Family & Relationships

I have always gotten a real tree, 🌲 and have had struggles keeping the cat away from them.  Last year I bought a pretty brass Tree Collar, and that has helped somewhat.  At least the cat is not messing with the water in the tree stand now!  But the lights and decorations are another story, even though they’ve been placed further up.  I’ve tried squirting oranges around, as cats tend to not like that smell.  Works for a very short time. Anyone have luck with keeping their pets away from tree? Live tree or otherwise.

Just wanted to say hello. Not sure how to navigate yet but will figure it out. Just looking for a place to communicate with like minded seniors, 77. Have all the usual senior concerns. Work full time and have a gift shop in South Jersey. Days are full but the age is there.....marching on.😀.  Never the less it is good to keep in contact with others. Please write, give me some advise about this site. Introduce yourself and give me time to respond. Not so quick anymore.😊 Clutch

Same content, probably easier to read:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gm5mwyhYfM8JIozt2PT8y7h6Decc-EhI/view Same content, probabbly easier to read: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gm5mwyhYfM8JIozt2PT8y7h6Decc-EhI/view 

I wanted to start a forum for those of us living in nursing homes, and the unique challenges that we experience. I am 51 and have chosen to not treat my recurrence of breast cancer. I also have dystonia. So I am living in a nursing home now, which I find to be very difficult, and lonely. I wanted to reach out to others in a similar position. 

 As I’m sitting watching football, one of the commentators mentioned Madden and his famous Turducken.  A duck and chicken stiffed within the other and then within a turkey.  .  I’ve never seen one other than on Thanksgiving football games and it still continues as a nod to Madden.  Anyone make or have been part of the eating of one?  

THIS GROUP IS OPEN TO ALL GRIEVERS NO MATTER HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN [years,days]. To participate, click on reply button at bottom of this post. Enter your comment. Click on reply again. Luv,Nicole 💛

This Thanksgiving, due to logistics, last minute family member’s health, hospitalization etc…..,we’ve opted for “Non-Traditional”.  We may do carry out of pizza or each of their own choice from someplace, together. Or stop by and drop something off.Which got me to thinking…That’s ok, why does it HAVE to be the same… and I wonder who else might be doing something different other than the standby traditional ham or turkey. I’ve know some families who highly enjoy their traditional family’s Italian dishes incorporated into their meal for Thanksgiving. The holidays can be hard for a lot of us, with members who have passed or moved.  So it got me wondering what others might be having, or not having.  

FROM THE ARTICLE. 20 Ways AARP Delivered for Older Adults in 2025Our talented, committed staff had a banner year creating products and services for you. By Michael Hedges AARP. Published November 24, 2025. It has been a challenging year for many older Americans, and AARP responded by defending the things that are most important to those 50 and older. We hope these efforts make you glad to be part of the AARP family. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/wins-of-2025/

 My name is Shirley, I am 63 years old, I love to meet new people my age, I am interested in a walking group. I love to drink coffee and margaritas. I love to read the books at Barnes and Noble and love to shop at Hobby Lobby, Khol's and the Dollar Store $$, I love to meet new people all the time everyone has a story to tell. 

My name is Shari and I just joined AARP yesterday.  I updated my profile with my interests.  I enjoy talking with everyone.  Please feel free to message anytime.  I will respond to every message as soon as possible.  I look forward to talking with you!

Hi everyone,I’m Febby from Vancouver. I enjoy travelling, cooking, yoga, and meeting new people.I would love to make new friends here, especially people 50+ from the U.S. who enjoy a warm and friendly chat.Feel free to say hi, I'm happy to connect! 💛

I thought it would be fun to start a lighthearted conversation.What’s one simple thing that makes you smile lately?For me, it’s cooking new recipes and talking with new people.I’d love to hear yours!

Anyone know of any group that meets?

