We’re taught to expect siblings to be lifelong allies. When that bond becomes toxic, the betrayal can cut deeper than other types of relationships. You may find yourself grieving not just what happened, but what never was – the sibling relationship you hoped for but didn’t get.

Grieve the sibling you hoped they’d be. Letting go of the idealized version of the relationship is one of the hardest – and most freeing – steps.

Detach with love. You can care about someone and still choose to step back in order to protect your peace.

Rebuild chosen family and support systems. Surround yourself with people who honor your boundaries and see you clearly. Healing often happens in the presence of new, affirming relationships. source 

Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy. —Thich Nhat Hanh

Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced. —James Baldwin

Movie stars change the script to suit themselves while great actors change themselves to suit the script. —Michael Caine

You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget. —Cormac McCarthy

I would rather have questions that can’t be answered, than answers that can’t be questioned. —Richard Feynman

In France, philosophers are celebrities. In the United States, celebrities are philosophers. —Peter Carlson

I prefer someone who burns the flag and then wraps themselves up in the Constitution over someone who burns the Constitution and then wraps themselves up in the flag. —Molly Ivins

Before Susan Baur, 85, founded Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG), (and I read all of her books!!)

 

Inspiring Stories: Susan Baur, 85, Saves Turtles from Underwater Garbage

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Before Susan Baur, 85, founded Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage (OLAUG), she was an author of oceanography books turned psychologist. Years of solo evening swims in Cape Cod’s ponds made her a fan of the local turtles; she decided to help them by clearing out pond debris during her underwater dives. She started OLAUG and unintentionally gained national media attention and inspired countless individuals to find their own path to communing with nature. 

OLAUG currently consists of 28 members. They clean around 20 ponds per year and collect 100s of pounds of garbage. The only payment they ask for in return is hot drinks and cookies. Senior Planet talked to Susan about her movement and its rewards:  

What inspired you to start Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage? 

My first impression of the ponds in Cape Cod was that they were horrible to swim in – they were muddy, dark and full of water lilies where anything could be hiding – specifically 50-pound snapping turtles. But over the course of about 18 years, as I swam alone in the evening in these ponds – I came to just love the turtles. I came to recognize them. I realized they were individuals who didn’t all act the same or look the same. 

I knew was that I was a nicer person when I was underwater swimming with these turtles. I liked myself better and I liked the world better and I liked the future better. Or you could say I was obsessed and enchanted!

So I went to different towns trying to get people to put up signs to protect the ponds and leave them for the turtles. That didn’t work. I tried teaching. I tried lecturing. I tried building low-cost underwater housing for turtles and not telling anyone about it. I tried a whole bunch of things, and it was failure, failure, failure.  

What stuck in my mind was that it was so wonderful to be with turtles.

One day in 2018, I thought, “What the heck, at least I can pick up the pond. If I see spent fireworks, I can do that.” So I got two people together and we cleaned up a pond. And that was sort of the beginning of Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage. But what really stuck in my mind was not, “Oh boy, let’s expand this,”

What stuck in my mind was that it was so wonderful to be with turtles. It was so wonderful to feel like I was in step with the planet. It was the coolest thing someone could do. I wanted to know how to get back to that moment – call it an epiphany, call it wonderstruck, call it what you want, but there are these moments where you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be, doing exactly what you’re supposed to do – and well.  

I didn’t know what I was starting. I thought we were just cleaning ponds – and then the media attention began. I realized, they want what we got. OLAUG is a unique environmental service in that we are motivated by joy. We are motivated by the revitalization that each of us experience.  

It sounds like you achieve a form of “flow state.” 

Exactly! I put these 28 women in a situation where they have to get out of their heads. You have to be so focused when you are 10 feet underwater, trying to get a tire out of the mud, that you don’t think of yourself. How often do you get out of your own head?  

What technology are you using to organize OLAUG? 

Nothing much in the mission – masks, snorkels, kayaks. But it’s very important that we keep in touch with each other. To do so we have group emails – but try to keep them as few as possible. 

The greatest underutilized power in the United States is women over 65.

Why do you think this work is taking off with other older adults? 

