Family & Relationships

Just joined the forum! Hello to all from FL

👋Hi everyone! I'm Jamie, and I live in Indiana with my amazing hubby, our 2 beautiful daughters, and our 5 ornery kitty cat fur-babies. I've been pretty active on AARP, primarily AARP Rewards for several years now, but somehow I guess I never realized this community was here!I am extremely passionate about all things mental health awareness, caring, compassion, advocacy and kindness. I've had some health issues that have kept me on the couch for a few years now, so I've tried to make the most of that time and have done A LOT OF RESEARCH on a lot of different things...especially ways to earn extra money, easily, from home by participating in different rewards programs (like AARP Rewards), couponing, etc. It keeps me busy, and I have learned SO MUCH!! My hubby loves the way I'm able to save our family so much money and bring in a little extra on the side as well! 😃 It makes me feel like I'm doing something important, like I am helping provide for our family, instead of just sittin

If you expect change in what is happening in your communities, state and country, don't rest upon your laurels. Become active in your local politics, political party and engage with your elected officials..

I have sent the following to each of my congressional delegation:Senator Lankford; Last, I recall, I sent you an email regarding the Social Security Trust Fund. I have yet to hear from you regarding my inquiry. Again, I am asking that Congress (both house and senate) repay funds that have been "borrowed" (stolen) to make the trust fund solvent. Also, I request that you author legislation to put a lock box on the SSTF to keep congress from using it to make up shortfalls in the budget. Social Security funds are not for congress to "tap" into to fund government. It is money that we senior citizens paid into from our paychecks all our working lives. It is not an entitlement, to be taken away from those of us that have earned it. Respectfully: Darrell Gilbert

Back in 2013, my eldest, a daughter, chose to not have any contact with me. I never understood why until lately. I will not go into details. I have attempted to reconnect with her over the years, but have been rebuffed. Have any of you had similar family situations? She will be 49 this December and I will be 76 in February. Given my age, there is not much time left to reconcile. Is there any Hope? I certainly don't think so.

Hi,My Name is Darrell Gilbert. I am 75 years old and live in Sand Springs, OK. I am a former city councilor in the city of Tulsa, OK and a former State Representative in the Oklahoma legislature. I served in the legislature for 12 years and term limited out in 2008. I am currently active with the Osage County Democratic Party, serving as the affirmative action representative. I am constantly striving to make sure that our rights as Seniors are understood by our elected officials; locally and nationally. I hope that each of you are contacting your elected officials locally and nationally to ensure that we are not forgotten.

Hello all, My name is Matthew. I am 24 years old and I just joined AARP this month. I really enjoy the videos and challenges. I am learning and thinking a lot about my physical, mental, and financial health these days. I travel a lot. In the past few years, I have lived in Los Angeles, Austin, Little Rock, and abroad in Turkey. I am planning on going on a months-long road trip very soon that will take me from Little Rock to New England and everywhere in between. My other hobbies include exercising & yoga, volunteering, urbanism & cities, museums, and reading. My current job is doing food delivery. Previously, I worked at a mall, as a street cleaner, and sold luxury accessories online.  A consequence of my lifestyle is that I do feel lonely often. I would like to start participating in some of these forums. If anyone wants to talk or be pen-pals (I love to send letters and postcards), feel free to message. Something that I learned from AARP articles is that i

I cannot afford much at my age which is almost 67 and it seems life has changed people no one seems to care I have been asking for anyone to lend an ear or even shoot an email no discussion needed. No responses.  Only about their own lives and how great they are doing.  I am ashamed, feel defeated and terrified to move out of state with very low financial resources. I have tried looking at driving and shipping clothing, shipping car and clothing but then i need to get there also and no one to pick me up i will be staying in a motel and praying for a job.

 I have AARP UHC Plan G. I want to set up my own payments monthly through my bank — not through UHC direct bank withdrawal. But I've called the member number and have received conflicting answers. One said that I cannot set up auto payments with my bank mailing the payments for me. Even though my bank would put my UHC Plan G membership number on each check, UHC will not accept the payment mailed from the bank without the monthly coupon. Is this accurate?I have all my other monthly bills, credit cards, etc., set up through my bank, not through all the different companies. This makes it easier to see everything in one place.

Remaining proud and dignified when you have nothing tangible to prove you aren't just taking up space seems to be getting harder and harder for me as time marches on.  Yes, it's true that I'm not as strong, as fast or able to do all the things I could to the extent I was able to when I was younger...but that doesn't make me obsolete, incapable or useless  ..

FROM THE ARTICLE. 20 Years After Katrina, These Older Adults Are Still Stepping Up.Our reporter returns to the Gulf Coast to talk to six 50-plus residents who have made it their mission to rejuvenate their communities. By David Hochman, AARP. Published August 22, 2025. In New Orleans, longtime residents once sat on their porches and waved the weather forecasters along, certain the Mississippi would mind its manners. If you’d weathered Betsy in 1965 and other big blows, the wisdom boiled down to a shrugged “We’ve been through worse.”Then came Katrina. When the levees failed on August 29, 2005, nearly 80 percent of New Orleans was submerged, making it one of the costliest residential disasters in U.S. history. Nearly 1,000 people were confirmed dead and 200,000-plus jobs disappeared almost overnight. Though those 75 and older made up just 6 percent of the city’s population, they accounted for more than half of all lives lost. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. h

Problem #1 - Squirrels drinking from the hummingbird feeders.  I have never seen this before.  They climb up the pole and pull the feeder over to them - tipping it so that the sugar water ends up in their mouth.  Now after the hummingbirds have left this fall, I may spike it with a bit of Jack Daniels.  But now, I do not know what to do.  Need some solution because they seem to be getting a bit chubby from all the sugar water.   Problem #2 - Deer eating my variegated Liriope Muscari which lines my long driveway - I have lived here for 30+ years, and the plants have been here almost from the beginning.  Never have I had deer eat them; didn't even know they liked them . . .  but this year - there they are up and down my drive, having their dinner or early breakfast or lunch.  All does - I have seen no little ones nor any bucks.   Again, I have no idea what will work to keep them away except if I plant them a crop

I opened up the  “1923-1973 Do You Remember... “ post on this board in front of my grand kids and their parents and we make a game of identifying the photos - it was a real hoot hearing some of their guesses and then the amazement of realizing that yes, things were this way before you were born.   And so educational - so eye-opening that from there we got here. Thanks, Dave and others for several hours of great family entertainment.  

