Health, Wealth and Retirement

Wow, this picture was taken about this time last year! It has been quite a year to say the least!  We were living in an Apartment in Layton, Utah when this was taken. I am NOT an apartment dweller...so, shortly after this was taken I made the decision to sell my condo on Okaloosa Island (my originally planned retirement destination) and buy a home here in Ogden.

I absolutely love Ogden.  It is very family friendly, and the scenery is incomparable.  It doesn't seem to matter what season it is, there is always something beautiful to look at here.  I hadn't worked since coming to Utah in June of 2013, and was enjoying my retirement.  However,  several incidents led me to look for a job here.  What an education.  It is very difficult for a 67-year-old woman to find a job in Utah!  Anywhere in Utah!  One of the quirks about Utah is that it isn't particularly job friendly for women...kinda behind the times on that.

The first job I managed to land was with a telemarketing group ...aauugghh! I'm definitely not designed for that!  In addition, most of the people working there were very young and very, very involved in Comic Con...  I really didn't know much about that until my experience there...geesh, these people are downright cultish about that stuff.  Needless to say, that didn't last long.

Then, there was a job fair for a large grocery chain here.  They were opening a new Marketplace type of store and the concept impressed me.  Soooo, I went and applied for a job in the Deli (since I have had quite a bit of food experience in the past).  I got the job.  Well, in the beginning I was quite excited about my new position.  We were schooled extensively in food handling, I even had to get a Utah Foodhandlers License..that was easy.  But, I didn't have any idea what I was in for.  The store actually opened on November 17th, a week before Thanksgiving! 

Now, if you can imagine a huge, absolutely fantastic (biggest in the area) grocery store opening one week before Thanksgiving, and the crowds that USUALLY shop for that - multiply it by about four to five times and you may have some idea of exactly how SLAMMED we were! OMG! I have never seen so many people in a grocery store in my life.  It was totally crazy.  The Deli not only cuts meat and cheeses, but has a huge display of cold salads, Pizza, Sandwiches, a Salad Bar and tons of shelves of prepared foods to keep "faced."  This was insane!  My "part time" job was going to kill me for sure!  For one thing, two weeks in a row I worked over 50 hours!  My feet, legs, and body in general were definitely not prepared for the abuse they were taking.  Standing on concrete floors for eight to ten hours a day, loading and unloading six wheeled carts of heavy meats and salads.  Stooping, bending and reaching..washing dishes...cutting chickens...aauugghh.

Then, there was the interesting problem that occurs when you have a few older people like me working with a bunch of younger people who have never worked in their lives.  I am hoping there are some youngsters out there a lot more ambitious than the ones I was working with.  They seemed to think that getting paid for standing around and talking was acceptable; and they were terribly disrespectful to those of us who thought otherwise.

Is this what I really wanted for retirement?  I found myself driving home late at night totally exhausted.  I began to wonder exactly now long I could keep up this pace.  I also began to wonder if life was any fun at all if this is what I had to do?  Did I really have to work? Would my hubby be disappointed in me if I didn't?  Was the small amount of hourly wage I was earning actually worth the pain, disappointment and exhaustion I was suffering from.  I began to feel like I had no life!  I certainly didn't have much joy!  Whew, this was not only physically taxing, but mentally.  One day I was so completely exhausted after a ten hour day that I couldn't even remember how to sign out on the time clock! Then to my horror, I couldn't remember my own house number...oh, I knew which one it was and how to get there (thank goodness), but not the number.  I realized shortly after that I couldn't remember ANYTHING with a number.  I called my daughter and she took me to the doctor.  My blood pressure was normal, so at least I knew I wasn't stroking out!  She took me home and put me to bed.  I immediately fell asleep, and after a good rest everything was normal again. Scary stuff!

Well, since then, I have spent a lot of time thinking about life after retirement and what I really want out of it.  I want to be able to enjoy my grandchildren...they give me such joy.  I want to live long enough to do that (and I'm afraid that if I kept up that ridiculous pace I wasn't going to be around long).  I would still like to travel whenever the opportunity presents itself (part of the reason I thought it might be nice to have a few extra dollars to spend).  I want to be able to participate in my Church, snowshoe on sunny days on the side of the mountain, cook dinner for my husband at night, and actually have the ENERGY to spend time with my hubby without falling asleep sitting on the couch!

Okay, end of job!

End of Story!

I have decided to work on my health, both physical and mental and actually take time to enjoy retirement.  No, I may not have a lot of extra money in the bank because of my decision, but if I am tired, sick and run down, the money won't do me any good anyway!

Hope this helps someone else in my position come to the right decision for them...I know this is the right one for me!  Hmmmm, smells like the roast may be done!  I love being a housewife again!

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Linda

Sharing Autumn Bounty!

I made this lovely salad for dinner this evening!  It came out so well, that I wanted to share it with all of my regulars!

