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Are you a ‘gamer’ ??

In celebration of National Game and Puzzle Week….

The true definition of a ‘gamer’ is someone who likes to play video games. And I really like the name Urban dictionary used:  Gamer Girl!  I consider myself an ‘old school’ Gamer Girl as I have always enjoyed board and card games, puzzles, word games…and yes, a few video games(just ask my kids about Wii “Super Mario Galaxy 2”!!!).

Buddy is not a ‘gamer’ although we did play a few games of Crazy 8’s and backgammon on our RV adventure this past summer. And I did see a brain game book on the coffee table a few weeks ago that was given to him at one of his retirement gatherings. There is hope for him yet!!!

Researchers reported from a study in 2014 that people who played those games at least every other day performed better on tests of memory and other mental functions. And, based on MRI scans, they had greater tissue mass in brain areas involved in memory.  Now I do have to include that the article also questioned the ‘which came first, the chicken or egg theory’ with this research and Alzheimer’s prevention. Do folks who have greater brain tissue mass enjoy playing games or does the game playing help to increase brain tissue mass and possibly help stave off Alzheimer’s symptoms?

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Either way, for all us old and new school gamers, use that weighty noggin’ and highlight the info below to check out a couple of links to enjoy!

Masters of Healthcare anti aging games          *

Web md puzzles and games article

*Please be aware I have not personally checked out the content of each game listed.

FUN FOR YOUR BRAIN!

 

Here are some fun ways to help keep your brain active. The links can be accessed from each activity listed.  

Juggle      Juggling requires you to use your less dominant hand, so it stimulates your brain in ways it typically does not work.

Eat with chopsticks     Learn to use chopsticks and you will provide your brain with stimulation–and learn a new skill.

Read     Reading helps keep your mind sharp! Read new material and a variety of subjects to stimulate your thinking. You might also find the desire to learn a new skill or take a class from the information read.

Doodle     NPR explains how doodling helps the brain stay focused when you are engaged in mundane activities. Try doodling to keep your brain active.

Laugh     Laughing stimulates five different parts of your brain, so laugh often to help keep your brain from aging.

Switch hands     Doing regular activities in a different way keeps your brain working and active. Try using your less dominant hand for simple tasks like eating, brushing your teeth, or writing keep your brain young.

Practice using your memory     Make a list and try to recall it an hour later or draw a map of a new route you have taken to give your brain a memory workout that will help keep it strong.

National Game and Puzzle Week

So part of this whole retirement thing- whether experienced personally or walking alongside your mate – is the reality that we are not getting any younger.  And along with that comes a few(more) gray hairs, aches and pains, and the spontaneous ‘senior moments’.

I have often found that humor is good medicine for a lot of things and I have had many a good chuckle AT MYSELF when forgetting why I went to the refrigerator, the inability to get that darn word out of my brain and into my mouth, or stumbling through an introduction that includes a long time friend.

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Maybe you have had some similar experiences or have noticed such ‘moments’ in your mate. Either way, it can be a little scary, frustrating or sometimes just plain embarrassing! I would encourage all of you with any concerns to talk with your health care provider. It is extremely important to evaluate the ‘normal changes of aging’ versus a health condition that may require further medical attention.

For the sake of my blog title, I will be focusing on a few tidbits of information and resources this week that I have found to be educational, mentally stimulating and downright entertaining!

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Stay tuned for more posts that includes game links and suggestions to keep our brains mentally sharp! And to celebrate upcoming National game and puzzle week, enjoy some games this week with family or friends and continue the fun in 2016! Your brain will love you for it!

 

 

King of the Castle Part II …….. and dirty laundry!

I did mention something about choosing to keep silent in my last post, didn’t I? Well, not long after that, I made a conscious choice of deciding to speak up and maintain some healthy boundaries for myself.

And yep, you guessed it- I spoke up over a load of dirty laundry!

I had a couple of short solo trips following our summer adventures and was playing catch up on work and home tasks before heading out of town once again. I had my ‘to do’ list neatly organized in my head: what needed to be taken care of before leaving and also planning ahead once I returned home.

