NANCY WITH THE LAUGHING FACE

August 6, 2018January 16, 2020

Watering Wisely

There’s no denying that this has been one hot summer not only in the United States but in Europe as well. Record high temperatures, when the weather men put a “heat advisory” in effect, can be dangerous to our health. We are advised to seek shade, air-conditioned rooms and increase fluids. Even those of us in good shape are told to avoid vigorous outdoor exertion. Our pets also need extra attention during hot spells. We’ve all heard the horror stories of pets (and children!) being left in closed cars and dying from exposure. Since high temperatures can adversely affect us and our environment, they need to be taken seriously.

Severe heat, like intense cold, can drive us inside for the duration. But unlike cold snaps in the winter months, intense heat has a more devastating effect on our outdoor environment. Weeks of high temperatures combined with lack of rainfall, a typical summertime scenario for many of us, take their toll on our reservoirs. Small ponds quickly dry up, leaving fish stranded. As we drive through neighboring towns we see the familiar signs banning outdoor watering and sprinkler use. In particularly dry years, the leaves on the trees and shrubs actually droop, looking exhausted after their ordeal!

Our town has private well water and so we are immune to the signage warning us away from summer water use, but even though we can water, I prefer not to. For one thing watering during a heat wave is kind of like running through a sprinkler – the moisture only lasts for that very short period of time and the heat evaporates it almost immediately. It’s counterproductive since the much-needed moisture never really gets to where it’s needed most, the plant’s roots, and shallow watering leads to shallow roots which can compromise a plant’s health. Also, when all we do is wet the leaves and soil surface, we leave our plants open to disease-spreading fungi.

Many experts say that to maintain a healthy garden we should water deeply, about an inch of water, at least once a week. When you have a large garden and summer water restrictions in force, this can be impractical. Soaker hoses are a great alternative to sprinklers because the water goes directly to the plant roots but, again, watering restrictions and drought conditions may limit the time you can use them. Just as our climate is changing, so our watering practices must change. We have to learn to water wisely.

So, how do we care for our gardens in the hot and often dry conditions of high summer? Take a good look at your garden on a very hot day. You’ll notice some plants drooping under the intensity of the heat while others seem to just shrug it off. As time goes by, you’ll want to plant more of the “shruggers” or those plants which can take the heat and still thrive. Additionally, don’t bother planting a garden without mulching it since mulch is the best water saver of all. For more on the benefits of mulching, see my previous blog, An Ode to Mulch.

Because hot summers are spreading far and wide and water is now such a precious commodity, xeriscaping has become popular in recent years. According to Wikipedia, “Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation.” In other words, plant your garden with heat and drought shruggers! I talk about some of these plants in my blog, Summer Power Perennials. Look for plants that will grow in your hardiness zone but I’ll also list a few that you may already be familiar with and may already have in your garden.

Herbs such as lavender, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage tolerate tough conditions with ease. Prairie wildflowers such as coreopsis, rudbeckia and yarrow make excellent choices as do perennial grasses. Daylilies, once established, are remarkably drought tolerant. In the shade garden, hostas, ajuga, lamium and many ferns continue to look cool and serene even on the hottest and driest of summer days.

By gardening with heat and drought tolerant plants, we can create easy care gardens that will not only look fabulous all summer long but will help us conserve precious water as well.

purple bee insect violet — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

DISCLOSURE: From time to time I may use Affiliate Links such as the ones below. I use these only for companies I trust. When you click through on the link and make a purchase from the website, I may make a small commission (at no additional cost to you) which helps me to maintain my website.

August 1, 2018January 26, 2020

The Vietnam Years Revisited

Recently my husband and I have been watching the 10-part series, The Vietnam War, written by Geoffrey C. Ward and directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Although we’ve enjoyed it immensely from a historical point of view, this series is not for the faint of heart. There’s a lot of raw, powerful imagery as well as many interviews of people who fought on all sides of the war. In spite of the intensity of the material used in the making of the series, I still highly recommend it.

