WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR FEBRUARY 2024
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barbiecat
Posts: 16,907 Member
Starting a new month is a great time to set some new routines and behaviours in place and to reinforce all the things that are going well. Thank you for joining me on this journey and sharing your life with me. The name of this thread is "Women Ages 50+" and all women are welcome. Our community includes women from barely 50 to well past 80. Please sign your post with a name or nickname and a location either specific or general so we can get to know each other better. Be sure to bookmark the page so you can find us again.
Barbie in NW WAThe reason most people fail instead of succeed is that they trade what they want the MOST for what they want at the MOMENT.
My word for 2024 is "enough". When I focus on having and doing enough I find satisfaction and peace.
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Barbie … thank you for moving us into February!
Beth2 -
Heather - if you catch the cold I hope it is short lived.
I like that painting. The colours are quite lovely.
Machka - that’s cool that there is a plant with the same name Johnny uses for Bea.
What a shame that you get Covid during your summer when you probably want to be out doing things more.
Travelling - my dad used to bundle us in the car around midnight to travel 9 hours to my Aunt’s. Sometimes he would do it earlier and we would end up sleeping in the mall parking lot until it was a “decent” time to arrive at their house. Usually 7-730am. My aunt was always up and ready for us. In later years I found out that she actually was not a morning person and liked to sleep until noon on her off days. 😂
I don’t travel anywhere here to visit family except my cousin who is two hours away. We tend to do around 11-12 and the next day I leave her place around 2 or so to come home.
If I’m travelling to NB it’s all planned out well in advance.
Lanette - I really want to be an education assistant, however as I said with the compensation I may have to look at something else. I am going to play it by ear and see where I go. I find that it all seems to work out in the end.
Kylia - I’m happy for you that you had a nice visit with your daughter. I am looking forward to seeing my girls this weekend.
I am of the same thought of you for the most part, however I think if it’s a relatively easy fix and otherwise cognitive and physical functions are good keep going.
Lisa - My SIL is a paramedic, he too says there isn’t time for those decisions in an emergency. If the person is older here they can have a “green sleeve” it is literally a green plastic envelope with medical directives in it. A copy is on file at the local hospital, doctors office and the persons home. He (my SIL) says the problem is people don’t keep it accessible if they are called to come in.
Maybe that’s something that needs to have a sticker for the door like “pets inside” in the event of a fire.
I am going to ask this SIL to be my medical proxy. I know he will understand what he’s being told, will follow my wishes and if tough decisions need to be made it won’t fall to my girls.
The fund has stalled but with what they have saved they are going to be able to start probably by March. As long as all goes well.
Sweet Raquel has some other ideas she’s thinking of too. One is a gift card basket or liquor basket raffle. People like thinking they have the opportunity to get something in return.
I’m still shaking my head at the lack from my family. 32 people liked a post I had about the dog we were watching but the fund posts is crickets. I have found that to be quite funny and disheartening all at once.
You’ll be thankful you submitted that application today when you need it.
Anna - congratulations on the jeans!
Rita - your doodle art is pretty. I used to enjoy doing those.
Vicki - 🙂 thanks for clarifying. This is a perfect example of why I don’t like acronyms. What it means to one person isn’t the same as what it means to another.
Margaret - I’m glad your nephew understood. I have no words for your niece and family though. She really she understand.
Machka - I want that letter too. Probably be William though.
Debbie - this is a long bout of needing your treatments. Hope they settle soon.
Things seem quieter now for you. I hope it continues.
I made Kaitlyn’s card today. She and Raquel are both into plants, they have an instagram account called Bloomin’ Besties, so I thought this was an appropriate card. I didn’t design this, although I did tweak it a bit. I found it on a site, but I had fun making it.
I just need to put sentiments on the cards now.
I also started to think about Kaitlyn’s scrapbook. I had one design in my head and completely changed it. Then I had another idea and didn’t have what I was looking for so put it all away.
Spoke to my BF tonight, her Mom’s licence is revoked. They didn’t get notified in time to stop it. The one sister that instigated all of this did not show up to the meeting. I am sorry that they are having to deal with this. They have been a close family and things like this can destroy one.
