Autumn Means Open Enrollment

by Cynthia, posted in Taking Care of Business

Ah.  It’s the time of year that television advertisements show senior adults in “granny” gowns acting confused about medical insurance.  We are incessantly bombarded with flyers in the mail, radio advertisements, and in some cases, door-knockers.  Yes, I am talking about the Medicare Open enrollment period which runs from October 15 through December 7.

Okay. I jest, a bit. Understanding your medical insurance plans is important, especially as we continue to age. Each year, it seems, something additional goes haywire in our bodies. Recently when dining with three other female friends, we laughed as we talked about groaning when we sit or stand.  Then, we all got up from the booth in which we were sitting and sure enough – each of us made noises. Then we all laughed.

Yet, our need for the right insurance is no laughing matter. Knowing which plan is the right one for our individual needs – current and anticipated – is a challenge.  One way to begin to make sense of our options is the Medicare and You publication. It is the government’s official guide to Medicare. This handbook is created each year to inform Medicare recipients of changes in their coverage.

I received my e-handbook in September as I had signed up last year for an electronic copy, rather than having the thick pamphlet sitting on my desk for months before I finally flipped through it and then recycled the book I didn’t read from last year.  Signing up for the electronic copy is easy.  Log into your Medicare account and select My account settings.  If you don’t have an online account, you can create one.

Under the Email and document settings section, select Edit next to Medicare & You Handbook. Then under “How do you want to get your Medicare & You Handbook?”  Select Electronically.  Remember to Save Changes.  And there you go!

According to the website, Medicare & You provides information about Medicare benefits, costs, rights, and protections; Health and drug plans; and Answers to common questions. See https://www.medicare.gov/medicare-and-you . The guide is 128 pages.  It is easy to read and quite informative.

At this point you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking, “Really?!”  Admittedly this is not as riveting as a favorite novel genre or catching up on stats of your favorite sports teams. We don’t always think about medical insurance coverage …. until we actually need it.  But as we continue to age, it is comforting to know that our medical insurance will help us through those times when our health isn’t as it used to be in “the good ol’ days.”

A Gentleman In Moscow

by sssmahh303, posted in Uncategorized

Mary Ann

When you read a book, do you ever cast the movie as you meet each of the characters?  I do, all the time.  Often, I cast Kate Winslet as a strong, independent women in a period piece, or I see Jennifer Lawrence portraying a complex, troubled, young woman.  It makes the book come alive for me!  However, the movie comes out, and the casting directors have picked totally different people.  How dare they?  

This was very evident when I read one of my favorite books, A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles.  The book is a story of Count Alexander Rostov, a Russian aristocrat that loses everything during the Russian revolution.  He is exiled to live in a luxury hotel, the Metropol, for the rest of his life.  Imagine trying to make a life in a box after having the best of everything?  You join the Count as he makes a life, finds purpose and love, and befriends the people who are the lifeblood of the Metropol. The Count meets life challenges with humor and kindness – a lesson for us all. 

In 2024, Showtime and Paramount+ produced an eight-episode series of the book.  In my mind’s eye, I pictured Jude Law as the Count. However, when the series was made, Ewan McGregor was chosen.  McGregor doesn’t just play the Count; he is the Count!  The production absolutely makes the book come alive.  

I was so totally wrong on my choice. That is why I am not a casting director.  I will continue pretending I am, however.  It is fun!   

Both the book and the series are wonderful – favorites!!  You can’t put the book down, and now you can binge the entire series instead of waiting with bated breath for the next episode each week.

 Amor Towles is a gifted writer. You might enjoy reading The Lincoln Highway, another of his best-sellers that is a tale of a youthful adventure in the 1950s.    I currently am reading his Tablet for Two, a collection of short stories.    Rules of Civility is on the horizon for me – I am excited for a future read.  I look forward to continued Towles’ masterpieces!   

 

Africa

by sssmahh303, posted in Uncategorized

Mary Ann

When you travel to Africa, it gives you a gift.  It varies from person to person.  The gift reaches deep into your soul. Maybe it is our ancient DNA feeling the deep roots where humans began. 

Some people I know had the gift of elephants.  Another friend had an experience with rare black rhinos that brings her to tears when she speaks about it.  For me the gift was experiences with the great cats. It is funny that a fortune teller once told me that in another lifetime I was a keeper of cats in ancient Egypt. I never gave it much thought. However, cheetah has always been one of my favorite animals.  Did I care for them in another life? 

