It has been said the easiest instrument to play is the ukulele. It's not only easy, but it's one of those instruments that has a sound that can go from beautiful and classic, to fun and raucous. As will be seen by the seven easy ukulele songs included here for beginners to learn.

1. Oh My Darling, Clementine (Traditional) - G, D7, and C
2. Down in the Valley (Traditional) - C and G7
3. Skip to My Lou (American Traditional) - C and G
4. Amazing Grace (Traditional) - C, F, and G7
5. Happy Birthday (Traditional) - A, D, and G
6. Jambalaya (One the Bayou) by Hank Williams - C and G7
7. Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd - D, C, and G

You can find more help at ukulele-lessons.com and anywhere on the internet look up "helpful ukulele tabs", but I prefer looking up the actual chords for easy ukulele songs, and then add 2 or 3 chords to your search.
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There are multiple benefits of learning an instrument as you age.

You develop your brain by using several parts that keep your mind sharp. As stated on the link above, playing an instrument does for your brain what circuit training does for your body. It incorporates various sections of the brain that need to function while playing and learning the instrument. These functions you need to keep the brain healthy as you age.
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You socialize with others who play instruments. What better way to find friends with similar interests? I have made more great friendships with fellow musicians than any other hobby. Get out and start "jamming" with others!

Each instrument brings out a part of your personality. Just because the ukulele is the easiest to begin playing, it doesn't mean you have to only play the ukulele. When I was young I learned the guitar. It made transitioning to the ukulele very easy, but from that instrument I went on to play piano, percussion and drums. It's like learning a new language. Once you learn one, you find the rest are easier to pick up on.
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As we age, its nice to know there is something that will make us feel both useful and capable. The ukulele, like any instrument, will give you a sense of self-esteem, especially if you are tackling it at a time everyone is telling you to slow down and just stop. Well this is the exact time you should start.

Whenever you play an instrument you are using fine motor skills. The ukulele stretches the fingers and bends the arms, incorporates the shoulders and muscles you don't usually use. Don't forget to use good posture, as well, whenever you play an instrument. Your body will thank you in the long run.
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There is no doubt listening to music builds the sense of hearing and brings all those parts of the senses you need to truly appreciate sound.

Sometimes, when you are alone there is something comforting about playing an instrument. Its what I call, "soul charge." An instrument will undoubtedly charge you when you're feeling down. It's one of the best cures for depression.

To tackle something after age 60 always makes us feel we're still learning and moving forward. That's always a good feeling. In fact, tackling any new task at any age is well worth the challenge.

As an old Danish proverb states, "Age may wrinkle the face, but lack of enthusiasm wrinkles the soul."

So please, try these seven songs and enjoy learning something new!
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Here's to taking up an enthusiastic new hobby!

It can be easy to forget about the importance of saving up for retirement when it’s still decades away. This is especially true now that the retirement landscape is changing; the days of retiring at age 65 are becoming a thing of the past. Now that our life expectancies are increasing, people are able to work well into their seventies, and working from home is becoming more commonplace, we’re starting to rethink the best ways to save for retirement.
 
Part of this planning involves understanding how certain life decisions can affect your retirement savings. Here are a few personal choices that most people make during their lifetimes, and how they can influence your retirement savings decisions.

Without major reform, Social Security benefits will need to be cut by 23% in 2033. This means that you need to plan ahead to make sure you have enough money to retire comfortably without relying on Social Security checks. A significant part of this plan involves when (or if) you get married or have children.
 
Due to the skyrocketing costs of weddings nowadays, spending a significant amount of your earnings on a wedding and other big-ticket items generally causes you to have to retire later than people who save that money for retirement instead. Furthermore, if you don’t fix your credit, you run the risk of scrambling to pay off debts instead of funneling that money towards retirement.
 
Furthermore, especially for people with lower levels of income, having kids is often one of the biggest factors affecting retirement savings. For instance, if you have a child closer to middle age, it’s likely that you’ll need to work longer and cut back on retirement savings a bit to cover the child’s living – and, often, college – expenses.
 
On the other hand, if you finish having kids in your 20s or early 30s, you’ll often finish footing the bill for them by the time you reach middle age. The combination of higher earning power due to experience and no longer supporting your children equates to accumulating more money for retirement.

A couple that retires at age 65 today can expect to spend about $245,000 on healthcare throughout retirement, making it especially important to be conscious of your decisions surrounding healthcare when planning for retirement.
 
Now that fewer employers are offering retirement health care benefits and health care costs are rapidly increasing, it’s becoming more important to think about what you want to do regarding catastrophic health care and long-term care costs when you retire. Once you’re no longer working, it’s likely that you’ll face increased costs for medical insurance coverage – despite Medicare. Because of this, consider buying supplemental Medigap insurance to pay Medicare deductibles and copayments, as well as to protect yourself against emergency health expenses.
 
