Latest Articles - Lake Oconee Boomers

Meaning of American Pie by Don McLean

November 15, 2018 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team

From the Facebook Page of WRDW in Atlanta, GA:

“Although Don McLean only released the song in 1971, for those of us who grew up in the 50’s and 60’s this is a great piece with some very poignant moments in the history of those times. And for those of you who did not, it’s a taste of what you missed! I had been told that “American Pie” was the name of the plane in which Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper were killed when it crashed in 1958 – and I knew the chorus about music dying on that day. I have listened to American Pie for many years and I thought I understood what was being sung but now realize that I didn’t know it all!

However, when the words are put together with pictures and film clips the song takes on a new meaning. It took a lot of thought to produce this and it brings back lots of memories and also makes the lyrics really come alive!”

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Filed Under: Music

Jean Scanlin Studio

June 26, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team

Discover the beautiful works of art created by Georgian artist, Jean Scanlin Wright.

What intrigues her most about painting is capturing an everyday moment or ordinary object in an extraordinary way and elevating it to a work of art. She finds inspiration in the works of John Singer Sargent and Norman Rockwell who were masters at this and strive to express this quality in her paintings.

Like what you see? Let Jean know! Contact her on her website at www.jscanlinstudio.com.

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Filed Under: Work

Retirement: Boomers Want to Keep Working – If They Can

June 5, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team

George Fraser has had a hugely successful life. At 70, the former corporate executive is a successful author and speaker, traveling 200 days out of the year and logging 250,000 air miles. And he has absolutely no intention of retiring.

“I decided in my early 60s that I would never retire,” he said. “Why? Because I love my work. I love what I’m doing. I love it so much that anything else is a distraction, including a vacation. It frustrates my wife of 42 years. After two or three days on a beach in Mexico, I’m bored.”

Baby Boomers continue to shatter stereotypes. Many

work well into traditional retirement age. And financial advisers and counselors are encouraging them.

Robert Levinson will be 90 in March. He recently finished his fifth book, Management Savvy. The title of his third book was The Anti-Retirement Book.

“I think the act of retiring in itself is pretty bad,” says Levinson, who will soon retire from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla., where he has taught for 25 years. But even then, he will continue to operate his business-consulting website, and another business he operates with his 64-year-old son. “I hope I’ll stay busy,” he says. “I won’t be as busy as before, but I’ll be busy.”

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Filed Under: Work

Retirement Reset: Sandwiched Boomers Put Plans on Hold

May 30, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

It seems the very things that helped define the Baby Boom generation are also working against its efforts to retire. Boomers are free-spirited, independent and active. They married later in life and had children even later.

As a result, they find themselves taking care of their ailing parents at the same time many are still taking care of their children. For many, the strains on their resources are proving to be yet another reason to delay retirement — thus, the name the “sandwich generation.”

“People who want to retire have to delay that,” says Lanta Evans-Motte, financial adviser at Raymond James in Beltsville, Md. “This is during the time when they are at peak earnings and can put away the most money. But it’s also when a lot of them are having to turn around and spend a lot of money and time taking care of their parents, their children and in some cases, their grandchildren.”

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Filed Under: The Daily Beat

The Truth About Cholesterol

April 29, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

By Dr. Ramona Warren

These days, we are inundated with messages about “good” and “bad” cholesterol. We’ve been warned that high cholesterol causes atherosclerosis (clogging or hardening of the arteries). We’re told to reduce dietary fat in order to keep our overall cholesterol levels under 200 and avoid heart disease. Those who can’t lower cholesterol through diet alone are usually put on statin drugs.

But is cholesterol really Public Enemy #1? Is it the true cause of heart disease? The facts may surprise you.

Cholesterol is an essential fat manufactured by the liver. It is a basic building block of every cell – especially for hormones and the nervous system. Our brains are 70% cholesterol and cholesterol can be found in every cell membrane.

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Filed Under: Health

7 Tips for Managing Alzheimer’s Costs

April 25, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

Today one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. Yet Alzheimer’s — which can last anywhere from two years to two decades — is rarely at the center of most discussions on retirement finances.

