WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR OCTOBER 2017
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Regarding spiders, snakes, mice, skinks, etc. ... I'm not particularly fussed one way or the other about them. And that's a good thing because there are a lot of interesting creatures here in Australia!!
Spiders can be wherever in the house, except in the bedroom. I don't like them in the bedroom. I discovered a small huntsman (still quite a large spider) on a tissue in my Kleenex box the other day ... and he was escorted outside.
I have also got into the habit of shaking out the dressing gown before I put it on, and checking inside my shoes and boots.
Regarding migratory ants ... we've got them here too. But a weird thing happened last year ... they nested in a Kleenex box and appeared to eat the Kleenex, or at least chew it. I discovered this when I mindlessly pulled out a Kleenex to blow my nose, and was suddenly covered in ants!
Seems like a lot of these creatures like Kleenex boxes!
The summer after the 2009 bushfires in Victoria was a very rainy summer and also a summer of regeneration of everything, including the mouse population. We had 9 of them in the house we lived in ... my husband got rid of 8 ... the 9th died right in the middle of the living room floor! And then they were gone.
But at one point they were running all over the house. We'd be sitting there in the evening and there would be scurrying mice up and down all over the place. I was tempted to rent a cat!
Machka in Oz2 -
Tere in RVA: I am so sorry that you had to be hospitalized for asthma. I'm happy that you're home again and hope that you don't have any more trouble with it. (((HUGS)))
Heather & Barbie: You are absolutely right about the value of regular exercise for health, energy and resilience. The resilience works to our benefit for both physical and emotional challenges, in my opinion. I give a great deal of credit to my "have fun every day" goal. In my world, fun includes walking, yoga, and horse time. Each of those things burns calories and also lifts my mood and relieves anxiety from stress.
We were talking about Acid Reflux and some bad medicines. I found this article from AARP about foods to help control acid reflux. I hope it is of interest and helpful.
And heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux, which occurs when stomach acid flows back up into your esophagus — the tube that connects the throat and stomach. In some cases, acid reflux progresses to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or a more serious form of reflux. Common signs of GERD include frequent heartburn, coughing, wheezing, chest pain and regurgitation — particularly at night.
While over-the-counter and prescription medicines are available, lifestyle changes can sometimes help those with only occasional acid reflux. The Mayo Clinic advises losing excess weight, eating smaller meals, and avoiding alcohol and nicotine. But dietary tweaks also can be key when trying to alleviate symptoms.
Here are five foods to try.
1. Bananas. This low-acid fruit can help those with acid reflux by coating an irritated esophageal lining and thereby helping to combat discomfort. Due to their high-fiber content, bananas also can help strengthen your digestive system — which can help ward off indigestion. One soluble fiber found in bananas is pectin, which helps move stomach contents through your digestive tract. And that’s a good thing — because food that sticks around will only continue to generate acid.
2. Melons. Like bananas, melons also are a highly alkaline fruit. They are a good source of magnesium, which is found in many medicines for acid reflux. Furthermore, melons have a pH of 6.1, making them only mildly acidic. Especially good are cantaloupe and honeydew melon.
3. Oatmeal. Like other high-fiber foods, oatmeal may help stave off acid reflux symptoms. Fiber not only promotes intestinal health, but it also reduces constipation and makes you feel full a long while after eating it. And, of course, when you feel full, you are less likely to overeat and therefore less likely to regurgitate what’s in your stomach into your esophagus. Enjoy your oatmeal with low-fat or almond milk, as both are low in fat and highly alkaline.
4. Yogurt. Like bananas, yogurt has a soothing effect that helps keep stomach discomfort at bay. It also contains probiotics, a type of good bacteria found in the digestive tract that gives a boost to your immune system. Being a good protein source means yogurt also improves your ability to properly digest food. Make yogurt even more impactful by adding in a bit of ginger, which can act as an anti-inflammatory in your system.
