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On the Map: Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market Reopens at Dvoor Farm
Mark McNease
After a week of rain, it was a delight to get out in the Sunday sun. Planting in our garden could wait a few hours – first we had to hit the farmers’ market at Dvoor Farm for opening day. Bread, pizza, fresh produce, soaps! We were welcomed by a dozen local artisans and merchants, offering salves for the rain-weary soul. More vendors will come on board as the weeks pass, making this farmers’ market the local treasure it’s been for years. Stop by, browse, say hello, and support the Hunterdon Land Trust while you do!
The Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ Market is officially reopened at Dvoor Farms in Raritan Township on Sunday, May 7. After a long winter of waiting, you’ll now be able to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables from local farmers as well as homemade goods from talented artisans, thanks to the Hunterdon Land Trust. Whether you’re in search of a weekly grocery shop stop or just looking for an afternoon stroll with friends, this lively marketplace has it all. Reach out to your neighbors and get ready for an incredible day filled with unique wares and delicious food – the Hunterdon Land Trust Farmers’ market awaits!
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Bethlehem Steels the Show: A Day Trip to the SteelStacks, Wind Creek Casino, and the Historic Bethlehem District
Mark McNease
I had some awareness of Bethlehem, PA, mostly because of the casino, now called Wind Creek Bethlehem. But a friend recently told us about her visit to the SteelStacks, complete with a tour of the magnificent rusting behemoth of the Bethlehem Steel plant, and we decided to make a day trip of it. It’s only about a 50 minute drive from our home, so it was easy, and very well worth it. It was the perfect definition of a one-day getaway. We walked over 20,000 steps (each, not combined!), as we strolled along the walkway abutting the massive factory, headed to the casino, then back and over the river to the north side of Bethlehem. There is a south side and we’re saving that for next time!
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Savvy Senior: Best Dating Apps for Retirees
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you recommend some good online dating apps or sites for retirees? I’m a 66-year-old widow and would like to find a new friend to spend time with, but don’t know where to turn.
Cautious Carol
Dear Carol,
Whether you’re interested in dating again or just looking for a friend to spend time with, online dating sites and apps have become an easy and convenient way for older adults to meet new single people without ever having to leave home.
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Savvy Senior: Fun Part-Time Jobs Ideas for Retirees
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
As a 68-year-old retiree, I’m interested in finding a fun part-time job that can occupy some of my time and generate a little extra income. Can you write a column on low-stress part-time jobs that are popular among retirees?
Part-Time Retiree
Dear Retiree,
Working part-time in retirement can be a terrific way to occupy your time and earn some extra income. The key, however, is finding the right gig that’s fun and satisfying for you. While there are literally hundreds of different part-time job opportunities out there for retirees, here are a few possibilities to explore.
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Cat Talk Radio with Molly DeVoss and Dewery Vaughn: Why Is My Cat Always Hungry?
Do cats get food obsessions? What types of behaviors do cats exhibit when obsessed with food? What can I do to get my cat to stop pestering me for food?
Cat Talk Radio is all about cats, what makes them do what they do, why they occasionally misbehave and what cat guardians can do to fix it. We educate you on how to modify unwanted cat behavior by providing the proper environment and stimulation, enabling cats to express their natural behaviors in ways that are preferable for both the humans and cats. You will learn how to have fun with your cat, fascinating cat facts and be inspired to try new things, which will lead to a happier relationship and closer bond with your cat. We’ll also call attention to the plight of cats in our country, feel compassion for their challenges and share the message.
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Dreamshaping: Mark the Dreamshaper Dreams of Vegetables (VIDEO)
I set up this raised-bed garden several years ago when we moved to our Jersey house full-time. It’s one of my proudest home achievements, but it’s made with inexpensive wood and I need to shore it up and/or make some replacements. We also want to expand it. So … stay tuned, there will be more as the garden takes shape. It will be fabulous.
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Mark McNease Mysteries Podcast #50: The Cat in the Window
This episode brings you another AI-narrated special, ‘The Cat in the Window.‘ It’s a short story that has pleased a lot of readers, and one of my better ones. You can find all my best stories collected in Tundra (2000 – 2022). For now, enjoy this short audio edition narrated by Android Bella. You can purchase it as an MP3 file, available only at my Payhip storefront.
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Dreamshaping: Seeds of Doubt
Enjoy an audio small plate. Her name is Bella, and she’ll be your server today.
It’s never too early to doubt yourself. While that’s unlikely to be spoken by the most advanced two-year-old, it seems to be one of the earliest concepts we learn. We teeter on our tiny feet, attempting to walk for the first time. The giants in our lives encourage us, cheering us on to put one foot in front of the other, and then … we tumble. Our faces scrunch up. We probably cry. We wait awhile, looking for signs of approval, and we try again.
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Savvy Senior: Donating Your Body to Science
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
I am interested in possibly donating my body to science when I pass away. What can you tell me about this, and what would I need to do to set it up?
Getting Old
Dear Getting,
If you’re looking to help advance medical research, and in the process, eliminate your funeral and burial costs, donating your body to science is a great option to consider. Here’s what you should know.
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WondervoxAI Offers Voices to Choose From (Including Your Own!)
WondervoxAI offers an array of voice options to choose from. You can listen to some of them below (there are more, just ask). Or, let us clone your voice! Sound strange? Once you’ve heard an AI clone of your voice, you’ll be amazed at the technology. And you won’t be concerned. Your voice is your voice. WondervoxAI will never use it for anything you haven’t approved, and it will never be shared outside the work we do for you. So check out these voices, and imagine them speaking for your blogs, podcast inserts, articles, columns, or any other narration needs you have. We also do audio mixing! Sound effects, music under the narration, splicing … you ask for it, we provide in most cases.
Anthony
Josh
Rachel
Bella
Mark (that’s me!)
And here’s the text they’re narrating …
Life as we experience it is the ultimate lucid dream—those dreams in which we become aware that we’re dreaming. We look around us in the dream we’re having, and we understand within the dream that we have the power to create it, frame by frame.
What is the shape of your dream, its landscape? What are the things you want in your dream, and, just as importantly, what are the things you want out of it? The toxins, habits and obstacles that limit what you imagine for yourself? The objective is not to reach the end of it—for all dreams end—but to experience it while we’re dreaming, and to know we are not powerless. We’re the set designer! The casting director. The author, the publisher, the camera operator, the conductor. All of it.
All things are of the substance of dreams. Feel the substance in your hands. Shape it to your liking.
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Back in Wide Distribution – Save Even More and Buy Direct!
After doing very well as a Kindle Unlimited exclusive publisher the last several months, I’ve released several of my books ‘wide,’ as we say. You can find me at Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and my own Payhip storefront where you’ll save even more!
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Book Review: Code Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D
By Terri Schlichenmeyer
The Bookworm SexCode Gray: Death, Life, and Uncertainty in the ER, by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D.
c.2023, Simon & Schuster $27.99 256 pagesYou know exactly who’s in charge here.
It’s the person in the white coat, a physician with a stethoscope around their neck and a packed pocketful of paper notes and pens. The white coat instantly gets your attention. It’s meant to quickly convey authority, and it does – so much so that you trust your very life to the person wearing it. In “Code Gray” by Farzon A. Nahvi, M.D., that white coat won’t leave you in the dark.
It was only supposed to be a friends-catching-up kind of text thread but for Farzon Nahvi and his colleagues around the country, the flurry of messages they exchanged during the pandemic became a lifeline. For each, it was good to know that their hospital’s reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic wasn’t the only one lacking.