Well I should head to bed. Rodger is home and has a paranormal show on. I can’t stand these shows. I don’t mind the mediums, but I don’t like these ones that are searching through houses for noises and the ghosts or entities are all evil. If there are ghosts, I like to think of the little trickster ones, or in the case of Nora Roberts’ new trilogy, one of the ghosts does all the housework and another plays music to communicate with the main character.
All of that started as I was going to go to bed so I didn’t have to watch this show.
Tracey in Edmonton
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I learned in this experience that here where I live an advanced directive only might help you know what your family member wants. If your loved one is taken to the hospital in the ambulance they are by law to do CPR or incubate unless there is a DNR or DNI signed by a doctor. Here it is Hospice that can obtain such an order. They tell you to have it on your frig to have to give to the paramedics. In order to get hospice it needs to be ordered by a doctor. So in the case of my dad when he was 88 they brought him back to life in the ambulance even with a health care directive. He would have just slipped away. Instead three years later he was moved 3 times when he was dying and it was a much more difficult death. I remembered this when helping DH. At one point the paramedics came and said if they took him in the hospital they would more than likely send him home. I decided to have him stay. I did not want the same end as my dad.9
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Gratitudes:
Tonight (1/31) Barbie for the fresh start every month.
Yesterday (1/30) Line dancers’ smiles and kind expressions of concern and support.
Tuesday (1/29) Encouraging MD visit.
1/21-1/28 missing. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I’ve been so blue, forgot to look for blessings.
Lanette, can NOT thank you enough for the bone study link. Already taking most of the COMB recommended supplements, just ordered some strontium citrate and will go back to ½ tsp Wild Norwegian Cod Liver oil
Doc said “These are ok and thanks. Will share with some of my other patients.” Wow! Guess he has many who refuse HRT/bisphonates and is glad to have something else to offer them.
Combination of micronutrients (COMB) Protocol for Bone Health:
(1) Docosahexanoic acid or DHA (from Purified Fish Oil): 250 mg/day
(2) Vitamin D3: 2000 IU/day
(3) Vitamin K2 (non-synthetic MK7 form): 100 ug/day
(4) Strontium citrate: 680 mg/day
(5) Elemental magnesium: 25 mg/day
(6) Dietary sources of calcium recommended1/31-Move: ZERO sets PT, line dance class. Steps: 4876Will skim through January’s last twenty pages and update stats later.
Fuel: sugar in vs mfp=34 CI<CO net=504 vits=1
Live: Joe, readings, BP, ptT, ptS, phone calls, bank, BiMart. Wt:133.4
Later, lighter, lovelies!
Barbara, the Southern Oregon Coastie AHMOD
February: Move more than yesterday, fuel better than yesterday, live NOW.
Open heart and mind before mouth.
2024: Strengthen: body, mind, heart-connections.
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2024 Goals
My 2024 goals are a continuation of my past goals based on my ToDo list and my 50Things list with reference to a Wellness Wheel.Upcoming Appointments - these are at the top of my list. The things I need to deal with in the next few weeks.
Intellectual/Occupational/Financial or Education/Career: Advancing my career. Moving from adequate to proficient at SQL, brushing up on cost accounting and learning clinical costing, learning Python and data analysis software.
Also, I want to have a closer look at our financial situation to see where we can save money and to make sure we're on top of things.
The goal is to expand my skillset and to improve our financial situation.
Medical: my husband's appointments, which I also need to attend because I'm his ears and cognition and my appointments now that I've been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease.
I also want to create medical record binders (and on the computer) for both of us, in case something happens.
The goal is to keep us as healthy as we can be and to ensure we have information at our fingertips.
Fitness/Sports > Cycling > Audax Tasmania: There are a number of fitness/sport things I'd like to try, with a focus on cycling, and a large part of my cycling endeavours includes my volunteer work with Audax Tasmania ... and maybe even riding some events again myself!
On my 50Things list I have all sorts of things like learning to swim, riding a horse for the first time, trying archery, learning to dance. Maybe this might be the year to try a bit of that.
The goal it to improve my fitness level.
House > Office > Computer become more specific as they go along. I have a number of thing which need to be done in the house (kitchen, dining room, etc.) but most importantly the home office needs a whole lot of work. And along with that I need to organise the drives on my computer into a better filing system.
The goal is to have an organised and decluttered house and computer system.
The goal is also to ensure all paperwork is up to date and accessible by both of us.