5. Green Vegetables. If you like green vegetables and have acid reflux, you’re in luck. Asparagus, spinach, kale and brussels sprouts all are highly alkaline, meaning they’re good for your stomach and digestive system. Being naturally low in fat and sugar, vegetables also help lessen stomach acid.
In the end, make sure to speak with your doctor if you have questions about what kinds of foods should be part of your diet. Some foods may help alleviate symptoms in one person but aggravate them in another. Make sure to work with your doctor to come up with an individualized plan that’s right for you.
Have a great evening.
Katla in beautiful NW Oregon
Tibetan proverb: "The secret to living well and long is: Eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure..."
I would add to eat things that help keep the acid reflux away.8 -
Please no more bug stories!!! Pretty please. I am already paranoid enough!
Becca
That crazy lady that just shivered in
Oregon!1 -
Cute baby animals!
Becca
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Lenora: I live in the Houston area but the ants and taratulas were when I lived in New Mexico. We had a lot of tarantulas and scorpions. I was after my kids all the time to keep their clothes off the floor because the scorpions would hide in them. One morning my daughter, who was 5 at the time, got up and put on her jeans which had been on the floor and got stung three times on her leg. She screamed "tarantula" thinking it was a spider not a scorpion (she didn't see it) and her sister sat up real fast. She was on the top bunk of the bunkbed and hit her head on the ceiling fan which dislodged a gecko.... it was an eventful morning to say the least.
Here in Houston I deal with skinks, lots of geckos, snakes and fire ants. We do have scorpions but I don't see them here very often, too wet I think. Now fire ants are AWFUL. They swarm you and bite like mad and then you suffer and itch like crazy. Very aggressive little buggers.0 -
Lenora: I live in the Houston area but the ants and taratulas were when I lived in New Mexico. We had a lot of tarantulas and scorpions. I was after my kids all the time to keep their clothes off the floor because the scorpions would hide in them. One morning my daughter, who was 5 at the time, got up and put on her jeans which had been on the floor and got stung three times on her leg. She screamed "tarantula" thinking it was a spider not a scorpion (she didn't see it) and her sister sat up real fast. She was on the top bunk of the bunkbed and hit her head on the ceiling fan which dislodged a gecko.... it was an eventful morning to say the least.
Here in Houston I deal with skinks, lots of geckos, snakes and fire ants. We do have scorpions but I don't see them here very often, too wet I think. Now fire ants are AWFUL. They swarm you and bite like mad and then you suffer and itch like crazy. Very aggressive little buggers.
Scorpions is another new one for me. Never saw one in Victoria, but I've found 4 in the house here in Tasmania ... two of which were marching toward my feet when I spotted them. They are small here, but apparently quite painful if you step on them.
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I have a 10" scar that is slightly above bikini because of exploratory surgery. 40 years ago they really did large incisions. I was also self conscious about it.1
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Come to me Becca! Way up in the High North we have no snakes or lizards, no rats or mice, no stinging insects. If there are spiders, they must be pretty small because I've never seen one there. The only critter we really have to watch out for is the polar bear.
/Penny, embarking on the last day of two courses, far from the North Pole9 -
Kate UK
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Morning ladies
Kim please message me and I will give you email and cell..would love to keep in touch.
Slept pretty well and getting DGD on bus today Monday and Tuesday .going to the movie here tonight and working tomorrow until noon.1 -
We don't have much in the way of dangerous critters in the UK. The occasional mosquito and lots of midges in Scotland.
. In our house there are always LOADS of spiders, but generally I just let them get on with their lives. If an absolutely huge one walks across the floor I get DH to tip it out of the window. We have lots of ladybugs nestling in the window cracks and we have flies in the summer because of the horses in the field. The adder is our only poisonous snake, but I have never seen one in the wild. More dangerous are things on the beaches like jellyfish etc.
Every spring the ants, that have hundreds of nests in our garden and patio, decide to investigate the kitchen, but are soon deterred with ant powder.