The greatest underutilized power in the United States is women over 65. The zest, the gratitude. Look around the world! When grandmothers get against something, watch out! Because we have nothing to lose.  

Every woman over 65 has lost a lot. If she had children, they’ve gone away, they’ve made mistakes, husbands have started dying, breasts are being surgically removed, knees have been replaced. So to see a bunch of women who say, “yeah, this may be our last act but it’s more fun, more useful and more wonderful in many ways than any chapter we’ve had in our life”… It’s hot stuff.  

Any advice for someone who wants to start an environmental service group? 

What you really want is to get in the flow. You want to find that experience that makes you lose yourself. It has to be something very hard that takes absolutely everything you’ve got.  

Awe is a hot topic of study right now – but awe is unbiddable.  So, when you stumble on a moment of perfection, grab a whole bunch of people and pull them in. You stick your finger in the socket of the planet – whether that’s through art, music, nature, other people – and then you go. 

What does aging with attitude mean to you? 

Old ladies against underwater garbage! It means I will try anything I want. 

Photo Credits: Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage.

 Pam Hugi is Senior Planet’s Community and Advocacy Manager. Based in Brooklyn, she runs Senior Planet’s Supporter program in addition to being a contributing writer for this site. She can be reached at supporters@seniorplanet.org. 

Governor McKee Ceremonially Signs Legislation Allowing Telemedicine for Pets

I will ask my vet how he feels about this.

Jenn Segal's Pumpkin Bread from her Grandmother was first published in the McCalls Cook Book (Random House, 1963).

 https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/spiced-pumpkin-bread.html

Pumpkin Bread

4.75 (2,895 reviews)

By Jennifer Segal

Kids love it, grown-ups love it...this pumpkin bread is hard to beat!

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 (15-oz) can 100% pure pumpkin (I use Libby's)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C )and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-in (20 x 10-cm) loaf pans with butter and dust with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy).
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
• In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point—that's okay.
• Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.
• Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 to 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

• Fresh out of the oven, the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust. If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh-baked effect.
• Freezing Instructions: The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

 

It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey.

 There are, it seems, two muses: the Muse of Inspiration, who gives us inarticulate visions and desires, and the Muse of Realization, who returns again and again to say "It is yet more difficult than you thought." This is the muse of form. It may be then that form serves us best when it works as an obstruction, to baffle us and deflect our intended course. It may be that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work and when we no longer know which way to go, we have begun our real journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded stream is the one that sings.
- Wendell Berry

Jogging the Bones

Jogging is an excellent weight-bearing exercise for maintaining bone density and lower body strength at age 65. The mechanical impact stimulates bone remodeling. However, to protect your joints, start slowly, incorporate strength training, and pair your running with diverse, multi-directional impacts like hopping or jumping. 

The Benefits of Jogging for Your Bones

Mechanical Stress: Running puts stress on the bones of your legs and hips, which signals your body to maintain or increase bone mineral density. [1, 2, 3, 4]
Cartilage Health: Regular weight-bearing exercise like jogging can actually promote thicker, healthier joint cartilage and reduce the risk of osteoarthritis. [1]
Fall Prevention: Running strengthens the muscles around your joints and improves your balance and coordination, reducing your risk of falling—the leading cause of fractures in older adults. [1, 2]

Best Practices at Age 65

Follow the 10% Rule: Gradually increase your mileage or time by no more than 10% each week to avoid overuse injuries. [1, 2]
Add Strength Training: Because running is a repetitive, forward-only movement, bone cells can sometimes adapt and stop responding to the same force. Supplement jogging with resistance training (e.g., using weights or resistance bands) and multi-directional impacts like walking sideways or gentle single-leg hops to stimulate different parts of the bone. [1, 2]
Recovery is Crucial: Tendons and cartilage take longer to recover in older adults. Ensure you have rest days between runs and cross-train with low-impact activities like swimming or cycling. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Gorgeous day. So far. I can breathe.

I woke at 4 AM and after coffee I had a walk with my dogs watching the neighborhood wake up. Then as I came home I saw the notorious drug dealer prowling in front of my house with his zaftig woman the one with magenta troll hair. They turned at the corner and I found them in back of my house where they saw me watching them. If you do it here, you will go to jail. The police know your name and address. I said the incantation aloud as I poured myself a coffee.