You should also consider planning for retirement-age long-term care. You may need long-term care when physical or mental disabilities impair your ability to manage basic, everyday tasks. Unfortunately, this type of care can be expensive, especially as people are starting to live longer. Consider purchasing long-term care insurance to help offset this and factor it into your retirement income needs.

Different types of retirement investments carry different risks, so it’s imperative to understand those risks and how they can affect your retirement income to best set yourself up for a comfortable retirement. This is especially true considering that men have a 78% chance of living to the age of 75 and women have an 85% chance, as the decisions you make about investment risk now can affect your life for possibly decades after you retire.
 
Basically, investment risk is derived from fluctuations in the market that can result in depletion of your retirement savings. You can generally assume that market fluctuations will average out over time, but it’s important to consider how much time you have to save up.
 
Low risk investments provide lower returns and higher risk ones provide higher returns, so it can be tempting to put a lot of your retirement money into a high-risk investment. However, since the market doesn’t always provide positive returns and can provide negative returns for a few years at a time, it’s important to avoid high-risk investments when you’re close to retirement age. When you’re younger, you can afford the lulls associated with high-risk investing since there’s time to recoup losses. As you reach retirement age, it’s often a better strategy to have a mix of low- and high-risk investments to keep you comfortable.
 
Thinking about saving up for retirement may not be the most glamorous use of your time, but it will certainly pay off in the future. By paying attention to your life choices now, you can set yourself up for maximum comfort as you age.
 
What are some other important factors to consider regarding retirement savings?

Is lifelong learning a recipe for aging well? It is according to researchers. Here’s why your education should never stop, even when you’re well past traditional schooling age.
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It’s hard to talk about well-being without encountering the ideas of lifelong learning. This is especially true for retirees, who can reap all sorts of benefits by enrolling in a class. Those benefits aren’t just intellectual benefits, either. Lifelong learning can benefit senior health and act as a preventative agent for some mental and physical ailments. Here’s how. 

Many of the benefits of lifelong learning for retirees have to do with socialization. As people retire or begin to age, they are more likely to become restless, particularly those who live alone or haven’t replaced work with a hobby. If you have retired from your career and you are not an active part of a community, how do you spend your time? Take a class! This will allow you to meet new people and acquire new skills or knowledge.

You may think you can learn things from the comfort of your own home and your television set or computer. This may be true, the history channel has a wealth of educational programming, but it won't provide the same social opportunities. If you want to fight restlessness, you need to stimulate your brain through continued learning and social interaction.
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Why is social interaction important? Restlessness, if left unaddressed, can turn into loneliness.

Loneliness contributes to a number of health problems, including: 

• Cognitive decline. Feeling lonely has been linked to cognitive decline in older adults. Keep in mind that one person’s idea of ‘lonely’ may differ from someone else’s, it’s the perceived loneliness that matters. 
• Higher mortality. Social isolation has been linked to higher mortality rates in older adults. 
• Depression. Loneliness may also lead to depression in middle-aged and older adults. 

​There are more health risks associated with loneliness, but this gives you an idea of how loneliness can negatively affect health. 

Enrolling in a class helps enrich life on several levels, not the least of which is the social aspect. Whether it’s enrolling in a course at the local community college, gathering for classes near home in a senior living community, or participating in courses online, a class is social and helps seniors form bonds with like-minded individuals.
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Social interaction and mental stimulation are great ways to combat restlessness, loneliness, or depression.

After retirement, there’s less stimulation to keep us on our toes. Finding new challenges in a class can keep the mind sharp.

You never know, you may set out to sharpen your mind and find your passion along the way! Once your children have left the nest and you have retired from your obligations, it’s time to look inside yourself and find what makes you happy and what gives you purpose. Try new things! Take a dance class, learn to paint, expand your pallet and your recipe list. As you sharpen your skills you will be one step closer on the journey to finding your passion. 

Another issue some people face after retirement is an ever-narrowing social network. Going back to school, whether it’s for accounting or basket weaving, can open up new channels of socialization as we meet people both inside and outside the classroom. 

Maybe Gandhi said it best:

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” 
― Mahatma Gandhi

Learning about the topics you love, that spark your interest, can add a new dimension to life. Everyone benefits from broadening their horizons, even seniors who’ve already packed a lot of experience under their belts.

A great way to continue learning and challenging yourself is to engage with your grandchildren or younger members of the community. As the old adage goes, everyone knows something you don’t – exchange experience and knowledge with younger generations.

Many retirees and older Americans find a surprising challenge in their new lifestyle: how to stay busy with all that free time. Many miss a daily routine or a set schedule. A class can bring regularity to the week’s schedule that many crave, and fills the time in a way that makes one proud. Wouldn’t you rather end the day knowing you enriched and challenged your mind?

