Blue Wolf Reviews

Tag: ageing

  • Your Third Chapter

    Your Third Chapter

    How to thrive in your 50s, 60s and beyond and work for as long as you

    Retirement is a word that affects so many people in a myriad of ways as they approach the benchmark number set down by the Industry, Corporation or Government Body they work for which can be anywhere between 55 to 70 years of age.

    The Corporate world is structured to move you out at 55 years of age bringing with it a feeling of happiness or despair as the reality is faced -your skills, ability and knowledge are no longer needed. Blunt but true. Often, the retiree is someone who has worked their way up the ladder, become completely involved in their corporate lifestyle, has limited outreach into other sectors of the community and upon retirement faces a world of which they know little.

    Many Corporations and businesses implement a program some five years prior to this occurring, to help retiring executives adjust, but many do not and it is these people who are often, after the first flush of excitement wears off, wondering what they can do with the rest of their days. For many this can be between 15 to 20 years doing something they enjoy. But what!

    Your Third Chapter by Robyn Greaves address the range of issue that ‘late-career professionals’ face with a sense of excitement garnered over many years working within companies, acting as a Change Manager. She sees this next phase of life as liberating, exciting and very fulfilling as it is often, the only time in many peoples working life they can choose to do what they so desire.

    Robyn Greaves helps you work through the tricky bits, sticky bits and challenging moments which confront everyone when they retire to work out what comes next: cruising the world, mentoring, diving into the long-held dream project and so much more.

    She encourages you to dig deep and for many ‘take a walk on the wild side’ of something new, with sound principles, common sense and a genuine desire to help you achieve happy and fulfilling retirement years doing what you love best- whatever that may be.

    Although the information is structured for the mid to high level business retiree there is much that would help guide anyone who has faced redundancy or has been running a small to medium sized business for many years.

    If you are unsure of what comes next in life when facing retirement, Your Third Chapter is highly recommended to add to your reading list.

  • Three Legs in the Evening: A Novel

    Three Legs in the Evening: A Novel

    Funny, quirky and all too true to life, this delightful look at growing older from Bette Anne Moskowitz is definitely well worth the read, especially if you are growing older, and even if you are not!

    There are three distinct sections to Three Legs in the Evening, naturally you could say a beginning a middle and an end but that is a bit clinical, although that is exactly what it is, the three stages of maturing, once you reach a certain age, but not exactly like a fine wine.

    Sally is at her long-time friend Susie’s funeral; it is a hot day, she is dressed to the max in a sharp red dress, high heels and has a hanky pinned to her hair. She is beginning to wonder why she wore a red wool dress when a grieving relative ‘accidentally’ knocks her into Susie’s grave, where she landed on top of the coffin, breaking her ankle!

    Having made the decision to retire she sells up her greeting card business, and as the days pass she grieves for her friend Suzie, her husband who passed several years before from Cancer and for her former life.  Mindlessly watching the television, at first she thinks the terrible events of the Bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York was just fiction, but once she realises it is fact, she like many others becomes obsessed with the event.

    She finds this very unsettling, more than normal, which coincides with other events in her children’s lives and the possible advent of new man, or men in her life, a huge worry about a red car that appears to be abandoned, which in her mind, as she linked it to the World Trade Centre bombing, is disconcerting.

    As each incident unfolds, she begins at times to question what is right and what is not; is she over reacting, should she be enjoying a new ‘love affair’ even though she has been widowed for some time. Many seemingly small aspects of her life in general appear to be far more problematic than before and reality is what she wants to make of it, at any given time.

    Bette Anne Moskowitz has delicately created a gentle pathway into the issue of the mental health that often comes with growing older. She has used wisdom, humour and a lovable character in Sally, who it is very easily able to relate to, who could be your mother, grandmother or yourself.

    Three Legs in the Evening is a must read for anyone who is perhaps approaching a certain age and really understands the many idiosyncrasies of growing older, with a certain flair and pizazz.

  • Over the Hill and Up the Wall

    Over the Hill and Up the Wall

    In his very relaxed style, Todd Alexander brings us his somewhat lengthy thoughts on the process of aging, or rather learning to cope with aging parents and ponders just when is it that children become the careers of their parents, rather than the other way around, in his latest book Over the Hill and Up The Wall

    Todd and his partner Jeff left corporate life to move to the Hunter Valley taking up the challenge of a vineyard and Air B&B establishment; I mean how hard could it be, as well as collecting a menagerie of animals amongst which is Todd’s beloved Helga, the very spoilt pig.

    Covid saw them rethinking what they want to do, stay or go and as the market post-Covid for rural properties was booming to incredible heights they decided it was time to move again to something a little less busy.

    They eventually discover a new property, not all that far from the community they have come to know and love, but they have to convince Todd’s parents that this is the right thing to do, for all of them.

    We meet Todd and Jeff on a sweltering summers day, getting Jude and Pete into the van for a drive to deliver some wine, have lunch at a pub loved by them all and sneakily show Mum and Dad the new property. They have not left the drive of Pete and Jude’s and already the stress levels are mounting and the tension sizzles.

