Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Tuesday This and That: In The Retirement Zone

 As part of my retirement "a little income here and a little income there" , plan, I occasionally do surveys, and research and folks and so on. Today I just happened to jump into a multi week survey and evaluation via the Yale Department of Senior help. It's a multi week program that includes both surveys and activities and aims to include positive views of aging among the participants among other things. Today I did a very long survey (of the "do you have trouble doing this" type variety) and then did a module. I suspect it will be at least as educational for me as for the researchers. Among the things I learned today is that positive views on aging alone show increased memory ability even without any other factors. I'll be sharing more as I get to read and take it all in.

Meanwhile, what's been happening while I was gone (the good, the bad, and the ugly)

1. Pulling up the ugly first, I made two immense math mistakes both in my banking balance and my paypal (earning balance), resulting in the "items returned" fees of almost twenty items (yep, you can do the math). No one to blame but myself, but quite a hit and need to get back on track.

2. I made a Facebook page for selling my hand made stuff!  Not connected to this page yet however. The one at the side is different! It's not a shop and it's going slowly, but at least I have a place to show all the photographs and all the things and have connected it to my Instagram, at least sort of.  It may be triple digits outside, but the fall sewing has commenced!

3. Speaking of those triple digits (has to be done), I'm doing much better about the humidity, but the current heat is much worse (and wet and sweaty) than it would be in arid Colorado and I've become a two shower a day and sun dress type.

4. Even so, my exercising has increased. I'm in the pool three days a week sometime between eight and ten and out between nine and eleven. I water walk and job and do exercises but even so it's not really weight bearing. The alternating days I do a fifty minute aerobic/weight/stretch seated program and force myself to do thirty minutes of walking to get the benefits (I drink alot of milk and have no osteoporosis or bone problems to date so I'm kind of lazy in the weight bearing area, truth be told)

5. I haven't been on nearly as many drives as I had planned. Everything sounds exciting until you're out walking among the tulips or lavender or water or whatever and it's triple digits with bugs. I think early fall will be my active time in this area.  Right now, I'm going out side in the morning, a few minutes before bed and happy to be in the cocoon that is my apartment even though I keep it close to 78 except for my bedroom.

6 My social and activity life has improved. I've joined a lunch group called the 4Ls (liberal, laughing, lunching ladies), my church has a crafting group and a lunching group and the community is back to having weekly events.

7. I've meant to head to Colorado a couple times and put it off and now I've just decided to wait till mid-August and escape the worst weather to the dryer heat (it will be anything but cool in Colorado, but it's a dry heat, as they say in Aliens).

I'm sure there's more but I'll save it for my next post as I get back in the groove here...

8 comments:

  1. Barb, I tried your FB link at the right of your post, but it wouldn't work. Is there any other way to see the items you've made? Even though you're many miles south of where I live, in southeastern IL, I've resorted to being outside in the early morning and evenings, too. We've had so much rain, and that's resulted in lots of bugs and humidity. Looking forward to fall! Other that the math snafu, it sounds as though your life has really come together. Very happy to hear about your 4L group. Sounds like fun!

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    1. No, my selling FB page is not connected to this. Perhaps later but right now I'm not ready!

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  2. Barbara ,I have a set of weights to use in the water. They are a dense foam and count on water resistance offsetting the buoyancy as the "weight". In the water on scorching hot days is a pretty easy (cool) place to get some weight training in.

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    1. I couldn't gt at your Facebook page either through your blog or on Facebook. You probably need to update your privacy settings.
      h
      I love te name o your lunch Club.

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    2. Yes, we have those as well. I justbuse my own weights at home in that alternating days for now!

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  3. No, I just have not connected that page with this one. I think the Richly Retired FB page is still connected but I won't be connecting the business page at least for the moment!

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  4. We hit triple digits today here and it is unbearable. I stayed in most of the day. I did manage to see a bit of what you are selling via your Facebook. Love the book holder.

    God bless.

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  5. I hate those costly kinds of math mistakes. We go on drives and never get out because of the problem walking and the heat.

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