60 yrs and up

whoops, forgot the serving of dried berries in my scones. Almost back to par!

We dropped into the very windy 20’s this morning. Tickly throat.

Since I’ve had severe issues related to strep several times in the past, I utterly freak out over tickly throats.

I think today is going to be an R&R day with chicken broth, and hot water with honey and lemon. My appetite seems to have plummeted since breakfast time.

Trying to stay healthy, in case I’m needed to “be Mom” on the other coast, since a surgery may have to unexpectedly be moved up.

wow wow wow wow!!!!!!!!!!

Neighbors got photos here in central Tx. I think I was asleep but maybe more tonight. Not visable with naked eye but via phone they said.

we’ve had neighbors say they saw it last night and posted photos from their home. Jaw dropped.

We’re staying up late in hopes……

This is on my bucket list and to see it from home (north Georgia) would be mind blowing.

We're far enough north but this time of year we don't often see the sky.

Have had the hump since I was in 6th grade. After watching one of my best friends get felt up by the class bullies, I began hunching over in an effort to hide my own gracious endowments. The habit stuck.

Do whatever you can to prevent it before it starts. I catch glimpses of myself in windows and try to straighten up, but I forget 30 seconds later and go back to same old, same old.

Sorry about your disappointing bone scan, Ann. But, I try to look in the bright side these days. How much worse could it potentially be if you didn’t do all you do? How bad/guilty would you feel if you hadn’t made the effort? And, my heavens, you’ve certainly made a fighting effort to control it.

We drone an hour north to a mountaintop park to try to see the Aurora. No bueno. But surprised to find, a couple hundred other people had done likewise, and all descended on this fairly isolated park. It was something of a party atmosphere. Lots of families, lots of kids, and (surprisingly) lots of languages. I guess people were really hoping for a truly once in a lifetime opportunity.

Some of us did spot an amazing, streaking falling star. Nicest one of those I’ve ever seen.

It was an adventure, and the High Anxiety Dog was thrilled for the late night ride.

We got home well after midnight, didn’t set the alarm, and cancelled all classes and swim lanes for the day. I just had the most glorious red velvet muffin for breakfast, and the HAD got a special milkbone treat from the coffee shop, too.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Now off to Lidl to buy more chicken broth. Still trying to tamp down this bug that’s trying to get its tentacles in. I have no voice this morning (much to husband’s joy!)

Thanks! I do cardio, strength, and tai chi at home as there are no facilities or classes in my very rural area. It's good to know that constant adaptation is to be expected with age. You were really kind to post this reply and I appreciate the support so much!

the new, bigger muffin tins came in, so I tried my “butter volcanoes” again, as we nicknamed them last time.

In an effort to experiment with cutting calories (and alleviate the nightmare cleanup- these literally erupted butter everywhere) I also cut the butter in the filling in half and subbed molasses to help keep it spreadable.

I went too far in the other direction. Will cut it by just 1/3 next time. They seem to need the butter to “soak” in, in the pan, while baking.

Not bad at all, just dryer than experienced IRL at the bakery the cookbook is by.

In fairness, part of that is because the weather is so whacko, I had to keep adding (lots!!!) flour just to get the dough to knead.

But joy of joys, the new pans have a lip, which prevented the butter from running all over the oven bottom and onto the floor, like they did in the smaller cupcake tins.

Will give it another try this weekend. I’m determined to get them light, fluffy, still sweet and oozing, but lower cal than the original recipe.

These are really large. Each one is about 388 calories this time. I think adding back some butter and will be worth a few extra.

If you find yourself in London, Fortitude Bakehouse is next door to Russell Square tube, and is worth the detour.

May I use this forum to complain about my asthmatic month?

For whatever reason, I've been struggling with my breathing for several weeks. I can't tell if it flared up due to a virus or something. It could even have been a light bout of COVID (so light that I didn't think to test— I did take the vax a few weeks ago). The net result has been a few weeks of annoying chest tightness. It's not uncommon for me— It last happened in about March. I got a full work up with two chest x-rays that were normal.

So, I already had the inhalers, albuterol and "Wixela Inhub," a dopy name for a generic "combination medication containing an inhaled corticosteroid (fluticasone) to reduce airway inflammation and a long-acting beta-agonist (salmeterol) to relax airway muscles." It works, but it also makes my voice horse, making me sound sick. I hate that!

Now, I was signed up to do a fundraiser 5k with a friend on Saturday (almost a week ago). We always have a good time, and I didn't want to cancel. I'd been training, although all my runs involved some breathing issues and I've needed to use my inhalers. The 5k definitely left me worse off, and I've been tired with breathing issues since. I went back on the "Wixela Inhub" twice daily for a few days and lost my voice as usual, but got some relief from the chest tightness. I couldn't stand the loss of my voice so I've gone back off it.

It's all a bit disruptive and seems to be a new reality in my life from time to time. Oh me oh my!

@Jthanmyfitnesspal Could you have long covid (small airway lung disease is the technical term)? I suffered with shortness of breath and coughing for 9 full months after having a small bout with covid. You have to have a Chest CT scan in order to find out. Xray's won't show it. They put me on inhalers to deal with it until it went away (which it did eventually, just took time). In the meanwhile, keep exercising but listen to your body, if you're out of breath you need to slow down. And wear a mask when indoors with crowds in wintertime, you don't want to get covid again on top of what you're dealing with now.

For a long time, my PB pace during a 500 meter rowing piece was from one Friday evening: An oncologist's office had left me a voice mail saying "we saw something on your chest X-ray we need to talk with you about" . . . and that was all. They had done the X-ray to look for signs of metastatic cancer. I got that message when I got home from work Friday; their office was closed until Monday.

Mad? Oooooo, so mad. Also freaked out. Anxious. Terrified, even.

So, other than a very intense rowing machine workout, I have no swearing substitutes. 🤣 It was . . . hmm, challenging . . . but not literally self-destructive.