A good life at any age
21 June 2019 | Living Well
How do you decide where to live in your 70’s and beyond?
It’s a question I’ve been asking friends recently. How life unfolds is unknown, but we do know that for older people energy wanes, joints stiffen and needs change. Quite apart from the physical changes in ageing there are also life changes. Approaching 70, there is a sense of freedom. This is the first time in our lives many of us are independent, free from work and mortgages and our time is largely our own. This not the reality for some older people and it may not be our reality in years to come but for now, in our seventies, life is rather terrific!
Over cups of tea with my neighbours, after complaints about the tourist traffic and the inadequacies of the local supermarket- the question of housing in our later years is often explored. We swing between- “I’d love a small modern house with a low maintenance garden“or “We’re staying here. This is home. We’ll just add a few improvements.”
As I look around at a random survey of friend and acquaintances there are many different paths. There are so many exciting options. Some are staying put and redesigning their gardens & houses to make them low maintenance. Others have chosen to downsize and move into a “lock up and leave” apartment near public transport in or near a regional city. Yet others have chosen retirement communities for their safety and amenity such as golf courses, pools etc. Many friends have tree-changed or sea changed to get away from city life. A big fling adventure into a life they have always wanted.
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Instagram ‘s a funny thing. As I scrolled and liked my way through the day’s posts I came across Retiring_Not_Shy and smiled. Clever. Funny. A woman who models my kind of clothes. Months pass and I post a shout-out for people to be interviewed for my book 50 Faces: 50…
16 August 2021 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
This week I met a remarkable man. Let me set the scene. It’s my first interview in over a year for my Ageing Well book. For the past year a Covid world made meeting people a risky business. So today I’m as excited as a kid at Christmas as I…
26 March 2021 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
I published this article after an interview with Petrus Spronk in November 2019..it seems like light years ago! It was one of the highlights of the research for my book and I’ll never forget encountering the creative mind in all its purity and the outstanding talent of this great artist….
19 February 2021 | 50 Faces 50 Lives
The perfect film for the holiday season has just hit the big screen. House of Gucci directed by Ridley Scott is delightful, beautiful to look at and with a story that is gently intriguing. It’s a film that demands little emotional energy from the viewer. Just sit back, relax and…
2 January 2022 | Arts
Ok….. Some questions for you…… What are the books you read this year that you enjoyed? What are the memorable TV programs, films or streamed programming? What music/ podcasts/ courses did you enjoy in 2021 Summer is my favourite time to catch up on ” distractions.” As the mid-day heat…
15 December 2021 | Arts
I do like a great photo! Cartier- Bresson, Richard Avedon, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, Annie Liebowitz, Diane Arbus….wonderful! Art exhibitions have been severely affected by the restrictions of this Covid year but in the midst of the chaos, Ballarat Art Gallery in regional Victoria managed to open its doors to…
19 November 2021 | Arts
” Perch where the wind comes at you full-force. Let it blow you apart till your feathers fly and you look like hell. Then abandon yourself. The wind is not your enemy, Nothing in life is. Go where the wind takes you- backwards- higher, lower. The wind to carry you…
9 June 2022 | Life-Style
Let me set the scene. Lesley and I returned from a L_O_N_G 5 – day trip through the Scottish Highlands late last night. The days started early and the schedule was strenuous, so we agreed to have a couple of days to ourselves before leaving for Inverness. And it’s raining…..
17 May 2022 | Life-Style
” What will my ventures entail, as I begin on this unknown trail, even through the rain and clouds, nature’s beauty still shines proud. The vivid greens and ice-cold streams is what true beauty means.” (The Yorkshire Dales by Gemma Alexander) My obsession with TV programs like All Creatures Great…
6 May 2022 | Life-Style
On the day Qantas re-opened International flights after 2 years of Covid, I faced a major dilemma. My shower kept blocking up. I could fix it with one of those rubber suction squashy things, but I knew that I should probably call the plumber. Then there’s the dodgy drain-pipe that…
7 June 2022 | Living Well
How are those New Year’s resolutions going? A Forbes magazine article from 2019 reports that after one week 25% of people have given up their resolutions and after 6 months only 46% of people are keeping their resolutions. And guess what?……. 80% of new year resolutions were about losing weight…
3 February 2022 | Living Well
Dear Viva70 Readers It’s been nearly 3 years since a glimmer in my eye and a half – baked idea about a magazine for the over 50’s bounced into my consciousness. ” What if…..?” are two of the most powerful words in our language. When imagination and passion meet, they…
15 December 2021 | Living Well