Category Archives: Aging

Back in the PR biz again

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Desert view from a morning walk outside the McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

I was asked a few months ago if I’d like to join the Board of Directors of the women’s group I belong to. The focus of the group is to raise funds for a residential facility for women who have been sex trafficked. We also clean out our closets, donate our clothes and purchase any items they need like deodorant and new underwear. I’ve written about the Dream Center HERE and HERE. The center provides medical care, eye care, clothing, psychologists, education and religious services if wanted.

The sad thing about my group of women is the club used to have 250 members. Now we’re at about 35. There’s not a whole lot of money raised by 35 people. What happened? COVID shutdowns plus an aging membership. I’m one of the new and young members — in my 60s!

In the end, I said yes and a neighbor friend also agreed to be on the board. Our first meeting was last month and I immediately knew what I would do. I agreed to be in charge of communication. My first project was to create a new brochure. Now I’m working on a sponsorship packet. After that it will be press releases. Back to my old career in the PR Biz.

I could see that communication was an area that could be improved. I’m glad I have experience and who knows? Maybe we can grow our organization back to where it will have a greater impact on the human trafficked teens and young women.

Then I saw this article:

42 arrested in Scottsdale human trafficking operation

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A human trafficking operation in Scottsdale led to the arrest of dozens of suspects, police said.

Scottsdale Police say they conducted an operation on July 12-13 “to arrest sex buyers, child predators, and individuals involved with the sex trade and trafficking.” https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/42-arrested-in-scottsdale-human-trafficking-operation/ar-BB1qdslq

Forty-two arrested? In two days?

What type of volunteering are you doing now or have done in the past?

Happy Anniversary!

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My husband has been fighting this bunny because it eats our plants. But every afternoon bunny crawls under the chicken wire into the pot and munches away.

Yesterday was our 39th wedding anniversary. Really! I must have gotten married as a 10 year old.

For our outings together, we’ve been hanging out at doctors offices. I guess that’s to be expected after decades of marriage. It’s no longer spur-of-the-moment camping trips at the beach, or heading up to the mountains for a day of skiing.

Nope. My husband had cataract surgeries and the last few weeks I’ve been driving him to appointments and sitting in waiting rooms with a book. He did the same for me a few years ago when it was my turn for cataract surgery.

We had eight years of marriage before kids. Some of my earliest memories of life together were searching the sofa and our pockets for spare change. When we’d find a dollar, we’d buy three-for-one tacos at Jack in the Box. I ate Top Ramen every day for lunch. But those were fun days.

Then there were the busy days of raising kids. My husband was a super involved dad because he grew up without one. I’m not sure if our kids appreciated that or not. Then the kids grew up and started their adult lives. I’m grateful for how close we are with them. I love getting calls for no reason, but to chat while they’re out for walks.

These past years, our main activity together is our early morning hour-long walk (He’s been going alone because of my broken toes.) I can’t wait to get back to walking with him every day. It’s a quieter time in our marriage, but I love my husband as much or more than day one.

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Thirty-nine years ago.

Here’s to 39 more years and happy memories!

What changes do you see in your marriage or relationship through the years?

Broken toes

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I spotted these blooms in the backyard which is amazing for July. They only lasted a day or two.

A few days before our trip to New York, our AC went out in the master bedroom. Now that it’s more than 100 degrees outside, that was not a good thing. We slept in the casita for a few nights until a repairman fixed the AC. One night, I got up to use the bathroom and smacked my toes on the bed post.

It was loud! It really hurt! I woke my husband up obviously.

So, off to New York City and Connecticut, where I could barely walk. Once home from the trip, I realized I still couldn’t make my morning walks. I’m still in pain. It’s frustrating as I sit looking out the window.

I’m not one who gets bored easily. I’m usually content reading or writing. But the lack of exercise isn’t helping. I have jumped in the pool to kick. It’s better than nothing. Plus, I’m lifting weights.

My biggest thrill right now is birdwatching.

Here’s a video of my baby quail:

How do you entertain yourself, if you’re injured? Any suggestions?

“Rivers know this: there is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” AA. Milne

I Am Woman Hear Me Roar …

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NOTE: I wrote this blog post 10 years ago this week. It’s a look back to my school days — wedged into a visit with my son and his girlfriend (now wife) while I was visiting them at UC Santa Barbara. Also, there’s a link to my daughter-in-law’s poetry.

During my weekend visit with my son at UCSB, we discovered how far women have come from my generation to his. (Yes, I’m talking about the same son that tried to give away the cat on Facebook — read about that HERE. And, he’s the one that wrote about his crazy mom for his senior project — read about that HERE)

We were out to dinner at The Palms in Carpinteria, where you grill your own steaks or halibut, with one of my best friends, my son Robert, and his girlfriend (She’s a poet and an CCS English Lit major. You can read some of her poetry HERE).

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My friend and I talked about home ec, and we wondered if it was offered as a major in this day and age? My mom was a home ec major in the 1950s, by the way.

My son said, “They really DID have an MRS degree!”

“Not only was it a college major,” I said, “but we were required to take home ec in high school.”

“Only the girls, that is,” my friend said.

“WHAT?!” both Robert and his girlfriend were horrified. How alien to their lives is a gender-based school requirement. We explained that the boys took wood-working or shop.