Watching The Vietnam War got me thinking about the 1960’s in general and how those years affected me as a young girl. If you ask a Baby Boomer to describe the 60’s, chances are they will talk about the amazing music, free love and drugs that permeated our culture during this time. We like to think about the 60’s with nostalgia, gingerly skipping over the bad parts, because the darkness of the Vietnam years is still too painful to remember.

When John F. Kennedy took office in January of 1961 I was 7 years old. It was a golden time in America then and the Kennedy years in the White House were often referred to as “Camelot.” We adored the dashing new President and his charming First Lady; we loved their children, Caroline and John-John. The horrors of World War II were far enough behind us and Vietnam was not yet a household word. The future of our country looked so bright with the Kennedy’s at the helm!

Sadly, “Camelot” did not last long. The Kennedy administration had many serious issues to deal with such as the Cold War, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Former President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, believed the threat of Communism in Southeast Asia was a top priority, and Kennedy increased the number of American military advisers and special forces in South Vietnam.

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I’ll never forget the look on my teacher’s face when she heard the news which came to our 5th grade classroom early that afternoon. We all sat there, incredulous and shocked! When Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as our 36th President later that day, we barely even noticed.

And now the 1960’s turned very dark indeed. Under the Johnson administration, the Vietnam war exploded, consuming us and becoming the beast we all hated and feared. There were nationwide protests, draft card burnings and anti-war songs on the radio. Every night we “watched” film clips of the war on TV and heard the dreaded body counts. And, somehow, when our brave boys started coming home, we began to hate and fear them, too! For many Americans, this was the cruelest aftermath of Vietnam.

When I look back at the 60’s now I see only loss – loss of our innocence, loss of our sons and brothers, loss of our great leaders. On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis. Although rushed to surgery, he died shortly thereafter. On June 5th, Bobby Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary; he died the following day. My own family had suffered the loss of our father to lung cancer in February of 1967 but it was hard to embrace our very personal grief while the whole country mourned their own terrible losses!

While Richard Nixon took office in January of 1969, it wasn’t until 1973 that the war in Vietnam finally ended, bringing to a close all that defined the preceding decade. And even though 45 years have passed, the darkness of the Vietnam years will always remain with those of us who lived through it.

administration america art banner — Photo by Public Domain Photography on Pexels.com

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July 27, 2018January 21, 2020

Killing Ticks with Diatomaceous Earth

We have to face the fact that we cannot stop the deer, mice, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons from bringing disease-carrying ticks into our suburban yards. We can only work to kill the ticks that are already here and try to do so with safety in mind for all living things.

animals cute deer fawn — Photo by Artur Roman on Pexels.com

What is Diatomaceous Earth and how does it work:

According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) website, “diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas.”

“Diatomaceous earth is not poisonous; it does not have to be eaten in order to be effective. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect’s exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.”

How we started using Diatomaceous Earth:

About four years ago my husband sent out an email to friends asking if anyone had suggestions for getting rid of ticks in the yard. One person suggested trying diatomaceous earth (DE) since it had been used successfully in kennels and the “food grade” type was considered safe and non-toxic. This was good news for us since we drank water from a well and were against using chemicals. We immediately did an online search and purchased a 10 lb. bag of what looked like white talcum powder.

At that time we could not go out into our yard without finding deer ticks crawling on us. Both my husband and myself had been bitten many times and I had already been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Although we took every precaution such as wearing light-colored clothing, tucking our pants into socks, using Deet repellents and religiously checking our clothing and bodies after being outdoors, it still wasn’t enough – the ticks were winning every battle!

It was late spring, prime deer tick season in our area of northeastern Massachusetts. Before using the DE outside, my husband decided to try an experiment. Using the “white sheet test,” he dragged a sheet over the grass in our yard to see how many ticks would cling to it, thus getting a tick count. There were 22 ticks in a three hundred square foot area! In addition, he took some of those ticks and placed them into a small container with the diatomaceous earth overnight. In the morning they were lying on their backs with legs up, completely dried out and looking very dead. This was all the encouragement we needed to put the diatomaceous earth to the back yard test!

