Sixty-Several and Counting

Crumble...?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 15:34:00 +0100

In the light if this week’s collapse of the BlackBerry system across Europe, I heard yesterday on TV:

“If Apple had gone down as well as BlackBerry, headlines could read Apple and BlackBerry Crumble!!!”

If it's silver, it's not necessarily mine...

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 12:05:00 +0100

Went to the tip to take some bags of rubbish. Heaved them out of the car and threw them into the appropriate area, slammed the boot (trunk) shut after I took the last bag out. Turned around and found it was open again. Tutted and slammed it shut once more, got in the car and thought “there’s something funny here.” Then I noticed a man peering at me through the passenger window!

How do you behave when you’ve got in the wrong car? You get out, smile and say “It’s silver just like mine”, get in your own car and drive off quickly leaving a very bemused man behind with his mouth wide open.

As an aside to this (and just in case someone in my family reads it and thinks I’ve taken a turn for the worse), sorry, but I’ve always been like it!

The joys of cold calls...

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:35:00 +0100

The telephone rang this afternoon just as I was just settling down at my computer to write a blog post. It was the company I have my funeral plan with and the very nice man on the phone asked me how I was feeling. Er, hellooo!!!

I told him that up until that point I’d been feeling fine but was there anything specific he needed to tell me. Turns out he wanted to find out if I’d written a Will and did I understand the concept of Power of Attorney.

How kind of an insurance company to go to such trouble to ring me, out of the goodness of their heart, to enquire about my wellbeing in such a fashion! Of course, I did mention that if it was going to cost me money to find out about these things, then I didn’t have any (which meant the Will was taken care of) and if I was in need of Power of Attorney then it was likely I would be incapable and possibly have lost my marbles anyway, so my sons could sort it out.

Funnily enough, he wished me a good day and ended the call.

It's good to talk - as the ad-man said...

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 11:38:00 +0100

I did say that this blog might be downright picky on occasions and this, I think, could turn into one of those occasions!

I’m talking about talking. Really talking, not blogging, texting, facebooking, twittering, or any of the other currrent trends, I mean face to face, or over the telephone, one-to-one talking.

Friends ask me why I’m on Facebook and I tell them it’s a way I can stay in touch with what my family’s current interests are, where they’ve been, see photos almost as soon as they are taken and I truly value being able to stay in touch with their lives in such a way.

I love technology and all that it offers and it’s an absolute boon for anyone living alone, particularly if they are unable to get out of the house. Everyone, however, needs contact with another human being at some point.

Because I’ve made sure I get out and about as much as possible, I’ve made many new friends and acquaintances since I moved to this area. I attend different groups - discussion, creative, walking, all sorts - but the people in these groups all say the same thing and that is, those they would most like to talk to, they don’t hear from because they are very busy people. And, yes, I can understand that because I was once one of those very busy people, but I always made time to contact family members once a week, if only to check up that they were well. The good old days, you know, prior to home computers!!!

The family member I have the most in-depth conversation with these days is my brother-in-law. Since my sister died, we chat on the phone once a week and it really is a chat - which means it covers a whole variety of subjects from gardening, to shopping for groceries, sometimes how to cook a particular dish, cars (I don’t know a lot about cars but hopefully ‘um’ and ‘ah’ in the right place), the government, the world and now he has a very nice, new lady in his life he’s able to tell me about the places they visit together. I call that having a chat!

There’s an organisation on the net called Flylady and it’s all about how to organise your day to day activities and chores. As Flylady says, you can do anything for 15 minutes, so come on all you people who stay glued to your iPhones, iPads, laptops or whatever, pick up the phone and actually chat to someone you haven’t physically spoken to for a while. Tell them what you’ve been doing. However boring you think it might be, a conversation thread could be born and take time to listen to what the person you are calling has to say. Mind you, if you haven’t telephoned them for a long time, they could be lost for words I suppose!!!

Anniversaries and Celebrations

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:52:30 +0100

If my husband had still been alive it would have been our 46th wedding anniversary yesterday. Have to say the weather was a bit better than it was 46 years ago, when it chucked it down with rain and gale force winds battered us as we left the church. Actually we could also say the following 38 years were stormy with some fine periods!