The air was so bad last night my throat was burning as I was falling asleep. 

My ageing dog and new puppy both have small bladders. This is great news for getting out of family gatherings

Early morning hours (between 3:00 AM and 7:00 AM) often feature fewer police patrols on the streets, making it easier to conduct quick, discreet transactions before neighborhoods wake up.

Our neighborhood crossroads have been a most famous open air drug market for the past 100 years. There was a huge drug bust last month on June 18 at 5:30 AM. 5 people were arrested.

Just now coming home from walking my dogs I saw the notorious 29 year old "mean" drug dealer and his magenta-haired troll prowling the corner. He was the guy prowling fire escape a few years ago trying to break into his neighbor's apartment on a bright day in February wearing a red hoodie sweatshirt. The neighbors saw him. He hid under the bed when the police came knocking. The landlord only cares about the rent and doesn't mind having felons rent his apartments. In fact he prefers these guys because they are clever and know how to make a buck. A bit like the landlord himself.

On June 18, 2026, the Woonsocket Police Department executed a major drug raid at a tenement on 606 East School St. The dawn operation, which included plainclothes detectives and K-9 units, resulted in five arrests. 

Investigators searched the apartment and a parked vehicle, seizing over three ounces of crack cocaine and a quantity of methamphetamine. 

The primary target, Jose R. Rodriguez (60), was hit with the most serious charges, including possession of a controlled substance (cocaine) with intent to deliver and possession of methamphetamine. Four other individuals were also taken into custody during the raid. 

*******************

I feel sorry for the 11 year old boy whose mother was arrested. God knows where he ended up. 

The winning bidder for a foreclosed house in Connecticut discovered the skeletal remains of three people after entering the residence days later, according to the authorities.

 Article

The 20 Minute Mayor is trying to get Elected

He lied as I suspected he was lying. when he stole our Mayor's office and said he had no interest in being Mayor.

Yeah right.

Then to make matters worse he had his portrait painted for the gallery in City Hall.

Take the Risk or Lose the Chance

Today and Tonight

A chance of showers and thunderstorms between noon and 2pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2pm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Patchy smoke. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 83. Light southwest wind increasing to 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 31 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. 

Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 1am. Low around 68. Southwest wind 7 to 9 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible. 

A Store Called Neighbor

 

This tiny store has no clerks — and no theft

As retailers increasingly lock up merchandise, one Berkshire shop offers a different model: assume the best.

Items sold at Neighbors include a Antoni Arola ‘Leonardo’ Chandelier for Santa & Cole, a 1970s Pace Collection chrome legged table made in Italy, and a painting of a boy.Globe Staff; neighbor___/Instagram

Mike Ross is an attorney at the law firm Prince Lobel.

In the Northern Berkshires, a small mid-century furniture and home goods store serves a potent antidote to our increasingly divided world. It’s the only commercial space I’ve ever seen that employs the honor system.

The store sits in a small stand-alone bungalow in Williamstown, next to the Green River, a popular swimming spot frequented by locals. The morning I visited with my wife, the door was propped open, and soft music beckoned us. The space felt like a curated gallery — leather seating, oversized coffee table books, ceramics and glassware, an occasional painting. There was a throw across a low-slung leather sofa, a collection of what appeared to be valuable jewelry splayed on top of an open book, and high-end vintage clothing throughout. The items were not inexpensive; a chrome desk lamp was $400, a leather jacket was $1,200.

What wasn’t in the store was another human, something that became apparent to me after I walked around clutching a small footstool, calling out, “Hello?” My wife figured it out before I did, reading the sign on the front door that explained that we were in an “honor-system” store. We were instructed to select whatever items we wanted and provide payment through Venmo.

The store is owned by Phil Sullivan, an “America’s Next Top Model” contestant, and Gwen Benjamin, a dancer turned model, who both got tired of living in New York City and decided to relocate just 20 minutes from where Phil grew up. The inspiration for Neighbor came naturally. Good clothing came with their day jobs in high fashion, and the items made better sense to sell than hold on to. Their love of furniture was something they bonded over while thrifting in Brooklyn.