WARM FALL SALAD


Ingredients:
1/2 cup pine nuts, roasted
1/2 of a spaghetti squash
2 cups chopped fingerling potatoes (I chose mixed ones)
8 leaves red leaf lettuce, chopped
2 Pears, cored and thinly sliced
2 cups cubed rotisserie chicken (already cooked)
1/2 red onion, diced
Olive oil (for spaghetti squash and potatoes)
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
Juice of 1/2 Lemon (or lime)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon Mustard powder (or yellow mustard)
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper to Taste

PREPARATION:

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES    Line a baking sheet and spread out pine nuts over it.  When oven is ready, place baking sheet on center rack and roast pine nuts for 7-10 minutes stirring twice.  Remove from oven when done.  Up the heat to 450 degrees.  Slice spaghetti squash in half and remove the seeds from one of the halves.  Brush a little olive oil over the squash flesh and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a lined baking sheet and roast for 30 minutes on center rack.  Meanwhile wash and dice fingerling potatoes.  Toss lightly with olive oil.  Season potatoes with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder.  After the spaghetti squash has roasted for 30 minutes add diced potatoes to the same baking sheet along with the spaghetti squash, and place back in oven to roast for another 10 minutes.  Wash and slice red leaf lettuce.  Slice pears.  Cube 1/2 the meat from the rotisserie chicken that is hot.  Dice 1/2 of a red onion.  When the spaghetti squash is out of the oven, fluff the squash with a fork and place the squash flesh into a large salad bowl.  Add all other ingredients.  Mix up dressing in a small bowl with a whisk to emulsify well.  Pour dressing over salad and toss well to coat evenly.  Serve immediately.

This is a really unique and delicious recipe!  Try it!  It's a little work, but it is really worth it!


PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda

A Drug Shortage? Give Me A Break

Now the pharmaceutical companies have gone just too far! I just heard on the news that there is a "shortage" of numerous drugs used to treat ovarian cancer. Why the shortage? No explanation.

Some hospitals and doctors may start "hoarding" these drugs. I am sure that the price will go up. And, there you have it! We are constantly being held hostage by the pharmaceutical companies. When will this change. It will NOT unless we begin to look deeply into the cause of so many other issues in this Country. That issue is GREED.
More money, more money, more money and there is never enough.

One of the ways we need to combat this problem is to find ways to deal with our health issues that do not include pharmaceuticals. For example, a vegan (and I do mean a very strict vegan) diet can derail cancer in weeks. Does any oncologist tell you this? Probably not. He recommends a chemotherapy that will give you more time or cure you. Problem is, it might kill you too!

There are some things you can do to help keep cancer at bay. Don't smoke! Don't drink to excess. And, most important of all, believe it or not, watch what you eat.

Did you know that meats create a more acid environment in your body? Did you know that vegetables create an alkaline environment in your body? And, guess what? Cancer doesn't grow well in an alkaline environment! Neither do lot of other diseases. I know most people aren't going to become vegetarian or vegan overnight, but I am telling you one thing, that if you are seriously ill, you should consider it!

See a really good nutritionist and find out what works best for you. Find out if you have food allergies, sensitivities, and what foods will help you feel great.
You won't be sorry. Lets help ourselves to better health, and prove that pharmaceuticals are not the ONLY answer to illness!

More later...Move On!!!

Weighing In

I got on the scales this morning. I am down 32 pounds since May 22nd and I am going to keep going for another 32 pounds!

The book that got me motivated is called THE 17 DAY DIET by Dr. Mike Moreno. Now, if you only have ten or twelve pounds to lose, you can probably do it in 17 days, but if you are like me and need to lose quite a bit more, Dr. Moreno's book will still work for you. Dr. Moreno has put in the time and seems to have the best grasp of how to not only lose a small amount of weight, but much larger amounts. His plan is broken down into four 17 day plans. The first causes a rapid initial weight loss. The second 17 days are designed to cause "metabolic confusion" which I have long felt is the answer to sustained weight loss. One day is nearly carb free the next allows a limited amount of carbs, and the body continues to burn fat at a steady, somewhat slower rate than the first day. There is no calorie counting involved, there are no special "shots" or "medications" or "supplements". Just good sound nutrition.

Two things have happened to me since I began this diet. I have, indeed, lost a considerable amount of weight ... 32 pounds in two months, and I have felt better than I have in a long time. Additionally, my skin has improved, my digestion has improved and I just generally feel that my overall health has also improved.

I am drinking more water than I used to, 64 ounces minimum per day. Yes, this does involve going to the bathroom more frequently, but the detox effect caused by the diet and the increase in water/elimination is part of the reason I am feeling and looking so much better.

I still have about 32 more pounds to lose, and I am sure it will take more than two months to finish up, but I am planning on reaching my goal by Thanksgiving. No, not so I can gobble up on potatoes and gravy! I have made a lifestyle change and I intend to stick to it for the rest of my life. I want my Golden Years to actually be golden so that I can continue to travel, paint, play with my grandchildren and generally enjoy a rich and healthy life.

Join me on this journey, and you will feel and look better too. Let me know how you do...I am interested!