AS WE AGE -2008

knee surgery or boob job

2010-05-23T23:01:00.000-07:00

So, I am thinking and weighing the possibililties...knee surgery or a boob job. Just a thought. LOL!!! I need both! not a joke.

2010-02-09T13:53:00.001-08:00

Thank you, one and all, for trying to keep in touch with my blog. I wish I could say that I have been overwhelmed with business and that is why I have not had time to post but that would be a lie. I have had some business transactions but they have been minimal. So, since I can offer NOT ONE GOOD excuse, I will offer none. Just know that I am still here and still making soaps/lotions/aprons and now, a custom order for eye pillows!

As for the soap story, I ran into many picky little problems but think that most of them are solved. One problem was the need for labels. So, I had to design a soap label. sounds easy, huh! But it isn't! I had to define not only my products, but also myself. That was hard for me. When I started this little adventure I was just going to make soap and sell it! LOL!!! WEll, making soap is the easy part, the rest, the marketing, is a different world.

After I decided what I wanted on the labels, I bought a sorry little printer that printed about 10 pages of labels before it went kabonkers on me. Then, because I had orders to fill, I had to start making the labels by hand. Then I got too creative for my own good...and that took even more time but what fun I had drawing and coloring soap labels!

So, now I have a printer again and am a lot nicer to the world.
I also have a couple of retail accounts and am ever so excited when they sell a bar of soap or a bottle of lotion.

My next post will probably turn back to "as we age" because of many other things that have come up since I decided to write about soap making on this blog. Aging is not going away and I feel that I am just a teenager in the beginning of aging. The worst is yet to come and I would like to be prepared and share what I learn as we travel down this road.
thanks again for reading and keeping in touch.

Step ONE

2009-09-15T22:27:00.000-07:00

I suppose a person should make sure that they know what they are doing before trying to sell a product. Even though I have been making and selling soap for about 5 or 6 years, I still consider myself to be an amateur. Even some of the most professional soapmakers that I know still have batches that balk up on them. This is probably due to the lack of having a controlled environment. Maybe...I am still unsure about that.

At any rate, I am going to tell you about my journey here since that is the only one I can share. In my last post, I mentioned the places where I find my supplies, so that is out of the way. What I didn't mention is the cost of this project. It is much more cost effective to purchase the oils in 50lb increments...at least for a business as small as mine it is. so...here is my first purchase order.
50lbs Coconut oil($50), 50lbs Palm oil(($50), 35lbs Olive oil($91), 7lbsJojoba oil($50), 35lbs Soybean oil($50), 25lbs Shea Butter
($85) 50lbs NaOH(lye) $60. Distilled H2O is about 25 cents per gallon.
Per batch I use
20oz Coconut
26oz Palm
18oz Olive
5oz Shea Butter
2oz Jojoba
8oz Soy oil
11oz NaOH
24oz H2O
4oz essential or fragrance oil
I won't go into the process of making the soap by mixing the lye water and oils. Just know that it is not as complicated as you might think.
At any rate, with this amount of oils, butter, water, I can expect a yield of about 22 bars of soap.
After pouring the saponified oils into the mold, we wait for the mixture to cure. Patience, patience, patience. But oh my what a wonderful smell.

Soaping is an addiction

2009-09-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

Tiny steps interrupted with tripping and stumbling, meeting a few dead ends and a few that come back to life. It is not as easy as I thought it would be, but it is happening. It has to happen! Soaping is an addiction. Of course, from a business point, it helps to have a plan.

It all starts out with having a good supplier, one you can count on for consistency and quality and timely delivery. The lye must be bought locally, and it is good to have a local supplier for essential oils and immediate necessities. Walking distance is good! The bulk of my oils comes from Soapers Choice. Their oils are excellent, choices are great, shipping is timely and the customer services enviable.

With that note, I will tell you who I use to feed the need.
Soapers Choice for oils and butters
Texas Natural Supplies for essential oils and necessities
Michael's for packaging
Elements Bath and Body for packaging.
To Die for Ingredients for Lye.
NEXT...making the soap.
You would be surprised at what it takes to package a bar of soap!!

A new life begins

2009-08-15T11:00:00.000-07:00

My grannie always told me, "If a door closes in your life, don't cry or you won't be able to see the other one that is opening right there in front of you." I loved my Grannie, she was always so kind and so smart. What she told me has proven true so many times in my life.

Recently I have chosen to close the door to my school bus driving career. It is with a heavy heart that I make this decision but I feel it is the right one for me. For days, I have gone back and forth...should I go back to the school bus? should I travel another path. My friend, Kathy, told me,"If you are going to close that door, DO IT NOW and get thru that other door before it closes!" So, here I go thru the other door! No more tears!

I am amazed at the sense of freedom that has come with this decision. I am amazed at how my creative block has started to melt and evaporate. I am starting to feel my imagination beginning to develope again without all of the struggles that I have felt these past few years. My entrepreneurial spirit has kicked in again! Praise the Lord! Isn't it amazing that it is the little things set us free, like a simple decision.

I will be posting here about the travels in my new life. My top priority will be about the building blocks to making a soap business work. Selling soap is a very competitive business with marketing being the key ingredient. I will be posting about my sewing business. Aprons and totebags are at the top of my creative sewing list this week. Before September and before the Halloween rush, you will see capes on my site. I will be starting a new blog about this adventure, so stay tuned.

so...off I go with trememdous freedom and enthusiasm into my new life.

Summertime

2009-07-28T23:09:00.000-07:00

This has been a crazy and disorganized summer. The month of June was spent helping my daughter, Jess,and her boys move into the cabin next door to me...best idea ever. My daughter Kayte was in Costa Rica for the summer and was wholeheartedly missed. Cookouts just weren't the same! July has been spent getting everything set up, organized and working. Lots of food, music, laughter, fun, camraderie and love. I have also spent a few days driving to San Antonio to work for my friends at Dazzles. August has me holding my breath. My work schedule starts on the 10th with school starting on the 17th. There has been very little time for swimming in Lake Austin, and not a single weekend for traveling to Uvalde to swim in that cold Nueces River nor a few days for traveling down to the coast in Port Aransas. Only a few more days of R&R...who knows what will happen!

