Good Food in Ecuador

We are enjoying so much healthier Food, since moving to Cuenca. This is Paella, a Spanish dish with loads of seafood.

Just posted a chapter of my upcoming book: The Plan

My back hurts, bad -- but I am still getting the final edits completed on my new book. This is so exciting. I wanted to share a chapter with blog followers today, since it is the anniversary of Medgar Evers murder, and that's what this chapter is about. I will appreciate any and all comment. Thanks -- Susan

Emmett Till Blog; Murder in Mississippi Delta; Civil Rights Cold Cases; Parallels Trayvon Martin: PLEASE SHARE: eBook author posts free chapter of T...: Susan Klopfer, author The Plan Scheduled for July, 2013 Publication http://ebooksfromsusan.com Medgar Evers, WW II veteran...

Retirees -- Free download of one of my projects (writing books as a boomer)

A typical Mississippi Delta county courthouse; they all have their secrets!

I've been posting free downloads of my audio book,Who Killed Emmett Till? This particular file is about the murder of Emmett Till, and why it matters today. Afterall, this killing book place back in 1955. Would enjoy your comments after you've listened.
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I stay active as a retiree by writing books and ebooks. Have you found something interesting to do with your life? I invite you to be sure and subscribe to my blog, A Woman's Retirement Monologues where I try to share as many ideas as I can find about living a happy, healthy retirement. Boredom is not an option!

Thanks,
Susan

Only about two more weeks, and The Plan: A Novel will be available. Can hardly wait to share this with you.

CLICK HERE for your free listen'and/or download

https://www.box.com/s/vkz4yebhe70k00bcfsup

Susan

P.S. If you want to hear more, go to my new website http://ebooksfromsusan.com

I'd love your comments -- there are more audio files there, too.

How a Holistic Life Helps Retirees Keep Healthy

Come on. Were you REALLY looking for THE fountain of youth when you retired? If so, you may have to give up on that search. It ainta gonna happen! We all live. We grow older and then we move on to another plane. (Some people call this death.) But we don’t magically get physically younger as we retire. Hopefully, we age gracefully, stay healthy and have a good time doing this in retirement years.

There’s no magic pill required to create what still can be a vibrant present and an active retirement. This opinion is shared by many, including Peter Spiers who’s written a new book called "Master Class: Living Longer, Stronger, And Happier.” There are 40 million Americans 65 and older today, and by 2050 that number is expected to double to 80 million. Now, that's a lot of human potential that can be either wasted or realized, this author tells us.

What will you do with your retirement?  Often, I blog about my activities while learning some ways other men and women get insight on how to make the most of this “new life stage in which work has ceased to be the central focus of their lives” (Spiers’s definition of retirement).

One person recently commented on my retirement blog she was so busy, she “needed to retire from retirement!'" Does this describe you?

People who are engaged in activities that involve at least two dimensions of socializing, moving, thinking and creating, Spiers calls “Masters.”  These are key elements of a holistic way of life that will bring happiness, optimism and physical and cognitive health, he writes.

I'm 65, but I'm thinking about things I can do now to set myself up for a successful retirement. I once wrote for newspapers and worked for a publishing company, and now I am writing books and blogging even more.

What did you used to do that you would now like to further develop? This may be a helpful way to discover the activities that bring about the desired state for retirement that Spiers mentions in his book. I’ve noticed that people who comment and write for my blog also describe their successes following this road map. It certainly works for me, and I will guess this approach works (or could work) for you!

Many of the 14 activities listed in Spier’s "Master Class" -- like gardening and birding – may seem like familiar and already explored territory. But what's wrong with learning from the past? "Boomers will no doubt put their own stamp on this stage as they have with every other stage, but why embark on a trip without a map?" Spiers recently said, in an interview with The Huffington Post.

Just because the 14 activities he’s come up with look easy doesn't mean they are. They all require some energy and will power. The concepts are easy, but realizing and living them does take attention and a concerted effort.

"It requires some energy and willpower on your part. The concepts are easy but realizing, living the concepts does take some attention," he told the interviewer.

Most of his suggestions don’t surprise me: genealogy, cultural immersion travel, exercise, group bicycling, book clubs, volunteering, dancing, and gardening – I’m sure you can do even better coming up with your own ideas, and want to hear your suggestions on my blog.

Have a comment? Please share it here.

Mmeanwhile, think holistic retirement – and forget anything about trying to find that brick and mortar fountain of youth. What we must all discover is the fountain within ourselves, ready to be turned on for this new and unique time of our lives.

Recicladores of Avenida Molina Mora - Poetry and Short Stories Originating in the Andes

An Andes Sunset

Pure poetry! A friend of mine,

Magdalena Herreshoff

just designed her first blog.

She's a poet and writer residing in Ecuador and her work often reflects her experiences of living in the Andes.

What a creative way to spend one's retirement. Take a look -- http://highintheandes.wordpress.com/

Always appreciate your comments. sk

Expat Author Chris Petersen's Book Delivers! (How to get a FREE copy)

Author Chris Petersen

What do you do when you retire? Sit around and get bored? Or write a book that keeps people up all night reading?

Ecuador expat Chris Petersen chose the latter. He sits across the table from me at our Cuenca writers group (Writers In Transition or WIT) and each week shares a chapter of his newest book. He clearly enjoys using his retirement time in this way, and has discovered talents that maybe he didn’t know were there. Now he's doing something creative: giving away free copies to share his work with readers around the world.

I’ve been working on my own book, and have to admit I didn’t have the time to read Chris’s current book. But finally I did, and then couldn’t put it down. Here’s my quick review of Methuselah’s Secret:


I was locked in the moment I began reading Methuselah's Secret. Chris Petersen’s novel is filled with believable characters that come to life. It’s well-paced and intriguing. Franklin Stone is a person we all know, with his perfect marriage and thriving business.

Then a friend approaches him with a secret that changes his life, and the suspense begins. The author cleverly draws each scene while the dialog has an authentic cadence that makes it convincing and real. The book flows well, and I couldn't put it down. Now I'm waiting for this author's next work. Highly recommend for anyone who appreciates a good read. FIVE STARS.

Take a look at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252087 then pick up your free copy and see what you think!

What will you do when you finally don’t have to set an alarm clock and jump out of bed each morning to go to work? You might want to consider working at becoming a writer. It works for Chris! Or... you might want to start reading all of those great books you've never had the time to pick up. Here's a good place to start.

P.S. This book also is listed on Amazon, where it is only .99 cents for download. Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/Methuselahs-Secret-ebook/dp/B00AIRQ234/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Women making Panama Hats by hand in Sigsig, Ecuador

Just finishing some research on Sigsig for my novel, The Plan (due out next month) and I wanted to share this video of women hand weaving Panama hats up in the Andes, in this remote villate.

I got a hat there, myself, when I traveled thee last month. Unbelieveable! It was just $10.

Anyway, a big chase scene takes place here, when the widow of a murdered black lawyer from Alabama hides out, while her friend goes to Guayaquil to purchase plane tickets to go back to the U..S. The bad guy learns she's in Sigsig, with a friend, Colon, and he sets out to find her, and ends of chasing her and Colon back to Cuenca!

Enjoy the weaving -- Sigsig is a beautiful journey from here, about 90 minutes by public bus. There's an unbelievable hostel there on the mountain side with swimming pools. Great place to knock off a Sunday afternoon. Susan