Happy Birthday, Medicare!

I don't usually do two posts in a day but this is important!

Tomorrow, July 28th, is the 46th Birthday of Medicare. That's right! For 46 years Medicare has been helping elders meet their medical costs! As a stroke survivor, I don't know what I'd do without it -- especially with the cost of healthcare these days. Actually, I do know what it's like not to have health care and it ain't pretty -- at that, my friends, is is a gross understatement. I got a note from We are One, one of the many groups whose newsletter I read, asking me to join them for a rally at the East side of the Capitol for a rally tomorrow afternoon. I obviously can't make it so I'm passing it on to any of y'all who are interested, able, and live in the D.C. area. I wish I could be there -- the rebel in my soul would love to go but I'd prolly get busted and D.C. isn't famous for it's luxurious jail.

Please take look at the comments today's earlier post and see what and check out Cop Car's research/comment re: her investment in Social Security. It's also posted on her blog. It's an eye-opener!

Also, keep in mind that Social Security is NOT an entitlement -- we PAID into it every hour we worked or that our spouse worked.

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

Tuesday Feels-Like-Monday Thoughts

Long holiday weekends mess  up my sense of time -- it doesn't matter that I rarely do anything worthy of note; they still leave me vaguely out of kilter.  I decided that instead of of just dismissing the antidepressant the doc gave out of hand, given my past experience, that I would be a  good little old gal and give 'em the old school try.  So I took the required dose before I went to bed and slept 9 hours straight -- which for me is rather long. Bet y'all are thinkin' 'Great!  She finally got some good sleep!' and y'all would be wrong.  I was groggy and disoriented alllllllllllll day.  I felt bad about it, too, 'cause Bryce and Gracie came over and I really didn't feel well and was teetering on the edge of an anxiety attack most of the day.  I was truly frightened.

Needless to say, I  didn't take it again last night and was just fine today and even did a few errands and cheered Gracie on as she rode her bike for me.  I swear that 60%  of the women I know over 50 are taking anti-depressants and about half of the prolly don't need them.  I don't need them either with the reactions I get from most of them.  And no, I'm not wildly thrilled  with my life but I just have to find something that will keep me busy and engaged on a limited income -- and that's a challenge since I'm pretty burnt out on volunteer work right now and would rather take a step back and recharge for the 2012 elections which makes sense to me. It's just a matter of finding the right thing. I'll be on the phone to the doc bright and early.  And no, I don't want another damn scrip, I'm just letting her know how it worked.

And oh yeah, I have another petition for y'all to sign here and pass it on, Justice Clarence Thomas is heinously violating 'conflict of interest' rules and accepting money from the wrong people. (Can you day 'Koch'? I knew you could.)   

Glad y'all enjoyed Jimmy Cagney -- he's an all-time favorite of mine, too!  Here's four minutes of fun with  Jimmy and  one of the best choreographed videos I've ever seen! It's a guaranteed grin!



The fireworks that have been exploding for the past few hours seem to be over so I can watch my Steve McQueen film festival in peace -- God knows "Bullitt" and "Papillon" require quiet to savor their artistry -- right?   LOL

Hope y'all had a great holiday!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

A Couple Notes

Thanks for all the good words yesterday -- especially the ones from Gene who made my Monday so very nice!!!

* Today getting in the swing of things was difficult but I did manage to get some visiting in and if y'all didn't see me, I'll be around.

* My computer woes continued and I finally decided to switch my default browser to Firefox. Hopefully, MSN can stuff it where the sun don't shine. We'll see how that goes so please bear with me as I adjust to the ins and outs as well as the peccadilloes that are always inherent in any software one encounters. Helpful hints and advice are always welcome.

* Glen Beck really did it this time . . . in less than two minutes! Y'all can see and read about it here.

* The Ohio Democratic Party is holding a 'Good Jobs, Strong Communities' Rally at the Statehouse in Columbus again on Thursday!!! I wish I could go but I can't. Think maybe we're fed up here in Buckeye land?

* Have y'all seen this man? He looks like a man to be reckoned with carefully.

I just wish he'd use some of that with certain members of Congress.

* Here's the song that's been (annoyingly) nagging at me since my birthday and I'm hoping that by posting it, it will go away and leave me be 64 my way. It's really sort of a guy song but it won't go away. Sigh.



Happy Blogging!!!!!!!

Kay

All Right Already!!!

Yeah. A.Q. spilled the beans as it were, that yesterday was my 62nd birthday and I'm not really surprised that he remembered. It's just the kind of guy he is. I met him years ago in MSN chat and he's been a fast friend ever since fr0m our marathon discussions of Life, the Universe and Everything and he deserves the credit or blame for my being in the blogosphere -- y'all get to choose which is right -- as he encouraged and supported me as I began my adventure here. I get to thank him for opening a new world for me.

Truth be told, he and my oldest friend on the planet -- Jeff, my stepmother and M.E. were the only ones who remembered my birthday. Oh well.

Here's a fav photo taken by The Man (who used to love me -- maybe) in 2006 on my birthday. The frog in the photo still loves me.



Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!

And When I Die . . .

Olive Riley of The Life of Riley died last Saturday at age 108. Mike, who helped her with her blog wrote a lovely eulogy at her blog. I'd like to think that she and my friends, Joycelyn (Maya's Granny) and Winston (Nobody Asked . . .) who also died recently are having a beverage and swapping blogging stories. The Blogosphere is diminished with their passing.

In my misspent youth there was a song on the charts that really helped me crystallize my philosophy on death and dying. It still touches my heart and remains one of my all time favorites so I'm sharing it with y'all in memory of three wonderfully special people who touched my heart as well. The good news is that David Clayton Thomas is still with us and performing at age sixty-eight, still sounds great, and has a great webpage here.



