Life's What You Make it

Trish and Valerie are joined by Age Friendly Ambassador Francis Brennan who shares his thoughts on avoiding conflict, friendship and getting older with care and grace while continuing to welcome new experiences.

Valerie and Trish relish the opportunity to meet with new people and share the joy of taking on new challenges. They agree that chivalry must continue - manners maketh the man - and have you heard of the Feng Shui idea of a wealth bowl?

In which Trish and Valerie recall their evening at the podcast awards in Limerick, and how impressed they were but range of local, home-grown initiatives making lives better from community vegetable growing to helping older people stay safe and connected.

Valerie plans to be a reformed woman after starting reformer Pilates and Trish agrees that holding on to negativity ultimately does us more harm than good. More lessons in the key of life after fifty from Trish and Valerie.

It started during Covid and has grown into an annual event of art on the lake, Trish tells Valerie all about getting involved in the showing, sharing and selling of art while Valerie recalls a recent seaweed bath experience!

This week, Valerie tells Trish about touring Spain in a thirty year old two seater and getting clamped on the first day, despite which they agree that the best holidays involved a bit of the unexpected and off the beaten track.

Farmer, beekeeper, researcher, and educator and all around glass half full force of nature Ailbhe Gerrard is the driving force behind Brookfield Farm, a family-run enterprise near Lough Derg in North Tipperary. Sharing words of wisdom, a healthy dose of iconoclasm and plenty of fun, she is Trish and Val's guest this week,

The power of making a list, valuing your work and your worth and listening to your heart when looking at art are on the agenda today with the inimitable Trish and Val.

Among the many topics on todays menu are comte, raclette, fondu and blue - yes, it's the joy of cheese from the humble toastie to Welsh rabbit. And Trish talks about the joys of painting in the outdoors.

As the nights just begin to draw in, Trish and Val discuss the joys of night-classes - learning something new, meeting new people and, perhaps, meeting and learning the unexpected about a former partner!

Good vibrations and hard pronunciations are the theme this week as Trish recalls how a good deed led to her getting her first mortgage, Val talks about changing your life around and how do you say Worcestershire, as in the sauce?

Maintaining what you've got and resisting the pressure to look a certain way - no matter your age , owning your foibles and the joy of a smile are covered in this weeks episode, helping us navigate the joys and challenges of getting older

Trish talks about her recent hip replacement, Valerie visits the Botanic gardens, and they share words of wisdom about the best biscuits for dunking in tea! https://www.botanicgardens.ie/?ved=2ahUKEwin1pXk3pOWAxVQWEEAHd-uMkcQgU96BAgqEAM

Writer, Broadcaster, and Domestic Goddess, Barbara Scully joins the conversation in making the most of what she calls 'Part 3' of our lives. The art of reinvention is at the heart of her success but most importantly, taking charge of one's own life. Her no nonsense, take no prisoners approach in making the most of the final furlong rings true for those of us who agree wholeheartedly th...

Getting older and the aches and pains - or as Trish calls it the 'organ recital' of aging is inevitable but it's how you deal with it that really matters. Val and Trish both believe that a positive attitude is key and Trish is forced to apply this to herself when she gets an unwelcome hip injury. They discuss the joys of of discovering new moths in Ireland - are humming bird moths beco...

Val finally joins Trish on her early morning swim in Lough Derg and is taken by the camaraderie and life affirming nature of her dip. They say you should not meet your heroes but Trish sings the praises of Roddy Doyle whom she encountered recently at a local festival. ,

Looking back and looking forward: Trish tells us what she did at solstice and Val recalls a trip to Greece, memories spurred on by a discussion about planning for your retirement - practically, emotionally and financially!

Trish pays a visit to the Lighthouse Cinema and is inspired by Irish farmers while Val shares the joy of sport and seizing the moment.

A graveyard with a view - Valerie and Trish talk about the inevitable, planning for death by talking about where they'd like to lie when they die. Or be scattered if cremated and the options are many. And they have some great recommendations on books to read and places to go this summer.

Valerie and Trish have been on holidays and talk about the joys of travel, whether it be to Namibia or Glasnevin Cemetery. AI is here whether we like it or not and awareness is everything in how we use it, and above all their recommendation is to stay curious.

We value our friends but staying in touch isn't always easier. Valerie and Trish talk about making the effort to stay in touch and how to mange obsession with phones and social media, especially when it comes to grandparents and children.

Do you ever get distracted on the phone and end up on the road to Cork, when you should be heading to Limerick? Trish and Valerie do and take comfort in the their shared memory lapses. They remind each other to seize adventure and talk about the trials of nylon sheets, poached eggs and learning the cúpla focal (few words) in Irish.

Trish tell Valerie all about her post-retirement plans and they agree that space to dream - to look out the window - is key. Drinking milk reverently comes up while they agree that we all need space for sweet moments in life, whether you're traveling or having a stay at home holiday this year!

Water into wine? Valerie tells Trish all about her travels and travails walking through the Rioja region as a Camino pilgrim including a water fountain that dispenses wine. They discuss at what age do we stop looking at ourselves critically in pictures and agree that we need to look at the bigger picture.

You may have heard about downsizing as you get older but with more of our adult children living at home, what about upsizing? Is it even a thing? Trish and Val discuss the challenges and pitfalls of empty-nesters and children returning as adults. And they discover they both both had relations who worked in Guinness brewery in Dublin.