The Issue: Time for Fun
This summer’s been the hottest in recent memory—in more ways than one. For instance, I can’t remember one that’s been this busy! Well, our advice is to capitalize on the nice weather, find ways to keep cool, and reinvent fun. This issue does just that! A review of the new book by Dr. Dan Gottlieb, The Wisdom of Sam, brings out the kid in all of us. Yours have left home? This issue’s new FAMILY department gives some ideas on how to enjoy being around kids again—borrow someone else’s! And then, there’s hot summer fun behind the wheel—new contributor and South Dakotan columnist Kerry Peresta takes a comical look at a couple's different driving styles. Another new contributor (and Canadian columnist), William Bedford, takes a wry look at more hot fun—this time at the mall, and the plot? An intergenerational battle!

Ever dream of sailing the islands? Well, this issue shares one couple’s eight-day anniversary trip in the British Virgin Islands. Then there’s more summer sailing fun with Laurine Valenti, volunteer extraordinaire, the issue's Real Person Empty Nesting, who earned a spot on the tall ship Gazela as it sailed the waters of the northeastern United States this summer. Not hot enough for you? Consider taking in an exchange student (or two) from countries afar. New contributor Patty Grasty tells you how and why you might want to. Or, adopt a pet—author Jean Barto convinces you it’s both possible and helpful—to you and the furry one. It’s still summer—so have some hot fun before the fall!

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

You can show your support for Empty Nest by clicking the “Donate” button on the sidebar and making a monetary contribution. Think of it as you would shareware. If you read an issue and like what you see, please consider contributing through the secure PayPal website to support our work. Our goals are simple: to recover expenses and pay our writers.

Finally, remember that you can do a keyword search of the Empty Nest website! Just type a topic or author’s name into the search box at the end of the sidebar, and you’ll bring up a page with links to relevant articles in the current issue, as well as in the Empty Nest archives. We continue to work on ways to improve the magazine. Feel free to email us at editor@emptynestmag.com with suggestions.

My Summer
This summer’s been a crazy one—that’s us sailing the British Virgin Islands. Let’s just say that it was amazing. (You’ll have to read the article.) We made several trips to the Jersey shore—to see my sister and her family “up north” for the first time in years (they were visiting from Tampa), again so our daughter Amie—visiting from California—could visit the beach she “grew up on” (Pt. Pleasant), and a third time to attend my 35th high-school reunion. I loved every minute of it! The BVI take the cake, though. And, we’ve spent the summer scheming how to get back there. Until then, though, Wednesday Night Sailing with the Nockamixon Sail Club has had to suffice. (With buckets of Mrs. Bonner’s special frozen “lemonade” at our après sail parties, we’ve been doing a pretty good job of breaking up the week.)

Several organizations I belong to held work sessions this summer, which made for some weeknight commitments. It will be good to see our brainstorming come to fruition, though, and I’m hopeful that the success of the projects we’ve been working on will make it all worthwhile.

Gary and I have been visiting the Skippack Farmers’ Market faithfully, supporting our local farmers and enjoying local organic produce, and grass-fed meats and eggs. We’ve been enjoying freshly baked breads and muffins, fair-trade coffee, and even handmade soaps. Shopping in this way costs more, but it certainly enriches our lives and helps local farmers stay in business, so we figure it's worth the investment. And, when was the last time you had home-grown tomatoes or peaches or corn? All to die for…

We’ve been biking the Perkiomen Trail, climbing at the Philadelphia Rock Gym, and even hiking Spring Mountain in the early morning hours. But we can’t get enough of sailing—so to celebrate, we got lawn seats for our first Jimmy Buffett concert, at the Susquehanna Bank Center (Camden, NJ) on August 10. Let’s just say that if you haven’t done that, you absolutely must. It’s a real event. We saw Carole King and James Taylor the beginning of the summer, and it was a terrific concert. But, Jimmy Buffett fans are wild and crazy people. Which all makes for hot fun in the summer! Hope yours was just as much fun as ours was...

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

Robin C. Bonner
Editor, Empty Nest