WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR AUGUST 2024

barbiecat

The beginning of a new month is a good time to make a fresh start or to double down on the habits and behaviours that are important. Each of us knows what we want to accomplish. Research shows that the company you keep makes a difference and I've found that the support and encouragement and example of the women I meet on this thread has make a difference in my life.

Please sign your post with a name or nickname and a location, specific or general to make this more personal and to help us get to know each other better.

Be sure to bookmark the page so you can find it again easily. I like to check in with my breakfast every day and often again later.

We were all new here at some time and we welcome anyone who is new. Just jump into conversation that interests you or ask a question.

Barbie in NW WA

My word for 2024 is "enough".

skuehn48

Had a really busy day yesterday and am feeling it today even though I had a good night's sleep. It is warming up again here, I have the air-conditioners running this afternoon. DD and I have watched some gymnastics and equestrian events from the Olympics. I don't get too interested in most of the other stuff except swimming.

Allie - congrats on making it below 200. Good for you.

Rebecca - looks like you are having fun.

Barbie - have you gotten Michael Easter's book yet?

Welcome back Sharon.

Everyone take care, Sue in WA

barbiecat

Sue yes, I am halfway through Michael Easter's book. It's very thought provoking. There are some interviews with him on YouTube

Barbie

GodMomKim

thanks for moving us forward Barbie.

LisaInArkansas

Thanks, Barbie...

Beverleyj1

Loki’s Mom from Ohio-married 40 yrs-work as Lab tech-Blood Bank manager
I’m 61 yrs old. I’m mom to a 1 1/2 yr old Merle Australian Shepherd and a young cat named Christmas. I have a grown daughter and son and 1 grandson, who believes he is a Siberian Husky named Gray. I’m on the struggle bus with my weight. After multiple weight loss drugs that I couldn’t continue due to side effects, I’ve gained back the 20 lbs I lost. I’m almost at 200 now. I need a non-drug way to lose weight. I should also mention that I have also tried WW multiple times and Noom.

grandmallie

Thanks for starting August off for us Barbie..❤️

SophieRosieMom

Barbie - thank you so much for moving us into August. Time is whizzing by!

And I wanted to mention how neat it is you have a walking partner with a dog, and you've found some common ground with her. I'm sure you're a valuable resource for any new person in the neighborhood.

Kim - it would be great if your mom could prepay her cremation expenses and get that all taken care of. I need to do that, too.

Rita - I forgot to mention earlier, I'm also vegetable-challenged it seems. You are doing much better than I am with the "half of your plate with vegetables" plan. I bought some baby carrots and try to have cooked broccoli in the fridge now I can add to breakfast and lunch. It's not half the plate but it's a vegetable at least. Suppertime I seem to do better with a big salad. I think every little bit helps. I love seeing your meals - your DH is a good cook and it's nice he loves creating foods to help you on your diabetes prevention plan.

Sue - I'm not looking forward to the heat again but it won't be like we had a month ago, plus the shorter days help make it more bearable. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Beverley - welcome! Lots of gals in this thread having success with different methods. You've come to the right place. As Barbie said, join in any conversation that interests you and ask questions if you wish.

About Pantry Storage - when we moved into this house, part of the garage already had a large wardrobe-type area with sliding doors. DH installed some very sturdy shelves in there which is a good place for canned goods, foods in glass jars, cleaning and canning supplies. I keep some mouse traps baited and ready and generally catch one or two each year. We also have sturdy pantry shelving in and alcove in the laundry room where I keep items that need to be eaten soon, and cereals such as oatmeal that the mice can't get to.

My trip to town this morning - I looked at the little Bay Laurel trees, and they were very nice and a good value. But I didn't make a purchase. Think I'll prune old Bessie way, way back this fall and see if I can get another year or two out of her. Plus go ahead and pick and dry some leaves. If they crumble, they crumble. Organic (crumbly) bay leaves are terribly expensive at the health food store.

I also stopped at one of the little produce/fresh food stores to get some nitrate-free bacon. It's the best, love when I can buy just a few slices.