Johnny Barnett, thanks for stopping in.

2009-07-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

Johnny Barnett was 10 years old when I first met him. My first thoughts were, "this kid was born to drive me crazy! and he is going to drive me crazy before this day is done!". I remember always feeling like there was something very special about Johnny. Even though he was a couple of years older than my grandson, Caleb, they played well together, so I had to forgive any transgressions. One day I asked Caleb what it was about Johnny that made them be such good friends..."what do you like about this kid?" I asked. Caleb reassured me with a great big smile and by telling me, "He is smart, he is funny and he is my friend."

The day that I met him, Johnny, Caleb, and another friend, Toby, were building dams in the front yard. Of course, there is no need for a dam unless you have water. One of the other boys had the water hose and wouldn't share it, so instead of making a bug fuss, Johnny just came to me, told me he was thirsty and asked for some water....only he wanted some of that bottled water in the fridge. I said, "Of course, honey, you can have all you need." With that, I turned around and went back to doing whatever it was that I was doing, not paying close attention to their activities, afterall, they were responsible 9 and 10 year old boys.
Within 30 minutes, the 3 boys had taken a whole case of bottled water out of the fridge so they could build a lake for their dam! The water hose had lost it's charm! When I discover what they had done, it was too late. All of the cold water was in the hot summer yard, being a lake for their masterpiece. Of course, I thought that amount of water wasted was going to kill me, but it didn't and I soon got over my upset with them.

The rest of that summer was the usual fare with the neighborhood boys ringing the door bell at 7AM, wanting to play, looking for breakfast, always leaving the front door open, trying to air condition the world, constantly asking for food, drinks, TV...laughing, talking, asking question that a grandma doesn't want to answer...whatever it was, they just seemed to want to make sure there was a friend, an adult onboard. Johnny was always at the front of the gang, seemingly the leader with the most imagination.

A few months later, my daughter called to give me the sad news. Johnny Barnett had been injured in a car wreck. He and his father were returning from San Antonio when one of the tires blew out. His father lost control of the car as it went careening over an embankment, rolling several times down a steep hill before coming to a stop. Johnny's dad lay there with severe head trauma and little 10 year old Johnny lay there with a broken neck. His head was clinging to his body by one little nerve.

I have always felt that it is by the grace of God that in one of the cars on the highway a group of doctors traveling to a seminar witnessed the accident. They were immediately on the scene with emergency care, saving both Johnny's and his dad's lives. Their timing was crucial. Johnny's life had taken a major turn. All of our lives had taken a major turn.

So many things happened after the accident. There was an outpouring of support from the community as we watched Johnny try to recover and as we all tried to recover from the shock. We watched with tears in our eyes as he cried for hours trying to understand the severity of his condition. We felt sadness as we watched him deal with the depression that followed. He was a very active 10 year old boy who would be confined to a motionless life. He would never run, ride a bicycle,play football, chase girls, nor build dams again. His body had stopped living while his highly intellectual brain was on overload.

His story was covered in the newspaper and on the TV. He and his family got so much attention and as much help as anyone can get. Of course, that didn't make the situation go away. Nor did it take the sadness out of the fact that a 10 year old little boy, Johnny Barnett, was paralysed from the neck down. Finally, life went back to its normal flow. All of the kids went back to school and Johnny spent his time learning how to live as a quadrapalegic.

I didn't see Johnny again for several years. His family moved into another neighborhood and my life took me in another direction, another life, another town. To be honest, I forgot all about him until recently when I moved back to Lakeway.
I had the priviledge of riding on his school bus on several different occasions this past year. I was amazed that he remembered me. He even asked about Caleb. He also amazed me at his sense of humor regarding his condition versus the rest of the world. He always had a smile on his face and a joke on his lips. Of course he really didn't talk much because he had to reserve his air for necessary mobility. His wheelchair was powered by Johnny's breathing into a special tube. He was an A plus student and except for moments of fear and discomfort, he was one of the most polite people I have ever met.

On June 20, 2009, 15 year old Johnny Barnett passed away. He has taught all of the lessons he came to teach. He has passed on into another world, a better less demanding place, I hope. If you missed his classes in life lessons, well, maybe you didn't need them. I am glad and honored that he was one of my teachers. I will never forget him.

Johnny was a multiple organ donor and in his memory, his family as has asked in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance 7000 South MoPac Ste 325, Austin TX 78731. 512-459-4848. msegovia@txorgansharing.org.

Rock Field: It's official!

2009-06-22T12:45:00.000-07:00

Good news! We just got the word that Rock Field has been chosen as one of the 30 winners in the Frosted Flakes contest for the baseball field renovation! I am more than excited and more than happy for my friends who live in the town where I grew up. It is my understanding that my friend Denese Stevens Mills will be posting an article about the win on the "voices" blog. Hopefully she will keep us updated on the progress of the renovations.

Other than that! Happy summer to all of you, my friends! Hope you are all having a peaceful and safe season.

Last Day of School and it's early dismissal

2009-06-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

It has been over a week since that last day of school that we all so eagerly anticipated. I can't help but laugh when my mind wanders, recreating the last hour on my school bus.
The first part of the route was easy, hectic, but easy. It was the elementary school route with 60-64 students on any given day and it took me approximately 10 minutes to deliver them all safely home. Of course, there were moments of tears when I had to say goodbye to the 5th graders. They will all be in middle school next year and I will miss them terribly.

The second part of the early dismissal was not without incident. I turned my back on the bus for just a few minutes to coordinate with another driver and when I returned, a couple of my students had opened the escape hatches on the top of the bus. They were celebrating and pushing the limits. At least they weren't throwning firecrackers at each other. Their behavior didn't concern me too much since I feel that they should all know how to open the hatches in case of an emergency. I felt that the joke was on them! What did concern me was the fact that I couldn't get one of the hatches to close properly after all of the fun was had.

If any of the emergency escape exits are ajar, the alarm on the school bus will continue to beep. So, we sat there for approximately 30 minutes opening window after window, door after door, again and again trying to make the alarm shut off. Finally, after calling for help in the form of a mechanic who could not come to our immediate rescue, I saw a small opening in one of the top hatches which was keeping it from closing properly. Simple procedure...open the hatch, fit the two plastic pieces together again then close the hatch. Alarm is off.