My eldest sister has just celebrated her 58th wedding anniversary. Her husband always buys her a rather beautiful gift on their anniversary. I did get a ring after 25 years but that was about it.

In all fairness, and as he isn’t around to defend himself, I have to say life was probably six of one and half-a-dozen of the other, although sometimes I think he was working towards a baker’s dozen, and we’ll leave it at that.

Moving onto celebrations, yesterday a friend invited a couple of us to celebrate her birthday and we had an afternoon champagne tea at a very nice hotel which was absolutely delightful. We devoured lots of little sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and jam, plus some very nice cakes. All washed down by a chilled glass of champagne, and finished with pots of tea. A little bit of escapism for a few hours.

We did take a stroll around the grounds afterwards but not enough to walk off what we’d eaten, so it’s the sin bin for me for the rest of the week, with no sweet treats at all!

I veer between thinking what’s the point of trying to get slimmer at my age, to “come on, buck your ideas up, where’s your pride girl.” Sometimes one side of me wins, sometimes the other…that’s life!

A funny thing happened...

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 22:41:46 +0100

At the end of my last blog post I said I was looking for a makeover (reasonably priced) for seniors.

Well, don’t know about you but I find these days whenever I ask for something, I tend to get it. Trouble is I never actually formulate my requests as ‘formal requests’, so I sometimes get the oddest of possibilities presenting themselves to me.

There I was with my sister in Holland and Barrett. She’d run out of lavender oil so we’d popped in to buy some. At the checkout was a smart, slim lady, probably in her late 40’s, with a basket full of vitamins.

“What on earth have you got there?” says I, being curious. That was my second mistake, because she then started to eulogise about the vitamins she was taking saying they had helped her lose 3 stone over the 3 years she’d been taking them.

She said they gave her lots of energy - I can vouch for that by the way she was dashing between the shelves to point out all the various combinations of pills I might like to take. The lady at the till looked on in astonishment, the queue grew longer and longer and I could feel the irritation rising from some those waiting to be served, whilst others were not doing a very good job of trying to conceal their laughter.

No amount of “Wow, would you believe it. Thank you, I’ll think about it. Gosh, I’m not sure I’d be able to swallow that many pills” was going to work, so I bought a bottle and then found out it was a BOGOF so ended up with two bottles of vitamins I am not going to take! If she had been taking them for three years, then two months worth was not going to do a lot for me!!!

So, to all my friends, if I start to say that I wouldn’t mind having, doing, being, and then clam up halfway through the statement, it’s because I’ve remembered that I need to think clearly for a change about what it is I actually want, by which time I’ll have forgotten what it was I was thinking about anyway.

Thought life was supposed to get easier when you got older. Hmmm!

Ouch!!!

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:19:00 +0100

I just read a blog post where someone said they’re sick of following blogs where people don’t post regularly…guilty as charged!

So why did I start a blog? I simply wanted to write about how I felt maturing into my late 60’s. I so remember my mother saying to me (when she was in her 80’s) that in her head she was still the young woman who could dance the night away, but being fairly immobile due to arthritis, physically she was unable to match her mental vision.

I don’t want to do that (just live on memories). I want to find things to do that make me feel good regardless of the age I am at the time. So what have I been up to during the quiet weeks of my blog?

I’ve been to France on a Monet’s Garden trip and had a wonderful time. It was quite hectic, lots of touring, visited beautiful, historic buildings, vibrant cafes, peaceful gardens; had good food and lots of laughter. The woman I shared a room with at the hotel (I went with our U3A group) enjoyed a glass of red wine, so we tended to have our wine and a dish of olives as a nightcap whilst we reviewed the day - and laughed a lot.

After that, I went off to visit a friend in Suffolk and another relaxing week of fun and laughter. Came home, did some gardening, a little bit of painting and decorating, met up with a ‘quilting’ friend and spent a day sewing and chatting; walking, coffee mornings, met my ex boss for lunch, took my grandchildren out for lunch plus an afternoon of pottery painting and laughter. In the middle of all this I’ve tried to puzzle out what on earth I’m going to eat. Such a nuisance, sometimes, having to stop, to shop, to eat!

