WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2024

Anniesquats100 · March 24

Good morning ladies!

I ate a little extra much the last two days, and my scale is presenting me with truth. So back on the wagon today.

Machka I think you are right that something on my car isn't grounded properly.

Tracey your craft room looks lovely!

Lisa I'm impressed with the brick. Looks great! And good for you handling the snake!

Heather you are brave, dragging yourself to another appointment. Hope you get some relief.

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

Annie in Delaware

Machka9 · March 24

I'm sure most of us have made a list of the things we wanted in the place where we're currently living ... or what we would want if we were to move in the next few years.

What's on your list?

Maybe not the whole list, but what are some things you thought you'd like for your current place or what you might look for in a new place ... especially as we age?

The top item on our list is ... exercise. We want to be able to exercise outside right from our front door (specifically cycling), and we want to be able to exercise easily inside.

Another item near the top, maybe even in second place, is that we wanted all our living on one level - bedrooms, laundry, kitchen, living, exercise room, etc. all on the same level. We do not want to have to deal with stairs in order to move from one room to the next.

Along with that, we would like a flat or relatively flat block of land. Living the past 10 years on a hillside hasn't been easy. In the beginning, it was all right, but after my husband's accident it has become increasingly more difficult and dangerous.

I would like hard-surface flooring throughout because it is easier to clean and keep clean.

Views. I hate being closed in and only seeing the wall of another building or a fence out the window.

And lots more, but those might be among the top 5.

Machka in Oz

Machka9 · March 24

One benefit of losing that crown is that I have cut back on eating. It hurts a lot on that side and is just too much effort.

But I've noticed my weight come down a little tiny bit.

M in Oz

Anniesquats100 · March 24

Machka I think safety and affordability top my list. But when I'm dreaming, I would like to live by a lake. And in an area with a lot of rich bachelors!

I would also like to be close to a church of my denomination, and a grocery store, and I will look for one- level living next time. The day will come when I don't want to drive or climb stairs. Maybe a retirement community with a library and a fitness center. A writing group would be fabulous. I would like to be near live theater, too.

As far as the house itself, I would like a sunny back deck. And hardwood floors. And high speed internet. A place for my books and for a home gym. I love wood fireplaces, but they are a lot of work. I don't want lead or asbestos or drainage issues.

Can you tell I spend a lot of time on this issue? If my dad has to sell the house to afford memory care, I may have to move quickly.

Annie in Delaware

Machka9 · March 24

cityjaneLondon wrote: »

I will ready my body for my surgeon tomorrow. I think a bath is beyond my capability, but could manage a foot soak and a strip wash. I may dare the shower. Take it all very slowly. At the moment I am crawling down the stairs backwards.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

Maybe the reason your husband is rather quiet about this is because he's thinking that if it happens you need surgery like a hip replacement, you'll have to reorganise your house so that you can recover for 8 weeks on the main floor. Maybe he is mulling over what changes need to be made ... or even if you two might need to think about a more accessible place.

M in Oz

SophieRosieMom · March 24

Machka - good job putting your list together. If you can picture it, let's say "build" it in your head, you'll find what you are looking for like in "Field of Dreams." At least that's the way it's always worked for me.

Debbie - yes, spring has suddenly sprung here too. I noticed yesterday the crocosmia sprouted up about 6" overnight in some areas, the apple trees are budding out. I'm considering transferring the tomatoes into 4" pots today. The national weather service has forecast a warmer dry spring for us, at least until they change their minds.

Barbie - I like the way you and Jake handled your move to WA. When DH and I moved from the farm, we did similarly and were able to get the old house ready for viewing. We had plenty of storage areas available to store packed up household goods that we wanted in the new house.

DH did just about all of the packing and moving the big stuff himself with the help of a couple friends. Facing this job on my own now is a different story, but I can eat this elephant one bite at a time.

Lisa - any time you want to farm out Corey, you know there's a waiting list.

You two made impressive progress yesterday. WOW! Cute snake, good job donating it to the neighbors.

Heather - I bet you are counting the minutes until your appointment. I hope they can nail the problem and make headway into getting your pain resolved ASAP.

Kylia - I'm sorry I can't recall - is your DH a diabetic and on meds for it? I'm really anxious to get Dr. Lisa's guidance on this come Thursday and read Dr. Bikman's book. Dr. Jason Fung says morning higher FBS is normal in some people, called the Dawn Phenomenon, as the liver kicks into action and pumps out glucose. I don't think my FBS been below 100 for decades even when my A1C was a lot lower. Mine was 108 this morning after 11 hrs fasting and under 90 grams net carbs yesterday.

