Good Morning & Hello Friday!!

• I turned 73 this August while in Bozeman and it got me thinking about what’s made this stage of my life so (surprisingly) wonderful. Everyone’s situation is obviously different with health and finances playing a key role but I do believe there’s much we can do to make our “senior” years super fun and exciting (#7 below).
• While on the subject of exciting, I also have some stellar new travel plans (#2 and #3). If anyone has any tips or recommendations for either destination, please let me know!!
• And there are also, of course, “new and trendy” discoveries (#4, #5, #6).

And with that please scroll down for the week’s highlights.

1. Post-birthday bluegrass jam at Sunny’s Bar in Red Hook, Brooklyn

UPCOMING TRAVEL

2. Austin for the Sept. 9 opening of Bruce Munro’s “Field Of Light”

1. Field of Light will illuminate 16 acres in the Texas Arboretum at the Wildflower Center, with 28,000 solar-powered stems of light.
2. I’ll be staying (again) at Soho House Austin, one of my favorite houses.
3. Also on the agenda: Domaine Northside (a top shopping/dining/residential area); Creek and Cave (“blind dating with comedians”) and dinner at Jeffreys (love that place) as well as at Launderette and Odd Duck. If anyone has any additional tips or recommendations for Austin, please send them my way!!!

And, btw, GREAT interview with Austin’s Liz Lambert (one of my heroes). I interviewed her about 20 years ago for a trend project. It was shortly after she had opened the San Jose Hotel which was a real game-changer both for hospitality and for Austin. Fabulous woman – totally fearless, super creative. One of the people who made me fall in love with Austin way back in the day!!

3. Venice, for the Biennale, in October

1. Was on the fence about going (even tho I now have the I-551 stamp that allows me to travel outside the USA for one year) but my friends Rodrigo and Elliott’s photos from the Biennale were so gorgeous I just had to see it in person.
2. Must-sees country pavilions: Poland, Sami/Nordic, Israeli, British, Australia, Dutch, Korea, Hungary, Latvia, Italy, Denmark, Mexico, USA, and Saudi Arabia.
3. Specific artists whose work I want to see: Simone Leigh, Precious Okoyomon, Anselm Kiefer at the Palazzo Ducale, Marlene Dumas at Palazzo Grassi, Ugo Rondinone installation, Katharine Grosse’s metallic mesh curtain, Wu Tsang’s “Of Whales,” and Anish Kapoor.

AGAIN, if any friends have been to this year’s Biennale, please send me tips and recommendations, including restaurants.

NEW & TRENDY

4. US Open: spotted two trends.

1. The trendiest color for tennis wear (as well as spectator wear) is BLACK. It’s almost as if everyone knew that Serena Williams would be sporting a sparkly black dress for her first match of the Open.
2. Also lots of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Lugged High Tops (not on players but on spectators).
3. Heading out to the US Open again this Friday. Will see if these trends hold!

5. The tin Building at NYC’s South Street Seaport

1. Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Tin Building is the BUZZIEST new retail/restaurant to open in NYC in 2022!
2. Anyone visiting NYC has to put this on their itinerary.
3. The above photos/video were all taken in early August. This weekend I am planning to check out the secret, speakeasy Chinese restaurant (House of the Red Pearl) which can be found behind the curtained door at the rear of the Asian market. Will report back!

6. Western Edge: The Roots and Reverberations of Los Angeles Country-Rock

1. MAKING A PREDICTION: This new exhibit at Nashville’s Country Music Hall of Fame will have an enormous impact on fashion, style, design, and, of course, music (a la the bluegrass jam in #1 above)!! We’re already seeing signs of this but a museum exhibition with roots in LA and Nashville will add fuel to the fire.
2. “Western Edge” traces the Los Angeles-based visionary singers, songwriters and musicians of the 1960s and 1980s, who embraced country music, and created “country-rock.”
3. The exhibit surveys trailblazers’ like the Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, Eagles, Emmylou Harris, and Linda Ronstadt as well as the next generation of L.A. roots music performers, e.g., Los Lobos, and Dwight Yoakam who looked to traditional American music for inspiration, blending hard-edged honky-tonk, Mexican folk music, rockabilly and punk rock. These artists — along with their country-rock predecessors — provided inspiration to future generations of country and Americana artists. (Source: WilliamsonSource)

THE “AGE” THING

7. at 73, I’ve got a handle on this aging thing: feeling free, happy, energized!