Have my sister staying this week and we’re off out shopping shortly and will no doubt be doing all sorts of things during the time she’s here…or nothing at all, as the mood takes us.

And that is what this is all about - doing what I want to do when I want to do it. So my apologies for being one of the irregular bloggers but I’ve lived my life by the clock and deadlines, so now I’ve taken the clocks off the walls, just kept my wristwatch - because I’m used to wearing it - and enjoy my life as and when.

Oooh, I did go and get my hair cut shorter again, which has made me feel quite lightheaded, lol, and I’m still looking for some good ideas on makeovers for the mature lady (I might be a Granny but I don’t want to look like one). Fashion, make-up and exercise thoughts wanted please.

Anyone out there with any good ideas that won’t cost me a fortune?

Let's hear it for the quilters...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:11:45 +0100

There have been two very interesting articles about quilting in the press recently in the UK. Apparently, research has shown the health benefits of quilting or sewing. Well, any quilter could have told them that and saved them a lot of money into the bargain. In fact, the benefits of quilting have been known for centuries.

Last year I visited an exhibition at The Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It was fascinating. One of the very old quilts had been made by the paper piecing method. For some reason the person hadn’t completed the quilt and you could see that the papers used had been old, handwritten, letters or documents. What chance of that happening these days, eh? A wonderful snapshot into the past.

Soldiers who were in hospital recovering from horrific injuries received during the First World War had been encouraged to create the most amazing quilts, depicting what had happened to them. You could see one man’s story there, in front of you, and most importantly, it had been created by him and not by someone else.

There was also a quilt on display made by a inmate at a London prison, with a video commentary by the creator running alongside, where he talked about the benefits he had experienced from stitching his quilt.

All of this brings me to the fact that I’ve been to my Quilting Class this morning and what a wonderful group of people they are. Every week I leave there feeling good. Some members are superb stitchers, others (like me) are still learning new techniques but everyone is willing to help and we can just sit and sew and chat about so many different things. I don’t think I’ve ever left feeling deflated, only keen to find more time to do more sewing.

So, if ever you’re feeling down, just go find a quilting group and become part of a different, positive, community for a couple of hours a week. They’re worth their weight in gold.

Summer is Here...I think

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:41:15 +0100

The sun shone yesterday afternoon and it’s out again today. Woo hoo!!! Maybe summer has arrived here at last, or maybe I speak in haste. I’m supposed to be doing an historic walk around a local town at some point but if the day continues as its started, it could be too hot for that sort of thing. Choices, choices, again…

Everything looks so beautiful in the sunshine and it makes me feel so much better. I didn’t go out yesterday as I was busy completing a quilt for the Linus Project. Need to meet and talk to some other human beings today, I think, as it can get a bit depressing being on your own too much.

Funny that. When the family were young and I was running a home and had a full-time job, plus all the other commitments that come with school age children, I used to think how lovely it would be to just have one day to myself. Now I have lots of days to myself if I choose and I think, how lovely to have the noise and bustle of a family around.

A house can be beautiful and empty or it can be a home full of life, laughter and lifes up and downs. Think I vote for the latter.

Popped out to the supermarket this morning and I’d...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 15:52:00 +0100

Popped out to the supermarket this morning and I’d arranged to meet a friend for a coffee whilst I was out. Got my coffee and couldn’t resist the cheese twist on the display stand. Oh dear. Never mind. My friend is a very supportive person so, much against her will, she ate half for me! http://sixtyseveralandcounting

kittiesandcake:

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A Healthy Option???

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 16:09:56 +0100

I was just surfing the net looking for an exercise programme that I can do at home, or in my very small garden, and which would hold my interest for longer than 1 session, 1 day.

I slowly became aware of what I was doing whilst surfing the net…eating treacle tart with a large dollop of creme fraiche on top. I looked from dish of treacle tart, back to exercise on screen, back to treacle tart. Guess what won?

A very big thank you...