Annie - hope you can get to the root of your shocking car problem. Sometimes even neighbors or friends that have worked on cars know the solution, tho engines are a lot more complicated than when we were kids and dads and brothers worked on cars in the driveway.

Have you tried googling that problem in forums specific to your make and model of car? I think home mechanics hang out there, someone might have an idea.

I've learned a few handy things about my vehicles that way.

Barbara - how are you faring after your surgery???

Ginny - glad no major problem with that possible basement leak. Hope that TB exposure is of no consequence. Seems like between TB and Hepatitis, our public health department has been putting out warnings for many years regarding these diseases popping up. And yes, I might just drag this laptop along when I go to the local computer store tomorrow. If I pick up a new one they might take care of this one at the same time. Main thing - I want to watch and learn.

Lanette

SW WA State

LisaInArkansas · March 24

Machka - Dream house elements if we were to buy again - got longer than I thought it would! Many of them, we've either got with this house or have built into this house.

1. Ranch style (the American version of the one-level you mentioned - no stairs anywhere). There are minor steps into and around getting in our current house, but none inside.
2. Two bathrooms, one with a bidet - Not sharing a bathroom is one of my personal recommendations for a happy marriage. We have a bath and a half now, not quite enough.
3. Large kitchen - Preferably with room for an informal table that seats 4 or 5, or a breakfast nook. It's where family always ends up anyway. We have this now.
4. Mudroom/utility room - Place for washer, dryer, coats, freezers, room to store boots and shoes, and room to sit down and put them on. We built in a mudroom in this house, but it's separate from the laundry room.
5. Hardwood, vinyl, and tile floors throughout - Only the bedroom has carpet here.
6. Three bedrooms - So I can make one a craft room/workspace, or two bedrooms and an office/den that I can turn into a craft room. I've turned what was a formal dining room into a craft room in this house, and it works well. Wouldn't mind one even larger, with room for a worktable in the middle.
7. Wraparound porch - My favorite houses have large porch spaces, with at least part screened in to avoid the bugs and comfortable seating. We don't have that wraparound here, but do have the new sunroom.
8. Fully fenced acreage with space for a garden near the house - We have 11 acres now, and it's a little much. We don't use more than the five acres nearest the house. We're only partially fenced at the moment, and we still get stray dogs through.
9. House placement - Far enough inside the property that neighbors' barking dogs aren't an issue.
10. Workshop separated from the house - Large one, with room for woodworking, space for all mechanical, construction and garden tools, and drive-in space for the big mowers and equipment to keep the acreage in good shape. Right now, we're using three different outbuildings for all this stuff, but we've marked a place out where we want to build the workshop, and will eventually get it done.
11. Separate or attached garages or carports accommodating three vehicles - Need room for my car, Corey's truck, and Corey's work truck. Right now, Corey's old truck is parked out in the weather.
12. No HOAs - These are organizations that usually develop along with an area that's newly built. They dictate everything from what color your house can be painted to what you can add on to all kinds of other things that punish you if you violate the rules. And people pay fees to them to live in that area. I won't live where one is in force. This does mean that people can let things go around their homes near you, but I won't have someone else tell me what I can do on my property. Makes my skin crawl.

Lanette - My fasting blood sugar is running right around 100 these days, but my A1C is always good, so my docs haven't alerted on anything like that for me. Yet. My mother did come up with Type 2 at 60 years old, and I'm hoping to avoid it. At the moment, it's a low-level worry, because I have enough on my plate. Nonetheless, I keep my eye on the results of those blood tests. My last A1C in November was 5.1, so I'm still in the right range. It was 5.3 in 2017, so I'm doing something right...

Barbara - Thinking about you. Hope you're recovering well. Did you ever hear anything back from Katla or her people?

Heather - I'm shrugging on this side of the pond, too... until a few years back, I wasn't interested in dealing with anything outside at all - I think it all started when we lived on the ranch. It was the first time I had enough acreage to wander around in. But there was a lot of satisfaction in getting those bricks placed yesterday, as well as a tremendous amount of frustration. Thinking in three dimensions has ALWAYS been hard for me. I work a lot more easily with words than with bricks! Having to build something from a non-level surface and make sure that it ends up level up, down, forward, backward, and side-to-side very nearly broke my brain! Quilts, I understand. Bricks, not so much. But I'm determined to get reasonably proficient at this.

