Welcome to Black Bear Cottage! I'm Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson.
At 64, I'm learning to build the rich, abundant life I've dreamed of—not by having more, but by choosing what matters.
Here at Black Bear Cottage, I'm exploring what it means to live well in this next chapter: buying less but better, making room for creativity, cultivating friendships, enjoying my home and garden, living my faith fully, and creating a life of beauty, meaning, and purpose.
I believe a rich life isn't determined by how much money we have. It's built from the things we choose to value, notice, create, and enjoy.
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Thursday’s video asks: What if luxury has very little to do with money?
I’ve been thinking about the simple things that make an ordinary day feel rich—things like beauty, time, learning, movement, and the small rituals we choose for ourselves.
So I made a video about 6 Simple Luxuries That Make Life Feel Rich.
These aren’t things you need to buy. They’re things we can notice, cultivate, and create in the life we already have.
Because I believe:
A beautiful life is something we create, not something we’re given.
What is one simple luxury that makes your life feel rich?
1 day ago | [YT] | 90
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Today’s video is a little different. ❤️
A few days ago, I asked you to Ask Me Anything and you came up with some wonderfully thoughtful questions.
Some of your questions took me places I’ve never really gone on this channel before. I talk about my faith journey, my mother, learning to live on my own, the life I’ve built here in North Carolina, what I’m most proud of, and even my greatest fear.
There are things I shared in this video that I have never said out loud on YouTube before.
I hope you'll join me this afternoon for a very personal conversation.
What I’ve Never Told You: Answering Your Deepest Questions
Thank you for being such a wonderful community. ❤️
See you this afternoon.
1 week ago | [YT] | 17
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
AMA! You’ve Been Getting to Know Me… Now It’s Your Turn to Ask! ❤️
I’m going to make an Ask Me Anything video—and I’d love your help.
You can ask me about life at 64, living alone, retirement, starting over, books, writing, my new life in the mountains, faith, cooking, YouTube… or anything else you’ve been curious about.
And yes—you can ask me something personal. 😊
There’s really no such thing as a “silly” question, so leave your question in the comments below. I’ll choose as many as I can and answer them in an upcoming video.
I’m genuinely curious to see what you want to know about the woman behind these videos. ❤️
So… what have you always wanted to ask me?
I’ll be reading every question! 👇
1 week ago | [YT] | 162
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
What does YOUR abundant life look like? 🌿
If I asked you to feed yourself for a week on $100, would your grocery haul look something like mine?
Or would it look completely different?
Because here’s what I’ve been thinking about: abundance doesn’t look the same to everyone.
My idea of abundance is a refrigerator full of fresh vegetables, a kitchen where I can cook what I love, and the pleasure of turning a few simple ingredients into something wonderful.
Someone else might look at my grocery haul and think, “That’s not abundance at all!” 😂
And honestly? Neither of us would be wrong.
Tomorrow’s video is about what abundance really means—and how we can learn to recognize it in our own lives.
What does abundance look like to you? Tell me in the comments. ❤️
New video Thursday at 3pm EST!
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 49
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
When I asked you what the hardest part of this season is, four out of ten of you said the same word: loneliness.That stopped me.
Not because I was surprised — but because I finally felt less alone in it myself.Here's what I want you to know: that loneliness isn't proof that something is wrong with you.
It's proof that you're built for connection. And there are quiet, simple habits that help you find it again — not by pretending the ache away, but by building a life around it.
Tomorrow I'm sharing the ten habits that did it for me. Most cost nothing. Together they changed how I wake up in my own home.If you were one of that four in ten — or if you've just never told anyone — I'd love to hear from you below. Which part of it has been the hardest to make peace with? The quiet? The mornings? The "nobody to tell about my day" feeling?You're not the only one feeling it. 💛
1 month ago | [YT] | 27
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
What's been YOUR biggest challenge after 60? I want to build this channel around what YOU'RE actually walking through — so tell me below. 👇
Or if none of these quite fit, tell me in the comments what your biggest challenge has really been. I read every one, and it shapes what I make next.
1 month ago | [YT] | 29
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
For years, I believed being single meant that something was missing in me. 💔
Then, at 64, I finally learned the truth — and it changed everything.
Being single after 60 isn't a void waiting to be filled. It's a life. A full, meaningful, chosen one. 🏡✨This week's video is the honest answer to the question I've been asked more than any other: "Why aren't you married?"
Now I'd love to hear from you — tell me what's been on your heart:
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 50
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Loneliness doesn't ask permission. It doesn't care if you're married, widowed, divorced, or living alone like me — it can sneak in on any of us.
In Thursday’s video, I'm sharing the 3 things I do every single day to keep it out: a spiritual practice each morning, a physical habit every evening, and one social connection every week.
If this season of life has felt a little quieter than you expected, I hope this video feels like a hand reaching out to you. 💛
1 month ago (edited) | [YT] | 380
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
I posted my new video yesterday and your comments are already overwhelming my heart. So many of you have lived this same story. If you haven't watched yet — come join the conversation. I'd love to hear which of the 3 mistakes hit closest to home for you?
1 month ago | [YT] | 17
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Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Tomorrow at noon, I'm sharing something I've been wanting to talk about for a long time.
I spent years living alone — and not really living. Going through the motions. Waiting for something I couldn't even name.
Tomorrow's video is the first episode of a new series called No Big Plans — and in it, I share three mistakes I kept making while living alone after 60. Without even realizing they were mistakes.
Some of them might surprise you. Some might feel very familiar.
It goes up tomorrow at noon. I hope you'll join me. 🙏
In the meantime — I'd love to ask you something. If you live alone right now, what is the hardest part for you in this season? I read every comment. 💛
1 month ago | [YT] | 112
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