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:58:03 +0100

…to whitelephantintheroom for following me.

I look in the mirror, put on a smile and go out and face the world…and then I come home to just me. Eight years this year and the memories are as clear as if everything happened yesterday.

Stay in touch - please.

Choices

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:43:20 +0100

It’s the weekend again and weekends used to be very difficult for me to get through after my husband died. Ask anyone in similar circumstances and they will invariably say the same thing. More often than not, they say Sunday is the worst day. Both my mother and mother-in-law said exactly that when they found themselves on their own.

I decided it was no good sitting around moping, feeling sorry for myself; it was up to me to do something, anything, to get moving. It’s very easy to get down in the dumps and if you stay there too long, it’s even harder to get out!

I took a sheet of white card and on one side I printed some pictures of places I loved going to and that made me feel good, about 3.5” x 2.5”. I cut these into individual cards and on the other side I wrote the word CHOICES and one activity that I could easily do on a Sunday. Whenever I was feeling blue, I would lay the cards face down on the table and select one. Whatever was on that card, I had to do ~ no arguing with myself that I didn’t fancy doing that, or whatever, I had to just do it.

My choices were:

Ring someone and ask if they would like to go for a walk, or go on my own.
Learn something new - there’s a world of learning at our fingertips with a computer.
Visit a friend.
Go through my DVD’s and videos to find one I hadn’t watched for a long time (I wrote these out in the winter).
Visit a local farm shop or garden centre and see what goodies they had and maybe enjoy a cuppa whilst there.
Telephone someone I hadn’t spoken to for ages.
Go to a local craft centre with the Sunday newspaper, have coffee, read the paper and watch the world go by.
Check out matinee performances at a local Arts centre
Clear out one drawer and see what I could find!
Start sorting out my boxes of photos (I actually dreaded picking up this card but, fortunately, I never did!)
Find a good novel to get my teeth into.
Surf the web to find a new chat forum that might be interesting
Go to church (we were new to the area when my husband became very ill and I didn’t even know where the church was, to be honest, but I thought if I found one, it might be full of friendly people).

The above was just a list of things that came to my mind when I was having difficulty focussing on anything at all. I made a similar selection to cover simple, easy to put together, meals, because that was another area where I couldn’t seem to get my act together for a very long time. The system has no end of uses.

Why am I writing about this now? Because when I was telling a friend whose husband had died, she said she wished someone had suggested something like that to her. In fact, she was going home to create her own pack of cards because she still has days where she feels lost and doesn’t know what to do.

Having just read a Japanese proverb - Fall down seven times, get up eight - it reminded my of my “Choices” and I thought maybe this concept might be helpful to someone else.

Went for walk with my U3A group. Arrived at start point an hour...

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:19:00 +0100

Went for walk with my U3A group. Arrived at start point an hour early, so popped into cafe and had Danish Pastry straight out of the oven and large cappuccino - absolutely delicious. The walk around the lake only took 45 minutes, so thought I ought to add on some extra time in order to feel better about that lovely pastry and creamy cappuccino that I devoured earlier! When will I ever learn? Sixtyseveralandcounting

arreter:

(by kronicred)

16 Ways to Gain Respect and Admiration

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:36:00 +0100

I’ve reblogged the following from the Self Improvement Saga newsletter. It was written by Nea in People Skills, Success Skills.

I think it’s pretty good…but it has made me realise that I still have a lot of work to do. A few “Ah hah!” and “Oh lor!” moments I have to say but I always remember a quote I read in Jack Canfield’s book The Success Principles…”I will not should on myself today”.

I won’t be saying “I should…” but I do think the older I get, the more ‘adjustments’ I have to make to my attitude along the road. On the other hand, I know there will be days when I’ll say “That’s me. Take it or leave it!” It can be quite good, growing up. At long last I can just do my own thing. Bliss!

Success Skills to Get the Respect and Admiration of Others

1) Admit your flaws. Nobody is perfect, so don’t join the crowd in pretending to have it all together. It’s far more respectable to be straightforward and honest about who you are as a whole person. That includes both the things you know and those you aren’t sure of; the things you’re proud of and the things you’re working to change.

