The week in highlights

This has been an interesting week for me.  I have found many new and unexpected thoughts have been crowding into my mind.
On Monday I started to write about my view of the current Primary season candidates but something told me to hold off.  Tuesday came and went and then Zodiac killer dropped out of the race with a final punch and elbow to wife's face and I felt nothing I could have written could top that.  Even my sense of humor could not have anticipated a punchline to beat that.
Moving along.  On Wednesday I planned on meeting a friend at the supermarket Starbucks and then doing my monthly Senior day 10% off shopping at the same supermarket.  The best laid plans........it turned out another friend needed transportation to and from a Dr's off ice to have a skin cancer removed from the rear of her driving foot knee.  I changed plans and found myself off to Youngtown to pickup my friend.  " Youngtown is the oldest retirement community in the US. In 1954, two developers bought 320 acres (1.3 km²) of farmland & built is notable as the first master-planned, adult community in the United States, dedicated exclusively to retirees, designed by Ben Schleifer.^[5] However, in 1996, the town denied extending the stay of a 16-year-old child to live in the community. In response, the Arizona Attorney General investigated and determined it was unenforceable. In response Youngtown repealed the age restrictions in 1999.^[6]"
Later Sun City was built and overshadowed the original retirement village.
" Sun City was opened January 1, 1960, with five home models, a shopping center, a recreation center, and a golf course. The opening weekend drew 100,000 people, ten times more than expected, and resulted in aTime magazine cover story.^[2] The future retirement community was built on the site of the former ghost town of Marinette.^[3] Developer Del E. Webb expanded Sun City over the years, and his company went on to build other retirement communities in the Sun Belt. Sun City West was built in the late 1970s, Sun City Grand in the late 1990s, Sun City Anthem in 1999, and Sun City Festival in July 2006.^[4] "
All of these retirement areas are affordable and welcomed by both older citizens and snowbirds.  The main dangers of living in these areas are being run over by an octogenarian in a golf cart, or dying of boredom or sunstroke.
I thoroughly enjoyed taking my friend to the medical center and returning her home little the worse for wear but very tired and feeling no pain,YET).

I then went for my senior day supermarket run and emerged two hours later with aching legs and hot(it almost reached 98' by the time I was putting $176.00 worth of groceries in the car)  I had saved almost $70.00 between sales, 10% off and my coupons.  Not a bad investment in my time.  I got home unpacked groceries and collapsed for the remainder of the day.
Thursday brought me to my Martha's Circle group, where we cut up, donated and canceled, postage stamps to borders of 1/4 to 1/3 of an inch on all four sides of each stamp.  These stamps are then further sorted by type and sent to a Christian organization in Florida which in turn sells them and uses the funds for education programs in Latin America.
Folks, this is the kind of tedious mission work little old ladies love to do.  So cut your envelopes completely in half and send the stamped end to me to continue this valuable program. If you do choose to participate please send the whole half envelope including the back.  Some put their stamp right at the top and side of the envelope not leaving any border.  So we use the back and side to cut the border.  I bet you never knew collecting stamps for charity is such an exacting science.
Later we watched a DVD from "Women of Faith" and listened to Lora Schwlinder speak. This lady is in her 70's and full of pep and vigor and has a lovely singing voice.  She spoke of inviting  God to accompany you throughout the day in all the Little Things.She said most of us are savie  or desperate enough to call on God in prayer for the large events in life like illness, sorrow, death, fires, disasters  and one could go on and on. Few of us keep in touch with or pray to God in all the little things which make up all of our lives.  She says she wakes up and gives thanks for all her blessings and then asks the Lord to be with her in all the little things she encounters each and every day which we seldom give over to him.  We think we should be able to direct and order our own lives.
I must say we ladies had a good discussion about this talk, but It has been on my mind ever since. For years I have tried to pray continuously and to ask the Lord to be beside me throughout my day, But I do too often get distracted and find myself seldom thinking of the Lord or Spirit while  standing in line at the grocery store or getting the mail.   Then too, we know terrible things happen to us when we least expect it.  We blurt out mean or sarcastic things to a friend or are involved in a robbery, out of the blue.
The things we worry about most never happen but something even more devastating sits around the corner waiting for us.  Now I do not want to say I want to go around scared all the time, but rather just the opposite.  I want to proceed through all occasions with God, or Spirit, or Christ or whatever names we call the Holy Presence.  I want that Presence to accompany and share with me all the occasions or events or people I encounter.  I want my thoughts to be deeply embedded in the Holy and Sanctified so whatever life throws at me I can proceed confidently, powerfully, and with love in my heart expressed through my actions.
Pretty powerful stuff isn't it.  I guess I should listen to others speak more often.
Well these are some of the exciting adventures which have made up my week.  Let us see what life has in store for me next week.  

