health & welfare – Page 3

Simple Living for Retirement

Close-up of a large white dahlia blooming in a sunny garden, with smaller flowers, a red cottage, blue sky, and lush greenery behind it.

Retirement anymore seems to be right around the corner for us. Yikes! And because of certain lifestyle choices we’ve made, we’re starting to think they’re going to be interesting years, to say the least. Not that we’re alone. It’s not uncommon for people to find themselves in reduced circumstances in their retirement years. And not just with reducedContinueContinue reading “Simple Living for Retirement”

5 Steps to Reclaim Your Life From the Internet

Woman in a straw hat reads on a lakeside dock, with picnic items beside her, calm water reflecting trees, and reeds framing the serene view.

Have you ever had an epiphany moment in your life? Those aha! moments, that make you sit up and take notice? I have, and one came to me recently. It came one evening when I realized that I didn’t want to spend all my time scrolling and reading online. Epiphany: a sudden, intuitive perception of orContinueContinue reading “5 Steps to Reclaim Your Life From the Internet”

Two Months Without Internet

Top-down view of a laptop and black coffee in a bright orange cup and saucer on a warm wooden desk, creating a cozy work-from-home mood.

Could you handle two months without Internet? Long ago in the pre-pandemic days, we would spend most of the summer visiting friends and churches or down at our summer home. And most of the time without Internet, for two whole months! Many people these days would ask, “Is it even possible to live without Internet?” HowContinueContinue reading “Two Months Without Internet”

Kill That Pigeon

Pale gray mourning dove perched on a stone ledge, surrounded by lush green foliage; its calm pose creates a peaceful, natural mood.

I wanted that pigeon dead; it’s sad but true. Don’t get me wrong, I love birds. I’d love to have a house and barnyard full of them. (Not that I have a barn!) But I did not like that pigeon! “Kill that pigeon, I said!” The outside walls of old Italian houses like ours, areContinueContinue reading “Kill That Pigeon”

Ten Upbeat Ways to Beat the Blues

Person viewed from behind holding a colorful umbrella on a rocky jetty by the calm sea, evoking a quiet, contemplative mood.

Storms and difficulties of all kinds and sizes come our way. From simple doldrums or times of discouragement, to life’s great storms and even pandemics. And they can really start to get us down. Many of life’s problems are extremely serious, like the events of the past few years, from pandemics to financial crises toContinueContinue reading “Ten Upbeat Ways to Beat the Blues”

The Italian Passeggiata

Historic Italian town square with ornate streetlamps, cream-colored buildings, café umbrellas, shops, and pedestrians enjoying a relaxed evening.

As the sun wanes in the western sky the cool evening air beckons to all Italians everywhere to take to the streets – for la passeggiata. Young and old, and everyone in between – it’s time for the evening promenade. If you’ve never experienced one, I can only assume you’ve never been to Italy. AtContinueContinue reading “The Italian Passeggiata”