Two long-time, seventysomething writing partners share how they and other aging boomers can navigate this new stage of their lives with optimism, energy, humor, honesty, and empathy. It's a gift to reach old age and to arrive there well and ready for more years. The two authors of Not Dead Yet find that it's time now to tidy-up their lives--to live fully in the moment with less clutter, better planning, and to free themselves to travel more, read, work, volunteer, and enjoy grown children and grandchildren. These later years bring challenges but also the advantage of wisdom about their minds and bodies. Not Dead Yet is the one book that brings home all the challenges in witty, meaty chapters that provide realistic solutions through the experiences of its two female septuagenarian authors, as well as through those of other boomer women and men of varying incomes, religions, ethnicities, and locations. From sex and dating to travel and volunteer work, writers Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane, who faced becoming single in their last book, Suddenly Single After 50, now cope with the older decades by employing the same humor, honest storytelling, empathy, and energy. Their conclusions reflect a firm resolve that there is much life yet to be lived. Giving hope, guidance, and optimism to readers, they provide affirmation for anyone hoping to clear the hurdles and live life fully, presently, and with an eye toward fulfillment and wellness.
Barbara Ballinger is an award-winning wordsmith who has interviewed a variety of celebrities and experts-Tipper Gore, Martha Stewart, Danny Meyer, David Rockwell, Rosalynn Carter, and Lorraine Bracco among them-while covering such diverse topics as business, design, entertaining and food, law, and personal finance. Her work has appeared in numerous publications, including Chicago Tribune, Crain's Chicago Business, HGTV, House Beautiful,Hudson Valley, MultiFamily Executive, The New York Times, Realtor, Robb Report, and St.Louis Post-Dispatch. A popular author, her latest book is The Kitchen Bible. In addition, Barbara blogs at three popular sites: Why That Much, The Bare Root, and Builders Blocks. Ballinger also speaks at conferences and in various media, including "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Nancy Glass Radio Show," and "The Mark Nash Radio Show." Margaret Crane is a nationally-known freelance writer focusing on business, food, wine, fashion, and home furnishings. She has interviewed such luminaries as Virginia Johnson, Moshe Dayan, Shimon Peres, Dr. Benjamin Spock, Tippi Hedren, Sally Quinn, Jack Buck, William Shatner, and many others. Her work has appeared in a wide variety of publications, including Beverage Journals, Crain's ChicagoBusiness, Family Business Magazine, Inc. Magazine, Midwest Living, The New York Times,Newsweek, Realtor, St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis Post Dispatch, St. Louis Magazine, St.Louis Town & Style, The Wine Spectator, and Your Company. A proven author with more than a half dozen titles to her credit, Margaret's latest book is The Kitchen Bible and Suddenly SingleAfter 50. She formerly worked as a senior writer and researcher at Jewish Federation of Saint Louis, where she helped launch and maintain an award-winning website. Margaret also writes website content and does editing for non-profit organizations and for-profit companies.
Not Dead Yet is a field guide to living a joyful life as we age. Authors Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane share practical tips gleaned from their own and others' triumphant journeys through the "older years." I found this book to offer nuggets for people of all ages at all stages of life about living with purpose, meaning and joy.--Amy Goyer, author, speaker, consultant, AARP's family and caregiving expert Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane provide their reader with positive and thought-provoking stories in their page-turner book, Not Dead Yet. Their personal interviews with a diverse group of women in the second half of life encourage a woman to explore positive options on how to thrive, not just survive. The explorer Ponce de Leon discovered 'The Fountain of Youth;' Barbara and Margaret discovered several choices on the way 'happiness thinks' in a woman's journey over 60.--Susan Honey Good, author, named a Top 50 Influencer 2021, founder of HoneyGood.com Aging can be tough for baby boomers, even if you are not suddenly single. In This deeply personal book, Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane provide ways to reboot your life to enjoy each day and stop worrying about the small stuff. They offer excellent advice on how to communicate with your adult children, live and thrive in community, and find time to enjoy your passions such as traveling, hiking, volunteering and painting. In this must-read book, they share how seniors can find joy by living in the moment.--Alice Starr, president, Starr Strategies Co. Aging is serious business. But as Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Carne illustrate so beautifully in Not Dead Yet, there are so many different ways to live fully and happily in later life. Joy doesn't end when jobs do, or kids move away, or partners die. This book shows you how to thrive no matter how old you are. It's a gift.--Abby Ellin, author of "Duped: Double Lives, False Identities and the Con Man I Almost Married" In their second book on the topic, Barbara and Margaret share their refreshingly funny points of view on what it means to find joy in daily life regardless of the challenges we all face. While everyone has their own unique prescription to happiness, lessons on inventorying one's work life before retirement, focusing on relationships and staying connected to our own needs have proven time and again to be the best medicine. My mother told me she felt like she really came into her own in her 50s, and my experience has been the same. As this book shows, we all still have much to look forward to - and because of our life experience, more tools to call on.--Penny Pennington, managing partner, Edward Jones Not Dead Yet is a wonderful title for a wonderful book about the great privilege of staying alive in old age (and not being afraid to call it that). Ballinger and Crane have written an ideal road map on how women can make wise choices in life to deal with everything from sagging bodies to friendship, family, work and where to live. This book is just what we need right now - the vim and vigor to deal with adversity and the day-to-day tools of how to embrace this new season of life with wisdom and even humor.--Patty Dann, author of "The Wright Sister," "Mermaids," "The Goldfish Went on Vacation," and other books The words permeating this book will serve as a master teacher for the process of aging, and as a blueprint for dealing with the complexities engendered by change. Each chapter is layered with personal experience, unexpected humor, transcendental wisdom, and carefully crafted anecdotes. Readers will be able to indulge in a mosaic of clearly written stories that are woven with simple, practical insights all of which will help the reader reset their priorities and strive for the things that truly matter. The book starts by addressing how our bodies age. It invites the reader to explore how we shouldn't allow the limitations imposed by aging to deprive us of living a purposeful and meaningful life. The authors refer to this attitude as "age defiers." The book then talks about some of the more difficult things we ever have to face, like forgiving someone who has deeply hurt us; creating healthy boundaries with children, stepchildren, and grandchildren; viewing life as transitory; freeing ourselves from the things that bind us, and end of life issues. As a minister, I deal with the gamut of topics covered in this book. I know that this book is going to help me become a more effective minister to the age population addressed in this book. I know that it is going to help my congregants untangle some of the challenges that come with aging and their desire to live a meaningful and enthusiastic life. I highly recommend this book.--Rev. Luis R. Perez, pastor, Rhinebeck Reformed Church
