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Backyard Homes, Big Fix Purpose = Power Granny flats take on NY’s housing crisis

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One doc's guide to joyful aging

Retirement Homes 2.0 Ageless & Ahead A senior living revolution is here

4 bold trends redefining life after 55

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Pet-friendly, comfortable, convenient features for an active lifestyle Resort-style amenities including an indoor pool and spa, fitness center, on-site movie theater, arts and crafts center, and much more!

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A Pickleballer’s Guide to Injury Prevention & Treatment

by Sarah Taslima, DPM Hudson Headwaters Health Network Podiatrist ickleball has become incredibly popular and people of all ages enjoy the sport. While it is a great way to stay active and meet new people, it is important to be aware of potential injuries, even for experienced players. As a pickleball enthusiast and podiatrist, I am passionate about making sure patients know how best to care for themselves so they can enjoy what they love for as long as possible.

If you sustain an injury, make sure to keep weight off of the affected body part until you see a health care

P

provider. Follow the RICE method (Rest, Ice, Compression with an ACE bandage, Elevation) to reduce pain and swelling. After assessing the injury, your provider may recommend an ankle stabilizing brace, walking boot or crutches.

If injuries happen, the good news is that our urgent care providers in Glens Falls and Warrensburg are here for you. Both of Hudson Headwaters’ urgent care centers have on-site X-ray machines. For evaluation and treatment of ongoing foot and ankle concerns, make an appointment with one of Hudson Headwaters’ podiatrists. Learn more at: HHHN.org/services/podiatry.

Here is a guide to better understand and prevent some common pickleball injuries: ANKLE SPRAIN

STRESS FRACTURES

CAUSE: Twisting or turning your ankle during quick movements on the court.

CAUSE: Small cracks in the bones, usually from overuse or too much activity too quickly.

PREVENTION: Wear shoes that fit well and offer good support and grip. Replace old shoes that no longer provide support.

PREVENTION: Don’t overdo it. Rest between practices or games and gradually increase your activity level over time.

ACHILLES TENDONITIS OR RUPTURE

FRACTURES AND DISLOCATION

CAUSE: Sudden movements like lunging or sprinting.

CAUSE: A high-impact fall, often involving the foot or ankle.

PREVENTION: Stretch properly before and after playing, focus on the back of your legs.

PREVENTION: Strengthen your feet and ankles with exercises to prevent instability.

features 16  What’s Trending: Redefining Life After 55 How purpose-driven living is powering the golden years

24  A Tiny House That Changes Everything

Innovative grant program shows what the future of housing could look like in NY

31  Rewriting Retirement

How boomers are changing the care conversation

8 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Autumn leaves: iStockphoto.com/Bart Sadowski; faces on cover: iStockphoto.com/adamkaz, insta_photos, SolStock

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2025

A NEW WAY TO GET YOU BACK OUT THERE.

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sphp.com/moves 1182 Troy-Schenectady Rd., #100 Latham, NY 12110 | 518-269-4690 © 2025 St. Peter’s Health Partners. © 2025 Trinity Health. All rights reserved.

43

food &drink

travel

43  Mangia!

Mother Sauce is a tribute to the women who shaped Italian‑American cuisine

47  Tapped In New York cideries are fueling a regional craft boom — one pour at a time

home & garden

53  Revel in a FairyTale Christmas in Quebec City Castles, snow, candlelight, snow, crepes, snow, Christmas markets, snow

34  Porch Season, Extended Creative ways to stretch your outdoor-living season beyond summer

health & wellness 19  The Age of Possibility An expert’s guide to getting the care you need — and deserve — as you grow older

53

lifestyle 61 Where the Veil is Thin Close encounters of the local kind in the Capital Region and beyond 67 The Witch Next Door She’s not green. She’s not wicked. Lady Shiya sets the record straight on modern witchcraft

67 10 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

columns 14  Publisher’s Note: Where Potential Meets Purpose Alison Michael on aging with intention 71  Laugh Lines: Pardon My French Midlife, missteps and a mission to butcher a beautiful language with style 72  On Our Nightstand: Among the Stacks Celebrating the magic of libraries and bookstores in fiction 74  The Vine: When Every Leaf Speaks Rod Michael on autumn’s endings — and new beginnings

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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Alison Michael | alison@55pluslife.com Consulting Editor Traci Neal Marketing Consultant Terri Jacobsen

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Consulting Art Director Tony Pallone Design Consultant Barb Dunn Consulting Online Content Producer Caitlin Manner Contributing Writers Sheryl Nance-Nash Joanne Cleaver Traci Neal Mary Ellen Fillo Janet Reynolds Susan Brady Konig Brianna Snyder Caitlin Manner Rod Michael Visit us at

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55+ Living Guide, LLC. Copyright 2025.

All rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in any fashion, including electronically, in part or whole, without written consent from 55+ Living Guide, LLC.

Financial confidence Embrace life’s possibilities Whether you’re looking ahead to your retirement or enjoying it now, personalized financial planning can make all the difference.

Turn to our team for plentiful resources and guidance to help you plan and manage the complexities of your finances.

- Strategic investing - Retirement income plans - Goal setting - Progress meetings Do you already have a plan in place? An independent perspective can offer insights to help you pursue your goals.

Let us help Learn more and schedule your complimentary phone, virtual, or in-person appointment. broadviewwealthmanagement.com

Securities and advisory services are offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and brokerdealer (member FINRA/SIPC). Insurance products are offered through LPL or its licensed affiliates. Broadview Federal Credit Union and Broadview Wealth Management are not registered as a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Registered representative of LPL offer products and services using Broadview Wealth Management, and may also be employees of Broadview Federal Credit Union. These products and services are being offered through LPL or its affiliates, which are separate entities from, and not affiliates of, Broadview Federal Credit Union or Broadview Wealth Management. Securities and insurance offered through LPL or its affiliates are: Not Insured by FDIC/NCUA or Any other Government Agency

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Publisher’s Note

I

f you’ve ever found yourself in the middle of a crisis looking for a longterm care facility for a loved one, then you know the angst. I found myself in this situation several years ago with my mother, now 88. It was humbling and frustrating. She wasn’t prepared for this situation, but in many ways I don’t blame her — there hadn’t been a societal push to plan ahead.

Back then, planning for care before it’s needed wasn’t talked about the way it is today.

Unfortunately, many in her generation find themselves in a similar situation. Without the benefit of a pension, many have to rely solely on Social Security income. At the same time, our population is getting older faster than ever, thanks to the growing number of people 65 and up — our baby boomers.

Just as we prioritize creating a retirement plan, we can’t afford to overlook the need for a long-term care plan — because the reality is, our country is not equipped to handle this seismic demographic shift.

The future of housing — both locally and across the country — is a hot topic,

14 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Where Potential Meets Purpose especially as the shortage of affordable housing continues to grow. As writer Traci Neal explores on page 24, New York’s Plus One ADU program may offer one small but meaningful solution.

When I think about my own aging, I focus on advocating for myself and for my health. I believe strongly in being proactive about my health, and when I visit my primary care doctor I often go prepared with a short list of questions and specific blood tests I’d like to request.

I recently had my annual physical, and while many people spend more time in the waiting room than they do with their doctor, that thankfully hasn’t been my experience. It’s one of the many reasons I love my doctor, whom I’ve been seeing for over 20 years. Despite the increasing pressures of our health care system, she still takes the time to ask how I’m doing and listens to my concerns and questions. She makes me feel like a person — not just a patient — which is rare these days.

We even part with a hug!

In her interview with Dr. Mark Lachs on page 19, writer Janet Reyn-

olds explores what it means to age with vibrancy. One key takeaway: Choosing the right doctor is essential for navigating the health challenges that come with aging. If the past decade has taught us anything about our health care system, it’s that you have to be your own advocate. That means being proactive in discussing your needs and wishes — not only with your doctor, but also with your health care proxy and family members.

To those who complain about aging, I say this: It’s an exciting time to be alive — an age full of possibility. Aging is inevitable, and while our world often feels divided, the passage of time is one thing we all have in common. To age is to live. n

alison@55pluslife.com

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What’s Trending

Redefining Retirement How purpose-driven living is powering the golden years

BY CAITLIN MANNER

P

urpose-driven aging is having a moment, and we can’t be more excited. There are gray-haired goddesses walking the runways in Paris, octogenarian entrepreneurs, older athletes setting records and countless other examples of people over 50 refusing to let age be an excuse for giving up. The boomer generation — often unfairly maligned for many of the world’s ills — is redefining, reimagining and reinventing retirement and later life for the better.

Research shows that people with a stronger sense of purpose experience reduced risks of mortality, cognitive decline and age-related physical impairments. They are also more likely to engage in healthy behaviors, have a lower risk of disease and enjoy better quality sleep. In other words, if you can find your sense of purpose, you’ll not only have a better chance of maintaining independence as you age, but you’ll be enjoying yourself to boot.

Here are a few movements that are flourishing as a result of a generation rejecting ageism and reinventing what it means to get older.

SILVER NOMADISM

Silver nomadism describes older adults who embrace a mobile lifestyle instead of settling down. Rather than aging in place, they’re aging anywhere — and everywhere.

For many, it’s about having the

16 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

freedom to do and see all the things they couldn’t while working full-time or raising a family. It might look like traveling the country in a refurbished RV or hopping across international borders on temporary visas, chasing experiences and working temp jobs along the way. For those with a home base, it might just mean traveling at every opportunity.

Whatever your circumstances, silver nomadism is about attitude; you’ll need to develop a grumbling affection for cramped spaces, the ability to MacGyver just about any doohickey, and a curiosity for whatever unknown tomorrow may bring.

INTERGENERATIONAL NETWORKING

On the other end of the spectrum from silver nomadism, intergenerational networking focuses on planting roots by fostering meaningful connections across age groups and strengthening bonds within local communities. From informal interactions to structured programs — like the course at St. John Fisher University that brings students and seniors together, or new senior housing on the campus of SUNY Purchase — intergenerational networking is about connecting people of all ages to exchange knowledge and offer mutual support. By reaching beyond our typical social circles, the younger gener-

ation gains access to our wisdom, and we get the satisfaction of passing the torch and sharing skills.

TECH-INTEGRATED SOCIAL LIVES

Say what you will about the young folks and their smartphone addictions; we have to admit they’re onto something when it comes to technology-enabled socializing.

According to the Pew Research Center, adoption of new technologies among older adults has grown considerably in the last decade.

Digital networks and social media let users connect with more people, meet new friends through shared interests and even rekindle old relationships. Video apps like FaceTime and Zoom make meaningful interactions possible, even from far away — a benefit silver nomads use often.

