How does it feel if you beat someone who doesn't know you had the help of a computer to find your words -- words you don't even know the meaning of? How does that possibly feel good? Do you high-five yourself in the mirror after? Just you and your nasty little secret?

Shortly after his 60th birthday, my husband -- who is 15 years my senior -- took a buyout from his employer of 32 years to follow a life-long dream: H...

On my wedding night in a beautiful mountain lodge that we had rented out for the occasion, my then 80-something Aunt Sophie called the front desk at midnight and asked if Frederic, the 26-year-old French chef who had just fed us a sublime meal and spent much of the evening dancing with her, could please come to her cabin to remove the spider she had just found.

When I was single and in my 20s, I loved traveling alone. Traveling with friends required compromises I resented having to make: They wanted to sleep til noon while I rose with the sun raring to go; they preferred booking tours to eliminate any uncertainties while I liked using public transportation for self-guided exploration.

Midlife is the perfect time of life for those of us who are deadline-driven. While the sand in our hourglasses isn't in imminent danger of running out, most of us realize that our time no longer feels unlimited. It's today or never to determine how we spend the next chapters.

Sure I have worries and stress and angst and rush around most days like a headless chicken as I try to juggle two kids, a house, a full-time job and a commute that entitles me to a lifetime achievement award from AAA. But on my birthday? Color me content.

The joy of a good night's sleep just can't be overstated. Somewhere around my 50th birthday, I lost the ability to get one. I went from being someone who could shut her eyes and not open them for eight hours to a person who now does a victory lap around the bed if I manage four hours in a single stretch.

The trend toward the "village" approach to aging in place is growing, says Nancy Thompson, senior media relations manager for AARP. She defines it as ...