By the time all was said and done, over half of my students ,out of embarrassment, had found another ride home and I was left with 6 students to deliver home. My route was short and even though we didn't leave the school at the anticipated time, I was able to deliver my passengers and still get back to transportation in time to leave work early. Yes, it felt good. School is out for the summer!! YEA! Last day of school and it is early dismissal! Yes!

A Sense of Pride

2009-05-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

In the past few weeks, several very special emails from dear friends have landed in my yahoo inbox, requesting that I vote to help save America's Playing fields. Each of the emails had a link that led to the Kelloggs Frosted Flakes site. I finally took the time to download the link and within minutes was seeped in a rash of nostalgia. Pictures of my old life...my young life.

According to the site, Kelloggs Frosted Flakes is footing the bill to help rebuild the playing fields across America. There will be 30 lucky winners! All we have to do is VOTE. The most important one to me is Rock Field in my little home town of Childress, TX. RockField is in the semifinals with May 31, 2009 being the deadline for voting. You may vote once a day. Here is the link for anyone who is interested in helping:http://www.frostedflakes.com/?gclid=CM6DibzznZoCFR7yDAoduiHN-g&gclid=CM6DibzznZoCFR7yDAoduiHN-g#/plant-a-seed/ .
As I sit here looking at the pictures of my youth, so many memories come to mind. My very first experience with Rock Field other than knowing that it was in the big park where my uncles played baseball, was when I was in the 2nd grade. My closest and most trustworthy friend, Raenell, and I had decided to run away to Hollywood. I am still not sure why Hollywood, except that Otto Preminger was looking for new, fresh talent for his new film, Joan of Arc. We just knew we were the ones he wanted, so we planned for weeks to make our escape to our new life. We were going to stay with Lana Turner because she was the only one who would answer our fan mail letters. Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon never responded but they were on our list of people to meet once we got there.
We snuck out of the school house @ lunch time and walked to the WagonWheel where my mother worked as a waitress. The cafe was very busy so no one noticed when we stole my mother's car. She always left the keys in the car so I knew it would be easy to "take" the car. Stealing was not part of my vocabulary, so that never entered my mind. I was just tall enough to reach the pedal to start the car and drive it down the alley before it stalled and I wasn't able to get it started again. Thank god!
Raenell and I got out of the car and walked to the nearest safe spot where we planned to hide until dark, then we were going to continue on our trip. The closest safe place was Rock Field. We saw the dugout and ran like crazy to get there before we were spotted.

I can remember the feeling of awe that totally consumed me when I stepped down into the dugout. This was the place where the big guys stayed during the baseball games! We were on Holy Ground. It was also just a pretty cool place to play and have a picnic. That was when I pulled out the food I had brought along for the trip. For weeks, Ihad been saving part of my dinner and stashing it in a handkerchief , then carefully putting it into a special box especially for the Hollywood trip! needless to say, the food was molded. I didn't know that food molded! Now THAT was an experience. Raenell convinced me that it probably was no longer good to eat.
Not long after that, we were discovered by Tuffy Maddox, the Chief of Police. We were toast! Busted! Raenell and I were not allowed to even speak to each other for years.

As I look at the pictures of the baseball diamond, I can see our boys playing that wonderful All American Game, Baseball. We grew up with some of the best athletes and some of the cutest boys God ever put on the face of this Good Earth. Charlie Mashburn, "Chicken" Mitchell, Jim Wilcoxson, "Moose" Meek, Tommy Fleming, Hugh Gayle Frith, Wayne Havens, Doug Greer, Barry Wakefield,Harold Simmons, Mike Spradley, Eddie Huddleston, Joe Don Hopkins, Don Morgan, just to name a very few. I can hear the cheers when one of them hit a homerun. I can smell the fresh earth as they ran around the bases, and can still feel the pride of the community as we shared our lives.

There was a time when you could leave your front door unlocked without the fear of some unwanted intruder entering. You could leave your keys in your car and not fear that it would be stolen. Afterall, that only happened in the big city, not is Childress! And there was a time when Children were safe and two little second grade girls could walk safely on a major hiway so they could steal a car just to run away to Hollywood, then end up safely hidden in the baseball park! There was a time when Baseball was THE Game. There was a time of camraderie in a community. Maybe that is what Kelloggs is trying to give back to America by replacing the playing fields. At any rate, I thank them.

2009-05-11T22:04:00.000-07:00

Evidently I am having problems distinguishing between my blog, ASWEAGE-2008 and ASWEAGE-2008 thewineguy. I just posted on the Wine Guy.
Tomorrow is a new day!

Mermaid?

2009-04-22T08:04:00.000-07:00

I think I am turning into a Mermaid! The only time I feel wonderful is when I am in the water. What a life! It must be the water therapy.

Pain

2009-03-28T22:46:00.000-07:00

It has been my plan to offer encouraging news about my knee and the physical therapy but I am still short and still in pain. The fact is that I am in so much pain that all I want to do is hide my head in the sand. I question the physical therapy's effectiveness but I also question my enthusiam to make it work.

Quite honestly, I feel trapped. My plan has always been to live to be 100, but I can't imagine living another 35 years with this kind of pain nagging at my soul. I feel like my body is at war with itself. My heart wants to run and play, but my body says NO! Surely this will pass.

The Physical Therapy has begun

2009-03-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

As per doctor's orders, I have started spending an hour twice a week in the pool and hot tub with a physical therapist. Cute young thing, almost 20, telling ME what to do! She is very patient and sympathetic about the pain so I try to not take advantage of her gentle nature.
I am told that all of the exercises are for lengthing the muscles in my back and legs. In my mind, I visualize lengthening my leg muscles and back muscles and becoming 2 inches taller. After all, I am almost 2 inches shorter now than I was when I graduated from HS. Standing up straight also seems to make me taller, but it hurts to do that. However, I think the therapist thinks that lengthening my leg muscles with take some of the stress off of the joint, wherein lies the pain.

