With Age Comes Wisdom?

Beautiful garden there isn't it?  I love walking through the grass and smelling all the lovely fragrances that float up from this huge variety of flowers.

I think as you grow older you do learn to "stop and smell the roses" a little more frequently than when you are young.

As I spend time checking out blogs on the internet, I find that most are written by those twenty somethings and thirty somethings who are still raising children.  They are filled with "hints" on items to buy for babies, quick recipes for families and so on.  That's all good, but what about all of those Baby Boomers out there?  What is it that they want to read?  Do they read blogs?

Lately, I have found myself in the position of having to seek a job at 67 years of age.  Hmmm, shouldn't be a problem, should it? I mean I'm a retired RN, have owned my own restaurant, have worked as a Legal Secretary and Sold Real Estate in two states, I've even sold Auto Insurance for a prominent Insurance company.  Tons of experience!  Tons of skills! So what? I'm 67.

It seems that in spite of the fact there is a law against age discrimination, it is still a really big problem.  Every single application I have filled out has asked either my age, or when I graduated from High School.  Hmmmmmm..  doesn't that constitute age discrimination?  I have been told on some occasions that I am "over qualified."  What the heck does that mean?  It means that they consider me to "old" for whatever position I have applied for!

Now, I agree that some 67-year-old people DO have health issues, etc., but I DON'T.  I walk four miles at a rapid pace, I can lift things, and bend and stretch with the best of them.  I am NOT senile...give me a test, and let me show you!  I have a high IQ which has NOT diminished with age. I DON'T have children that I would need to stay home and care for when they are sick, or rush to school to pick them up.  I CAN work any and all hours without "family issues."  So WHY OH WHY are people who are over 60 no longer considered valuable or useful in this Country.  It is ridiculous!

The sad truth is that most of us Baby Boomers are finding that due to inflation and the high cost of living, we MUST go back to work in order to pay the bills and have insurance.  What ever happened to the idea that age brought wisdom.  Believe me, with all the experiences I have had in the last fifty years or so, I am worth a lot more than I was as an 18-year-old high school graduate or even after college.  I am MATURE not OLD!  I still want to lead an active, vibrant life.  I still have a lot to give, and am NOT ready to be put up on a shelf to collect dust.

I know that many, many Baby Boomers are in the same situation as I am right now.  We are being disenfranchised and pushed aside and relegated to being "Wal Mart greeters" even though we are college educated and still have a lot to offer.  What is it going to take to change this?  I wish I knew!

I've raised children, helped with grandchildren, worked two jobs at a time and have tons of experience and I want to be able to continue to lead a productive and active life for at least twenty or more years beyond this day!

Let me know if you have similar experiences, and let me know if you have ideas about how we can CHANGE the current trend of forcing older Americans out of the work force.

PEACE, LOVE & JOY

Aging Old Farts!

Okay, let us state right up front that I'm not as young as I used to be.  I kind of expected the things that everyone sees on the surface which go along with aging.  The wrinkles around the eyes, the tissue paper thin skin over my arms and hands which also seem determined to shout my age by developing those little "age spot" thingys.  Aaauuuggh.

Then there is the lovely "redistribution" of body shape...hmmmm...gravity alone is responsible for part of this, lack of the proper exercise and maintenance is responsible for the rest.

But farting? Farting which seems to get worse with every single year of life! Yep! It's another one of those wonderful "golden age" delights that NOBODY warns you about or wants to talk about. 

I decided to do a little research on the matter after a particularly embarrassing moment on a walk I was taking with my daughter, sister and son-in-law.  They are probably going to disown me for telling this sordid tale, but here goes!  We had all piled out of the car to walk down to the reservoir near Ogden.  It was a lovely evening, and the girls and my hubby and gone ahead of us down the path and were already playing on the shoreline.
I, unfortunately was walking out front when a HUGE fart (and believe me, I was trying to hold the sucker in!) decided to come forth!  Well, that would have been embarrassing enough, but my son-in-law who was actually at the back of the pack, broke out in laughter!  Oh Lordy!  One of these days when he is an "old fart" I hope he remembers that day!  Well, upon hearing him erupt with laughter my daughter and sister also started.  Well, I guess I had had too many gassy foods that day because I also started to laugh which immediately caused more farts!  OMG!  We all became hysterical with laughter as I tried to explain that sphincters and old age just don't get along well.  I did get even a little as the two other girls laughed so hard that they wet their pants!  (Hmmm early sphincter issues?)  All of this while son-in-law ran for the hills!   Okay, okay stop laughing or you will wet YOUR pants!

Anyway, to continue on my explanation of flatulence, I found the following:
 

The National Institutes of Health tell us that the “average person passes intestinal gas 14 times a day and produces about 1 to 4 pints of the stuff.” It is a normal occurrence and comes mostly from two sources: air we swallow and as a byproduct of digestion.

So, like it or not we all fart!  Unfortunately, this condition worsens as we age due to less efficient digestion.  Oh my. Then I read further to find that all that BEANO and stuff works differently with different individuals, so it may or may not be of any help for all you old farts out there.  Sigh.

The gases involved are hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide and, according to WebMD, “in about one-third of people, methane.”

Methane, well, that is the "stinky" one!  My doggie, Buddy the Boston produces more methane than the average COW!  Believe me, stinky, can empty a room in minutes!
But, I digress.


