Speaker 1
Good Saturday morning to everybody. Welcome to your next chapter, a production of The Heights at Avery Heights, a one-of-a-kind senior living community centrally located near the most entertaining and historical spots in Connecticut. By the way, it’s never too late to grow and enjoy new realms of the mind and heart.

Your next chapter, well, it delves deep into topics that will improve the way we think about aging, senior living, and the retirement years altogether. It is time to celebrate our seniors, give them wholehearted encouragement to bravely step up to new experiences with optimism, inner peace, and the courage to never give up on growing. We will discuss exciting opportunities, important resources for older adults, financial well-being, senior living communities, and emotional health.

Along with the Heights Senior Living Specialist, Siobhan Mattingly, I’m George Clooney.

Speaker 2
I’m kidding.

Speaker 1
That was from last week.

Speaker 2
Oh, you should have done Batman. I’m Batman. I’m Batman.

I’m Batman. I want to be Iron Man. I am Iron Man.

I love that.

Speaker 1
I am Iron Man.

Speaker 2
When Tony does that in the end of the movie, he goes, I am Iron Man. he is i know that’s um uh uh robert downey right yeah he’s phenomenal he you want to talk about a

Speaker 1
guy who turned his life around he you go back to the 90s time he did that uh that david letterman

Speaker 2
show i don’t know if you watch that on netflix and robert downey you know he goes to his farm he has a farm he has alpacas yeah he’s married he has a where’s his farm oh i don’t remember what it where it was it’s not in california is it i don’t think it’s california with it yeah he’s got alpacas He’s got all sorts of animals. There’s a huge, all sorts of acres, and he’s got little ones, and he’s married. I know he’s married.

He’s got kids. Huge turnaround. Yeah.

Yeah. I liked it.

Speaker 1
Yeah.

Speaker 2
I’ve always liked him. I liked him back in the day when he was part of the, what is it, Brat Pack?

Speaker 1
No, no, no. Well, was he?

Speaker 2
Yeah, he was with Emilio Estevez. Oh, gosh. Oh, yeah.

The whole Rob Lowe. Yeah, Rob Lowe. Demi Moore.

That’s right. They were all in The Breakfast Club.

Speaker 1
The Breakfast Club. And St. Elmo’s Fire.

Speaker 2
St. Elmo’s Fire. That was so good. Yeah. And Less Than Zero.

Speaker 1
That’s right.

Speaker 2
That’s Robert Downey Jr.

Speaker 1
Pretty in Pink.

Speaker 2
Because what’s his name?

Speaker 1
Anthony Michael. No, Molly Ringwald.

Speaker 2
Molly Ringwald. Yep. Good guy.

You’re taking me back to my high school. Yeah. Those are good movies though.

16 Candles.

Speaker 1
Well, yeah. But here’s the thing. I’m glad we’re pretty.

Speaker 2
We got these pins going.

Speaker 1
I know, right? Let’s hope the ink doesn’t spread out here. I had this conversation about two weeks ago with a good buddy of mine.

They don’t make comedies nowadays. No. Not like those. Like if I were in high school now, back in high school in the 80s, we could go to the movies every week and see a comedy.

Now you could talk about the whole film industry where you can watch movies at home. And back when I was a kid, it was like HBO. And those movies came out nine months prior to when you’re getting them on HBO.

But I mean just the movies themselves. When was the last time they made a rip-roaring comedy?

Speaker 2
I mean, it’s been years. It’s a lot. Well, I was watching this over the holidays.

Daddy’s Home. Those are good. With Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell.

there’s like a daddy’s home one and daddy’s home two i haven’t even heard of it oh it’s so funny you got to watch it there’s daddy’s home and then it’s basically what they’re both dads and it was that um will ferrell’s the stepdad and then mark walberg’s the actual dad of his two kids and mark

Speaker 1
walberg shows up on his motorcycle and but do you remember being in high school and they had high school like fast times at richmond high oh yeah that was a high school movie about being in high

Speaker 2
and that’s just one of them and the lines from them too like the iconic lines where you could say Dude was it with Sean Penn.

