Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Today I received my copy of AARP Bulletin in the mail (October 2009, Vol. 50, No. 8, bulletin.aarp.org ) and it took me on a ride on the information highway of resources. If you are an AARP member there are great benies to be had. If you are not, there is loads of information at our fingertips to make life easier to handle. For example, Reebok as well as other outlet stores work with baby boomers to give us discounts. October 7-18 they offer 40% off your entire purchase (daily it is 20%, www.aarp.org/reebok ) And I went to AARP for further information and it led me off to a great “mother lode” of resources at www.tiphero.com .

And what I really love is, it isn’t all about buying something either. It is about resourcing so we, women, can make more informed choices. Like here is one for you about retirement. That seems to be the “Nightmare on Elm Street”, right? There is a lot of negative stuff geared at hitting boomers but there are resources if only we know where to look for them. I was watching a commercial on Medicare Plan B and my confusion cycle began. What is Medicare Plan B I wondered, and is there Plan A or other Plans I don’t know about? Well sure enough there are four, Medicare Plan A (hospital insurance, Plan B (medical insurance), Plan C (Medicare Advantage Plans, like HMOs or PPOs) and Plan D (prescription coverage). And once again a resource to go to is www.medicare.gov and if you get confused they actually make it user friendly like the “retirement” information at www.socialsecurity.gov/. There are resources so that the negativity that is pumped at older Americans through the media can be fought.

Then if you need to really ask the hard questions about retirement AARP invites its members to view the Retirement Revolution series that was hosted by Paula Zahn for questions we have on retirement at http://www.wttw.com/main.taf?p=1,41”.

Why I bring these resources to your attention is because there is a lot of negative press about the fears of retirement and health care. As a baby boomer I do not want the dread of my future as depicted in the media to be the outlook I take on as my persona. I want the resources, the answers and so should you.

There is way too much negativity these days and we accept what we hear in the media as facts without realizing that while much is truth the “way” it is presented gives a “sky is falling” feeling. No, the weather has not turned into monster hurricanes. The hurricanes come every year but the urgency of televising it has made it a disaster filming daily. I don’t doubt we are in a recession, that international affairs are mess, or the environment needs our help. What I do doubt is that we have to approach these things with a doomsday mentality instead of a resourcing mentality. I was pretty excited finding more resources than I cannot possibly use in my life time and I will continue to update my resources but what I won’t do is buy into the negativity. I think I want to question everything again like I did the 1960s. And let us all find information that helps us not bog us down! Do you have resources you use you can share with me!

Serve with a salad:

“Tweedle’s Quiche”

8 slices bacon (ham, steak, any meat or seafood of choice), crisply cooked, crumbled (1/2 cup)
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onion
4 large eggs
2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

1. I use a store bought, already prepared pie dough. I unroll this into a 9″ pie pan or square dish.
2. Sautee chopped green onion until golden brown
3. Carefully line pastry with a double thickness of foil, gently pressing foil to bottom and side of pastry. Let foil extend over edge to prevent excessive browning. Bake 10 minutes. Carefully remove foil and bake 2 to 4 minutes longer or until pastry just begins to brown and has become set. If crust bubbles, gently push bubbles down with back of spoon.
4. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. In medium bowl, beat eggs slightly; beat in bacon, cheese and onion and remaining filling ingredients. Pour into pie pan.
5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Also, great served cold with a nice glass of medium dry white wine. John prefers his warm with a coke.

Time Bandits, we all have them lurking around. They are those bandits who try to take up what little free time we have and rob it from us. This month I am on the warpath against time bandits. I want to find out what mine are and how to guard my minutes of each and every day so that I can buy back some of that time for me. And today was my first day of having some time to me. I actually got to read, garden and do some puttering on a puzzle. But as a person who goes to school, works part time, also does volunteer work part time, deals with chronic pain and runs a house I am asking myself, what is the most effective way to get those time bandits at bay.

First I sat down and looked at my week. I have exactly 168 hours in my week. Everyone does, I spend a good deal of that sleeping because as a person with chronic pain I need my rest! Then there are the “unexpected” time bandits. Those chaotic moments when something or someone pulls on my energy and I found that how I react to chaotic moments tells a lot about owning my minutes. Reaction to use of time is crucial to how we use our time. Negative energy can have an effect on my health issues so I have to be careful with negativism around me.

Here is a tidbit to think about. What if, just what if, the culture we are living in is creating the hype that busy and having no time is our reality? Well, let me explain. If I need to get my energy up I turn on my favorite news channel in the morning, CNN to get me pumping. I was really listening to how my body was getting agitated when listening to verbs like “breaking” news or “pandemic” as a possibility from people who self professedly are loaded up on energy drinks. I tried an energy drink and let me tell ya it was no time at all my daughter ripped that sucker out of my hand because I started talking a mile a minute. No way could I finish one! I would have been so high there would be urgently happening things all over the place in that state of being. But! You may say I am so tired and busy and there is so much going on my in my life I need a pick me up.

Well that is where I decided to take a good hard look at all the stuff “going on in my life” and you know what! Oh my gawd! Most of it is self imposed. No one says I have to volunteer, no one says I have to say “yes” to everyone else. But we learn from our culture that we should, that altruism is the quality of a good person. It wasn’t until I started having chronic pain that I realized how valuable my minutes are. I don’t get a lot time in a day where my energy is high enough to relax.

But you may say I need a break! A real break from it all, an island with a large pitcher of Mojitos and some sun. No kids, no job, no nothing!! I agree we all need down time but what I am seeing is most of us just need to change the kind of activity that puts us in a flow. That is our creative place where work is not an ugly four letter word and when we finish a job well done to be satisfied with. THAT, my friends is what I am talking about! Only in America can we run so fast and do nothing.

About six years ago I was living in Belgium. When I first got there I went into major culture shock because I had “time”. Time to relax and I crashed. I simply freaked out because the quiet was too much I was so used to over stimulation my mind went into overtime. Most of the stores closed on Sundays so there was no running like a mad man on my Sunday. I saw people take walks. Strolls with families or friends to be exact on Sunday, no kidding and I lived in Brussels. That is a huge busy city! I found I had a hard time just sitting, reading or taking my time simply grocery shopping. I was missing the urgency of America’s busy, busy, go, go with the cell perpetually on your ear and the computer going all the time with CNN (or your favorite show) continually streaming out the world’s problems. No wonder my body is responding so drastically. And so here I am, six years later spinning back out of control. And I want my time back!!!

So I am starting with my hours in a day. Deciding when to say no and dear readers this is a tricky one because usually when a person asks, “will you do this or that” there is an implied expected yes from you. How shocking when I started saying no, that doesn’t work for me. Oh sure you will have to put up with the temporary judgment and confusion but just because we can do something for others doesn’t mean we have to! So the next time you feel overwhelmed think about what you have to do and what you are doing and how the environment is pushing in on you and just ask yourself, how will I want to spend my 168 hours this week. I am and it is refreshing!