This Week has been Full.

Yes. This week has been full.

 We went to John and Carol's aka Cookie and Clarkie for Thanksgiving dinner and as usual she put on a marvelous spread of food.

 Someone asked if that was why Cookie was named Cookie, since she was such a good cook. It was impossible to eat it all, but she made enough to last all weekend. This was very good since they  had a houseful of guests.

  Bob's son, Jon and his family of five down here from Alpharetta, and Danielle and her husband and twins Nicole and Nathan, (two and a half) flew down from Long Island. Then for Thanksgiving dinner, she had Bob, my nephew Paul, my Paul, and I, and Bill and Epril, and her daughter Denise and her family.  Good Heavens.  (It felt like what  Christmas will be at our house with all Paul and Nancy's families. )

Clarkie had a hip replacement two weeks ago and is doing well, but he said he's looking forward to Friday when everyone was going to go to Disney World and he was going to be by himself.  He was tired by the end of the day.   Nicole and Nate were looking forward to seeing Mickey and Minnie. . . their favorites.  From their mom's Facebook videos, they have a lot of Mickey and Minnie Mouse things.  Beds, clothes, you name it.  

Epril had on  a new pair of fancy Imelda Marco shoes, making her about. . . . 3" taller than me.  I love to tease her about her shoes.  She loves them so.

 I was convinced that Epril's birthday was December 11th - and then I realized  that date  was the birthday of  my good friend Marcia's husband, Hal.  Epril's birthday is Friday, December 6th . We're going to go out to lunch on the 7th to celebrate because Bill and she are both working on her birthday.   I think my mind is going.

Paul has all the decorating done outside. I could hear him outside with some of the men having a gabfest.   They were all outside doing the same thing.  I haven't done any yet, but I will.  Eventually.  I need to this week because. . ..

We've invited the neighbors in to have a Carol Sing next weekend.  Last year was the first time I'd done this.

When the Carol Sing was in the back of my mind,  I remembered this:  If we did it again, we'd need song sheets.  (Old eyes don't see, from afar, little print being played on a piano.) So, Alice kindly lent me some song sheets from the Clubhouse and I looked on the internet for the ones we didn't have.  I enlarged the words so everyone should be able to see them fine.  No excuses for not singing this year.  That's not fair -  we had a good group of singers last year.

 That (making copies) took me a good part of the morning.  Then I decided to practice the carols and ended up playing all sorts of music for a good hour. It felt invigorating.  I haven't done that in a long time.  I was rusty, but I got better.

So Bob is back from Alpharetta.  Gracie and Martini were comical when they saw each other.  They  were outside, twenty feet apart, in the play stance, with front feet down, back feet up, tails wagging wildly, barking loudly, and then Gracie did huge figure eight "zoomies" around Martini.  Very cute.

Yesterday was Black Friday.  I didn't go out, but I let my fingers do the walking and shopped for gifts here on the computer.   My eyes were rather bleary by the time I finished up for the day.  Got more to do, though.  Just like almost everybody else in the world. 

Thanksgiving Week Already?

OMG - is it Thanksgiving week already?  And it's late this year!  That means that Christmas is less than a month away.

 Don't you sometimes feel like Thanksgiving is the forgotten holiday?   All the stores are playing Christmas music and have been decorated for weeks.  Black Friday gets more advertising than Thanksgiving, and with all the stores opening up Thanksgiving day, well - it's a darn shame.  It's all about money, of course.   If people don't come, they won't have sales. So, people,  don't go.   Stay home with your families - Have a great sit down dinner, watch ball games, or a good movie, play some board games .  .  .   Boycott the stores.  Then get up at 4 AM and go shopping on Black Friday.

 Well, I have all my Christmas cards written, envelopes stamped -but I don't have return addresses on them.  I ordered new ones quite a while ago for here but they haven't arrived yet.  I'm trying to wait for them - I really don't want to use my NYS one, but if the time gets too close, I'll have to.  It's so annoying since I ordered that a couple of weeks ago.  I'm used to Amazon Prime.  I can order something one day and get it the day after.  This obviously wasn't Amazon Prime. 

