SHARE:  
Colorado Gives Day is December 5th! Please give today.

PAFC News and Views

November 2023

Thank you to our Mission Sponsor, Sonders Fort Collins! We appreciate your ongoing dedication to helping us problem-solve challenges older adults face as we work to strengthen our Larimer County communities.


Visit Sonders Fort Collins


We are thrilled to share our newest Mission Sponsor, UCHealth! The team at UCHealth is committed to helping PAFC cultivate communities where people of all ages thrive. THANK YOU UCHealth for your support.


Visit UCHealth Today

A Future For Everyone


Together, we can create the future we want to see - a future where all Larimer County residents have the resources to thrive as they age.


And your gift helps make it possible.


Donate Today!

What Would Shakespeare Say?

by Bard, a Generative Artificial Intelligence

(yes, you read that right!)


With all the attention to Artificial Intelligence lately, we decided to ask Google’s Bard to write something about Shakespeare’s take on the matter of graceful aging. Here is what it gave us.

Shakespeare had a lot to say about aging, both graceful and otherwise. In his plays, we see characters who age with grace, wisdom, and humor, as well as those who age with bitterness, regret, and despair.
Here are a few lines from Shakespeare's plays that speak to the idea of graceful aging:
"The wrinkles should be filled with pleasant marks, Such as old age is known by." (The Winter's Tale, Act IV, Scene III)
"The violets still smell sweet, though they be withered; And so the rose, though faded, doth perfume the air." (The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV, Scene IV)
"My wrinkles are like the ripples in a stream, That show the depth but do not hide the stream." (As You Like It, Act II, Scene VII)
"Age should speak with a calm voice, Should look with a clear eye, And should think with an untroubled mind." (The Tempest, Act V, Scene I)
These lines suggest that graceful aging is about accepting the changes that come with age, but not letting them define you. It's about finding beauty in the wrinkles and wisdom in the gray hair. It's about living life to the fullest, even as you get older.
Of course, Shakespeare was also aware that aging is not always graceful. In his plays, we also see characters who struggle to come to terms with their aging bodies and minds. These characters can be bitter, regretful, and even despairing.
But even these characters offer insights into graceful aging. For example, in King Lear, the title character is a once-great king who has fallen from grace. As he ages, he becomes increasingly paranoid and tyrannical. But even in his madness, Lear offers a powerful reminder that aging is a natural part of life.
"O, I have ta'en too little care of this!" he cries. "Too little care!"
These words suggest that graceful aging is about taking care of ourselves, both physically and mentally. It's about living our lives in a way that we can look back on with satisfaction, even as we age.
In the end, Shakespeare's plays offer a complex and nuanced view of aging. There is no one right way to age gracefully. But by reading Shakespeare's plays, we can gain a deeper understanding of the aging process and how to approach it with wisdom, grace, and humor.


William Shakespeare was a renowned English poet, playwright and actor born in 1564 in Stratford on Avon. He was a prolific writer during the Elizabethan age of British theatre.

Read more from our Graceful Aging Blog HERE!

Lunch & Learns Return in 2024!


We are excited to share that our virtual Lunch & Learn programs are set to return in 2024! Stay tuned for more information on important topics, resources, and conversations we'll share via these fun gatherings. Our Lunch & Learns are FREE and are held via Zoom, so you can join from anywhere in the world.


A Message from our Newsletter Sponsor,

Andrea Chirich:


Holiday Gratitude


This is a wonderful time of year to reflect on gratitude and count the blessings we have in our lives. It is also a time for looking forward to the new year and what plans we have to elevate our lives, our mood,

our situation, or maybe elevate our level of peace. I so enjoy taking time to reach out to everyone who makes my life rich and full, and being grateful they are part of my life!


As for looking forward, not as enjoyable is my planning for the next year. Working on my business plan gives me structure and direction to achieve my goals over the next year. I wish I enjoyed it as much as thanking people, but I do recognize how central it is to helping others with their goals and dreams. So, I do spend a great deal of time creating my business plan for the following year, a task with which I am currently knee deep!


We are all interested in what is going on with the housing market. I’ve spent hours dissecting the numbers as I market my Sellers homes, help my current buyers, and prepare my 2024 Business Plan.

The easiest way to explain the housing market is that no one is really 100% sure! What we can say with certainty is the inventory of available homes for sale remains down over 40% from pre-pandemic levels. We also know that the trend line for people planning to purchase a home in the next year continues to

trend upward. It bounces around a bit, but the trend remains up. That will keep the demand for homes up, while the inventory of available homes remains low.


Those two dynamics will keep the price of homes stable, or slightly increasing. Of the top 20 metro areas used to measure home prices, 9 showed appreciation of homes at 1+%. The other 11 metro areas

ranged from home price increases of .5% - .9%. Overall home prices are not decreasing but holding steady or modestly increasing.


The higher interest rates are a true hinderance to many Buyers, especially with the higher home prices. How do we combat that? Well, for some Buyers multi-generational living is a great answer! My column last month talked about multi-generational living and now we are seeing FHA and Fannie Mae help promote with expanded financing options for homes with additional dwelling units, or ADUs. The FHA is offering additional funding options for such homes, and Fannie Mae will accept 5% down for multi-generational homes versus the standard 15-25%.


Multi-generational living is not for all families. But, if it is an arrangement that may work for your family, there are many benefits to be realized. Together you can create a new living situation and savings of economies.


If you would like to explore this topic more, or have questions, I am happy to be a resource. Please reach out and allow me to answer your questions so you can make the best decisions for your family! I

am grateful for the opportunity to share this information with all of you! Happy Holidays!


Have a question for Andrea?


We Need YOU December 5th!


December 5th is Colorado Gives Day, and we need your help!


It takes just moments to donate to PAFC this giving season, and when you donate you know you are helping us cultivate brand new programs and resources, like Senior Access Points, Sound Affects, PAFC Tech Buddies, and more!



Click Here to GIVE Today!

Are You THAT Person?


We all know THAT person: the person you can call when you have a technology challenge and are about to throw your phone/iPad/device out the window! Some of us ARE that person in our peer group - the one who gets that phone call from a friend or family member asking "Do you know how on earth to download a photo from my email?" or "My new phone has been sitting in the box for two weeks because there's no way I can figure it out right now." With the many ways technology factors into our daily lives, it's no surprise so many people, across ALL generations, need technology assistance from time to time.


If you are THAT person who gets those calls for help, who is a little tech savvy and knows their way around phones and tablets...or who has just a small bit of experience navigating tech troubles but really LIKES tackling these challenges, WE NEED YOU!


PAFC's Tech Buddies program has served over 100 residents in Larimer County, and we currently have a wait list of individuals needing our no-cost services. You can make a major difference in your community by joining our Tech Buddies team. We provide FREE training, ongoing support, and we make a difference in the lives of others every single day. Having access to technology, and the ability to use tech tools functionally, makes a measurable difference in our quality of life as we age. BE A PART of this important movement and reach out today to learn more about how to become a PAFC Tech Buddy!


Our next training is December 8th via Zoom! Sign up today!


Email us today to become a Tech Buddy

www.PAFCLarimer.org


info@pafclarimer.org



Donate HERE!
Follow us on Facebook!