My son thought for minute and asked, “What did you learn in home ec?”

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“Scrambled eggs, sewing an apron, sex ed, how to clip coupons and general household budgeting,” I answered.

“All of those things should be taught to men and women,” the kids said.  

I think they are right.

Thinking of those days, made me remember Helen Reddy, and her song, “I Am Woman” 

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Do colleges or high schools still offer home ec?

Do you think home ec should be required for both men and women?

What other life skills do you think need to be taught in school?

Am I THAT old?

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A photo my mom took when I introduced her to my future hubby. This was close to 40 years ago!

Yesterday, I slept in. I didn’t have a great night’s sleep and rather than get out of bed before 5 a.m. to take a walk before the heat hit, I stayed in bed. When I got out of bed at 6:30 a.m. it was already too hot to walk.

I decided I’d go to the gym. I needed exercise after all, so why not try something new? Mix it up a bit. I checked out the schedule of classes looking for something with dance. Zumba Gold sounded fun. I’d be inside a nice air-conditioned building. Plus maybe I’d like it and I’d keep going.

Then I read the description:

Easy-to-follow program that lets you move to the beat at a slower rhythm than a regular Zumba class!

No! Not for me. It’s probably filled with old people, I thought. I wouldn’t dream of going to that class.

Then, I thought about it again Maybe the class WAS designed for me. I have a bad knee and a hurt foot. I’m not 20 or 30 years old. I’m almost old enough for Medicare.

I made up my mind to check it out and see if the people in class WERE my age!

The plan was to see if it was filled with ancient people decades older than me. If so, I’d head to the elliptical machine and weights. Or, I could take the class anyway to see if I liked it.

Earlier, on my way to the grocery store, I was listening to the radio. The Eagles “Lyin’ Eyes” was playing. The DJ said the song came out 54 years ago! Say it ain’t so!

When it came time to go the gym, I felt unstable as the room spun around me. Vertigo. I get it every three or four years, fortunately not very often. Not a good idea to “move to the beat at a slower rhythm” at Zumba after all — no matter what the speed. I’ll try again on another day.

When have you been surprised about your age or realizing your not that young anymore?

Texts can tell your age

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Waffles was barking like a mad man from inside the screen door. I looked outside and saw this. I had to share this bit of wildlife. This Javelina walked through a wash on the side of our house to the street with two other family members.

I read a story called “The way you text reveals if you’re a boomer, millennial or Gen Z, tech influencer says” in the NY Post by Ben Cost. Here’s an excerpt:

Fashion, vernacular and musical preferences aren’t the only cultural indicators of age. A digital wizard claims he can tell whether someone’s a boomer, millennial or Generation Z solely based on how they text.

“This is how you can tell someone’s age by how they type on their phone,” declared tech influencer Tyler Morgan in a TikTok clip with more than 2.7 million views.

Typing accurately with both thumbs is a habit that straddles both millennial and Zoomer generations, per the digital detective.

In fact, Morgan declares that people stay at this “thumb tapping” age until their 50s — the threshold for most Gen Xers, born from 1965 to 1980 — after which they start typing with a thumb and index finger.

Here’s the bit about boomers:

Meanwhile, the elder baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — tend to do away with the thumb and just poke the buttons with their pointer digit, per the clip.

“You’re getting up there when you’re doing that,” declared Morgan of the “one finger tap” method.

I’ve also heard that boomers are more formal with their texts and use grammar and punctuation. Once my daughter asked me why I used a period at the end of a text. She informed me that I was coming across as angry or too strong.

Who knew punctuation was dated?

Also, boomers use a ton of emojis! 😅😅😅

How do you text? Do you text like a boomer with your pointer finger or are you a rapid thumb tapper?

A pain in the neck

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A bit of beauty in my neighborhood.

I have a work in progress and felt my plot had some gaping holes in it. So in January, I took a writing class on plots. One of the assignments was outlining along a very constructive plot point path. I used my WIP and found that the assignment helped. Then I got feedback from the instructor with further suggestions.

It took me until late March to mull over the suggestions and get to work on rewriting and revising.

After spending countless hours sitting at my laptop, I decided to mix in some simple exercises. (My former writing mentor Gerald Petievich once told me that writers need buns of steel.)

I began leg exercises for strength and balance. They are from my PT when I had knee surgery post ski accident. I’ve been reading that falling when we get older is not a good thing. Once elderly start falling, they usually don’t last long. So why wait? I break up my writing with those exercises.

Then I decided to do something about my flabby arms. I started with three pounds weights and now I’m at five. But I have a sharp pain in my neck and shoulders. I was on the phone with my daughter yesterday and she said, “You’re not doing the exercises correctly.”

“How do you know?” I asked. After all she isn’t here.

She said, “Because you sit with your shoulders around your ears. You aren’t engaging the correct muscles.”

I explained that my husband (her dad) showed me how to do them. She insists he doesn’t know how, either. Well, she is coming by for a short visit, dropping off Waffles the Pug while she goes to a destination wedding in Portugal. Maybe I can get some private instructions from her.

In the meantime, I’ve got a pain in the neck and shoulders. Maybe I should stick to legs?

Do you find you need to get up and move after sitting at the computer?

What exercises do you do?