It takes effort to keep up with constant updates, but these digital platforms are valuable tools for staying connected and living life to the fullest, despite physical or geographical limitations.

MINDFUL AGING

Like an actor that’s been in too many blockbuster movies in too short a span, the concept of mindfulness is experiencing a bit of a backlash in terms of public acceptance. At one point, it was everywhere and proposed as the go-to, feel-

what psychotherapist Andrea Brandt calls “realistic positivity,” a purposeful embrace of silver linings. Mindful, purpose-driven aging means you can’t be “over the hill” if you’re still climbing.

Keep climbing. n

iStockphoto.com/AscentXmedia

good solution for almost everything.

Mindful aging is no exception. Mention that you’re trying to practice “mindful aging” to someone and you’ll get the knee-jerk reaction of a derisive scoff.

Despite needing a rebranding campaign, mindful aging is a growing trend in which we reimagine how we think about getting old. It doesn’t deny the negatives — changes in fitness, joint health or cognition — but doesn’t dwell on them, either. It’s about seeing and accepting what aging means to us personally, rejecting societal expectations and focusing on the positives.

The idea is to pay more attention to the present moment and whatever thoughts, feelings and sensations arise — and work on accepting them. That acceptance leads to

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 17

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you move in, the stress just melts away.

beautiful place to live and here,

We love it here because it’s independence

I can age graciously with true

without all the work. If you need help, it’s

independence here. If I ever need

here. For us, living independently ‘our way’ was essential for our

access to additional services, I know they are close by.

happiness! We found it here.”

—June and Larry J.

Ávila is my home. I have no regrets!”

Experience comfort and convenience at Ávila Retirement Community. Enjoy all-inclusive amenities including gourmet dining, an indoor aquatic & fitness center, transportation, housekeeping, and a packed calendar of social and wellness programs — all designed for your peace of mind and enjoyment.

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iStockphoto.com/Ridofranz

Health & Wellness

The Age of

Possibility

An expert’s guide to getting the care you need — and deserve — as you grow older

W

BY JANET REYNOLDS

hile we all grow older in divergent ways and at different speeds, one point is universal: We all age. Aging is, as Ben Franklin noted about death and taxes, inevitable.

Given that reality, then, the question is: How much can we actually control or impact these changes? And, when faced with health issues that apparently are unavoidable, how can we make the best of whatever situation comes our way?

Enter Dr. Mark Lachs. A member of the American Federation of Aging Research and co-chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Lachs has made helping the elderly and understanding aging his life’s work. His groundbreaking book, Treat Me, Not My Age: A Doctor’s Guide to Getting the Best Care as You or a Loved One Gets Older, FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 19

is as relevant today (perhaps more so given how health care is changing) as it was when it was published 15 years ago.

We caught up with Lachs to hear his top advice on aging well in the 21st century — and how a simple shift in mindset, for yourself and your loved ones, can lead to a fuller, more vibrant next chapter.

Overall, Lachs is optimistic that societal ageism is turning a corner as baby boomers push against limited thinking and behavior. “I think the tipping point has come,” he says, referencing movements like Michael Clinton’s Roar Forward that remind people in general and boomers in particular that

this third chapter in life is better perceived as a beginning rather than an ending.

At least some of this rethinking, Lachs says, can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It showed the vulnerability of older people,” he says, “and created a whole [societal] focus on loneliness. We knew loneliness was important, but a lot of people during the pandemic just passed away from not eating. As people get older, they can get isolated. People started seeing aging as more of a continuum.”

With that in mind, Lachs offers some tips on aging, as shown in the box below.

CONTINUES ON 22 

TIPS ON AGING • BE REALISTIC. “The kinds of physical activity you can do change,” he says. “I don’t

run anymore, so I have taken up yoga. The key is to stay active at every age and to do what you can do.”

• STAY SOCIAL. “I’m not looking to make introverts become extroverts,” he says. “The

strength of your connections is key. The relationship between loneliness and social isolation is measurable. Start early. Cultivate relationships.”

• FIND MEANING IN YOUR LIFE. “People who age successfully usually have one, two

or three things that turn their gears,” Lachs says, ticking off travel and hobbies — new and old — as examples. “The C word — curiosity. Try to constantly stretch your brain and do things.” He mentions a patient who took up the banjo at 82 and his wife who took up saxophone in her 50s as two examples. “These kinds of things are incredibly important.”

“Things in motion stay in motion. This idea that you have to swing for the fences is silly.” Didn’t hit the ideal daily number of steps (a target that was recently lowered from 10,000 to 7,000)? Don’t worry. “Even 4,000 is meaningful,” he says. The point is to do what you can and keep doing it as long as you can. Be open to amending your goals.

• BE MINDFUL. “Nothing happens without mindfulness,” Lachs says, “whether it’s eat-

ing, exercising.” People need to adopt a realistic view of the world, especially as they age, he adds. “The view of the world should be that there will be distress and how do you tolerate it? You don’t go to therapy to be happy but to be able to live with the ups and downs that life will bring. I think people’s aging is often expressed as a distress — ‘My knee hurts’ — I get it, but how do you cognitively deal with that?”

— Source: Treat Me, Not My Age by Mark Lachs, M.D.

20 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Sax player: iStockphoto.com/Ljupco

• STAY ACTIVE. “Motion is lotion,” he says, referencing Newton’s law of inertia.

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CONTINUED FROM 20

a realistic list of questions or concerns even for a routine medical visit. “You can’t be a supplicant. Don’t have a list of 80 things because the tyranny of the clock is a problem in medicine.”

Although Lachs is a geriatrician, he doesn’t believe everyone necessarily needs one as they age. First is this reality: Lachs says there are about 6,000 geriatricians nationwide — and 10,000 people who turn 65 every day. His own practice has an 800-person waiting list.

“There will never be enough of us,” he says. “If you have a primary doctor you like, hold on for dear life.”

“I see two kinds of people in my practice — people who are functional-

Photo by A. Kinloch

These tips are broadly echoed among geriatricians as the 4Ms of age-friendly care, an overarching guideline for helping people live their most vibrant lives as they age: mobility, mind, medication and what matters. Lachs often starts with the question of what matters when meeting with people because it can help direct the rest of their care. “What’s most important to you? If I could fix one thing with a magic wand, what is it?” he says, ticking off answers that range from being able to read more easily to picking up a grandchild or bowling. “Usually it’s one thing that is driving the distress. Half the time it’s something like that rather than a medical problem.

I’m in the business of relieving distress.”

In his book, Lachs shares practical strategies for choosing the right doctor, navigating health challenges as they come up, and making the most of hospital stays and rehabilitation. He also offers key insights for evaluating retirement and assisted living options.

Perhaps the overarching idea is to be your own advocate and to be proactive in discussing your needs and desires with your doctor, health care proxy (you do have one, don’t you?) and family members. “You wouldn’t go to a lawyer or accountant without an agenda,” Lachs says, noting it’s important to have

”

“The key is to stay active at every age and to do what you can do.

— Dr. Mark Lachs

ly disabled and those in their 80s and 90s who’ve outlived their primary care doctor. [At a certain point] it’s not about age but function and care coordination.

When you have multiple specialists and one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing, that’s when you need a conductor for the opera. You need someone with the whole story and your goals of care, your philosophy of what you want done.”

“Everyone,” he concludes, “has to be age friendly.” n

GET

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Treat Me, Not My Age:

A Doctor’s Guide to Getting the Best Care as You or a Loved One Gets Older Viking | 400 pages | $27.95

22 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

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In neighborhoods with a Homeowner's Association, Homeowners will be subject to all HOA covenants and design guidelines and will be required to pay HOA dues. For complete details see your sales representative.

 CHRISTINA HILL AND HER MOM today in front of her mom’s new tiny home. Hill built the home in her backyard thanks to New York’s Plus One ADU program, which offers grants to eligible homeowners to help ease the state’s affordable housing crunch. Opposite page, Hill and her mom several years ago.

24 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

A Tiny House That Changes

Everything

Innovative grant program shows what NY’s housing future could look like

BY TRACI NEAL | PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRISTINA HILL

C

hristina Hill never planned on actually building a house in her backyard. But when her 76-year-old mother, who has dementia and needs round-the-clock care, could no longer live on her own, Hill saw an opportunity — and a challenge — to bring her mom home without losing her own space.

“I always envisioned a little house in the yard,” said Hill, 54, a Port Ewen

homeowner. “I just didn’t know the opportunity would literally fall into my lap.”

That opportunity came in the form of New York’s Plus One ADU program, a fairly new state-funded initiative that offers grants to low- and middle-income homeowners to build small accessory dwelling units (ADUs), sometimes called granny flats, in-law apartments or backyard cottages. With

the help of RUPCO, a community housing nonprofit, Christina applied in July 2023. After months of planning board hurdles and red tape — and a lot of determination — she became the first person in Ulster County to break ground under the program.

“I don’t let the grass grow under my feet,” she said. “If I hadn’t kept moving, it could’ve turned into a much longer process.” It took roughly two years from FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 25

application to occupancy, said Hill.

Her ADU is a beautifully customized, 22-by-34-foot detached house just across the driveway from her own home. It features a kitchen and bath, 14-foot ceilings, pocket and barn doors, skylights and a loft for storage.

Hill acted as her own general contractor, working with Amish builders to install a fully finished shell, and handling much of the interior work herself.

“I’ve never built a house before and I was my own GC so I had to be in charge of electrical, plumbing, permits, insurance, it was a lot,” Hill said. “I didn’t realize how much juggling there was going to be, but the deeper I got into it, the more committed I was.”

Hill recalled the toll the process took and the relief she felt when it was over.

“I remember the moment that I finished decorating, finished putting her stuff out, and I just said, ‘Thank you, God,’ and I cried. I can’t describe the feeling, like I had come through such a feat,” Hill said. “I felt so vulnerable

26 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

but the gratitude from deep inside, like, ‘We’re here, we made it. I can’t believe we’re here.’ Then we got her moved in.

We put her in her wheelchair so she could hang out in the kitchen with me while I was cooking and she could look around and see her things. She’s very happy and it makes me very happy.”

Hill’s project cost just under $200,000, with the Plus One grant from RUPCO covering $112,500. Hill used home equity, savings and credit cards to pay the rest. “They wanted proof I could finish it,” she said. “It’s important for anyone considering this to know — you really have to plan how to fund the whole thing.”