Leopards

When people go to Africa, they are told that they need to see the Big Five – Elephants, Cape Buffalos, Rhinos, Lions, and Leopards.  For the most part you will see four of the five.  The leopard is elusive.  It is a solitary animal, nocturnal, and shy. So, when we came across a mother leopard and a baby in the daytime and the father was there as well, it was indeed a gift, a rare gift. Our guides told us that we were extremely lucky.  

  The leopards were in a gully that had heavy brush and some trees.   The mother and cub were lying on a bare spot in front of the brush. It was probably her lair. We were perched in our vans along the gully ridge.  Suddenly, the male leopard hoisted an antelope up a tree that was right in front of us.  We were having a National Geographic moment.  He remained in the tree with his kill looking at us.  The mother went into the brush, and you could hear her crunching the bones of something.  It was a powerful and chilling sound. We watched them for a long time, until a barrage of vans showed up to view this exceptional experience.  There is a grapevine among the guides so news travels fast on the savannah.

Cheetahs

The second big cat experience was at Mount Kenya. We were staying at Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, a resort on the equator in the mountains of Kenya that was once owned by actor Bill Holden. It is beautiful.  Prince William proposed to Princess Kate there at a camp above the resort. 

 Mount Kenya Animal Conservancy is associated with the resort.  There is an animal orphanage there. As we toured the compound, there are animals and birds walking around.  There was also a cage of three young cheetah.  My travel group of 7 talked to the cheetah caregivers and asked questions.  The two young men told us to hang around once the park closed so we did, and we got the surprise of a lifetime.  

At the end of the day, the cheetahs are feed.  We were given permission to go in the small feed cage and pet the young cheetahs.  The cheetah could have cared less.  They were busy eating.  When I went in, I kneeled and touched the body of the young female.  I swear I felt an electric shock as I stroked her body.  It was like petting a short-haired dog. I was overwhelmed with emotions.  If the cheetah turned around and ripped off my face, I don’t think I would have minded.  It was just the most incredible experience.  Maybe my cat keeper was coming out!  

Lions

The last experience was at the Masai Mara National Game Reserve near Narok, Kenya.  It blends into the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The Great Migration flows thorough these parks. 

As we did game drives, we came across a very big pride of lions of varying ages.  They were lolling around on a small mound under some shade trees.  We were very close to the group.  They were habituated to the vans.  I think they think they are another kind of animal. I talked to the teenage lions, and they were quite relaxed. As you spoke to them, they would slowly close their eyes just like your pet cat does when you coo to them.  Eye blinking must be a trait of all felines.  It was again special to visit with them.  

I am so thankful to have had these great cat experiences.  Africa gave me unforgettable memories.  I hope that all of you will have a chance to go to Africa and see what gift you will receive.  It will be magical. 

George and Amal Clooney

by sssmahh303, posted in Friends and Family

Mary Ann

I bet you thought that I would be writing about meeting George and Amal Clooney at a market in Provence, France.  I wish.  However, this blog is about another George and Amal Clooney who live in my neighborhood – a pair of red foxes.

Last December we started seeing two beautiful red foxes in our backyards.  They were courting, and the male was wooing his pretty redheaded vixen.  Hopefully, a family would result from all this romancing.  We hoped too that they would set up housekeeping in a den nearby. During this time, everyone on my lane called each other when we had a fox sighting.  Everything stopped to watch them chase each other.  

We decided to call the pair George and Amal Clooney.  George was the voice of Mr. Fox in the animated film The Fantastic Mr. Fox.  The foxes were equally as handsome as the original Clooneys.  They were the stars of our neighborhood!  Then suddenly they disappeared.  We missed them so much.  They brough such joy to all our lives. 

Time passed, and George and Amal showed up on the other side of our townhouse complex.  They settled behind a set of townhouses in a lovely, wooded area with a little stream running through it – a wonderful place to raise their kits. George and Amal then had their babies and the other half of the complex got to see them grow up.  I did not. I was and am GREEN!!!  The neighbors still call one another with each fox sighting.  The Clooneys have enchanted everyone and united the whole neighborhood in a unique way. 

However, I had my National Geographic moment. I was driving past the pond on a rainy day, and I spotted Amal hunting along the edge of the water.  As a mother, she now had several mouths to feed, and as the kits grew so did their appetites.  Amal was intensely searching for a mouse. Then, she leaped into the air in an arc that is a common fox hunting technique. She missed the mouse. At that moment, I lowered my car window to take a picture, and it made an eeeeeeeeee sound which caught her attention.  She looked right at me. and our eyes locked. This went on for like 30 seconds. We were looking into each other’s souls. Then she started to walk towards me.  OMG, was she going to yell at me for the eeeeeeeee sound and ruining her mouse hunt?  Meanwhile, I am fumbling around trying to find my phone in my purse and turn it on to get a photo.  Amal was still moving towards me then she turned and went over the bridge running in front of the car into the woods.  I finally found the phone and did get a shot of Amal running by me before she ducked into the woods. I shall never forget this encounters, a truly priceless moment for me.

