Do you have a special friend waiting at home to greet you when you come home from a long day? The experience of sharing our lives with companion pets has been going on for millennia. Humans and domesticated animals have a special relationship that dates back at least 30,000 years — long before cows and horses were called into service.

We rush to get to our doctor’s appointment on time, but then we end up waiting and waiting! It does seem the “wait” is becoming consistently, routinely longer. Here's why...

Social Security Administration announces a change to the Attorney Fee Cap — the first in 13 years. The maximum dollar amount limit for fee agreements approved under the Social Security Act increased from $6,000 to $7,200.  Fee agreements may now be approved up to the new dollar limit, provided that the agreements otherwise meet the statutory requirements.

It's not every day that you and your kids get to be clowns in a major Christmas parade. But that's what happened when we moved to Athens, Georgia. All was going along just fine. The parade watchers seemed to enjoy seeing three different-sized clowns together and we were having a dandy time, waving and generally just goofing around. Then, I looked into the crowd and saw a face I thought I recognized.

Social Security touches the lives of nearly every American. Retirees who worked hard their whole lives, people no longer able to work due to disability, dependents and survivors all depend on the resource. As a member of the Rural Partners Network, Social Security continues reaching out to rural communities.

Retirement is a time to think broadly with no boundaries, to let it all hang out, shoot for the moon and dance like no one is watching. Maybe for the first time in your life, you can do what you want without concerning yourself with what others think. It’s no longer necessary to follow traditional rules and routines. It’s a time to reenergize and reinvigorate, rekindle old interests or resurrect an earlier passion.