As New York’s aging population grows and its housing crisis deepens, ADUs have the potential to reshape the way we think about senior living, multigenerational households and affordable housing, said Dina Levy, the senior vice president at New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), which administers the Plus One program.

 CHRISTINA HILL’S 22-BY-34-FOOT CUSTOMIZED HOME, which she built for her mother with dementia, is just across her driveway. Below left, Hill brought in many of her mother’s belongings to decorate her new home; below, Hill did much of the interior work herself.

“Like all places, New York state has struggled with the cost of housing and the cost to homeowners of maintaining that housing,” said Levy. “Not only on the production side, like building new homes, but on the costs associated with homeownership, like rising taxes, utilities, maintenance. It’s getting harder to keep up with the costs, leading to people being house rich but cash poor.”

Approved as part of New York’s 2022-23 budget, the five-year Plus One program set aside $85 million to support local efforts to expand housing. It provides income-eligible homeowners with up to $125,000 in funding to build a standalone ADU, like Hill’s backyard cottage; to convert a basement, garage or attic; or to bring an existing ADU up to code.

Across the Capital Region and beyond, a number of municipalities — dozens of them so far — have opted in to the voluntary program. In cities like Albany, where a shortage of affordable senior housing has reached crisis levels, the

question is no longer if ADUs are needed — but whether they could be the solution as boomers age, the housing supply dwindles and taxes and home maintenance costs soar, said Levy.

“We’re very mindful of the many reasons a homeowner might want to build an ADU, “ said Levy. “I think the goal is really to help New Yorkers stay in their homes — whether that’s older adults looking to age in place, families making room for relatives or a caregiver, or homeowners who could use a little extra income to keep up with rising property taxes. An ADU can make a big difference.”

Once a homeowner’s Plus One application is submitted, the community-based housing organization can help walk them through the various phases — designing, hiring contractors, funding, local zoning and more.

“The lack of affordable housing opportunities impacts every community across the state,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in announcing the nearFALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 27

28 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Alyssa Lee Photography/Courtesy of Schiffer Publishing

ly $60 million that had been awarded through the program as of May 2024.

“The ADU Plus One program creates more affordable housing options for New Yorkers while also helping property owners.”

In two years, the program has grown to include 85 participating cities and towns, and has been through three rounds of funding, nearly depleting the initial $85 million allocation and providing funding for some 450 ADUs, Levy said. A fourth round of funding is expected before the end of the year.

“It was envisioned to be a five-year program run and we have committed almost all of the funding,” she added.

“So the goal will be, let’s do it again, let’s continue the program.”

Lydia Lee, author of The Well-Designed Accessory Dwelling Unit: Fitting Great Architecture Into Small Spaces (Schiffer Publishing, 2024), notes that as housing shortages grow, policymakers are easing restrictions to allow more building — including in backyards and garages. “ADUs allow homeowners to maximize the value of their existing property and have more options,” she says. “For instance, you could build an ADU and get rental income from it, then move into it later on when you want to downsize but still stay in the community where all your social investments are.”

For Hill, the Port Ewen homeowner, the outcome was worth every hour and every dollar. “I just wanted Mom next to me, but in a better circumstance than living in my living room,” said Hill, who still has two teenagers at home. “My kids go over every day and spend time with her; it’s the best quality of life I could’ve given her. I go over in my pajamas. I do overnights with her. She’s happy. So much happier.”

And it’s not just for today — it’s part of Hill’s own future. “Just having that extra space creates such a world of opportunities to secure my future as a senior,” she said. “First my mom, then me. I now have an aging plan in place for myself, too.” n

 THIS MINNEAPOLIS PROJECT BY CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS, as featured in Lydia Lee's book, The Well-Designed Accessory Dwelling Unit, shows how a simple garage rebuild became a well-designed ADU.

FEDERAL BILL COULD BOOST BACKYARD HOUSING A bipartisan bill introduced in July in Congress could make it easier for New Yorkers to finance backyard housing. The SUPPLY Act (H.R. 4568), introduced

by U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and U.S. Rep. Sam Liccardo (D-CA), would allow the federal government to insure second mortgages for homeowners building ADUs. Garbarino, who represents parts of Suffolk and Nassau counties, said in a press release that the bill would help families “build in-law suites, convert garages and add housing” while boosting local economies. While New York’s Plus One ADU program for low- to moderate-income households is expanding access, many homeowners still struggle to finance ADUs. The SUPPLY Act aims to remove that barrier.

The bill has early support from national housing and finance groups including the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association.

—Traci Neal

WANT TO BUILD AN ADU? While state funding for the pilot Plus One ADU program is nearly depleted, applications are still open in some areas where towns have opted in and partnered with a community-based housing organization. Here’s a step-by-step guide for homeowners interested in participating in the program:

Step 1: Make sure you’re eligible • You must own and live in the property.

• Your household income must fall below the program’s income limits and you must show that the ADU wouldn’t be possible without the grant. Look up the income limits at rupco.org/plusoneorange.

• If the ADU project will cost more than $125,000, you must be open to securing additional financing.

Step 2: Confirm your property qualifies • Property must be in a zoning district that allows ADUs; check the list at hcr.ny.gov/adu.

• It must be free of zoning violations and meet local building and setback requirements.

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Rewriting

RETIREMENT

How boomers are changing the care conversation

BY MARY ELLEN FILLO

W

hen Joyce Lavoie was forced to place her elderly aunt in a convalescent home 40 years ago, she admits she did it reluctantly and with guilt, because there weren’t a lot of choices in terms of care.

She remembers feeling awful — even though her aunt would get the medical care she needed, her life ahead looked lonely, boring and institutional.

Fast forward to 2025 and my, how times have changed.

Now 82, Lavoie has witnessed the shift in care from clinical settings to personalized living, with a focus on maintaining independence, fostering community and supporting seniors to live their best lives.

The baby boom generation has fueled a revolution in

the senior living landscape, with comprehensive at-home support options that protect the familiarity and comfort of “home,” and alternative living choices featuring well-appointed and accessible apartments, game nights, happy hours, fitness classes, field trips, on-site salons and personalized care plans — choices that promise to make life in those golden years anything but grim.

“Boomers are about choices,” explains Stuart Kaplan, CEO of the New York-based Selfhelp Community Services, which provides home care, housing and program support to seniors.

“We have grown up to be a generation of making choices and wanting to live life the way we want to live,” said KaFALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 31

AMONG THE AMENITIES AT SHAKER POINTE senior living community in Latham: a heated indoor pool with spa and towel services. Senior living providers are rethinking the old nursing home model — trading the institutional feel for communities that feel more like home.

plan. “We want to live life based on our passions and abilities, and while we may not be able to ski the black-diamond ski slope or play a game of fullcourt basketball, we want — and can have — more choices than our parents and grandparents had when it comes to how we live as we age.”

According to the most recent U.S. Census, there are about 73 million baby boomers in the United States, with an estimated 14 million receiving some form of long-term care — whether at home, in independent or assisted living or in a nursing facility. Having grown up in a consumer-driven era, many boomers — as well as the oldest members of Generation X, born between 1965 and 1980 — are living longer thanks to advances in medicine and technology. They see retirement as a chance to stay active and pursue personal interests, even if it requires some lifestyle changes or support at home or in a specialized community. What

32 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

they’re not looking for is the isolated, institutional feel of yesterday’s convalescent homes.

Kaplan said staying in one’s own home is preferred by an estimated 75 to 80 percent of those individuals who cannot live on their own.

At-home care is one of the most rapidly growing industries in the United States. “The older generation today is not only requiring these services, they are demanding them,” said Kaplan, noting transportation, nutrition and housekeeping are the main areas of need. “The smart businesses are recognizing that.”

And with that comes not only more at-home help services, but alternative living options as well.

“You are seeing a lot of 55-plus housing springing up; more business entities are paying attention and creating communities that allow older adults to live their best lives,” said Diane Darbyshire, vice president of ad-

vocacy and public policy at Leading­ Age. The New York agency provides policy guidance, research and innovation support for senior housing and services across the state. “It’s terrific that there are options for people to get the services they need, whether it be in their own home or a residence facility,” she said. “And it’s important that services are available as the boomer generation balloons and ages.”

Nancy Dorr, professor of life sciences at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, says that planning is one of the most important factors in determining whether someone can remain in their own home or will need to move to a care facility.

“Part of the conversation can involve the kinds of support that might help someone remain in their current home,” or age in place, she said, recommending agencies like New York’s Office for the Aging, which provides information on naturally occurring retirement

THE RESIDENTS AT WOODLAND POND IN NEW PALTZ stay active and connected through whole-person, multidimensional wellness programs like group hikes.

communities, or NORCs — neighborhoods or housing complexes that weren’t originally designed for seniors but now house many older adults and offer coordinated services like health care, transportation and social support to help them age in place.

Other seniors, she said, might be more interested in the social aspects of a retirement community — such as activities, group outings and communal dining — or in amenities that support their personal values and interests, like fitness classes, creative workshops or access to religious or spiritual services.

“There might need to be trade-offs in finding a suitable care facility, so having people understand what is at the top of their priority list and what they can live without is crucial,” she emphasized.

None of this comes without cost — a growing concern that experts say must be addressed. Insurance coverage for care at home, in assisted living or in nursing facilities is limited, and even supplemental or long-term care insurance often fails to cover the full expense, leaving families with fewer options.

“

“There are those to whom any care is affordable because they have the funding,” said Kaplan. “People who don’t have the funding can access some kind of care through Medicaid.”

Kaplan said several states, including New York, are addressing that issue through the Master Plan for Aging, which focuses on providing housing and services for the elderly and finding the proper funding and methods to do so.

“There should be a point person, a social worker, a nurse, agencies, that families and individuals can go to and access the services needed,” said Kaplan. “We need to think smarter about current resources so they are effectively available.”

Experts agree that planning is critical as one ages.

“The general public needs to understand that they need to plan for long-term care like they do for retirement,” said Darbyshire. “The demand is growing, and there are options that allow adults to live their best lives.” n

The general public needs to understand that they need to plan for long-term care like they do for retirement.”

— Diane Darbyshire, LeadingAge

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 33

PORCH SEASON ! d e d n te Ex

34 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

iStockphoto.com/fotostorm

Home & Garden

Creative ways to stretch your outdoor-living season beyond summer

BY CAITLIN MANNER

T

here’s something undeniably uplifting about spending time outdoors during the warmer months, whether it’s enjoying your morning coffee in the sunshine or relaxing in the evening breeze. But as fall approaches, that first refreshingly crisp day can bring mixed emotions: excitement for the change in season, clouded by a hint of melancholy that soon the cold weather will have us retreating indoors.