Phil and Gwen first launched their store in 2024, originally in a former cotton mill, before they moved to Williamstown one year later. Their inspiration for an unmanned store came from humble farmstands found all across the nation. Often, these stands have only a cash box present, as if to say, “Go ahead, friend, make change, we trust you.”

Crimes like shoplifting have been increasing in recent years in certain cities, including some parts of Boston. It has been a lightning rod of political controversy, used to critique Democrats’ “soft on crime” policies, miserly corporate store staffing, and the ever-rising cost of living. Even with statistics decidedly mixed on the rise of shoplifting, the widespread locking up of goods in certain convenience stores has left consumers feeling, at best, inconvenienced and, at worst, preemptively suspected. Through this lens, Neighbor felt like a breath of fresh air; a place where community trust was freely offered with no strings attached. I asked Phil and Gwen how they could be so trusting of others, at a time when the world is not a trusting place.

“We’ve designed a place that’s exactly how we want the world to be,” Gwen, who grew up in Missouri, told me. “We think that people are genuinely good, they just don’t always get the opportunity to showcase it.”

“The store,” she said, “proves it to us.”

That’s a lot of pressure to put on a single store. The industry itself would tell a different story.

Neighbor, meanwhile, hasn’t had a single theft.

As an actor, he's a paradox—he loves being in the public eye but also deeply values and protects his privacy.

The ancient Greeks were well aware that a paradox—the saying “less is more,” for example—can take us outside our usual way of thinking. They combined the prefix para-, “beyond” or “outside of,” with the verb dokein, “to think,” forming paradoxos, an adjective meaning “contrary to expectation.” Latin speakers used that word as the basis for a noun paradoxum, which English speakers borrowed during the 1500s as paradox.

“I believe that one defines oneself by reinvention. To not be like your parents. To not be like your friends. Just to be yourself. To cut yourself out of stone. Keep your blood clean, your body lean, and your mind sharp. I don’t go out and party. I don’t smoke, drink or do drugs.” – Henry Rollins

Weighted vests help manage osteoporosis by safely increasing weight-bearing load, which stimulates bone remodeling and improves balance to prevent falls. Experts recommend starting with 2% to 5% of your body weight (e.g., about 3 to 5 lbs) and doing low-impact activities like walking or light resistance training. [1, 2, 3, 4]

 Key Guidelines for Use

Start Slow: Do not rush. Gradually increase your weight by no more than 10% every few weeks.
Fit is Critical: Choose a vest that hugs your torso securely to prevent shifting or bouncing, which can strain your spine.
Distribute Weight Evenly: Ensure weights are dispersed equally between the front and back to maintain your center of gravity.
Consult a Professional: Always consult your physician or a physical therapist before adding a weighted vest, especially if you have spinal arthritis, disc issues, or severe bone loss. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Highly Recommended Options

Power WearHouse Vest: Featured in the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation Store, this highly-rated unisex vest ($199) uses soft neoprene and comes with stackable weights for gradual progression. [1, 2]
Hyperwear Hyper Vest PRO: Available on Hyperwear, this vest (around $239) is praised by medical experts for its thin, breathable, and patented stretch-compression fabric that eliminates bouncing. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
Hyperwear Hyper Vest FIT: A comfortable, woman-specific adjustable vest ($114.99) also found on Hyperwear that is specifically engineered to comfortably accommodate different female body types during walks and workouts. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

For more advice on building safe, bone-strengthening routines, review the guidelines on Osteoporosis Canada or check out the wellness tips outlined by Hinge Health. [1, 2]

daily mile-long swim into their routines to maintain longevity, joint health, and cardiovascular endurance.

Several famous figures famously incorporate a daily or near-daily mile-long swim into their routines to maintain longevity, joint health, and cardiovascular endurance. 

Notable examples include:Meryl Streep: The Academy Award-winning actress regularly swims a mile a day, citing it as an excellent way to support her health and longevity.Natalie Portman: During her rigorous preparation for Black Swan, Portman swam nearly a mile daily to relieve joint stress and condition her body.Rahm Emanuel: The former Chicago Mayor and US Ambassador routinely swam a mile as part of his early morning fitness regimen.Janet Evans: The four-time Olympic gold medalist continued to swim a mile a day at her gym long after retiring from competitive swimming.

