6 THINGS BRING HOPE FOR 2021

Everyone agrees that 2020 is a year we would rather forget. The social isolation of the pandemic, and subsequent economic and mental anguish has brought the entire world to a standstill. And yet, 6 things bring hope for 2021.

1. Indy just landed the entire NCAA Men’s Basketball tourney. Who says Indianapolis is a hick town? This tournament is usually played throughout the country in March. We’re talking 67 men’s college basketball games, all to be played right here in the State of Indiana. Love it that Indy Governor Holcomb met with NCAA President Mark Emmert and planned the whole thing back in November. Proud to be a Hoosier, and hoping more exciting things will happen for our State in the future

2. Seeing a friend fight cancer. Some forms of cancer have a worse prognosis than others, and this was a bad one. The median survival is only 8 months. And yet he’s still here after 2 years. . We’ve watched him go through chemo, and bravely battle the disease. He walks and prays daily, keeps an upbeat attitude, and can still drive, travel and enjoy life.

3. Indoor gardening. I love seeing greenery inside the house on dreary winter days. Lots of hanging planters in the windows. I have enough amaryllis bulbs to last through Spring. Watching the buds and leaves slowly emerge , inch by inch, gives me something to look forward to each day. And when the gorgeous flowers finally bloom, I feel a surge of joy.

4. Mastering a mean omelet. I’ve always loved omelets, but never could get one to turn out smoothly. Mine always fell apart somewhere, and ended as a jumbled up mess on the plate. Finally, I found an omelet lesson on you tube that actually worked. My cheese omelet last night was smooth, perfectly done, and slid right onto a plate. I’m not too old to improve my cooking skills.!

5. Vaccine. 2020 has been a lost year for everyone. Too many people have died from Covid-19. My grandchildren missed out on a whole year of in-person schooling.. Folks have lost jobs, are going hungry, and losing their homes. The vaccines for Covid-19 give us hope for a return to normalcy by the end of this year.

6. 2020 election is over. The spam phone calls from politicians at all hours of the day and night have finally stopped. I’m still getting emails from The Trump folks, but I believe those will end after Biden’s inauguration. Whether or not you like the outcome of the election, you won’t have to endure all those invasions of privacy by activists who call, knock on your door, post on your Facebook, and clog up your email account

Better things are coming in 2021!

January 4, 2021January 4, 2021

WHAT IF IT WERE TRUE?

In a couple of days, the electoral college will vote to certify the presidential election. A lot of Republicans are going to protest, saying there’s proof of voter fraud in several states. I doubt if that effort is going anywhere, but it makes you wonder if they’re going to keep pursuing it, like a dog with a bone. What if it were true, after all? Would we have to redo the entire election?

This latest election has been a wake up call for many voters, who thought the voting process was uniform across the United States. In my state of Indiana, you have to have a valid ID, and a signature check in order to vote in person or by absentee ballot. That seems like a pretty reasonable requirement. However, I did not know that other states have different rules. You can vote by mail with no signature or identification. Paper ballots can be run off on xerox machines, and they will be considered valid. In states like Nevada, people can vote twice.

Up until now, I believed that real people counted the votes. I was unaware that the task had been assigned to machines. It really undermines a person’s faith in the entire electoral process.

If certain states have allowed these loosey goosey voting requirements to go on for a long time, then it seems that both political parties are at fault.. Somewhere along the line, someone should have stood up and asked for election reform. But since they didn’t, they have only themselves to blame for the current mess we’re in.

What’s happened now is that most American’s believe that our electoral system is deeply flawed. Many of us have lost faith in the entire process. That’s not good for our country in the long run. The Democrats may have benefited from the loopholes in the system this time around, but it could come back to bite them in future elections if the Republicans figure out ways to beat the system in future elections.

Again, what if it were true? What if proof of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election finally comes to light a year from now? Would we have a do over election? Would Biden have to move out, and Trump move back in the White House? There’s no precedent for this scenario, and no rules established. I guess the legislature would have to figure it all out.

January 1, 2021January 1, 2021

HOMELESS SLEEPING IN CAR AT LIBRARY

Thursday was New Year’s Eve. I forgot about that, and drove to the library where I had a book on hold. Noticed the parking lot was almost empty as I headed for the door. It was locked. On my way back, I observed another silver car parked nearby. How strange, I thought. Why are all the windows covered with blankets, papers, and clothes? Light bulb. I’m looking at a homeless person sleeping in their car at the library at one o’clock in the afternoon. I don’t think they had a very Merry Christmas.