Do the best and leave the rest to God

This morning I have a lot on my mind but I am not sure of what to share.  I am very troubled lately. There are a number of things on my mind which occupy my dreams and keep me from sleeping well.  I know the best thing to do is to thank God for each and every worry and trouble.  When we thank God, even in misery, we are acknowledging that the solution for these problems are out of our control.  By Thanking God and letting go of any action on our part, we leave the resolution to a higher Being with much broader vision and resources to effect the problems.
I, with my finite and limited thoughts and wisdom, only guess at solutions I might like to see but cannot grasp the repercussions these actions might cause.
Let me try to give an example of what I am trying to articulate.
A neighbor is a hoarder and keeps a number of cats.  The number is currently unknown but it is most likely closer to 10 than 5.  The neighbor is ill but keeps up the exterior of her home.  She pays a gardener once a month to care for grass and flowers and she goes out every day when weather permits with her large white cat whom she calls snowball  Bent over lady and cat patrol the grounds and lady picks up twigs and leaves and plastic bags and cans thrown from the road while cat explores, sniffs the bushes and flowers and rolls in the grass.  Lady and cat have an empathy and rhythm which is a joy to behold.  Cat likes to sneak under bushes and parked cars to hide and lady chases calling until cat meanders out to wind around her legs and rub against her.  Now we know the lady has some serious health issues which need to be addressed and she does go to Dr's and takes their advice.  She is bent over and skinny with her clothes falling off her.  She mostly smells but does get cleaned up to go to Church every week and to her Dr visits.   She eats poorly, mostly frozen food from the Schwaan man that she nukes. She keeps in touch by phone with her brother back East and her niece and nephews and she worries about them constantly.  She sends money to her niece and is very generous with the Church.
All in all the lady in question lives her life close to her cats, nature and God, with a few of us neighbors, thrown in for good measure.  The problem is, and the lady recognizes it, is what to do when she can no longer care for herself.  Her main worry is her beloved cats and what will happen to them if she becomes too ill or dies.  She says she will drag herself into the driveway as she is dying and if we see her there: please go and take care of the cats.  She would surrender them to a no kill shelter but doesn't know of one which would take the cats.  Most of them came as kittens and only know the inside of the house.
So here is the quandary.  What to do?   Should I call the city health services to help the lady and damn her wishes and her kitties? Should I try to locate a no kill shelter to take the cats?  (at the last minute she might not give them up anyway),
A friend goes to her Church with her on occasion.  Should the friend talk privately with the minister to see if he wants to get involved?  Should we try to get her cell phone and call her brother, and try to get him involved?
So at this point I do nothing.  I thank God for letting me see the problem and tell him I will spring into action if he shows me the way, but I mind my own business.  I am happy that I can love and care enough to want to get involved, but really fear that the consequences of any action I would take without God's direction, and the lady's permission could be a disaster.
The lady could be put in a home with her money and independence taken away from her, the cats could be rounded up and put to sleep, and poor snowball (the alpha kitty) would be devastated without his friend.  The brother could come and take over and not listen to her wishes and she could die any way with grief and humiliation(they were estranged for 19 years after her parents died, over property and money)  It is only the past few years they have been in touch.
God's vision is so much better than mine that I must leave the action to him and accept the result.  It is not in my authority to intervene unasked in another independent person's life.  But it is so hard to surrender my actions