A house a car take a cruise wash my new car go shopping then sit on the porch of my new house cause I'm tired and broke

I used to cringe at being called ‘grandpa’ but now it’s ok 😀Four grandchildren make a life a delight. My oldest is seven.  Retirement is getting closer, but work is still a requirement.  One of the reasons I joined is to get better ideas on how to remotely care for my aging mom. She lives 1000 miles away and wants to stay put.  We enjoy phone conversations and I fly up less than I’d like to admit.  We looked into buying a home with an ADU up in her area so we could stay (in the ADU) for longer periods of time, but real-estate in the area makes that less doable.  I wrote a daily call service to check in on mom once in the morning and once at night, and that helps.  But I do worry a bit on the inevitable transition of managing her living space, medical routine, finances/taxes, and the help that does some of that for her.  Honestly it was hard for me to understand why a parent would not want to live near her kids/grands/ and gre

Hawked by bears, a music group called the Quilted Queens, an middle aged grocery Manager, all funny in their own right. Described as cushiony, eco-friendly, leaves you "clean as a whistle" and a multitude of other descriptions. Constructed out of bamboo, recycled material, and "who knows what" in other countries. Named after a brass instrument or a fabric material or a religious icon. Brings us to an all important question.................                  WHAT IS YOUR PREFERENCE IN TOILET PAPER?

[Wednesday 8/20/25] ARTICLE TITLE: Shipping containers provide versatile, sustainable housing options for Roanoke College students. I just saw this article in my Google News for MY AREA IN VIRGINIA. USE LINK BELOW TO READ ARTICLE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED. https://www.wsls.com/news/local/2025/08/19/shipping-containers-provide-versatile-sustainable-housing-options-for-roanoke-college-students/

With over 176 souls lost in 55 plane crashes in the United States in 2025. Crashes into buildings. Crashes into rivers. Planes flipping over. Planes experiencing mid-air stalls. And now hundreds dead in India. You won't catch me ever again flying the "friendly skies". All of a sudden, they don't seem so friendly.  

Hi, Im currently in VA. In 2026, I'll be looking for a kindred spirit/roomate. I am disabled but Things I enjoy and is a way of lifeGardening, cooking/baking from scratch, reading, crochet, make herbal infusions,, tea blends, studying herbs. Burning incense, sage, sweet grassMy spirituality is earth/indigenous based.I love coffee, farm markets. Thrifting, music.Love dogs, horses, birds. Will share with another female.

,Late one night the air traffic control tower got a mayday call. Help, I am flying at  18,000 ft, doing 200 mph, UPSIDE DOWM. Tower answered and asked, "How do you know how high you are?" caller " by this gauge", Tower " How do you know how fast you are going?", caller "by this gauge," tower that's good but how do you know you are upside down? caller " Because the P from my pants is running down my neck."

 DAILY QUOTES II

FROM THE ARTICLE. Crypto may be coming to retirement accounts. Think carefully about the pros and cons before investing. By Chris Taylor, AARP. *** There are 2 comments on the AARP Website. Stop by to add yours. *** Published August 07, 2025. Like them or not, cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Litecoin and Ethereum continue to march into the financial mainstream, and the next frontier could be retirement savings.In late May, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) rescinded prior federal guidance that discouraged 401(k) plan providers from offering crypto on their investment menus. While that isn’t necessarily an official stamp of approval — the DOL said it is maintaining a “neutral stance” on adding crypto to retirement plans — it does further open the door for a digital asset option. USE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/money/retirement/crypto-in-401k.html

I just got my YEARLY email from CVS letting me know their Flu Shot Supply has arrived. I scheduled "online" for the 12th at 8:30am ET. So far "knock on wood" I have NOT had any reactions but HATE NEEDLES. Lol, my CVS know what a "big baby" I am.  ‌🤣‌‌😂‌ Nicole!

FROM THE ARTICLE. By Nancy LeaMond, AARP. Published July 15, 2025. For nearly 60 years, Medicare has been the cornerstone of health and financial security for millions of older Americans. It’s a fundamental promise: after a lifetime of hard work, you’ll be able to get the care you need, when you need it.At AARP, we’re fighting every day to make sure that promise is kept.Whether it’s hospital coverage, doctor visits, prescription drugs, or preventive care, Medicare is essential to helping older Americans live healthier, more independent lives. But the system isn’t perfect, and as health care evolves, so must Medicare. That means protecting what works, fixing what doesn’t, and ensuring every part of the program is delivering for the people it’s meant to serve. USE THE LINK BELOW TO READ THE ARTICLE. https://www.aarp.org/advocacy/blog/medicare-is-a-lifeline-aarp-is-fighting-to-protect-it.html

 Was very excited to see the movie change not charity offered for free with aarp.  First got a message a must use safari. Check. Then got a message i was unable to use mirroring from my phone to my apple TV.  Check.  Airplay didn’t work despite multiple attempts. So not getting to see movie.  Blame aarp for making it so technically difficult