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Note to Readers: Aging_with_Pizzazz will be taking a Hiatus. Keep up all your good work and I’ll be back with you in the fall. Upon mentioning my gym ball in a class recently, a guy asked me “well…

Note to Readers: Agi…

Note to Readers: Aging_with_Pizzazz will be taking a Hiatus. Keep up all your good work and I’ll be back with you in the fall. Upon mentioning my gym ball in a class recently, a guy asked me “well, what is a gym ball?” It was one of those moments when you stumble and wish you could just answer “you know… a gym ball.” Then I realized it could be confused with other names and products. My goodness, he may have even envisioned a medicine ball, which some of us might remember with less than delight. The gym ball is round inflatable soft elastic material (usually from 35-85 cm, which is…

A belly-laugh a day keeps the doctor away. Okay, so maybe not exactly a guarantee. Still, we recognize that we feel better when we laugh, when we smile or when we are joyful. I’m convinced it’s pa…

A belly-laugh a day …

A belly-laugh a day keeps the doctor away. Okay, so maybe not exactly a guarantee. Still, we recognize that we feel better when we laugh, when we smile or when we are joyful. I’m convinced it’s part of Aging with Pizzazz. You may remember my last point in Day to Reveal THE Key to Longevity suggesting that 10 minutes of a good laugh helps Sleep, healing and acts as a mental health boost. We can help others as well. Coming up on August 16th is “National Tell A Joke Day”. It’s a time my friend Rich can glow in his constant (and relentless) puns, and the rest of us may pull gags or tell …

I’m conflicted about writing this piece. Mostly because I wear contact lenses, have friends and family who rely on their CPAP devices for a good night’s sleep and because I am an avid promoter of …

I’m conflicted abo…

I’m conflicted about writing this piece. Mostly because I wear contact lenses, have friends and family who rely on their CPAP devices for a good night’s sleep and because I am an avid promoter of the Neti Pot. (If you’re not familiar with a Neti pot, it’s a small device for nasal rinsing that looks like an Aladin’s lamp.) My conflict stems from concern that anything which might cause people to avoid using one of these is not my goal. Also, extremely rare events can be misleading and can feel a bit fearmongering. Further yet, it annoys me that natural remedies and techniques often get…

I suspect it isn’t rare for any of us to suffer follow-up failure. Times we ‘meant to’ finish sharing a thought or a plan or information with someone and then it becomes too late. The opportunit…

I suspect it isn’t…

I suspect it isn’t rare for any of us to suffer follow-up failure. Times we ‘meant to’ finish sharing a thought or a plan or information with someone and then it becomes too late. The opportunity is gone. I was unable to finish a follow-up conversation that I had with Alice, a person I really liked but who died last year. The exchange, or lack of it, stayed on my mind. It wasn’t an important or vital conversation, really just about coffee. Alice liked coffee but she never drank it. She said that it was too acidic and bothered her. I was supposed to send her information about the benefi…

In years past, I only discussed the topic of spinal stenosis with Chiropractic associates. It was on the lips of these docs because they diagnosed and treated it in their daily practice. Nowadays I he…

In years past, I onl…

In years past, I only discussed the topic of spinal stenosis with Chiropractic associates. It was on the lips of these docs because they diagnosed and treated it in their daily practice. Nowadays I hear about it regularly from lay friends. As I age it’s not surprising to hear about spinal stenosis from my peers or contemporaries. It has an aging component and it’s often something that increases as our years increase. What is Spinal Stenosis? Spinal Stenosis is the term for a condition in which parts of the spinal column (the collection of bony vertebrae) narrow. More specifically, it’s w…

“We don’t know them all but we owe them all.” – Unknown Often Memorial Day is celebrated as a tribute only for the wounded, maimed or killed in battle. Indeed, it is certainly a time to consid…

“We don’t know t…

“We don’t know them all but we owe them all.” – Unknown Often Memorial Day is celebrated as a tribute only for the wounded, maimed or killed in battle. Indeed, it is certainly a time to consider and honor their sacrifice. In these times of conflict in so many corners of the world, we’re not limited in number of those vanquished prematurely. Along with these fallen, I suspect that many of us contemplate our own non-military losses as well. A day to observe all who are “gone but not forgotten” reverberates in many hearts. When my friend Kathleen suffered the loss of her mom recentl…