The foxes have united our community in such a fun way.  With a world full of turmoil and negativity, George and Amal have brightened so many lives, and now there is another generation to carry it on.  I am still GREEN! 

Note – If you notice, Amal’s tail has no fur on it.  She probably has mange.  I have been in touch with our local wildlife center to figure out how to help her. They suggested we could trap her in the fall after her babies are grown and treat her.  The kits need her now.  However, her kits and probably George will get mange from her.  His tail is very bushy.  Apparently, a healthy animal can recover from mange, but if you read about it online, there is not much hope and so much suffering for the animal.  The history of mange is heartbreaking and why wild animals have it.  You can research all of this on the Internet if interested. 

More Than Pampering

by Cynthia, posted in Wellness

I just came home from my medical massage, feeling all ooey gooey, body relaxed. My granddaughter mentioned “lines” on my face – indentations from being face down on the massage table.

My first encounter with medical massage was about three years ago. Suddenly my back seized. I was in pain. It hurt to sit, stand, lie down, and move! Unsure how to deal with this phenomenon, I went to a favorite resource: Google!

The search yielded a couple of medical massage locations near me. The first one I called couldn’t get me in for a week. The other got me in the next day.  Upon arrival I met a lovely young lady (younger than me!) who had me explain what was going on. She took notes, drawing on an outline of a body. Satisfied that she knew what needed to be done, she asked me first to sit on the table.

After a series of stretches, I was invited to lie on the table. Then she proceeded with a massage, pulling and stretching along with the regular massage rubbing.  At the end of the hour, I was upright and mobile.  Judy gave me instructions to do some unique (to me) stretching exercises. Within a day or two I was completely pain free.

That was the beginning of a happy relationship.  Since that first encounter, I have seen Judy once a month. My monthly massage visits seem to keep me supple – moving better.  Granted I realized the importance of exercise, so I began with simple stretches, core building, and eventually walking and riding my stationary bike.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not an exercise nerd and by no stretch of the imagination (pardon the pun) an athlete.  I do enough to keep my 70-something body moving with minimal pain. The best outcome has been the friendship I have developed with this lady who is my daughter’s age. We have a mutual respect for each other’s skills and perspectives.  She is fun, intelligent, adventurous, and extremely kind, not to mention quite knowledgeable about the musculoskeletal system.  While I believe I get a lot more out of the relationship than she, I still believe it has been a winning combination for us both.

For more about Judy and her services, see: https://www.edmondmedicalmassage.com/

Sticking to the Mundane

by Cynthia, posted in Taking Care of Business

Literally!  I have become obsessed with stickers. In younger years I don’t recall using a lot of stickers but the more I learn about making my planner appealing, the more I have embraced my inner child.

Have you ever checked the sticker aisle of your local craft store? Oh my! Hobby Lobby, where I select many of my stickers, has an entire aisle designated just for stickers. An additional aisle for photo albums, planners, and calendars holds a section of stickers in pads made specifically for planners.

Bloom Planners also has great stickers. https://bloomplanners.com/collections/all-accessories Their stickers come in packets, usually by months or themes.  Several other sites sell stickers for planners, too.  I’m telling you this is a big deal!

There are stickers for every imaginable holiday and special events such as birthdays, weddings, vacations, and seasons. You can see flat stickers, glittery ones, puffy, and even three-dimensional stickers. Some are large, some are small, some are even itty bitty mini sized. Special stickers are available for food, drinks, health and wellness, budgeting, fitness, travel and transportation. Some stickers are for empowerment and encouragement. Some help with list making. The possibilities are endless!

With all of the options available, you would think I could find just the right sticker. However, I still have to use my creativity.  For example, on days when I have scheduled my workout that is targeted towards my spine, I use cute skeleton stickers. When the cleaning ladies are coming I slap on a vacuum or a feather duster.

When I can’t find exactly what I am looking for, I have to create my own stickers. I can use blank printables such as Avery brand labels which provides templates for using their various size and shapes. I bought a packet of round stickers and have printed pages of Reiki symbols, meditation scenes, and Zoom meetings so I can slap those on the scheduled day.