My Ancient Life

I have decided on a title for this little series. "My Ancient Life".
So I'm here again with my thoughts on my life as an older women.  Many of the women I talk to enjoy their lives now.  I think a lot of them in their 70's feel this is all there is and so are not wanting to change, grow, or do too much different.  I guess this is sort of natural but it isn't at all how I feel.  I am interested in so many things and feel I just don't have enough time to pursue them all.  My will to do is strong but the body is weak.
A lot of my activities now center around church but this is because that is where my local friends   were met and mostly hang out.  There is Sunday church, Bible study Tuesday nights, Thursday morning Martha's Circle( a study and craft group), and monthly Woman to Women meetings.  In addition there are the events like Craft and Bake Sale, luncheons and teas and the rummage sale.  It seems like a lot of church activity but it is in mostly women's activities.
If I had not met my friends at church I would most likely be at the Red Hat Society, have Bunco nights, go on outings to galleries and museums etc. In other words I sort of do what my friends do. My most prominent interests are in sharing and being with others and I mostly go along with their interests.  I go where I am invited.
That is sort of sad isn't it.  No, not really when what you are interested in are people.  You can find them everywhere and in all sorts of interest categories.
My most abiding love and interest is in God but I am not talking about it right now. My husband is also an abiding love for over 50 years but I'm not talking about him here either. Or my amimals who I love, have loved and lost, etc.
My personal interests are reading, some TV shows and movies, politics and world events, science, philosophy; and scrap booking, making jewelry, baking, and THE COMPUTER.  I can spend all day just on the computer, but I try not to.  I also love to shop at grocery, home goods and big box stores. I also love to shop on QVC and HSN.  I love magazines as they keep me up on what is happening in the worlds of fashion, celebrities, news and the high life. In magazines you do not have to stop for commercials and ads like on TV or computer.  You can just ignore whatever doesn't interest you.
There is just not time or energy for all my interests and sometimes I really have trouble finding focus among them.  I am so happy I am retired but it was nice when I had more money.
You will notice none of these interests involve sports or physical activity.  I used to love martial arts but I cannot work out anymore.  When you can no longer participate or teach you feel like a 5th wheel.  I was never into team sports but I did like to go on long walks in parks or woods, ride bicycle, go on long drives and see sights, travel to foreign places and countries, etc.  I can no longer do any of these but I can live vicariously through my friend's pictures and word portraits, as well as travel shows on TV.  When I ride in the car for a few hours I can hardly walk and am really done for the day. I enjoy eating out as well, but it is spend y.
So there you have it.  Most of my old age activities.  There are a few more but we will leave them for other posts.

Changing direction for the time being.

It is sometimes necessary to reflect and then begin to consider new areas to pursue.  I have long felt there is very little out there for older women.  What do you consider older?, you might ask.  For me older begins at 50 and rapidly progresses to 60, 70, 80 and beyond.   
This may seem to be extreme to my nieces, who have already passed the threshold but for me, it only seems to get better with each year that passes.  I was very unhappy as a child and cried rivers over things I barely remember now.  As a teen I was extremely miserable because I wasn't popular, didn't have a boyfriend, never went to a prom, and all the other foolishness my peers enjoyed in abundance.  As soon as I left home for college the clouds lifted and I began to be me.  The freedom to reinvent myself made me the happiest I had ever been.  Moving to New York City when I was 18 gave me the final thrust into the unknown and new adventures. 
Each decade since then has brought it's own trials and triumphs.
I am absolutely enjoying my old age and again each decade brings it own satisfactions and sadness's.
My intention for this new focus in my blog is to help you understand some of the challenges and new directions one must take, perhaps unwillingly, as one either gets older or dies.  It is one or the other my friends so we may as well enjoy the journey.
I hope that many of you will join my circle of friends and sign up for G+.  It is really quite painless and you can adopt a fake name if you so desire, but I would very much like to hear your comments and point of view on this subject.
The first subject I would like to address is the lack of information, media( social or otherwise), reality shows, etc. available for older women. 
The Golden Girls is the only TV show I can think of for older women.  It is enjoying a long life on reruns but really, we can do better.  There are no fashion or household magazines dedicated to older women. "More"  tried to make a weak attempt but it just doesn't cut it.  We are beginning to see a few older female actors in Movies, but damn it they look so young.  What about Margaret Rutherford or her kind?  It would certainly be more realistic to show older women as they really are rather than the cougars the magazines seem to favor.  AARP is interesting, but again it profiles the youngest among the old and is specific to money, insurance, etc.  Except for geriatric catalogues there isn't much else relevant to my present life to read.  
I am going to end here to see what kind of feedback this blog generates.  If you want it and don't want to sign up for Google +, just like the announcement on Facebook or email me.    Since I don't have much time left, generally speaking, I need some direction now.