As for digging up the lawn, we are lucky not to have moles, just ants, but the Green Woodpecker loves to come and look for ants and makes lots of holes all over the grass. There are deer in the field behind and the occasional rabbit, but they don't bother us. Cats are nearly always outdoor cats over here as they have no predators. I didn't even know there was such a thing as an indoor cat until recently! They walk around at their pleasure and are a pest for the lovely birds we feed. We have grey squirrels and I have seen a fox in the garden. No doubt there are badgers nearby. Sometimes a pheasant escapes from the breeding pens on the other side of the village where the hunting goes on. We hear it calling in the mornings and occasionally see it strut across the lawn.
We love watching the many birds around here. My DH has counted 27 varieties in our garden, including buzzards. They are a joy as our living room faces the french windows and we have a great view of them all. The butterflies are declining in number, which is a great sadness for my DH. I had to give up growing brassica because of invasions of cabbage white butterflies, the caterpillars of which can strip everything back to the stem.
Love watching the horses from our windows, both front and back. I have learnt so much about them, just by watching them in the seven years we've lived here. The ones in the field at the back are incredible mothers.
Heather, enjoying the wildlife in the UK XXXXXXXXXX5 -
Good morning all! Happy Friday! Doing the Friday dance, here! Up at 4am to make sure my son got up and out of the house for work. I had a hard time falling asleep last night, so am running on less sleep than usual. I feel good now, but I am positive I will be in bed by 8pm.
Penny- LOL! Love your invite to Becca! Although I find bugs and creepy crawlies fascinating, living in a region that doesn't have them, sounds fantastic. On the other hand, I still go about life outdoors, even though I know bugs are everywhere. I can't say the same, if there were polar bears outside! Kind of hard to ignore one of those!
Sue- Ugh! So sorry about the poison ivy reaction. The steroids will clear it up. I grew up playing in the woods behind my house; my sibs and dad all got poison ivy from being out there, but I never did. Then DH and I moved into this house about 12 years ago and as I was clearing brush in the yard, I got it. It showed up in large blisters on my arms and legs. When I went to the docs office, they wanted to send me to ER because they thought I had burned myself. Three docs came in and it was the third that said, "it's poison ivy." What a relief to get rid of that itch! Hope you feel LOTS better soon!
Meg- Did I forget to say CONGRATS on the new grandbaby? Yea! Congrats!
Machka, Mary- You should turn your scar into art! You are both so active and fit; I say wear what you want! Scars are evidence that you lived an active life!
Marcelyn- Fire ants! Yes! Since my DD has married and moved to TX, she hasn't seen the spiders, scorpions, snakes, etc. But they have fire ants in their yard. She said that they seem to be worse at certain times of the year. She also said that they don't seem to go onto their patio. As some one who has lived there a while; what is your experience with them? Do they stay near their ant hills? Do they invade patios?
Becca- Cute babies!
Heather- So glad you were able to get into London to see your friend with cancer. I am with you, in regards to talking about/making plans for end of life. My DH is just like your DH, though. He can't talk about it. I ended up writing my wishes down on paper. I go in and revise from time to time. My kids also know my wishes. I told him, that unless he let's me know what he wants, I will handle his "end of life" and beyond, the way that I "think" he would have wanted it. (Which may not be the way he wants it, at all).
DJ - Ugh! It is so hard to say "no" to these favors that people ask us to do. But you did it and you did it better than the woman who asked you to do it! Way to go!
Kim- So happy to hear from you! Sorry about all of the worries and burdens you are carrying right now. Sending you hugs, good vibes, warm thoughts, and prayers for strength and peace! (((( ))))
Michele- You've got this! The wedding finish line is in view! Hang in there!
News on the childcare provider network: I have initiated discussion with one of the local senior centers. I have three or four childcare homes interested in becoming involved with the senior center. We are thinking a weekly/or every two weeks to meet in the common room for an hour or two of songs, stories, dancing, and/or crafting. I am also organizing "Explores" for the kids. Either monthly or bi-monthly trips to various trails, farms, orchards, etc., to learn about nature, farming, etc. Once I found out that I was the only provider in our area that utilizes our Harbor Transit system to transport kids on field trips, I thought this would be a fun thing for every one to experience. Most of the providers are too afraid to take their kids out and about. So...we are going to have an entire meeting just for this subject. This is SO exciting! I am also making contact with a few ladies to see if they would be interested in starting an early morning walking group! I think the walks will be a good chance to get many of us into shape for our jobs and will give many the chance to vent and problem solve. I know my brain comes up with it's best ideas when the endorphins are flowing.