Obviously, using stickers is fun. It makes the page more interesting. But practically, it also signals at a glance what the requirements, meetings, and activities for the day will be. Embellished with colored pens and highlighters, looking at my daily deeds is cheerful and uplifting. And when I’m in a funk (we all have those days, now admit it!) I can add an inspirational quote as a reminder to take life a little less seriously.

Planning with stickers may not be your “thang.” Still, it can be a fun, creative activity when staring at the mundane pages of your calendar or planner. You don’t have to go crazy and have so many that they have to be categorized and filed, as I do. But if you decide to give it a whirl, just don’t be surprised if you end up finding a sticker on your arm or ankle. Happy Sticking!

The Women

by Cynthia, posted in Reviews

I was excited when my book club decided to read Kristin Hannah’s book The Women.  To be honest, I didn’t know what it was about but having read some of Hannah’s books previously, I was certain it would be well-researched historical fiction.

The Women is a well written, compelling story of Frances “Frankie” McGrath who struggled as a young woman to understand hers and other females’ place in society. She starved for positive approval from her father, beyond being a pretty and intelligent socialite. Frankie wanted equal recognition from her ultra-conservative father as her brother who had enlisted to fight for his country in the Vietnam war.

Frankie followed in her brother’s path and enlisted — she in the Army Nurse Corps. She was unprepared for the horrors of war. Men who had returned early on were heroes. Women could be heroes, too. Yet what she encountered, the hardships she endured, and even worse, the treatment she received upon returning were more harrowing than she ever could imagine.

The story takes you through her experiences in Vietnam and continues through years of trauma after she returns home. It chronicles the importance of female friendships. Her courage and idealism eventually defined an era.

The Women, although set in the 1960s and years later, is relevant today.  How are women treated? Is equality possible? Can Americans come together in time of trauma? Will we ever understand the reason for engaging in military conflict and the ultimate sacrifice of those who serve? Do we even want to learn?

When I read historical fiction I ponder what I can do as an individual to avoid the same mistakes we made in our past. For those who are moved by historical fiction and who are willing to consider how history repeats itself if we fail to step up, pay attention, and make positive strides towards higher morals and values, this book is one of those must reads.

Or, if you just like a gripping story that highlights past events, you may enjoy reading The Women.

The Last Buzz

by sssmahh303, posted in Lifestyle

Mary Ann

Every once in a while, you have to drag out the soapbox, dust it off, step up, and shout!  That time is now. Three years ago, I put a butterfly garden in the front of my house – butterfly bushes, milkweed, coneflowers, lantana, salvia, lavender, etc.  It was a smorgasbord of yummies for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.  It was a pleasure to sit on my front porch watching them dance among the flowers. There was a huge variety of insects, and I felt I like I was helping the planet.  That year there were 28 monarchs.  

The following year, there was only one monarch and not as many of the bigger butterflies. However, the skipper population was thriving.   I called the county extension agency to see what was going on with the butterflies.  I was told some years are like that.  We are now in the middle of year three, and so far, this summer I have only seen one, lone monarch.  I have milkweed blooming, and nothing is eating it. Even the skippers have diminished.  My nature-loving neighbors are all saying the same thing.  We get excited and call or text one another when we see a yellow swallowtail or a hummingbird.  Now, I do have friends elsewhere that do have many hummingbirds – thank heavens! 

I do believe this is a flashing red light warning us that there is something wrong. Regardless, what some people are saying, the climate is changing, and it is affecting our lives.  If all the humans suddenly disappeared from the planet, nothing would change.  Nature would heal, and the web of life would continue getting stronger with the passing years.  If all the pollinators disappeared, it would affect all the plants and then humans.  If all the ants or earthworms disappeared, the same thing would happen. 

For a time, many years ago, I lived in Monterey, CA.  On the Monterey Peninsula, there is a little town called Pacific Grove.  It is the butterfly capital of the world.  Each winter western monarchs came by the millions to winter in the moderate climate of the region.  You would look up in the trees and think you were seeing leaves, but they were butterflies soaking up the sun. The groves were just magical.  In the last few years, they have counted about 1200 monarch in some of the groves.  Monarchs are now endangered species. 

I have seen it happen in the east in these last three years.  The monarch life cycle is a miracle, and it is sad to think it may disappear.  I am not sure what to do about it.   I have planted milkweed, and I try not to use insecticides though our HOA does but not in my gardens. I guess pray!