A couple months ago I noted a few leaders who have stumbled, fallen and hurt themselves to one degree or other. See “Don’t Fall… in Line with Leaders.” We visited the dozen dangers to avoid th…

A couple months ago …

A couple months ago I noted a few leaders who have stumbled, fallen and hurt themselves to one degree or other. See “Don’t Fall… in Line with Leaders.” We visited the dozen dangers to avoid those slips and falls. Those leaders are famous, we may not be. We still want to learn to circumvent those risks that led to such down-falls. I admit, and am sure you agree, that it isn’t always possible to catch ourselves from falling. Although there are keys to ‘better falling,’ we won’t cover that here. Instead, our focus is how best to reduce frequency and severity. It is never too early…

GUEST WRITER, HAZEL BRIDGES Note from drb: A special shout out to Guest Author, Hazel Bridges. She chose an issue I don’t have experience with, and would not have thought to cover. It’s spring. Lo…

GUEST WRITER, HAZEL …

GUEST WRITER, HAZEL BRIDGES Note from drb: A special shout out to Guest Author, Hazel Bridges. She chose an issue I don’t have experience with, and would not have thought to cover. It’s spring. Love is in the air all around us. Seniors are not immune to spring-fever and many adults find themselves in later-year romances. Some of those Relationships progress onward to house-mates or marriages. Marrying later in life opens a new chapter filled with unique joys and challenges. Senior couples bring a wealth of experience to their union, yet they face specific considerations in blending their l…

This is a perfect time for the Big Reveal, the ultimate secret to longevity. After almost 10 years writing this blog, and for some of you almost 10 years reading it, I figured it was a goal to conquer…

This is a perfect ti…

This is a perfect time for the Big Reveal, the ultimate secret to longevity. After almost 10 years writing this blog, and for some of you almost 10 years reading it, I figured it was a goal to conquer, a treasure to find. The Plan I couldn’t do it. My plan was to write an entire blog revealing the #1 key to longevity, THE queen-of-queens from all the rest. After I described the benefits and shared study literature reinforcing my theory, perhaps even promoting my own fitness program (PizzazzEE-25), I would end explaining the ultimate key. No. Actually, that wouldn’t be the end. The end woul…

Last week, sitting in a class on aging issues and care resources, my head popped up in surprise. A woman inquired about a term I had not heard before – “Hospital Induced Dementia.” Those of us w…

Last week, sitting i…

Last week, sitting in a class on aging issues and care resources, my head popped up in surprise. A woman inquired about a term I had not heard before – “Hospital Induced Dementia.” Those of us who work in, around, write or even just read about health care are frequently alerted to ‘new’ terminology. I figured others might not be familiar with this risk either, and awareness is a helpful thing. The phrase was new to me, but when I decided to do more reading on it, I realized that the experience was not new to me at all.  I had encountered it three times with my mother, never having a…

On Valentine’s Day, just past, a long-time friend from back east died. A big guy, he sadly became less and less interested in aging with any kind of pizzazz. Kent was older than me, but for a while,…

On Valentine’s Day…

On Valentine’s Day, just past, a long-time friend from back east died. A big guy, he sadly became less and less interested in aging with any kind of pizzazz. Kent was older than me, but for a while, when we were both single, we were close friends (without benefits). At a time in our lives when it might have been easy to let loneliness swallow us, we each served as a fairly-healthy crutch. Good times, fun adventures and a fair number of laughs. Later we each found someone leading us both to “happily ever-after” relationships. But our own relationship did not always go happily forward. The…

Chop, Chop, Scrap, Scrap, Swish, Swish. Sounds similar to these come from my kitchen many hours a week. Repeat, MANY hours. It dawned on me recently that there’s a great variety displayed in our kit…

Chop, Chop, Scrap, S…

Chop, Chop, Scrap, Scrap, Swish, Swish. Sounds similar to these come from my kitchen many hours a week. Repeat, MANY hours. It dawned on me recently that there’s a great variety displayed in our kitchen utensils, and their quality. Over the years, I’ve accumulated 4 vegetable (potato) peelers. Not all are created equal. As we age, we can get fussier about the material things around us, and why not? We want reliable, consistent function. Universal Design One of those chop/scrap/swish times got me thinking about universal design and aging in place. No doubt, you’ve read something about uni…