You probably know most of these but for the sake of thoroughness, here is a list of some foods most likely to cause excess gas: Beans, of course, and
(don't stop eating them - they are all good for you)

Vegetables
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage
Brussels sprouts
Onions
Artichokes
Asparagus

Fruit
Apples
Pears
Peaches

Other
Whole grains
Carbonated drinks
Fruit drinks
Foods with sorbitol (an artificial sweetener) (that's a sneaky one!)


I don't know if it is true or not, but apparently WEBMD states that the German Word for
Pumpernickle stems from an old German word meaning "goblin which breaks wind."  Hmmmm better stay away from that pumpernickle bread!

So in case you are one of the younger ones reading this, guess what you have to look forward to!  If you are one of the "old farts" then maybe a few of these suggestions might help a little, but probably not a lot:

1. Probiotics sometimes help with digestion
2. Chew slowly and take your time eating and you may swallow less troublesome air
3. Take a walk after eating
4. Yogurt, Kefir and Tempeh

And tell those kids to quit laughing - they will find out SOON ENOUGH that being an old fart has its benefits AND its drawbacks!

PEACE - LOVE & JOY

Linda

Confusion Reigns!

They tell you that you'll lose your mind when you grow older. What they don't tell you is that you won't miss it. Malcolm Cowley

Some days if you didn't laugh you just might cry! Today was one of those days.

I started off early heading for water aerobics. The pool was totally crammed this morning with little old ladies who had no intention of exercising, only chatting! Good grief, why don't they go somewhere and have a cup of tea and let us serious exercisers get with it. I left early...

I headed home where I found my new little 95-year-old roommate attempting to use the vacuum. Now, don't get me wrong, it's great she wants to be active, and if vacuuming turns her on terrific. Problem is, there are two vacuums here. On is for the hardwood floors and has rubber strips which make it work great on flooring. It doesn't, however want to move across the rugs! I have shown her the difference several times, but somehow it hasn't gotten through yet. Sigh. Redirected her to the flooring. Sigh...

Last week I went to the refrigerator to get the half and half out for my husband's coffee. It was frozen solid! Everything in the refrigerator was frozen solid. What, I thought? OMG. I suddenly realized what had happened when I read the temperature of the refrigerator on the door...30 degrees. Apparently my friend had tried to get ice/water, not sure which, and had managed to push the buttons which changed the temperature of the refrigerator....sigh...took two days to thaw out. Explained once again....same button for ice and water.

I went into my bedroom this morning and found the door to the porch was open. Asked my hubby if he had left it open for a reason. He had no idea why or when it was opened....

My sweet elderly friend also likes to do dishes. It makes her feel useful. Unfortunately there are a few problems with this area too. Number one is that I have shown her how to move the lever to hot water many times, but it just hasn't stuck. After watching it run for several minutes, I just walk over and move it to the left...sigh.

I have tried being the one to wash and let her dry the dishes. Then there is another problem. She puts things everywhere but in the right place. I am still trying to figure out where she put the Splenda bowl after we had breakfast this morning. I may just have to fix another one. LOL.

I took her to the grocery store with me one afternoon. While I was shopping I noticed she wandered away a little ways. I figured I would catch up with her fairly quickly. However, when I stopped to talk with a friend...she disappeared! I spent fifteen minutes looking for her before finally deciding to check out and come back in and find her! Then, as I am standing in the checkout line, there she is...looking so innocent, standing at the front door saying hello to people coming and going...sigh...I may yet need Valium!

I love my new little roommate to death, and wouldn't change anything, but it is a very humbling and revealing experience having her here with me. She is actually a fiesty 95 year old pistol. I am wondering what I would be like at the same age, and at the same time hoping my children don't have to find out!

I Can't Wait!

I can't wait until I can go to school, is one of the first requests we make as small children. Then it goes something like this. I can't wait until High School; I can't wait until I graduate from High School. I can't wait until I am 21. I can't wait until I find the perfect mate and get married. I can't wait until we have children.
I can't wait until the children start school! Boy, I can't wait until these kids graduate from College, then we can....and so on!

How much of your life have you spent saying just "I can't wait"? Be honest now. Your can't wait for it moments may not have been exactly the same as those above, but I'll bet at least some of them hit the mark! Then, suddenly, you find you are sixty or more, and you begin thinking about just how fast those years have gone by. You have been married how many years now? Your children are how old now? Weren't you just 21 a couple of years ago?

Okay, the point I am trying to make is...quit wishing your life away! Enjoy today for today! Don't put off doing things until later, later may not get there. I have a "bucket list" of things I would like to have done, and I am working on it every day! Take time to enjoy each day for what it has to give. Just as rain replenishes the earth, new experiences and new people replenish the individual. You want to be young at 95? Then enjoy each day, get out there and walk, but don't just walk...take time to "smell the roses" and notice the birds singing and for pete's sake smile! Smile at everyone you meet. They may or may not smile back, but then again, you are spreading joy.

Lastly, be sure to reach out and love those around you. Be like a puppy dog and be thrilled each time our loved ones walk through the door, kiss them goodbye and tell them you love them every time they leave the house. It is great to plan for the future, but enjoy TODAY!!!

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!