Grand Plans: November 23, 2023

A semi-monthly newsletter from Grand Plans designed to normalize and celebrate our glorious geri-destiny through information, stories, real talk conversation, smart planning and shared experience.

Geri-news you can use

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! Time to account for everything for which we’re grateful — there’s so much to consider! Being thankful for family and friends (and letting them know!) is not only the right thing to do, but it’s good for our long-term health, according to recent studies. What are you thankful for today?

Hopefully, you’re grateful your holiday travel wasn’t horrendous — apparently, it’s bad. Real bad.

But travel can be really good for our senior experience. The sky — and the seas — are the limit when it comes to creative ways to live out your golden years on this planet. Get on track with your travel planning before it’s too late!

Or maybe you want to ride off into the sunset like a total bad a**.

But mind the gap, and the costs. If you decide you def WON’T spend retirement dollars on expensive travel or transportation, then opt for less pricey experiences instead, you could be “spaving,” which is not exactly saving. Know the difference and be a better steward of your senior stash.

This stride is rite: if you’re looking to go places for FREE, and get a big health return on your travel investment, walk — backward, it seems. Your body, brain and bank account’s bottom line will thank you.

The bottom line is, walking 15 minutes a day can extend your life by three years. Pick up the pace, and save your pennies!

Geris-prudence

If you’re helping a loved one navigate their grand planning, chances are you need a good elder law attorney on the case. In addition to culling through complicated tax and estate planning issues, they can help families navigate the complicated rules around Medicaid, gifting, and long-term care planning.

According to this piece in Forbes, “Elder law attorneys help seniors or their family caregivers with legal issues and planning related to aging. Elder law attorneys often assist with tax planning, disability planning, probate and administration of an estate, nursing home placement and many other legal issues. Most elder law attorneys also have professional relationships with social workers, geriatric care managers and other professionals who can assist with additional needs associated with aging.”

Read this informative story to learn what you should consider when hiring an elder law attorney.

Fit as a fiddle

According to my fitness friend Amy Gunther M.Ed, an ACE-certified personal trainer, flexibility is one of the seven most important tenets of senior fitness. She’s a big proponent of safe stretching and advises her clients and Silver Sneakers regulars to make flexibility a priority for all exercise pursuits. She suggests this easy-to-follow guide on the Silver Sneakers’ blog as a helpful starting point. Many of the stretches can even be done from a chair. Get limber!

The grand sum

If you’re being smart and looking ahead like the perfectly golden little Grand Planner you are, this article outlining the six things you need to know about Social Security cuts in 2024 is right up your alley. I aim to be as smart and on top of my finance game as you one day, but for now, some of this is all Greek to me and the reason I depend heavily on advisors more competent than I to help me make wise choices.

Podcast News: Grand Plans Season 2

Next up in the Season 2 lineup is an interview with another smart Heather — Heather Bayfield, founder and president of Jacksonville Beach, FL-based Life Management Advisors and Care Management Advisors. She helps clients manage tasks of daily living that can feel complicated and time-consuming as they age. Heather is a wealth of information about the financial and healthcare management, as well as the legal, medical and caregiving needs, of today’s seniors. Listen to it here.

Things I’m prattling on about today

Growing up, my family spent most weekends at Fort Henderson Farm outside of Boerne, Texas, mowing the lawn, swimming, making happy hour chalupas, and post-supper strolling, and I hope to continue this legacy of family gathering as we enter our golden years experience.

Fort Henderson has been a spot for family merrymaking ever since my great grandfather Albert and his brother Ollie bought country property adjacent to each other. After he passed away, my grandmother Bobbie continued the tradition of weekend retreat routines with her family and later ours. When my mom died, my uncle and cousin kept the farm mojo going and one of my beautiful cousins and her family live there today.

I want to make sure our life planning spreadsheet includes columns for upkeep of family hospitality venues, travel and leisure. I want to make a real effort to gather our people routinely in the same spot as often as possible. Call it boring and a money pit, but at least for an active chunk of our lives I think it promotes family togetherness, peace and happiness. At least, that was my experience.

And when our geri-ride starts looking a little rocky, those will be the first assets to be liquidated or passed along to save our nickels for other fun stuff like home healthcare, Activia and Uber rides to the grocery store. #GrandPlans

Shelf Life

The Jacksonville book launch events for Grand Plans: How to Mitigate Geri-Drama in 20 Easy Steps and Grand Planner, are just around the corner. I hope you can join us at one of these gatherings to purchase your copies. See you there!

I’ll also be at the Black Friday author’s event in front of San Marco Bookstore this Friday, November 24 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Come see me! And CX904 in the Bank of America tower in downtown Jacksonville has stocked Grand Plans, omg. Check them out there (it is a VERY, VERY cool shop), or on their new website! A February 3 launch is in the works at The Twig bookstore, another great place to keep your dollars local in San Antonio, TX!

If buying locally isn’t an option, visit www.mygrandplans.com for links to purchase on Amazon. Thanks for your support!

Shared experience

We can all learn from each other’s geri-scary moments. What are some of your takeaway lessons? What have you promised yourself you’ll never do to your loved ones? What worked for you? What didn’t? More conversation and story-sharing helps elevate the geri-experience for all of us. If you want to share your grand tales, email susannabarton@me.com and I’ll put them in an upcoming newsletter. Here’s today’s Shared Experience:

“We will replace our automobiles every five years after age 70, to ensure that we are not driving cars we can’t count on into our old age. Now that they are 86 and 87, it doesn’t make sense to replace my parents’ 13-year-old Camry, which my mom insists on continuing to drive despite the pleas of her children to stop and call Uber.”

— Anonymous

O-Bitchin

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter designed a legacy that is rich and purposeful by any measure. Here’s her memoriam:

“Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, 96, died in Plains, GA, on November 19, 2023. She served as First Lady from 1977 to 1981 while her husband, Jimmy Carter, served as the 39th President of the United States. She was born on August 18, 1927, in Plains, GA, the hometown of her future husband. Rosalynn and Jimmy married in 1946, just after he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. Their 77 years together is the longest marriage of any Presidential couple.

In a statement upon her death, President Jimmy Carter said, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody loved and supported me.” Read the full announcement of her passing here.

Some golden gedunk and goods

I bought this seasonal bonnet for my Grandkitty, Bean, and I think she’ll look like the cat’s meow in it on Thanksgiving Day.

Everything else in my cart this month is super boring and crusty, like the creams and salves I’ve been buying for a rash of unknown origin on my turkey neck. Gobble gobble, boo hiss.

But if I was more planful and in the spirit, I’d buy this to soften up conversation around the Thanksgiving table. Gratitude is the reason for the season!

Check out our Grand Plans merch in our new Etsy storefront.