After getting into the pool, my exercises consist of walking forward across the pool 3 times, walking backward across the pool 3 time, then walking sideways 3 times. That is easy enough. Next I hold onto the side rail of the pool and do various types of squats, holding them for 20 seconds each. I think I do 10 each of those.

After that, comes the hard part...getting my wet body out of the pool. My legs have become used to the weightlessness of my body in the water, then slowly but surely they have to take on all of that weight again. My legs are weak for lack of exercise, even though I walk a lot, I do not WALK seriously because me knees have been hurting so much.

The last part of the therapy consists of getting into the hot tub, putting floating devices under by head so I don't go to sleep and drown. The therapist at this time proceeds to take control of my body, stretching the muscles along my spine by messaging as she helps me stretch. Then while I am so relaxed, she works on my hip joints with her thumbs, trying to release some of the tenseness.
That only takes about 20 minutes. Then I am done and headed for shower.

My insurance pays 90% for physical therapy. The therapist charges $120 per hour. Guess that is only half what the doctor charges. It is all good, though. Afterwards I feel great because I am doing something good for myself.

The knee again

2009-02-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

The knee, darn thing. Can't live without them for sure and they can certainly make life miserable if they are not working properly.
Finally, after a month of waiting. Starting with making the decision to go to the doctor, finding a doctor, finding the Radiology Lab, taking the time to drive all the way into West Austin to have the XRay, then the MRI, then waiting for a doctor from the Orthopedic Clinic to call me...a whole month! I am thankful that I wasn't bleeding to death! Living in Lakeway has it's drawbacks.

Yesterday morning I was in so much pain from my knee and from sciatica that holding back the tears was a real challenge. Shortly after I crawled into the orthopedic doctor's office he gave me a cortizone shot in the knee. I swear my whole body responded to the cortizone. The sciatica evaporated within hours, my knee stopped grinding when I walk up the hill to my car, I am not sleepy all the time from dealing with the pain. I feel like I did 10 years ago! It is an amazing and wonderful feeling!

I am told by the Ortho Doc that the cortizone shot should last about a year, maybe a little longer. He said he would give me the cortizone until it no longer worked, then he would talk to me about Rooster Comb injections. This is also known as hyaluronic acid, needed for many things in the body, but in this instant, it is used as a lubricant for the knee. There is research to be read on this by Googling Rooster Comb. It is believed at this time that hyaluronic acid, whether produced synthetically, or taken from the real live rooster comb can put off knee replacements for up to 8 years. Another modern medical miracle.

For my therapy, the doctor didn't tell mechange my diet not did he till me to lose weight,practice yoga or meditate. He sent me to the swimming pool. He told me that I needed to release the weight of the muscles on my bones so I could strengthen my leg muscles. How easy is that? Something I can do and will love doing. Whew! Of course, yoga is still on the "to do" list

little break.

2009-02-14T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, thanks for hanging in and checking out the blog. I have been pretty absorbed with some "aging studies" which I am planning on posting in a few days. Pretty interesting stuff! I just need to put it all in proper order so it will make some sense.

YEA!! Monday is a holiday! Presidents' Day.

Yeah, Brad Pitts' picture must go. Only one of us can stay. I never realized how much we look alike! lol..2 eyes, a nose, lips...amazing!

Enjoy your Valentine. Be thankful for the love in your life.

Reverse Aging

2009-02-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

Have you all seen "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"? If you haven't seen it, you must! It is one of the most intriging movies I have ever watched. Brad Pitt is totally uncanny and proves yet again that he can act. Cate Blanchette...what can I say about her. She is the best. I especially loved her in "Shipping News."
At any rate, I can't seem to get the story off my mind, especially the final moments when Button is a precious baby. I think we all at certain times in our lives would like to reverse the aging process. Maybe most of us would jump into it too quickly without considering the alternatives. When I was in high school, I fell madly in love with a boy 2 years younger than I. If someone had offered me the opportunity to reverse my aging process just 2 years, I would have jumped on it! But that didn't happen and more than 2 years would have ruined the whole story. One of the alternatives to reverse aging would be getting younger each day until you reach your birth time. WE would have to endure that trying teenage angst and go through middle school all over again. Then, as youth gets stronger, we would have to deal with losing our physical abilities and the wonderful memories that have made us who we are.
But wait! Isn't this what happens to us as we age! I think the only difference is that as you would get younger, those around you would know when you would be passing on into the other world. They could prepare for your death and funeral. As we age, getting older, we have some pretty good indications when it might happen but there is a lot more uncertainty, A lot more of "What will tomorrow bring?"
I guess as I think about this movie, I think that we start the aging process from day one. We do not just grow up then start aging. Aging is a continual rite of passage.

1 Feb 09

2009-02-01T11:37:00.000-08:00

This day is just intoxicating. Temperature is perfect, wind is just right, I can smell a hint of spring rising from the earth, and best of all, no one is yanking my chain! It is a good day!

I can remember about 4 years ago when we had several weeks of beautiful weather a lot like we have today. Then, all of a sudden it snowed in the middle of the night on Feb 14. IT would have been a perfect time to be in love, and for all of those who were in love at the time, I am sure that time created an unforgettable memory.
I remember that it was @ midnight when the snow started gently falling . People in the apartment complex where I lived at the time were coming outside, laughing and talking. It seems like we were all outside at the same time, reveling in this miracle. I met people I had never seen before and they were all my neighbors! It was a wonderful moment in time.

Amazing Information

2009-01-31T14:46:00.000-08:00

This past week friends have sent me links to some pretty amazing information. The most awesome one is a link to a Youtube video concerning Cell Regenration. Here is the highly recommended link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxhi4Q8EDTU. You should be able to copy and paste it into a new window for viewing. This is our future! We may eventually live forever!

The other email I received that deserves mention is one of an 87 year old lady doing the Salsa! She looks old enough, but she moves like a young girl. 87!!
bailedeabuelade87anos.wmv. I can't figure out how to transfer the link to this page, so maybe with this information, you can check it out yourself, or you can email me and I will send you the link via email.

ok...it is Saturday...gotta go to work.

Knee prognosis?