Well, didn’t that list just get a big NOT put in front of it when Buddy surprised me by doing some laundry while I was gone. A little fun fact that my children had learned during their college years: Mom likes(well, actually insists upon) doing all the laundry!

I acknowledge the importance of fostering the transition from teenager to adulthood and independence!! But I also found a weird sense of accomplishment and ‘Momness’ when the kids’ clothes once again smelled like a fresh rainforest during their visits home from college.

So, when I returned home from my trip with my dirty jeans and getting ready to ‘make a full load’ –we are in the midst of much needed water conservation- and WHAT?? …..no clothes in the laundry basket waiting for me!

This really isn’t a story about dirty laundry(literally!) but more about setting healthy boundaries. Now you might think I’m really stretching a story here; but in all reality, the clothes provided a good opportunity for a communication moment that extended well beyond the laundry room!

It was healthy for me to speak up and share that I both appreciated and understood Buddy’s motivation to help and needing to be productive. I also expressed the importance of communication in what each of us expected with this new division of labor following Buddy’s retirement.

But…. laundry will forever fall under my job description in this castle!!

 

 

 

King of the Castle….NOT!

So, I may have some of you thinking, “Yep, that title goes right along w/ the saying, ‘Behind every good man….” and at the same time nodding in silent agreement that we gals REALLY know who runs the household, right??

Well, I’m going to do a little spin here as I am referring not to the man of the house but to us gals as managers of our homes who THINK WE ARE KING!  Please remember that each of us has our own experiences and opinions but I found myself getting gently knocked off this particular pedestal the first week we were home following our fun RV adventure.

It wasn’t something that I noticed right away but was rather like a mild summer cold that slowly creeps up on you: first a little scratchy throat and a few sneezes. Then comes the ever so mild body aches and slight fever. Before you know it, you’ve been hit by a ton of bricks that started off as a few small pebbles.

In both situations, once I felt the symptoms, I didn’t like it!!

This ‘getting knocked off my pedestal’ syndrome presented itself through three simple words: “I’LL DO IT”. That was it! My internal reaction was the same as when those cold symptoms began to hit: ‘’ Oh, no you don’t” as I visualized my body’s defenses defeating the foreigners who were attempting to wreak havoc w/ my finely tuned and balanced machine!

That’s pretty much how it seemed when Buddy uttered those words in the kingdom I had been managing with such balance all these years! And the ironic part is that anyone from the outside would be correct in scolding me and saying, ‘You should be happy he is picking up more of the household tasks!’

But why was that not the case???

 So where does this feeling come from? Is it merely a territory thing or does it hit a more personal chord such as my feelings of competency? Either way, I have consciously chosen at this time to be silent and honor the many changes that Buddy is experiencing but not always communicating.

To me, it is a matter of ADJUSTING and the words of wisdom shared with me before Buddy’s retirement once again began to ring loudly in my ears: this adjustment involves both of us in different but connected ways.

Communication (and prayer!) can be a great healer. And I have a grateful heart to share the daily rhythms of life with my partner. It is both a blessing and a gift.

 

 

 

The Traveling Box

Shortly after Buddy’s retirement (within 72 hours!), we hopped into an RV and took off up the coast for 19 days(you can find pictures in the Photo Gallery). We began planning this trip a number of months back after hearing the same advice from multiple already retired friends, “ GET OUT OF TOWN FOR AWHILE”. Once we knew we could pull it off- getting the RV rental and arranging doggie care, the planning part was a great distraction and gave both of us something to look forward to after ‘R- Day’. The last thing that either of us wanted was to wake up the morning after Buddy’s last day of work with the thought, ‘Ok, now what do we do?” 

 If there was any initial concern on my part as we finalized plans for this trip, it was the thought of spending 19 days in close quarters of a traveling box! Buddy and I would jokingly share w/ friends before the trip, “This is going to be a really fun adventure or we will be calling the divorce attorney when we get home!”

