Retiring single - where are we?

What was on the cover of the last retirement magazine you saw? Chances are good that it was a picture of a happy couple. If you look at the current issues of "Where to Retire" (500,000 readers), it's a woman with her arms around her man. In some variation -- a couple on a cruise, looking out at the sunset from their retirement home -- almost anywhere you look, if you're not looking at a celebrity, you're looking at a retiring couple.

It's almost enough to make older widows, divorcees and singles feel, well, alone. It brings back memories that begin around puberty and just keep grinding away at self-esteem and optimism. How accurate are the images?

An August '07 Business Week article (Flying Solo in the Golden Years) leads: "Whether it's intentional or not, 19% of men and 40% of women over 65 live alone. This includes people who may be divorced, widowed, or just temporarily without a partner."

Forty percent is a substantial minority!

We need more stories about women over 55 who have created good lives for themselves. A big piece of the picture is economic. I'd love to hear from bloggers who've figured out how to manage (often less than ample) assets and life without a partner and are content in their lives.