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Our country’s appetite for Thanksgiving and all the elaborate prep involved doth protest too much. You think, I want a meal that’s lighter and easier and won’t exhaust me for days ahead, the day of and afterward, when you barely can get out of bed. But, as we approach the national holiday, we know the heat is on. Will you be able to hold your head high if you make it easy on yourself? Holiday prep does not have to be backbreaking or for you to become a martyr. If truth be told, some Thanksgiving foods lend themselves to simple,...

Older Americans in overwhelming numbers say that they want to stay in their current homes and communities as long as possible. Who can blame them when moving is among the most stressful passages in one’s life. And it’s also expensive.But sometimes a move is necessary.Maybe you have too many steps and need one level, want to move to be close to family as you age or live in a warmer climate in a senior community. Perhaps you (or your partner) have an illness, are no longer ambulatory or have dementia and need an assisted living facility or, in severe cases,...

There’s enough unhappiness in this world without us adding to someone’s misery and stress. You have no control over how someone feels, you think. Not necessarily true. You can help change someone’s day from gloomy to grateful with a small--or big--dose of kindness. And it doesn’t have to cost you any money, just a little time and thoughtfulness. Yet sometimes some money can make it even sweeter. And if you’re the type to obsess about what to do, veering toward kindness, removes that debate. Just do it, we are both learning! To remind us to be kind-hearted, there is now...

When it comes to money, what you don’t keep track of can hurt you. You dig into your pocket or purse and ask yourself, what happened to that $20 I had this morning? You look at your checkbook register or online bank account and can’t imagine where and on what you spent $100. Poof. Gone.       It’s so easy to fritter away money, especially cash in an expensive place like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and even small villages with pricey shops or merchandise you just have to have! Money can disappear from us faster than a magician...

  Negotiating is a little like a portmanteau, a word blending the sounds and combining the meanings of two others. It’s a fusion of two sides into one solution. It’s the way our world works, and it happens every minute of every day, though not all negotiation is successful for everyone involved.  Whether you’re a high-level diplomat engaged in shuttle diplomacy trying to curtail fighting and killing, securing a price for work to be done on your house, purchasing an apartment and trying to agree on a price or deciding on the tip you and several lunch or dinner mates...