FROM THE ARTICLE. 20 other wins included stories and videos that call attention to the concerns of older adults. By Deirdre van Dyk, AARP. Published November 18, 2025. AARP has been named the 2025 Nonprofit of the Year by the Anthem Awards, which celebrates purpose-driven, social impact work. The honor recognizes the nonprofit with the greatest impact across all the award categories. “I’m honored to accept the Anthem Award for Nonprofit of the Year on behalf of AARP, recognizing our mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age,” said AARP CEO Dr. Myechia Minter-Jordan. “Thank you to our staff, volunteers and partners who bring that mission to life in communities across the country every day.” USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/aarp-anthem-nonprofit-of-the-year/

Then tell us what makes it AFFORDABLE to you.This is your chance to dream but with reason -  

FROM THE ARTICLE. 7 Questions to Ask Before Moving to a 55+ Community.Are you ready to downsize? And do you like to be social? Here's what to know before joining a community for older adults. By Matt Swenson, AARP. *** There is 1 comment on the AARP Website. Stop by to add yours. *** Published July 09, 2025. Connie Beck and her husband, Michael Beck, knew it was time to move on when her father-in-law passed away in 2018. Their caregiving duties were the last connection to Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County, which they felt was a nice place to live but not retire. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/home-living/is-over-55-community-right-for-you/

Hi, I have moved to IL earlier this year. I'm closer to my family, but I'm starting over looking for new friendships and local connections. I had no idea this forum exists. I'm in my late 50's, interested in dancing, wanting to take upon cross country skiing. I'd like to volunteer locally. Let's see where this goes! 

Hi from the lone star state.

FROM THE ARTICLE. Veterans and grandparents contend with balancing bills and staying fed as SNAP benefits remain suspended. By Molly Snow, AARP. Published November 12, 2025. A grandfather of six. A U.S. Army veteran.Retirees who’ve spent a lifetime working and now struggle to pay competing bills.​​These are just some of the millions of older adults affected by the disruptions to federal food aid because of the ongoing government shutdown. In November, it became the longest in history. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/older-adults-missed-food-aid/

 Happy Veterans Day to my son Barry  and to all veterans.    Thank you for your service.

With the temps dipping, I got the urge to bake some apples in the oven.  The smell of brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon and apples is wafting in the air right now! What are the favorite smells of Autumn for you?

Good Morning To Everyone On The Front  Porch On This Cold Thursday Morning  December 17th, 2020! As I'm sitting around our apartment on my cable I've seen some interesting things like beautiful creatures posted on the  internet! It could be a tropical bird, a majestic animal, a waterfall in a remote part of Africa,  a giant tree or the insect I've posted below. I think that the Front Porch followers should be able to come up with several hundred photos by New Years Day! All you need to do is save the photo to your gallery and repost it here to this topic.  ENJOY AND HAVE A HAPPY,  HEALTHY 2021! 

Hi, 👋 came to this forum hoping to meet other senior parents caring for adult children with autism. Also hoping to get recommendations from the community on home phones and daily check-in apps. I don’t want to have to drop everything to talk to a human so I prefer a daily check-in app that just lets me push a button. Also I need maximum flexibility because I’m busy caring for my son around the clock and don’t have a lot of time or energy for this. I’m basically doing this to pacify family, and the last thing I need is them getting alerts that freak them out. Also I need a home phone that is desk phone style (no cellphones) that have programmable buttons for speed dial so  can train my son to call his sister or nephew  if something were to happen to me. But I still need some of the features cellphones offer like recording voicemail messages, converting them to text, and storing them in the cloud or somewhere retrievable. I also need to be able to record entire audio

FROM THE ARTICLE. From Mt. Rushmore to NYC: Eight Military-Inspired Wishes Shared Through Wish of a Lifetime from AARP. Veterans and families find connection and joy through dreams fulfilled—or still to come. By Aaron Kassraie, AARP. Published November 07, 2025. Wish of a Lifetime from AARP helps older adults achieve long-held dreams that honor their service, reconnect them with loved ones or celebrate meaningful life experiences. Many of the wishes come from veterans or their families. Each one is based on their own history and a desire to reconnect with meaningful moments. This photo essay highlights six dreams that have already come true — and two that soon will — showing how powerful a single experience can be in honoring service, legacy and community. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/veterans/wish-of-a-lifetime-veterans-stories/

We havecars that run on electricity and can come when beckoned -We have driverless big rigs.  We have ubers and lyfts without drivers.  We have homes that turn on and off lights when one goes into or leaves the roomWe have AI that is suppose to answer almost any question 🥴We have rocket ships that leave earth and then return to their own parking spotsWe have wireless internet But to my dismay - we do not have a trash can that can drive itself to the street, wait for trash pickup and then drive back to the house.  Now when that trip is up a hill almost 250’ or for some, longer - When one gets up in age, this is a feat.  There is no tech anywhere to be found even though a robotic arm truck does pick up the trash, requiring only the truck driver. Consider this a call to action all you geeks out there - Be The 1st to invent it.