2009-01-26T21:51:00.000-08:00

Ok...I went to the doc, the doc sent me to radiology for an XRAY(insurance requirement), now I have to go AGAIN to radiology for an MRI, which will most likely let the original doc know what is going on with my knee, AND which hopefully he knew all along. Does it take all of this to get a decent diagnosis? This measly little exercise has taken a week...some of it is my fault, some of it NOT. When I say, "taken this long" I am wondering by the time all is said and done, what the MRI will show, who will get the results, how long it will take to get in to see my doc, and then how long for the specialist, then for CHRIST SAKES, how many $15 co pays will it take to get some relief?? My insurance is already $200 per month with the school paying another $600 to BCBSTX. I wonder...If I didn't have insurance, what kind of treatment would have come my way. I will tell you, because I have been in pain and without insurance. I would go to the emergency room at the county hospital and wait for hours for a doctor to see me. I would not get a doctor, I would more than likely get an NP (Nurse Practioner) who would treat me like a destitute(because I didn't have an insurance card) old lady with arthritic old legs. They would give me a prescription for an NSAD that would rip my stomach to shreds, then tell me to lose weight and "good luck, you are 30 years too late to fix this problem!" I have been there and do not want to return. I have to wonder what happens to others who do not have the resources that have, by the grace of God, come my way.

At any rate, tomorrow, the MRI. The future? Who knows at this point. As I sit here, a cold front approaching, I remain optimistic until I try to walk! and I am only going to bed.

Yearly Physical

2009-01-19T21:14:00.001-08:00

When it comes to going to the doctor for anything, I am very lazy. I accept the fact that my body is a wonderful machine and for the most part it heals itself or at least that is where I am putting my bets and my hopes. I am healthy, so why bother the doctor?

Last week we, the school bus drivers, had our annual TXDOT physicals. Most of us are in the over 40 group, with some of us pushing 70. We even have one incredible guy, Bob, who just celebrated his 80th birthday! Everyone passed the physical with good results. We can still hear and see reasonably well, or at least well enough to drive a bus full of noisy excited children to and from school. None of us are on drugs and as far as I know, no one drinks on the job even though I sometimes think that a couple of margaritas would make it a lot more fun! Kidding there, not happening!! They tell me that is still against the law!

Even though I passed the physical, the examining doctor told me that my knees are in bad shape and that I could possibly be looking at a knee transplant in the very near future. A knee transplant. Me??? You gotta be kidding! Of course, I can barely walk across the parking lot to get into my school bus, and I do spend my spare time in excruiating pain delivering pizzas up hills and down hills out here in Lakeway. But a knee transplant? How am I going to do that? When I drift off to sleep at night, I dream of running the 10ks that I used to love so much...and I dream of playing tennis again, but most of all, I dream of the freedom of movement without the pain.
So, tomorrow with visions of dancing the night away again, I am going to my PCP to see what options are available.

It is a New Year! How's your energy level?

2009-01-16T20:55:00.000-08:00

It's amazing! We have survived the last two weeks of school. Coming back after the holidays has been a real trial. I am not sure if it is post holiday blues or if it is mid-term dread or if it is something having to do with getting up too early and being able to think on your feet! It is something that needs a name. Everyone, students, school personnel and parents have been draggin around, complaining of being tired and sleepy. There has to be a name for this syndrome and I am sure that some bright psychologist will name it and we will have yet another new page in the Journal of Medicine or where ever it is that one would post such information.

When I look back over the past few months, I think of how exhausting it was to prepare for the Christmas holidays, not only gearing up mentally, but also dealing with the gift exchange...which I hate. IT is not that I have giving, it is something about the hype of spending money you do not have to give a ridiculous something to someone who couldn't care less about what you put all of your effort into buying for them. Whoa! People feel like they have to give something, so I guess any ole thing will do?
Before the Christmas zap, we were preparing for Thanksgiving and dealing with time off from work. What does one do if not working or going to work?? How do you handle your time off? In my house, we also have a couple of birthdays during Thanksgiving week and that takes another toll on the pocketbook and energy. Plus we always cook too much and eat way too much. If we are not partying, we are watching football. There are always high school championships and college football rivalries that keep us sitting on the edge of out seats.
I suppose the biggest zap on my energy was the election of our 44th president. The whole process was interesting, informative, entertaining and exhilarating, not to mention historical! However, I was never so glad to see anything come to an end as I was to see the election come to an end. Towards the end of the campaiging, I didn't care who won, I just wanted for "it" to quit zapping our energy. Now we are on to a new year with new hopes and promises and unprecedented challenges. I am trying to muster up the energy to be excited.

Simplicity of Burning calories

2009-01-10T13:59:00.000-08:00

Simple activities that burn calories. This is based per hour on a 150 lb person.

Walking Briskly 297
Gardening 324
Golf 240
Biking 441
Tennis 549
Swimming 603
Jogging 675
Racquetball 740

This information was borrowed from my Health 2 You bulletin.

As We Age

2008-12-30T12:25:00.001-08:00

I have never been an advocate of dieting. Not that I haven't put on my share of pounds in my 64 years of life, it is just that I have always resisted letting someone or something control my life by telling me what to eat or drink. After all, you are what you eat. Besides, who in the world would want to be me??

Lately I have found myself doing loads of research about the aging mind and body. Here is some information I would like to share with you. It came my way through a bulletin called "Health 2 You". It is very much to the point and should rattle our branches.

* Our metabolism SLOWS DOWN by approximately 5% each decade.

* WE NEED FEWER CALORIES, but often do not adjust our eating habits. Our eyes are bigger than our stomachs and our youthful habits still rule our brain.

* Needing fewer calories PLUS burning fewer calories results in WEIGHT GAIN.

* MUSCLES BURN CALORIES

* After age 45 we lose about 10% of muscle mass each decade.

* The good news is that IT IS NEVER TOO LATE to build muscle. Weight training is a powerful weapon in the fight against middle age spread.

* Results of being overweight, especially at this time in our lives have nothing to do with looking good...forget about looking like you are in your 20s. Health problems arising from being overweight are:
HEART DISEASE, HYPERTENSION, SLEEP APNEA, STROKE
DIABETES, DEPRESSION, SOME CANCERS(BREAST, COLON, ENDOMETRIAL), OSTEOARTHRITIS.