Cold and windy this morning, but supposed to get up to 63 degrees. The rain isn't supposed to come in until after midnight, but it sure looks rainy out there right now... Corey may need to run into town for something we forgot to pick up yesterday morning. I can feel every single one of those bricks between my shoulders, across my back, but it's not crippling - just a different movement and my body is telling me about it. Nice distraction from my usual pain sources.

Laundry going this morning, and time to ferry in the man's third cup of well-deserved coffee. I'm so grateful for all he does... and if not for him slinging those 70-pound bags of cement and buckets of sand for me, bricklaying would get very iffy for me, and a whole lot slower.

Got to get some clothes folded!

Love y'all,
Lisa in chilly Arkansas

bwcetc · March 24

Tracey ... thank you for the photo app name! Your craft room looks great!

Machka ... I've thought about where I live and where I would want to be. Our home is wheelchair accessible (also one level) so it really is somewhere to age in place. Except for the laundry. That's in the basement. Used to be on the main level but we moved it to make the wheelchair accessible shower larger years ago. We will need to bring it back up at some point and probably place it where a special jetted tub sits. We've just about taken care of everything major that a house needs to have done. What's left are more cosmetic things like replacing flooring and painting the interior.

Well, the sun came out yesterday ... And, yes, my mood improved immensely!

Beth near Buffalo

teklawa1 · March 24

pipcd34 · March 24

380380

kymarai · March 24

Good Morning!
Lanette Thank you for that rabbit hole! I have downloaded to kindle both Atomic Habits and Why we Get Sick books. I am interested in reading them both. The connection between Insulin and migraines grabbed my attention for me. There were other signs that grabbed my attention for DH. He is "pre-diabetic with an A1C of 6.2. I am not sure that I can get my net carbs down as low as recommended due to honey for allergies (in my morning coffee), but surely can make other changes. I know that with MFP's pie chart I seem to have my numbers really skewed. It has me at 50% carbs, 30% fat, and 20% protein. I find I am almost always around 50% fat, 15% protein, and 35% carbs. I am thinking if I up the produce and protein intake it will help even out the carb intake in spite of honey in the morning. Man! That means I really need to plan foods! So I added cottage cheese to our scrambled eggs this morning=more protein. It was really good! Pick and choose and try to make it work.....DH is dependent on me for food so that helps. He is an after dinner snacker which irritates me as I feel like he should have eaten more dinner, but that is me. Lead by example.....Lead by example.....Lead by example! That is what I will keep telling myself on this journey to make both of us the healthiest we can be. I could take our FBS in the morning. I have a kit. I have been hypoglycemic all my life but since menopause, my body is really confusing me. The last blood work had my fasting at 99 which is up from the previous blood work. Work in progress!

HeatherUK I am praying for healing for you! It saddens me to think of you sidelined from the activities you love by pain. Hugs!

Lisa Good Job Egg! Yay to you for dealing with it! Love the two beds! Homesteading 101- use what you have! My DH is talking about putting in raised beds around new garage......mmmm....maybe vegggies!?!

House....ours is perfect in many ways. Not too large, single level, no more than one step to get into it anywhere, 2.5 baths with one having a small lip shower. Things wanting to change....new carpets (most are 20-40 yo), better storage in kitchen/laundry room, new countertops in kitchen (nothing really wrong with one there just tired), and new master bathroom- getting rid of tub, getting taller sink/vanity, and adding door. None of these items are urgent, just wants. The bathroom takes priority though it has now been put on the back burner again. First by the new blacktop and concrete for driveway, sidewalks, and front porch. Now by the garage addition. Maybe before I turn 70! Having said all that, I am not sure how long I would stay here if something happened to DH. The solitude is nice, but if I want to travel I don't need to worry about all this. It has been 30 years since I have lived close to people though. The time may come when it will be something to consider. In the meantime, I just need to get us both healthy!

Barbara Thinking of you and hoping you are taking the time to heal.

Tracey I like the look of your craft room.

Deferred decisions for today....training, filing paperwork, and paying bills. I should get a move on.

Much love and healing thoughts!

Kylia in sunny but COLD! Ohio

SophieRosieMom · March 24

Lisa - excellent job on your A1C. When you and Corey bought your place, did you have plans for it to be set up well for aging in place, or has that just evolved through the years? It really does sound perfect with (or even without) the few tweaks you mentioned.

Tracey - you are so organized, I love your craft room. I currently have a craft closet that is a danger zone when I open the door. Time to send a lot of these things to the thrift store - I'm no longer in the mood to quilt, for example, so why do I need two boxes of fabric scraps taking up room?

