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!

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I am so excited! It’s not because my new house now has bricks and wallboard and windows. That thrills me, but it’s not number one. It’s not because we have most everything finished to put this house on the market, either. It’s not even because I am about to have MORE time to do the things that I really want to do, like write this blog. What excites me tonight is the discovery of several positive comments, from people like you, who have read my blog! These comments were automatically sent to a spam folder that I didn’t know to check. So, if you’ve left me a comment and received no response back, I apologize! Thank you for taking the time to comment.
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I’ve got to share something that I witnessed yesterday. I can’t get it out of my mind. I know all about the food chain and how all things are created for a reason, but sometimes I feel too sensitive for the realities of this world.

The other day,when Mike mowed the lawn, he saw a rabbit hole lined in white fur and filled with babies! He said they were cute little gray bunnies, and they looked pretty big–about the size of the one in this picture.

Yesterday morning, Mike noticed the mama rabbit guarding the hole. He told me to come watch. Apparently, it was time for the youngsters to leave the nest. You know how real estate agents always stress location, location, location? Well, this mama rabbit missed the mark. She made the nest in the middle of our yard, between 2 apple trees. When her babies came out of the hole, they were totally exposed.

In the trees around her lurked 2 huge crows. They cawed back and forth in a frenzy–a feeding frenzy. One of them kept flying toward the babies; the mama rabbit repeatedly chased it away. She made a valiant effort, but the crows out-smarted her. We heard more loud cawing, and then one crow flew in to distract the mama, while the other crow nabbed a bunny and flew over the fence. Mama rabbit chased after them, to no avail. The crows were off to breakfast on her baby.

I’m really not a softy for rabbits. They can be pests, but I couldn’t help but sympathize with this mama rabbit. She tried so hard to protect her little one! Watching her lose the fight was a sad scene that I won’t soon forget. It reminds me too much of how the strong exploit the weak, whether animals or human beings. I long for a kinder, gentler world.

My Updates~

My daughter and granddaughter, Kristen, are coming this weekend for a visit. We can’t wait to see them. Here’s a picture of Kristen whispering a secret to her younger cousin.

This morning, on the Martha Stewart Show, a guest made an adorable rainbow layer cake. Kristen loves rainbows, so I want to make the cake for her. I went to Michael’s after the show and bought the Wilton food coloring needed to tint the batter vibrant colors. I can’t wait to try it.

I’m still reading The Truth About Beauty, by Kat James. I’ve bought some great new health-promoting products.

It’s time to call it a day, to snuggle in, and to catch some z’s. Buenas noches!

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I can’t believe what suckers most of us are! I’ll speak for myself here, but I know I’m not alone. Let’s say I’m watching TV or reading a magazine, see an attractive ad for some skin-care product, and just have to have it. By the next day, I’ll have made a trip to the drugstore and paid $10-$20 to try it out. I’d rarely check what’s in the products. I’m a great ingredient checker for foods, but oh, so trusting when it comes to skin-care products. I usually picked products based on advertising, name brand, smell, texture, and the promises on the bottle. I naively thought “Recommended by Dermatologists” meant they were effective AND safe.

I’d heard about parabens and other toxins found in skin-care products, but hadn’t paid much attention. When I began reading Kat James book, The Truth About Beauty, a light bulb went off in my head. You don’t have to eat something to internalize it. What we put on the outside of our bodies soaks in and either does good or does harm, depending on the product.

Parabens may cause rashes, cancer, disrupt hormone levels, remain in tissues, and increase UVB-mediated DNA damage. Kat James warns that parabens and other toxins reek havoc on many aspects of health, like WEIGHT CONTROL. That hit home. I headed for the bathroom cabinets to read bottles.

I couldn’t believe the number of paraben-containing name-brand products I found. Take a look. As I was going through the many bottles. I realized how

foolish I’d been. How many skin care products does a girl need? I rarely used most of what I had, though it took up an entire shelf in the linen closet. Suddenly, I felt disadvantaged to have them and naive to have wasted money on them. Throwing them out made me feel wasteful, too. I thought about giving some of them away, but if I don’t think they’re good enough for me, why would I give them to someone else? l want to replace them with a few basic products that are toxin- free. The fewer bottles I have, the better I’ll feel! That’s my idea of privileged.

So, in the next few weeks I’ll be looking for health-promoting skin-care products. Anybody have any recommendations?

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Tonight I have a date with my husband to see Crazy Hearts. I’m so happy Jeff Bridges won Best Actor for his part in this movie. I hope we like it as much as I think we will! The rest of the weekend, it’s back to the old grind of working on the house. I can’t wait for it to sell and for us to get settled in our new home.

Here’s a link to a great song about feeling like a kid even when getting older. Cute! Do you remember your 1st letter from AARP? I do. I received it when I was 48. I was highly insulted! I\'m a 50 Year Old Kid, by John Fern

Enjoy!
Have a great weekend!

Note: I have not been compensated or asked to endorse any of the products or services mentioned in this post.

©2010 BLN
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In yesterday’s post, I said I wouldn’t be interested in taking a pill that would end aging and aging related diseases. I didn’t say that I wouldn’t do all that I can to stay as vibrant and beautiful as possible in my golden years! I am currently working at dropping some weight and adding more strength training and cardio exercises to my daily round.

I use an incredible site called Sparkpeople.com to keep track of calories, nutrient intake, and fitness. I highly recommend this site! There’s helpful information, such as exercise demo’s, recipes, educational and motivational articles, and a ton (no pun intended!) of people ready and willing to be a friend.

Counting calories isn’t too hard for me. I am allotted plenty of calories to satisfy my hunger. Due to an autoimmune disease called Celiac disease, I can’t eat anything containing the gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye. That eliminates most processed food. I’m also lactose intolerant, so dairy is out,too! That leaves lots of calories for delicious whole foods.

Consistently exercising is difficult for me. I’m better at putting it off than doing it! Sparkpeople helps keep me motivated. They suggest a group of 6 strength training exercises that take only 11 minutes to do! I like to do them first thing in the morning after getting out of bed. That way, I don’t have to think about them all day long.

I actually enjoy walking. I reserve my iPod music for when I walk and play all my favorite songs. One time I walked an extra lap around the neighborhood just because of the music.

(Off the subject, but anyone else love American Idol? What a talented group is competing this year! Who are you rooting for?)

It’s not easy dropping weight at this age. Actually, my daughters find it difficult, as well. I’ve been wondering what other factors lead to weight gain. I’m reading a very interesting book, by Kat James, called The Truth About Beauty. I’m just a chapter

or 2 into the book, but have already learned so much. James explains that the many toxins, that daily assault our bodies, keep us from being healthy and fit. She teaches a systematic way of replacing toxic substances with healthful ones. Today I am cleaning out the toiletries I use that are toxic. I plan to replace them with a few excellent natural products. I’ll write more about this as I go through the book.

How have you solved health or weight problems?

That’s all for now! Have a great day!

“Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.”
~Eleanor Roosevelt

Note: I have not been compensated or asked to endorse any of the products or services mentioned in this post.

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