Looking good from weight loss is good, but nothing can take the place of being healthy and feeling good.

Aging is a daily habit

2008-12-28T22:43:00.000-08:00

I used to think that I knew everything about aging, so I started this blog. My plan was to encourage my friends, family and any others interested in this life we share to open up about our encounters with aging. It appears that most want to just read, and that is fine with me, but it is hard to interact with you when I am the only one speaking. However, I do enjoy the personal emails that I receive from you and try to honor your anonymity.

I have found that aging is a daily habit of mine. I think about it almost all the time. This is not necessarily a bad thing or an obsession. I just think about it. I wonder why I do not want to accept it as a part of my life, even though it is something we do every day. Some days, I think that I just live in denial and expect that I will be happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise until the end of time. But then there are days when I know better.

I know this probably sounds crazy, but as you know, I am a school bus driver and am inundated with youth. I adore my little elementary school students because they are in total awe of life. I love their awe and wish that I could be just like them. They are learning to read and their worlds are taking on new shapes for them. Their social skills keep me laughing as I watch them change boyfriends and girlfriends almost daily. At the same time, I am amazed at the ones who realize that I...the bus driver..am a real human and do a real job and they actually take the time to look me in the eye and thank me when I deliver them to their destinations. There isn't a day that goes by that I do not learn something from them.

Then there are the high school teenagers. I shudder to think that I was ever that worldly and naive all at the same time. Then I realize that maybe I was and maybe I still am. I have learned a few things along the way, but my initial reaction, my gut instinct to life and its offerings is still pretty much the same. I try to treat life with a great deal of patience and accept people for what I think they are. I also try to remember that The Golden Rule rules the heart and mind of most of us.

Thoughts of my mom

2008-12-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yes, I miss her. I miss her much more than I want to admit and probably more than I ever thought I could allow myself to miss her. Our final hours together were not the best. Certainly nothing that would bring tears to ones eyes. Our final hours were strained, to say the least. Maybe I am still grieving even though it has been over a year since her passing. Maybe I am still angry that she didn't last forever or at least last until I was ready to let go.

Sometimes I think that she was trying for months to tell me that she was dying, but I preferred to live in denial and not hear her. I can remember feeling exhaustion when trying to talk to her. I would call her to tell her something fun and good that was happening in my life. Before I could finish with my news of the day, she would enthusiastically interrupt me with her story about experiencing the same thing years ago or with some tale about how she had hurt herself and wasn't healing properly. I wish I had given her more of my attention and listened with more heart. She certainly deserved that from me.

My mom was very frail. For several years before she died she struggled to keep 95 lbs on her less than 5 ft frame. She ate like a horse, but just couldn't put on the pounds. She struggled with CHF(congestive heart failure) for years and was convinced at the end that she had CA(what my Register Nurse mom called cancer) of the lungs. My mom smoked all of her adult life and for years feared that she might have lung cancer so maybe that is true. She certainly had the cough to verify her fear. Close to the end,she was too fragile to do a biopsy on the spot that XRAY showed on her lungs. The doctors feared that her lung would collapse or that she could bleed to death. So, considering her fragility, age and lifestyle, the biopsy was ruled out. We will never know if the cancer is what got her.

The strongest thought that lives in my brain is that the Doctor told my mom that she would probably live about 6 months longer. My mom came home, sat down and made a plan to die. She planned her hospice care, her chosen place of departure, her cremation and her preferred place for the scattering of her ashes. Six months later she died. The day before she died, she went out to eat at Luby's with my little sister, Leslie. When they came home, she put on her pajamas, went to bed, slipped into a coma of sorts and died 24 hours later. I helplessly watched it happen.

It is ORANGE all over

2008-11-28T12:58:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, ORANGE has never been my favorite color unless it was mixed in with some hot pink, turquoise, tan and maybe some lavender. I almost didn't go to school at The University of Texas because the school color was ORANGE! Even though I decided that I was a bigger person than one who would let the school colors rule my education goals, I was ever so thankful when the administration changed the just plain ole orange school color to the infamous BURNT ORANGE. Burnt orange was so much easier on the eyes.

This year my opinion of orange has changed. I see it everywhere I look. As I travel around, I feel like Austin is wrapping it's long orange arms around me, holding me close with the love that has always been there.

Yesterday I traveled from my home in Lakeway into town to share Thanksgiving with a very dear friend of mine. There are only a couple of routes that take us into town, and one of them is RR 2222, or Bull Creek Road as it is known to us old timers. 2222 is an exciting route, similar to a roller coaster ride, I suppose. Up and down the hills, winding round twisting curves that will just take your breathe away, especially if someone else is driving the car. Occasionally you will get a glimpse of the city in one direction and Town Lake in the other direction. However, the most awesome part of the ride is the view of the changing colors of our indigeneous landscape of Live Oaks, Spanish Oaks, River Elms, Chinese Pistash, Sumac, Cedar, and God only knows what else there is that gives us the colors. New England's Autumn has nothing on the Texas Hill country.

I finally made it down to the UT Campus to feel once again the heart throbbing excitement after Texas beats Texas A&M in one of the most famous football rivalries of my lifetime. The view of the Orange Tower just took my breath away...again. It amazes me that some things never change. The landscape changes, the student body changes, but the feel of the campus after that victory is still the same as it was in 1963 when I experienced my first college football victory. The big Orange Tower keeps an ever watchful eye as the huge student body strolls home with a sense of pride to be a part of the University of Texas and yet another football victory.

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T11:06:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving, my most favorite holiday and time of year, other than my birthday, of course! I pray that you are all well fed, happy, healthy and wealthy of spirit. I feel blessed to have each and everyone of you in my life. God Bless.

Something to consider

2008-11-25T10:45:00.000-08:00

From My wise friend Marilyn.

GREAT TRUTHS ABOUT GROWING OLD
1) Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
2) Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.
3) When you fall down, you wonder what else you can do while you're down
there.
4) You're getting old when you get the same sensation from a rocking chair
that you once got from a roller coaster.
5) It's frustrating when you know all the answers but nobody bothers to ask
you the questions.
6) Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician.
7) Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone.