2) Praise more. It takes little more than a functional voice box to criticize a person, place, system, or organization for various failures. We see such put-downs everyday all day. However, it takes a great deal of self-confidence and positivity to seek out and praise the good in everyone and everything.

3) Relax. In a world where everyone and everything is a frantic, busy mess; what could be more admirable than the calm presence of a relaxed being. Give yourself, and others, a break from the madness by simply learning to pace yourself and to give your attention to one thing at a time.

4) Set an example. As the saying goes, “Talk is cheap.” So, instead of talking about how things should be and what people should do, set an example for others to follow. Everyone admires and respects a person who proves to be more than another talking head.

5) Forgive and let go. Holding a grudge against someone is easy, but chances are it will never produce any results worth having. To the contrary, people look up to those who have the strength and courage to forgive. Forgiveness is a win-win situation. You set yourself free while simultaneously setting an example that encourages others to take a positive step they never thought they’d be able to take.

6) Say what you mean. One of the most important people skills is clear, concise, direct communication. People don’t want to rely on reading between the lines in order to figure out what you truly mean. Say what you mean rather than beating around the bushes.

7) Do your personal best. Competition can be quite motivating, but don’t let it ruin you by tying your happiness to the achievements of others. You can’t be the next Michael Jordan or Donald Trump. You can’t be your father, your “smarter” sister or your favorite author. Their lives are taken. Be the best you that you can be; and you’ll be respected for maximizing your own potential.

8 ) Share your gifts. Despite all the selfishness in today’s society, everyone admires those who remember that every gift is better when it’s shared. Whatever joy comes into your life, pass it on. Pay it forward. As you unleash your generosity; positive, generous, caring people will be drawn in to admire and respect you as an amazing human being.

9) Brag less. For every accomplishment that you’re proud of, you can encourage someone else to believe in himself. But bragging is more indicative of insecurity and a need for attention than it is of confidence. Respect and admiration flows easily to those who share their accomplishments to uplift and inspire rather than to prove that they’re somehow better than others.

10) Think before you talk. Avoid putting your foot in your mouth by simply thinking before you speak. It’s the best way to get your point across assertively and to reduce miscommunication, thereby gaining the admiration of others.

11) Apologize. A sincere apology is more than blurting out, “I’m sorry” every time someone else is upset. It is a compassionate statement of personal accountability and empathy for the other person. It takes an admirable level of maturity to admit that you’ve done something to (intentionally or unintentionally) cause harm.

12) Keep a positive attitude. Everyone experiences trouble in their life, so that’s definitely not something that sets one person apart from another. What truly sets us apart is the way we handle those troubles. By facing life’s ups and downs with a positive attitude, you show that you are definitely someone worth looking up to.

13) Be congruent. Mixed signals are a major hindrance to success. When you attempt to portray yourself as someone you’re not, bits of the truth seep out in ways that lead to misinterpretations, false impressions and mistrust.

Just be real with people. Without effort, your words, body language and behavior will send a congruent message that makes sense and gains the respect and admiration of those around you.

14) Say no and yes. You’ll be faced with times when you’re asked to do things you’d rather not do. It’s hard to say yes when you don’t want to do what needs to be done; and it’s hard to say no when you worry about feeling guilty. In either case, have the courage to do what you know in your heart is for the Highest good. Be flexible, yet trust your inner guidance. Fairness for yourself and others will always gain respect.

15) Stop blaming. The blame game is old, tired and completely ineffective. Show that you’ve blossomed into someone worth modeling after by looking for what you could have done differently in thorny situations. This will take you much further with people than looking for a place to cast blame.

16) Give the gift of patience. Patience can be the most valuable success skill when a person’s best isn’t good enough for you. In such situations, consider the effort being put forth rather than focusing only on the inconvenience you’re experiencing.

Health and Fitness

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 14:33:00 +0100

The above two words have tended to be on my mind quite a lot lately. I think it all stems from looking at myself in the mirror with my glasses on! It was a sad sight, I can tell you. So, onwards and upwards, as some wise sage said (though who I have no idea) and I decided it was time to do something about it.

