Welcome to Retirement News Articles for the week of November 13th. Wow, I can’t believe it is almost Thanksgiving! The World Series is over, college football bowl season is only weeks away and we have snow in the Rockies.
Though I have had a holiday story or two up to this point, the season is heating up and you will see an increased focus upon the Thanksgiving feast, winter activities and related news. This is definitely my favorite time of year.
My favorite articles for the week are:
- Bonus Story: In search of the Old Ones: Where to find the world’s longest-lived trees
- Food, Nutrition and Cooking: You Don’t Have to Make Everything from Scratch on Thanksgiving
- Arts, Entertainment & Reading: 11 Actors Who Asked for Their Characters to Be Killed Off
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
Article one is of particular interest to me…it’s quite fascinating that trees can live to these ages. To quote the author in article one:
“Of some 140,000 species of woody plants on the planet, only about 25-30 can, without human assistance, produce specimens that reach the age of 1,000 years or older. Of those millennials, only about 10 can reach 2,000 years. And of those super mortals – all of them conifers – only three can produce trimillennials. Only one (to current knowledge) can produce quadrimillennials.”
In search of the Old Ones: Where to find the world’s longest-lived trees
Travel for Seniors
I apologize for not posting article one sooner. Fall might have been a great time to check out the loneliest roads in America. That said, if you want to see some when they are really lonely, perhaps winter is the peak time to check them out. Interestingly, it is not a Robert Frost want to be who found these roads that are …” the one less traveled by”, but bureaucratic bean counting.
Article two is from Conde Nast, who of course always have travel on their minds…even when it comes to books. They offer 13 great reads as you contemplate a trip to the ever-special destination of Italy.
The Loneliest Road in Every State in America
13 Travel Books to Read Before Your Next Trip to Italy
Lifestyle, Health & Welfare for Seniors
Article one highlights the findings from a recent study published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity journal. The study shares that the incredible memory attributes of super agers (seniors in their 80’s) was linked to faster than normal motor skills and better overall mental health.
As winter approaches, it is easy to let cabin fever…or perhaps the winter doldrums, set in. Article two provides a list of activities to keep seniors active during the darker, colder winter months, ranging from indoor gardening to joining book clubs. I was a bit disappointed the list didn’t include learning a musical instrument, so that might have to be a discussion for a later newsletter.
Memory Function in Older Adults Linked to Faster Movement and Better Mental Health
Indoor Activities to Keep Seniors Engaged During the Winter
Food, Nutrition & Cooking
Article one, from Bon Appetit of all places, gives us permission to incorporate some ready-made components to our Thanksgiving feast. They have not only given you some ideas of what things can be substituted for home-made, but have tested several products from three likely categories; pie crusts, cornbread, and stuffing.
Article two is great story for those of you who like bread. I know I definitely fall into that category. Only three or four of these European breads were familiar to me. I’ve often thought I’d like to travel Europe with a musical theme (historical or performance), a wine theme (vineyards), but now think a bread theme might be another potential area of focus for European travel.
It’s getting to be that time of year. As you prepare for your Thanksgiving dinner, I thought I’d throw in these last two articles to give you ideas (and recipes) for side dishes and desserts. You have plenty to choose from here, and if you are not the primary cook, but promised to bring a side dish, here is a chance to shine.
You Don’t Have to Make Everything from Scratch on Thanksgiving
10 Types of European Breads with Fascinating Stories
50 Thanksgiving Desserts That’ll Steal Your Turkey’s Thunder
Recreation, Exercise & Hobbies
Article one is for those of you like me, who will venture outside at every opportunity. Not surprisingly, the author lists snowshoeing, one of my favorites, as a “senior friendly” winter activity. If that interests you, check out my article “Snowshoeing Gear Guide”.
It is easy and understandable that the activity levels of seniors may decline during the winter months. Article two gives us a great guide on resistance band exercises that can help us stay fit and trim during this inevitably slower time of year.
5 Senior-Friendly Outdoor Winter Activities
10 Resistance Band Workouts for Seniors
If you don’t have resistance bands, check out this inexpensive set at Amazon. I have purchased and used this specific set and highly recommend it: Veick Exercising Bands for Strength Training Equipment at Home *
Arts, Entertainment, and Reading
Even as a child, I used to enjoy reading my parent’s monthly “Readers Digest”. One of my favorite sections was titled, “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. I would think article one is in support of this theme, as it provides 13 books that will make you laugh and cure what ails you without any nasty castor oil or medicines with side effects.
Article two will be of interest to many of you who have become enamored of the characters in your favorite sitcoms or movie “series”. I know my wife will be especially interested to find out that the actor playing Matthew Crawley of Downton Abbey, Dan Stevens, chose to die in the series, as he was ready to pursue other acting interests.
13 Books That Will Actually Make You Laugh Out Loud
11 Actors Who Asked for Their Characters to Be Killed Off
Financial Management for Seniors
On Thursday, the Internal Revenue Service revealed that income tax brackets and the standard deduction for Americans are set to increase. These adjustments, influenced by escalating inflation, mean that taxpayers will need to achieve higher income thresholds to fall into elevated tax brackets with their corresponding higher rates for the tax year 2024.
Article 2 is an issue I plan to discuss with my broker this week. Being retired, I think I might want to lock in rates for a small portion of my portfolio. This article is a great read as it also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of buying actual bonds vs. bond funds or ETF’s.
The IRS Announced New Tax Brackets for 2024—Here’s What You Need to Know
“Is It Time to Lock in Rates on Treasury Bills & Bonds?”
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