Garden: I have several projects I would like to do this year. One of the main ones is to finish the border around my dry stream and bulb garden.
The goal is to have a pleasant, creative, relaxing and functional area outside for reading, exercise and socialising.
Spiritual: Continue to read the Bible every day. And attend church a little bit more often -we've got some plans in this regard.
The goal is to learn, relearn, revitalise.
Emotional/Social/Recreation: More creativity, relaxation, connections. I have all sorts of things on my 50Things list like doing more with my photography, playing the piano again, working on my website and more.
The goal is balance. Doing a variety of things that aren't just work and education.
January Highlights
Intellectual/Occupational/Financial or Education/Career: I've hardly worked since the middle of December! But what work I've done has been great ... lots and lots of SQL coding.
Medical: First time with COVID. Recovering from COVID. Lots and lots of sleep.
Fitness/Sports > Cycling > Audax Tasmania: Not nearly enough exercise this month. But we did organise a cycling event! And I was offered (and accepted) a place on the local Bicycle Council.
House > Office > Computer: I took down the Christmas decorations and have organised some computer files.
Garden: We switched the locations of our greenhouse and patio, and we like the results. I've also done a bit of weeding.
Spiritual: Reading the Bible every day.
Emotional/Social/Recreation: I read 7 books this month. That's the most I've read in one month in a long time! I've also done quite a bit of colouring. I'll show you my most recent one soon - just doing some finishing touches. We also got away for a few days at the beginning of January and again at the end of January - a little bit of travelling even though we ended up sleeping much of the time!
Here's hoping I've got a bit more energy in February!
Machka in Oz2 -
Barbie Thank you for the fresh start! You inspire all of us with your calm leadership.
Barbara Hugs! January is a hard month. Dark and grey. As of right now we are suppose to see sunshine and warmer temps for the next week! Yay! Hopefully youvwill get some too. You started me writing grateful thoughts every day in planner.
Thank you all for your understanding and support. Margaret Thank you for sharing your experience. I support your decision for your DH. I wish my MIL had been home where she wanted to be but covid was in full blow and we couldn't get that arranged. Pancreatic cancer took her in less than 3 weeks from diagnosis. I am taking all of your information to heart.
February I am starting a little over 1 pound lighter than January start.
January steps toward goal of healthier me
7k steps a day=67% but did average over 8k due to 10k days
Bible read daily- 97%
64 oz water daily=77%
Read for fun=65%
20 mins dedicated movement= 58%
Room for improvement but not bad! Overall 73% of steps done.
February steps:
25 mins dedicated movement daily
Bible reading daily
Pleasure read daily
64 oz water daily
7500 steps daily
Nightly face wash ( I know, seems strange, but something I am not good at especially since not wearing makeup. All part of healthier me goal.)
Continuing calorie counting for weight loss and squats for better strength. These are pretty routine now.
Grateful for fresh starts, sunshine days, and this wonderful tribe of artistic, intelligent, and caring women.
Tracey Love the cards!
Anne Congratulations on jeans!
Oh....had plans with friend for dinner Saturday, no surprise she backed out. It is hard that she has an excuse anytime we try to get together....sad. But DH and I will have a lovely time!
Need to get off phone. Have a blessed day! Healing thoughts! Lots of Hugs!
Keep making the best decision you can in the moment.
Kylia in Ohio ready to start a new month
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Good morning ladies!
Barbie thank you for a new month!
I'm just sitting here enjoying the sweetness of my dog on my lap. Such a warm lump of love!
Annie in Delaware7 -
Thank you once again, Barbie.
I arranged all my newer books on my display case with NOW I AM on the right. I'm pleased with the way it looks. But I do have to remember to take those down before Edie comes over !!!! The magazines are ones that my writings have appeared in.
I spent the morning redoing my Amazon Author Page and updating my website,.both of which gave me a headache 🙃. I'm not technically savvy, but I struggle on. As Martha Beck says, 'Have the courage to do what you believe you cannot do'.
Mistakes on both, but done is better than perfect.
Love Heather UK xxxxxx8 -
Good morning, welcome to February, and thank you, Barbie, for making this place for us once more, I depend on it without reservation!
As I said in January, my usual goals were
✅ Stay in maintenance range - 150 - 155 - Did that.
✅ Stay on budget - Reasonably well, call it half a check mark.