The good news? Porch season doesn’t have to stop when summer does. With a few thoughtful upgrades, your outdoor space can become a cozy, year-round retreat that carries that carefree summer feeling well into the cooler months. By reimagining how you use your porch, patio or backyard, you can create a comfortable extension of your home that lets you enjoy the fresh fall air no matter what Mother Nature throws at you. Here’s how to make the most of your outdoor space in every season.

EXTEND YOUR LIVING SPACE One of the things that makes porch season so enjoyable is the sense of extra space; it feels like your home suddenly expands beyond its walls. You can keep that feeling going into the cooler months by designing your outdoor area to feel like a natural extension of your indoor living space rather than something separate.

Chris Vazzana, co-owner of Black Diamond Design Landscaping with his brother Rich, specializes in creating functional outdoor spaces that reflect their customers’ personal style. Vazzana says there

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“

Most people want a firepit … to gather and entertain.”

36 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

— Chris Vazzana

to enjoying your porch or patio year-round is dealing with the cold. It’s a two-part battle: staying warm and shielding yourself from wind and precipitation. Screened porches, covered patios and pergolas can all be partially winterized with features like retractable shades, adjustable louvers or weatherproof curtains — small additions that make a big difference as the temps drop.

KEEP COOKING OUTSIDE If one of the main ways you enjoy spending time outdoors in the summer involves grilling, that habit doesn’t need to end when daylight saving time rolls around. Custom outdoor kitchens have evolved to include a range of appliances, from built-in grills to wood-fired pizza ovens. If you aren’t looking to do a major renovation (hey, we can still dream), making your outdoor cooking space more fall-friendly doesn’t need to break the bank. Update the area around your grill with  A CHECKERBOARD STEPPING-STONE PATIO with polished beach pebbles offers a softer, more natural look than plain cement. Firepits bring warmth and create a cozy space to gather.

Photos courtesy Black Diamond Design Landscaping

have been more requests to incorporate softer tones and lighter colors in their patio hardscaping designs, rather than allowing harsh transitions between pavers and lawn to cause unnecessary delineation.

He’s also seen an increase in people wanting to have patios that seem to blend seamlessly with the landscape around them.

“More people are asking for hardscaping with inlays of artificial turf,” he says. “We’re putting tiles down, with a few inches separating them, and then laying artificial turf in between the tiles, giving it a kind of checkerboard look.” The result is a patio that looks almost like carpeting, with designs that can be as simple or ornate as you like. “It’s hardscaping, but it’s softer to look at than just tiling or hard cement.”

Another trend Vazzana has noticed among his clients is a growing emphasis on outdoor spaces designed for comfortable entertaining. One feature, in particular, has taken center stage: firepits. “Most people want a firepit — either natural gas or wood-burning. That’s just where people like to gather and entertain. It’s beautiful at night, and we do lighting on our patios, too, which just gives it a nice feel.”

A firepit is a great way to add warmth as temperatures drop, but it’s far from the only option. Quaint chimineas, stylish stone fireplaces or modern electric heating elements can all suit different tastes and budgets. Beyond just keeping you cozy, these features create a strong visual focal point and help extend the use of your outdoor space well into the cooler months.

Living in the Capital Region, one of the biggest challenges

better lighting and a convenient spot to do some basic food prep (to reduce the number of times you go in and out), and you’ll be ready to fire it up yearround.

Another way to extend your living space is to bring indoor decór outside. Think weather-resistant upholstered sectional sofas and chairs, rugs, end tables and accent lighting. Small touches, like colorful, overstuffed pillows and piles of soft blankets can remake the feel of a space for relatively little cost and seriously up the cozy vibes.

Char Brown and her daughter, Amber Smith, owners of The Garden Bug in Amsterdam, love incorporating traditional fall decór to reinvigorate the visual interest of their outdoor spaces. Bundles of cornstalks, straw bales, and gourds and pumpkins are a must, according to Char, but you can always go a little further.

“If you have rocking chairs on your porch for the summer, you don’t have to put them away in the fall.

I would suggest putting a flannel blanket or throw on the back of the chair, maybe with a matching pillow to make it cozy,” she says. “Then, if you are sitting out there in the evening, you can always wrap yourself up and stay warm.”

And just because the prime growing season is coming to an end doesn’t mean you need to be gazing out on a winter wasteland of twigs and bare ground. Hill Treekeepers of Saugerties recommends planting evergreen shrubs around your porch or patio to add a lush, verdant feel despite cooler temps.

Plants like rhododendrons, inkberry, juniper and andromeda bushes will retain their vibrant foliage and help provide year-round privacy and color, they say, all while requiring minimal upkeep. They especially like to plant bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica) around high-traffic areas, as it emits a delightful spicy aroma when brushed past and is salt-tolerant, making it a resilient choice for planting near salted walkways.

Vazzana prefers to use ornamental grasses in his landscaping designs, many of which are evergreen and will add texture to any winter garden.

For fall planters, Brown says she likes to use mums and ornamental kale, with some millet for good measure. “It’s like a cross between corn and a cattail. It will give you some height and a different color in your floral arrangement.” n

iStockphoto.com/Oleksandr Yarovoy

DESIGN ELEMENTS: IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 37

SPONSORED CONTENT

GOT MEDICARE? Big changes are coming in 2026.

Here’s what you need to know.

By Tracey Kayo Twarog

T

he Medicare landscape is changing, and it is extremely important to be informed so you can make the best decision for your specific

health care needs. Here are some of the changes coming to Medicare in 2026:

INCREASED PART D DEDUCTIBLE: The deductible for Part D plans will increase from $590 in 2025 to $615 in 2026, continuing a trend of rising costs for beneficiaries.

INSULIN COST CAP: The cap on insulin costs will be maintained at $35 per

OUT-OF-POCKET COST CAP INCREASE:

month, with no deductible applied, making it more

The annual out-of-pocket cap for Part D prescription

ENHANCED ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PLANS:

drugs will rise to $2,100, up from $2,000 in 2025.

This means beneficiaries will be responsible for an additional $100 in drug costs throughout the year.

NEGOTIATION OF DRUG PRICES: For the first time, Medicare will negotiate prices for certain high-cost brand-name drugs under both Part B and Part D. This change aims to lower costs for beneficiaries and is part of the ongoing implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act.

CHANGES TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLANS: Some benefits, such as dental care and transportation services, may be reduced as companies seek cost savings.

affordable for Medicare beneficiaries.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is proposing new rules to hold Medicare Advantage and Part D plans more accountable for delivering quality coverage, including clarifying prior authorization requirements and improving access to behavioral health services.

These changes reflect ongoing efforts to improve Medicare while managing costs for beneficiaries. It is advisable for Medicare recipients to review their plans during the annual enrollment period, which begins on October 15, 2025, and ends on December 7, 2025, to ensure they are making informed choices based on the upcoming changes.

GET IN TOUCH!  Tracey Kayo Twarog

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PLAN EXITS: Each year, insurance providers make adjustments to their offerings. If you currently have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may have been informed of changes that could impact your coverage. These changes might include:

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to their benefits, co-pays, deductibles, or provider

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networks.

• Plan Exits: Some plans may be discontinued entirely, meaning your current coverage would end on January 1, 2026.

It’s essential to review your Annual Notice of Change sent by your carrier to understand how these updates might affect your healthcare needs. Your current coverage could change, or even end, on January 1, 2026, if your plan is being discontinued.

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I am a licensed insurance agent and I am here for you. I help seniors simplify the Medicare process. My agency offers Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage plans and prescription drug plans, and represents multiple insurance carriers.

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SPONSORED CONTENT

Estate Planning and Sibling Rivalry

BY DAVID A. KUBIKIAN, ESQ., HERZOG LAW FIRM here is a perception that estate litigation occurs only where there are multi-million dollar estates, second or third spouses, children from prior marriages, or opportunistic caregivers. While, yes, there are many estate litigation cases that result from lots of money, lots of wives and lots of last minute estate plan changes, estate litigations need only an emotional spark and a perceived slight by one of the beneficiaries to cause litigation to quickly engulf an estate administration.

As in almost any other part of life, communication about your estate plan is the key to avoiding estate litigation. Some clients want to treat their children the same and divide their estate equally. Others wish to give more to their needy children and less to the ones who are in a better financial place, or wish to take into account gifts or loans they made to one child during life by equalizing bequests at death.

There is no wrong answer for what a client wants to do with their assets. However, all things being equal, if a beneficiary feels slighted because his sibling receives a larger share of the estate, and you are no longer around to provide an

T

explanation, the stage is set for a dicey estate administration.

Many clients do not wish to tell their kids about their estate plans, in particular where there may be an unequal distribution of assets. They may want to avoid conflict by remaining silent. As a result, this will likely increase the chance of litigation.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, clients also try to mend their children’s broken relationships via their estate plan by doing things such as naming all of their children co-executors. Children who do not get along with one another during your life are not likely to mend fences while sorting out your personal property and deciding who gets Dad’s watch and Mom’s tennis bracelet. Siblings who never worked together by choice, are stuck with one another doing a lot of emotional heavy lifting. Consider naming someone other than your children as executor as another way to try to avoid conflict.

Take the time to speak to your kids about your estate plan and your rationale behind your decisions. At a minimum, you should communicate your wishes and rationale to your estate planning attorney. Communication is the best way to avoid lengthy and expensive estate litigation.

David A. Kubikian is a Partner at Herzog Law Firm PC with locations in Saratoga Springs, Albany, Queensbury and Kingston. Go to www.Herzoglaw.com or call 518.465.7581 to request a free 1 hour consultation.

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Food & Drink

Mangia!

Mother Sauce is a tribute to the women who shaped Italian‑American cuisine

A

s the air turns cooler, there’s no better time to gather in the kitchen and slow-cook a bubbling Sunday sauce. In Mother Sauce: Italian American Family Recipes and the Story of the Women Who Created Them, Lucinda Scala Quinn shares more than 100 recipes that channel Sunday dinners of the past.

In addition to the beautifully illustrated plates — from savory to sweet — Mother Sauce (Artisan Books)

honors the matriarchs whose cooking transcended humble immigrant beginnings to create what we know today as Italian American cuisine. While their husbands and sons opened pasta and pizza restaurants throughout America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was the nonnas and the mammas who were creating the dishes.

“Rarely are these women actually credited as the true founders of the Italian American cuisine,” Quinn writes.

“Our immigrant Italian mammas fashioned a whole new foodway despite being ostracized from the mainstream society of their newly adopted country.”