???!!!My DH is outside with the leaf blower, clearing the tree residue from the driveway!! It is 6:20am!! Good thing our closest neighbors aren't in residence right now! LOL...I have to find him a different hobby, if he is going to be awake this early in the morning!
Oooops! DD is on viber with my Joaquin! Time for a chat with my grandson! ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)7 -
Lenora: I live in the Houston area but the ants and taratulas were when I lived in New Mexico. We had a lot of tarantulas and scorpions. I was after my kids all the time to keep their clothes off the floor because the scorpions would hide in them. One morning my daughter, who was 5 at the time, got up and put on her jeans which had been on the floor and got stung three times on her leg. She screamed "tarantula" thinking it was a spider not a scorpion (she didn't see it) and her sister sat up real fast. She was on the top bunk of the bunkbed and hit her head on the ceiling fan which dislodged a gecko.... it was an eventful morning to say the least.
Here in Houston I deal with skinks, lots of geckos, snakes and fire ants. We do have scorpions but I don't see them here very often, too wet I think. Now fire ants are AWFUL. They swarm you and bite like mad and then you suffer and itch like crazy. Very aggressive little buggers.
Scorpions is another new one for me. Never saw one in Victoria, but I've found 4 in the house here in Tasmania ... two of which were marching toward my feet when I spotted them. They are small here, but apparently quite painful if you step on them.
Regarding ants, we have jack jumpers here, and they do jump.
I was cycling one day, and must have brushed against some long grass by the side of the road and picked one up. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I batted my leg trying to get whatever it was off, but it must have partially lodged in my sock, and bit me several times before I figured out what it was and dispensed with it.
This picture was taken about 2 weeks after the bites.
M in Oz3 -
Machka, Mary- You should turn your scar into art! You are both so active and fit; I say wear what you want! Scars are evidence that you lived an active life!
Thanks Kelly.
Sadly, this scar is just evidence that my guess was right ... I guessed I had chronic appendicitis. Ove a period of a couple years, many Drs did not believe me. Finally they opened me right up to have a browse around inside, and sure enough ... chronic appendicitis.
All the scars on my left knee, however ... those are definitely evidence I have lived an active life!!
This is the closest I've come to a bikini. I still have it, and can nearly get into it again!! I don't mind that style ... it covers my abdomen. That's me in 2004, with a friend from the UK, on a cruise out to the Great Barrier Reef. 
M in Oz7 -
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Morning, all...
To whoever said "make the list and show it to your husband and see if he can take some on," thank you. What a great idea, and one I'll be using this morning. And oh, yes, I'm a listmaker. They're soothing for me in some weird way.
Kim! Missed you, dear... glad you're OK, and fully understand the need to express yourself in ways that aren't appropriate on this thread. You're an amazing person, and so loved here! Visit when you can. Hope things lighten up for you soon, my dear heart. And yes, North Carolina, not Northern California. I would say "unfortunately," but California's not my happy place.
On the dangerous critter thing, West Texas, much like Australia, is full of homicidal critters and plants. I haven't walked barefoot anywhere outside since we left Oregon four years ago next month. Rattlesnakes are the most poisonous. Everyone thinks of deserts as bare and lifeless (Death Valley, the Sahara) but they're actually teeming with life. More than 200 native species of reptiles and amphibians in the Chihuahuan Desert where I live. My favorite is the Texas horned lizard, which looks perpetually cranky, but is actually quite mild. We had a family of them in the back lot of the warehouse, with babies about as big as the tip of your little finger all the way up to the adults, probably the size of your palm. We actually have a family of bats that nest in the eaves of the warehouse, as well. Egg finds them fascinating - she will sit on the floor and chitter at them, watching them flit from place to place.