Kylia - I too love honey. Don't use much of it but purchased plenty to have on hand for sore throats. I read that drinking some Apple cider vinegar mixed with water will blunt the effect of sugary stuff like honey so that might be an option? I'm still researching. I'm trying to load up on protein at supper and cut carbs way back so I don't get hungry and tempted by a bedtime snack. Thanks for the idea of cottage cheese mixed in scrambled eggs, that's a great way to up protein to 30 grams at breakfast. I was also thinking of getting pure (no or not many additives) bulk pork sausage fried up and adding a handful. Working on my shopping list!

I think you'll really like James Clear's book. Applicable in so many parts of our lives. I just checked and am at least a few weeks away from getting Bikman's book from the library. I see plenty of interviews with him on various YouTube channels so can watch them in the meantime.

I'm going to mention a few things that I didn't like about the house I looked at. Just rambling so feel free to skip:

The septic drain field is on the neighbor's property. So if there's a problem in the pipes getting liquid pumped from the holding tanks up to the drain field, how willing is the neighbor to dig up his back yard? There might be some type of easement in force, but still.

The majority of the 1 1/2 acres is on a slope. Part of it is so steep, it cannot be safely mowed and has to be cut with a weed-eater. The shed that houses the mower is set on blocks and the current owner has portable ramps to drive his mower in and out. Um, nope.

The chicken coop is at the back of the property, cannot be seen from the house, blackberries are taking over. With my current set-up, I can see my girls from my kitchen window.

There's nothing to do but sit in the house or out under the eave. I'm used to being as busy as I want to be, and look forward to doing various handy man (woman) jobs. Keeps my brain and body active. A lot of it is more than I can do but luckily have Roger across the street and T's husband plus a little $$ put back to pay Alex and his crew once or twice a year to keep up with the property.

No close neighbors other than T across the road. I have great neighbors right where I am, if I need or want company I can have it in 15 minutes. People I know and trust.

But, it was good going through that experience. I think I'll ultimately end up in the retirement community where the mowing is taken care of through monthly fees and there's a handyman available. It's about 5 minutes down the road from T's house. If my health holds, that might be in 5 or more years from now.

In the meantime I'm taking a fresh look at what upgrades and improvements I can make (that I've been putting off) in my current house and property to make it better for me, and not some future buyer. Sometimes I need a kick in the pants and not just with Pip's boot.

Time to go let the girls out for a romp.

Weekly Check-in reminder to get info to me today or by noon my time tomorrow.

Make it a fabulous day.

Lanette

SW WA State

LisaInArkansas · March 24

Tracey - I really like the crafts room change. It's always hard when you're trying to build around having a bed in the room. I've had more than one office/bedroom combination. Isn't it interesting how one change can help you breathe better in a room? I keep forgetting to say how proud I am of you that you're following your dreams of being in the education world. Hug-yourself-happy feelings, those.

Beth - Glad the sun's helping your mood. I just walked down to open the gate, and even a little bit of weak and thready sunshine helped out. I cannot tell you how glad I am to NOT be living in snow country.

Lanette - We were looking for the ranch-style house with large hallways in order to age in place, yes. It was part of what was on my list at the time.

Opened the gate for the Walmart delivery, they should show up a few hours from now. The final piece of the files & photos project is a fireproof safe big enough to hold the few documents that we need to keep. Medical records and X-rays from Corey's surgery on his shattered wrist seven years ago, documents for the trust, original wills, deeds to the house, marriage license and old divorce papers, etc., as well as my discharge papers and Corey's pardon from the Queen (for a DUI he got in Canada 30 years ago).

We've got a small box, but I wanted one big enough to hold everything we need to protect. It was $68 from Wally-world, good for up to 15 minutes of fire at 1550 degrees, and water-resistant as well to survive the firefighters' flooding the place. That should be sufficient for what we need. So... with taxes, time, etc., about a $300 project, but the only files actually left in the house will be in that safe, and the only paper photographs will be in frames on the wall.

On to the next thing...

Love,
Lisa in AR

kevrit · March 24

Today is have some chocolate covered raising for me! Dentist for me tomorrow.

GodMomKim · March 24

Hi Gals,

Lisa- Love the raised beds, I love beds of flowers near the house, and my home came with larger shrubs right up against the house, and I have been slowly (for 30 years slowly) taking out plants and moving or replacing them farther away from the house. For drainage, rot and fire issues. The back and sides are completely done, but the front is still a work in progress. The brick beds would solve some of those problems.

