Friday Feature: The Marvelous Marin Hinkle

I first paid attention to Marin Hinkle when she was Alan's ex-wife on Two and a Half Men. Now, as a huge fan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I'm loving her as Rose Weissman. 

As a writer and creator of characters of my own, I love it when I get to hear (or, in this case, read) an actor's take on the character they play. Marin Hinkle does just that in this piece from Next Avenue. A warning, though -- if you're not up to date on your Mrs. Maisel viewing, you might want to bookmark the article, as it does contain spoilers.

Happy Reading! And if you haven't already discovered The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, I'd recommend checking it out this weekend.

Friday Feature: If I'm an Apple, Can I Retire Next Week?

 

No, I'm not really planning to retire next week -- or even hoping to. But, as someone who has already retired from one career, I've done a fair amount of reading on IRAs, annuities and stock portfolios, and I've never heard retirement explained in terms of fruit. If I had, perhaps my eyes would have glazed over less often.

Jim DeGaetano has used exactly that analogy, though, classifying wannabe retirees as pears, apples, and strawberries based on their expected income for needs, wants and legacies. In this clear article from Next Avenue, he lays out what it means to be an apple, a pear, or a strawberry, and what to keep in mind, based on which fruit best describes you. 

I love it when professionals find clever ways to explain their areas of expertise, especially when they can do so without being condescending. Now, if only all financial planning was as easy as A is for Apple.

Friday Feature: The Alexander Technique

Several years ago, when I was having trouble with my voice, a friend who's a music teacher suggested I look for someone trained in the Alexander Technique. Although the voice teacher I found (and love) discussed posture, we didn't work on the Alexander Technique per se. In fact, I hadn't thought about it at all until a newsletter from Next Avenue popped into my inbox with the Alexander Technique in its subject line.

In reading the article, I was fascinated to learn just how many things this approach is helpful for. A semester and a half of teaching from a desk chair has given me a whole new interest in this technique, only now I wan to know how it can help alleviate the aches and pains from too much sitting.

The older I get, the more I believe I am where I'm supposed to be and that things cross my radar for a reason. I miss my voice lessons (not recommended due to too much exhaled air in too small a space), but I miss my voice teacher even more. The article was an interesting read but, maybe it's something more as well. I think maybe I'll reach out and share the article, and see if Sarah would like to Zoom. Luckily COVID puts no restrictions on friendship.

Breathe easy, friends. 

Friday Feature: Raffi, Children and the Future

When my daughter was small, she (and I) listened to Raffi tapes at (her) bedtime. In fact, I think it was her wonderful pre-K teacher, Miss Amy, who introduced us to Raffi. His songs were catchy and  both of us could listen to them. In other words, I didn't groan internally when I asked my daughter what music she wanted me to play at bedtime and she chose Raffi.

These days, I'm finding even more more to like about Raffi. Still writing music and giving concerts, he has fully embraced social media and is dedicating himself to advocating for his audience. Through his Raffi Foundation, he is running Child Honouring courses, hoping to make the world a better place for children and, perhaps, everyone else as well.

I'm not sure what these courses entail but, as someone who teaches child development, I'm always impressed by those who use their platforms as a springboard for positive change or, in Raffi's case, to advance "a positive vision that holds 'the primacy of the early years' as key to activating the powerful potential of our species." Or, to quote another musical superstar, the late Whitney Houston, "I believe the children are our future."

Me too. And I can only hope that Raffi's outreach is yet another way for others to come to that conclusion as well.

Friday Feature: Age Bubbles

Are you in an age bubble? Up until a few days ago, I didn't even know such a thing existed but, the other night, as I was attempting to reduce the massive number of emails in my inbox, I came across an article in Next Avenue about this very topic.

If you're as old as I am, you might identify more with the concept of a generation gap. Or, if you're a social scientist, you might think of these groups as cohorts -- Baby Boomers, Millennials, Generation X, etc. Being in an age bubble is sort of an age group segregation -- most of our contacts are with our peers -- those in our own cohort -- deepening our understanding of the age we are in but, at the same time, limiting our contact with those in other generations. It's easy to see how this can lead to finger-pointing, head shaking and other forms of disapproval, many of which are rooted in a lack of knowledge about "kids these days."