We're going to miss Epril and Bill this Christmas, but they're saving for a trip to the Philippines for Epril's sister's wedding in April. (I know I've mentioned this in several posts.) BUT  - We'll celebrate with them before we fly up North.   Also - Epril's birthday is coming up and that will be cause for a celebration!   I'd like to see them up north this summer.  Perhaps for Bill's birthday in August.

Saturday evening we got a call from Bob from Alpharetta, GA.  He'll be coming home on Wednesday.  Good!  We sure miss him, but we're glad he's having such a good time with Jon and his family.   He and Martini even have their own room there.  Nicole and the kids are here now in Sarasota with her folks, and Jon and Bob will be traveling together Tuesday late.  That's good that Jon's coming down with him since it's a long trip. 

We like the new room.  If you remember from my last posting, we were having trouble finding a place for our TV and had put it in front of the Computer Room door.  Now we've moved it between the two doors.  Even though it almost fits, it looks better.  Paul painted the doors yellow to match the walls.  There's a lot of yellow in that room, but I like it.  In the evening the yellow doors almost look white because of the lighting. 

Paul's kids and Nancy are getting set with plans for Christmas.  As a gift to us - Everyone who's staying at our house will be doing the meals.  What a great treat!  (Although I do love to cook. . . perhaps I'll sneak in the kitchen and do some cooking. You never know. . .) 

I'm going to do most of my Christmas shopping on the internet.  From here.  I had asked my next door neighbor if I could ship packages to her house.  I phoned her to double check,  and she said she'd be fine with it.  Good!  I have already ordered some blankets for upstairs for the twin beds.  The ones on them were a disgrace. 

Saturday morning I skipped a pancake breakfast at the Clubhouse.  I went to water aerobics with Alice.  She said she was very proud of me. I was too.  And  I enjoyed the workout.  There were eight of us.  There's a six day schedule:  Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30, and Monday, Wednesday and Fridays at 10:30.  With that - perhaps twice a week and Curves three times a week, I'll be very healthy and fit.   I can't believe how well my knees are doing.  I wouldn't have given a plugged nickel for them in August.  In August I wasn't able to exercise.  I was lucky to get from one part of the house to the other.  With my cane.

I am planning a Carol Sing here on December 7th with friends and neighbors.  We will put up a few decorations, but not like last year when we stayed for the season.  After all, we have two houses to decorate this year.

Paul's been practicing with Gracie and her carrier for our plane trip up north.  Even though we use her carrier as a sleeper in hotel rooms, and she was sedated,  she was very scared when she flew in it two Christmases ago.  He's been working with her for a couple of days and the training process is progressing:   Now she'll go in if  he puts treats in it, and today he carried her around in it with her head out the top.  He wondered if he'd be able to do that in the airport.  I said, I don't know, but why not?

And even if not. . . so what?

Our ice-maker is kaput.  And I'm feeling its pain.  Sure miss my ice.  Paul's looking for another one on the internet.  What a guy.  We have one ice cube tray that Bob left here, and it'll come in handy.  Thanks Bob!

Hey - good news as I write!  Paul just showed me  the ice-maker.  It looks fixable!  As I said before,  What a guy!

  

Moving Furniture, Rearranging things

I feel like I'm in a new house!

 For years I've wanted to do the things we've done this past year and current year and now it's coming true.  It's amazing all the things we've completed.  Did I say "we?"  I meant Paul.  That man is a wonder.  All I have to do is mention something, and the next thing I know, it's done. 

Our new room (formerly the lanai) now has a new rug, and all the living room furniture.  The one exception is the white digital piano which stayed in the front room.

 There is still a problem, according to Paul.  He doesn't like where we put the TV. Even though we've added floor space, there's still the problem of wall space.  So, right now we've got it  in the corner in front of the closed/locked computer room door.  I don't think you really notice it very much.  Paul says we do.  There used to be a sliding glass door into that room but  Paul changed it to a pocket door so we would have more wall space.    But it's just not enough wall space.  Perhaps we need to eliminate that door, since it's not necessary - the computer room has another door.  But that's down the road, if at all. 