Some bad news/good news about another purchase there. They had ripe looking cantaloupe, so I grabbed one. When I got it home and cut it open, I discovered it was honeydew! Wonder if it was cross-fertilized in a farmer's field. I'm not a fan of honeydew, BUT the hens are. So it won't be going to waste and will help keep them cool in the coming hot days. Gotta keep the girls happy.

Lanette
SW WA State

pipcd34

582582

Poerava14

Greetings from smokey Colorado foothills. There is a growing wildfire about 8 miles away and a handful of other fires dotting the mountains going north of here. The smoke is awful. My eyes sting and head hurts. Thankfully, the sports nerd in me is happy staying inside watching the Olympics.

Barbie: Thanks for ushering us into Awesome August.

Heather: I appreciate your posts with all the detail about the hip replacements. Very inspring.

Annie: Bravo on the party for your dad. And extra kudos for finding and accepting help from others.

Margaret: I'm 68 and have no meds. I was exposed to wholistic medicine and natural healing many years ago. I'm not a zealot, but have adopted a mindset that defaults toward finding alternatives to try before filling an Rx.

Carol: Proud of you for getting the knee replaced. Arnica gel and tablets help accelerate healing of swelling and bruises.

July was memorable. The colonoscopy helped jumpstart a 6 pound loss. There is something about having nice clean insides that has helped me make cleaner food choices.

Vacation with my friend N was delightful. He drove here (golfed in 4 different states enroute) He spent 3 days here and bonded with Mars. The way to my heart is thru my cat. Then we got in his van and went to western Colorado, Park City, UT and Garden Valley, ID where my nephew and his wife hosted us for 2 days. My nephew is an avid outdoorsman so no surprise that his house is perched above the Payette River. He took us rafting one day. Loved it! His house also features a swimming pool fed by natural hot springs. We would take a dip in the morning while having our coffee. Then at night go back in and stargaze. Romantic!!! Nephew captured these moments of bliss. Sorry so large.

Stay well friends. We can do this.

Rori
Colorado Foothills

skuehn48

cityjaneLondon

Rori - Lovely to see your man. You both look fit and happy. And what a gorgeous place! I have never tried rafting, but would love to. I used to kayak and canoe on holiday. You inspire me to get fit again.

Welcome to Beverleyj1. My problem is that I eat super healthy food, all cooked from scratch, oodles of veggies and fruit, but way too much of everything! Rita here posts her plates, and my portions are about six times hers! Really. No wonder she is losing weight and I am not, though I haven't weighed myself since just before the first hip operation. (I'm now on my second) My main emphasis in the next few months, is increasing my activity levels back to where they were last year. I might trim back on carbs a bit, as that seems to suit me.

Thinking of Tracey.

Barbie - Thank you, once again, for the thread. I have been here twelve years! It has been a great accompaniment to my life.
Well done for finding a potential friend. I have no local friends, though several nice acquaintances through the organisations I belong to, and a local community. Of course I have the family and the grandchildren. I have made a couple of advances, but nothing came of them. It has to be mutual. I rarely feel the lack of a friend IRL, as I do so much telephoning, WhatsApping, and Zooming. I feel close to lots of people including DSIL, who visits IRL, as does G, and my bruv and his wife. I feel loved and cared for, and my life is full, but I would like a local friend to do girly things with.
Part of it is, that I have very high standards these days. They say our happiness is the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time with. So, I am very choosy about who I let in to my life. No energy drainers! I am very fussy politically, and have other basic requirements, which rather narrows down the field. Also, making that first overture is difficult. I feel drawn to certain people, but then, a big difference in age might stop me. I will try again. I meet certain people at activist meetings, but it can be awkward asking for personal contact details. I must be more proactive. Asking someone out for coffee feels like asking someone on a date!
I have got complacent in my happy marriage, and family, and John and I are very good companions. But we need our friends.

I hope John enjoys his reunion today with his old 'best woman'.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

auntiebk

Thank you Barbie! What you said about the support and encouragement and example of the women on this thread. Likewise grateful for your support, encouragement and example.