Gym subscriptions are out of the question for me at present and I knew that somewhere in the house I had some exercise dvd’s - or so I thought. When I eventually found them, however, I discovered they were videos. What a pain! I no longer have a video player because everything these days seems to be on dvd, so I now have four perfectly good exercise tapes that I can’t play. Even if I did have a video, I have no idea how to connect it to the TV and I haven’t the room to put a video player near the TV anyway.

Well, I used to be the one to wander around saying there were no such things as problems, only opportunities. Having got to grumpy old woman stage, I couldn’t resist saying to myself, what a load of cods wallop.

I’ve managed to stop ‘grumping’ now and have at least started going on regular walks with an offshoot of the U3A group I belong to. There are twelve of us altogether who decided we needed to start with just a couple of miles at a time, rather than the five miles or so undertaken by the regular walking group.

The remainder of my exercise regime seems to be running up and down stairs, purely because I get upstairs and realise I’ve left stuff downstairs that I really need, or vice versa. Oh well, I suppose there’s more than one way to skin a cat, as the saying goes…

The Reluctant Raw Foodist and Me

Sat, 11 Jun 2011 13:48:00 +0100

My friend, The Reluctant Raw Foodist, came to see me today and I have to say she looked pretty good.

We’ve been friends for over 15 years so can be quite honest with each other but when she started on the raw food diet last year, I thought she looked awful - and told her so. In fact, to be perfectly honest, I thought she’d really flipped her lid because, to me, she was a shadow of her former self.

I gather it’s all to do with high histamine levels in her body (which has apparently had an adverse effect on her immune system). She has explained all the detail to me on a number of occasions but I haven’t absorbed it and as I’m sure everyone is different, a professional consultation with a qualified Bio Chemist would be essential for each individual.

I usually weigh people up on appearance and behaviour, particularly if I’ve known them a long time and am aware of whether they like to live in the middle of mess, muddle and confusion, physically and/or personally. If they’re good friends it doesn’t matter. But, when I see someone change from an attractive, smart, articulate, professional, person to a hollow shell, then I get worried.

Six months or so down the line, however, she seems to have regained some of her former vim and vigour. She has to be extremely careful of what she eats or breathes in (in the form of perfumes contained in many cleaning and personal hygiene products as an example) but I’m delighted to see my old friend returning.

I can only suggest that if you suffer from unexplained joint pain; have mood changes that you know are totally out of character; have all sorts of odd reactions to the air you breathe and the food you eat, go see a medical professional and get your histamine levels checked, plus check out The Reluctant Raw Foodist Blog.

I must stress that I am not medically qualified in any way shape or form, so make sure you see your Doctor before embarking on any changes to your diet or health regime.

Me being me, I feel I should also add that I do not follow a raw food diet myself. There are foods that no longer agree with me (I’ve put that down to an “age” thing) but having cut those items out of my diet, I seem to be okay. I fully appreciate, though, that for many life isn’t that simple.

Phew! That’s better. The ‘Real Me’ will get...

Tue, 31 May 2011 20:02:00 +0100

Phew! That’s better. The ‘Real Me’ will get out again soon…I hope.

Sixty Several and Counting

That's not the real me...

Tue, 31 May 2011 20:01:00 +0100

I was walking past a department store, my mind a million miles away, when I noticed the reflection of an elderly lady in a store window. “Shame” I thought, “she can do with a bit of help in the fashion and fitness stakes.” And then I stopped and looked at the reflection properly and as the old dear’s knees buckled under her, so mine buckled under me!

When did I get like that? It was definitely not the real me, which seems to have got lost in someone else’s body! Mmmm. Wonder if it’s some sort of trick glass they put in store windows these days. The type that makes you look as if you’ve put on a few pounds in certain areas and makes your skin go baggy in others.

Anyone know of a cheap makeover programmes for seniors?

I’d rather not look, if you don’t mind. Sixty...

Mon, 30 May 2011 11:50:00 +0100

I’d rather not look, if you don’t mind.

Sixty Several and Counting