Springtime in Colorado

Springtime in Colorado

Tomorrow it will be May, but today it is April 30, the close-out of T. S. Elliott’s “the cruelest month.” It snowed in Colorado. The white stuff will be gone soon, and I’m betting the tulips will survive though they may look a bit bedraggled for a while. The fruit trees are in bloom, the raspberry bushes are sprouting new leaves and the rhubarb is alive and well. And the weeds, of course, are hale and hearty.

I waiver between learning to love dandelions and an intense desire to dig up each one before or when it blooms, and certainly before it goes to seed. A hopeless, thankless task that nevertheless has become a challenge for me.

I’m just thankful for a patch of dirt to dig in. It’s good for my soul.   

By: Libby James

The Problem with Our Stuff

Many of my friends have a big problem at this stage of life
We have far too much stuff and we need to get rid of it.
But who wants it?  Does it bring us joy?  Does it weigh us down?
Our kids do not want much, if any, of it.
They have a lot of stuff, too.  After the Marie Kondo show
I guess the thrift stores were overwhelmed by people getting
rid of stuff!
I even heard that our used clothing is not welcome in the
developing world these days.
I do not have heirs.  And some of my stuff has value so
I want it to go to someone who really cares about
that.  But it is really hard to let it go.  I plan to work on it soon, but
I am not sure how it will go.
Do you have a solution? By: Sue Kerchenfaut

Remodel woes

During our recent remodel, there were moments we experienced short fuses, fussy moments and snarky stress. My stress centered on the impatience I have carried forever. I always think things are much simpler and easier then they really are. The kitchen cabinets piled in the garage should be installed in a week, right? Not so. Our talented contractor muttered, measured, re-measured, calibrated and then finally installed a cabinet – just one! Then another, until finally two weeks later, with razor precision, the new maple cabinets formed a beautiful kitchen. 

While I watched this dance of reconstruction, I thought what a slow process it is installing a new kitchen. Floors and counter tops were next after the cabinets then paint. Four weeks was one estimate, seven the reality. My patience was running thin. My husband, an architect, knew so much more than I and understood the necessary time frame of the remodel. His frustration with me manifested as I tried to hurry the process by picking up needed tools and putting them back in the garage. In my impatience, this was my way to hurry the project along. Wrong move. Both the contractor and my husband had a specific flow throughout this process and I did not. Finally I relaxed and just let them work. My stress was reduced by just being with the situation rather than try to control it. I am a slow learner, but at 70+ capable of change.

 Written by Suzie Daggett

 

 

By: PAFC

A flower and a whiskey bottle

This week I went walking, looking for signs of spring. Instead of following a familiar route, I wandered through a couple of neighborhoods where I did find crocus struggling up through a bed of dead leaves. Then I left the residential area and followed a small dirt path into a large field with a lake in the distance that I recognized. Good. I knew how to get home from here.

In the middle of the field I discovered a sturdy old post crowned with a Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey bottle. Dangling from the post was a crushed pop can, a rusted out oversize tin can and a piece of fabric that might once have been a hat. A long string of white tape marked with horizontal lines every foot or so was firmly entwined with the wire that held the whole thing together.

It didn't look anything like spring. It was silly and artsy and I liked it. It was good for all seasons.

By: Libby James

Some Zzzzzs please!

Sleep. A necessary, natural, yet oh so elusive part of my life. I used to sleep the entire night. Those were the good ole days. Now, I wake up every night at 1:30 am. Every night. I can set my clock to this wake up time. 

 

My doctor diagnosed chronic insomnia and prescribed Ambien, which I took for 10 years but still woke up. Two months ago I kicked the medication cold turkey (what was I thinking?).

 

Friends and family offer advice. "Try this, take that." And I have.

 

Melatonin (including time release), serotonin, 5-HTP, GABA, CBD, Benadryl, Valerian, magnesium, L-Tryptophan, sleep cocktails, more CBD, adrenal support, exercise, meditation, white noise. I could fall asleep listing all the potions that promise but don't deliver.

 

While my dog prefers sleeping on the bed, she has no problem dozing off on the floor. It's not fair. I fall asleep quickly and soundly, but can't fall back asleep after my 1:30 rise and shine.

 

"Older adults need to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep at night to maintain optimum health," says my medical team. Good thing I don't know Karate. 

 

For those of you who have the gift of sleep, I envy you. For those of you who are in my camp, I'd love to hear your stories in the comment box below.

By: PAFC

Socks Disappear

Did you hear the one about: What happens when a sock disappears in the wash? 

We’ve all been here, right? I’ll give you the answer in a moment but first . . .

What do you do with that leftover, perfectly good sock? Recently I had two pairs of Smartwool socks and one of each pair wore out badly in the toes and the heels. I don’t darn. One sock was burgundy, and one was teal, complimentary colors, right? Well, maybe not, but they sure look great on my feet!

Same thing happens with earrings. First you lose one, and in time, hoping it will reappear, you have a whole bevy of lone earrings. I hate to throw away perfectly good anything. So, I mix and match and have discovered who really pays attention:Elementary school children. And what do they say? “That’s cool, you made lemonade out of a lemon.” “You have created a new fashion.” “Wow, you really don’t care what other people think?”

Ah, that last one is truly the golden side of the Golden Years!Finally, what’s the answer to where socks go when they disappear in the laundry? They turn into a Tupperware lid that doesn’t  fit any of your Tupperware containers! Written by Jane Everham

By: Kirsten Hartman

Recently while at a doctor’s office, staff used the phrase, “Well this is for older people”.
I bristled internally as I thought to myself, how does this apply to me! I am not in that category! But then I thought does being over 65 put me there? I happily reminded myself that self-perception, how I act, how I respond physically and other factors will determine whether I am older! And yes, each of us is older today than we were yesterday! By: Kirsten Hartman