After checking online for a recipe of sorts, my husband mixed a ratio of about 1 1/2 cups of the DE to one gallon of water in a large watering can. This was then “sprinkled” over the areas in our yard where ticks congregated. It left a fine white powder on the grass, plants and rock walls that surrounded our lawn. After a rain, the powder disappeared but we hoped it would not lose its effectiveness. It turned out we were not to be disappointed. Two weeks later a second “white sheet test” in the same area came back with no ticks attached. Although we were still waging war, we had won our first battle!

The Continuing Saga:

Over the course of the last four years, we’ve applied diatomaceous earth to our yard twice a year, in the spring and fall. We’ve since upgraded to using a sprayer which makes the application faster and easier, but a watering can is fine for small areas. Each spring has brought fewer tick sightings until this spring when, amazingly, we found no ticks at all! Is it the DE or just environmental changes that are affecting the tick population? We can’t say for sure. All we know is that this is the first year in many that we haven’t had to deal with deer ticks and we are very pleased with the results!

What you need to know about using Diatomaceous Earth:

The DiatomaceousEarth.com website suggests purchasing food-grade DE. They state, “Generally, this is the best grade to use. For almost all the uses described in our articles, we recommend using food grade. It’s a multipurpose product that can be used in your home, yard or garden.” They also recommend wearing a dust mask when using the product to avoid inhaling the fine powder and wearing gloves to protect the skin from the drying effects of DE. Visit their website for more information.

You can purchase 2 lb. and 10 lb. bags of food grade Diatomaceous Earth here:

You can also purchase appropriate dust masks here:

July 21, 2018January 16, 2020

Summer “Power” Perennials

I’ve been gardening most of my adult life and have some favorite plant “vignettes.” One of my most beloved plantings for high summer includes perovskia (Russian sage), purple coneflower (Magnus) and white daisy (Becky). I call them “power” perennials for good reason. All three are easy to grow and take up a lot of space quickly, making them perfect for the beginner or someone starting a new perennial bed with a big area to fill. They are hardy, drought tolerant and pest resistant. In addition, each flower shape is different from the others – perovskia has long slender flower spikes, coneflowers have a shuttlecock shape and the daisies sport a round flat disc.

All of these plants enjoy full sun and average soil. On the tall side, they’re perfect for the back of the flower border, creating a living fence of sorts. They quickly become large clumps and bloom prodigiously for weeks. If you choose, you can extend the blooming season by dead-heading spent flowers, thus continuing the show well into fall. I give a brief description of each plant below:

PEROVSKIA ATRIPLICIFOLIA, commonly known as RUSSIAN SAGE:

Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Low maintenance and drought tolerant member of the mint family. Deer, rabbits and insect pests tend to avoid this plant. Shrub-like in proportion, perovskia can easily reach 3 to 5 feet. The flowers are a lavender blue held on long panicles that look like exclamations points in the garden. Blooms July to October.

ECHINACEA PURPUREA, commonly known as PURPLE CONEFLOWER:

There are many purple coneflowers to choose from but I like the tall variety, “Magnus.” Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Low maintenance and drought tolerant member of the aster family. Deer and pest tolerant. Can easily reach 3 to 4 feet tall. The flowers are a rosy purple-pink with striking center cones of golden orange-brown. Attracts butterflies and birds love the leftover seed heads. Blooms late June to October.

LEUCANTHEMUM SUPERBUM, commonly known as SHASTA DAISY:

Again, I like the tall variety, ‘Becky.’ Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Low maintenance and drought tolerant. Formerly included in the genus chrysanthemum, now considered part of the aster family. Deer and rabbit tolerant. Can easily reach 3 to 4 feet fall. The typical daisy blooms have bright white petals with a yellow center. Attracts butterflies. Makes a long-lasting cut flower. Blooms July to September.

Once you have these plants in place as a foundation for your garden, you can easily add other low-maintenance and complementary summer perennials including black-eyed Susan and daylilies; then, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your beautiful, easy-care garden. And, that’s what summer gardening should be all about!

