The Blogging Boomers "Souq"

     In March the Blogging Boomers come in like a lion. Not because of cold, unpleasant weather (although the Midwest has suffered deadly storms, and our hearts go out to the victims), but because more than ever the world hears the roar of the Baby Boomers. On serious subjects like Social Security, politics, taxes. And on no-less-serious subjects like shopping, dating, eating ... and laughing. The point is, every issue that affects America, affects Baby Boomers first and foremost.

     What's a souq? It's a Middle Eastern open-air marketplace. And this week our blogger from across the seas, Arabian Tales and Other Adventures, takes us on a little tour of an exotic Dubai souq.

     In 2010, one of our own made-in-America Baby Boomers up and moved to Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, where her husband managed to get a job involved with a major airport expansion. Since then, she has been blogging about their adventures on the Arabian peninsula and beyond.

     Dubai, she reports, has many amazing shopping venues, including a mall with an indoor skiing area. But she invites us to come with her and step back in time to explore the traditional Arab souqs. "Wander deeper," she says, "through the narrow alleyways that twist and turn." And, if you need a road map to find your way, join her at Dubai Souq Shopping.

     Here at home, The Boomer Chronicles wonders what happens when a man who is a top executive at a Fortune 500 company suddenly finds himself out on the street. How does he deal with that kind of blow to his pride, his psyche -- and his wallet? For the answer check out How a Top Executive Recovered from His Firing. There's a little twist at the end, when you find out who this top executive is and what he did more than 40 years ago.

     Meanwhile, the Midlife Crisis Queen offers us a couple of life lessons. One comes from what she learned from the Amish in The Power of Forgiveness. The other addresses the subject of Divorce and Forgiveness.

     But, to look at the other side of that coin:  Have you been thinking of dating online? If so, you might want to take some advice from one of our younger Boomers who publishes a site called The Art of Toad Kissing.

     "Single Boomers beware," she says, "those younger love prospects may not be as exciting as they seem." On her blog, she continues her quest to Never Kiss Another Toad and warns us of the March Toad of the Month -- carefully advising us "how to recognize signs that he may be infesting our Loveseats."

     In a remarkable instance of synchronicity, Boomer blogger Lucie, at Midlife Musings, reports this week on one of her early experiences with online dating -- and how she learned a lot more than she bargained for when as a mom of three teens, she took her first step out to a world she knew nothing about. Fortunately, she could laugh at her lack of finesse -- and is still having fun as she laughs her way through the Art of Toad Kissing.

       And, on yet another subject, what's the latest trend in food preparation? The farm-to-table movement. So The Accidental Locavore has been trying to add more local foods to her family's diet, and she tells us how she recently shared a grass-fed cow from a beautiful nearby farm.

     Compared to all these adventures, from local farm to exotic souq, my own recent postings seem pretty tame (more like a lamb than a lion, if you will). Still, you might want to check out my latest in the Remember Him/Her series, simply by scrolling down to the next item, or clicking on the link to see the other Remember Her? postings.