Have you ever considered learning a new language? This could provide new and exciting opportunities! You can make new friends, try a new restaurant that offers exotic cuisine, or even travel with your new ability to communicate and translate.

A little earlier we mentioned that taking a class keeps the mind sharp, but did you know it can help prevent or delay disease? Continued learning has been shown to help stave off the kind of cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study released in 2012. Again, it seems that daily challenge is good for the brain, just as daily exercise is good for the body.

These are just a few reasons lifelong learning benefits senior health and keeps us younger. There are plenty of classes out there, so take your pick. If it’s not for you, try another until you find one you like. You’ll be improving your mental health and feeling younger while having a wonderful time.

At Acts Retirement-Life Communities, residents are encouraged to continue learning and use their skills to better their community. Since Acts offer’s maintenance-free, resort style living, residents are free to pursue their passions, pastimes, hobbies, and enjoy the multiple social opportunities offed.

Being single at an old age could be as a result of three reasons. One is you choose not to be in a relationship until age caught up with them, or because the relationship you have been in is no longer working so you divorced, and lastly which is sad, you lost your partner through death. Either of the above, everyone needs a companion in life and especially when you are old. You need someone to share ideas with, to love and cherish, or even to have fun together.
There are three common options for older singles who want to start dating. They are as discussed below.

For some old singles, they prefer age mates. These will want to date someone they have the same life experience with. For some reason, they think younger people could be wasting their time.  This is a group of singles who believe that they can’t learn anything new from the younger generation. They want to hang out with people of their age group because they can’t find fun in persons of different age group. Sometimes these are conservative people and don’t want exposure to any other generation. 

Well, this could be advantageous because as the old adage goes, “Old is Gold”. Old people are full of wisdom and for this category of singles; they know that this wisdom can only be found in their age counterparts. Another reason for this could be because they have children to take care of and they want age mates they can trust with their children.

This is the group of senior singles who are open to having a relationship without being specific to a certain age bracket. These will register on dating sites for seniors and are open to anyone who is willing to mingle with them. May it be a young person or the older person, for them age is just a number.  For these, they are looking for a mix of experience and value. They believe that they can learn from anyone and they can find love and fun in anybody irrespective of their age, as long as they admire the person.

These are opportunistic, and they know they can use their wealth to influence. These old folks are looking for the young and beautiful. This is the group that you will find hanging around college cafeterias poising as “hungry lions” they look around flashing their wealth singing “spend my money”. College girls are looking for sponsors. They want to find a sugar daddy to pay their bills and this is what these oldies want to satisfy in the lady. Well, some will do it with good intention, but others will be looking for fun only. They are wealthy, and they have the potential to pay the bills. 

​In today’s lifestyle, being 50 and single is not a big issue. You can find love anytime you want, and all options are available. Dating is fun and gets better when you find a companion you can love and cherish.

Single seniors want to be loved too. In fact, this the time when you are less active, and you are thinking too much about your life. You are about to retire, and you will be lonely at home unless you really love the TV like Obama, but you will also find boredom in it. Well, Dating again or for the first time, is a good idea for you. You need someone to remind you important things you might forget because memory loss is related to your age. Here are some nice tips you need to be aware of before you start surfing about best dating sites for over 50.

​You are about to go on retirement, and the pension check is on its way. Older people have worked so hard for the many years, and they don’t want all the effort to go down the drain in a night. You need someone you can trust with your real estate business because you worked so hard to put up the apartments. It could be a bad moment if you date a person who will squander all your wealth and leave you bankrupt. This is a companion who will tell you “Honey, watch out you are about to sign a fake contract”. He or she is a person who has good will for you and wants you to prosper further. Next time you are looking for a companion, I hope this will make sense to you.

As you age, you will not be able to do most of the things you can manage now. You need someone who will enable you to achieve the same things you are always ambitious to achieve. This is someone who will love you and care for you while enabling you. Medical care and physiological care are some of the things you’re newly found love should be able to give you. If you fall for a person who is not concerned about you and even worse doesn't love you, life will be stressful and will lose meaning.

​What would dating be without sex? In any relationship, it complements the meaning. You need to have more and more of it to enjoy your life. It rejuvenates your body and makes you feel younger. Now that you are a retired general, you even have more time to enjoy sex don’t sit and let thoughts fill your mind. After retirement, you are less active, and you still have energy in you. Apart from going to the gym, enjoy sex while you still can.

​First things first! Get to know the person well and avoid regrets later. You are of age, and you don’t want time wasters nor do you want to regret for the rest of your time. Do your vetting well and be sure you found love, not just a lover.