Last weekend we ordered a sage green recliner for the new room. So yesterday we saved $49 by going to the  Sarasota warehouse, and picking  it up in Paul's van.   Paul's already taken a couple of  naps on it, so the recliner's  a success.   Afterwards we went to Panera Bread for lunch. We sat outside because  Gracie was with us.  

The dining room furniture that we have off the kitchen will go in the front room.  The china cabinet is already there where the piano was - and the piano has been moved to the front corner by the window.  (As I said before, it's like having a new house!)  Since all the glass and the china from the cabinet was taken out and put on the dining room table,  I have to wash it all and put it back in.  Plus I cleaned the china cabinet's glass doors, and shelves.  These are all a given.  But  I'm slowing down. 

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Last night we went to Alice's for a dinner party for eight for Carol's 75th birthday. It was delicious!  She served two kinds of lasagna - we took some home as did others and we had it for lunch today.  Carol requested a lemon meringue pie instead of cake, so Alice made two, just to be on the safe side, but we ate only one.  I called Alice this afternoon to thank her for the lovely time and she told me she sent the other pie home with Carol so she didn't have to look at it.  Carol was going to a potluck tonight and would bring it with her.   I don't blame her!  That's a temptation.

Why are Seniors Susceptible to Identity Theft? To Scams? How Can We Help Them?

 

My father was a very kind gentle man.  Throughout his life, I cannot remember him saying a hateful or  unkind word about anyone he met. Especially about his family and those close to him.   He always had an excuse for someone's crummy actions. He'd smile and say, "Isn't he a great guy?" We would shake our heads wondering how he saw these things.  But we considered this good.. . . What a way to live - so optimistically.    He died in his mid 70's and, loving him as we did, we would have loved him to live longer, but I can't help thinking:  if he did live into his 80's or 90's, would he have been susceptible to identity thefts or scams? 

Researching this subject, I found an article in The Senior Planet that was published last December, 2012.  Shelley Taylor,a research psychologist  for UCLA,   did a test, using  groups of 55 or older, and  groups of 20-somethings as test subjects.  They were shown a set of 50 photos of faces - some identified as shifty looking.  Some elderly couldn't  see it.  They, again and again, had difficulty seeing and interpreting a deceitful face as potentially dishonest.  The young people readily saw it.   These were neurological changes, seen in brain scans, that  came in aging brains.  .So - could it possibly be: that it's a neurological change in the brain of older people?  Yes.

  But others say:  Seniors have a naturally positive bias to making life more positive.  At the end of their lives, they want to see the good in life and people.  So. . . Why make unpleasant waves?

When we say the elderly have trouble keeping up, we blame the  modern  fast-paced world.  But -  A New World is always upon us.  The only thing that doesn't change is change itself.

 The elderly should be overly cautious. Fifty percent or more of scams  are done by family members.  Unfortunately,  they don't see it and  don't recognize that they can't judge people correctly any more.  That's the problem.  They don't see that they have a problem.

 All you Gen. X'ers, Baby Boomers and Millenials - face it and be aware,  your time will come.    

Can anything help?There are a couple of things that come to mind.    BCM Momentum, a forum from Baylor College of Medicine. April 12, 2013,  says that not everyone is vulnerable to cognitive impairment or financial exploitation:
 .
1.  There is  moderate evidence that physical activity could help with memory problems.  (But check with your doctor first before beginning any exercise program.)   Stay active for a healthy mind, body and bank account. 2.  Seniors have the time to open junk snail mail and e-mails that can be scams. Read them.  But be ready to trash.   Remember:  trashing junk mail is a useable skill.  3.   Get in the habit of checking out *www.snopes.com.   Snopes has a section on fake e-mails and websites that collect personal information. Brains may age, but knowledge is power.   Learn this and review these so you can evaluate whatever information comes your way.


 Remember - Most seniors have a clean slate.  They've saved more over a longer period of time.  They've most likely paid off the mortgage and don't owe much debt, if any.  Their credit is most likely good. It's a no-brainer for identity thieves or scam artists.  Once they're in, they can make life miserable for the elderly, and making life all the better for themselves.  Therefore, you younger generations:  keep a closer watch on parents, aunts, uncles, elderly neighbors and anyone who may be susceptible.  And seniors - keep an eye on yourselves.