    Many who have lived with and looked after older parents, will relate to the pondering and tales told by Todd as he struggles to cope with parents who are past masters of manipulation, are definitely growing older, getting somewhat more forgetful and simple know how to create mayhem without really trying. It is s skill learned from their children over many years. 

    Funny, irreverent, filled with love for his parents delivered with a somewhat wry commentary, life in the Alexander family is anything but dull as they set out on a small journey, taken via a longer route, to eventually get to the new property and show Jude and Pete that it is not far from their home and they don’t need to move again.

    Readers who enjoyed Thirty Thousand Bottles of Wine and a Pig Called Helga will remember the trauma caused when they moved to a new home not far from Todd and Jeff. If it could be avoided no one wanted to have a rerun of the experience if it could be avoided.

    Funny, irreverent and very true to life, Over the Hill and Up The Wall provides amongst the trials and tribulations of the Alexander family, much to ponder such as why family Christmas traditions exist and when can you safely let them go and so very much more.

  • The Aging Machine: A Young Adult Adventure Story

    The Aging Machine: A Young Adult Adventure Story

    Young adults who love a thrilling read, who ponder possibilities and follow fast action, will love The Aging Machine. The whole concept of an aging machine is quite foreign to us, but Paul Robert Schreyer has come up with a sound use for this machine in a very poorly run society. Money is the basis for re-election of the Mayor, and saving money is his key platform. Can he use this machine to his advantage?

    There are two young men who want to thwart his plans, but they have been set up and placed in the machine unwillingly. The now 75-year-olds, John and Taylor, need to find the true designer of the aging machine to stop its further use. Time is running out and the Police are represented by an overzealous and angry officer, who has had his machine gun sights on the two men several times.

    Fortunately, a young and eager journalist, Amy, believes that the men are innocent of their accused crime, and comes to their aid. There are car chases, and car and train altercations, which leave the reader holding their breath. The ever- present danger of Officer Quincy, and his obsessive attitude, follow John, Taylor and Amy as they seek to minimise the potential harm this machine could cause. When the trio catch up with the designer of the machine, there are more surprises to follow.

    With the fast pace of this novel, and the serious and thought-provoking consequences of the men failing to contain the machine, the story could be rather dour. However, it has some splendid humour which lightens the mood. Two fifteen-year-old boys (now physically 70) have a car, but neither has ever driven. Their antics make any driver wince and chuckle. This is a real page turner.

  • Better Brain Food Eat to cheat dementia and cognitive decline

    Better Brain Food Eat to cheat dementia and cognitive decline

    As more information becomes available about preventing dementia and slowing the ageing process, it is necessary for research to be current and pertinent to our lifestyle. These criteria have certainly been met in this book. Not only is it informative, and up to date with latest research, but it is also a pleasure to browse through sections at leisure.

     The Contents shows us that the beginning chapters deal with the Brain, Gut Health, Obesity and Diabetes and Diet plans. We see that brain health is dependent on a myriad “of factors including nutrition.” We know that getting enough sleep, being social, and being physically active are a few of the ways we can care for our brain, but this book deals with the nutrition aspect and so we have a chapter that explains how we can understand the brain, its function and its needs.

     The author explains that the more “connections brain cells make throughout life, the more you amass what is called Cognitive reserve.” The brain uses an enormous amount of our nutrition intake, and uses glucose to fuel its workings. Exercise helps to reduce inflammation in the body, and the muscles need protein to maintain their work load.  There are fascinating studies being undertaken now on brain and gut health, and information on both. Some natural anti-oxidants are listed.

     Part two of the book consists of recipes. The beginning of the chapter deals with pantry essentials and the author looks at spices such as cinnamon and turmeric, cumin and coriander, nuts and seeds and grains. Salt is mentioned, and those foods such as bread, breakfast cereals and prepackaged meals are shown to exceed a healthy limit of salt. The storage and preparation of these foods is shown to be helpful, and we begin to see the recipes such as “Spicy Mixed Seeds,” which make an ideal snack or nibbler.

     Salad dressings, mayonnaise, vegetable stock and pickles to make, are introduced next. This excellent book has something that many lack, and that is, “Cooking for One or Two.” It is easy to increase the amount, but so helpful to have recipes for one person. Next we come to the recipes. I wince when quantities of kale, quinoa and exotic ingredients are required, but no! The first recipes are for Sardines and tomatoes on toast, and Fried eggs; such satisfying, recognisable and easy recipes. There are also pizzas, pancakes, salads, lamb chops and stir fries.

     Not only are the recipes delicious, easy to prepare, and wide ranging to cover every taste, they only need a short preparation time.  The photography and presentation are excellent. The book is set out in such a way that the information is in a compact and easy to read style, while the recipes are spaced out with one recipe per page, and many colourful photographs. It is a beautiful book to browse, but more importantly, it is inspirational in its ideas and support.