THE LIBRARY
Everything I write,
organized.
Five pillars. One plan. Read straight through, or jump around.
What lives here
This is where everything I publish ends up. A few hundred words on a folder you can put together this weekend. A bathroom modification I wish I’d done five years earlier. A list of mistakes I made trying to build a village.
The work is organized into five pillars. Each one is a part of the same plan: staying in your own home, on your own terms, for as long as you can. Read straight through one pillar, or jump around as life pulls your attention.
If you’re not sure where to start, the Independence Assessment will point you somewhere specific in three minutes.
Stories
Not everything I write fits neatly into a pillar. Personal pieces, news I’ve been watching, kitchen-table thinking. The ones that read more like a letter from a friend than a how-to.
READ THE STORIES →
Preparedness
The paperwork nobody wants to do. Wills, directives, the folder that protects the people you love.
OPEN THE PILLAR →
At Home
Strength
Balance, mobility and the daily habits that keep you in your own home past 70.
OPEN THE PILLAR →
Community
Technology
The tools that quietly make independence easier without taking it over. Honest reviews of what works and what doesn’t.
OPEN THE PILLAR →
7 Things in Your Home Right Now That Are Fall Hazards (And How to Fix Them Today)
Falls are the leading cause of injury for adults over 65, and most of them happen at home, on ordinary floors, in ordinary rooms, doing ordinary things. That is not me trying to scare you. It is what the public health data has shown for years. I am not telling you...
The 5 Documents Every Adult Over 55 Needs (And Most Don’t Have)
I used to tell myself I'd get around to this. The problem with "getting around to it" is that you never know when "around to it" is actually too late. I learned that the hard way. I'm not going to tell that story here. I've told it before, and I've told it long...
Planning Ahead Isn’t Giving Up. It’s the Most Loving Thing You Can Do for Your Family.
Someone asked me once why I spend so much time on this. Isn't it depressing? Doesn't it just make you think about getting old? I said no. Not planning is depressing. Planning is what gives you your life back. I want to talk about that. Because I think the reason most...
I Was the Person Who Said ‘I’ll Deal With That Later.’ Here’s What Changed My Mind.
This is the article I wish existed three years ago, before someone I loved faced a crisis their family wasn't prepared for. That someone was me. The crisis was my husband's two-month hospital stay. And the family that wasn't prepared was mine. If you've ever told...
How to Organize the Folder Nobody Wants to Open
A simple system for keeping the important papers together, plus the one page that makes everything else make sense when someone else has to find it.
What I Wish I’d Known About Powers of Attorney
POAs aren't a single document. They're a small family of documents, and choosing the wrong kind can create bigger problems than not having one at all.
The 5 Documents You Need Before a Crisis
The folder nobody wants to open, explained. Which documents actually matter, which ones can wait, and how to know you've got the basics covered.
More articles coming.
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Want a faster starting point?
The Independence Assessment scores you across all five pillars in three minutes. You’ll see your strongest pillar, your weakest, and where to begin.