Speaker 1
Let’s party.

Speaker 2
Right. The characters had more. Even further on like Jerry Maguire. Show me the money.

Speaker 1
That was in the 90s. That was kind of a dramedy.

Speaker 2
Comedy drama. A combination I think. There were some funny parts in that. Especially when he was screaming.

Speaker 1
Show me the money. That was a whole big line.

Speaker 2
Come on Jerry. Show me.

Speaker 1
That was a great movie.

Speaker 2
I have that movie at home.

Speaker 1
That’s a good movie. It is a great movie. Yes.

Speaker 2
You had me at. You had me at hello. Yeah.

At the end of the movie. All these lines from that movie. Yeah.

Speaker 1
Sure.

Speaker 2
Yeah. They don’t have any lines. Well, from the Marvel movies, like we were saying.

I am Iron Man. I am Iron Man. Yeah.

Speaker 1
But that was stolen.

Speaker 2
Wakanda.

Speaker 1
I am Iron Man. That was a Black Sabbath song. Iron Man.

Speaker 2
Oh, was it? Yeah.

Speaker 1
I am Iron Man was the famous line in the song. Oh, was it? Yeah.

Speaker 2
Oh.

Speaker 1
So he just kind of took that, I think.

Speaker 2
Did not know that.

Speaker 1
I did not know that, Ed.

Speaker 2
I did not know that.

Speaker 1
Wild stuff. The things we learn. I don’t know.

I’m just being goofy. So how was your New Year’s, by the way? It was good.

It was good. Did you do everything? How did your daughter enjoy her time at camp?

She did well.

Speaker 2
She stayed awake. Good. She did well.

She was in the lock-in. She stayed awake. Yeah, she enjoyed herself.

Speaker 1
And your dinner? Did your sister come over?

Speaker 2
She did not. We did a quiet dinner. Okay.

But I did stay awake. Yeah, but we had some hibachi. Yeah.

That’s the way to do it, right? That is the way to do it. But you can’t. The thing is, though, next year, I cannot eat heavy because you eat heavy food.

Well, it’s actually not heavy, but it’s a lot of food, and then you’re tired.

Speaker 1
I know. Yeah. Well, you’re supposed to eat during the holidays, right?

I know. That’s like the last big meal, and everybody starts their diet tomorrow. Every day.

Speaker 2
All day.

Speaker 1
I’ve seen commercials for Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers and gyms. Jenny Craig Weight Watchers. Are these like, are they all out?

I’m sorry. I don’t know. I’m living.

Speaker 2
See, I’m still living in the 80s. Marie Osmond is Weight Watchers, right?

Speaker 1
That’s the sound.

Speaker 2
You don’t mean it. Valerie Bertinelli. No, no. She does the commercials now.

Valerie Bertinelli and Slim Fast. Slim Fast. Yes.

I don’t know. Yes. And Marie Osmond.

Yeah, they do the commercials now. Yeah. Who else?

Anthony Robbins, the more official speaker. He does one of them. I don’t know which one he does.

He does one of those. He’s on a diet? He does one of those.

Yeah. He does one of those. Really?

Those are commercials. Did you notice? Remember that?

Oh, Rob Lowe does it too. I don’t know which one he does. Atkins.

Yes. Love Rob Lowe.

Speaker 1
Why are these people who are pretty thin to begin with? Yeah. Why are they doing it?

Really? Yeah. Well, I think some of them.

Put Jack Black in. He should be doing it. All right.

I’m going to do it. Even like Valerie Bertinelli. She’s kind of plumped up a little bit.

Maybe put her on the diet. Okay.

Speaker 2
I am not participating. I do not condone this. Valerie Bertinelli is beautiful.

Speaker 1
No, no. I’m not saying she’s not. But she does a baking show too, doesn’t she?

Speaker 2
She does. And she cooks. I like her show, actually. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 1
But what I liked about the late, like Kirstie Alley.

Speaker 2
She was on, what is it? One Day at a Time.

