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

I’m back at home with DSL service–finally! Starbucks was fun, but inconvenient, too. It’s great to write from my own desk and make coffee in my own kitchen. I’m so glad to be free of hours long phone calls with AT&T “customer service” rep’s. Going through that much drama, just to transfer service from one house to another, is enough to make any sane person cave in to crazy!

I want to review some of the topics I wrote about in previous posts and get this blog up and running again. I apologize for my inconsistencies and my slow posts.

~We moved to a home with no stairs, ease of entry, and no trees! Now don’t get me wrong. We love trees, but needed to lessen the workload that comes with a yard full of trees. We now enjoy a great view, fresh backberries along the fence line, and other people’s trees and horses. Nirvana!

~I am writing the blog as a WP50 (well-past 50) woman, who often feels misunderstood in this youth oriented society. As I mentioned before, it’s odd to feel “eternally 30,” while facing aging related challenges. This blog is my place to record my experiences, interests, and perceptions as I advance through my senior years.

~Health is a big concern for an aging population. The goal is to remain strong and healthy for as long as possible.

~My health challenges: I have Celiac disease, an inherited autoimmune disorder. I am unable to digest the storage protein (commonly called “gluten”) in wheat, barley, and rye. I am also allergic to dairy products and corn. That means I can’t eat the majority of foods in the supermarket! I consume almost all fresh food and very little sugar. I still need to lose weight, keep cholesterol and blood sugar levels down, and maintain a healthy blood pressure. Diet and exercise are the ticket.

~I do not trust pharmaceutical companies. My goal is to stay off medicines as long as possible. So far, I do not take any medicine. I hope to keep it that way. I have been reading The Truth About Beauty, by Kat James. I have incorporated many of her suggestions, including replacing toxic health and beauty products with natural, health promoting ones, eating organic as much as possible, and avoiding blood-sugar spikes. The book is about health; true beauty comes from good health. I’m noticing that others are now agreeing with Kat: Oprah’s trainer, Bob Greene, has a new book out with similar recommendations. Nutri-Systems has joined the low-glycemic band wagon, as well. I will write about my quest for “true beauty” and health, on a regular basis.

~I use Sparkpeople.com to help me stay on track with my diet. I am able to record what I eat and receive feedback on nutrient levels and carbohydrate, fat, and protein ratios. Sparkpeople has a library of superb articles on health and fitness. They also have great recipes. Check them out! It’s free.

~ I love to reminisce about the past or to write articles about interesting family members or friends. For example, my husband’s Grandmother, Minnie, collected salt and pepper shakers. In childhood, Mike spent hours admiring her colorful shakers.

He and I decided to start a collection for OUR grandchildren. Looking for unique shakers brings us a lot of joy. We try to buy ones that are especially humorous or that have special meaning. We have alligators from a trip to Georgia, a pair of aging beachcombers from Florida, Minnie and Mickey, in honor of our 1st granddaughter, Kristen (she loves them!), and many more. One of my sisters sent an adorable set of barrel cacti from Arizona. In Texas, we found a horny toad wearing boots with spurs, a bandanna, and a hat. An antique grandma, sitting in a rocking chair, symbolizes the reason for the collection.

My great grandmother, Mabel, and her sisters played with the tea set on the lowest shelf.

Did you know that the world’s largest salt and pepper museum is in Gatlinburg,Tennessee?

I’m thinking that I’ll dub Friday “Fun Friday,” and reminisce about people, places, or times that I’ve known.

Wow! I’m whopped. I’ve got to get the writing muscles back in shape. It’s a pleasure to be back. Do you have interesting tales from your childhood? Silly question, huh? Who doesn’t? Feel free to comment! Have a great afternoon!

©2010 BLN
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I love new beginnings, whether the beginning of a year, a month, a week, or even a day. Today is Tuesday, June 1st, and it’s the date to re-start this blog. My life has been a whirlwind for the past few months. The chaos isn’t going away anytime soon. In 2 weeks, we are closing on our new home. It’s both an exciting and a challenging time.