I read somewhere (wish I could remember where, or maybe I heard it on a podcast) that one of the best things we can do for our brains as we age is learn to do new things…. And many of us are doing that. I loved that learning was something that really was accessible for all of us.

My next house is in the thought process, as I know I do not want to retire here. But my focus has been on the neighborhood not the house. Thinking about the house is a good exercise.

I do plan on buying after I turn 70 and retire from the embroidery business. I want to live in a smaller community, with a bit bigger piece of property than I have here, specifically bigger side yards these homes were built exactly to the code, house + 10 feet, fence + 10 feet, house - so I am 20 feet from the wall of my neighbors home. I would love it to be doubled. I do love people and find them so interesting, my thought is from 70 – 80 years old (health dependent) I would like to have my home be an Airbnb so would really like 2 master bedroom suites (bed and bath combos) One for me and one for guests (rental or friends) and a third bedroom for office/crafts…. Also, a ½ bath (toilet/sink). A nice sized kitchen with eating area/ or kitchen on one side of a great room. AND windows I love the natural light. I could be ok with the single master and office/craft room on one level and the 2nd master upstairs or over the garage or even in a ADU (accessory dwelling unit) BUT one thing I would really like is a heating/air conditioning system – I don’t have that now and would love to be able to adjust the warmth and coolness easily.

In California homes are not always well insulated, I would want or would add double paned windows, insulated walls, floors and ceilings.

Well writing that up was easier than I expected I guess I had thought about it more than I realized.

Love ya all,
Kim in N. California

kymarai · March 24

Squirrels, mice, birds.....none are high on my like list right now! They are fine when out in yard and not causing trouble but.....no dogs means they are becoming pests! I went to put chemicals in hottub and startled a pigeon that had nested on a porch pillar. I have fought the robins off that pillar for years. I knocked the nest down and put a small statue there. My only regret is there were two eggs in it. Early for that! Then I turned on hottub and a da?! Mouse ran out of it! It ran right over the decon box. Maybe I need to look at adopting a couple of dogs again?

Back to training.....

Kylia

cityjaneLondon · March 24

Barbara - Hope you're OK. Sending love.

Had a nice chat with G today, who has returned from her Paris trip. She had a wonderful time, seeing the Rothko exhibition, and was blessed with great weather. I was very envious. My (imaginary) Paris flat has its windows open, enjoying the spring weather in its little garden square.

Leek, spinach, and feta frittata tonight. I've cooked the leeks and thawed the spinach. I'm fancying one or two chunky fries with it. There's always leftovers for a sandwich tomorrow.

Love Heather UK xxxxxxxx

grandmallie · March 24

Afternoon ladies
Horrible night sleeping last night..and I did get up and feed the animals.. and load and run the dishwasher.
Tom came and got Mr Alfie for a few days.he will be leaving this next weekend for a couple weeks for Florida..to get some work done on the place down there..so he is getting Alfie time in now.
My friends band is playing at the local bar this is there 30th year together and I plan on going..but right now I am just so exhausted that I don't know if I will or not.. and I know It will be packed and I can't really handle crowds in a small place.so its iffy..

Joy1580vb · March 24

Tracey, very nice craft room. Looks well organized...good job.

Continuing on my walking routine and the dogs seem to look forward to it. Still doing 15 minutes twice a day and will stick with that until the end of next week. Taking Lucy to the groomer on Tuesday so if it is still cool out she may just get 10 minutes each time. I think the groomer will have to clip her pretty close. Will see what happens. Weight is still the same but I think I will see a bit of a decline soon.

Will stop into the grocery store in town on Tuesday to pick up some fresh veggies/dip for a vegetable platter for Easter. Think I have just about everything prepared except for desert (pie) which I will do on Saturday. Got a couple sets of place mats from Amazon (12 in total). A couple of years ago my grandson (adult) bought me some dinner plates that have a lot of black and gold in them. They are Royal Stafford black and gold willow pattern. I think it is a discontinued pattern and I like them. I try to use them for family dinners especially if he is coming. I have cork place mats that I use every day but for company usually use linen/cotton ones. The ones I have did not look good with these plates. Got PVC ones that look woven in gold/bamboo color. Was surprised at how nice they are.

Joy

pipcd34 · March 25

Stats for the day-

Housecleaning etc- 2hrs 25min 48sec, make/refill hummingbird food, laundry fold/put away, grind more coffee, rearrange closet, make more French dip mix, etc= 680c

WOMEN AGES 50+ FOR MARCH 2024

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