekly edition on the upper right-hand portion of my website (or for those viewing this on a smart phone, it should be at the bottom of the page).
I also encourage you to check out my other post for the week as well:
Thank you
Mike
Retirement News Articles – Bonus Story
Explore the ancient (and not-so-ancient) origins of Halloween traditions, including the surprisingly sultry history of bobbing for apples, the devilish legend behind the Jack-o-Lantern, and why everybody loves rewatching Hocus Pocus. This link provides further links to several stories.
Travel for Seniors
If you’re craving a vacation that’s equal parts relaxing and sustainable, there are many car-free places around the world that can help you truly escape the noise (and smog). These destinations—which range from city centers to entire islands—have either banned motorized vehicles for environmental reasons or for purely practical reasons (i.e. cars simply can’t fit through their narrow streets). The results are always the same: clean, peaceful areas where the air is fresh and life seems to move a little slower.
So, the next time you’d like to really unplug and rewind, consider one of these beautiful car-free places around the world, from Kenya to Kyoto. Just remember to pack comfortable shoes.
The second article, from CNBC Travel, shares the burdens of “overtourism”. In some instances, seemingly quiet, bucolic locations, often with limited local populations, are inundated with thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands of tourists annually. It sometimes overwhelms the local communities and provides little economic benefits. In other cases, larger cities, like Amsterdam, also feel the effects. Communities around the world are beginning to develop strategies and initiate controls to reduce the negative effects of this phenomenon.
11 Beautiful Car-Free Places Around the World
They just come, take a nice selfie … and leave.’ Overtourism returns, but cities are fighting back
Lifestyle, Health & Welfare for Seniors
Article one shares that cinnamon has been shown to be good for your health. To paraphrase some of the benefits cited in the article, “There are enough favorable studies that together suggest that about 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon per day may slightly improve blood sugar, insulin resistance, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and inflammation, compared to placebos.” Interestingly, there are two primary kinds of cinnamon, and it matters which one you take. That makes this article a must read if you plan to add the spice to your daily regimen.
Article two talks about how modern medicine has done a great job of extending the human life span. However, those “extra” years are not always healthy ones, so what’s the point? Find out how you can extend your “healthy years”.
The Health Benefits (And Risks) Of Eating Cinnamon, According to Experts
Ways to Extend Your Healthy Years, Not Just Your Life
Food, Nutrition & Cooking
Article one shares a wonderful recipe for a winter time favorite comfort food, tomato tortellini soup. As the writer shares, “What’s not to love about bite-sized nuggets of pasta filled with cheese?” However, she recommends you skip the usual sauce in favor of cooking up a rich and creamy tomato soup that comes together in 20 minutes — perfect for busy weeknights!
Article two discusses one of my favorite subjects…pizza! Chicago is especially known for pizza. Homegrown styles of pizza have evolved thanks to a new cadre of chefs putting their personal spin on pan, deep dish, and tavern styles of pie. Here are our 25 favorite pizza joints, ranked in the article.
Article three features a one-pan, stovetop-only version of stuffed shells. The article is from Anna Stockwell, at Epicurious, with a recipe that turns mushroom-and-spinach stuffed shells into an easy weeknight dinner.
Article four begins by discussing food waste and then migrates to the benefits of a whole food diet. Worthwhile topics for sure. However, the best part of the article is the four recipes for full utilization of the pumpkin and its high nutritional value.
Recipe: Tomato Tortellini Soup
Vegetarian Skillet Stuffed Shells
How to Cook Every Part of a Pumpkin
Recreation, Exercise & Hobbies
Thanks to their resistance to low temperatures, these plants will keep your home lively and colorful throughout the whole year. This assumes that you don’t live in an extreme climate. I am not sure what defines an extreme climate, but I would imagine USDA plant hardiness zones 8 and higher might be worth a try. There are exceptions…researching African violets, as an example, shows they thrive in zones 11-12, so are best used as house plants.
The COVID pandemic caused many to seek the outdoors and the numbers continue to grow. As article two states, for many, the allure of the outdoors is the chance to see wildlife. However, as research has shown, even the existence of a trail to hike on, let alone, the presence of hikers, can be detrimental to wildlife.
Wildlife Needs Hikers to be More Responsible
Arts, Entertainment, and Reading
In article one, the author, Emily Temple, reminisces about her 2019 list of most iconic poems in the English language. She thought it time to produce a similar list for short stories, resulting in this post. Before encouraging you to read the article, I will leave you with a quote from the article:
“What does “iconic” mean in this context? Can a short story really be iconic in the way of a poem, or a painting, or Elvis? Well, who knows, but for our purposes, “iconic” means that the story has somehow wormed its way into the general cultural consciousness—a list of the best short stories in the English language would look quite different than the one below.”
It’s officially Halloween season. Article two shares 20 scary stories you can read online. What is even better, they are free.
43 of the Most Iconic Short Stories in the English Language
20 spooky short stories you can read for free online
Financial Management for Seniors
Retiring in a down market can be scary. Decisions made now, while your portfolio is down, can have long lasting ramifications. Article one provides 10 tips that can help you weather the storm as well as stay calm while the winds of change swirl around you.
Article two discusses how now is the prime time to start thinking about optimizing your Roth conversions, RMDs, capital gains, Medicare premiums and charitable giving before the end of the tax year.
10 Strategies to Consider When Retiring During a Volatile Market