*I myself use Snopes regularly to verify facts on e-mails I find offensive.  This was/is particularly helpful to me during political campaigns.

Cursive Writing: Going, Going . . .

 Cursive writing  is (gasp). . . dying?   

  Without knowledge of cursive, it greatly narrows the scope of the written word:

Recently,  a third grade parent called  her son's teacher to find out when she planned on teaching cursive writing.  The teacher told her they would  spend two weeks (Yes.  Two weeks.)  on it. . . at the end of the school year.  He never learned how to write a Z because they ran out of time.

 The Common Core Standard Initiative was  adopted in 46  states as of this August.  It provides a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know that they need to do to help them succeed in a global economy.  It doesn't include  cursive writing.

 Obviously, if you haven't learned cursive writing in school, you can't read it, write it, or  understand it.   Do we want our  children to be cursive illiterate in their own language?  Do we want them to be dependent on those who can transcribe?  Lots of  school districts don't teach it any more.  Although, thankfully, some schools fit it in.

Of course, with the access of smart phones, tablets and computers, it's easy to connect to other people and . . . communicate.  Let's face it:   The 21st Century needs these skills much more than the art of penmanship. . .and cursive is an art form.    We know fonts can be beautiful.   But - what about those times when an electronic gadget isn't available?  What about lower income families who can't afford computers, etc.  What then? It's the same thing about learning arithmetic facts in case calculators are not available. 

When did cursive writing begin? Cursive handwriting began approximately in twelfth century Europe after the introduction of lower case letters.  In the mid 1700's special schools were established to teach handwriting techniques, or penmanship.  Master Penmen were employed to copy official documents.  In the mid 1800's Zaner-Bloser Company was formed.

 In 1904 the Zaner Method for Elementary Children began.  It is the main style today. During the 1950's and 1960's,  second and third grade children anticipated the rite of passage.  . .   And from then on, they were expected to always use it.   In 1970 D'Nealian which used slanted print letters were used to transition into cursive.  It is popular today.

Before the typewriter was invented, .handwriting was the main way to communicate.  Schools spent hours teaching penmanship; averaging 15 minutes a day, each school day, for usually three years.   Each writer's script had to be beautifully formed.    There really was the three R's: Reading, Writing and Arithmetic.

In the 1700's Cursive writing was considered "the art of handwriting".   Then it gradually became handwriting purely as communication. Letters weren't as carefully formed or joined together, but everyone learned it. 



Cursive was so popular in  some school districts  that they introduced cursive in first grade; printing was ushered in later.  Good penmanship meant you'd grown into a disciplined adult.

There are so many reasons for keeping cursive writing:

 1.  Joining  letters made it easier and quicker for words and ideas to flow.  2.  Handwriting increases brain activity, it hones fine motor skills. and can predict a child's academic success in ways that smart phones, tablets and computers cannot.  3.  It prevents reversals (b,d) and confusion of letters, (p,q)
4.   It enhances spelling ability.  5. Less strokes are needed to form letters.  (3 strokes per cursive letter vs. 6 for printing.).

Historically:   Who'll be able to read i.e. The Constitution or other documented papers?  Should every-day journals be thrown out because they can't be read? And simply because some papers are written in cursive, will someone else be needed to translate to others?

We all know people who write beautifully. .I'm sure you can picture someone right now. As mentioned before - Cursive is an art form.  Also - A 2006 study of the essay portion of the SAT showed that  those who used cursive did slightly better than those who printed.  (Even though only 15% used cursive.)

Yes.  Cursive could be thought of as a dying art form.  But there is a growing community of people who value this  and they wish to see it continue being taught. I say, good for them!   It would be unwise to see it die out.

It's beginning to seem a lot like . . .Florida

On the spur of the moment, we went to the jetty for lunch today.  It was such a beautiful sunny day.  Perfect temperature.  Windy.  I brought a hat.