✅ Get healthier - Continued with the acupuncture each week throughout the month, and pretty much decided that whether it's helping my joints or not, it is really good for my mental health. There's something about having needles stuck in your knees and back that genuinely makes you feel you're actively participating in your own health. And, since she's local, I feel like I'm contributing to the local economy, too! I know it's weird, but I took a photo of my knees yesterday because I never could get a good picture of my back.
TRIGGER WARNING: IF YOU HAVE A NEEDLE PHOBIA, DO NOT SELECT THE SPOILER BUTTON.
My poor knees are just destroyed, but as I said, if that gains some increased financial recompense from the VA, then there is a silver lining even in all those years of pain. The original surgery on my left knee was from 1979, during my military years when I jumped down off the bed of a ton-and-a-half truck when I was 19. (The truck bed was about head height on me - I had to have a pillow under me and behind my back to drive the big beastie.
)The surgery on my right was 40 years later in 2019 when I had my right knee replaced due to decades of favoring my left knee.
My goals for February remain the same, and for those who are new and may wonder about the lack of specificity on those goals, it's because pinning myself to any numbers without wiggle room stresses me out. When I get stressed out, I tend to eat. This is not a good thing for someone trying to maintain their weight. So I keep the end goals vague enough to push me, without pushing my buttons.
Onward and upward, my chickens,
Love y'all,
Lisa in AR
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Feb 1 - Work. I've put together a large chunk of SQL code. It's probably messy and possibly not the most efficient way of doing things, but it works. It produces the data I want!! Thank goodness. It's been a battle.
Walk - 1.8 km
Stairs - 4!! WooHoo ... easing back into the stair climbing.
Kept the food intake reasonable - that was a bit of a struggle in January because I craved plain crackers (soda crackers/Saladas) the whole time I was sick with COVID and for a few weeks after.
Snacking on fresh snowpeas and strawberries in the evenings now.
And then spent the evening colouring.
Going to bed to read now.
Machka in Oz5 -
Barbie- Thanks for bringing us into February!
Heather- Love your card! You are so creative!
Tracey- I love your card! Is that something you made with your Cricut?
Margaret- You are in my thoughts daily; and I have to add, you are such an inspirational person as you handled your "guests" with aplomb and insight. I hope that once everything has calmed down, you can take time to sit, think, grieve, celebrate life however you choose. Hugs and be kind to yourself, now.
Rori and Tina- What a great pic! It makes my heart so happy to see some of our "family" meet up irl!
Love all of the discussion on end of life management/legalities. DH and I really need to sit down and get all of those things put together. We have a will, but I don't know if the end of life wishes in the will work as a medical/legal POA. The "green sleeve" for emergency situations is a great fact I didn't know about. As a childcare home, it is something I could have on my wall near the door and it would blend in to the client eye, but stand out to the emergency personnel.
Well, my kids have all arrived and are asking to get busy with activities. ttfn xoxoxo KJ (Kelly)5 -
Heather- I recently made the error of referring to your "memoir" books as a trilogy! This is your fourth! I just need to get Memory Boxes and I will have the complete set. lol KJ 3
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Thanks for a new month Barbie!
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Phew! John's passport arrived safely through the door this afternoon. Only one day late.
Much relief. Why they give you tracking and then don't stick to it, we don't know. Plus, you'd think it should be signed for, not just tracked.
Mine says it is coming tomorrow.
If it does, I'll be amazed and delighted 😀.
Then I have to change the passport numbers on Saga bookings.
Pleased for John who was stressing.
Love Heather UK xxxxxx5 -
Barbie- once again, thank you for bringing us forward into a new month. You ladies mean so much to me and I'm always grateful for the opportunity to connect with you.
Barbara - so glad you liked Ed Deboo's bone health video and that your own doc found the COMB study useful. I'm going to share it with my docs if they aren't already aware of it. I didn't even know there was a supplement called Strontium Nitrate.
Here's the COMB study -
I can't remember if I already posted Deboo's short (3 minutes) video about eating prunes to help bone density. I had been eating a few per day anyhow just because I like them. After seeing this video, I simply eat 2 with each meal. Can't hurt, might help, and "keeps things moving" in my GI tract Here goes:Here goes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI8lqoc3AE0
It feels like I'm overtraining on bone health these days, but I realized if anything would interfere with my independence as I age, it would be a broken bone that hampers my ability to walk and participate in daily activities I love. Mom and her dad both had broken hips, so I'm on it.
