Only Half the Story

My daughter recently sent us this picture she took...

Yikes!

The story behind this picture is that these two people were patiently waiting for their daughter to decide which plants to buy.

Standing is tiring - so they looked for  somewhere to sit. Finding no bench nearby, they sat on the only seats they could find.

(Then the picture was taken!)

Lesson learned: Even pictures don't tell the whole story!... 

(Though, had the store been empty, Terry might have enjoyed taking the vehicle for a spin.)

Healthy Aging: 8 Habits

I recently came across this CNBC article on healthy aging...

I was curious to see if I practiced any of this elderly physician's 8 "non-negotiables."

1. He takes an early morning walk at 5 am, aiming for 7,000 steps. 

I walk in the mall in the morning, but not that early. I'm happy if I exceed 5,000 steps by the time I'm done. I'll do more later in the course of the day.

2. He does intentional exercises and stretches, different ones every day, depending on what he feels he needs.

I do hand stretches to avoid pain from crochet and knitting but I could and should do more exercises to improve my balance.

3. The 95-year-old retired cardiologist then takes out his laptop to connect with family members via social media. 

I do some of that, but less that I used to, probably because my children and grandchildren now live nearby.

4. He writes his thoughts, feelings and experiences in his daily blog.

Yup! I do that, too!

5. He takes time for art, drawing a self portrait every day.

Hmmm! I never thought of doing that...

6. He is open to learning new hobbies - like music and gardening.

I recently started doing word puzzles like Quordle.

7. He takes multiple naps.

I often take one, mid-afternoon.

8. He eats indulgent meals - meat, cheese, wine , as well as vegetables.

I try to limit indulgent meals to special occasions. 

Setting the Bar High!

I recently read about a woman who is turning 101 today - and she still works 4 days a week in a sewing and crafting store! This is a picture of her when she turned 100 last year!

She does not look 100!

She credits her long, happy life with staying active, having a schedule (by going to work) and enjoying the people she works with.

There's a lot of wisdom in her words! 

For women my age, she is an inspiration. She has set the bar very high...

(Maybe I need to get a job!)

Slow Down!

A few days ago, I woke up at 3 am. Unable to sleep, I got up to read for a while. Then I went back to bed.

When I woke up again at 8 am, sunlight was streaming in through the windows. How wonderful! A sunny day!

But when I tried to lift myself up to get out of bed, I could barely move. My neck was stiff and hurt every time I turned my head!

What to do?! First I looked online for some exercises to ease the pain. It was there that I found these two lists of injuries - childhood and adult.

There it was, on the top of the list of adult injuries: Slept wrong!

Day one: I attempted to live my normal life. Did my normal hour-long walk at the mall - at a slightly slower pace - but tried to keep moving. I read somewhere that it's better to keep the body moving than to sit still.

The next day, the pain was worse. I decided to do the exact opposite: just move a little, wrapped up in my warmest indoor clothing. From time to time, I'd do a few neck stretches - slowly turn my head left or right and try to look at my armpit.

Day three: a slight improvement. Maybe rest is a better way to heal. Maybe naps - with a hot water bottle warming my sore spots - is what I need.

Day four: Happily back to normal again.

Keeping Sharp

One of the books on my “to read” list is the book “Keep Sharp” by neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta. I recently listened to him give a talk about the book - and realized that there are a lot of things I can do to help myself stay mentally strong, even as I age.

Exercising - taking a walk to solve a problem is one… Years ago, I used to suggest an after-supper stroll with one or another of my kids, when I was curious to hear what was really going on in their lives… when the question, “what happened in school today?” invariably produced the response: “Nothing…”

Singing is another. Dr. Gupta mentions that singing uses three areas of the brain… (No need to join a choir! Just singing along to favorite songs on the radio or on YouTube - when I’m alone - would be a fun way to do it!)

(Not mentioned in the book so far - but I suspect dancing is another. I remember a TED talk by someone with MS who found that dance lessons kept his symptoms at bay. I wonder if Dr. Gupta mentions that…)

Doing NEW things - moving beyond one’s comfort level is another. Dr. Gupta mentioned that he began to cook while at home during pandemic. That took him into uncharted territory!

Lots of food for thought!

How Old?!!

Just when I’m starting to feel old...

I find someone to inspire me!!

I really needed to see this amazing woman and her tenacity to keep going ... and even get faster! I really need a role model like her these days!

Do I Need a Hearing Aid?!

A few weeks ago, I had a hearing test - not because I felt I was hard of hearing, but because Terry had had one. He had been told (much to my surprise!) that his hearing was perfect... Mine must be perfect, too!

You have mild to moderate hearing loss in both ears, the audio technician told me. It's good to get a hearing aid before the loss is too great. Otherwise, the brain adjusts to the loss and it's harder to correct.