Speaker 1
Yes, she was. Way back. But she was like a teenager then.

Speaker 2
She was a teenager.

Speaker 1
Kirstie Alley, who just passed away. Oh, loved her.

Speaker 2
Right? Me too. Loved her.

She was funny. Victoria’s Closet. In Cheers, of course.

In Cheers. But she was funnier in Victoria’s Closet. When she got her own thing, that was funnier.

She would do Weight Watchers commercials because she fluctuated with her weight. And that’s never like Luther Vangelis. It’s not good for you when you’re doing the fluctuation You want to talk about it?

I think he had a heart attack or something like that from fluctuating with his weight. It’s not good for you. It’s not good for you.

It weighs on your heart, especially back in the day. What was those pills? I can’t remember what they were called.

I think they started with a D. Those pills that they would take where it helps you to lose weight. It’s like the water weight.

Speaker 1
Be careful with those things.

Speaker 2
I had a friend of mine actually who passed away in middle school. Was it middle school or high school? She was taking those pills.

I think they started with a D. I can’t remember the name of them, but they were not good for them. Diuretics? I think it was, yes, but it was a thing.

And she took it and I think she had a heart attack. She passed away young, very young.

Speaker 1
She died?

Speaker 2
Yeah, never forget that, yeah.

Speaker 1
In middle school?

Speaker 2
I think middle school or high school. Or either, whatever. I know it was in front of, I grew up in Bloomfield, so it was in front of the Wittenberry Pharmacy in Bloomfield.

She passed away. She passed out and then she passed away. That’s how much I remember.

Isn’t it crazy how you remember stuff from childhood? Like so like every, I wasn’t even there, but I can visualize. Yeah, yeah.

And she was kind of heavy set, and I think she was trying to lose weight, and she was on those pills. Yeah. It’s not good for your heart.

Speaker 1
Well, yeah. I was going to say, like –

Speaker 2
But even now, they don’t have the pills, and people go up and down with their diet.

Speaker 1
All those commercials are out now.

Speaker 2
Oh, yeah, yeah. Who – what’s that? I can’t read that.

I’m – Oh, ephedra. Oh, ephedra. Yes.

I’m old. I can’t read with my glasses on. Believe it or not.

That’s gracious. Stay away from us. It’s like glasses are on and off.

Thank you, though. Yeah. Just join me.

Yeah. Well, anything like with diet, you have – you can’t do the extremes because you see people. Actually, I saw someone the other day, and I’m obviously not going to mention their name, but they had done the stomach staple and so forth, and they lost a ton of weight, looked awesome.

And I saw her the other day, and it’s back, and it comes back doubled up.

Speaker 1
All that money wasted. Yeah. And that’s a pretty risky surgery, right?

Speaker 2
Yeah. Yeah. Some people just, I think, are just, you know, and I’m thin, so I’m not going to comment too, too much on it, but I think you have to kind of regulate your diet and do it to what you can handle, you know, which is some of the stuff we’re going to talk about.

like not with healthy resolutions, not, you know, don’t choose a New Year’s resolution that is just off the wall. You know, just choose something that you can do and it doesn’t, you know, like one of the ones we’re going to talk about is quitting smoking. You know, that’s hard.

You know, and that can just be almost like your only one that you do, but get help when you’re doing it and celebrate your small victories, you know.

Speaker 1
All right. So today we’re going to cover some great topics.

Speaker 2
Yes.

Speaker 1
As you just kind of, since you led me into this. I segued. Perfect segway.

Speaker 2
they’ve trained me well here

Speaker 1
well you’ve got a background in radio you know what it’s

Speaker 2
a small background in radio

Speaker 1
how to stay healthy and happy this upcoming I’m not touching that this upcoming year tried and true we’re going to outline for you some suggestions as far as how you can live each day more vibrantly and maybe even I’m not just physically healthy but even mentally happy

Speaker 2
yes these are going to be the ones we’re going to talk about eight potential and you can make them your own resolutions that you can start. I’ll start off by saying that, again, attainable goals. So, you know, and make sure that you break the goals up.

