WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR DECEMBER 2017

Lanette ... love reading your posts ... and as I was reading, a My Pillow commercial came on tv. Buy one get one free with Promo code MP29. I have know idea what they're like though ...

Penny ... what a magical Christmas memory!

Margaret ... you painted the Cardinal? I love it!

My father is doing better and they plan to release him today. The doctors would like him to go to rehab but he will have no parts of it. So he and my very frail mother will try to make a go of it at home. It's not a good plan. Time Magazine just posted an article about 5 surprising things that are evident in people who live to 100 ... stubborn, domineering, authoritative people are more likely to live longer .... that would describe my father who will be 89 on the 1st. His mother lived to 93 his grandmother 95 and a great-aunt made it well into her 100s.

I am getting the organization bug. I have followed that de-cluttering website that recommends 15 minutes every day... problem is, for the past few years I only get through the first 6 weeks. So I have some of the cleanest kitchen drawers you can imagine ( the first month's schedule)! I need to move on in the program.

It's bitter cold here ... -1 F this morning ... but the sun is shining and that makes all the difference.

Beth near Buffalo

Michele: I think I had your daughter's names mixed up. Jessica is the one I meant as being a blessing. I know what a struggle you've had accepting Denise's choices. I have similar struggles accepting my daughter's choices. :ohwell:

Beth: The photos are gorgeous!

Joyce: AAA is a good asset, especially as we age and are less able to handle heavy items like car batteries. We needed their services last summer when we were having car trouble with DH's car. They paid for the tow from the breakdown point to the VW dealer, and that is about 34 miles. Our big problem with them is location. They seem to think that we should be doing a lot of business with a little town in Washington that is right across the river from us. Nice theory, but there isn't a bridge between here and there so it would be 44 miles to get there from here, and 44 miles back. We explained and they gave us the support we needed. :flowerforyou:

Allie: Sending prayers for your dad. I hope the colonoscopy goes well and the news is good.

Lenora: DH has pill caddies that he sets up every week. His caddies allow for two doses per day but if he needed four he could use two caddies per day, one for am and the other for pm. I hope you get things set up in such a way that you feel confident about managing your medicine. I am so glad that you are back with us!!! :bigsmile;

Barbie: I've used the seed stitch forever in my knitting, but I don't know the trinity stitch. :ohwell:

Sue: The pork roast looks wonderful. Is there a secret for keeping it moist? :smilie:

Joyce: Sending prayers for a good outcome.
Sharon: One day at a time. I'm sending prayers for a good outcome for your situation with Larry. (((HUGS)))

Wendy: I am sorry your purse was snatched & your new phone missing. :grumble: I have a purse made by DH. It is a convertible over the shoulder version, and I wear it across my body or under my coat in busy public locations. I can also shorten the strap and make it into a belt. It is small compared to many purses but it holds my keys, billfold and a checkbook well enough. I hope you get things sorted out asap.

Marcelyn: Somebody's idea of humor, no doubt. I am sorry that it is offensive. :grumble:

Karen: I love the bald eagle photo. We have them in summer but they don't stay for winter here. :noway:

Becca: Procraftinating is a fabulous word. I resemble that remark! :laugh:


I am way behind, but have some hope of eventually being caught up with everyone. The grandson is born and the dog is getting better.

Have a great day!


Katla in beautiful NW Oregon

"The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another." - William James

Sitting in dad's hospital room.he is resting...I did get some information that will be needed if he decides no treatment is the way to go...but have a few other irons in the fire...I am mentally exhausted but am here for dad...glad I did take him on that trip....

Learning From Superhumans: The Incredible Fitness and Success of Jack LaLanne

I subscribe to the James Clear email letters and this is what came in today:



by James Clear
Read this on JamesClear.com

Jack LaLanne was a pioneer in the world of fitness.
The gyms that you see all over town? He opened one of the nation's first fitness gyms in 1936.
The machines that fill those gyms? He invented dozens of them.
All of those home workout videos and television weight loss shows? He was the man who first brought fitness into your living room. The Jack LaLanne Show was the longest–running television exercise program of all time. It was on television for 34 years.
And that's just his business career.
If you really want to be impressed, take a look at a handful of his personal fitness achievements.
Here are a few of the fitness feats that LaLanne accomplished…
• He swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while wearing handcuffs.
• At age 42, he set the world record for pushups by doing over 1,000 in 23 minutes.
• At age 45, he did 1,000 jumping jacks and 1,000 pullups in 1 hour and 22 minutes.
• At age 60, he swam from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf for the second time. This time he not only wore handcuffs, but also towed a 1,000 pound boat.
LaLanne was in such remarkable shape that he could do one—armed fingertip pushups while in a completely stretched out position.
Ready for something really incredible?
To celebrate his 70th birthday, LaLanne swam 1.5 miles along the California coast from the Queen's Way Bridge to Long Beach Harbor. And he did it while wearing handcuffs and shackles on his arms and legs and towing 70 row boats holding 70 people.
It sounds impossible, but here's a photo of the 70–year–old LaLanne finishing the swim with all of the boats dragging along behind him.