Insignificant Jobs.

2008-11-20T08:37:00.000-08:00

As I have grown into a woman, I have had two invaluable job experiences. One of the jobs was waiting tables. From that little insignificant job, I developed an expertise in dealing with hungry people from large families with insatiable appetites to the single diners with little or no appetite. There is nothing like trying to serve a meal to a large family with several children who know what they want to eat, but that is not what their parents want for them to eat. Then these lovely children proceed to spill their drinks and throw their food all over the place with little regard to the time and effort taken to prepare and serve the meal. They also couldn't care less about the cost and priviledge of eating out. I can remember when I was in my teens and worked as a waitress at the local diner in my small town, I lived in fear of Sundays when the large families would come to eat with us after spending their morning in Church. I knew that by the end of my shift I would be exhausted from serving food and cleaning up the messes of inconsiderate customers. One of the valuable lessons I learned from this experience was that regardless of the fear involved, nothing lasts forever. Everything has it's end and very little of what you fear will kill you. I also learned a lot about feeding children.

The other job I had and believe everyone else should have for at least 3 months of their life is working as an aide in a nursing home. It is an insignificant job, similar to being a waitress, serving and caring for other people, however, nursing homes have a different reality. By a different reality, I mean that most, if not all, of the residents have forgotten most of what their life was all about. They don't remember their family members, they don't remember what they did for a living or if they did anything. Many of them can't even talk. Some are so depressed that they can barely walk from one room to another.

I learned a lot about living life to the fullest while I was working there. I realized that a broken hip in an older person(60 or so) who is not a good health can be a death sentence. I learned that diabetes is deadly. I had heard things before about diabetes like when Mr So&So died from "sugar die beadies"..that is what we called it when we were kids, of course, I never realized the full effect of the dreaded disease. When I was working in the Nursing Home, I met a one legged lady who's leg had just been amputated due to complications from diabetes. She was in the Home because of her depression and immobility. When her children came to visit, she would just sit and stare out the window. She would not leave her room, not even for a stroll around the beautiful atrium. I heard that she died within the year. I am still unsure if she died due to more complications from diabetes or if she just died from sadness.

No Orange Tower at UT

2008-11-02T13:31:00.000-08:00

Geez, what can I say except that the No.7 ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders outplayed our No.1 ranked UT Longhorns. Texas Tech set out to win the game at all costs. UT set out to play football. As we all know, there is a huge difference between just playing football for the fun of the game and playing the game with all you heart to win. Tech did just that, they played their hearts out and won the game with an unexpected TD in the last minute of the game, leaving Texas to make a come back with only ONE SECOND left in the game. It left me breathless, speechless, and in total awe. Congratulations to Texas Tech.

Tanner Kyle, who was a team mate of the 2007 Lake Travis State Championship team, is a freshman football scholarship recipient at the University of Montana. Tanner's team, the 6th ranked Montana Grizzlies beat the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks 45-10. I am not sure of their ranking, but I am sure that Mark will fill us in when he returns from his trip to Missoula. Yea, Grizzlies! My friend, Mark Kyle, is Tanner's very proud father.

My favorite little high school football team, the Lake Travis Cavaliers won the District25-4A Championship with a 42-3 victory over Dripping Springs! Both teams went into the game undefeated. Next week LT vs Marble Falls promises to be a stronger, more exciting game for all to enjoy.

In the weeks to come, I am going to try to redirect my attention to more serious matters on aging than just enjoying football and the weather. I am hoping to feature a guest writer. I will have to downplay this until I have a firm commitment from the writer. Keep your fingers crossed. This person is a wealth of information and will be a great contributor to the blog.

Thanks for logging in to enjoy our blog. Until next time, enjoy some of this intoxicatingly pleasant fall weather...with a good wine, of course, and maybe some BBQ before the weather gets too chilly to be outside. OR does that ever happen in Texas?

Hook'em Horns!!

2008-10-26T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love to watch a good football game every year or so, but it is really not my prime source for entertainment. This year, however, I have been inundated with great football teams and "on the edge" football games. Since I am not a sports reporter, I will not give out any details except that the last 3 weeks have been very exciting. I can't tell you how exciting it was to see No. 5 ranked Texas beat No. 1 ranked Oklahoma University. That rivalry has been in my bones since my freshman year at UT in 1963 and for some reason or other, refuses to die. The same rivalry exists for Texas A&M. Anyway, I am having a wonderful time watching our boys win.
I plan to post a picture of the Orange Tower next week. I can't seem to get down to the campus to take a shot until then. Next weekends game against Texas Tech should be another thriller...I am just praying for an orange tower.

Another winning team that is a part of my life is the 2007 District 25-4A State Championship winners, the Lake Travis Cavaliers here in Lakeway. These kids are winning so good that the games are boring. Some of the scores have been 50-0, 50-9, 57-0. I am hoping that this week's game will be a more entertaining and exciting game when LT plays Dripping Springs, the top two teams of this district.

So much for football. Now, on to the weather! We are supposed to enjoy a dry, windy coldfront tomorrow. This type of weather makes brush fires more likely and harder to control. Don't forget you will need your lip balm tomorrow when you head out to enjoy your day. If you don't have any, check out my friend at www.dancingdingo.com. Kathy makes a great lip balm. So...until next time, enjoy a glass of wine and a few minutes of fresh air.

Talk about Attitude

2008-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is an email from my friend Lynn. She is two years younger than I am and has been fighting cancer and some other pretty tough stuff. I think she is a pretty amazing person with an unsinkable attitude and a very brave heart.