When I sit in my patio garden, I may see one bee flitting around the flowers or see a pair of white cabbage butterflies dancing like ghosts among the plants.  Again, I have planted a host of flowering plants for pollinators to enjoy.  They are just not there.  I can enjoy the flowers, but I miss the insect activity.  I wonder if the beginning of the end is starting.  What can I do?  What can we all do?  I fear a day will come when I will hear the last buzz. 

Drunko Bunco

by Cynthia, posted in Friends and Family

To avoid insulting any of our readers, I submit my disclaimer at the top. No one is drunk! So, how did this all come about?

For years my sister had told me how fun Bunco has been for her.  I had no clue what Bunco was other than some kind of card game.  I have never been great at card games. A couple of times I tried my hand at Bridge but found that players were quite serious. Game is a play or sport, which to me signals fun. Taking a game seriously wasn’t my cup of tea, so to speak.

A friend of mine invited me to join a group of women who thought they may enjoy a monthly game of Bunco.  I attended the organizational meeting to learn about the game and to visit with other women while eating luscious food with a glass of wine.

At the meeting guidelines for participation were set. We were to meet once a month, rotating hostesses. We would serve wine and hors d’oeuvres and limit the ante to $10. Each of us left believing we had a game plan (excuse the pun) and looking forward to the next month’s gathering.

The following month we met once again to play Bunco. Appetizers and wine were served as we awaited the arrival of someone who actually knew how to play Bunco. That person never arrived. So we ate, had a glass or two of wine, and visited happily. We would learn how to play the next month.

The third get-together arrived and … you guessed it! No one knew how to play Bunco. We decided our best option was simply to get together once a month to chat, eat, and have a glass of wine. One of the girls laughingly said, “Well, here we are. The Drunko Bunco ladies.”  We all had a good laugh. When the invitation went out to gather the next month, the email subject line said: Drunko Bunco. So here we are, several years later, meeting regularly for dinner and a glass of wine and not playing cards.

Six Books

by sssmahh303, posted in Wellness

Mary Ann

The Week is a magazine that features a wide range of topics like other news magazine; however, The Weekpresents many points of views on any given subject. It is a very interesting publication, and you can easily stay abreast of current events in the country, the world, and popular culture.  Although it is a bit pricey, it will keep you well-informed.  

 In their book section, The Week will highlight a particular author and have him or her share 6 books that have influenced his or her life.  It is always fun to see if I have ever read any of the books. Of course, I have started my 6 most influential book list.  I need to be ready when I become famous.  Actually, there are only four books, so I have room to grow.

The first book that I treasure is Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning.  Frankl was a psychologist and Holocaust survivor.  He found while he was incarcerated in the death camps that humans had common principals that were fundamental to the human condition.  In a nutshell, Frankl said that people need purpose, people need love, and people will all have challenging times, and it how they decide to handle them that will determine their happiness.  I cannot tell you how many times I have seen this book quoted in other books and articles. It is all about attitude, and Frankl said it in just a few words.  

The second book is (The) 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.   The habits include Be Proactive; Begin with the End in Mind; Put First Things First; Think Win/ Win; Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood; and Synergize.  The seventh habit is Sharpen the Saw that advocates leading a balance life of self-renewal.  Even though this is a 30-year-old book, it is relevant today.  These principles can determine the quality of your life.  I return to this book time and time again for guidance. Covey has also written a leadership book and a book for teens that incorporates his principals.   

To Kill A Mockingbird is my third book. This work of fiction is a favorite because it is a story about a man, lawyer Atticus Finch, who does the right thing despite his personal beliefs.  What a lesson for today!  I read this in 9th grade – Thank you, Mrs. Thomas – and I reread it as an adult. It was more meaningful when I was older.  Some of the language is inappropriate for today – I totally agree, but if you go deeper, there are lessons for us all.  

 

Anything by Anne Lamott is my fourth selection.  I just love what she says and how she says it.  She is a funny lady who coins phrases that sticks with you.  She has written many works of fiction and nonfiction about her life – she has had many challenges as most of us have had. Her collections of 7 small books of essays are my favorite. You can read one or two essays a day and let her words percolates through your soul.  Her latest book is Somehow with essays about love.  Dusk, Night, Dawn; Help, Thanks, and Wow; Almost Everything; Small Victories; Stitches; and Grace are the remaining six volumes.  I have read this series twice and plan to read them again next year.  I always garner some nuggets of wisdom with each reading.  Thank you, Anne Lamott. 

Now, I have read many, many great books both fiction and nonfiction. I think what sets these books apart from all the other books is that I reread them and refer to them frequently.  They are part of me.  However, I do look forward to finding the other two books to round out my six most influential books.  You never know when I will become famous!