You make your own fun.
I used to work with a guy years ago who oftentimes would use the expression:
“You make your own fun”.
And, at the time, I really didn’t think much about the expression. It was just something he would spout every now and again. But lately, that same expression has been coming back to me and it really hits home. 
If you don’t make your own fun then you certainly cannot count on others to entertain you. But how is it that I try to make my own fun in my life? With age, and maybe a little more wisdom, I’ve learned that if you don’t make your own fun, then your life can become monotonous and well, not fun…
Have something to look forward to…
College at Any Age: A Basic Guide to Going Back.
This is a guest post by Thomas Warren. If you want to guest post on this blog, click here to get more information.
The idea that college is only for kids who are straight out of high school is completely unfounded. 
It’s never too late to continue your education. And there are plenty of reasons to do it, from reaching a personal goal, to improving your job prospects, to enriching your life. But if you’ve been out or school for a while, or you’ve never reached the level of secondary education, you may be in the dark when it comes to applying, scheduling, and attending college. Luckily, there is a lot of help available for those who wish to pursue a higher education.
Preparation
Grapevine landscaping will enhance your garden.
This is a guest post by Andy Finn. If you want to guest post on this blog, click here to get more information.
Grapevine is a common term for a vast variety of the Vine Genus Vitis. 
This is the vine that is commonly grown for human consumption, either as a fruit bearing or a wine-producing plant. The grapevine origins are rooted in the Mediterranean region, possibly southern Turkey where they spread to Greece and Italy. Wild varieties are also present in Northern America and were eaten by the natives as berries, though they are unsuitable for wine production. Read more »
Who are the best people you know?
It sounds like a simple question, doesn’t it? 
Well, in my opinion, your answer to this question is a direct correlation to your degree of happiness. What do I mean by that? For me, the answer to the above question is simple. The people I spend my life with represent the best people I know. The older I get, the more I realize and appreciate this reality in my life.
Spouse
My wife is the person I am closest to in this world. Read more »
Actionable steps to avoid weak bones.
This is a guest post by Michelle Aultman. If you want to guest post on this blog, click here to get more information.
An estimated 10 million Americans have osteoporosis, and another 34 million have low bone mass, a condition which is referred to as osteopenia. 
Osteoporosis, a disease without outward symptoms, affects about 20 percent of men and 80 percent of women. Because bones gradually become weaker, they may break in a minor fall or, if left untreated, even from simple things like a sneeze. The most common fracture sites include the hip, wrist and spine, although any bone in your body could be affected. Read more »
If you could bottle it, what would it be?
I was putting on my shirt the other day after a great workout at the gym. 
And as I was doing so, I felt that sheer sense of exhilaration that I typically feel after a rigorous workout, even though it was only 5:45AM. I remember uttering to myself
“I wish I could bottle this feeling”.
So that got me to thinking… What if we could bottle different experiences that have had a profound effect on us? Maybe it’s a certain feeling you may get, as I did, after a strenuous workout at the gym, or after a long ride on your bike. Maybe it’s an aroma that brings you back to your childhood days. Maybe it’s a feeling that you had at one point in your life that you simply want frozen in time.
This is a great topic to toss out to the reading audience because everyone has their own personal experiences that they may want to bottle. I welcome you to share with the rest of us your feelings in the comments. Before then, I’d like to share with you some of mine.
If I could I would bottle…
The sweet smell of slices of garlic just after they are placed in simmering olive oil.
The exhilaration and utter joy my wife and I felt when my daughter opened up the acceptance letter to her first choice college.
The aroma of burning wood coming from the chimney as I arrive home and open the door of my car on a cold winter day.
The look on my daughter’s face when I told her I was bringing her to her favorite musical, Wicked, on Broadway.
The view of the sun setting over Maui on my honeymoon.
The sweet bouquet of day lilies in the Spring.
The look of joy on my mother’s face when we surprised her with an 80th birthday party including relatives who came a long way to be there.
The overwhelming sense of pride that I feel watching either one of my daughters performing on stage.
The distinct sweet scent of bacon sizzling in a pan on a weekend morning.
The beauty of a landscape of freshly fallen snow.
The sense of accomplishment I feel whenever I complete a new woodworking project.
The utter joy I felt when the Boston Red Sox won the world championship of baseball after 86 years.
