Happy 2012! This is a milestone year for me. In less than a month, I’m turning 60! Though many people my age talk about “getting old” and about how short life is, I’m excited about 60. My 95-year-old friend, Mary, has helped me keep my age in perspective. She was 35 when I was born! If I live to be 95, I still have a nice chunk of life left!

One of the things Mary prides herself in is her ability to “look down the road”– to plan ahead. I’m like that, too. I want to be proactive about aging and do all I can now to positively impact my life. This is what I want from here on out. 1) To be strong, lean, and healthy. 2) To progress as a writer 3) To enjoy my marriage and relationships 4) To walk with God.

Today I’m focusing on what I’m doing to be strong, lean, and healthy. I’ve been working out at a gym for the past 9 months, but have hit a plateau. I decided to change things up a bit. On January 10th, I had my 1st session with a personal trainer. She measured and weighed me and calculated the amount of fat in my body. She said my 40% fat level needs to be 25%. I hate hearing stats like that, especially since I just lost quite a bit of weight and have been working out for 9 months, but it is what it is. The point is to improve my health through diet and exercise.

She recommended an excellent book. It’s called, The New Abs Diet for Women, by David Zinczenko. As it states on the back cover, the book is “packed with all new weight-loss tips, delicious meal plans, and easy no-gym exercises that target belly fat first.” The book includes guidelines for eating, recipes using 12 Abs Diet Power Foods, and a home workout that helps burn fat. I especially like the pictures and directions for exercising with weights.

I’ll share in the next post what I learned from the trainer and what I thought of my 1st session. Have a great day!

I read a fun age-related article this morning on the web. It’s titled, Clean Living Key to Long Life? Don’t Believe It!

The article points out that genes are far more influential to longevity than clean living. I can relate to this one. In a previous post, I wrote about my friend, Mary, who just celebrated her 95th birthday. I’ve drilled Mary about what she’s done to live so long. I didn’t hear anything that sounded that healthy to me. She smoked, dipped snuff and ate a typical southern diet of fried vegetables and meats. She’s had multiple surgeries, including cancer of the stomach surgery. She’s recovered from them all.

What I do see in her is a fierce determination not to give up, an uncanny ability to let go of hurts, a trust in God, and a voracious appetite. She prepares and eats whatever she wants.

She takes one medication to keep blood pressure down. She credits a daily multi-vitamin for keeping her healthy. She gave up cigarrettes when they hit $1.00 a pack and lost her taste for snuff after the stomach-cancer surgery. She said she’s always been active and she still has goals. One is to find out how Ashton Kutcher does in Charlie Sheen’s role on 2-1/2 Men!

I don’t mean to diminish Mary in any way. She’s an incredibly strong woman who’s spent her life in service to others. Clean living describes her life in many ways. She believes that God numbered her days before she was born, and when He’s ready He’ll take her home. I hope He’s not in a hurry. Mary is a delight to know.

Has anyone in your life lived past 90?

Have a great day!

Mary often says, “I’m as happy as a clam!”

©2011 BLN
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Baby boomers have the power to positively impact health-care reform in America. Not only do we have the power, we have the responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle and stay strong  for as long as possible. Click here to read my full article on this subject.

©2011 BLN

A few months ago I thought I might be getting MS or something worse. My balance was off. I tripped more than I should have.  I  felt physically older than I thought I should. My shoulder and arms hurt. My legs and feet hurt enough to keep me awake at night. I decided to see a neurologist.

The neurologist ran all kinds of tests. Like so many tests run before, everything came back “normal.” I didn’t get it. Something was wrong. He said it might be age-related, or I might have fibromyalgia. He gave me resistance bands, said a few words about the benefit of exercise, and sent me on my way.

Next step, a chiropractor. He did x-rays, and said “you’ve been around the block! Your neck is a mess.” He did some treatments, including acupuncture. I felt better for awhile, but symptoms eventually returned. He, too, mentioned the benefit of exercise.

In addition, my husband and I worried about rising blood sugar levels. He found an excellent book by Dr. Ray D. Strand, titled, Healthy for Life. In the book, Dr. Strand explains how to protect health and lower blood-sugar levels with diet and, you guessed it, exercise.

I started thinking.  The neurologist gave me resistance bands. The chiropractor said there’s no treatment better than exercise. Dr. Strand said the same thing. It finally sunk in. If Mike and I want good health and  a vibrant old age, we’d better get moving!

