Gifts of Time

Living on a fixed income?
Is your budget streched to the MAX with no money left for Christmas gifts?

Then why not give the best gift of all -- "your time"!
With most Boomers usually having more time than money, some ideas for giving a gift of your time are:

• Babysitting
• Addressing Christmas Cards
• Grocery Shopping
• Taking someone to the Doctor
• Cleaning their home
• Taking the grand kids for an entire weekend

And truth be told, most Boomers don't need any more clutter around their homes, so if you're trying to find a gift for your parents or older friends - do some of the above.

But if you feel like you just have to buy a gift for a Boomer, then send them some postage stamps! I swear my 84-year-old mom gets more excited about the latest postage stamp than a bouquet of flowers!

And they truly are the perfect gift -- everyone needs them, there are many designs to choose from, but one size fits all and they are easy to send.

The Power of Pets

Boomers can gain many benefits from owning a pet, especially a dog. A pet doesn't care about your faults, only that you take care of them.

• Pets make you a happier person because of their unconditional love.


• Loving a pet reduces your stress levels, your blood pressure and even your weight by walking the dog every day.


• You make new friends by socializing with your fellow dog walkers.

If you'd consider adopting an older dog, check out: http://www.srdogs.com/

Another site on everything you need to know about buying a dog for a senior citizen is: www.dogchatforum.com/dogs-for-older-people.htm

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Aren't you just a little tired of having to weigh your words for fear of being politically incorrect, especially now? I sure am!!

So, as we celebrate this joyful season, let's not forget that it is "Christ's Birthday" and offer a Merry Christmas to all instead of the politically correct "happy holidays". Just think about it ---- there would be nothing to celebrate had Jesus not been born.

I've been blessed with many fun-filled Christmases, but one of my most memorable was Christmas 1988. I had moved to Germany in September, so it would be the first in 40 years that I would be gone from my family. I was lonely, but went to Italy with some friends. They had a live Nativity scene at the tiny village church where we went to midnight Mass. As we entered the church, the crib was empty; but after the service....just like the miracle of Christ's birth....the crib was filled with a newborn.

I wish you all a joyous, safe and healthy Christmas season with your family and friends.

Book Club

I've always enjoyed reading, but even more so now that I belong to a book club because it has exposed me to several new authors I might not have read.

This month's selection was recommended by one of our members. I was hesitant to start "Firefly Lane" because it's almost 500 pages long. But I decided to begin it on a flight back to Denver. Big mistake!

It's such a fabulous book that I literally couldn't put it down after the flight......so I kept reading til almost 3 am! It's the story of 2 girls, Kate & Tully, who become friends at 14. The book follows their life-long friendship and the trials of maintaining their closeness even after each had taken an extremely different path in life.

While some readers may find the plot line predictable and sappy, I loved it because I feel the connection with a life-long friend is such a valuable gift, something not to be taken for granted.

I've known my best friend, Linda, for almost 40 years now and at times it was difficult to maintain the relationship - like when I moved to Germany for 11 years. But, true friends will always find a way to keep connected.

For more reviews: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1472878.Firefly_Lane