Fed Up

Fed Up

I am well and truly fed up. I am fed up with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and most of the rest of the world too. I am especially fed up with candidates, PACs, SuperPacs, and The Election in general. I'm fed up with NPR and the whole culture of everybody's a victim.  Time for a news fast.  The world will just have to get along without my concern.

Time for reading good books, quilting, cooking, and keeping the roses watered and me cool.  Time to plan our fall foliage trip to Maine.

We can do so much better

The outstanding achievement of landing Curiosity on Mars shows that we can do better. We can do better than starting stupid useless wars. We can do better than having millions of people without health insurance. We can do better and we should.

64

Today is my birthday and I am 64 years old.  I'm not young and it doesn't bother me at all.  One of the wonderful things about getting old is that you can relax and just be.  I love the poem below and it sums up my aging philosophy.

WARNING!

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn't go, and doesn't suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we've no money for butter.

I shall sit down on the pavement when I'm tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.

I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick the flowers in other peoples' gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickles for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

by Jenny Joseph

BTW, I am spending my pension not on brandy and summer gloves but on roses and birding and quilting and books.  And I wore purple last Friday.

No Whining Day

No whining today. I am going to make this a good day.
I had the ultrasound this morning at 9 am. All went very smoothly and I was out by 9:15. Went to Whole Foods and bought a pork tenderloin to make for dinner this evening. I also bought 2 garnet sweet potatoes which are so good.

So far today, I have many things to be thankful and happy about:

1. I have access to good health care and the insurance & money to pay for it.
2. I have a good means of transportation—van, lift, & scooter.
3. I have a dear family that I love with every molecule of my being.
4. I have access to and money to pay for good, nutritious food. I am able to eat small amounts.
5. I have faith that God cares for me.

Open Enrollment Time

It is open enrollment time at my place of employment. I've been reading through the benefits package and trying to make sence it all.

There are certainly changes in the health care plans available but the one that impacts us is the spousal insurance. For the last 19 years I have carried JMM on my insurance policy at a nominal increase in the price of the policy. Now it will cost an additional $100 per pay period since he is eligible to have his own insurance at his place of employment. So I have to figure out which would be the best plan for us 1) keep him on my policy 2) each of us have a separate policy 3) move me to his policy. Time to make a spreadsheet of costs and benefits.

The deductible on my insurance drops by $500 if I do a Personal Wellness Profile and a Biometric Screening. This is height, weight, waist circumference and glucose and lipid levels. My weight is within acceptable levels as are my glucose and lipid levels. These are confidential and are not required to get insurance but as I said will drop my yearly deductible. I definitely plan to do this as it costs me nothing and will save me money.

Trying to figure out the Flexible Spending Account is always a challenge since my crystal ball is a bit murky. Have to total up 1. Prescription co-pays for a year. 2. Dental co-pays and I need one bit of dental work 3. Eye exam and new lenses for one of us. 4. Deductible. (BTW, over the counter drugs are no longer eligible for FSA reimbursement.)

Well, back to the spreadsheet and the crystal ball.

(Later)
Sticker shock!!
Health insurance for me & JMM currently $183.44 per two week pay period. New premium for the two of us: $333.76
New premium for me only: $70.27

Next step: Find out how much JMM's health insurance would cost for him alone and how much for both of us.

The Chair

I bought a new chair for the bedroom. I love it--the style, the colors, the fabric and pattern--and it is wonderfully comfortable for sitting and reading. However, it has made the room look rather dowdy. Obviously such a chair needs a good reading lamp and a small table beside it. And the curtains on the window don't coordinate with the colors on the chair. And if we are going to have new curtains then the spread on the bed will need to be replaced...

Acceptance

When we are young, we think we can fix things or that if we do all the right things, life will be what we want it to be. We think that people will change or they will at least come to their senses. And it is true that sometimes we can fix something, sometimes virtue is rewarded, and occasionally people do change. But mostly, things are what they are and must be dealt with.

There have been several people in my life that I kept waiting for them to come to their senses and get their lives together—none ever did. They just were who they were for whatever reason.

Sometimes charity helps but for all the efforts of agencies and programs and aid, mostly the destitute stay destitute for various reasons. Life is difficult and it is a struggle and sometimes that’s just what it is and how it is.