Another Deboo video ( 6 1/2 minutes) about how to stay out of the nursing home which includes balance improvement. He talks about habit stacking.... where have we heard this before?
Kylia - you are doing a great job slowly making improvements in your health goals. We get there one step at a time, don't we?
Annie - so nice hearing you are much more relaxed these days. Glad you are getting your mom's things settled and that you have time to enjoy just sitting there your sweet dog.
Lisa - fine job on your goals. Glad the acupuncture is helping. My insurance doesn't cover it or else I'd see if it could help my arthritic toes. I've had it before and was amazed at how smoothly and pain-free those needles went in.
Interesting conversations here about Advance Directives. In WA State, DH and I have a "Medical Power of Attorney" that stipulates "no life support" and other measures at the end of life. Our attorney drew up the document for us over a decade ago along with our wills when we both had good cognitive function. Best not to put it off. It's very similar to what Beth mentioned. (See post last month.)
Even though the hospital where he was taken had it on file, when he was admitted, no one thought to look for it. Thank goodness I brought a copy along with me. The hospitalist was grateful, said there had been a chance he'd be sent to a cardiac unit for a stent since a heart attack is why he was transported. Not sure that would have been the case since his organs had been shutting down, but I'd heard similar stories. Glad we had his wishes written down and witnessed.
Back later.
Lanette
SW WA State where we are hopefully going to see chillier nights and some daytime sunshine for several days.2 -
Goals...I love the different way we all do them. Lisa's work for her, but are too vague for me. Machka's with hitting certain goals for the month (ie so many steps or miles), I thought about, but I know me. I would find myself on day 30 trying to catch up! So do whatever works for you that you can measure and account for. I take bits and pieces from everyone.
I had to wear sunglasses to work! Yay!!! Still cold...but. THE SUN IS OUT!!!!
Kylia1 -
Kelly that time time to sit and reflect still needs to be done in grabbed moments. Now working on thank yous. Particularly the ones who went the extra mile like cousin who was a nurse, friend who came from out east to help, neighbors who watched Drew, Friend who created picture video...Also having to put accounts under my Social. Even accounts that are in both our names. If an account is under his social I have to change it to mine so it gets properly reported to the IRS. Eventually I will have to close out his phone and transfer the title of his car to me before I can sell it. I also need to continually declutter in case I need to sell at least a year from now. A friend wanted to take me out to lunch I told her I need at least 3 weeks. My focus now is to get back into my routines of painting, volunteering, and choir. I love visiting with friends, but now my time and energy needs to be in getting these tasks done. Next Friday and Saturday I have two days free and I plan to not respond to media, phone and just pamper me! I want to take a weekend where all I do is pamper meI will be a much more attentive and better friend to have lunch with. I do have a friend coming in from California soon. I will make an exception for something like that.
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Morning and Happy February..Tracy will turn 35 on Monday...I bought the pedestal for there new washer as an early birthday present...
Miles woke up in a great mood which makes the morning alot easier to get out the door..
Today is hair day..so going to see my hairdresser
Love that girl...
Well the reason I asked you all to think of Tracy is because ..she went for an IVF treatment
And got the results
They will be having another little one in early October..
So except for Kyle Im the only one who knows except for ya'll so the word is mum lol.
So that's all i have for right now.. going to have an english muffin and then get moving..
Had to put the cat food up and clean the little box as Alfie thinks he is a cat and eats the dry cat food and trys getting into the litter box..ugh...6 -
KJ - Many, many thanks for all your support. It means so much. For those of you who are reading the new book, good reviews on Amazon are gold for the algorithms. Please..........
The memoir books in order are, ME I AM, THEREFORE I AM, WHERE AM I?, MEMORY BOXES, and now, NOW I AM. The first two are a proper series in time, but the others don't follow a timeline, so I haven't linked them on Amazon as a series. Can't decide whether to or not. One day I may fill in the gaps.
Margaret - I so admire your dignity. I think taking time just for you and your memories this weekend is perfect.
Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgT0aiJXA4k&list=PL7iadTWb0ExqS-wsl0ssK7jKVwqkRTTlJ&index=2&t=20s
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