I’ve observed homeless people lingering in the parks and downtown near drugstores and Dollar Stores. But seeing someone sleeping in their car was a first. I suppose the library parking lot is a safe place for that. I sat there for a few minutes, feeling utterly helpless. Obviously, the person doesn’t feel safe sleeping in their car at night. Or it may be against the law in our city. If you’re a woman, it could be dangerous after dark. But where does this person go from dusk to dawn? How do you while away the hours while sitting or driving in the darkness?

Taking a closer look, you can see that this car is in pretty decent shape. It’s not dented or rusty or dirty. I don’t pay much attention to car models and years, but it looked fairly new. Maybe this was a small business owner who suddenly went bust. Or someone who had a decent job before the pandemic hit. But suddenly, he/she is out of work. And no place to go. Maybe an only child. Or someone without a nearby family. For all I know, there may have been a couple of little kids sleeping in the back seat of that car.

Oddly, this morning as I read the various news feeds on the net, I saw that the stock market is at an all time high. Small investors, especially, are betting that we’re going to have a booming economy as soon as everyone gets vaccinated. But I’m not sure of that. According to Brookings Institute 20% of American workers have lost jobs and are lining up at food banks. Many of these jobs will not come back.

Stock market at all time high while homeless sleeping in car at library. — Homeless are sleeping in cars. . Meanwhile, the stock market is soaring.

Obviously, the pandemic has worsened the gap between rich and poor in this country. And it’s only getting worse . Highly educated people able to work from home may have piled up lots of money in their savings account. Meanwhile, the less skilled are food deprived, and living in their cars. Will the economy bounce back in time to save these people from poverty? I hope so, but it doesn’t seem very likely.

In the words of the poet, John Donne, No man is an island.

‘No Man is an Island’

No man is an island entire of itself; every man 
is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; 
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe 
is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as 
well as any manner of thy friends or of thine 
own were; any man's death diminishes me, 
because I am involved in mankind. 
And therefore never send to know for whom 
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

December 30, 2020December 30, 2020

7 New Year Hopes & Dreams

For the past 10 months, we’ve been treading water. Just trying to keep going, staying alive and well. It’s been a time of emotional ups and downs, as we adjust to the social isolation and other restrictions of the covid-19 pandemic . Now. there’s light at the end of the tunnel. We can allow ourselves to think of seven New Year hopes and dreams for 2021.

Vaccine: Not sure when it’s going to be available. We’re hoping to get it in the next month or so. My husband has agreed to go first. If he can handle it all right, I’ll get it too. Not looking forward to the side effects, but there really isn’t any choice.
Dinner at a fine restaurant. We’ve done a lot more take out this year, but sitting down with cardboard containers at your table doesn’t quite do the job. I want to get dressed up, go out for dinner, and enjoy the ambiance: Romantic lighting. Soft music. An appealing menu of delicious food. . Attentive wait staff. Afterwards, nothing to clean up or throw away in the kitchen.
7 new year hopes and dreams include dining at a fine restaurant.
Getting a Haircut.. Salons have been open, but I’ve not been willing to take that risk. I’ve done a pretty decent job of cutting my own hair, but a professional will do much better.
Talking to people when out in public. When wearing a stocking cap and mask, most people don’t recognize me. And even if I see someone I know, , I’m afraid to stop and chat. Didn’t realize how much I miss interacting with casual friends and acquaintences.
Swimming. Yes the pool at the YMCA has been open. And they’re following all the guidelines for social distancing, but it’s a little too high risk at my age. I was okay with it in the summer because I could leave without going into the locker room. But walking out in the cold with damp clothes is not my idea of fun. I just want to dive in the water, swim, do some exercises, get out, take a shower, dry my hair, get dressed, and walk out into the sunshine.
Senior center activities. Our local senior center is a haven for the retirement crowd. Miss the camaraderie of participating in tai chi and playing mahjong. Eager to once again see friendly faces, and having a good time.
Family get togethers. You can Skype and Zoom all you want, but it’s not the same as hearing the laughter of your grandchildren, seeing the light in their eyes. and the feel of a warm hug.

Happy New Year!

December 28, 2020December 28, 2020

ANXIOUSLY ZOOMING INTO CYBERSPACE

People have been Skyping for years, but, I wasn’t too keen on it. Then, my children guilted me into thinking I really ought to connect with my faraway grandchildren. Still, I shied away from the idea, citing my lack of tech savvy. But when my daughter sent me a webcam, I knew the jig was up. I had no excuse to avoid my Skype anxiety. Seeing myself on webcam for the first time was a shock. My dark distorted image resembled a horror movie monster. Someone said it was all about the lighting. That helped a bit. But I still found it awkward making conversation in such an unnatural setting. The covid-19 pandemic exacerbated the problem, because we couldn’t have a family get together. That’s when , I found myself anxiously zooming into cyberspace.