July 19, 2018January 16, 2020

Healthy Aging

A doctor I know once said, “only floss the teeth you want to keep.” The older we get, the more important it is that we take good care of ourselves. In order to do this in a meaningful way, we have to put ourselves first. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it, but because so many of us fall into the pattern of putting ourselves last early on in life, it can be a difficult pattern to change.

Once we 18 to 20-somethings leave our parent’s home (where most of us got the best care of our lives!), we tend to begin the downward spiral of overworking, overdrinking, stressing, eating sporadically and depriving ourselves of much-needed sleep. Weekends are usually reserved for partying down and even more self-abuse!

In our 30’s and 40’s, during the childbearing and rearing years, our children come first. We make sure they get the best care we can provide while most of us continue speeding down the same fast lane we began in our 20’s.

Is it any wonder that by the time we reach our 50’s and 60’s, our unhealthy habits have taken a toll. This is the age when high cholesterol and high blood pressure make themselves known, and being overweight can trigger serious health problems as well including heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

For most Americans, reform only comes after that fateful doctor’s visit when we hear “you’ve got to make some lifestyle changes” which we all know is really code for “shape up or ship out!” But how do you change a lifetime of bad habits? Try incorporating these five simple steps into your life now to get back on the self-care track and start feeling healthy again:

(1) WALK Walking is undeniably the best exercise to do as we age. Why? It doesn’t cost anything, almost anyone can do it and you can easily fit walking into your schedule. Good walking shoes help but any comfortable pair of sneakers will do for starters. Walking outside is preferable because then you get the benefit of fresh air in your lungs, but mall or grocery store walking works just fine. If you’ve never exercised, are 65+ and/or have health concerns, check with your doctor first. You don’t have to push yourself here; the important thing is to walk regularly to achieve the many health benefits.

(2) EAT MEDITERRANEAN STYLE Not only is a Mediterranean diet healthy, it’s delicious! AND you can have a glass of red wine! There are many foods you can choose from here, just try incorporating more into your diet over time. Think of it as a healthier way to eat, pay attention to portion size and you may lose a few unwanted pounds.

(3) NIX SOFT DRINKS Get away from all the sugar and artificial sweeteners. Drink more water instead. You can add slices of lemon, lime or orange for a burst of flavor. In addition, try eating more water-laden fruit such as watermelon, honeydew or cantaloupe. Peaches and nectarines are also good choices. You should notice an immediate improvement in your skin and in elimination!

(4) PRACTICE MEDITATION OK, I know this is probably the last thing you want to do. But let me tell you how easy meditation really is. Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Your mind will ramble all over the place while you do this and you may feel like you’re getting nowhere, but just keep returning your focus to your breath and stick with it. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. Use a kitchen timer and try it for 1 to 5 minutes to start, working up to 10 minutes a day. The more comfortable you become with meditating, the longer you can go with it. I’ve been meditating for years and it has helped me cope with anxiety, stress and even chronic pain.

(5) GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP I know this is easier said than done but a regular bedtime routine can help improve bad sleeping habits. Try flossing/brushing your teeth and washing up about a half hour before actually going to bed. Get into your PJ’s or at least put on something comfortable. Turn the house lights down and, if you’re watching TV, turn the sound down, too. This will help your body tune out and prepare for sleep.

What changes have you made to improve your health? I’d love to hear your story so please feel free to comment and share.

Happy-Seniors — Photo courtesy HuffPost.com

July 17, 2018January 16, 2020

How does your garden grow?

Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells
And pretty maids all in a row.

Lately I’ve been engrossed in the Elizabeth of England Chronicles by G. Lawrence. If you’re a history buff like myself, these novels are a riveting account of the life of Elizabeth the 1st as well as her sister, Mary, both daughters of Henry VIII. Mary would later become known as “Bloody Mary” after she tortured and killed hundreds of Protestants during her short reign. The seemingly innocent nursery rhyme above actually refers to her dark side – the “garden” suggests the graves of those she murdered; the “silver bells” and “cockle shells” are code names for instruments of torture and the “maids” allude to the guillotines used in beheading. Not a pretty story, by any means.