(On a personal note, I am coming to terms with health issues; I continue to try to figure out what is going on, but maybe it is just time to accept that this is my lot and just deal with it. )

Time to Retire???

The plan has been to stay in the workplace until 66 but I am reconsidering. This past year of ill health has been a real struggle. I am physically better in many ways and my employer has worked with me to decrease my hours to Monday, Wednesday, & Fridays plus one weekend each month. The thing is I am tired; my days off are mostly spent resting from the work days. I will be 63 in December and perhaps I should just call it quits then. I wouldn't necessarily need to start drawing Social Security or to draw from my 403b and JMM will still be working to provide health insurance and benefits. So why not retire?? I think the thing that is holding me back is concern that something might happen to keep JMM from working. Life experience has made me very leary of not having my back covered. It seems to be that when one thing changes, a whole cascade of things happen...usually not for the better.
I am just in the beginning stages of looking into this and seriously thinking about it. Anyone have any suggestions?

Missing Bloggers

First it was JW and now Morrison. I miss you guys and hope life is treating you well.

My Niece

is 57 years old and is newly diagnosed with cancer. It is in her lungs and brain. She has started radiation and will follow with chemotherapy. She is being treated as an outpatient. What concerns me is that she lives far away from any of her family and there is no one to take care of her during the radiation and chemo and afterwards. Her husband has CHF and is in poor health himself. I suggested that she come to MD Anderson here in Houston for treatment but she adamantly opposed this. Since I can't go there and she won't come here, I am thinking of seeing if she will let me hire a home health assistant to come to her home a couple of hours a day.

Radio

I spend a lot of time listening to the radio. Sometimes it is just on in the background. Sometimes, like during and after hurricanes, radio is essential to know what is going on. When I was growing up the cool radio station was KILT which played all the new rock music. (All the really good music ended about 1970 though ...) My mother listened to the local station in Galveston but I can't remember the call letters for it.
Ever since I discovered Pandora, whenever I want music that's what I'll have on. But for general radio listening, I love NPR. The Diane Rehm Show is a daily favorite, Talk of the Nation and Marketplace are usually interesting, All Things Considered covers the news of the day, Ira Glass's This American Life almost always has a different perspective on life today, and Science Friday is always interesting but since I am at work when it is on, I get the podcast.
What I don't like on radio are the hate mongering sensationalists... so I don't listen to them.

Good things in life

Watching nature--birds, flowers, bees, butterflies. The nice thing about this is, nature is as close as my back porch--don't have to go anywhere, just sit down, be quiet, and watch.



Good books. I am becoming especially fond of good audio books. A good reader just brings the book to life.



Eating out. I know it is fashionable now to love to cook but I don't, so there.



Cats. Affectionate, quiet, each unique personality, do not require walks (but do require litter boxes...)

Quilting. I love putting colors, fabrics, and patterns together. I think everyone needs some creative activity.

Cleaning something out. I don't mean the everyday stuff like dishes and dusting and bathrooms. What I like to do is clean out and organize something. I recently cleaned out and organized the back closet. Next I want to go through all our old videos and give the ones we'll not watch again to the library and organize the others.

Comfortable clothes. What a blessing it is to not wear pantyhose and pointy toe shoes!!


Haircuts and manicures and a massage. Oh my, what a luxury!!

What are some of life's good things for you?

Chico's!!!

I've discovered Chico's!! I was ranting and raving about how I couldn't find clothes that both looked good and fit me and my sister-in-law suggested that I try Chico's. I have found it so frustrating to shop for clothes that I had to force myself to go today because I really need clothes. Anyway, as I went in the door, a young woman introduced herself and asked if she could help me. (This is light years away from the mall stores with miles of racks and not a sales person in sight.) I explained that I needed pants and tops with a light summer jacket and that I hated clothes shopping and was no good at putting things together and I would very much appreciate her help. Well, we got on like a hand in a glove, like hot fudge on a sundae, like well you get the idea!! We went around and she got a feel for what I liked; then she whipped up pants, tops, jackets, belts, jewlery that was just what I wanted and liked. I was in and out in under an hour. She has my e-mail address and will sent me a note when something is in that would suit me and sales coupons. Christie at Chico's, I love you!!