Telling their stories while sharing their recipes, Quinn blends practical (and frugal!) Italian wisdom with essays, autobiographical details and archival photos that echo the comfort of a family gathering around a big Italian kitchen table. We share here Quinn’s recipe for a Sunday dinner of your own.

Recipes excerpted from "Mother Sauce" by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Mikkel Vang.

RECIPES EXCERPTED FROM MOTHER SAUCE BY LUCINDA SCALA QUINN

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 43

Sunday Sauce MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

A tomato sauce with the thickness and consistency of gravy, flavored with a base of meat drippings, is called “gravy” in the Italian communities of New Jersey and South Philadelphia. In the densely populated Italian American communities of Boston, Chicago, Rhode Island, and San Francisco, it’s just “sauce.” Regardless, it’s meant to feed the whole extended family abundantly on Sunday after Mass, during the so-called day of rest. Let’s face it, making the sauce is not exactly restful for the cook, but it’s a labor of love. It anchors a feast, large or small, meant to be consumed languorously at the table over several hours.

As a rule of thumb, plan on about 1 pound of meat per 28-ounce can of tomatoes, and 3 garlic cloves per pound of pasta; use a combination of bone-in and boneless beef, pork and/or veal, depending on what you prefer or is available at the market. Less-expensive braising cuts like chuck or shank, with their marbled fat and bones, bring the most flavor to the sauce. Trim off any excess fat to prevent the sauce from being too greasy. The meatballs get dropped into the simmering gravy to cook toward the end. Sausages vary widely in saltiness and seasoning, so unless you’re using a familiar source, cook them in a separate pan and then add at the end to prevent them from overpowering the final flavor. If you’re a regular Sunday sauce family cook, you’ll want a large Dutch oven (such as an enamel-coated cast-iron pot) and an extra-large boiling pot to accommodate up to 2 pounds of macaroni at a time. Finally, meal preparation is much more fun, and less exhausting, if you shop a day or two in advance and prep a few things ahead on Saturday, so you can get a fresh start on cooking the food and setting your table on Sunday morning.

Ingredients

• 1 pound pork ribs— countrystyle, back ribs or spareribs • 1 pound bone-in beef shank, chuck, or short ribs • Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil • 9 garlic cloves, thinly sliced • 1 onion, halved lengthwise, root end left intact to hold the layers together • Three 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes, coarsely blended or chopped • 12 meatballs (use your favorite recipe or try one from the book!)

• 2 large sprigs fresh basil • 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausages (optional), each poked in several spots • 3 pounds macaroni, such as rigatoni, penne, fusilli or campanelle • Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for serving

Instructions

1 Generously season the pork and beef with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and swirl in the olive oil. When it glistens, and working in batches, add the meat to the pot and sear on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2 Pour off most of the excess fat, leaving about ¼ cup in the pot.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and onion, and cook, stirring constantly, for a minute, being careful not to burn them.

3 Pour in the tomatoes, then halffill one can with water and add to the pot, scraping the brown bits off the bottom. Return the meat and any accumulated juices to the pot and simmer, partially covered, for 1½ hours.

4 Remove the onion halves from

44 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

the pot and discard. Increase the heat to high and carefully drop in the meatballs one by one, gently stirring (so they don’t break apart before they are firmly set) as you go to coat them in the sauce. Add the basil sprigs, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, partially covered, until the meatballs are cooked through, about 30 minutes.

5 Meanwhile, poke each sausage a couple of times with a fork or sharp knife. Place the sausages and 1 cup water in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over high heat. Simmer, turning to brown the sausages on all sides, until most of the water has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Pour off any excess fat and add 1 cup of the simmering tomato sauce to the pan; remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. (When ready to serve, add the sausages to the bowl with the rest of the meat.)

6 While the sausages are cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil and warm a large serving bowl. Add the macaroni (1 pound at a time unless the pot is very big) to the pot and cook for 2 minutes shy of the package instructions (the pasta should be slightly soft but with a firm chew to it). Drain the noodles, transfer them to the warm bowl, and stir in some sauce to coat. Repeat with the remaining macaroni. (If cooking all 3 pounds of pasta at once, drain the noodles, return them to the pot, and stir in some sauce to coat. When ready to serve, fill the warm bowl with the sauced pasta and refill as necessary.)

7 If serving family-style, warm another large serving bowl and fill it with the meat and sauce. If serving individually, heat the pasta bowls or plates before serving by setting them on or next to the oven, on a warm stovetop, or in a low oven. Place extra sauce and meat in a small warm bowl on a plate, with a large spoon or small ladle.

Either way, place a small dish (or two) of grated cheese on the table.

Recipes excerpted from "Mother Sauce" by Lucinda Scala Quinn (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2025. Photographs by Mikkel Vang.

Go to 55pluslife.com to find more recipes from Mother Sauce to complete your Sunday dinner, including a fresh fennel and orange salad and cannoli for dessert.

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 45

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Tapped

In

New York cideries are fueling a regional craft boom — one pour at a time

BY SHERYL NANCE-NASH

N

ew York has always been apple country.

Across the Capital Region, a new generation of cider makers is tapping into that history — reviving an age-old tradition and transforming it into a thriving, community-focused movement.

Cider had its heyday before Prohibition and faded from the spotlight. But now, “There’s a renaissance,” says Scott Ramsey, executive director of the New York Cider Association. In the association’s latest report compiled in 2020, there were 125-plus hard cider producers in New York, 1.4 million cidery visits, 4.2 million gallons sold, and the overall economic impact was $1.7 billion. That’s a far cry from the approximately 10 licensed cider producers in New York state when the association was founded in 2015.

Cider is booming for many reasons. “It’s a nuanced offering; it pairs beautifully with food. Cider is a vast category, just as expansive as wine. There’s something for every-

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 47

body,” says Ramsey. The community-building around cider is a plus, too. Producers are bringing people together with paintand-sip events, live music, tastings and festivals — and raising money for worthy causes.

Some local cider producers shared their stories.

Nine Pin Cider Works | Albany

ALEJANDRO DEL PERAL set out to unite his passion and

cidermaking skills with New York’s rich and varied apple crop. With the help of his mother, Sonya — who provided both legal and operational support — and the passage of a new farm cidery law, they secured the state’s first farm cidery license and launched Nine Pin Cider Works in Albany’s warehouse district in 2012.

“Our cider is unique. We use 100% New York apples, fresh pressed and never from concentrate, while supporting local farms like Samascott Orchards in Kinderhook,” says del Peral. Their cider ages for at least six months and range from the flagship off-dry “Signature” blend to high-ABV “Imperial,” as well as various co-fermented ciders with New York fruit, like blueberries and cranberries.

Cider is the center of attention, but there’s plenty to go with it — themed events like Pretzel Thursdays, Mimosa Sundays, and drag shows. The cidery hosts private parties, weddings and corporate soirées. Del Peral says Nine Pin has seen an increase in growth year over year for the majority of their years in business.

They’re entrenched in the community. “We helped Albany’s Warehouse District become a destination and support various causes through special-run ciders like our Disco Berry Pride cider,” says del Peral.

What’s next? “Scaling responsibly and regionally, developing new products and ciders while retaining our New Yorkgrown sourcing for ingredients.”

Rose Hill Farm | Red Hook

IN 2016 HOLLY BRITTAIN AND HUSBAND BRUCE

transitioned their orchard in Red Hook from traditional to holistic management practices.. “We knew we would need to develop alternative outlets for fruit sales and develop other value-added products,” says Holly. Natural wine and cider had been a growing interest of theirs for some time.

Rose Hill Farm focuses on co-fermentations driven by the fruit they grow. “Many of our products are lower ABV, which are increasingly popular with customers,” adds Bruce. There are approximately 210 varieties of apples growing at the farm, many are cider-specific varieties. They’ve produced a series of single-varietal ciders, blends highlighting apples  ROSE HILL FARM is pup-friendly (on leash) in its picnic areas, tap room and along the farm road. At left, Olee hangs out among the ferments.

48 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

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LIKING THEM APPLES: Above left, patrons enjoy live music at Sunken City Cider, known as the Northern Catskills’ budding premier music venue; above right, Nine Pin Cider Works in Albany offers a variety of ciders made with New York apples and other fruits.

from shared origins, and nonalcoholic apple juices.

What can you expect when you visit? Food and artisan pop-ups, live music, workshops, and yoga classes. They host festival-scale events and fundraisers. “We don’t charge an entry fee, and welcome those that wish only to walk the paths of the farm for enjoyment,” says Holly.

Holly and Bruce want to distribute their core products more broadly. They plan to capitalize on the demand for nonalcoholic sparkling ciders and a single-varietal nonalcoholic juice that has been popular with customers.

Sunken City Cider | Gilboa

ELIZABETH AND DARIN VAN HOUTEN were sitting in

their retail garden center in Gilboa after it had closed for the day when they realized the beautiful setting would be ideal for having a drink and enjoying music. They started having local wineries and breweries come in and paired that with acoustic music. “We were mobbed with business. We wanted a piece of this pie,” says Elizabeth. They made their first cider in 2018 and got their license a year later.

The scene at Sunken City is festive: live music, food trucks, paint-and-sip sessions, line-dancing lessons and other activities. “Bring your family, the dog. It’s all about a good time and great cider,” says Elizabeth. “I’m proud of our recipe — sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan. Our hard cider is more like European cider,” she says.

What makes her particularly proud, she says, is finding a revenue stream to maintain the 70-acre farm that’s been in her family for 200 years. While honoring the past, she’s looking forward. “We recently built a new production facility on our property. We’ll be able to expand and have the room to

50 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

do private events while still being open to the public.”

Red Maple Vineyard | West Park

RED MAPLE VINEYARD IS HOME to a winery, brewery, restaurant and sculpture garden. It’s a must-visit place in West Park. There’s a lot of history at the 30-plus-year-old vineyard, and an important piece of it is Madi Marshall, who first worked there as a teenager, was one of the first students in Cornell University’s cider program and is now an award-winning winemaker.

One thing that distinguishes RMV, says Marshall, is its single varietals. “With cider, this isn’t something you see a lot.

Many use a blend,” she explains. RMV doesn’t grow apples, but partners with nearby Maynard Farms in Ulster Park.

She says at RMV, “There’s something for everyone — cider, beer, wine, nonalcoholic sap soda, herbal syrups for mocktails.” There’s live music on weekends and communal-style tables that make it easy to meet people. “It’s about community, good farm-to-table food, just relaxing,” she says.