So, for example, I just did a goal and accountability group is a good idea as well. So I just joined a goal accountability group last year. And when I joined it, my goals were my budget, were my spiritual health, and my, you know, I don’t tend to forgive people too well.

I hold a lot of resentment. So those are my three. But you got to break it up.

You got to break. I’m not going to all of a sudden be misforgiving. You know what I mean?

My budget, I broke it up. So first I created a budget, you know, and then stick to the budget. That’s goal number one, create it.

Goal number two is stick to it. Then you got to adjust it so that you have small victories. So don’t expect all of a sudden I’m going to be – and I did pretty good actually for last month, for the month of December.

I was actually really proud of myself. I actually had – with Christmas, I had a nice amount of money left over. And it amazes me when I’m controlling my money how well that works.

That’s a victory. Celebrate that victory. Now, maybe next month won’t be as good.

This month is my daughter’s birthday. So, you know, maybe it won’t go so well. But I got to look back at my victories.

And you got to find there’s always there’s always a victory somewhere in there. You know, yes, you might have done some stuff wrong, but you got to find the victories because the celebrations is going to make you keep going.

Speaker 1
I wish I didn’t hold grudges neither. That’s a part. I’ve always been like that.

Speaker 2
And it’s not worth it.

Speaker 1
No, it’s not worth it.

Speaker 2
I write people off.

Speaker 1
I’m like, I’m done with it.

Speaker 2
And that’s not worth it. It’s hard. I do, too. I like to just write them off. I’m done with you.

Speaker 1
But see, there’s no energy. I actually I’m relieved because I won’t try to maintain the relationship. I’m just like when I’m done with you, I’m done with you. And it’s like a weight off of me. I won’t even give you any thought.

Speaker 2
But it’s still in there. So it’s not necessarily with that person, but it’s with the next person. I was watching a show the other day where it was a husband and wife and her dad had actually left the family. She had an affair and left the family. And so she was yelling at him because the dad did what he did.

Speaker 1
That’s an affair. That’s a whole other arena. But still, that’s a big one.

Speaker 2
But still, it’s like you have to kind of like you have to work those things out. You don’t necessarily have to work it out with that person. You can still disconnect yourself because that’s good boundaries.

You know, if they keep walking all over you, that’s good boundaries. But you still have to work that out because it will come out in your next – the next person could do something very – all this kid did was in the show that I was watching. He – oh, he had dinner with his publicist who happened to be attractive.

Now, granted, that is something to get uncomfortable with. But she was just like off the wall. And I’m like that too.

I’m a jealous person. So I get it. But she was off the wall with jealousy because, but, but that was fueled with the jealousy

Speaker 1
from the dad.

Speaker 2
It was fueled with that.

Speaker 1
Because if you had a business meeting and a person just happens to be attractive, that’s

Speaker 2
irrational. But she was irrational because she had, she hadn’t dealt with the fact. So you have to deal with it.

Speaker 1
You know, I think being upfront with your significant other though. Yes.

Speaker 2
Well, he lied. I don’t hide it. He did lie and hide it.

I’m sure you’re going to have lunch with somebody. He did lie and hide it. And that’s not good either.

Speaker 1
See, I think there’s forgiving and then there’s things that are just not negotiable.

Speaker 2
Well, and that’s where you set your boundaries. There’s this whole book. Desmond Tutu wrote it with his daughter.

And there’s a whole book and there’s like seven steps to forgiveness. And one of them is tell the story, tell people. And then you go through these other steps.

And the last step is you make a decision. So either that person is still going to be part of your life or you’re going to let them go, but you’re going to let them go with the forgiveness. So they walk away with the forgiveness.

And that’s your decision. And whichever decision you go with, you have to make a decision to stick with it.

Speaker 1
They can walk away without the forgiveness, and I can still carry on my life without carrying that back. I know.

Speaker 2
I’m going to do something to you, and you’re going to get so mad because you’re still holding on to what that person did.