A New Season

I had planned to keep working 4 days a week until I was 66 but it is looking like I just physically can't do it. My employer was very cooperative when I cut back to 4 days a week. Now I have requested 3 days a week and they are once again working with me on it. They are even letting me keep my benefits and insurance. I am quite relieved. DH is still working full time and wants us to switch to his health insurance just in case I have to quit altogether.

As Ecclesiastes 3:1 says "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven." It looks like this is the time for more rest and less work.

My Inheritance

My parents were never wealthy. In fact, they were in dire poverty during the years of the Great Depression; I have never experienced anything near the desperation that they lived through during those years. Through their own hard work and values they were able to give me a middle class childhood and youth, a college education, and a priceless inheritance. My inheritance included:
1. A love of reading and learning
2. The knowledge of how to live a good life by making the best of what you have. Cooking, sewing, gardening
3. A spirit of perseverance and a work ethic
4. An example of debt free living
5. A spirit of independence, taking care of my family, not being dependent on others

As I get older, how I have come to appreciate my parents and the inheritance they gave me.

The Shouldas

I get very put out with myself when I get a case of the shouldas. You know, you should have exercised more, saved more money, kept house better, eaten nothing but healthy food (whatever the current trend in what's healthy), been more active in church / community, etc. One of the nice things about getting older is that more often one just says, "Be Gone!" to the shouldas. But occassionally, I do get caught up in the shouldas. I find myself comparing myself to others who are more successful than I in various areas. Then I think about the price that is paid for that success and realize that I have succeeded in areas that I was willing to pay the price but not in others where I didn't think the result was worth the cost to me. I have to remind myself that I have limited time, limited energy, and a finite budget and I want to be selective with each of them. I have to balance a need for activity and community with a need for peace and rest. I need to balance kindness and generosity with frugality and thrift. There are always more good things to do and be part of than there are time and resources to do them. It is a matter of balance.

A Nice Day to Stay Home

I am on vacation this week. It is so nice to look outside and see all the cold rain coming down and just pull the electric blanket up, turn over, and go back to sleep. I love my job and feel very rewarded both personally and financially by it but time away from it is very appreciated too.



Today is devoted to quilting and listening to a new book on audio--Spooner by Peter Dexter. It came highly recommended so I am looking forward to it.



I received a politcal cartoon in an e-mail today that really annoyed me. It was titled The State of the Union Address and showed a picture of President Obama as a crying baby. I replied to the sender that we must have listened to two different State of the Union Addresses and left it at that. Our current administration did inherit a financial mess and two wars and what I see is that we are managing the financial mess and trying to extricate ourselves from at least one of the wars. I really don't like the political venom from either side and I realize that there is nothing that President Obama can do that will not be attacked from the Republicans. But I think it important that I was just as annoyed with the viciousness toward GWB even though I adamantly opposed the war in Iraq (and still do). I suppose that just shows how I am not cut out for politics--I want reasonable people discussing the pros and cons of issues and making reasonable decisions and what I get is assinine political cartoons.



OK, enough politics and back to a nice day to stay home.

Great Day...Awful Night

We went on a birding trip down the Texas Coast Saturday. It was too cold and windy to do much out of the van but we had a great time. One of the fun things about birding is that you never know what you will see. We went totally surprised to see a flock of 100 or so Sandhill Cranes in a field along a lovely Texas back road. I love the low burbling sound they make as they feed. The big surprise though was that we got to see a pair of Whooping Cranes at the Aransas National Wildlife Area. That was the good day.

The awful night started at 2:30 with nausea and diarrhea; it is gradually getting better today but has thoroughly wrecked my plans for today. Ack!!

More tomorrow when I hope I am feeling better.

Those blessed words

"The polyps were completely benign." Thank you Lord.

2010 Predictions

I've never done predictions before so we'll see how my first crystal ball performs. Here we go:

1. The cost of living will increase--food and fuel will cost more, taxes and fees will go up as services go down, and the cost of healthcare and insurance will increase. (Good luck to those struggling to make ends meet in 2009...)

2. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will drag on (with another 500 deaths and innumerable lost limbs) with nothing really accomplished in the long term.

3. The unemployment rate will come down some to 8-9%; hardest hit will be the older worker who was laid off in 2009 and has little chance to be re-hired.

4. The world will keep on turning: People will love and hate, babies will be born, seasons will come and go, and there will be laughter and tears.

Do you have any predictions?