“I know that I have less to live than I have lived. I feel like a child who was given a box of chocolates. He enjoys eating it, and when he sees that there is not much left, he starts to eat them with a special taste. I have no time for endless lectures on public laws – nothing will change. And there is no desire to argue with fools who do not act according to their age. And there’s no time to battle the gray. I don’t attend meetings where egos are inflated and I can’t stand manipulators. I am disturbed by envious people who try to vilify the most capable to grab their positions, talents and achievements. I have too little time to discuss headlines – my soul is in a hurry. Too few candies left in the box. I’m interested in human people. People who laugh at their mistakes are those who are successful, who understand their calling and don’t hide from responsibility. Who defends human dignity and wants to be on the side of truth, justice, righteousness. This is what living is for. I want to surround myself with people who know how to touch the hearts of others. Who, through the blows of fate, was able to rise and maintain the softness of the soul. Yes, I hustle, I hustle to live with the intensity that only maturity can give. I’ll eat all the candy I have left – they’ll taste better than the ones I already ate. My goal is to reach the end in harmony with myself, my loved ones and my conscience. I thought I had two lives, but it turned out to be only one, and it needs to be lived with dignity.” Brilliant Anthony Hopkins
My happy retirement goal would be to someday simplify my life and live in a tiny house and this would be a perfect size.It’s 876 sq. ft. according to the city of Grand Rapids, but wow, it’s the perfect cottage style environment for some with tongue & groove walls and ceilings, and comfy, simple and bright rooms. Gather around the gas log fireplace in the living room, set up snacks for a few friends in the kitchen, the bedrooms each have built in wardrobes which you can use with or without shelves. To save space, the owner built a hinged door that opens to the basement. Keep it closed when you need the space. Genius! Laundry is currently downstairs but there is water hookups ready to finish in the bathroom if you want a main floor laundry. In warmer weather enjoy your front porch, it overlooks your yard which is on a cul de sac for privacy. House sits on the very corner of the large lot, has a detached 2 stall garage, and underground sprinkling. Unique and charming, you’ll fall in love.
Step into a world of sophistication with this exceptional 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath condo in the coveted Inglenook neighborhood. Detached living (no shared walls) and quality finishes, from solid wood doors, hardwood floors, and Anderson windows, provide a home that not only captures the eye but also stands the test of time. Functional elegance defines the main floor, which offers a great room with a welcoming fireplace and a thoughtfully designed kitchen. The main floor also features an office/den, an owner’s bedroom with a private bath, and laundry. The lower level, bathed in daylight, is an inviting space for guests, offering two bedrooms, a full bath, and gathering room. Two-car attached garage. Located on Forest Hills Trails, a 50-mile walking/bike path. listing courtesy of Cheryl Grant RE/MAX of Grand Rapids
My daughter just turned 45, WAIT, WHAT?!? Didn’t I just turn 45?!? Alicia is my first born and blazed into the world 9 weeks early, weighing all of 3 lbs. 2 oz. I believe this is when my resolve about life started. After 3 miscarriages Dr’s said babies were not to be for me because of an abnormality with my body. I kept a journal and marked every day of that pregnancy with a star, another day, another day, and with a lot of bedrest I was determined to keep her safe until she was at a minimum of 32 weeks when I knew she had a fighting chance, when I knew that every day after that was a blessing ……. Fast forward to 2023 and nothing like the cold dose of reality to slap you in the face. She is 45!! Birthdays can remind us that time is moving along and maybe it is time to adjust our sails. Time to look at that bucket list or start a bucket list if you don’t have one. Time to take that risk and do something fun and/or challenging that you have been putting off. It could be time to take a good look at your home and decide if, with a few modifications, you can stay in place as you age or do you need to move? I had to throw that one in there because that is what I do, help my fellow seniors with lifestyle decisions. Life keeps moving along and change is inevitable. It is your attitude that makes all the difference. Pick someone older than you that you admire. My pick was always Betty White. What a lovely, funny, kind woman. I am sure she had days that weren’t so great, but she always kept moving, always seemed to have her mindset on the positive. Did you ever notice how people cringe when they say how old they are? Why? If you are in your 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s OWN it and give thanks to the good Lord above that you are alive, have lived longer than some of your family members, friends, and classmates, and get that head on straight, we Seniors still have a lot to do.