We should do more things on-the-spur-of-the-moment.  It was really really nice.  Windy, which meant wind, of course.  Duh. Funny, but  I didn't think about that the wind would  make waves, or the spray from the sea water  would be there.  That was an added bonus. The reason  I brought a hat was so my hair wouldn't be messed up .  (ha,  like it really helped.  I forgot to put it on) 

We took Gracie with us.  Paul put her pink harness and pink leash on her.  He couldn't go into the tiny little  hotdog stand with her, so I went in, while he waited outside with her at one of the picnic tables.  ( No animals are ever allowed in food establishments.)

 There were a lot of people standing around.  I had thought there was a line, but when I asked, they had all ordered, and were waiting for their order.  so I ordered mine, and then became a member of the real line.  Eventually,  actually, quite quickly, the gal served me.

 A short-order cook is a fascinating person to watch.  She didn't write down orders, but put the hotdogs on the grill according to the orders.  And they moved to the forefront as the hot dogs were cooked and ready.    Paul got the jumbo, huge, extra sized dog.  He likes everything on it, so I took care of Gracie while he fixed his and put on everything.  I was happy with a plain ole dog with mustard, no ketchup, please.  

After we ate, we walked across the sandy parking lot and watched the waves crash onto the big boulders. 

Paul said he remembered last year taking Sharon and the family to the jetty.   Ida and Charlie were jumping across those rocks and I remember Charlie's new sneakers getting soaking wet. And the waves weren't half as big then Paul said.  It took a while for them to dry back here at the house. Just as Paul spoke,  a couple of kids went by - jumping from rock to rock. Paul said - I guess it's what the young do. They're gonna break a leg.  I said possibly - and within a week, it'll heal. 

 I was thinking of jumping on the rocks to take some pictures, but I knew if I did I'd probably break a leg or something. . .  and it would take a year to heal.  I did get some good pictures, but nothing outstanding.

  Speaking of pictures.  I have so many awful pictures in my camera.  When I got this new camera I had promised myself that I would delete the awful ones. I wouldn't have a backlog of them. Well, I never did get rid of them.  Some I did.  The rest... they're still there.  I'll never change. 

  Bob and I went to the pool  about 2:00 when the sun is up high enough to give you a good tan, but not enough to be so hot to be unpleasant, or give  me a sunburn.   Several ladies were in there "swimming."  Actually they tred water in the deep end . . . using the "noodles." I'm sure you all know what noodles are.  So I joined them as I can noodle with the best of them.

Fish fry tonight.  We went to the Englewood Moose Club with Bob.  Paul and Bob liked their fish.  I wasn't that impressed.  Too dry for a baked fish.  The price was good $7.95.   We could write reviews for each place we go.  Next week we'll try someplace else. 

Don't we have a rough life here?  Oh, well.  Someone has to do it. 

Isn't that horrible news about the enormous typhoon in the Philippines?   Epril's family is okay. 

As you all know, Epril's family is from there.   Bill sent a message on Facebook that the village was south of where the typhoon hit.  So that was a relief. As you know, I went to their wedding five years ago and can picture the whole area.   Alice called me.  Thanks, Cuz.

Food for Thought

Paul was busy this morning tearing out the mosaic tile he put in the new room.  It did not adhere properly so he went back to Lowe's this morning and got a different tile. I like it better than the first one.  It was inevitable that he'd get rid of the first.  He's a perfectionist and he certainly disliked this immensely. 

My mother used to say:   You don't say you hate something, or someone.  You say "you dislike it immensely." Never ever say the "h" word.   I guess that fits. 

He put some cement down and of course Gracie left a paw print in it.  Luckily it was fixable.  We've been keeping her closer!  

Bob and I've been to the pool twice.  Both times it was partly cloudy, or mostly cloudy when we got down there.  We go down late afternoon when the sun isn't strong. It's been beautiful!  It works out well.  The water temp is perfect. 

I went to Bible Study at Alice's yesterday. There were 18 ladies.  It's nice to see old friends.  Both at the pool and at Alice's. We've just begun studying The Book of Acts.  I'm used to going on Thursdays up north, so now I have to get in the habit of Wednesdays. 

