The Issue
Fall and then the holidays—the perfect way to finally let go of summer. With the shorter days and colder weather, before we know it we’ve shed our sandals and tank tops in favor of boots and turtlenecks. (How does that always seem to happen so quickly?) The changing seasons also bring a new set of empty nesting challenges and opportunities, and in this issue we explore a few of them: New contributor Dr. Damona Sain rants a bit about GenY kids, especially her own, in the FAMILY department. PERSPECTIVE takes a look at the flip side of Thanksgiving and how what we’re thankful for is always relative. Dr. Dan Gottlieb brings us into the season of peace with an interesting look at humanity’s shortcomings and also its possibilities. Finally, syndicated columnist Patricia McLaughlin takes a telling look at the shopping season and what makes the shopper tick.

Just into fall, two girlfriends plan and execute the Perfect Halloween weekend getaway. As empty nesters, we’re caught between two generations and in the midst of that squeeze, we need to be sure we take care of ourselves; Rev. Maria “Dancing Heart” Hoaglund shows us how. Trying different careers on for size can recharge your battery, but be careful what you wish for! Real People Empty Nesting introduces Meredith Birchall—she’s made a business of helping women put on their Best Image.

The Publication
The magazine’s format shows the editorial as the home page, where we put the articles into context for you. As always, you can reach the Features, Departments, and Editorial via the sidebar menu. And you also have the links, and the idea tying them together, right up front.

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My Autumn
Our fall was jam packed, of course. As we wound down our sailing season with the Nockamixon Sail Club, we began a new year of programs with the Geographical Society of Philadelphia. So far, we’ve enjoyed cocktails atop the Franklin Institute; a tour of the Masonic Temple’s Grand Lodge; wine tasting, a French meal (bon appetit!), and a film tour of vineyards throughout France; and an insider’s look at Cuba, featuring hard-to-get footage. We attended weddings and baby showers, and enjoyed having our daughter and her husband visit from LA in October. And, we got together again as a family in DC the end of that month for the “Rally to Restore Sanity (or Fear),” sponsored by Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. We helped with our local election in November, and I endured a couple of early flu-like illnesses. (I think I hung onto my tank tops and sandals a bit too long this year!) Finally, I secured and began an adjunct position teaching English with Montgomery County Community College. All in all, it’s been an interesting autumn.

As we come into the holiday season, the staff of Empty Nest wants to wish you and yours peace and best wishes! Enjoy your families as you gather together. Remember, they’ll all go home or back to school again much too soon. . .

As always, because of our dedicated contributors, we have a wonderful issue. For more about Empty Nest magazine, visit About Us.

Enjoy!

Robin C. Bonner
Editor, Empty Nest