Giving back is important. The vineyard raises money for Special Olympics, donates to the Ulster County SPCA, hosts networking events and more.

As for the future of the cider industry, just ask Paige Flori, owner of Boutique Wines, Spirits and Ciders in Fishkill.

The certified pommelier and the American Pommelier Association’s 2023 Pommelier of the Year sells more than 200 types of ciders and is optimistic. Says Flori, “The industry is poised to gain market share. Low-alcohol options, co-ferments to stay with flavor trends, and the idea that ciders are produced from a fruit perceived as healthy (an apple a day keeps the doctor away) put cider in a good position.” n

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Travel

Revel in a Fairy-Tale

Christmas in Quebec City

Castles, snow, candlelight, snow, crepes, snow, Christmas markets, snow…

BY JOANNE CLEAVER | PHOTOS COURTESY QUÉBEC CITÉ

C

old hands, warm heart: That’s what I expected when we headed north last December to Quebec City.

I was half right. Warmth spills from shops, restaurants and the wooden booths of the city’s Christmas market, which takes over plazas and parks throughout the historic district. Warmth is served by the plateful — crepes and poutine, and by the shot — whisky and maple syrup. Warmth radiates from the welcomes of shopkeepers and artisans.

If you’re tempted, start making plans now — the Christmas markets FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 53

Gabriel-Rancourt

54 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Gabriel-Rancourt

here are so beloved that hotels fill quickly once the holiday season nears.

But even with all that warmth, you must prepare for the cold. We arrived by car to a 10-degree afternoon that sank to a bone-chilling zero by the time we ventured into the market in the famed historic district. Always worried about protecting my arthritic hands from winter chills, I pulled on my cashmere-lined leather gloves moments before we stepped out onto a freshly cleared sidewalk to plunge into the swirl of merriment.

After three blocks, it was clear that my gloves weren’t up to the job.

Despite gas-fueled warming pillars and tropical gusts from opening shop doors (that immediately shattered into glittery fog), the cold numbed my fingertips.

Remedy was immediate. My husband and I ducked into a shop with windows that overspilled with thick leather mittens, scarves and hats. Ten minutes later, we were back in the candlelit cold, following the crowds to the nearest Christmas market. Nested in fur, my hands emerged only to hand a credit card to a merchant for smoked maple syrup; a min-

iature pottery storybook house, glazed white; sugared almonds. Despite the cold — or because of it? — crowds milled around an outdoor stage, where carolers belted out classics.

Under strings of starry lights, kids explored the secrets that lay behind the platter-sized doors of a huge wooden Advent calendar.

There’s no bad time to visit Quebec City. I’d know: In 1980, my husband and I honeymooned there, and nearly 10 years ago, we rendezvoused there with longtime friends in July. Visiting in winter for the first time, I found that it’s

in the crystalline cold that Quebec City sparkles, day and night. The historic district is in its glory, with the outdoor Christmas market transforming streets and plazas through fairy-tale pop-up booths, hot cider and wine vendors, musical performances and skating rinks. And this sprawling city offers adjacent year-round experiences that add variety and warmth: the regional art museum, which regularly features Inuit and Indigenous art, and a modern version of the classic Scandinavian spa, with massive pools of hot water sending spirals of steam to mist views of the river.

Christkindlmarkets As an aficionado of Christkindlmarkets, I was curious to see how Quebec City made the medieval German tradition its own. While the Quebec City market has the most nearly authentic European setting in North America, hands down, it also reflects Canadian and Quebec culture.

When Quebec City was founded in 1608, the annual Christkindlmarket in Nuremberg, Germany, had been ongo-

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 55

Gabriel-Rancourt

ing for 78 years. Founding a tradition that was soon adopted in France, Switzerland, Italy and, more recently, in Baltic and Scandinavian countries, the northern European Christkindlmarket makes a virtue of cold weather, opening the holidays with pop-up villages of wooden booths run by local artisans, bakers, candymakers and purveyors of holiday gifts and goodies. Over the years, the markets have become full-fledged festivals, with live music and performances that warm the day and light up the evening.

The Christkindlmarket jumped the pond in 1996 when the German American Chamber of Commerce opened its first market in downtown Chicago. Now, Christkindlmarkets are a holiday mainstay across North America.

Modeled after the multisite market in Munster, Germany, the Quebec City market laces through five plazas throughout the historic district. In 2024, the Quebec City market did not feature some of the most cherished elements of European markets: Notably absent were chandeliers of gingerbread cookies, booths drooping with glass and wooden ornaments, and a tree-house-sized pyramid — a carousel of figurines twirling in an endless story.

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Instead, the Quebec City market adapted the concept to its own culture, heritage and goods. Here, you’ll find everything maple, from smoked syrup to sugar candy; outdoor gear of fur, leather and wool; toys and kitchenware made by local artisans.

The setting is picture-perfect. Stone townhouses march up the hill the city occupies, crowded by the famed Château Frontenac with its flag-topped turrets. From the foot of the chateau, you can take the funicular — an outdoor elevator that offers a sweeping view of the St. Lawrence as it gently glides down to the riverfront shopping district, with art galleries, boutiques, and more restaurants and bars.

Whether you stay on the outskirts or at a small hotel in the heart of the historic district, start by just walking the market. Small plazas dot the district, and streets lined with small hotels, restaurants and boutiques offer home goods, Canadian-made clothes, food, books and maple everything.

Allow at least three nights to explore the historic district by day, when year-round shops are open, and by night, when the air snaps with cinnamon and the warm mulled wine neutralizes the chill. n GET TRAVEL TIPS ON 58 

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with prices to match. Tourists often expect to stroll its internal mall and take in the parade of Christmas trees, but during the high season, access may be limited only to hotel guests and those with dining reservations. The hotel’s iconic afternoon tea is held in a sweeping dining room with an unmatched view of the St. Lawrence River. Allow at least two hours for the tea ritual, starting with savory sandwiches and working your way to fruitcapped pastries.

Fortify yourself with two of Quebec’s appropriately caloric dishes: poutine and crepes.

Head to La Buche at 9 Rue Saint-Louis for a maple whisky poutine in a rustic atmosphere. And CasseCrêpe Breton, at 1136 Rue Saint-Jean, is open all day serving hot drinks and all manner of crepes, from brunch to dessert.

Gabriel-Rancourt

This year, the Quebec City German Christmas market opens on November 20 and runs through December 23. Hours vary, so be sure to confirm that the market will be open when you plan to visit. Because the market threads through Old Quebec’s streets and plazas, it’s smart to review its map in advance.

The Quebec City Downtown Marriott, at 850 Rue D’Youville, is perfectly positioned for a foray into the markets, churches and museums of the historic district, while affording easy self-drive or ride-share access to sites in the modern neighborhoods. It overlooks both the Village Alpin Desjardins outpost of the market, at Place D’Youville, and the city gate marking Rue Saint Jean, one of the main streets through the historic district.

Small hotels dot Old Quebec, opening directly to the markets. For instance, Hôtel Sainte-Anne, at 32 Rue Sainte-Anne, and its neighbor, the Auberge du Trésor, at 20 Rue Sainte-Anne, plant you in the heart of the action.

However, navigating a car through the narrow, crowded streets will be a major headache. If you choose a historic district hotel at this time of year, expect to walk for the duration of your stay.

The famously ornate Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, at 1 Rue des Carrières, crowns the city,

SUCCESSFUL TRIP TIPS I found the offerings of holiday décor and ornaments scant at the Christmas market, but the Boutique de Noël made up for it. This year-round shop at 47 Rue de Buade dazzles with German wooden ornaments, shimmering glass ornaments and all kinds of specialty ornaments.

If you yearn to commemorate winter in Quebec with a decorative moose, this is your place.

Take a break from the crowds at the Strøm Nordic Spa, a Scandinavian-style spa about a 10-minute ride from Old Quebec. Sink into the perfectly hot water in pools perched on a bluff and watch the steam spiral into the blue sky over the St. Lawrence River below. Once you’re pink, shrug into your robe and trot to a cold plunge (if the air alone isn’t enough). Cycling among saunas, spas and oversized lounges in front of wood fires, you’ll spend the day in a quiet haze of deep relaxation.

For a cultural immersion of a different sort, spend half a day at the Musée National des Beaux-Arts du Quebec, the premier art museum in the province. Of note, the museum offers special exhibits and permanent collections that give visual voice to the experience and aesthetic of Indigenous Canadians, both traditional and modern.

Cobblestones and ice sound like a treacherous combination, but the city is meticulous about removing snow and salting sidewalks. Still, you’ll want to wear sturdy boots and wool socks for steady footing and hours outside in slow-moving crowds.

For information about yearround Quebec City sites, events, lodgings, restaurants and amenities, visit the website of the city’s visitors’ bureau, Quebec-cite.com.

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 59

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Roads were made for journeys.

60 55+ LIFE | FALL 2025

Lifestyle

Where the veil is

Thin Close encounters of the local kind in the Capital Region and beyond

W

BY BRIANNA SNYDER

LIKE SCOTLAND’S INFAMOUS “NESSIE,” New York has its own watery legends — Lake Champlain’s “Champ” and the Hudson River’s “Kipsy” — said to lurk in the depths.

iStockphoto.com/Matt84

hen we think of the supernatural, we might think of distant forests and lakes, crop circles or mysterious far-off places. But right here in the Capital Region and as far as the Berkshires, we’re surrounded by ghosts and mythical creatures and even (seriously!) aliens.

Robert Oakes, an author and storyteller who leads ghost tours in the Berkshires, believes ghost stories do more than entertain — they’re “a useful container for these mysterious experiences, quite difficult to know or talk about.” He’s seen how these encounters turn ordinary people into storytellers: “When they have this experience, they say, ‘Let me tell you that story.’”

Oakes’ frequent ghost tours at the notoriously haunted Ventfort Hall mansion in Lenox, Massachusetts, for instance, take visitors room by room through the estate as he shares chilling stories of its reported hauntings. The 28-room so-called Berkshire “cottage,” completed in 1893, was commissioned by Sarah Morgan, sister of J.P. Morgan, and her husband George Morgan, whose spirits are said to linger in the hallways and rooms of the 28,000-square-foot seasonal home.

Local historian and archaeologist Don Rittner knows this firsthand. At 16, walking down Congress Street in Troy, he saw a large triangular craft hovering silently overhead, his hair standing on end from static electricity. “You’re the first person I’ve ever told this,” he admits.

FALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 61

Rittner says supernatural beliefs often emerge from “the fear of the unknown.”