Speaker 1
I would simply say we need somebody to fill in for Gary on the Saturdays.

Speaker 2
You will not do that. I will haunt you.

Speaker 1
I would just be like, I’ve got other plans. I’ve got to do something else. No. No. Really? I would just walk away and be done.

Speaker 2
This is going to be – so now I’m writing this down. This is going to be Gary forgiveness. We’re going to work on this together.

Forgiveness. I’m going to purposely do stuff to you so you have to forgive me. See – I’m just kidding.

I’m not going to do that.

Speaker 1
Oh, boy. That way really quickly. Or am I?

Speaker 2
No. So the other thing is you have to time and patience because it takes 21 days to change a habit. Does it really? Yes, 21 days.

21 days. 21 days. And that’s the whole recovery movement too.

That’s the whole recovery movement. 21 days. So when you’re clean that 21 days, that’s an accomplishment.

Yeah. There’s a Sandra Bullock movie, 21 Days.

Speaker 1
Is there a science behind it? There is. There is 21 days.

Speaker 2
They say that’s pretty much. There’s research. 21 days to make a habit.

And then after that. And it’s true in some way, like with my budget. I’ll tell you.

It took me a little bit. Like I was like cheating, you know. But then I’m like, no, I’m going to, you know, you got to stick to it.

And now here.

Speaker 1
How do you cheat on your numbers and numbers? They don’t lie.

Speaker 2
You know, you don’t put it in the budget. Because what I do is I have the budget, like what I’m supposed to spend, and then I’ve got to keep tally, like what I spend on food, what I spend on clothes, whatever I spend. Everything’s gone up too.

Yeah. Oh, my gosh. $9 for eggs.

I’m not even kidding. $16. $16.

I don’t even know what those eggs were. And I’m standing next to this lady and she’s just picking out her eggs. And I’m like, dude, are you not seeing these prices?

I ended up getting away with $6. So $6. $6.

I remember when eggs were like $1, $3. So who’s paying $17 for eggs?

Speaker 1
Please tell me you did not spend $9 on eggs.

Speaker 2
$6. $6. That’s a lot because sometimes you got – we’re not big egg people.

I was making cookies. This was last month. I was making holiday cookies.

They came out so good, by the way. And I’m not a baker.

Speaker 1
I know from the ones that you brought in.

Speaker 2
Well, I didn’t because one of your goals, remember you said, was watching your weight. So I was thinking of you. Do you forgive me?

Speaker 1
For that, I’ll forgive you.

Speaker 2
She’ll be here next week.

Speaker 1
She’ll be here next week. That’s trivial, though. I’m talking about there are certain things.

Yeah, there are certain things. You mentioned the couple that had the affair. I’m sorry.

Speaker 2
But you still have to forgive them. You’ve got to read this book, Desmond Tutu. You still have to forgive them.

Speaker 1
I remember the bullshit.

Speaker 2
In this book, they talk about even forgiving people, horrible stuff. You know, with, what is it, in South Africa, all that stuff that was going on. People were being raped and all that stuff.

Apartheid. Apartheid, yeah. They forgave those people.

Like the daughter, this is why the daughter wrote the book with him because she forgave stuff that happened. You forgive stuff. You have to forgive.

I don’t know how people do that and confront the person who did something horrible to them.

Speaker 1
It almost sounds like an A12-step program. Confront the person who did you wrong to forgive them. I don’t want to open that box again and I just assume let it go.

But it is so freeing. It’s in the past. It’s so freeing.

I actually went through. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to interrupt you.

You say it’s so freeing. It is freeing. But I can be freed.

But you’re not. If I’ve made a conscious decision to just let it go and move out of my life, I do feel free with it. But you only think you did.

Speaker 2
I’m telling you. I know. For someone who knows, though, I’m telling you.

For someone who knows. I’m telling you. All right, go ahead.

It’ll come out. It’ll come out. You’ll be yelling at someone about the most ridiculous thing, and you won’t know why it’s so fuel.