Ironically, as a child this was one of my favorite nursery rhymes. When I recited the words I envisioned a beautiful garden of old with exotic flowers and colorful maidens in attendance. It was the fairy tale catalyst that began my love affair with gardening.

Recently I found myself thinking about this rhyme and wondering what gardens were like in the time of Elizabeth and Mary in the mid to late 1500’s. Life in those days was dependent upon the success of the harvest of wheat, oats and barley. Crops were needed for livestock as well. If it was an unusually wet year, crops would rot in the fields. If unusually hot and dry, crops would be stunted. In either event, the coming winter would be one of food shortages, sickness and even starvation.

Herb gardens were crucial in treating any and all maladies. Poor diet and lack of hygiene could soon turn a minor wound deadly. Dysentery, cholera, typhoid fever, scurvy, smallpox, measles and even plague were common. Small churches and large monasteries alike had “infirmary” gardens of healing herbs at their disposal. Comfrey, known as “boneset,” could calm inflammation and help mend broken bones. Yarrow had strong antiseptic qualities and was used as a salve. Lady’s mantle helped with menstrual pain. Other widely grown medicinal herbs included sage, betony, hyssop, rue and chamomile. All were used in a variety of treatments and were the only source of “medicine” available.

Flowers were grown not only for their beauty and fragrance, but many were also part of daily meals. Sweet violets, nasturtium and borage were used in many dishes. Commonly grown garden flowers included lavender, bluebells, forget-me-not, iris, lilies, foxglove, Canterbury bells, lady’s mantle and hollyhock. Roses were used medicinally as well as made into jellies and oils. Rose hips were used for teas and vinegar, and the once familiar Apothecary’s Rose is still widely grown today.

In our modern world where much is provided for us, the once daily struggle for survival is long forgotten. We need only take a trip to the supermarket to procure all we need to make dinner; we need only visit the nearest CVS for our prescription medicines to make us well. Our herb, flower and vegetable gardens are largely ornamental rather than necessary for subsistence.

Although we are far removed from life in the 16th century, the old-fashioned plants we continue to grow in our gardens and use in our kitchens connect us to the past. They are truly living history. They remind us how close we are to those harsh earlier times and how fragile life yet remains.

July 14, 2018January 16, 2020

Rituals

We all follow daily rituals and routines. Every day upon awakening I go out into the kitchen and make coffee which I enjoy after a healthy glass of orange juice. Every day I make a circuit of each room in the house, tidying up where needed. Every day I make my bed before moving on to the other multiple tasks that make up my morning.

Our rituals are often simple yet surprisingly comforting. They speak to us of familiarity and stability; they offer us security in their sameness. When something occurs that disturbs our daily routine, we may feel slightly off like something is missing.

We begin our rituals the day we come into this world. Babies benefit from a regular routine of feeding, napping and nurturing. Older children are comforted by the routines set for them by their parents such as reading a story each night and going to bed at the same time. When these daily routines are followed, all seems right with the world.

While working in a medical office where many of the patients were elderly, I witnessed first hand how important rituals are as we age. Older folks who remained in the familiar surroundings of their homes seemed to fare far better than those who were moved into a new living situation. Even people suffering from early dementia continued to manage far longer in the familiarity of their homes while following the same rituals that went back many, many years.

Most of us follow a cycle of birthdays and holidays, marking them each year in similar fashion. Our lives are made up of common cyclical events such as starting school, graduating from college, getting married, starting a family and retiring. We tend to worship in the same way and even bury our dead with sameness. They are all the rituals that make up our lives and they are as important to our well-being as the food we eat and the air we breathe, for by following them we remain connected to all mankind.

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July 13, 2018January 16, 2020

My Ongoing Battle with Lyme

On a warm August night in 2004, my husband and I went to a local AMVETS hall to celebrate a friend’s birthday. While we enjoyed the music and food, I knew something was wrong as I began to feel increasing pain in my legs. I suddenly felt unwell and we left early for home. The next morning found me so sick I was unable to get out of bed. I had a high fever of over 103, severe joint pain and shaking chills. Alarmed, my husband bundled me in a blanket and we drove to the nearest emergency room.