Mike and I have more to do than we have time. I think we’re both a little burned out from all the work or we’re feeling the effects of aging! We sure aren’t as fast as we once were. We decided to move out of our current house before we put it on the market. Living in the house, packing our belongings, and showing the house, all at the same time, is a stretch for us old folks! (We actually don’t feel old at all until the aches and pains set in or we look in the mirror!)

I began this post a month and a half ago! Great things have happened since then. We finally emptied our old house and moved into the new one. We’re experiencing a few complications: Our new refrigerator is on back-order at Lowe’s; we’re eating from an ice chest; we’re watching an old TV with rabbit ears, while waiting for Direct TV to get us hooked up, and AT&T is taking forever to transfer our DSL service.

According to AT&T customer service, our number is “lost in the system.” They say, until it surfaces, there’s nothing they can do about it. I’ve talked to at least 15 AT&T customer service rep’s and am no better off than when I started. This morning they told me to watch my modem and to call them when a green DSL light comes on. I thought modern technology was supposed to make things happen faster! AT&T seems to be be stuck in the stone ages…

Starbucks is my salvation. At least I can use their WiFi until AT&T gets it together. It’s actually very relaxing here at Starbucks. I love the music and the interesting people that hang out here.

I have all kinds of things I want to write about on this blog: health concerns that come with advancing age (I’ve actually dropped a few pounds since I was last on), spiritual growth, marriage and family (I have a new granddaughter arriving in August), books I’m reading, great food and recipes, and anything else that I think is interesting. I hope you’ll join me.

I’ve been in Starbucks far too long! Good-bye for today. Stay cool, and have a great evening.

©2010 BLN
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My husband and I are in the process of moving out of the house we’ve lived in for the past 17 years. We’ve been sifting through our possessions and are passing the last of our daughters’ childhood treasures back to them.

Yesterday, I opened a trunk and found 5 or 6 of their Cabbage Patch kids. They looked pretty dirty, so I told one of my sons-in-law, who was graciously helping us, to throw them away. He told me he couldn’t to do it, because his wife would never forgive him! Apparently, she tells him “all the time” how much she loved her Cabbage Patch kids!

I tossed the dolls into washing machine, added soap, clicked the “on” switch, and let them take their chances. They looked hilarious bobbing up and down in the water, as if having a play date at a community pool. Amazingly, they came out whole, clean and dried quickly.

In the same bag was a pink “Poochie.” My youngest daughter received Poochie after receiving a shot of antibiotics. I always told my kids that it was ok to cry when they got a shot, but if they didn’t throw a fit they’d get a surprise. I swear, I think they sometimes hoped for a shot and the shopping trip afterwards. Poochie washed up beautifully, and brought a big smile to my girl’s adult face. Some things just shouldn’t be thrown away!

They appear delighted to have escaped not only the trunk, but also the dump! The cutest of the bunch, of course, is my adorable granddaughter!

~~

Moving from this house is a big milestone. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of life as we knew it. On the other hand, we can’t wait to move to the new house. It will be so much less work. Our current house is 2-story on an acre with some 40 trees. We have 2 pecan trees, apple trees, cherry trees, dogwoods lining the property, and a huge oak tree that shades the house. That’s all great, but the work is unbelievable. Trees have to be trimmed, fruit picked, and leaves raked every fall–a beautiful time, but cleaning up the leaves is a mountain of work.

Our yard is bordered by a pasture with horses, donkeys, and sometimes even a fainting goat or 2! These animals constantly entertain us. Our new rancher is being built at the other end of the same pasture. We’ll still have the animals to enjoy and our new property won’t have trees in the yard! Trees will be all around us, but on other peoples’ property! Get my drift? We’re learning to appreciate surrogates–whether animals or trees! Since we won’t have as much work to do, we’ll sit outside with our feet up, sip cool drinks, and enjoy our neighbors’ responsibilities! I’ve lived long enough to know life isn’t usually that simple, but it’s sure fun to dream!

Today’s my day to clean out the bathroom cabinets and get them ready to paint. Oh, joy! Anybody have any suggestions for staging a house?

” It’s important to have a twinkle in your wrinkle.” ~Author unknown

© 2010 BLN
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