Happy (albeit a bit sad) Blogging!!!!!!

Kay

No Drama Allowed Today

I decided that I've relived enough drama for this week -- unless, of course, some fresh hell lands on my doorstep and I get some new twists in the adventure I call life. But we're all gonna pray real hard that that doesn't happen -- right?

I thought I'd like some fun today. One of my favorites over at YouTube is eighty-year-old Geriatric1927 -- me and 46,000 other subscribers. I'm sure most of you have heard of or visited him. He just posted his 100th vlog and talks about older people and computers and we get to meet his friends so I decided to share it with y'all. Enjoy!!!! 

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

God Bless Mark Zuckerberg's Pointy Little Head

Imagine the Kay reading Ronni's post over at Time Goes By yesterday morning. Imagine the Kay choking on her coffee when she read Mark Zuckerberg's statement:

“I want to stress the importance of being young and technical,’ he stated. ‘If you want to found a successful company, you should only hire young people with technical expertise… Young people are just smarter.”

Right. When I was twenty-four like Mr. Z., I thought I had the world by the cojones. Five years later I was a full-fledged grownup -- married, two babies, and a boatload of responsibility and I suddenly began to realize how wise my parents were. That learning curve has continued to this day and will continue until I die. Then again, I always liked older people -- they always told great stories and had advice from which I could learn -- although sometimes I ignored it and learned later. I'd be interested in knowing what Mark's mother has to say about his arrogant attitude -- I'm guessing that she's in her 40s or 50s and, according to her son, dumb as a rock. If he were my son, I'd be raising total hell with him even if he was sharing his megabucks with me.

I remember telling the Dynamic Duo (my kids) in their high school and college years, when they thought they had all the answers, that I wasn't young enough to know everything but one thing I did have was experience in the adventure we call life. It's one thing to be smart; it's another to have wisdom. At 24, wisdom is thin on the ground.

My personal definition of of wisdom is intelligence tempered by experience. Experience is the wake up call when we get, what my daddy always said, "too big for our britches." I did it and so did y'all if you're of a certain age and we learned when our youthful arrogance came back and slapped us in the face. The lesson made us better and it made us smarter. We might be old but we aren't dead and most of us are in full control of our brains and have a lot to offer employers.

And because my last statement is true, I think we all need to report Mr. Zuckerberg's corporation to the Equal Opportunity Employment Opportunity Commission because he, as CEO, is openly discriminatory and I'm sure that affects his personnel department's policy. I hope he enjoys trying to eat his words for the feds since they've been duly recorded in the media.

I also think he needs to learn a bit of wisdom I picked up from a bar sign I saw in my callow youth and set me a-thinking: "Old age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill." It still hangs over that bar to this day and today those words give me comfort instead of pause.

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

Something for Us Good Old Gals

If you will direct your attention to the side bar, please note that there is a new badge there for elderwomanspace! It is the brainchild of author Marian Van Eyk McCain who, I'm sure y'all might recall, is a friend of our friend and fearless leader of the Elderbloggers, Ronni Bennett, and I was delighted to receive an invitation from Marian herself.

It's an interesting site where we "women of a certain age" can hang out and exchange ideas and share our thoughts on Life, the Universe and Everything. Marian describes it as "a special place where women in -- or entering -- the 'crone' phase of their lives." Sound interesting? If you're interested and a woman of a certain age with an interest in communicating with some wonderfully intelligent and gifted women, let me know. Membership is by invitation only. I already sent invitations to those of y'all whose email addys I have.

I truly think you'll enjoy the wide range of interest and experience the women who are already members bring to the table and you'll see some familiar faces like Terri from Writing Away on Cedar Key, Joy of Joy of Six and Rain of Rainy Day Thoughts.

Come play with us!!!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay

A Lesson from Puppies

Virginia DeBolt has a wonderful blog called First 50 Words. It is one of my favorite places in the Blogosphere. She posts a word or phrase and writes 50 words incorporating it. Readers are invited to do the same in the comments section. It is designed to be writing practice for those of us who think we need it and it's often the cradle of ideas for longer pieces -- at least that's how it works for me.

Her words a few days ago were "slow moving" and it struck a chord in this old broad's alleged mind -- in addition to giving her writing practice and spawning this post -- and summoned a memory of how an old acquaintance changed my morning routine for the better.

I've known the now retired editor and publisher of our local newspaper for many years. We belonged to the same parish for many years as well as being members of the same swim club with our families. My then husband and I shared a table and enjoyed the company of Mike and his lovely wife, Marilyn more than once at various club and parish functions and our children swam on the club swim team together.

He was/is a wonderful interesting writer and always left one with food for thought. Even when I disagreed with his stance on an issue, I could cede him his logic. Some times he waxed wise and witty and those were my favorites of his editorials.

My personal favorite was about waking up in the morning after his forties hit and finding it was harder to bounce out of bed. I could identify with that all too well so he had my undivided attention. He went on to talk about how he had noticed puppies awakening -- how they always give themselves a good slow stretch before they even begin their frolic through the day. He decided to try it and began stretching before he got out of bed and pronounced it a good way to start the day.

I decided it was worth a try and agreed wholeheartedly after trying it. Somewhere in the frenetic years when my marriage fell apart and ended and my life took a big bunch of weird turns on the rocky road where I landed, I lost that little morning exercise that got my achy muscles moving. I need it more now than ever.

Virginia's writing prompt of "slow moving" reminded me of Mike's suggested exercise and I decided to start doing it again. I waken each morning and allow myself five minutes to stretch my old joints before I even get out of bed and guess what? It works! I feel better and I'm not hobbling to the kitchen for my coffee -- I'm walking there and my mood is infinitely better.

I'd better watch this stuff though -- I'm might lose my Cranky Old Broad status!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kay