If you’re reading this blog, you probably know the difference between Skype and Zoom. But, just in case, I’ll explain the difference. With Skype, you’re just connecting with one place. There may be more people in the room, but basically, it’s a one-on-one situation. With Zoom, You’re in a video conference with 3 or 4 people, all in different places. On Christmas day I found Zoom to be a pleasanter experience. With more than one person participating, there’s less performance anxiety. It felt as though my three kids and I were sitting around in a living room, just like in the old days. Conversation felt natural, and unstrained.

anxiously zooming into cyberspace. Zoom fatigue is causing anxiety during the pandemic. — During the pandemic, many are anxiously zooming into cyberspace. Zoom anxiety is real..

Not surprisingly, many younger people have Zoom anxiety, especially when it comes to meetings associated with their work. It freaks them out to see all those people looking at them. Worse yet, is the unflattering sight of their own panicked face. They find themselves feeling sweaty and tongue tied. The problem is so prevalent that Psychology Today has offered 3 tips on how to deal with it.

If you’re interested in zooming, all you’ll need is : A phone or computer; a webcam; speakers, a microphone, and of course, an internet connection. If You don’t need to have a Zoom account., most adults in the workforce already have one.

In my case, my daughter e mailed me an invitation to join her meeting. I clicked on the link, downloaded Zoom, used the passcode provided, and voila! I had zoomed into cyberspace. Not too bad for an octogenarian!

December 26, 2020December 26, 2020

LET’S HAVE SOME TEA

The Christmas holidays are a magical time. Everything comes together— family dinners, cards from far away friends, calls and visits from loved ones, beautiful music, and delicious food. We want everything to be perfect. But often it’s not. Things don’t always turn out the way we expect. Someone’s late for dinner, your son has a fender bender, you burned the coffee cake—there are dozens of little annoyances that are bound to happen even during the best of times. How to cope? Take a tip from the British. When things go wrong, they say, “let’s have some tea.”

I was never much of a tea drinker until the covid-19 pandemic started last March. The weather was still cold, and we were all a bit panicky and depressed. All of a sudden, I had a craving for tea. As the days wore on and the virus continued to spread, I started heating the water in the late afternoon, and sitting down to sip a cup of hot tea. It was more soothing than I had ever expected. It also gave me a little lift —not the jolt you get from your morning coffee, just a feeling of calm and clarity.

The history of tea dates back over 5,000 years ago to ancient China. In 2732 B.C. Emperor Shen Nung discovered tea when leaves from a wild tree blew into a pot of water he was boiling . He enjoyed the pleasant scent of the resulting brew and described a warm feeling as he drank the tea.

Besides giving you a boost of energy, tea also has other health benefits. According to Harvard Health, it’s an anti inflammatory which may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It also boosts memory and may prevent cognitive decline. Drinking tea after a meal reduces blood sugar levels, which is helpful for those with Type 2 diabetes.

There are various types of teas. Green tea is preferred by many, and is supposed to have more health benefits. Personally, I prefer black tea with a little bit of honey. The next time something goes wrong, and everyone’s feeling stressed, you might suggest “let’s have some tea.”

December 23, 2020December 23, 2020

DID TRUMP DODGE A BULLET?

Did you ever experience a broken engagement or get turned down for a job? It was upsetting at the time, and it took awhile to stop mourning your dashed hopes. But then later–maybe much later– the lost lover turned out to be a bummer, and the company that refused to hire you went bust. Or, with a more positive outcome, you found a better job, or met the love of your life. Looking back, you realize that the loss you mourned was actually a blessing in disguise. You dodged a bullet. Now, Trump supporters are grieving the Biden win during the 2020 election. But maybe it’s not a bad thing, after all. Did Trump dodge a bullet?

The stock market is climbing on good news of the vaccine. . But at least one financial advisor is predicting a once in a lifetime crash. During this pandemic, millions of jobs were eliminated in retail, restaurant and other business. Many of these jobs aren’t coming back. How long can the government keep on printing money before we have massive inflation and higher taxes?

Instead of the robust economy everyone is looking forward to, we could have stagflation–slow economic growth, high inflation and high unemployment. They say inflation is under control, but I’m not sure what indicators they’re using. Right now, the cost of food and housing is skyrocketing.

The cyber attack last March may lead to something disastrous for the country. Who knows what a hostile power is going to do with all the information they have now. We could experience massive power outages. Suddenly, you have no telephone, internet, heat, light or running water. Nothing works. Most large organizations have generators that tide them over until the power goes back on. But what if it doesn’t? Generators can’t run indefinitely. Imagine being the president of the United States during such a disaster.

Those are just two scenarios that the next President could face. We avoided foreign wars under Trump. But the luck may run out with Biden, with so many countries desperate after being ravaged by Covid-19. Only time will tell if Trump dodged a bullet.

LIVING WELL AFTER 80

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