At the hospital they did some blood tests, a chest X-ray and urinalysis. Although I never found a tick or had the classic “bull’s eye” rash associated with Lyme, I specifically asked to be tested since our home was in a known tick-ridden area. All tests came back negative; I was diagnosed with an unspecified viral illness and sent home with no treatment other than fluids and Tylenol. Unknown to me at the time, I was suffering from a tick-borne illness that would change my life forever.

For a couple of weeks I remained profoundly fatigued, had little appetite and quickly lost 12 lbs. Emaciated and still feeling weak I crawled back to work as soon as I could. I worked as an office manager in a busy medical office and asked my physician boss if we could get a second Lyme test just to be sure. The test came back positive, was confirmed by Western blot and I was placed on Doxycycline for three weeks. Slowly I got back to my usual health and thought my worries were over. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

In January of 2012, I came down with yet another mysterious flu-like illness. This time I had joint and muscle pain, especially of my upper body, accompanied by a low-grade fever and extreme fatigue. After a week I was again tested for Lyme. A sedimentation rate which is a test for inflammation was also ordered. My boss suspected polymyalgia rheumatica, an inflammatory disease common in elderly women, although at age 59 I was on the young side. The Lyme test showed only old disease but the sedimentation rate was high suggesting that I had PMR. I was immediately placed on the steroid drug Prednisone to counter the inflammation but although it alleviated the pain, the inflammation continued in the background. There were also many side effects associated with the drug. Over a period of five years, every time I tried to taper off the Prednisone, the pain and fatigue came back. It was only masking my symptoms and I was not getting better.

I began to question why an otherwise healthy 59 year old woman would suddenly be stricken by an inflammatory disease. Was it possible that the delayed treatment I received for Lyme was ineffective? Was the standard treatment of Doxycycline for tick borne illnesses “one size fits all?” Could my polymyalgia symptoms be the result of chronic Lyme disease that had been hiding in my system for 8 years? I saw an infectious disease specialist and a rheumatologist for their opinions. They had nothing more to offer and suggested I continue on the Prednisone.

A couple of years ago my husband and I stumbled upon the documentary film, Under Our Skin, about the silent Lyme epidemic in this country. Not only did this film confirm my fears that I could be suffering from an ongoing tick-borne illness, it showed how the medical community has largely abandoned people suffering with chronic Lyme symptoms. Few physicians consider chronic Lyme a valid diagnosis and those who do may use antibiotic treatment that can go on for years. Most physicians are quick to call it something else – fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, chronic pain syndrome or even depression – and it’s true that Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses vary in symptoms and can easily masquerade as something else. That is what makes it so difficult to diagnose.

In the spring of 2017 I consulted a naturopathic doctor to see what other options were available. She stated that a tincture of a special type of Cat’s Claw known as Una de Gato had shown promise in treating Lyme spirochetes, the spirally twisted bacteria that remain in the body after contracting the disease. She gave me hope. However, I had to get off the Prednisone before any treatment could begin and would very likely feel a lot worse before I felt any better. In the meantime she started me on some high-potency vitamins and minerals to help boost my immune system.

Within a couple of weeks of stopping the Prednisone, my pain and stiffness came back with a vengeance. I had to take arthritis-strength Tylenol along with ibuprofen several times a day. Even with that my sleep became compromised because I couldn’t find a comfortable position. It was too painful for me to exercise and I had to curtail the gentle Yoga classes I had been enjoying previously. It was a difficult time but I was determined to tough it out and give this new treatment a try.

After three months off Prednisone, the naturopath started me on the Una de Gato. I continued with the supplements, walking as much as possible and eating a healthy diet. Over the course of a year I’ve had slow but steady improvement. I now take Tylenol only at night, the pain is diminished and I’m exercising more. Although I’m not out of the woods yet, I seem to be moving in the right direction.

Cases of Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses are steadily rising in the U.S. The once silent epidemic is screaming for attention. We need to take a closer look at Lyme and similar illnesses and find a more effective treatment so that these diseases don’t come back to haunt us. We need more health care professionals who can offer hope.

