Category Archives: Aging

Corrected Vision

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The first wearing of my new glasses

The big surprise was the first wearing of my new glasses. Everything was sharp and in focus, but when I tried to walk it seemed to me that the ground was tilted to the left.

When I was young, I assumed upon my eyes.  They saw everything correctly and I never gave them a second thought.  One day, when I was about 36 years old I noticed something that looked like thick hairs floating across the page as I read a book.  Concerned, I went to the eye doctor who assured me that the vitreous floaters I was seeing were a normal part of the “aging process”.  With the pride of my youth wounded, I set about accepting “floaters” as part of the altered vision I would have to live with.

Some year’s later, severe pain in my left eye signaled the presence of some terrible problem.  “Shingles” was the diagnosis and I was dismayed to learn that the virus, which caused the pain, was already in my body.  It had been lying dormant in my spinal fluid since my childhood bout with chicken pox.

The pain brought life to a halt and I sought help in the doctors’ office. Continue reading →

Seniors Sharing

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Sharing is for seniors who like living on Reality Street. The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you know and trust.

The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you actually know and trust.

Sharing is a “senior season” idea that needs to receive thoughtful consideration for seniors who like living on Reality Street.  The big picture is to create a lifestyle that allows for maximum independence for as long as possible.  The key ingredient for success is to share with someone you actually know and trust.

Transportation is an ongoing need for seniors, but lots of seniors find our lovely, low mileage well maintained cars in the garage 95% of the time.  Finding a way to share the car and all the expenses associated with driving is a great idea and one that is working for seniors living in close proximity to one another.

Take the example of Mary and June who are neighbors again in an independent senior living apartment home community in a Twin Cities suburb.  Continue reading →

Puzzles

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Experience tells me that all the puzzle pieces fit somewhere and the finished design will emerge from the scattered pieces if I do not give up and keep looking at the design.

Experience tells me that all the puzzle pieces fit somewhere and the finished design will emerge from the scattered pieces if I do not give up and keep looking at the design.

I like puzzles. But why?

First I sort out all the pieces, turning them right side up and at the same time I separate out the ones that have at least one straight edge because I know that they will form the outer parameters of the picture.

But the process continues as I discover pieces with similar shapes or colors. They are sorted, gathered together, organized and viewed with great care in order to find out how they fit together with the other elements of the design. Continue reading →

Home Share

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Home share

Several home share landlord experiences were the tipping point on my resume when I entered my second career as a resident property manager at age 65.

Sharing space in my home was a good idea.  It still is.

While still raising 4 children I found myself alone with lots of years left to bring them to adulthood.

One of my financial solutions was to rent out part of my house to others, home share style while getting ready to sell my large property.  Several home share landlord experiences were the tipping point on my resume when I entered my second career as a resident property manager at age 65.

Now at 70 I am entertaining the home share idea again for retirement.  I have an eye toward a high end senior building with good amenities for maintaining health such as a pool, and properties of that type always come with hefty rents. Continue reading →

Prayer Helped

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Prayer helped anointing him with oil

…let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

When I was 40, after 23 years of marriage I was served with divorce papers and left to care for 4 young children on my own.  Over half of the money I had from the sale of our house was immediately handed out for rental housing that would accommodate our needs.

I was working as a self-employed hair stylist.  With less than 1 year of history in that position my income possibilities were not great but I was willing and able to work hard and I was good with hair.

At the time my Church, in obedience to the direction of James 5 in the bible, invited those who needed special prayer to be anointed by the elders (appointed leaders of the church) and to receive prayer for their needs.   Continue reading →

A Woman

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And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all

She was utterly unable to straighten herself or to look upward. The sickness that she suffered caused her body to be bent double so that her natural view was to the ground. Her deformity was in fact grotesque and known to all who saw her.

The story continues…….  Luke 13 10-17

Verse 10 & 16a

9       And there was a woman who for eighteen years had had a sickness caused by a spirit; and she was bent double, and could not straighten up at all

15    “And this woman, a daughter of Abraham as she is, whom Satan has bound for eighteen long years…

A woman was there in the place of worship that day.  There must have been lots of women and men as well.  We do not know her name but we know a few things about her. Continue reading →

Daughter of Abraham

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day set aside for worship

On the day set aside for worship, Jesus could be found in the synagogue in whatever town He was in, participatory role. He gave of Himself and His relationship with His heavenly Father.

There is an account in the book of Luke about a woman who’s story has so much meaning and such wonderful application, that I have gone back to it again and again.  I can not share all that I see in her encounter with Jesus in a short time, so I will do it over a period of days.  Each day will be a continuation of the one before.

Her story is found in Luke 13: 10-17

The three-year public ministry of Jesus is in its final year.  The leaders of Israel have rejected Him for the most part and are looking for ways to discredit Him as His popularity among the people is drawing large numbers to His teaching and healing ministry.  As our story opens, He is on His great final teaching tour as He has turned His face to the cross.  He is pressing on toward Jerusalem. Continue reading →

Care

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From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].

When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].

John 19:25-27 (NASB)  … But standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the [wife] of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!”  Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!”  From that hour the disciple took her into his own [household].  (NASB)

The eyes of the Lord Jesus, through dirty sweat and crusted blood fell upon the figure of His distressed mother who was standing close to John, the disciple whom He loved.  He could see her suffering and He cared and He understood completely.

What was she thinking about?  Was she recalling the words of the angel Gabriel who told her that her body was to be the dwelling place of a child who was the Son of God?  Was she feeling less that blessed among women as she realized that she would not be spared the deliverance of her Son as Abraham had been?  She would have to endure the sacrificial death of the Son of promise, her Son… Jesus. Continue reading →

Kindness – A Good Rule

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Decide to treat all your neighbors with consideration and respect. Be a resident ‘ambassadors’ to help welcome newcomers as they transition into the community. Aspire to live by the Golden Rule.

Decide to treat all your neighbors with consideration and respect. Be a resident ‘ambassadors’ to help welcome newcomers as they transition into the community.
Aspire to live by the Golden Rule.

Today we often read about cyber bullies among young people, but bullying also plagues seniors.  The behavior being referenced would be incidents of name-calling, bossy behavior, loud arguments, snubs and aggression.

Causes and strategies
Fear can be one reason for bullying, says Renee Garfinkel, a Washington, D.C.-based psychologist who specializes in aging issues, but it’s also “that human phenomenon of the strong picking on the weak. It’s not a function of aging. It’s a function of pathology.” Continue reading →

Gambling

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Gambling destroys the work ethic. The core values of the work ethic are all part of the free enterprise system. Gambling corrupts these values and replaces them with greed and selfishness. Rather than depending upon hard work, gamblers depend instead upon luck and chance.

Gambling destroys the work ethic. The core values of the work ethic are all part of the free enterprise system. Gambling corrupts these values and replaces them with greed and selfishness. Rather than depending upon hard work, gamblers depend instead upon luck and chance.

“I hate casinos!” was my not at all wimpy comment while my coworker replied in like manner….. “I love casinos!”  We were not developing an argument, but clearly our opinions were far apart when it came to the issue of gambling.

It got me thinking……….  Why am I so opposed to gambling?

Go to any casino and you’ll see many gray heads at the slot machines and blackjack tables. Gambling has become a popular pastime for seniors who often have time to spare and holes in their lives to fill. Gambling, like many things in life, can become addictive and seniors who are bored or lonely may be more vulnerable to addictive behaviors. Continue reading →