“We See Big Improvements!”

We joined the YMCA three months ago. We lift weights and do cardio workouts. The benefits of exercise are already apparent. I’m no longer having balance problems, my shoulder is way better, my legs and feet no longer hurt at night, and we both have better blood sugar levels. We’ve each lost almost 10 lbs, look better everyday, and enjoy increased libido. Wa-la! What’s not to love about exercise?

I realize now that I was losing muscle tone and strength at an alarming rate. I hate to think where I’d be in 5 or 10 years without exercise. Last night, I asked my husband if he thought we’d still be exercising in a year. He said, “It’s a lifestyle change. We don’t have a choice anymore.”

We go to the gym a minimum of 3 evenings a week. It’s not like we’re always gung-ho, but we don’t let negative feelings stop us. Exercising never disappoints. Its benefits leave us feeling strong and victorious. On our way home, the hubs gives me a high 5 and says, “We did it! I’m proud of us!”

The benefits of exercise make the work of exercising so worth it. I can hardly wait to get back to the gym and  suffer through more arm curls and leg extensions. Aren’t they the worst– and the best?

©2011 BLN

At 59-years-old, I think about how many years I may have left and what my quality of life will be as I age. I’ve experienced enough of life, through my parents and relatives, to be guarded about my “golden years.” I had an uncle who lay helpless in a nursing home for 10 years. Who would want that? My aunt spent her last years there, too.  When she died, I cried, but more out of joy for her than anything else. She was a strong Christian woman who could count on a joyful eternity.

My father wouldn’t consider assisted living, even though he fell and couldn’t get up, he could barely walk using a walker, and he had multiple medical problems. Eventually, he gave up his home and his car and made the move. He made good friends there, and considered it his home by the time he died. Nonetheless, he often talked about how hard it was to be old. He said more than once, “I wish God would turn out the lights.”

Old age is rough, no matter the person. I’d begun to think it would be better to die younger, say in my 70′s, before life becomes intolerable. Then I met Mary. She just celebrated a 95th birthday, and still enjoys her life.

Mary lives alone in the house she and her lifelong husband built. Her daughter and granddaughter live nearby and look after her. She wakes up when she’s ready, lives in her nightgown, a soft terrycloth robe, and bootie slippers. She makes her own breakfast. She likes a couple of strips of bacon and an egg, or a packet of oatmeal. She has a favorite chair she sits in and she spends the day doing word puzzles, reading the paper, or watching TV. She keeps snacks by the chair: nuts, crackers, and candy. She told me that she loves to eat and that she can eat anything. Amazing for a 5’2″ woman who weighs 88 pounds. I told her she’s better off than I am, because I have many food allergies, including corn. She said, “Oh, honey, look at all the foods you’re missing out on. What’s life worth without a good piece of summer’s sweet corn?”

Mary is sharp as a tack. She said she’s been through all kinds of serious surgeries and she always pops back.

Last time I saw her she whispered, “You know, I may have cancer.” I whispered, “Why do you think that?” She explained that she’d had a stomach surgery for cancer, but doctors said they got it all. Then, she heard a doctor whisper “cancer” to her daughter. The daughter asked, “how long?” Mary heard him say, “6 months.” I asked Mary how long ago that was. She said, “last July.” I asked her if she was having any pain. “I don’t have any pain,” she said smiling. “I think I beat the odds!”

For her birthday, Mary asked her family for a barbecue sandwich, a piece of Kentucky Fried Chicken, and big bars of chocolate. She said at her age she doesn’t need anything else.

I told Mary I wouldn’t be surprised if she makes it to her 100th birthday. She said it wouldn’t surprise her, either. She also said it’s ok if she dies sooner, because she’s a Christian and knows where she’s going.

Mary has 2 goals. She said she’s going to walk around the house more, and she wants to go to the grocery store, at least one more time, to pick her groceries.

Mary’s an inspiration. I can’t believe she was already 36-years-old when I was born.  She helps me see that old age is challenging, but even at 95, life can still be worth living.

Thank you, Mary.
Happy 95th!

©2011 BLN

The other day my husband and I had a heated argument. We weren’t finding any resolution, probably because we’ve had the same argument, in different forms, for 39 years! No matter how hard we try, no matter how much we age, we can not change one another. We are who we are, warts and all!