Picking up the RV included it’s own unique and momentary nail biting experience! And then navigating through mid day city traffic in a 25 foot motor home within minutes of being on the road was enough to question our decision to make this trip! There was a fleeting thought of ‘Uh oh, what have we gotten ourselves into?’ But… the arrival at our first stop at San Simeon State Park just as the sun was casting pink and orange hues on the horizon and later seeing the magnificent brush stroke of the Milky Way in the night sky cast any doubts aside!

We had pre planned our campsite destinations since summer is generally a busy time of year for many of the state and private parks. We determined locations by the average miles we wanted to cover each day without spending too much time on the road. Other than looking through the RV park reviews, we arrived at each spot in eager anticipation! Buddy and I both agreed that every travel day to a new location brought the discovery of at least one unexpected gem- beautiful ocean shorelines, scenic bike trails, magical rain forests as well as introductions to new friends!

The other gem we were given was the amount of time we spent with each other- I think we only hooked up the TV cable two or three times the entire trip and much of our day was spent doing things together- whether it was hiking or biking or just getting some laundry done! I was also more than pleasantly surprised that neither of us felt the need for ‘alone time’ or feeling that we were getting on each other’s nerves- especially in the close quarters of a motorhome.

Buddy and I had a wonderful time! God blessed both of us more than could have ever imagined. We spent time in beautiful areas of our country and traveled in a way that was a new and different adventure for us!

This trip was the perfect way to begin to ‘create the space’ that I wrote in my ‘About’ page. And the memories will help set the rhythm for our new dance together- whether at home or away on exciting adventures!

LOOKING YOUNGER

I recently came across an article about “Tips to Looking Younger”. I had a good laugh as Buddy and I agreed on a few of the tips listed that WE DO NOT DO! In our youth, we wanted to look older- the way we dressed, acted, or even getting that fake I.D.! Now that we are older, we try different ways to look anything but our age. I will stick with a favorite phrase that I read almost every day: “IF YOU HAVEN’T GROWN UP BY AGE 40, YOU DON’T HAVE TO”.

So here are a couple of my favorites:

MINIMIZE WEARING BLACK Oh no, my favorite clothing color! How many clothes in my closet are black and what do I gravitate toward at the department stores? Apparently, dark colors can accentuate wrinkles and black circles under the eyes. The solution? Wear more bright colors, especially near the neck or face. Scarves or necklace for us gals or a bright tie or polo shirt for the guy can make a positive difference!

CHECK YOUR EYEGLASSES Black or colored plastic fashionable frames are more in vogue- I recently bought a pair of tortoise patterned frames and have gotten so many compliments, much to my surprise! The wire framed styles are now considered dated and can make the wearer look older.

WEAR CLOTHES THAT FIT and…
STOP WEARING WORN ITEMS These two suggestions really cut to the quick! My first thought was ‘Oh but they are soooooooo comfortable’ and ‘But I really LIKE that one!’ when thinking about my favorite old shirt. Comfort is my number one evaluator when it comes to the clothes I wear on most days. I am also not particularly fond of clothes shopping. I would much rather shop for home decor items, furniture, or plants. Uh oh, does that date me too????

DON’T BE TOO MATCHY What? Not matching shoe color with your bag? Ok, I know it may sound a bit compulsive, but I have worked very hard the past few years to find just the right bags to coordinate with my shoes! And when I go out without being ‘coordinated’, I think the fashion police are just around the corner waiting to write me up! I also notice when Buddy wears a belt that is a different color from his shoes. I think this qualifies the same as the shoe/purse combination thing. Sorry, Buddy!

STAND UP STRAIGHT Pilates, pilates, pilates! Check with your health care provider as to which types of exercise is appropriate for you… but this is one tip I am serious about. Whether it is Yoga, Pilates, strength training, or other type of core exercise, such programs can be of great benefit for your posture.

Well, there were some other tips listed such as trimming facial hair for both guys and girls… but I think I’ll save that one for another generation or two!