The intense excitement and pride I felt after breaking my coach’s pole vault record as a senior in high school thirty-four years ago.
The radiance and love on my wife’s beautiful face as she welcomed our eldest home from her first year away at college.
The last sweet, loving, smile and wave from my father as I walked out of the hospital room the day before he passed away…
What would you bottle if you could? Please let everyone know in the comments…
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Benefits of a personal coffeemaker.
One of the greatest pleasures in my life is drinking a great cup of coffee. 
Since I get up very early every morning, I only get to enjoy coffee with my wife on the weekends. But, thank goodness, we both have the same taste in coffee. It has to be strong and it has to taste great. In the Northeastern United States, where we live, Dunkin Donuts is a very popular place. But, I must say, we avoid it at all costs, even if we are desperate for a cup of coffee. Starbucks, on the other hand, is right up our alley. In fact, we buy Starbucks coffee and brew it in our coffeemaker at home. This is the type of coffee that we enjoy.
As I mentioned previously, almost every morning I rise at around 3:50AM and head off to the gym. After my workout I drive another hour to my job. It isn’t until almost three hours after I awake that I will have my first cup of coffee. But it is certainly worth the wait. At the recommendation of Mike Crimmins, a coffee blogger, I purchased a Black and Decker Brew ‘N Go personal coffeemaker. 
The coffee brews directly into a stainless steel mug. I find this tremendously convenient because you don’t have to transfer the coffee from the pot into your mug. What do I find most enjoyable about having a personal coffeemaker? Read more »
Back at it…
On March 1st my Dad passed away. 
This is my first post since that sad day. Today, May 13th, my Dad would’ve turned 87 years old. He meant a lot to me and, to be honest, since that day I have had no desire to blog. Since his death, I realized that the process of blogging was adding anxiety to my life. I was so concerned about my posting interval that it consumed me. I started blogging because I enjoy writing and I wanted to build something that was my own. I think now that I am going to start blogging again, my philosophy will change. I won’t care so much about the posting interval. It will not consume me. You know what? I haven’t blogged in over two months and apart from my traffic dropping considerably and my Alexa rating going from about 150K to almost 300K, the world goes on. What I have learned is that we can all take a break. I don’t do this for the money. Maybe someday it will be a source of income but, since it’s a hobby, it was no big deal to take some time off.
Another positive aspect of my hiatus was that some of my fellow bloggers, whom I have never met personally, went out of their way to contact me. They had a feeling something was wrong in my world. People that only know me by corresponding through our blogs went out of their way to find out to see if I was OK. It just shows you that there are some truly caring people out there in the world and a lot of them are in the blogging world. I want to thank those individuals for reaching out to me during a tough time. I may not post as regularly moving forward but I’m looking forward to getting back at it…
Best, Bob
You should hasten to use Quicken.
Managing my money properly is a top priority in my life. I would think that this a top priority of most people. Ever since I can remember, I’ve been reading
books on managing my money. If there is one thing I have learned from these books is that the most basic tenet of money management is, before you can manage your money, you must have an awareness of where it is going. This is certainly not a remarkable revelation…
Back in 2006, I started using a financial application called Quicken. Quicken is a tool and a practical solution that helps me keep abreast of how I am spending my money on a regular basis. Needless to say, I now have a comprehensive history of my spending habits for the past four years. I can’t tell you how invaluable it is to have my financial history, broken down into categories, for this time range. It has really helped me understand my spending habits which ultimately allows me to make adjustments and better informed financial decisions going forward. So, what are the features of Quicken that have helped me manage my money? Read more »
5 Essential Goal Evaluation Questions
This is a guest post by Laura Lee Bloor. If you want to guest post on this blog, click here to get more information.
Chances are, you made some goals or resolutions for 2010. When was the last time you looked at those goals? Whether it’s been two days or 20, bust them out now for 
another review.
OK, got your goals? Good. Here’s what I want to know: Do you have any goals on there that are repeats? Repeats are goals that show up on your list every year that don’t see progress or achievement. Common examples include, “lose weight,” “eat right” or “get fit.”
If you have goal repeats, something is holding you back from taking action. Either the goals need to see progress or they need to be eliminated from your list. So how do you figure that out?
To find the root of your problem, ask yourself these questions and answer them as specifically as possible: (Let’s use the goal of “lose weight” as our example.) Read more »
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