"Well I got wonderful news yesterday at the doctors office. The tumors have shrunk. Their all gone but one that is down to a see through shadow. My doc is so thrilled that he came got me to see the x-rays. He said he didn't think I'd ever be able to overcome the cancer because it was all over my left lung. Now he's hoping the two chemo treatments will do it. Ya'll keep up the prayers cause I think God is hearing and listening to them. I've started the 3rd chemo treatment and I seem to be breezing them it as well as last time so that is also great. No nausea or diarrhea at all so that is wonderful as well. For the first time I have the real belief that I'm going to beat this. Nine strokes, lupus and now cancer - what else is going to be thrown at me!!! Guess it doesn't matter cause I'll take it on and win. Love to all - Lynn"

The Wine Guy

2008-10-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

I have added a page to connect any of you who are interested to Olivier, our Wine Guy.
Olivier is an extremely knowledgeable wine person and can answer all of your wine questions. So, please use this opportunity to acquaint yourself with him and his diverse knowledge. http://www.asweage-2008wineguy.blogspot.com
Thanks for your interest.

Delays, they are all about the family.

2008-10-12T21:27:00.000-07:00

Hey all, I am just letting you know that I will be posting again in a few days. Life has been very hectic in my little world with lots of family happenings. These things have been very distracting, so, I have gone with the flow and neglected my blog. Some of these things are very personal and will be discussed at a later date.

Tuesday, we will be celebrating the 28th birthday of my youngest daughter, Kayte. October 14, night of the full moon, should be an energized evening. I can hardly wait to eat the cake and wish her another year of good health and prosperity.
ok...so until tomorrow. I hope to have some new additions and surprises for you.

Thanks to all who have checked on the blog and taken the time to rattle my cage. I promise...tomorrow!

Celebrating Life and another day older

2008-09-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

It appears that the blog has taken on a new life of it's own. Here I am, ready to complain about every aching joint, gray hair, lost tooth, wrinkle, sagging body part, loss of senses, loss of financial status, and whatever else there is that I was not prepared to face, and with one sentence, my lovely daughter in law, Lili, changed the course of my thinking. As she is celebrating her 39th birthday, celebrating the completion of 2 triathalons, she says, "Sorry, was I supposed to complain?" I must say, this blog is not really about complaining, it is about sharing and learning. It is about living the life! It is about celebrations of life, of which aging is one.

I must admit that when I think of where I am now, aging, with it's gray shadows of death looming ever too near, I can only remember the good times with the decadent birthday cakes and homemade icecreams, gawdy Christmas trees with their luring packages, expensive weddings with ice sculptures, prime rib and more champagne than is legal, weddings with just a keg of beer and only a wreath of flowers to adorn the bride's hair. I remember the gentle baby shower gifts for our growing families, a baby's quilt comes to mind. More than anything, I remember the friends that have come into my life along this short and joyful road. Some of my friends are gone, too many to be quite honest, but many remain to tell the tales.

One of my most favorite friends is Olivier Bourgoin. He has been involved with my family for about 30 years. He gave my oldest daughter, Sandra, her very first paying job when she was only 14! As friends, we have shared our ups and downs...we won't go there now because I am trying to keep this short and enjoyable for all.
Olivier, at 54, is a wonderful father, an amazing business man, and a very competitive hockey player. He travels the world, fluently speaks 3 different languages, and is very knowledgeable on just about every aspect of celebrating living on this earth. Olivier has agreed to join me on this blog. He is the very celebrated Wine Guy in San Antonio. His website is http://thewineguy.alamodining.com. Please check him out. I promise you will not be disappointed because he is so much more than the website. I will be starting a blog page for him right here so you will be able to talk to Olivier about wine, hockey, music, Paris, traveling the world, parenting multilingual children(he has 2 of those), the Olympics...whatever...he's the man.

Hurricane Ike has slipped into the Gulf of Mexico. Since I drive a school bus, I have been asked to be on standby for evacuations, if necessary. Please keep these families in your thoughts and prayers. Not only do they stand to lose every possession they own, they also will be without very important creature comforts, like water, bathrooms(toilet paper), refrigeration, clean sheets, and the list goes on, until they can return to some sort of normal life in their own homes.

Aches and Pains

2008-09-02T19:01:00.000-07:00

No one ever told me that it was going to hurt. No one told me that one day when I awoke and I was 42 years old and every joint in my body ached that the definition of my ailment was known as "aging" or that I was premenopausal and I should brace myself for the worst was yet to come. Well, that is not exactly true. My younger sister by 18 mos laughed at me and said, "Sheila, you are getting old!" Of course I didn't believe her, I thought she was being mean and that the pains would surely subside in a few days. Sure enough, she was right. The pains never left, they only got worse. When I mention "the pains" I am sure you understand. I constantly hear my co workers discussing their pains, mostly joint pains. "My knees hurt, my hips ache, my back is killing me, oh what I would give for someone to massage my feet, I am going to have my rotator cuff replaced, my knee replaced, or hip surgery, back surgery." We all sing the same song, "We hurt."

Now this subject of aging is a bit delicate, unless you are one of us, The Aging Ones, then it is open season on the different topics that ail us. Mostly, we laugh at ourselves and say, How did this happen? When did this happen? Remember when? We still think of ourselves as being 32 or maybe 45, but NEVER over 60. OMG, heavens NO! That is OLD. Most of us live in our glory days of high school football, swim team, tennis team, cheerleading, marching band, twirlers, UIL competitions that we won, first loves, or loves yet to be conquered, our first day on the university campus. Exhilirations! Acceptances! No one warned us that these wonderful moments would be short lived and that too soon we would be aching as our bodies aged.

When were were still in school, growing into adults, we studied Language Arts to help us communicate with the world. We studied Math so we could learn how to construct our world, we studied History so we could understand our past and connect it to our future, we studied Health so we could understand our young bodies and how they worked. Never in one of the paragraphs I read did I ever read, "At some point in your life, you are going to realize that you are aging because you will start to feel pain as your body starts to break down as it ages." I was never told that the sprained ankle I received while playing tennis in the 8th grade would be with me for the rest of my life as a swollen joint that would ache every time the weather changed. I have often wondered about our football players who had broken limbs, broken noses, dislocated joints. Do they hurt more now than ever before, or more that someone who didn't suffer a broken limb? No one warned us that the State Championship had a defining price other than the glory of the day.

Aging is not all about the pain. For many of us, there is more wisdom, humor, patience, understanding and love on new levels. I would like to discuss these and other qualities of aging in other posts. Please feel free to share you aches and pains with us or your wisdom and humor. That is why we are here.