Bill called the other evening when Uncle Bob was here so we put him on speaker phone so we could all hear.  .  We hadn't heard from him in a while.  It actually hadn't been that long, but it seems like a long time. I spoke with Epril.  Epril's English is improving a lot . . . probably  because she can practice it at work.  They both have good friends nearby.  I finally realized that it's her sister Susan who lives in the Netherlands that comments on my Facebook page a lot.  I didn't put two and two together.  (that means I didn't connect Susan and Epril together. . .sometimes idioms or phrases are hard to understand)   It's nice to hear from her..  She and her fiancée are getting married back in the Philippines.  I hope we get a lot of pictures!  Don't forget, Susan. 

Edna - before I forget - thanks for the recipe for the ham sauce.  I did get it when we first got here.  It's in my recipe book. 

Talked with Nancy too.  She and her family are very busy.  Walter is almost 10 months old.   I'm glad my children keep in touch.  It's hard to know when to call when I don't want to interrupt them.  They're so busy!  My goodness.  I can remember those days.

I meant to get out all day, but Paul was waiting for a package from Fed Ex, and he had to go out, so I stayed in.  Now it's my turn.  Perhaps I'll still take a ride.

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Something new:  I've been thinking about this for a while. . .  I am going to be writing a new kind of post.: I'm going to explore things.

It won't be about friends and family, but about certain topics that appeal to me, and I'll be giving my point of view.   I won't give up writing about us all, so please continue to read.   I enjoy your comments and giving you our day to day experiences very much.   It's always a pleasure to write but I just wanted to expand my writing.  I hope these new posts give you something to think about.

 I'm going to enjoy (and am presently enjoying) researching, and then writing, and adding my slant.  I hope you like it. .  .  I've had a lot of fun exploring  and learning more about my first subject.  The internet is wonderful for that. 

So - I hope you'll enjoy them. 

Our first full week in Florida

This week went by so quickly. . . doesn't seem possible that it's Friday already.  Time gallops when you're old.

It's hot -87 yesterday.  It's supposed to snow Sunday up in Elmira.  It's the season, I guess. 

Paul is busy with the flooring on our new room.  He put some beautiful beige tile by the back door and  an equally  lovely foot-wide mosaic tile.  It  separates the tile in the kitchen area from the soon-to-be new rug in the back room.

Rugs?   Flat Rat's tail (Gracie's toy)was exactly the right color of brownish beige for our rug, so Paul put it in his pocket and we picked out a carpet- it should be here in within a week.  It  will be gorgeous and match both sets tiles.  We have a carpet store we like.  They do a good job.  

  Gracie was sad that we took her toy with us, and not her.  She grabbed it up as soon as we got back.   and flapped it back and forth against her head.  She's usually  with us when we go to Lowes, but we had other places to go afterwards.

  Materials?  Lowe's is a great place to get what you need, for whatever project you are doing. .  .and it's entertaining.

 My idea is  - get what you need, plus more so that if you need it, you'll have it in hand. You can always return it.   Paul's idea is:  get what you need.  No more.  Then go back and get what's  needed. If you need it.   It works out the same in the long run.  Six or one-half dozen the other. The only difference is in the amount of gas you use.  It's not far away.

 But most important, Lowe's is a fun place. Or Home Depot.  Paul just got back.  He was looking at baseboards.

Yesterday was Halloween.  No trick or treaters.  None expected.

  I did enjoy seeing Facebook pictures of my grandkids in their costumes.  Vincent was a Superhero.  Evie - a Ninja Tinkerbell, dressed in a wispy costume of green and pink with attached wings, and carrying a sword.  There's an obvious influence there.  Dan wore a Cardinal's hat and shirt. He went as a Disappointed Baseball Fan. 

It was fun to see  other peoples' photos on Facebook of their kids or grandkids.

I went to Curves on Monday.  My knees hurt afterwards, so I didn't go the rest of the week.  They feel fine now so  I guess I'll start again next week. 

I haven't been to the pool yet.  I was worried about my arms.  My colitis medication causes bruising and I was worried that they would become more blotchy.  Not to worry. . .

  Paul had an appointment with our dermatologist on  Wednesday(BTW all was okay) and asked him for me. The doctor said not to worry.  Just use lots of sun screen.  Spoken as a true dermatologist.