But bursting the age bubble isn't just about reducing judgment. Increased contact with those outside our cohort can benefit us as well, broadening our perspective on the world and increasing our own shot at happiness as well.

Want to know whether or not you need to enlarge your bubble, or maybe even burst it? Check out the article and the quiz and see where you stand.

Not surprisingly, since I work with young people, I got a 10. (Yes, I'm bragging).

Can you beat my score?

Friday Feature: Trash or Treasure?

In January, we helped my dad move out of his condo in New Jersey and into an apartment near us. He and my mom had lived in the condo for seventeen years, and had downsized considerably prior to that particular move, yet there were still a lot of possessions to sort through and find homes for. Some made the cut, moving to his new place or our house or my sister's house. Many were donated, a few things consigned.

It was a long process.

My parents weren't hoarders and their home wasn't large. They had a basement, but no garage, and there was no clutter in their living space. It was the best of all possible downsizing situations, yet it was still overwhelming.

As a result, when I stumbled across this article ("Your Top Ten Objects Your Kids Don't Want"), I saw a Friday Feature, if for no other reason than a potential public service announcement.

My house is so much more cluttered than my parents' home ever was. Our daughter is twenty, yet there are still baby toys in my basement and I'm pretty sure there's a playpen in the crawlspace. As life proceeds, we acquire, and as life gets busy, the time to reduce our collections becomes hard to come by. Unless we move, it's all to easy to just let things collect. And when life events force us to downsize, emotions complicate practical decisions.

"Your Top Ten Objects Your Kids Don't Want" doesn't simply moan about parental collections. It provides suggestions for what to do with treasured objects whose beauty lies in the eye of the owner, answering the inevitable, "what do I do with this?" question for at least a few things tucked away in attics, basements and garages.

Have you found great beneficiaries for your once-prized possessions? We were thrilled to discover that Habitat for Humanity takes furniture, and I love taking my already read books to our local library.

If you know of a charity or organization that would benefit from gently used treasures, please share it in the comments below. You might just provide exactly the help people are looking for.

Friday Feature: Working Longer & Loving It

Five years ago, I took an early retirement.

It didn't stick.

The first year looked a lot like retirement, with a few community ed classes (as an instructor) and some writing thrown in. But before the academic year ended, I got another teaching offer, one that turned into a second career.

I don't really mind. In fact, I'm thrilled. I never expected to be retired in the traditional sense at 51, and finding a second career I loved as much as the one I'd left was a wonderful surprise.

Whether for financial reasons, or just to keep things interesting, many of us work in retirement, sometimes even establishing a second career.

Wondering if it's time for a change? In her article "How to Keep Working into Your Sixties and Beyond," Kerry Hannon shares 5 rules to keep working and to switch careers.

Because sometimes, change is good.

Friday Freebie: Tired?

statista.com

Are you tired? A peek at the chart at left will confirm that you're not alone. Lack of sleep is, not surprisingly, the biggest culprit in our perpetual cultural exhaustion, but have you ever thought about what else can make you tired?

Oh, sure, there are the obvious things. Running a marathon. Shoveling snow. Doing spring cleaning or an afternoon of yard work.

But how many of us run marathons every day, or do regular chores with enough intensity to point to them as the culprit every single day?

On the other hand, many of us engage in small habits on a daily basis that contribute to our tiredness.
If you're tired of being tired, check out this article from Next Avenue. Maybe a higher level of energy is closer than you think.

Meanwhile, get some sleep.

Friday Freebie: What I'm Reading in Ten Minutes or Less: Mantras

nextaveneue.org

Aphorism: a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation (according to dictionary.com). 

Doesn't sound so great when you simply look at the definition, but when you find one that rings true? Quite a different story. 

I was drawn into "7 Mantras to Live By" by the colorful background behind the titles (which matches that behind my favorite mantra of the bunch, above) and I enjoyed reading the story of how the writer chose those particular aphorisms.

If I had to add one to the bunch, I'd go with one I struggle with often, though less often as I grow older: "Let go and let God."

What would you add?