HOLIDAYS CAN BE BITTERSWEET FOR SENIORS

What is the best age for Christmas? If you were lucky enough to have a stable home, perhaps it was before you became a teenager. No extra work, no presents to buy–just a time for Christmas trees, cookies, caroling, and waiting for Santa. Then comes middle age, and the hectic holidays. When you’re trying to bring cheer to your home and workplace, while worrying about your parents, co workers and kids. But it’s still a fun, festive time. And then, all of a sudden, you’re eighty, and it is not quite the same. Holidays can be bittersweet for seniors.

Holidays may be bittersweet for seniors. Too much rich food can give you heartburn. — HOLIDAYS CAN BE BITTERSWEET FOR SENIORS. You have suffered losses of family and friends. And long, festive meals may wear you out.

If you’ve made it to this milestone age, you’ve surely endured a lot of losses. Parents and siblings. Death of a spouse or worse yet, a child. Divorce. Friends who’ve either moved away or passed on. And then, the loss of youthful energy and health. Many are suffering from a chronic medical condition such as diabetes, emphysema, or kidney failure. You may be on a cane or in a wheelchair. But still, you look forward to the holidays–the decorations, music, and most of all, visits from loved ones.

Holiday meals may be delicious, but they’re apt to give you indigestion. . It’s tempting to pour gravy over the turkey, butter the roll s, and pile whip cream on the pie. But if you over indulge, you’re apt to pay for it with sleepless nights filled with heartburn. Be careful what you eat. Remember, your tummy isn’t accustomed to all the extra fat, salt, and sugar .

Family gatherings can warm your heart, but also wear you out. Unfortunately, your body isn’t accustomed to long hours of sitting in a chair while visiting with relatives.. Festive holiday meals may drag on for hours. Toasts, turkey carving, numerous courses, wine, conversation. It used to be so enjoyable, but now you’re feeling sleepy before they bring out the fruitcake.

It’s important to realize that holidays can be bittersweet for seniors. A song or photograph may trigger feelings of grief for what’s been lost. Don’t expect to be the life of the party or host a holiday meal. Pace yourself. You needn’t apologize for taking a short nap. Do what you can, but don’t overdo. And feel gratitude that you’re still around for another holiday season. .

January 3, 2020January 3, 2020

WALKING WITH MITTENS

When you think of mittens, you picture little kids. Their fingers are too small to bother with gloves, and besides, they don’t really have to do much of anything with their hands. The grown ups dress them, zip up their coats, and take them where they want to go. Gloves are for busy adults who have to master many tasks with their fingers and hands. But when you pass eighty, you notice that the tips of your fingers are practically numb while you’re driving a car or doing ordinary tasks outside during cold weather. It may be caused by arthritis or poor circulation. But one thing is clear. It’s time to start walking with mittens.

Mittens aren't just for kids. When you have arthritis, they keep your fingers warm and flexible. — Mittens aren’t just for kids. After you’re eighty walking with mittens keeps your fingers warm and helps with arthritis.

When my daughter asked what I wanted for Christmas, I told her I wanted some mittens. Being a conscientious person, she looked around and came up with top-of-the-line.

Wearing mittens that first day was an adjustment . I walked down the lane, feeling like the little girl who walked to school wearing snow pants. Needless to say, I use a cane for hiking through the park. Yes, I could manage without the cane, but there are too many ups and downs in the pavement and grounds. Pride goeth before a fall. Anyway, gripping the cane with the mittens felt rather uncomfortable, at first.

Usually, after I’ve walked for a few minutes on a cold day, my fingers start feeling numb. This happens even with fur lined gloves. Isolating that pinky finger from the other piggies doesn’t work well. But that first day with mittens, my hands kept feeling warmer. By the time I finished my walk, they were actually sweating. My fingers didn’t ache; in fact, they felt downright flexible.

The next challenge came when driving on a cold day. Would I be able to steer, turn the key in the lock? I tried driving with mittens on a quiet street with little traffic. Again, an adjustment. But so nice not to have cold fingertips. If I’m driving a long enough way, I can take off the mittens after the car warms up. But my trips to town and the store aren’t usually that long.

If you see an old lady walking with mittens, don’t worry. She hasn’t gone daft. She’s just keeping her fingers warm.

April 3, 2019April 3, 2019

ARE YOU TOO OLD TO BUY A NEW STOVE?

About six years ago, my oven door became slightly loose. In order to shut it tight, I had to prop a kitchen chair under the handle. The repairman said that after 25 years, they no longer had parts to fix the hinge. That’s when I had to make a decision. When are you too old to buy a new stove?