Speaker 1
Well, you can share it with that person, with the person that you say that’s going to come out to. But that doesn’t mean I have to go back into my past. No. No, you can write letters. You can do all sorts of stuff to let that out. I’m not even going to open up that can of worms.

Speaker 2
Oh, we’ve got lots of work to do this year.

Speaker 1
I’ve got to get our producer, Jimmy J, to quit smoking. That’s going to end. All right, we’re writing it.

Yep. Write that down. You did.

Gary forgiving. Jimmy J. Look at this.

Speaker 2
It’s on the paper. If it’s on the paper. Everything.

Speaker 1
I’m forgiving for a lot of things. But come on, admit. There’s a couple of things, folks, that you know. You’d be like, nope.

Speaker 2
You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to do it. I’m telling you, it is Frank.

I actually went through a 12-step group and I did the 12 steps and I’m telling you, it’s amazing. It was a group that was around my parents and I’m telling you. I didn’t realize how much was coming out in my relationships with people that was because I forgave my parents.

Because you know how you do that thing. Oh, they did the best they could. You walk around and you do that and you say it, but do you really mean it?

It’s got to come from down here, down here, somewhere. Yeah. Your core.

Speaker 1
Your core? Your diaphragm? Your diaphragm.

Yeah. Don’t just sing from the voice. It’s going to come from the diaphragm.

Speaker 2
All right.

Speaker 1
Okay. So.

Speaker 2
All right. So our eight simple New Year’s resolutions. All right. So eight simple rules. Keep a positive mindset.

Speaker 1
I can do that.

Speaker 2
All right.

Speaker 1
What’s so funny? I can. I don’t. She’s almost like she doesn’t believe me.

Speaker 2
So keep a positive mindset. And that doesn’t mean that you don’t. Like I said, you got to process everything. Like with my budget.

If I have a bad month this month, I got to come up with what are the wins for the month. So that’s how you keep a positive mindset. That doesn’t mean you walk around and you just stuff stuff.

Speaker 1
Give me one moment, folks. You are listening to your next chapter of production of The Heights at Avery Heights, along with Siobhan Mattingly. She is the senior living specialist.

I’m Gary Byron. And by the way, you can find them online at averyheights.org. Okay.

I’m sorry. Yes.

Speaker 2
So a positive mindset is not just a good resolution to make. It’s good because it’s good for your health. It’s good for chronic disease, memory loss.

You recover quicker if you have injuries and so forth. And obviously with older adults, as you get older, like even your injuries, now like if I get a back pain, I’m like – my husband, I think I mentioned before, he fell off a roof. And he’s still healing.

And that was like – that was two months ago. And it’s going to take him a while. I mean he’s able to function.

Speaker 1
But every once in a while, that’s still – Yeah, I’ll bet.

Speaker 2
And so if you have a positive mindset, they’re saying research says that you heal faster. I know, right?

Speaker 1
I know, just by you saying that.

Speaker 2
I know.

Speaker 1
I have sciatic issues.

Speaker 2
Oh, I had that when I was pregnant. That’s horrible. That’s horrible.

Speaker 1
It’s brutal.

Speaker 2
Oh, I literally down to the ground. I literally fell down to the ground. And I was on the floor. My husband came home and he was just like, what are you doing?

Speaker 1
But you don’t have many more.

Speaker 2
Every once in a while. Just during your pregnancy. Every once in a while.

Well, he was right. My son was sitting right on something that just It’s nerves. Yeah.

It’s what it is. It’s horrible. Yeah.

Every once in a while I have it. And it scares me because I’m like, I’m hoping, because that’s tough. yeah acupuncture

Speaker 1
that’s a way because I mentioned this on the morning show and that’s what somebody called up one morning and said same thing acupuncture

Speaker 2
there’s a great place in Bloomfield I think it’s called I’m doing a plug it’s called Many Rivers and they’re really good well there’s a few places I used to have migraines and they’re really good do you think that really works it did work I had terrible migraines

Speaker 1
what about chiropractic yeah I feel the same

Speaker 2
I’m not participating in this

Speaker 1
no no no I’m right there with you

Speaker 2
I love chiropractors

Speaker 1
I’m with her alright so go ahead I’m sorry All right.