Today’s gratitude: Joe is open to adding Moose to our little pack, depending of course on Tumble and Shadow’s acceptance. Moose (Joe dislikes that name) is a 6 year old neutered male doodle whose owner had a stroke and now is in a facility. He’s being fostered until a new forever home is found. Both Tumble and Shadow know Moose from dog group, but it’s been years since Tumble’s been. We’ll set up a meeting on neutral ground and if it goes well, pile him in the car with our dogs and take him home. I’ve been hesitant to start this process since our hearts still ache for Gino, but thankfully Gino’s new adopter has done well with him. We'll see.
Lisa your “One of the things that would help on the waiting on the job front (I had a LOT of jobs over the years) is to seriously look for another. Makes the universe understand that you have options, I think, and if nothing else, it's distracting. Plus, you never know!” Truth this! the carport and especially the new pantry shelves.
Michele hope the laser procedure dramatically reduces eye pressure and isn’t painful.
Lanette sounds like your power company does a better job of cleanup than ours, or maybe its because our acres are so vertical The chipper was more of a chunker/grinder spewing branch parts around. Log sections left on the cistern path are too heavy for me to move. On the really straight up and down slopes big trees just cut down and left. Ah well, the forest will reclaim them.
Barbie glad to hear about your new friend.
Kim yours to Allie about “friends” who are not supportive of taking care care of our health.
Beth DH cleaned out crumbs and grime from behind below stove? Would he like to visit Oregon???
Monique ((hugs held extra long )) for your hard work weekend.
Welcome @Beverleyj1 Loki’s Mom from OH!
Rori thanks for the Garden Valley pics. Was one of the best things about our 25 years in Boise.
Washer repair person will be here sometime between 8am and 5pm. I have to leave for chiro appointment at 9:30 so will write out the lid lock issue so Joe can just hand the paper to the tech. Lid locks when it shouldn’t then won’t release until I unplug the machine. Not sure I can “make” it happen. Sure hope the tech is familiar, and has whatever parts needed. The Speed Queen warranty repairs are being handled by the same company that did the Sears Extended Warranty repairs on our stove, which is why I worry… ;{

Later, lighter, lovelies!
Barbara, the Southern Oregon Coastie AHMOD

Move more than yesterday, fuel better than yesterday, live NOW.
Open heart and mind before mouth.
2024: Strengthen: body, mind, heart-connections.

LisaInArkansas

Machka - Just checking on you. I know you're still in the last throes of the move, so I hope it's just busy-busy and nothing negative.

Rori - Good to see your beautiful face and surroundings. My relatives live in places without nearly as much scenery as you and Rebecca, I need to urge them to move to better environs!

@Beverleyj1 - Welcome! Lots of support here on your journey back to health and wellness...

Monique - Saw your last post in July - I can't imagine doing the work you do. So much respect for the folks like you who support that kind of emotional burden, especially when you keep going back to work each day.

Carol - Hope your knee is doing much, much better.

Heather - I'm not terribly open to friendships, but seem okay with acquaintanceships, as well. My current relationships are fraught enough with old emotion and baggage as it is. Sister thing last night, not traumatic, just a thing:

My sis, who I had been drawing closer to on the phone, or thought I had, just sent me a video last night glorifying one of the political figures that I deleted as soon as I opened it and realized what it was. We do swap funny videos on occasion, so it kinda blindsided me when she did something that reminded me how differently we think about so many things. Honestly felt she had more respect for me than that, but I think she is still trying to convert me. It didn't work out well when we were young. Ah well, this too will pass. Just reminded me why politics and religion are not discussed in this group.

And that's why most of the five people I spend time with are... the people on this group. Add my daughter, my husband and my best friend, and you have the vast majority of people I talk to on a daily or weekly basis. It's enough.

Barbie - Glad to see you may have found someone who is a good fit to walk and talk with you and Annie. Second and third interactions are more telling, I think, as people relax and become more themselves.

Barbara AHMOD - Hope Moose (or whatever his eventual name will be) will be a lovely addition to your little pack.

Allie - Just adding my name to those who say that good friends don't get upset with you when you are protecting your health. Disappointment that you can't attend is one thing. Getting mad that you won't endanger yourself to provide some companionship for them is quite another.

More later, most likely. My schedule is all discombobulated, but it's of no matter, I have nowhere to be, and Egg doesn't mind... A little kitty calm for your morning:

Later,
Love,
Lisa in AR

kymarai

Welcome to crazy August!

