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Cinque Terre: Discover Medieval Fantasy
On The Italian Coast
By Don Mankin, Travel Writer

Imagine a Medieval town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, like a fantasy setting for the
“Game of Thrones” (except brighter and with less blood).

Imagine five of these towns, and you have Cinque Terre, Italy — literally, five “lands” in English. In October I visited Cinque Terre, along with my wife and a friend, after spending nine days in the urban turmoil of Rome, five hours south.

Don’t get me wrong, Rome was great, but after a few days of traffic and noise I was ready for something different. I wanted to wash away the tumult of Rome with views of land and water, rather than views back in time. I craved scenery rather than antiquities.

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"How I Stay Fit At 55"
--Saili Gosula

Age: 55
Education:
BA in Math and Computer Science, MS in Computer Science
Occupation: Business Owner of Active In-Home Therapy
Residence: Redwood Shores, CA

Q: You have been working hard for some time to get back into shape. What motivates you?

I've always been an exerciser. I love it and rarely go a day without exercising. But as I grew older, my body changed in ways I did not like and my regular routine was not enough.

I wanted more time to exercise and I wanted to exercise harder.
I wanted to see results.

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President's Cruise

"French Polynesia.
Dreams Of Tahiti"
--Melody Wren,Travel Writer

Images of beautiful tropical locations helped cheer us during lockdown.

Many of those images were of some of the magical Society Islands in French Polynesia—Tahiti, Raiatea, Moorea and Bora Bora.

Translucent water, sweet-smelling air, Polynesian dancers swinging grass-skirted hips to hypnotic rhythmic music.

Exotic, tropical and lush. When I told friends and family I was traveling to Tahiti, the common response was “sounds wonderful, but where is it?”

It’s in the heart of French Polynesia which has 118 islands and five archipelagoes sprawling across the southern part of the huge Pacific Ocean.

Tahiti and the other Society Islands are as far south of the equator as Hawaii is north of it with each island having a distinctive personality.

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"The Day I Got Old"
--Larry Hayes, A050 publisher

I remember when I got old. The day I turned 80. It was three years ago on the tennis court playing with friends.

Causally, I mentioned that it was my birthday.

“How old?” a friend asked.

“80,” my reply. “Wow. you are old!”

Just like that I suddenly got old. 24 hours earlier, I was 79. Old for sure but not “old, old.” But once I hit 80, I became old in the minds of my friends. It was a “transformative” moment.

Turning 80 was not a big deal to me but my longtime tennis friend (78) thought otherwise and started kidding me about my age. In jest, of course.

So, is 80 old? Yeah, “it’s up there.” But it depends on many things. Your lifestyle. Your physical activity. Your attitude and your DNA, although DNA accounts for only 20% or less toward longevity.

Because your parents or grandparents lived into their 90s doesn’t mean that you will.

Getting old is a blessing. But it doesn't define what you can and cannot do.

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"Discover 100 Ways
To Live To 100"
--Tanner Garrity, Senior Editor, InsideHook

At this point, we’re all familiar with the trope. A local news station visits a retirement home to celebrate Muriel’s 106th birthday.

She’s deaf or blind or both or neither, sitting in a wheelchair in the “good spot” next to the TV set and a reporter asks her her secret.

You’ve lived through both World Wars?! How’d you do it? Then Muriel gets to flash a mischievous grin and tells us she smoked a pack a day for 50 years.

Interacting with centenarians in this way has long made them seem like circus oddities. It trivializes the concept of lifespan and longevity, reducing the science to a throw-your-hands-in-the-hair “Who the hell knows!”

It reinforces the idea that our time on this planet isn’t necessarily under our control. If my dad had a stroke and his dad had a stroke then one’s probably coming for me too, right?

If I make it to 80, or — God forbid — 90, I’ve just beaten the odds. Right? Not exactly.

Since the mid-1990s, in fact, following the infamous Danish twins study, researchers have understood longevity to be “only moderately heritable.” For a while, this spawned estimates that genetics accounted for somewhere between 20 and 30% of one’s longevity.

More recently, scientists have concluded that the true heritability of human longevity at birth is closer to just 7%.

Where does that other 93% come from? Your lifestyle.
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Ask Marilyn
--Marilyn Brown Ross

"Is a Reverse Mortgage Right For Me?"

With over 15 years experience
right here in Silicon Valley, I can
help answer your questions about reverse mortgages.

Q: Will the bank own my home?

The bank does not take ownership of your home; they simply extend a loan to you. You continue to own and live in your home and are responsible for payment of property taxes, required insurance and if applicable, HOA fees.