You could try a hearing aid for two weeks and see if you feel it makes a difference...

I was very surprised - and a little disappointed... I really can't believe that his hearing is better than mine - even though, sometimes at night, he does hear sounds that I don't hear.

So I'm going to try it for this two-week trial period and see if it does make a difference.

But I still can't believe that his hearing is better than mine!!

Volunteering in Retirement

Before I retired, I thought I might like to volunteer at the library second hand book store. That way I could keep an eye on their used book selection...

But when I inquired, I was told that a six-month commitment was needed... 

But I like to travel and go away from time to time. I can't plan ahead for six months... 

So I didn't sign up...

Terry, a retired social worker, loves to volunteer... He attends local community meetings where he's been able to find occasional volunteer opportunities - like this Christmas breakfast put on by our community association at a local school.

After serving the staff and students, the volunteers had breakfast, too.

I'm glad he's found volunteering opportunities that meet his interests, no long-term commitment required.

Retirement is Better... in Big Cities?!!

I recently read that the best place for retirees to live is... the big city?!

Why?! 

Medical care is more easily accessible. 

Public transportation is better - if you are no longer able to drive.

I'm not totally surprised by all this. I saw how helpful it was to have doctors and hospitals nearby when my mother lived in Ottawa near us.

But public transportation was another matter: She rarely took the bus, depending on us to take her places.

She lived in an apartment across the street from a shopping center where she could walk - and meet up with friends.

I may be in a similar situation, if the time comes that I'm not able to drive. The nearest bus stop is several blocks away... So, like a friend who couldn't drive after hip-replacement surgery, I would probably start taking Uber or Lyft...

(Unless driver-less cars have taken over and a computer in the car can take me where I want to go!)

Feeling Tired!

Sometimes I don't sleep well... An overactive mind? Too much coffee during the day?!

One night recently I lie awake for hours - then didn't get up until 7:30... (For me that's sleeping in!)

The sun was up - and in a nearby sports field - I could see teenage girls having an early morning soccer practice.

Watching them run around effortlessly so early in the morning made me even more tired!

I probably had that kind of energy once! (Though the memory of it is long gone!)

But I do remember arriving at work at 7:30 am - not necessarily energetic, but ready to start my 8-hour day!

(Glad I don't have to do it now!)

Learning about Longevity...

I have been reading books on living a healthy life ever since I developed type 2 diabetes. Since that time, my personal library of health-related books has grown...

One author whose advice I value is Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian doctor who is a strong proponent of intermittent fasting for those of us struggling with high blood sugar issues. I already own three of his books.

Intermittent fasting involves eating all meals and snacks within a 6-8 hour period, with no food intake after that time. (Fortunately, drinking - coffee, tea and water - don't count as "eating.")

Recently a book co-authored by Dr. Fung caught my eye. Fortunately I found it in the public library. The Longevity Solution, (published in 2019) is an interesting read.

So far I've only skimmed its contents, jumping here and there to read about the importance of salt in diets, the value of eating nuts, and how fasting releases "growth hormone."

(It's hard to do much reading in gardening season!)

I don't know if I'll finish the book before it comes due - and I have no chance of renewing it as several dozen people have placed a hold on it...

(Maybe I simply need to buy my own copy...!!)

Handy Jar Opener

Altering a famous line written by Mark Twain - but later made famous by Ozzy Osborne...

"Of all the things I've ever lost, I miss my STRENGTH the most!"

A while back I mentioned that I was having difficulty opening jars, as my wrists had become weaker over the years.

My neighbor Mary told me about a jar lid gripper that she uses... It is attached under the cupboard above her kitchen counter. Held fast in the wood, it holds the jar while she unscrews the lid.

The Magic Twist jar opener grips the lid firmly, allowing her to use all her strength to turn the jar.

Worth a try! I thought - and immediately went out and bought one... 

But it has been sitting on my desk under a pile of papers for months. It looked too complicated to install.

Time to do it...!

I re-read the instructions and screwed it in! 

From the front of the cupboard, it's not even visible.

It worked on the first jar I tried...

Now I'm looking forward to seeing if there are any lids that the Magic Twist jar opener can't help me open...

Free Parking?

My daughter thinks we should move to southern Ontario, where she lives...

Recently she sent us this picture as proof...

Free parking for seniors! 

Yes... 

But only on Sundays!

Books on Aging

From time to time, I pick up books on aging... I don't usually get too far into them before putting them down.

I recently borrowed this one from the library, Parker J. Palmer's latest book, On the Brink of Everything: Grace Gravity and Getting Old...

I was a little curious about the word "everything."

What does he mean...?

I guess I'd have to read the book to find out.

I read the introduction and the first few pages, before closing the book...

No! That's not what my brain wants to think about - though I sense the author optimistically shares my gratitude of still being around to appreciate each day.