I decided to drive by myself, to a tiny-run-down town, to shoot some pictures. Its aging storefronts, with shattered windows and dislocated roofs, symbolized how I felt that day. Shooting storefront pictures was not only fun, but also zapped my stress. By the time I got home, Mike felt better, too. He asked me to please go to dinner with him. He didn’t have to ask twice and not just because I was hungry.

Isn’t it funny how we marry someone and have a “picture perfect” image in our minds about who they are and how they’ll act? The truth is, everybody’s flawed. We all bring “baggage” to marriage. It’s like buying a surprise box at an auction; you don’t know what you’ve bought until you get home and open it up. Life’s baggage contains fun stuff and not so fun stuff. Sorting through it is a marriage-long process. I find it almost humorous the challenges that come with “becoming one” through marriage. It’s well worth it, but sometimes it’s tough.

I figured out that we both feel the same way when we argue. He thinks I have nothing but bad opinions about him and I think he thinks the worst of me. It isn’t true. What is true is the need to stay focused on one issue and resolve it, so it doesn’t have to keep popping up again and again.

As always, we’ve forgiven one another. I hope next time this same argument pops up, we’ll do better. If not, I’ll ask him if he’ll please drive with me, to a tiny-run-down town, to shoot some pictures.

“Do not let the sun go down when you are angry.” Ephesians 4:26

©2011 BLN

I’m sitting here with no place to go. Our area had almost a foot of snow, which is unusual. It closed down the city. My husband loves the free days off. I’m enjoying his free time, as well, but this snow doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon. We live over a mountain, so the hubs may be home bound a couple more days. I predict a bout of cabin fever!

It makes me wonder what retirement will be like. 24/7 is a lot of quality time. What’s the old saying? “Absence makes the heart grow fonder.” I find the older I get, the more territorial I get. I need my space and my routine. So does he. We’ve always liked the days we’re both home “puttering” separately, but could get a hug or share a sandwich at our leisure. That’s the delight of a long friendship/marriage.

What a month December was. Our Christmas felt like “It’s a Wonderful Life.” We always ring in Christmas a week before with my husband’s birthday. This year he celebrated his 60th with a 60′s Rock Star Party. We all dressed up like 60′s rock stars (or at least we tried!) and sang many great oldies from our youth. Who doesn’t love 60′s music? Mike loved both the music and the party, and so did we.

Our daughters, sons-in-law, and granddaughters were home for Christmas. We celebrated Christmas Eve outside with our church family. We sang hymns in the frosty weather, listened to the Christmas story, and watched an awesome fireworks display. When we looked out the window Christmas morning, everything had turned white, due to an unexpected snow. Big, beautiful snowflakes fell softly all Christmas day. It felt magical, like we were part of an amazing snow globe.

The happy events were just what we needed following December’s rantings and ravings from Congress and the many negative news reports from around the world. Life shouldn’t be this chaotic and cruel. Christmas reminded us that there’s still beauty in the world, and lots of good, decent people who love God and our country. We are blessed, in America, no matter the circumstances.

“Do not be afraid!  Stand firm; you will see deliverance. The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”

I trust the Lord. How about you?

©2011 BLN

Today I had the pleasure of delivering Community Food Garden vegetables to elderly people living on limited income. I’ve been doing this once a week for awhile now, and I never grow tired of it. I meet the nicest and most interesting people. Many of them are close to 90-years-old and still living independently. Isn’t that amazing? These people are thrilled to get fresh veggies delivered to their homes. I’m thrilled to have the privilege of delivering to them. They especially love tomatoes, okra, and greens of any kind.

Visiting the elderly teaches me a lot. In some ways it makes me nervous about aging. Every one of them have health problems, deal with pain on a daily basis, and suffer from the loss of beloved people in their lives. Those things are nothing to look forward to. Some of the people respond to age-related traumas by becoming hopeless and depressed. I can’t help feeling sorry for them.

On the other hand, I visit homes of people who are suffering but still have sparkle in their eyes. These people are often reading their Bible when I arrive and they tell me how much they love and rely on Jesus.”Katherine” is a good example of a hopeful person.