Speaker 2
What number are we on? Number two, commit to 10 minutes of exercise daily. Oh, we can do that.

Super simple. Yeah. Yeah.

I mean, you can even during your breaks, your commercial breaks, you can just do some jumping No, I go for a walk. I go for a walk or light jog or something. Exercise is super important.

More than 10 minutes. I’ll go for it. Yes.

Exercising daily is important. Obviously, it keeps you from aging. What’s nice about our senior living community, the Heights, is that it’s big and people, oh, it’s so big.

That’s great. I always tell people what I’m doing tours, that’s awesome.

Speaker 1
Walk the ground.

Speaker 2
Because it’s purposeful exercise, which is the best exercise, purposeful exercise. Because you can go and exercise, but when you have to walk to the dining room, walk to the store, walk to an activity, it gets you moving. It’s important. So exercise 10 minutes a day. I have my iWatch, so my iWatch tells me.

Speaker 1
It seems achievable.

Speaker 2
It’s very achievable. Sure. 10 minutes a day. What else? Better dietary choices.

Speaker 1
That’s tough.

Speaker 2
That diet, yeah. I know. You just have to make the better choices.

It’s hard. Like the other day, I got raspberries. And I tell my daughter, that’s nature’s candy.

So you have that. or I can have the candy. That or the candy.

Sometimes the candy wins because my husband’s always… Well, there’s sugar and raspberry too. There is.

Strawberries and raspberries. But it’s not like the sugar. My husband always buys me gummies in my stocking, which I absolutely love.

But I have to make that choice. Every once in a while, I got to go for the raspberries.

Speaker 1
I like gummies.

Speaker 2
I love gummies. They’re so good.

Speaker 1
I know.

Speaker 2
I love chocolate mousse.

Speaker 1
Oh, that’s rich though.

Speaker 2
Creme belay. I know. I only like certain desserts.

Like you go to a restaurant, I like certain desserts. But you just have to make better choices. I can’t even hear that.

Vegetables every day and vegetables every day. Lots of water. Go for the whole grain.

Okay, I can do that. Brown rice. Out of olive oil and avocado instead of cooking oil. Simple little things. And again, just little things.

I’m with you. And if it’s not in the house, you’re less likely.

Speaker 1
Don’t even tempt yourself at the grocery store. Matter of fact, don’t go to a grocery store hungry.

Speaker 2
Remember that old saying? Yes, yes. Yes, grandma.

Speaker 1
Why do I put up with this? You know why? Because you forget.

Because I’m a forgiving guy. You forgive me. Thank you.

Good night, everybody. Good night.

Speaker 2
Oh, man. So we talked about quitting smoking.

Speaker 1
Oh, it’s see, Jimmy, it’s mind over matter.

Speaker 2
But don’t go it alone. So I read and I quit smoking, but I wasn’t like, you know, it’s not fair because I was kind of like a social smoker. So like when I went out partying and stuff like that, and that’s not fair.

That’s not really. That’s kind of easier to give up. Although if I go out with my friends and they’re sitting there with a drink.

But it’s addicting. It is. It’s the whole thing with the cigarette, the drink.

It’s the whole thing. Well, it was fashionable too for a while. It was very fashionable.

It was cool. Yeah. So it’s harder, I think, to quit smoking when it’s a part of your life.

But don’t go along. Get a professional. Get a doctor.

I think hypnotist, different things like that.

Speaker 1
Well, they only have like Nicorette gum and patches and things that will help you.

Speaker 2
Yeah. But you have to like – it’s small commitments. It’s not the all or nothing thing.

No white knuckling as they call it. You know, they all owe nothing. Play and spend time with kids.

So your grandkids, your relatives, you know, volunteer somewhere. You know, as an older adult, we try to bring a lot of, like, kids into our community. Like, we’re having the teens come in.