On his 70th birthday, Jack LaLanne swam 1.5 miles while towing 70 boats filled with 70 people.


What Made Jack LaLanne Different?
In some ways, LaLanne's accomplishments are so out of the ordinary that it's hard to translate them into our own lives. (I mean, I love doing fitness challenges, but I'm not planning to tow 70 boats anytime soon.)
Thankfully, there is a lesson you can learn from Jack LaLanne that applies to nearly everything in your life. You won't discover it by looking at his accomplishments, but rather, by examining his daily habits.
The Daily Routine of Jack LaLanne
The only way you can hurt the body is not use it.
—Jack LaLanne
LaLanne was a big believer in rituals and routines. He realized the power that consistent daily actions could have on his life.
Here are a few of the habits that Jack LaLanne did every day for decades…
• Lift weights and do strength training for 90 minutes.
• Swim or run for 30 minutes (in addition to his strength training).
• Eat 10 raw vegetables.
• Eat two meals: a late breakfast and an early dinner (hmm… that sounds familiar).
• Wake up at 4am (in his later years, LaLanne “slept in” until 5am).
Look at that list. It's not overly long, but imagine doing those things not just for one day or one week, but for 60 years like Jack LaLanne did.
Even at age 94, LaLanne was still exercising for two hours every day. 90 minutes of strength training. 30 minutes of swimming or walking. 10 raw vegetables. Every. Single. Day. For 60 years.
When we see someone who accomplishes something incredible, the easy way out is to discount it, chalk it up to natural talent or genetics, and claim that they were born with something you could never have. It takes the responsibility off of you. But the truth is that most incredible people — even the ones who accomplish superhuman feats — are simply more consistent than everyone else.
It was his incredible consistency that made Jack LaLanne superhuman.
When you look at Jack LaLanne's life, it's easy to focus on the big accomplishments and overlook the daily habits. Similarly, in your own life it's easy to spend all of your time focused on transformations, big goals, and rapid changes, and forget that it's the daily habits that lead to long–term success.
Success is any field is about lifestyle choices, not life–changing transformations. It's your daily routine that will carry you to wherever it is you want to go.
If Something is Important to You, Schedule It
How did Jack LaLanne stick to his daily habits with such consistency?
Do you think he just waited until he felt motivated to workout each day? No way. His consistency has very little to do with willpower or motivation. Nobody is motivated every day for 60 years.
LaLanne knew what was important to him and so he scheduled it into his life. He started every day with strength training. Then he did his swimming and walking. Then he has his breakfast. Same order. Same time. Every time.
If you look at LaLanne's daily habits, everything had a time and place when it was going to happen. Can you say the same about your goals?
So often we tell ourselves things like, “I'm going to eat healthier” or “I'm going to workout more” or “I'm going to start writing more” … but we never say when and where these things are actually going to happen.
Carve out some time. Pick a date. Choose a place. Give your actions a time and a space to live.
LaLanne didn't rely on his willpower or motivation. He just stuck to his daily schedule. That's how all professionals approach their work.
Lessons from LaLanne: Keeping Life In Perspective
In his later years, Jack LaLanne was fond of saying, “I can't afford to die. It would ruin my image.”
Eventually, he passed away at 96 years old. And in all of those years, I think one of his greatest accomplishments was holding on to his happiness as much as his health. Even with all of his fitness achievements, LaLanne didn’t ruin the rest of his life in pursuit of a particular goal.
The balance between achievement and happiness is something that I think about often – not just in my own life, but also in what I write on this site. I'm still working on it, but I believe that you don't have to be dissatisfied to be driven. There's no reason you can't love the life you have and want to make it better at the same time.
But it's not easy. Happiness and gratefulness require constant tending, much like diet and exercise. Your happiness and your health form the basic foundation of your life. There's nothing new or complex about this — despite what the newest commercials for health products, new drugs, and fitness programs want you to believe.
This balance between happiness and achievement is something that I'm working on getting better at myself. What Jack LaLanne showed us — not just in his words, but also through how he lived — is that you can do incredible things and have a wonderful time while doing it.
Learning From Jack LaLanne
Jack LaLanne lived an incredible life, and he mastered something that we can all benefit from: the daily routine.
Is there a skill that is more valuable than the ability to consistently work towards goals that are important to you while maintaining a sense of perspective and happiness?
It's not the incredible achievements, but rather your daily habits that determine who you are and what you accomplish. Get your habits handled, and the rest will fall into place. If we can take this small lesson and apply it to our lives, there is no doubt we will all be better off for it.