From Schenectady’s ghostly woman in white to spirits said to haunt Union College’s Jackson’s Garden, our region’s supernatural tales reflect something deeply human. As Oakes puts it, “‘Spirit’ and ‘inspired’ are the same word … there’s something moving in them that’s invisible and hard to express — but it’s there.”

Here’s a roundup of some of our most intriguing and notorious tales.

BIGFOOT

(SERIOUSLY!)

According to the local website ADK Taste, Sasquatch himself has left his mark across New York’s Adirondack region.

Whitehall, New York, in Washington County, is actually known as the “Bigfoot capital of the Northeast.” One of the most credible modern sightings occurred in August 1976 when Whitehall police officer Bryan Gosselin and several colleagues claimed to witness an unexplainable creature on Abair Road, described as standing 7 to 8 feet tall and weighing around 400 pounds, with glowing red eyes.

Sightings aren’t limited to Whitehall. In 1996, campers near Pine Pond at the base of Ampersand Mountain, in the High Peaks Wilderness Area, reported observing a dark, towering figure that initially appeared bearlike before rising to reveal its 7-foot stature and humanlike gestures. The creature, they say, studied them for several seconds before darting into the woods.

Whitehall has even declared itself “the official home of Bigfoot,” featuring the creature on its town seal and hosting an annual Sasquatch Festival and Calling Contest each September. Whether you’re a believer or skeptic, the Adirondacks’ “forever wild” designation takes on new meaning when considering what might roam these ancient forests.

CHAMP

Lake Champlain’s beloved lake monster, Champ, has been making waves for centuries. According to the Lake Champlain tourism office, long before European explorers arrived, the Abenaki people warned French settlers about Gitaskog, a massive horned serpent lurking in the lake’s depths. While Samuel de Champlain gets credit for the first “sighting,” he actually spotted his creature near the St. Lawrence River (oops!), describing something that sounds suspiciously like a really, really big fish.

But Champ wasn’t about to let technicalities stop him. By 1819, a captain claimed he saw a 187-foot black monster with “eyes the color of a pealed [sic] onion” and a jaunty red belt around its neck. The sightings kept coming — by railroad workers, sheriffs, even steamship passengers who got up close and personal when their boat literally ran into the creature in 1873.

P.T. Barnum was so intrigued that he offered $50,000 for Champ’s hide (thankfully, no takers). Fast-forward to today, and our scaly friend has racked up nearly 600 witness accounts, plus photo evidence that’s as hotly debated as any Loch Ness Monster snapshot.

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Bigfoot photo by iStockphoto.com/O2O Creative

LAKE CHAMPLAIN’S OWN LOCH NESS MONSTER

 NICKNAMED “THE BLOODY PIT,” the Hoosac Tunnel is a haunting reminder of the roughly 200 lives lost during its 22year construction in the Berkshire Hills.

THE BLOODY PIT Hoosac Tunnel image courtesy of Robert Oakes

NEW ENGLAND’S MOST HAUNTED TUNNEL

The Hoosac Tunnel, a 5-mile railroad passage through Massachusetts’ Berkshire Hills, has earned the nickname “The Bloody Pit” for devouring an estimated 200 lives during its 22-year construction. What started as an ambitious 1851 project became America’s first major experiment with nitroglycerin — and a master class in why you don’t want to be a pioneer in explosive technology.

The tunnel’s supernatural reputation stems from genuine tragedy. As Oakes explains, “People became really superstitious about it at the time — there were sounds, voices in the mountain when they were cutting through. The people there believed the ghosts of their colleagues were in the mountain.”

The most famous incident involved three explosive experts: One of the men accidentally killed his companions, disappeared for exactly a year, then turned up strangled at the pre-

cise spot where his friends died.

Even approaching the tunnel today feels ominous. “You stand near the edge of it, you look at it and you just see this unnaturally dark opening,” Oakes says. While he strongly warns against entering the active railway, the tunnel’s legacy as a “container for mysterious experiences” continues to captivate visitors drawn to this engineering marvel turned supernatural hot spot.

THE SPOOKS OF THE MOUNT

EDITH WHARTON’S GHOSTLY ESTATE

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Edith Wharton didn’t just leave behind literary masterpieces when she died in 1937.

She apparently also left a piece of herself at The Mount, her stunning Lenox estate. This National Historic Landmark became the backdrop for both her greatest creative triumphs and her marriage’s painful disintegration as her husband Teddy’s mental health declined.

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Oakes, who has led ghost tours at The Mount for years, believes it’s actually Teddy who haunts the estate. “For me, Wharton was such a progressive spirit in life. I feel like she wouldn’t have come back,” he says. Instead, reports of cigar smoke, taps on shoulders and shadowy figures suggest Teddy’s troubled spirit remains attached to the home where his marriage unraveled.

The paranormal reports aren’t surprising, given Edith’s complicated relationship with the supernatural. Battling typhoid as a child, she claimed to be “haunted by formless horrors,” eventually channeling these experiences into her own ghost stories. As Oakes notes, there’s something particularly haunting about the shadow figures frequently spotted at The Mount — perhaps echoing Wharton’s own description of “a dark and indefinable menace lurking and threatening.”

KIPSY

THE HUDSON RIVER MONSTER

Ventfort Hall mage courtesy of Robert Oakes

This lesser-known cryptid gets its nickname from Poughkeepsie, where most sightings occur, and even earned the No. 17 spot on Atlas Obscura’s list of “Lake Monsters of the United States.”

Unlike Bigfoot or Champ, Kipsy keeps things refreshingly low-key. According to the radio station WRRV, recent “sightings” include mysterious shapes spotted near Poughkeepsie’s

Pirate Canoe Club — though whether these represent an actual river monster or a piece of particularly ambitious driftwood remains hotly debated among witnesses. The creature doesn’t have the extensive folklore of other lake monsters, but that almost makes it more intriguing. There are no elaborate aboriginal legends, no grainy photographs analyzed by cryptozoologists, just the occasional “Did you see that?” moment from Hudson Valley residents.

UFOs

OVER THE CAPITAL REGION

Forget Area 51 — apparently, extraterrestrials have been checking out New York’s Capital Region. According to News 10, Albany is the fifth most supernatural location in the entire state, racking up an impressive 93 ghost and UFO sightings that helped propel New York into the top five most paranormally active states nationwide.

Rittner’s own close encounter story left him puzzled for decades, he said, though he continues to take a measured approach to the unexplained, asking: “What about civilizations that are millions of years older than us in other parts of the galaxy?”

Whether you’re a skeptic or believer, Albany’s supernatural credentials suggest there’s more happening in the Capital Region than meets the eye. n

VENTFORT HALL, the Lenox, Massachusetts, estate built by Sarah Morgan, sister of J.P. Morgan, and her husband George Morgan, is one of the Berkshires’ most notoriously haunted places.

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 SHIYA HODES, who goes by Lady Shiya, is a spiritualist, ordained minister, spirit guide, medium and high priestess.

The Witch

Next Door

A

She’s not green. She’s not wicked. Lady Shiya sets the record straight on modern witchcraft

BY JANET REYNOLDS

sk people to describe a “witch” and most immediately recount a wrinkled older woman with long white hair and perhaps even green skin and a big mole somewhere on her face.

(Thanks, Wizard of Oz and, yes, even Wicked).

The reality, however, is very different. Witches are lawyers, teachers, mothers, fathers (yes,

there are male witches), doctors and more. They follow a variety of different paths in their belief systems because unlike, say, some Christian religions, witchcraft has almost as many ways of practicing as there are witches. Some are so-called green witches who draw on the powers found in nature to create healing salves and more. Sea witches are drawn to the ocean, and their powers are often influenced by the moon and its cyFALL 2025 | 55PLUSLIFE.COM 67

cles. Still others, such as Gardnerian witches, follow a strict protocol that involves a specific practice for a year and a day.

Witches can practice in covens or fly solo. They can be any age or gender, and may or may not worship gods and goddesses. All of these options are a part of modern witchcraft.

To get a better understanding of a contemporary witch, we talked with Shiya Hodes who goes by Lady Shiya, the honorific she received after finishing her high priestess training in the Gardnerian tradition. (Gerald Gardner introduced Wicca as a religion in the 1950s in the U.K., after which it jumped across the pond to the U.S. Wiccans, who may or may not be witches, see the divine in nature and follow this overarching belief: “Harm none and do as you will.”)

Originally from Texas but now living near Rochester, Lady Shiya knew she was psychic from an early age. She recalls receiving messages for people still on Earth from loved ones who had died. “At 3 years old, it was weird things coming out of the mouth of a child,” she recalls, noting that her strict Christian parents were not happy about this gift. “I was spanked initially.

I learned how to dial it down and dial it back.”

Fast forward to when Lady Shiya was around 11, and her church was looking for youth leaders. She signed up and sat down for the required interview with the youth pastor. “He asked me why I thought I could do this job and I said, ‘I can feel the emotions of other people. God gives me messages. If they’re hurting, I hurt too.’” The pastor immediately called this behavior Satanic, to which she responded, “But I’m 11 and this helps people.”

While fighting the backlash that her behavior wrought, both in her home and at church, Lady Shiya secretly began doing her own research. In the early days of the internet, she discovered other people who thought and behaved as she did. “I went out and started talking to them,” she recalls. She also got several books to help her better understand. (The Spiral Dance by Starhawk and Wicca: A Guide for the Solo Practitioner by Scott Cunningham are her top recommendations for those who are curious.)

At 12 on Beltane (also known as May Day in Christian

circles and one of eight Pagan sabbats), Lady Shiya began her personal year and a day’s study. Eventually she began working in a local metaphysical store and began meeting like-minded people, some of whom invited her to join their Gardnerian coven. By 17, she had completed enough training to become a high priestess.

Like many who travel a path that is seen as too different, Lady Shiya met plenty of adversity along the way. She recalls coming home from work when she was 16 to be greeted by her parents and three trash bags of all of her pagan gear. “They burned my stuff,” she says. “It was an old-fashioned book burning.”

“At that point I went right back into the closet,” she says, noting her parents had her rebaptized and took the door off her bedroom. “I played the good girl. I didn’t come out again [as a witch] until I was 19.”

Given her past, Lady Shiya knows how hard it can be for people to explore a spiritual life that may be misunderstood and therefore ostracized. Religion in general, she says, has often been used as a way to control people. “It became an overriding factor for how people lived their daily lives,” she says. “Salvation became nothing about living a good life on this Earth. It became a divinely earned thing that came by living life manipulated by biblical principles. It became this big cultural world fear that your soul’s permanent disposition is worth more than your personal accountability. If you can serve, you’ll be rewarded in heaven.”