Have you noticed, the color red adorns half the store aisles currently, promotions for the next holiday marketing opportunity? How about a different kind of ‘valentine’ for yourself or a loved one…

Have you noticed, th…

Have you noticed, the color red adorns half the store aisles currently, promotions for the next holiday marketing opportunity? How about a different kind of ‘valentine’ for yourself or a loved one this year? I often attend or listen to presentations on health care, aging and a multitude of other issues. This is aside from all the political policy ones in which I take part. These days with the aid of zoom and webinars near and far, there are really too many to consider. We have to pick carefully. Frankly, I don’t always. Some are disappointing. Not this one. I listened to a local neurolog…

I remember the day that Sonia Sotomayer was sworn into office, replacing Justice David Souter and being the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. Yet, perhaps receiving more attention was a sum…

I remember the day t…

I remember the day that Sonia Sotomayer was sworn into office, replacing Justice David Souter and being the first Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court. Yet, perhaps receiving more attention was a summer day before that in 2009. She had 6 meetings scheduled with Senate leaders (who would decide her fate). While rushing through the LaGuardia airport en route to the consultations, she stumbled and fractured her ankle. She arrived at the meetings on crutches and all the pictures (like a famous one with Senator Grasley) showed her in a big white cast. These types of headlines caught mishaps of oth…

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with Interest. It’s that time again. Sharing a few things that I’ve learned each year is always difficult. Picking out a variety and not getting too much into t…

Wishing you a Happy …

Wishing you a Happy New Year filled with Interest. It’s that time again. Sharing a few things that I’ve learned each year is always difficult. Picking out a variety and not getting too much into the weeds is tricky. The latter is tough because as I start reading more and more and the hour is gone, and then the next hour is gone. I know that you are – like I am – overwhelmed with news and materials from myriad sources. I send thanks to loyal readers who keep Aging_With_Pizzazz as one of those sources. Admittedly, my dozen fragments are just tidbits to consider, but hopefully a bit of fu…

For years now, I have periodically re-visited a chart I made for myself eons ago.  It has undergone numerous reincarnations; presumably following the evolution of my own life and ideas. It was origin…

For years now, I hav…

For years now, I have periodically re-visited a chart I made for myself eons ago.  It has undergone numerous reincarnations; presumably following the evolution of my own life and ideas. It was originally produced for my first (and now out-of-print) book, cited in the footnote.  However, I had actually been working on it long before that.  So, taking it out of the closet once again and shaking off the virtual mothball-smelling dust, I updated it (at least) one more time. My Gift to You I offer this ABCs chart to you as a year-end gift.  I hope you can relate to it for the reminders we all n…

We’ve all read about loneliness in senior-hood. I know I’ve “been there.” Most of us have. Some of us experience it all too often, to one degree or another. I recently heard a statistic from m…

We’ve all read abo…

We’ve all read about loneliness in senior-hood. I know I’ve “been there.” Most of us have. Some of us experience it all too often, to one degree or another. I recently heard a statistic from my (current) home state of Oregon that shocked me. The state has the highest rate of suicide in males over 85 years old. We have a large population in rural settings. That frequently results in both economic hardships and social isolation. This is despite the stereotype of traditional civic groups and church activities that are thought to be more active and common in small towns and rural areas. Wh…

Are you weary of articles and experts telling you how poor your Diet is? You’ve lived this long, right? I too, may be guilty of these proclamations. However, my approach frequently brings the phase …

Are you weary of art…

Are you weary of articles and experts telling you how poor your diet is? You’ve lived this long, right? I too, may be guilty of these proclamations. However, my approach frequently brings the phase ‘grain of salt’ to mind. And of course, I’m not referring to the saltshaker. Our bodies are amazing, they can deal with lots that we throw at them, or put in them. We survive bad injuries, bad habits and bad diets. You may continue to endure all of these. If you just want to ‘endure’, you might ignore or take the following suggestions with that aforementioned “grain of salt.” But if …