How can you help a stricken loved one cope financially with this chronic and often long-term disease? Here are seven tips that can help ease the process.

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Filed Under: Health

Retirement: That Moment in Time When You Can Work or Play as YOU Choose!

February 21, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

By John Graves

You have been a good saver since you began working as a paperboy (or babysitter!) at ten. You had to save – your mother made you put aside 10% of what you made into an envelope. Just like she made you give 10% at church, into the plate each Sunday morning. You bought your first car with your savings, the ’56 Chevy for $1,200, wasn’t it? You felt sad, but smart, when you sold it to go into the military – sold it for $1,850 and saved it all.

Once you got out, you started working as a tailor. They had you sewing uniforms in the Army, so you knew something about it. You became good at it, bought the shop with what you saved during your stint. A few years later you sold the shop to work in accounting. Don’t ask how that happened. Something to do with your wife’s uncle. You were surprised at how well you took to the new profession.

When the first baby was due, you both were ready to move, so you went to South Carolina and bought a home in 1969. Your next three sons were all born in that home, the home you still live in. The down payment was hard, but the monthly payments were a backbreaker: $178 a month and you only made $800.

Still you gave at church, you put a little aside for the future. Your folks had taught you frugality. You lived within your means. That meant no credit cards, no installment plans, no car payments, only the mortgage. Coupons were big in your household. You told your wife to keep track of expenses in the little ‘Dome’ budget book. She used it to track how much she saved from coupons and sales, too. Once a year both of you went out to eat at a nice restaurant on one quarter of the savings during the year. Nice reward.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Finances, Play, Work

Lost in the Fifties- Another Time, Another Place

February 12, 2017 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team

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Filed Under: Boomers

Harbor at Harmony Crossing at Lake Oconee

July 24, 2014 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

Harbor at Harmony Crossing, an assisted living community in Lake Oconee, has posted new pictures in their online photo gallery!

Take a look at more of their progress!

http://buff.ly/1u8tAF6

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Filed Under: The Daily Beat

6 Ways to Help Your Aging Parent Move to a New Place

July 22, 2014 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

As the general population ages and people are living longer, many of us will face the challenge of moving an aging parent.

According to SpareFoot.com, the world’s largest online marketplace to find and book self-storage units, here are six guidelines to help the transition go smoothly.

1. Start Early.

If you’re considering when to bring up the topic of change, “anytime is a good time,” said Fritzi Gros-Daillon, owner of Household Guardians, a company that offers safety kits and safety consultations. Having this conversation while your parent is in good health can make it easier to lay out a plan together. When it comes to elderly parents, “remember it is all about them being in control, and maintaining their independence and quality of life,” Butler said. “You are only there to help.”

2. Find the Right Place.

Before making any decisions, you’ll want to look into the assisted living facilities or retirement communities in whichever areas are under consideration. “Many assisted living facilities will set an appointment with you for a tour of the facility and to stay for lunch,” Butler said. If possible, take your parent along for the visit. In addition to the facility’s physical amenities, check out the services offered there. “Ask what level of care is available now and in the future,” said Rick Lauber, author of“Caregiver’s Guide for Canadians” and a former caregiver for his own aging parents.

[Read more…]

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Filed Under: Boomers

Couple Married 63 Years Dies On Same Day

July 17, 2014 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: The Daily Beat

69 Years Later, Woman Returns to Find Dorm Room Surprise

July 16, 2014 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: The Daily Beat

They’re Dropping Like Middle Initials

July 15, 2014 by The Lake Oconee Boomers Team Leave a Comment

In 1991, I was preparing to publish my first book, about a year I spent teaching junior high school in Japan. Stephen Birmingham, the author of “Our Crowd” and an acquaintance of my parents, offered to give me a blurb but recommended one change: that I drop the middle initial from my name on the cover. As a 26-year-old, baby-faced writer, I was eager to appear older and more sophisticated, so I ignored him.