But there are a few things to attend to if you want your 60s and 70s to be the happy, fulfilling years you deserve

HEALTH: PRIORITY #1

• I work out everyday for 45 minutes and, weather permitting, get in some long walks (10K-20K steps). I also live in a walk-up so am up and down 3 flights of stairs, multiple times a day.
• Keeping my weight in control is very important especially with arthritis. The more weight you lose, the better for your joints.
• My 2-drink per day rule has been major. And it’s all thanks to Miley Cyrus who discussed her struggles with drinking on Joe Rogan’s podcast. She said she planned to eventually reintroduce drinking into her life with a strict two drink limit. Not sure how she’s doing but it’s working for me.
• Health maintenance is crucial, e.g., annual check-ups, flu and covid shots (getting the newest one later this month), even pedicures because all that walking can mess up your feet.

AND BIG SHOUT OUT TO DR. DAVID MIDDAUGH OF EL PASO MANUAL PHYSICAL THERAPY. The exercise videos he has posted on YouTube for hip arthritis pain have been a gamechanger for me. I do them for 20 minutes per day, EVERY day – and it has completely improved my ability to walk long distances.

FINANCIAL SECURITY

• I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH: start planning for your non-working years early on – it’s got to be top of mind by your late 30s.
• Keeping your overhead under control is critical, e.g., if you live somewhere with very high condo or HOA fees, that’s not going to be sustainable. You’re better off getting into that “age in place” home by the time you’re in your 40s than waiting until you’re in your 60s.
• I started seriously saving by my mid-30s – and I have to thank my friend Susan Winkeler for lighting that fire under me.
• Also, when it comes to social security, my advice is to hold off collecting until you’re 70 to maximize what you’ll get. Makes a BIG difference.

STAY ACTIVE, CURIOUS, INVOLVED

As I’ve gotten older, there is a tremendous sense of urgency to pack in as much “life” as possible. It’s why the idea of a “relaxing” beach vacation is anathema to me. And, also why the green card situation has been so frustrating.

• I have always been preternaturally drawn to the “new,” whether it’s restaurants or new neighborhoods, or new cultural hot spots. (And luckily for me, I was able to create a career out of trends research!)
• But my two major interests are ART and TRAVEL and they’re often conjoined, e.g., my upcoming trips to Austin and Venice are art and culture driven.
• When it comes to travel, I am also a huge fan of going solo. Besides being able to completely immerse myself in whatever catches my fancy, it’s also easier to meet people when traveling solo. And when it comes to eating out, I always opt for restaurants with bar or counter seating. Another plus of dining solo, no matter how hot and buzzy the restaurant is, you’ll always snag a seat. And invariably, I strike up conversations with the staff and fellow diners, always coming away with great insider tips and recommendations of places/things to add to my itinerary.

STAYING SOCIAL/ KEEPING YOUR NETWORK ACTIVE, VIBRANT

• Covid cramped some friendships as people moved away or were more cautious about getting together but in general, I was able to maintain most of my friendships.
• Just as important, however, is always adding new people, OF ALL AGES, to your circle.
• One of the most satisfying things in my life has been my ability to make introductions among my circle of friends and then seeing those friendships flourish (both socially and professionally), totally independent of my involvement.

AND ON THAT HAPPY NOTE, IT’S A WRAP.

Next week I’ll be posting from Austin and then I’m back in NYC for the Fall . I’m already noticing the slightly cooler mornings which I absolutely LOVE! Wishing you all a great long weekend!!