You know, try to, like, you know, play. You know, play with kids and have fun. And that’s important.

They say research shows that that helps you as well. Helps you to stay young. You know, I love playing with my grandson, you know.

And if you don’t have grandkids or anything like that, play with your, you know, your sister’s, you know, grandkids or whatever it is or volunteer at a you know at a daycare or something to that effect where you’re helping out little kids some reason little kids they keep you young and they kind of keep you going all right what have i got uh stimulate your mind oh that’s so important yeah remember we stimulate we did that brain game so you have to you know do crosswords read join a book club um you know call up a friend and just have a topic you know like you know we were debating over forgiveness you know that got my synopsis going i had to think of what is that book who’s their author, you know, just fun stuff like that. Book clubs are so much fun. And we have several of them at the Heights.

So if you don’t have someone you can join a book club, you’re always welcome to join one of our book clubs.

Speaker 1
You mentioned something about like contacting old friends.

Speaker 2
Yes.

Speaker 1
That in itself could be kind of fun.

Speaker 2
Yes. And it’s so important, like, you know, to reach out to your friends and stay connected. Socialization is so important.

But reaching out to old friends, yeah. Pure mental health. Yeah.

Speaker 1
Making new friends, too.

Speaker 2
Yes. Make new friends. I know reaching out to old friends.

I know for myself, my old job, I worked there for four years and I have it in my to-do calendar. Like every couple of months, I’ll reach out either via Facebook. I’ll send them an email.

I’ll call them up. I’ll check in. And, you know, they don’t check in with me every once in a while as much, but it’s really fun to do.

I think it’s super important. You know, all those old stories. You can sit there.

We sit here sometimes laughing, even though we didn’t work at the same stations. But we sit here laughing about radio and back in the day and how things were. And it just makes you smile.

Speaker 1
What happens, though, if you hit a wall and you fail? Do you just dust yourself, get up, dust yourself off, and get right back up? On that horse or do you just give up?

Speaker 2
Right. And there’s no, there’s failure is only for a couple of minutes. You learn from the mistake.

So what did I do? Like I told you with my budget, I wasn’t putting everything in. I thought called myself cheating.

I was only cheating on myself. Right. So I have to put everything in.

So if you fail, you come up with a different plan. Like the gem. The gem is actually going to be one of my goals this year.

Yep. All right. So.

Very. Come up with a different plan. But this is important.

Set your goals. And the last one is? That is the last one.

Do your best. Do your best. Oh, yes.

Do your best. Sorry, I forgot about that one. Do your best.

Can’t forget. Super important. Yeah.

And your best is your best. Yep.

Speaker 1
You know.

Speaker 2
Yep. Try. And your best is your best in that moment, too.

Speaker 1
Oh, right. Yes. Well, yeah, for that moment.

Speaker 2
For that moment. So your best, don’t look back and go, oh, I messed up three years ago. That was the first and three years ago.

Your best is your best in this moment. And you know what you know at this moment. So that is your best.

Well stated. I know. I’m like Yoda here.

I’m finished, I am. I’ll be Obi-Wan then. I’m finished.

Speaker 1
Folks, you’ve been listening to the latest edition. We’ve got to wrap this up. We can do another half an hour.

Your latest edition of your next chapter, Senior Living with Siobhan Mattingly, the Heights Senior Living Specialist. Avery Heights. They are a beautiful senior living community nestled within 43 acres of nature, right in the heart of the junction between West Hartford, Newington, and Hartford.

And those who live there have access to a full continuum of care, including independent and assisted living, to memory care, and a whole lot more. Charming cottages with a true neighborhood feel. They’re all available to rent adjacent to the main building where those who need more assistance reside.

Please visit AveryHeights.org or call them at 860-953-1201. I’ll repeat that for you. Write it down.

Give them a call today, 860-953-1201, to learn more about their own special brand of community, unlike any other anywhere in Connecticut. For Siobhan Mattingly, I’m Gary Byron. Thank you so much for listening to your next chapter.

Until next weekend, have a good one, everybody. So long.