************* 

Dr. Gabor Maté routinely incorporates a daily swim into his health and self-care routine. While he usually swims 2 kilometers per day, a 1-mile swim (about 1.6 kilometers) is an excellent aerobic workout that improves lung capacity, heart rate, and overall mental health. 

Dr. Gabor Maté: I do meditation practice. Actually, when I learned from one of my colleagues, Dr. Daniel Siegel, who’s got this Wheel of Awareness that I’m practicing. I have a yoga practice that I do pretty much every day now. Every day I go swimming, I swim 2k every day or do some other kind of workout. And I pay a lot more attention to my own needs than I used to.  https://tim.blog/2022/09/09/dr-gabor-mate-myth-of-normal-transcript/

 At 67, Meryl Streep was swimming a mile a day — here are the surprising benefits for healthy ageing

Bridie Wilkins

Fri, 9 January 2026 at 7:03 am GMT-5

4 min read

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At 67, Meryl Streep was swimming a mile a day John Nacion - Getty Images

At 67, Meryl Streep revealed she was swimming a mile a day – and not in pursuit of a particular physique, but to 'keep her health'.

Speaking to HELLO! Magazine, she said: 'I do try to stay healthy. Sometimes I let myself fall apart, but generally I try to swim a mile every day, because I like the feeling and it gets me into my body. I'm quite conscious of keeping my health, because it doesn't last forever and we're all of us lucky as long as we do have it. I try to remember that.'

In another interview with The Guardian, she added that she aims for '55 laps', sharing that the pool tends to be where she does a lot of her thinking.

But the benefits of swimming – especially Streep's mile-a-day habit – for ageing well go far beyond mental health. Here are six big advantages for longevity, with studies to prove it.

Meryl Streep at Cannes Film Festival in 2024 Stephane Cardinale - Corbis - Getty Images

1. Swimming improves cardiovascular endurance:

Research on adults 60-70 years old showed that after 16 weeks, participants who swam regularly showed significant improvements in cardio health (measured by a 6-minute walk test). Strong heart and lung function supports long-term independence and reduces risks tied to ageing, like cardiometabolic decline and poor mobility.

2. It reduces joint stress while improving fitness:

Several studies on swimming show that water supports up to 90% of your body weight, lowering joint loading and pain, which is particularly beneficial for people with arthritis or mobility – one study on people with osteoarthritis showed that swimming significantly reduced joint pain and stiffness. Lower-impact exercise like swimming is a game-changer not just for protecting joints and reducing pain, but for maintaining any activity level when other weight-bearing exercise isn't comfortable (or possible).

3. It helps maintain muscle:

Studies prove that swimming improves muscular strength and physical performance in older adults. This is particularly important with age, since the process of sarcopenia means we lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade after 30, which has a big impact on mobility and functional independence.

4. It promotes brain health:

Research shows swimming increases blood flow to the brain, helping support neural pathways and neurotransmitters linked to mood and mental clarity. Over time, this can help sharpen cognitive function and protect against the mental decline which can occur with age, like loss of memory or slowed decision-making.

5. Swimming enhances flexibility and mobility:

Regular swimming is proven to improve your joint range of motion, as water supports your body as you move through full ranges of motion. The payoff is practical: it can help reduce fall risk which increases with age, and makes everyday functional movement – like bending over, reaching upwards and walking – easier and safer.

6. Swimming reduces the risk of chronic health diseases:

Swimming has been associated with improvements in metabolic function, insulin sensitivity, healthier cholesterol levels and more stable blood pressure. This can lower the risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, and even a few laps a few times a week can make a measurable difference.

For Streep, the goal has never been aesthetic – in 2014, she said: 'For young women, I would say, don't worry so much about your weight. Girls spend way too much time thinking about that, and there are better things.'

Now 76 and thriving (bookmark 30th April for the Devil Wears Prada 2 release date, where Streep features alongside co-star Anne Hathaway), Streep is proof that ageing well isn't about doing more – it's about choosing movement that works with your body, not against it. Swimming is a rare sweet spot: demanding enough to pay off, gentle enough to sustain.