Thank you Barbie!

Monique You are such a blessing to the Littles! Hugs and respect!

Lisa I love your changes! My DH and I just don't. I like to paint when he is not around as he is a horrible micro manager! He can't see well enough to see the details, but will tell me how to do it. Because of this we do pay for improvements. Our latest is the garage addition. I will add pics later. I too realized that Machka has been quiet.

Welcome Beverley! Lots of fur babies in this group.

[bIRori and Rebecca /b] Lovely photos!

I probably need to climb on the scale......haven't been on since got kittens. They are both over 3 lbs now and quite active! I love when they curl up with me. It does feel great to have the debt paid up! Work still stressful. R still out. He has missed 5 weeks this year. He says he was taking 17 pills a night! This was causing issues. The doctor/hospital took him off 9 as they were damaging his kidneys. We are 4 weeks out on repairs. It just sucks as I get the brunt of the customer frustrations.

I need to figure out sleep thing.....I am tired when I get up and exhausted in the evening. Other than last night, I have worn cpap for 7 hours each night. My scores are great, but I am more tired. Last night I must have been fighting it as I took it off after 4 hours. Follow up appointment is mid September after vacation. I think I need to go somewhere for 2-3 weeks solo and figure out natural sleep cycle.....just a thought....Mid afternoons are normally the worst for me. I like early mornings and late nights for getting things done.

August will be busy. Less than 5 weeks to vacation!

Healing thoughts!
Loving the photos!
Grateful to have you all in my life!

Much love,
Kylia from Ohio

kymarai

a little morning kitten love from Ohio
The beginnings of garage addition.
close to the finish line

cityjaneLondon

Poor John!
He had put on his 'trendy' gear for the meet up, under my instructions, He then brought me up a sandwich for me to eat while he was gone, and had just gone downstairs, ready to set out, when he checked his phone and found that his friend had tried to phone him at 10 am. He phoned her back, and there were no trains to Brighton. Electrical failure. I think she could have driven and parked here, but she is meeting a lot of other people who also would be having the same problem, so that didn't seem to be an option. To say the least, he is disappointed.

Added to that, he is having a lot of pain at night from his sacro iliac joint, so not sleeping well. It's OK when he is up and properly moving about. But he is feeling sorry for himself. It is HOT and sticky, and he is running around after me, and cooking unfamiliar food etc. He needed a break.

On my front, my hip suddenly decided to give me nerve pain this morning. I am not amused. I had a lot of cramps last night, but this is worse. It came on all of a sudden. Boo! I have dosed myself up with full on painkillers and it feels better, but it is a setback. Let's hope a nap sorts it out.

Just in case we do get invited to the bbq on Saturday, I decided my full on navy outfit could do with some cheering up. It's nice, a good shape on me, but a bit dull. So I ordered a scarf to drape over my neck. It's not going to be as hot, and they seem to have come back into fashion. It will also go with black, and cream.


Now to eat my flame grilled chicken sandwich. And try for a nap.

Love to all. Hoping Machka is OK.

Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Anniesquats100

Good morning beautiful ladies!

Barbie thank you for the thread!

Monique your work is so emotionally draining. Wow.

The party went very well. Dad was really touched. There was plenty of excellent food. Dad wanted to sing, and his voice isn't what it used to be, but it didn't last long. I was very pleased at how helpful people were.

Today is going to be a little awkward. Dad gets up in the night for snacks. Well, it looks like he came across his puzzle and worked on it half the night. Now he is back in bed. He was going to go to the cemetery with my sister, and I have a medical zoom, so we shall see what happens.

It's common for Alzheimer's patients to get their nights and days mixed up. I guess it's time for me to learn some tricks to deal with that. As long as he is safe and quiet, it's not bad.

And my sister and I talked to him about getting rid of his car. He isn't ready. In his mind he could drive. In reality the keys are hidden away. So I'm stuck maintaining it for now.

Have a great day! May you all be happy, healthy, safe and free!

Annie in Delaware

1948CWB

First Day of School 2024 ... Granddaughter 8th and Grandson 9th

pipcd34

583583

grandmallie

Morning ladies
Another lb down yipee ..going to take Doris to the eye Dr and to get bloodwork.