Lifestyle

Many of these loving, funny, helpful women are gone. Some are still with us. But all their spirits linger in my recipe box, thanks to the long-ago wedding gift of a thoughtful friend. Before my husband and I were married – 48 years ago this month – my friend contacted about 50 of my female friends, relatives, and relatives-to-be, asking them to write their favorite recipes on 3x5 index cards. She collected 150 recipes, most of them handwritten, some typed. She filed them in a yellow plastic recipe box.

Not only can technology make your life easier and more fun but it also may allow you – or your loved one – to retain an independent, healthy lifestyle. Here are just eight of the many innovations now popular:

Buying furniture is an expensive endeavor, but living on a tight budget doesn't mean that you have to sacrifice your sense of style. It can be an opportunity to be creative. For those with small bedrooms, having too much furniture can make the room appear cluttered and even smaller. Fortunately, you can do without bulky items, such as a nightstand, dresser or armoire, and replace them with organizers to make the room appear more spacious.

Acton resident Niela Miller, 81, is a multi-talented artist, musician, author, life coach and therapist. As if that wasn’t enough for one life, Miller has embarked upon a new adventure, taking her myriad skills online. In “Second Life,” a virtual 3D program on the Internet, Miller has created a whole new world with her alter-ego or “avatar,” Marly Mirena. She uses all aspects of her creativity - photographs, paintings, music, theater improv and movement - as tools for awareness, problem-solving, community building, spiritual development and building cultural bridges.

Karen Lounsbury of Cambridge is comfortable interacting with military families. She’s the daughter and sister of veterans, and was a military wife.

By Sharon Longo Contributing Writer REGION - Massachusetts has its pros and cons when it comes to retiring here. Some data shows it to be an...

Today’s portable oxygen concentrators (POCs) offer a whole new level of flexibility and freedom that have never before been available to oxygen users. Instead...

When people wonder whether attitude or a healthy lifestyle is more important for a long life, they only need to meet Littleton resident Hazel Plummer to be convinced that it is the former.

By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer BOSTON - Strolling around Castle Island in South Boston can be good for the soul. You are outside surrounded by...

By Sharon Oliver Contributing Writer BRAINTREE - Named after Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, Bradlees department store opened in the 1950s after three Connecticut...