I remember decades ago, floating in my brother's pool in East Texas at dusk as the bats would swoop down and got a drink of water around me. Lovely memory. I pretty much leave critters alone unless they surprise me, then I refuse to be accountable for my actions. Actually, I feel that way about people, too! Told my husband when we were dating, "Just don't surprise me. Call first."
Spiders and bugs, on the other hand die first, and if there's enough left, I may investigate the species. Otherwise, dead, dead, burn the house down behind me dead. And I truly despise fire ants. They're a horrible, non-native species that moved north from South America starting in the mid-60s, and the first time I ran into them I was probably 10 years old. They swarm you, then a chemical signal goes up and they all bite at once. The blisters they leave have to be popped, or they fester, and I had hundreds of bites. It was miserable. I never forgave 'em.
Selling my books at the Fort Days celebration tomorrow. Local authors get a table for free in the fort museum--not big sales, but they do introduce your book to folks, and I always take a business card with the Amazon listing so they can buy it over Kindle if they lean that way.
Worked for three hours for work-work this morning to get things caught up after traveling a lot this week, and now I'm packing everything that I can get my hands on that we won't use in the next 12 days... The plan is to pack up the truck and trailer and car with the big stuff on the 1st, and then the little stuff will be packed around it all on the morning of the 2nd. Travel 3-4 hours the first day, which will make it three easy days or two hard days' drive to get there.
Love y'all,
Lisa... still in West Texas5 -
Oh, and speaking of Egg, she came through the spay with flying colors. Ate and drank a little the moment we got back, and been curled up on a chair pretty much since then. Even played with Corey's bootlaces for a bit, her favorite occupation each morning while he's trying to get his boots laced up. She's walking like she's hurting a bit, but overall, doing just fine. Hope the spay and keeping her healthy will keep her with us for another 20 years.5
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Katla - thank you for the acid reflux article! One of my favorite breakfasts is oatmeal with a piece of banana cut up for sweetness - and that's what I've been eating for the past few days and yes, it seems to help. Eating my greens and yogurt. Still stopping eating by 5 pm and having the ACVinegar/honey chaser and it's really improved. Thanks to everyone for all of the suggestions!!
Heather - I had nearly given up raising brassicas as well. This spring I tried it again, planted dwarf scotch kale and covered it with row cover from day one, which is a light polyester film that lets most light and rain through but impervious to flying bugs and white butterflies as long as the edges are secured to the ground with bricks or little boards. It did very well... the cabbage worms managed to get a few leaves where the row cover flapped up, but I got a good crop. However, I went out to grab a few leaves a couple days ago and the deer had helped herself. I resecured the cover and hope I can have some through the winter if it doesn't blow off. It's always something.
Kelly - your childcare provider network is just thrilling to me. How neat that you are on the ground floor of it - love the idea of visiting senior centers. I'll bet your mind never stops whirring with ideas, lol. Good for you. By the way, my DH is always ready to get out the weedeater and leaf blower as soon as the sun comes up. This summer, he'd be chomping at the bit and would try to wait until 8 am... quite often he'd march out of the house at 7:30 or earlier on the weekend and declare it's time for the neighborhood to wake up! 
Thankfully the houses in our subdivision are pretty sound proof.
Wishing everyone a great Friday! I'm off to do shopping in a bit between downpours.
Lanette
SW WA State4 -
Not much time, I’m headed back to the gym today then babysitting in Atlanta.
I have a scar from belly button to hoo-hah from my hysterectomy. Most doctors do a horizontal cut, but mine needed more room to work on my mess. Since it was a game changer as far as the way I felt (for the better) afterwards, I’ll take my scar and wear it proudly.
Got my EOB for the ambulance ride via email this morning. This was one expensive trip. The actual ER visit isn’t there yet. I don’t even want to see that.
Hav3 a great Friday my friends.
K
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