I reasoned that I seldom used the oven, now that my days of hosting holidays meals were in the past. The burners worked fine, and I mostly used a small toaster oven. My husband was 82 and I was on the backside of 70. The possibility of one of us getting sick, and having to sell the house in the near future, seemed like a good reason not to invest in a new stove.

In the years that followed my children teased me when I had them over for lasagna and had to prop the oven door shut . And then, last year, the knobs on one of my burners got twisted and couldn’t be replaced. Now I was down to three burners.

At what age should you stoop buying new furniture and appliances? — Although we’re most comfortable with older appliances, you’re never to old to buy a new stove

My husband started making visits to appliance stores, coming back with pricing and information about a replacement stove. I looked at a new stove, and it appeared very little changed from the one I currently had. Seems they don’t make many changes in new appliances the way they do with automobiles. Anyway, how would I feel if I bought a new stove, and had to go into a nursing home a month later? What a waste!

Suddenly, this year, we got a tax refund for the first time in our 30 years of marriage. What would we do with this unexpected windfall? A trip to Hawaii came to mind, but unfortunately, our traveling days are over, due to various physical limitations. Having spent 93 days decluttering our house, we didn’t really want to start accumulating more household goods ..https://livingwellafter80.com/decluttering-diary-day-93/

And so, guess what we did today? Bought a replacement stove!

You’re never too old to buy a new stove.

March 20, 2019April 4, 2019

WHAT STRESSES YOU OUT?

A recent survey of millennials itemized their top stressful scenarios. After reading them over, I’m thinking how lucky these young people are, and how little they know what’s coming. What stresses you out? Apparently, it depends on when you were born.

Things that stress millennials seem trivial to the over 50 crowd — MILLENNIALS HAVE NAMED THEIR TOP STRESSES, STARTING WITH A LOST CREDIT CARD

Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generations have far more complex concerns. Anyone over fifty would love it if losing their credit card was one of their worst stresses. I’ve lost many a credit card over the years, and I can remember when it did seem like a terrible stress. Now, if I find it’s not in my wallet, I pick up the phone, call Visa for a new one, and use my husband’s credit card until my new one arrives. What’s to worry about?

Here are the top 10 stressful scenarios reported by millennials:

Losing your wallet or credit card
Arguing with a partner
Commute or traffic delays
Losing your phone
Getting to work late
Slow Wifi
Phone battery dying
Forgetting passwords
Credit card fraud
Forgetting phone charger

So, in no particular order, here is my suggested list of top stressful scenarios for Gen X, Baby Boomers, & the Silent Generation.*

Chronic disease or illness (arthritis, diabetes, cancer, lupus, etc.)
Care giving of elderly parents or disabled spouse
Deaths of family and friends
Job security (50% of people over fifty with lose their job to a younger person)
Addiction (Self or family member)
Weight Control ( 1/3 or people in my state of Indiana are obese.)
Cataracts, Macular Degeneration
Hearing Loss (hearing aids not covered by Medicare)
Loss of balance, falls
Anxiety over teenage children & grandchildren

MIllennials: If you think losing your cell phone is a big stress, just wait. It’s going to get worse. But somehow, you will survive.

______________________________________________________________

Generation Age

* Millennials 22-37

Generation X 38-53

Baby Boomers 54-72

Silent Generation 73-90

December 26, 2018December 26, 2018

TWAS THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Twas the day after Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The stockings that hung by the chimney were bare, and the whole family was sound asleep, exhausted, not quite ready to face the post holiday clean up.

We are grateful for another Christmas — Santa is tired, but he’s happy he was able to handle another Christmas.

Holiday eggnog, cookies, rich gravy, and a calorie overload have us afraid to step on the scale, not to mention the need for some antacid to calm an iffy stomach.

Then, there is the prospect of the returns. Sweaters that don’t fit. Duplicate presents. In our case, an enormous walker that was ordered in the wrong size. That was a tough one, since it wouldn’t fit back in the box it came in this morning. Guess I’ll have to run out to UPS and beg for their help.

But then, we settle down with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. We sit back and think about all the family gatherings, the joy of seeing the smile of that first great grandchild, the meals we were still able to host in our own home. Christmas afternoon: skyping or talking on the phone with far away grandchildren. Hearing their sweet young voices. Thankful that they are all healthy and well. And so, we decide it was a pretty good Christmas, after all.

At our age , we realize how fortunate we are to have been around for another Christmas. In spite of the inconveniences of old age—the creaky bones, hearing aids, failing eyesight, and a plethora of prescription drugs, we look to the future with optimism.

We’re not ready to take down the Christmas decorations just yet. In fact we may leave them up for another week or so, as we enjoy all our gift boxes of goodies and other thoughtful presents from the people we love.