Q: Do my children/family members lose their inheritance?

No, a borrower may designate an heir of their choosing.The heir(s) will inherit the home after the last surviving borrower passes away and may then choose to keep (by paying off the amount of reverse mortgage balance) or sell the home.

Should they choose to sell, any remaining equity after paying off the loan (minus interest and fees) would be theirs.

Q: What is the lending limit of the HECM reverse mortgage?

As of January 1, 2021, it increased to $1,089,300 which means it's very likely you can qualify for more money.

To learn if a reverse mortgage is right for you, call 408.722.0010.
Go to:
OpenMortgage.com/Marilyn-Brown Ross

Ask Larry
--Larry Hayes, A050 Publisher

“Should I Switch To Online Banking
To Get Higher Savings Rates?"

Online banks such as Discover, Ally and others often offer significantly higher rates on savings accounts.

If your bank offers less than 3.00%, it may be time to consider online banking.

Seven reasons to consider online banking:
• No monthly fees. Most traditional banks charge monthly maintenance fees to keep your checking and savings accounts open

• No ATM fees
• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn higher interest on your money
• No balance requirements
• Free budgeting and savings features
• They're safe

Online banks are generally federally insured which means that the U.S. government will protect your money in the event of a financial crisis.

In most cases, your deposits will be FDIC-insured up to $250,000 at most online banks--the same level of coverage you get at traditional banks.READ MORE

Protect Your Eyesight

January is Glaucoma
Awareness Month

Did you know that glaucoma is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness in the United States?

January is a great time to schedule your annual exams, including an eye exam. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that can cause vision loss and blindness by damaging a nerve in the back of your eye – called the optic nerve.

Glaucoma has no early symptoms, so the only way to find out if you have glaucoma is to get a comprehensive dilated eye exam (which is simple and painless). 

There’s no cure for glaucoma, but early treatment can often stop the damage and protect your vision.

Anyone can get glaucoma, but
those at higher risk include anyone over age 60, especially Hispanics/Latinos, African Americans over age 40 and people with a family history of glaucoma

For more information, visit the doctors of Physicians Medical Group of San Jose, CA. Call 888.988.8682 or visit pmgmd.com.

Ideal Gift!
"Social Insecurity"
--John Donaghue

“Social Insecurity” is a new, funny book for anyone who plans on getting old someday.

Charming, witty, crazy, offbeat, happy comics by John Donaghue, award-winning art director and creator of Under Cardiac Arrest comics that appear regularly in
The Scoop.

Perfect gift for friends and family. Order today.
Click Here

"Time Flies By Faster As We Get Older. Here's Why "

By Jillian Wilson Wellness Reporter, HuffPost

There's a reason our perception of time changes as we age but there are ways to make it feel slower.

For many people, 2022 went by in a blink. Doesn't it feel like it was just January?

But for others, especially children, last year's holidays may seen like eons ago.

There's a reason why you may feel like the years moved slowly when you were a kid but zoom by now.

Experts say our perception of time greatly changes as we age which makes certain periods feel like they go by quickly.

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Independent Senior Living
Chateau-Cupertino
Starting $3,400

Senior living doesn’t get any better than Chateau-Cupertino in Cupertino, CA.

Enjoy a home-like environment in your own apartment with three fresh served home-style meals daily starting at $3,000 per month.

Schedule A Tour Today!
408.446.4300
[email protected]u-Cupertino.com

Ask For A Senior Discount!

Taking advantage of senior citizen discounts may reduce your retirement costs and free up funds for other activities.

Here's a partial list.
• Denny’s and IHOP offer a 55-plus menu with discounted prices

• Amazon Prime offers a discounted membership to those with a Medicaid card

• Kohl’s offers a senior discount of 15% every Wednesday

• Marriott offers a 15% discount or more to those 62 and older on stays at participating locations

• Best Western gives older Americans 15% off when booking reservations

• Amtrak offers 10% off on most rail fares for older Americans

For a complete list, go to:
https://www.theseniorlist.com/senior-discounts/

Discover Resort-Style
Living For The 55+ In
San Jose, CA

Luxury properties, professionally landscaped, golf course views, city views, openness of the community, trees and waterfalls.

We have many properties for sale at The Villages Golf & Country Club. Resort-style senior living for the active adult 55+ years. Mid $400,000's to $1,000,000+.

To receive an exclusive tour of the community and preview selected properties, call Carla Griffin today. 408.274.8766.

https://bandarealtors.biz/

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"Don't Let The Old Man In"
--Clint Eastwood & Toby Keith

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