(I'll return the book to the library early - a dozen readers have placed holds on it.)

But I did notice - as I put the book away, that the sky outside shared the book cover's color palate.

Beautiful!

Remembering?!!

A while back, I was looking for some see-through loose-leaf  pages. I knew I had some... but where?!!

I wrote myself a note to remind me to look for them...

Well, a month or two later, I've found them...

The problem is, now I don't remember why I wanted them in the first place?!

As I finish writing this blog post, I think remember: I wanted them to store downloaded knitting patterns in, so I could create a binder instead of having the patterns in files here and there...

Perhaps writing about the problem helped me remember!

A Useful App

I got a new iPhone a few months ago. My old one was having screen issues. Fortunately I was able to get a new one, with a few new features.

I'm not one to explore all the apps found on a phone. I know the ones I use, and I quickly search them out.

So it was a few months before I happened to notice a feature called a magnifier in the settings file.

Would this enlarge the print on the phone? Or could it actually work like a magnifying glass? I wondered...

After googling "iPhone magnifier" to find out how it worked, I gave it a try...

I discovered that it works like a magnifying glass - through the camera on the phone! I can even choose how much magnification is needed.

This is great!

Now I can use it to read fine print on labels... and whenever I'm in a restaurant with dim lighting and can't make out the fine print on the menu... (something that seems to be happening more and more frequently!)

I turned on this feature by going to "settings" - then "general." (Under "accessibility.")

I then switched on both the magnifier and "auto-brightness."

Now, to access it, I simply need to triple click on the home button - and my phone turns into a magnifying glass!

Such a useful feature!

Musings as I Walk to Centrepoint Library

I often walk to the library.

A kilometer away, it's a perfect walking distance!

This time I took a detour past a seniors' condo building that had recently had a fire...

Only the central common area seems to be damaged.

The two attached residence wings appear livable, but I don't know if they are...

A few years ago, a friend in Montreal came home to find firemen in her condo building. One of the units had had a fire. She wasn't able to stay in the building that night - though she was able to go into her apartment to retrieve some personal belongings.

Don't forget your pills, the fireman who accompanied her into the building reminded her.

Oh yes! Her pills! She had forgotten about them!

Her situation reminded me of another, where a friend had to evacuate her home for a few hours because of a suspected gas leak on the street. Repairing the problem took longer than she had anticipated. A few hours later she panicked to realize that she needed to take her medication but had forgotten to bring her pills.

Always keep them in a bag by the door, the police officer told her when she mentioned she needed to return to her house to retrieve them. You should always take them with you whenever you leave the house...

(Good advice perhaps - but not many of us would be willing to follow it...! My purse is heavy enough without adding prescription medication!)

My Toronto Challenge

I didn't climb the CN tower, during my last trip to Toronto - but I did pass a different kind of "test"!

I should preface my account by mentioning that, many years ago, I lived in Montreal and drove the city expressways daily in my little Honda Civic, without giving it a second thought. Later we moved to Toronto for a year, and I thought nothing of driving on Toronto streets either.

But that was 40 years ago... and, since then, both cities have grown... and I've lost my confidence!

You may have to drive when we go to Toronto, Terry informed me, as we planned our last trip.

We were helping our daughter move from Toronto to Guelph - and Terry had volunteered to drive a rented moving van.

I can't... I don't want to, I had replied...

But, in the end, there was no choice... I did have to. I followed him for an hour and a half, down city streets and expressways. And the next day, I drove an hour and a half back into the city again as he returned the rental vehicle.



I'm glad I had to do it! It's important to challenge oneself from time to time! I later told my daughter. Then I added: I kept telling myself: Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain...

Except, I mistakenly said: Do the thing you fear and the fear of death is certain...

(It must have been a Freudian slip!!)

Parents Always Seem So Old!!

As a child, I remember thinking that my father was from a different era. I couldn't even imagine what life must have been like in 1910, the year he was born.

Now I realize that every generation feels the same way...

Only now I'm the old one...

And my children can't imagine what life must have been like when I was born!

Accepting Change...

One of life's hard things is knowing when to stop doing something you've done for years... Like trying to open a jar...

How hard should I try until I stop?! (The problem is: it doesn't hurt at the time. Only later...)

I probably still put too much pressure on my wrist trying to do things I shouldn't do anymore. It's hard to tell myself not to even try - to wait till Terry or one of my sons is here...  Not when I've been doing it for years... But I'm learning that it's what I have to do.

In the meantime, a friend showed me a jar opener she uses. It's intended to lift a lid up a bit - to pop the vacuum and let a little air escape.

It has two "hooks" - for different sized lids.

It dents the lid a bit, which I don't like. (And it probably would crack plastic.)

It only works on about half the jars I've tried it on.

But it's probably what I need to start using from now on.