In contrast, witchcraft is generally a forgiving and expansive spiritual practice, she says. “It’s a craft,” Lady Shiya says.

“I am practicing the laws of nature and the laws of the divine to craft a better life for myself and those around me. When we lift each other up, we all fly high. My mission is not so much religious (as it is) helping people live their best lives.

“I’m an omnitheist now,” she adds. “Not one religion holds all truths. I want people to say she cared; she did her best. Am I perfect? No, but do I care? You better darn well believe it.” n For more information about Lady Shiya and her various services, go to ladyshiya.com.

WITCH-CURIOUS AND NOT SURE WHERE TO START? f you’re interested in learning more about witchcraft in its broadest sense, you’re not alone. A survey by the Pew Research Center in 2023 found that between 1 and 1.5 million people in the U.S. identify as Wiccan and Pagan. That’s more than identified as Presbyterians at the time.

“People are tired of not being elevated,” says Lady Shiya of this growth.

“Witchcraft is one facet of (spirituality).

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It’s for those of us who want to take more of it into our own hands using the properties of natural law to change or influence the energies around us that remain unseen and unquantified. It’s a path of personal responsibility. Ultimately it’s a path of responsibility to yourself, to your family, to the people around you, to integrity and to dignity.”

Lady Shiya suggests reading and joining

like-minded circles online or in person (after researching them, of course) and perhaps looking for a local metaphysical shop.

“Find out what resonates for you. The first concept of a witch is to know thyself.

You can’t control everything around you if you’re out of control of your own self and psyche. You must go within before you can go without. Until you’re ready to do that, the path of witchcraft is not for you.”

iStockphoto.com/netrun78

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I am practicing the laws of nature and the laws of the divine.”

— Lady Shiva

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Laugh Lines Pardon my French

iStockphoto.com/Peter Burnett

Pardonnez mon français Midlife, missteps and a mission to butcher a beautiful language with style

BY SUSAN BRADY KONIG

F

all always feels like a beginning to me. Perhaps it’s a return to grade school days — a clean slate every September, new homeroom teacher, new desk, new subjects, new friends. So even now, I have the urge to continue to grow at this time of year and I’m emboldened by the possibilities.

When a friend reached out to offer me her apartment for a few weeks in a charming city in the south of France, how could I say no? A free place, the ability to work remotely, a diet of croissants and coffee. Pourquoi pas? What new experiences lie ahead? Well, none if I don’t put myself out there.

Although I’d spent a college semester in Paris, that was over 40 years ago and now my French is rusty, as are my knees and my wardrobe. How will I appear to others? Does it matter what the French think of me? Do the French care that I care?

While I shook off my jet lag, I explored the small city to get the lay of the land. I was determined not to be afraid to try to communicate. It was the only way to improve my speaking skills.

Within moments, I created my first scene. I stopped at a local café, thinking it would be a good place to grab dinner

later, but there were no hours posted.

I went inside where the host was busy taking an order from a group of German tourists who were struggling with the language. When the young chef came out of the kitchen with a to-go order, I stopped him and thought I was asking: “How late is this place open?” but essentially it came out as “What time do you get off tonight, my good man?”

His eyes got large and he said nothing.

He looked at the host. I looked at the host. The German tourists looked at me.

I said to the chef, “Oh, not you personally! I mean the restaurant!” He retreated to the kitchen. The host laughed and told me the hours. I fled the scene with absolutely no idea how late they were open because I was too embarrassed.

The sun sets, the sun rises. A new day and another chance to either humiliate myself or rehabilitate my reputation.

Luckily, a faux pas, literally meaning a false step, is rarely fatal.

The next day, I realized my cellphone was not connecting at all as I thought it would internationally. I needed to buy some data or a SIM card. This should be interesting. So, into the phone store I marched, exclaiming in my version of French, “I am a rather aged American

who forgot to arrange internet for my phone. What can I do?”

The staff immediately offered me a coffee. The lesson: Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable. People enjoy the opportunity to be helpful and to demonstrate their expertise. Along came a young clerk who, according to his colleagues, spoke excellent English. He was embarrassed because it was about as good as my French. “Not at all,” I said. “I think your English is great.” We laughed and agreed that speaking slowly helps. We continued navigating our two languages until we got my phone working.

“Wait, I’ve been visiting that phone store for two years,” my friend responded when I texted her, “and no one has ever offered me coffee or ever laughed before. You are fearless.”

I smiled. The season was off to a good start. n

 Susan Brady Konig, the author of three books, has just completed a memoir about identity, loss and joy at midlife.

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On Our Nightstand

AMONG the

STACKS

iStockphoto.com/mirina

Celebrating the magic of libraries and bookstores in fiction

BY JANET REYNOLDS

I

f I had to create a Top 10 list of places I love, libraries and bookstores would absolutely make the cut. Given the role that libraries and bookstores play in getting people to fall in love with books and reading, it seems only appropriate that books set in these locales have become their own subset of fiction. Here are just a few of my recent favorites

The Midnight Library

by Matt Haig, Penguin Books, 304 pages

Nora Seed is a young woman who is unhappy about her life and the choices she’s made; so unhappy, in fact, that one night she decides it’s time to end it. But rather than die, she lands in the Midnight Library.

The library is a place between life and death where Nora is able to select certain books about her life and go back in time to

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relive key moments when making a different choice would have taken her down a different path. What would have happened, for instance, if she had continued competitive swimming? Or gone to Australia with her best friend, Izzy?

The library is managed by Mrs. Elm, Nora’s childhood librarian and someone who was always there for her when she was growing up. In other words, she’s the perfect person to help Nora understand the trips she’s taking and nudge her toward a better understanding of the choices she’s made and why.

While it sounds like it could be depressing, The Midnight Library ultimately is a book celebrating life in all its messiness. Nora realizes that while not perfect, her life as it’s played out actually is one of consequence and meaning — that it, and she, are worthy. She also realizes that she doesn’t actually want to die and takes steps to ensure she lives.

We all have our what-if moments. The Midnight Library is a reminder that no decision is necessarily perfect and that even the ones we don’t make can make our lives rich, rewarding and meaningful.

The Lost Bookshop

by Evie Woods, Harper Collins, 448 pages

If you’re a fan of historical fiction with a bit of romance and magical realism tossed in for good measure, you’ll likely eat up The Lost Bookshop. Set in Dublin in the 1920s, the story revolves around three main characters: Martha, who comes to Dublin looking for a different life and becomes a housekeeper for an odd, elderly woman, an arrangement that includes living quarters; Henry, who comes to Dublin, also escaping his life, trying to figure out a piece of his past; and Opaline, who escapes a marriage arranged by her evil brother by fleeing to Paris. All three of these people are unknowingly tied together, which we learn as their stories unfold over time and they discover a bookshop with extraordinary powers.

The Lost Bookshop is both a mystery about a hidden manuscript (and a vanishing bookstore) and a love story. It is a story about the power of books to change lives (do you see a mini-theme here?) and remind us of what matters

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The Sentence

by Louise Erdrich, Harper Perennial, 400 pages

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Louise Erdrich (The Night Watchman) set The Sentence, at least in part, in a bookstore that is haunted by the store’s formerly most annoying and yet loyal customer, Flora. Desperate to atone for the behaviors of her white logging ancestors, Flora yearns to identify as an Indigenous person. Her ghostly visits to the store especially affect Tookie, a feisty Native American who only recently started working at the bookstore after spending some time in prison, where books and reading were part of how she remained sane. Tookie wants to solve this mystery and end the haunting, which begins — and ultimately ends — on All Souls’ Day, appropriately.

Set in Minneapolis in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown and in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder, this book is more family drama with the bookstore playing a secondary role than the other two books here. And yet, the bookstore setting, a place where we discover stories and, often, discover ourselves and/or the truth, seems especially apt. We are all, after all, haunted by our histories, whether collective or individual. n

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The Vine

When Every Leaf Speaks W

hen the sun sets on the last day of summer, it’s time to get ready for one of the best times of the year.

I feel a spark of joy when I see those first red leaves appearing in swampy areas. Day by day, the different colors begin building into a kaleidoscope of comforting warmth and a sense of nostalgia.

Interestingly, studies have shown that people feel more renewed and happier when bathed in autumn colors. Autumn is celebrated around the world, reminding us that another year has passed and that life is fleeting. In Japan, momijigari, or leaf-peeping, is a cherished autumn tradition; in Germany, Oktoberfest celebrates the season with beer, colorful costumes and folk dances. In China and South Korea, autumn harvest festivals are celebrated with family gatherings, mooncakes and tributes to ancestors. In India, autumn ushers in vibrant harvest festivals like Diwali and Navratri, blending seasonal change with spiritual significance.

Autumn is a teacher; it shows us how beautiful it is to let things go and that with every ending there is a new beginning. It can be a time for self-reflection and personal growth. Author and journalist Jim Bishop said autumn carries more gold in its pocket than any other season.

I’m a lifelong lover of waterfowl, and my home is filled with wooden decoys and artwork that celebrate their beauty. Waterfowl start new families each year and, come fall, head toward their winter homes and playgrounds.

Watching the fall migration is one of my favorite pastimes; geese, ducks, woodcocks, songbirds, and many others take part. Their journey is the definition of strength, courage and determination — driven by a deep instinct and desire to return home safely so they can begin the cycle again.

For all the chefs out there, autumn is the time of year

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when pumpkins, apples, pears, squash and spices seem to rule the kitchen. It’s also time for a great soup, stew or a slow-cooked meal. In 2004, I was introduced to author and chef Molly Stevens.

Her book, All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking, captured my soul, and it has taken me and many dinner guests on an incredible culinary journey. Molly has taught me one very important thing, and that is to give yourself a chance and cook, cook, cook. In her own words, “It will improve your life and the ones you love around you. Please gather family and friends around your table to share the results!”

If you are a gardener, autumn is the time to plant your garlic. I hope you all had a successful gardening season.

Our garlic came out wonderfully this year. As I write this in August, our garlic has just finished curing, and the cloves are nice and juicy. Remember to get them in the ground by November 10, if not earlier.

As I look out my windows in autumn, the leaves tell me that it is time for us to start our fall sojourns — moments to fall in love again and show our gratitude to and for those we hold dear. Take your own journey this autumn in search of warmth, beauty, strength, harmony and peace.

When you open your eyes and they are filled with gold and crimson, you will have reached Shangri-La … … or, you know, autumn. n

iStockphoto.com/Bart Sadowski

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