So, what exactly did my daughters birthday make me realize? That I need to act on my impulses when something pops into my mind. It is time to stop saying I will do it later, I will go there next year, I will visit or call my friend tomorrow. The question is not how old you are, it is how old do you appear, how old do you act? At 70, I am still working, I’m President of my 750 homeowners association where I live (quite frankly I never saw that one coming), I help with my great granddaughter 2 days a week, I meet friends for lunch, do my own yardwork, keep my house up to date, spend time at what I call my North Office near Mackinac Island, and yes, I do sell homes there too. I love to go to the Caribbean in the Winter, and I’m in 2 book clubs. This is me, but probably isn’t you. Some of you may do more than me, some less. You have your own set of things that make you, you. Do them! I know there will probably come a time when my sails will need to be adjusted, and when that happens, I intend to do it gratefully and gracefully. Happy Birthday Alicia, and thanks for the attitude adjustment!
“If you leave a child’s share of an inheritance outright (i.e., no trust) and the child is divorced or sued after you pass, that entire inheritance might be lost. Many inheritances have been wiped out by IRS liens, malpractice claims and other risks that all could have been avoided with a simple trust… Using those magical words in a precise manner that the law requires can let the child inherit money in a trust and be the sole trustee but have those assets outside his or her estate and out of the reach of his or her creditors. That is a smart move. Use trusts.” Hedge Life Law
Here is a link to a great article on estate planning from Martin Shenkman, a contributor to Forbes Magazine
An elderly man was once asked what it was like to be old and to know the majority of his life was behind him.
He said that he has been the same age his entire life. He said the voice inside of his head had never aged. He has always just been the same boy.
His mother’s son. He had always wondered when he would grow up and be an old man. He said he watched his body age and his faculties dull but the person he is inside never got tired. Never aged. Never changed.
Our spirits are eternal. Our souls are forever. The next time you encounter an elderly person, look at them and know they are still a child, just as you are still a child and children will always need love, attention and purpose.” ❤️
We first became aware of Jamie Lee Curtis when we laughed atA Fish Called Wanda, accurately described by Rotten Tomatoes as a brainy comedy with widespread appeal. She was smart, tall, beautiful, funny, quick, and had fabulous short hair. We loved her. But she never won an Oscar. Finally, in 2023, after about 45 years of acting, she won the Oscar for Everything Everywhere All At Once, apparently the eighth oldest actress to win the award.
Why do we care about Jamie Lee Curtis? Because we have continued to love her over the years, as she has remained smart, tall, beautiful, funny, quick and has kept wearing fabulous short hair. (Except in her Oscar role.)
That era seems finally to be on the wane—we were thrilled to see The Woman King. Perhaps studios have begun to realize that older people, including older women, like to see themselves in authentic roles, and have plenty of money to spend on movies.
As we age, nearly all women notice that they become somewhat invisible in the world, but in the golden era of the women’s film, older women really were expected to fade quietly into the wallpaper. Aging actresses would be relegated to playing anonymous matrons and dowager aunties. But the women in 80 for Brady and Book Club want to be seen on their own terms, whatever those might be.
this for a taste! Tom Brady, playing himself, shares our ideas about retirement—try not to do it but if you have to then start something new. And because of the star actors—and Mr. Brady—-this is not a sacharine story about the doyenne of a large family with nothing to do but cook for them. As Time magazine put it:
Do we really want to see them [i.e. women over 40] stuck playing wise matriarchs of big, sprawling families? Ho-hum to that.
Time also has the best line, about dressing up:
Fonda’s Trish, a beauty queen who’s still got it, comes decked out in a great wig (she travels with a suitcase full of them) and some sort of evening garb. But Tomlin strides in, leggy and elegant, in a drapey black sequined tuxedo that, rather than coming off as an effort to turn back the clock, merely stops time. It’s a statement look that whispers rather than shouts, a kind of shorthand for all the ways it’s possible to assert your space in the world, through word and deed as well as the way you present and carry yourself.
That’s how we see Jamie Lee Curtis, too. Leggy and elegant, not trying to turn back the clock but instead stopping time.
Ms. Curtis, we are your best fans, and so happy about your Oscar! Even those of us older than you see you as a role model. That’s why we are issuing an open invitation: please come and speak with a group of fabulous women, here on Lustre’s platform. If you say yes, we think Tom Brady will come too. Imagine the conversation! No stepping back for this crowd!
