5 products and pastimes that BABY boomers

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My husband recently turned old. Well, older. Old enough that since the birthday celebration, we've marveled in disbelief more than once that we've reached the age we have.

"I'm still working on figuring out what I want to be when I grow up," I told him. To which he high-fived in agreement.

baby boomers 

My husband and I have raised a family, kept our wits about us our nest emptied, become grandparents, managed relatively successful careers (so far), successfully stayed together for more than 35 years (so far). We have a mortgage — and PLUS loans we'll pay on til death closes our account.

Grownup responsibilities. Yet on the inside, my husband and I fail to feel like grownups, fail to...

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Saturday movie review: Youth

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The movie YOUTH has a lot going for it. Beautiful imagery. Dreamlike cinematography. A soul-stirring score with ethereal notes floating throughout. A superior cast: Michael Caine, Harvey Keitel, Paul Dano, Rachel Weisz, Jane Fonda. Poignant scenes featuring that cast, all marked by longing, melancholy, loneliness, folks young and old searching for wisdom, connection, contentment.

YOUTH movie

What YOUTH doesn't have, though, is a satisfying story. I watched and waited, often...

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Saturday movie review: I'll See You In My Dreams

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I'll just come right out and say it up front: This is a lovely film! You should see it!

 i'll see you in my dreams

I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS has a lovely cast. Of older people! There's Blythe Danner, Sam Elliott, Rhea Perlman, June Squibb, Mary Kay Place. All older, all lovely, all a joy to watch in this film. There's a younger guy and gal, too: Martin Starr, whom I...

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National Family Caregivers Month and 'Doing The Right Thing'

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November is Family Caregivers Month, which recognizes the challenging work of the more than 65 million people—29 percent of the U.S. population—who provide care for a chronically ill, disabled or aged family member or friend (according to National Alliance for Caregiving in collaboration with AARP). More importantly, the campaign stresses the need for those around the caregiver to offer support... and breaks from the job, when possible.

I am not a caregiver. I'm fortunate in that my own mother fares well on her own at this point and doesn't require care. My mother-in-law does, though. Professionals in the nursing home where she resides provide her primary care. Jim's sister Sue, who lives near the home, tirelessly offers Mom the nearly daily love, care, and attention only a family member can provide—despite Sue having a full-time job and busy life of her own, needs of her own.

family caregiver

Sue is, without doubt, the hero of...

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'The Grandparent Economy:' Q&A with author Lori K. Bitter

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Most of us reading (or writing) Grandma's Briefs are grandparents. Which means most of us here know how much money grandparents spend on their grandchildren, their parents, their children and, when there's a smidgen left, on ourselves.

Interestingly, marketers don't seem to know how much we grandparents spend on ourselves and our loved ones. Or so it seems. Perhaps they do know—some brands clearly do—though they have yet to figure out how to effectively reach us with messages on the services and products we want to see, want to use, want to buy.

grandparent economy bookAuthor Lori K. Bitter lends them a hand in her new book on the topic, The Grandparent Economy: How Baby Boomers Are Bridging the Generation Gap ($34.95, Paramount Market Publishing), which I recently received free for review.

The 138-page primer on engaging the 65 million grandparents in the United States is a must-read for marketers. And, thanks to all the graphs and stats and tidbits Bitter provides on...

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Fearless at 50: AARP spotlights feisty female skateboarders over fifty

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skateboard moms

The older I get, the more I consciously strive to engage in experiences that scare me a bit. Just this past weekend, in fact, I climbed to the very top of five lighthouses in Michigan in the face of fears my MS would keep me from going all the way to the light—and back down again—without fumbling, stumbling and falling flat on my face or fanny.

Also over the weekend, I took an aerial flight in an itsy...

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Saturday movie review: Match

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My husband and I have watched a fair share of movies based on stage plays in the past several months and have been continually disappointed. After we aborted watching about two-thirds of the way through one painfully slow story—with a lovely and talented cast that simply could not save the show—we agreed to steer clear of movies based on plays going forward.

I'm grateful I had no idea MATCH was based on a play before we started watching it. For had I known then refused to watch the film starring Patrick Stewart, Carla Gugino, and Matthew Lillard was originally a 2005 Broadway play written by Stephen Belber and starring Frank Langella, I would have missed out on a minimal yet powerful, thought-provoking, and memorable story.

MATCH movie

Belber wrote and directed the film based on his play about an aging former world-traveling ballet dancer, Tobias or "Tobi" (Patrick Stewart), who's retired from dance and...

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Saturday movie review: While We're Young

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If you're one of those people who, regardless of your age or stage of life, still feel like you're not quite one of the grown ups, that you're a youngster pretending to do and be what folks your age should be doing, then WHILE WE'RE YOUNG will resonate. I assure you I am one of those people, and I assure you the recent dramedy from writer/director Noah Baumbach hit home—and the heart—on multiple levels.

While We're Young comedy

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts, both teetering on joining the 50+ club in real life play 40-something Josh and Cornelia, a...

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Saturday movie review: Alex of Venice

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Watching blockbuster movies as they premiere at the theater can be the ultimate movie experience for movie lovers. That manner of watching movies isn't the norm for most folks nowadays, though. No, most folks are more like me—enjoying movies at home as soon as they premiere on DVD. Or later yet, on streaming services.

The relatively extensive lag between a blockbuster movie showing at the theater to appearing in my Netflix streaming queue means I spend a far amount of time searching streaming options for gems to watch between must-see movies I'm waiting on. I found a gem the other night: ALEX OF VENICE.

alex of venice movie

ALEX OF VENICE is the directorial debut of Chris Messina, whom many may know from TV's...

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Saturday movie review: Cyber-Seniors

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I do most of my connecting with my grandsons and their mama (my daughter) in various long-distance manners, most of which are online or via FaceTime. So I fully understand the value of being online and the importance of helping seniors get online.

Which is why I believe the documentary CYBER-SENIORS should be viewed by anyone who has an elderly parent or other loved one who could connect with friends and family online but has been hesitant to learn how to do it.

Today, though, I'm actually with my grandsons and their mama—visiting them in the desert rather than seeing pictures online or chit-chatting over FaceTime—so this movie review must be quick...so I can get on with the visiting. Here goes:

Cyber-Seniors documentary

Bare bones, bottom line: CYBER-SENIORS is super! And the poignant...

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