grow older better

Tag: friends

  • What keeps you young?


    Aging is a universal process…we can slow it's effects on our body and brain but we can't stop the process.

    Every so often I see an article about what helps us stay functioning and healthy and what is bad for us.

    When I read of "bad" stuff in food and cosmetics I get more angry at federal agencies that "allow" a certain level of "bad" stuff in our food, air water and other things.  It's called an "acceptable" level….but what might be acceptable and safe for one person may be poison for another…

    So in the face of all this – what does keep one young?  How does one "do" healthy aging?

    Here is some of what keeps me young:

    cup of coffeeI can read that coffee is bad for me and then I read that coffee is good for me.  I don't allow either thought to change my coffee habits…I love my morning coffee and have for a very very long time and coffee makes me feel great and hence helps me stay young. 

    I love my pets and they also keep me young because I walk the dog a few times a daySheba the cat – which is good for him and me.  And my cat, Sheba,  is pure fun.  Having pets is part of who I am – if I ever had to live without a pet that would be very depressing and would therefore age me. 

    Friends and social interactions keep me young.  I dog walk with neighbors so that's a two-fer and we have a very friendly neighborhood where "everyone knows your name" and there are few secrets – but it's a situation we laugh about – and laughing keeps us young too.

    We know exercise is good for us and that it keeps our heart and body in better shape than does sitting around all day.  But do I get as much exercise as I need?   Probably not… it's too easy for me to skip exercise and that is something I most definitely am going to work on …… <later>

    Being online keeps me young too.  The daily interactions with persons from all over the world and of all different ages makes me use a lot of brain cells.  We chat about different topics, I am up to date on world events and my brain gets a serious work out.

    What keeps you young?

    Pleas post a comment below about this – thank you

  • being thankful


    I love Thanksgiving – now that I am an adult.  thanksgiving pot luck

    As a child, I did not like it  – we spent the day with relatives and I was bored – it was the pre-TV days.

    Most of those relatives were not child oriented and had nothing around for me to do.   [Well – I did get to really really love the Bronx Zoo.]

    As I got older I said no to those family outings and my parents invited the relatives to our house.  Then I could disappear into my room where I had "stuff" to amuse me – or I could skip out and go to a friend's house.

    After I moved to Boston, I started doing Thanksgiving with friends there and those friends became family.  My mother came up sometimes but then she moved to Florida and her Thanksgiving visits were less frequent.

    Out in Portland, Thanksgiving is a neighborhood potluck event.  It started several years before my arrival – and is a fun filled afternoon – good food, good wine and beer and super company … It's become so popular that few plan on going anywhere for Thanksgiving.   We invite friends and relatives to come here.  We stay put as most can walk to the event and we are all thankful for all that we have.

    What are you thankful for this year?  health?  wellness?  friends?  pets?  

    We all have a lot to be thankful for and although Thanksgiving is the main day for giving thanks – being thankful or grateful is something we can be everyday – all year long!

  • Plants as Living Thoughts

     Years ago, my mother gave me a cutting of a plant that a friend had given her years and years before that.  The friend was one of her childhood friends and my mom asked me to keep the plant growing as a reminder of that friend [Aunt Peggy]  who was part of my childhood. 

    The plant never did much in D.C. and New England but it was cool looking and so I kept it growing.  It was one I had in the car with me when I left Vermont and eventually moved to Oregon.   

    Two other plants that made the cross-country trip were a jade plant and a Christmas cactus from my friend Freda who had given me cuttings about 15 years earlier.  [All my other plants were given to friends as I had no spare room in my car and was not going to land anywhere for a long time.] 

    I eventually learned the plant from my mom was an epiphyllum and that it just loved Portland’s weather.  In a few years it began to bloom and outgrew many pots and got too big and heavy to bring inside in the winter.  

    epiphyllum

     

     

     

     

     The other 2 grew more slowly and so I had room in the house for them each winter.

    Fast forward to last winter and our artic blast and record setting cold 🙁   My epiphyllum was wrapped in layers and was well sheltered or so I thought.  I checked it regularly and one day it seemed "funny" so I managed to bring it in.   Seems it died from the roots up so I did not see the damage until it was too late.

    I found one small piece of solid green and put that in a rooting mix and in a small pot.  I watched it daily and as long as it remained green I repeated the rooting powder and watering. 

    new growth of my epiphyllum

    Then this past August – a full 8 months after I started this tender care – it started growing…At that point I realized more fully that it was my mother’s presence in my house. 

    I really feel good that her request of me to keep it growing had been accomplished.  So Aunt Peggy and Mom – your epiphyllum is still alive – as are my love and thoughts aobut you.

    My Freda plants are doing well – but Freda died this past July.  

    Love you too Freda and will keep the plants healthy.Jade Plant

     

    P.S. ALL houseplants are now in for the winter

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Friends: What a Wonderful World

    A Twitter friend just sent this to me – I had to post it – it’s such a gift!

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,

  • Life During a Major Snow Storm on the River

    Again – thankful for friends, neighbors and local pets…..

    I am thankful I have great neighbors and that river living produces lasting friendships – when the possibility of serious weather related issues is high, like this week, everyone helps out – no one gets bent out of shape about anyones stress levels…and we all watch out for each other.

    Yesterday I had to go on my roof to shovel off some snow and ice and did it only when I knew neighbors were on hand to pay attention. My roof is relatively flat so as long as I stayed in the middle where my vents are I was ok – and the snow shoveling crew just kept looking up to check. We all had work to do to keep our houses from tipping to one side …an aspect of winter life on the river…photo below is my roof and the vents – I went back up later to do more.


    Then we had a pot luck dinner at one friend’s house and we all brought portions made with what we had in our own houses. Overall we had a great meal – and superb deserts.

    Good friends, great neighbors and playing with all the dogs in the snow and watching the one cat that seems to be loving snow [not mine] makes life great in the midst of some pretty bad weather. My fearless cat has met her match – she does not like deep snow 😀

    But we will welcome the normal warmer rain days predicted for this weekend….no one will say UGH more rain this year….

    PS Note our high tech snow removal equipment – brooms!
    [and one shared moorage snow shovel]

    glyconutrients, healthy aging, growing older, aging, nutrition, exercise, eating properly,