While in the hospital, Katherine suffered an overdose of a painkiller called fentanyl. She went into a coma and almost died. She’s left with crippling side-effects: her vision and hearing are impaired, as is her balance. She’s angry about what happened to her because of medical error, but refuses to let it define her life. She told me Jesus is always with her and helps her make it through every day. She’s still able to enjoy her life.

You’d be surprised how many elderly people live alone behind the many doors we drive by each day. They often have limited incomes, limited mobility, and some do not have bare necessities. If you have a chance, look into volunteering an hour or 2 to help the elderly in your community. You’ll find they give you as much as you give them.

“The oldest trees often bear the sweetest fruit.” German Proverb

Have a wonderful weekend!

©2010 BLN

My husband and I decided to turn our old house into an investment property instead of selling right now. The housing market in our area isn’t depressed, but it’s slow. Real estate professionals advise us to hold off selling for a year or two. We figure we’ll need the equity more down the line. The rental income is helpful, too, in increasing retirement income. Our 1st couple is moving in this weekend! We are very happy to have them and sure hope it works out well for all of us. It’ll be great to put all our attention on our new house for awhile. It’s like a bare canvas! There’s so much we want to do to make it even prettier than it is now.

My downfall is window treatments. We have the standard faux-wood blinds, but want to dress up the windows. I have looked, a bit, but haven’t taken the jump to buy anything. So many styles and colors, and so many price points to choose from! Anybody have any advice?

I have 2 double windows across the back of the house with a door in the middle. One window is in the kitchen eating area and one in the living room. They give us a beautiful panoramic view of the pasture and trees behind us. We don’t want to obstruct that view.

I guess I’ll have to watch more Nate Berkus. Anybody want to recommend any other home decor shows?

The chair by the door came from a “rastro,” or flea market in Madrid, Spain. My father was an Air Force officer. Our family had the privilege of going with him on European tours. We lived in Spain in the early to mid-sixties. Living there was a highlight of my life. We enjoyed great adventures while there: witnessing a bullfight, walking through ancient castles, vacationing at the coast, going on a pilgrimage through the north of Spain to Santiago. It was a great life that we’ve never forgotten. I inherited, from my parents, several pieces from Spain. I love them because they’re unique and they make me feel connected to my parents and to my childhood home.

That’s all for today. Seems like every day is overfilled with things to do. It’s bright, breezy, and gorgeous outside. Hope you’re enjoying fall as much as I am!

“Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave, and grow old wanting to get back to.” John Ed Pearce

©2010 BLN

Last night I had dinner with 4 lovely ladies from my church. After dinner we went to function at church for women in their 40′s and 50′s. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we had a speaker from our hospital’s Breast Cancer Center tell us about the importance of self-checks and yearly mammograms. This is a topic I’m ambivalent about. It seems like cancer, in general, has become big business in America. I see pink everywhere I go–pink blenders, pink measuring spoons and cups, pink shirts and hats– pink, pink, pink. It all adds up to big bucks. I want to know where all that money’s going to.

On the other hand, I have great empathy for anyone who faces this terrible disease. My younger sister just finished treatment for stage 2 breast cancer. She had a mastectomy and re-construction and is now cancer free. I thank God for that. Her cancer was not thought to be inherited.

I recently had my yearly pap. Last year, I convinced my doctor that I’d have mammograms every other year rather than every year. She said okay; it was my choice. This year she was a little more direct. She said she gets hers yearly and she takes her 82-year-old mother for a yearly mammogram. I asked her about the radiation and its effect on the breasts. It seems to me that continually radiating the breasts could actually cause breast cancer. She said the risk was minimal and suggested I ask the technician when I went for this year’s mammogram. She said the truth is, “you’re damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.” I agree.

I asked the nurse speaking at my church about radiation risk. She said the radiation of a mammogram is equivalent to standing outside naked in the sun for a day. That didn’t sound like much risk, except the sunburn could be mighty severe. What kind of day is she talking about? Cloudy, full sun? How long? I didn’t think to press for details.

I don’t feel any reassurance, but I’ve decided to make the call tomorrow and schedule the mammogram. I hate doing it. I’m not convinced that it’s not harmful, and I’m scared to death of having my life turned upside down. I have those beautiful grandchildren, though, and wonderful daughters, and a husband I adore. I want to spend more time with them. I just hope I’m making a decision in my best interest rather than in the best interest of greedy health care moguls.

What’s your opinion?

©2010 BLN
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