For more information on Lyme disease click here: https://www.lymedisease.org/

For more information on ticks click here: http://www.tickencounter.org/

July 12, 2018January 16, 2020

Redefining Ourselves in Retirement

Retirement came to me before I even had time to consider what that would really mean. My boss suddenly needed heart surgery and at age 75 decided that maybe it was finally time that he retire. With his surgery looming, we helped our patients find a new physician and took all the necessary steps to close the office. There was a lot of extra work and effort involved in this and by the time we closed the door for the last time, I was definitely ready for a rest, but was I ready for retirement?

After 32 years working in the same busy medical office, my boss and co-workers had become like family to me. We had survived many of life’s ups and downs together; we were close. It was hard to imagine life without my constant work companions, my longtime friends. And without my job, how would I fill my days?

Along with the two other secretaries in the office, I decided to collect unemployment. At least that would help pay the bills while I decided which direction to go in. After a few short weeks the unemployment office expected me to attend a “training seminar” so that I could again find meaningful employment. I considered that for one brief moment but at age 64 taking on another job wasn’t something I really wanted to do. Instead, I looked into Social Security, signed up and took an early retirement.

Some people say they love retirement, that their lives are so busy they wonder how they ever found time to work! Others go through what I call “work withdrawal” where they find themselves adrift without the anchor of their job security and stability. I found myself wedged somewhere between the two. Although I loved putting away the alarm clock, I still craved purpose in my life.

Since I took retirement in January, it was hard to spend much time outdoors and I easily succumbed to cabin fever. It would be months before I could enjoy gardening and I could read for only so many hours a day. To occupy my time I spent the winter months helping my husband with his metal casting business and waited patiently for spring.

Once the warm weather arrived I felt energized again. I was getting out for daily walks and spending time working in the garden. I had settled into my new lifestyle feeling rested and invigorated. I was ready for something new but wasn’t sure what that was.

Over the previous year I had taken up writing, something I very much enjoyed but had little time for when working. Now I found myself devoting more time to writing and the possibility of pursuing this as a vocation inspired me to look further. It didn’t take me long to look into blogging as a means of getting my writing seen and as a platform to launch a new career. Today, I enjoy adding to my blog on a regular basis and it has truly given me a new lease on life and a new purpose.

I would love to hear other retirement stories. What do you do to fill your days? Are you enjoying life more or less? How are you managing financially? Please feel free to comment and I promise to respond in kind. Thank you for visiting my new website, Nancy with The Laughing Face.

retirement tiara — Photo courtesy Pixabay

July 10, 2018August 13, 2018

Gardening as Therapy

I have always found working in the garden to have a calming effect. Plants are for the most part green, a soothing color which represents renewal, rebirth and hope. Seeing green growth reappear in early spring does indeed fill us with hope of what’s to come and being surrounded by green hues is undeniably soothing. Shade gardens, where there is little other color, can especially evoke a peaceful feeling.

The use of therapeutic gardens supposedly goes back to the ancient Egyptians and examples of gardens being used for healing can be found throughout history. In the middle ages gardens provided medicinal herbs used to treat all manner of physical ailments as well as those of the mind.

Today, “horticultural therapy,” helps those people suffering from loss and grief, those limited by physical disabilities and those living in institutions. A “horticultural therapist” is trained to help people engage in various garden activities as part of their treatment. Working with plants helps people turn their focus away from negative feelings and towards positive ones that create a sense of well-being.

Gardening with children is a wonderful to way to get them outdoors and teach them about the miracle of life. Having them plant fat, easily handled seeds such as sunflowers or beans provides almost immediate satisfaction as the seeds quickly sprout and grow. Even young children can take part in the work of planting and watering, boosting their self-confidence and creating a closeness with the natural world around them. I have fond memories of working in the garden with my own parents, helping pick tomatoes and green beans.

Evidence suggests that working with plants truly helps us stay healthy, both physically and mentally. In the garden, we are connected to all that is good in life. And so it is that I eagerly go outside and embrace my daily dose of gardening therapy.

girl wearing white floral dress beside grass plant at daytime — Photo by Maggie Zhao on Pexels.com