Seniors

While 70% of affluent adults now own smartphones, the fastest growing segment of the mobile phone market, only 11% of the 65+ segment of that group have them.

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

OH POET, OH SONGWRITER, OH PROPHET The day was when I did not keep myself in readiness for thee; and entering my heart unbidden even as one of the common crowd, unknown to me, my king, thou didst press the signet of eternity upon many a fleeting moment of my life. — Rabindranath Tagore How was it that I found you in these pages creased and worn, in this paperback book with broken spine wanting to release the weakening hold on these yellowing sheets sublime— When did your open heart begin to beckon my soul? My nightmares wallowed in dirt until you freed them into soft dreams of many I have loved and who loved me. You showed me the faces of dirty angels aching to be made incarnate for just one night to read you and, because we found you, to come and lie with me. The day was when I did not keep myself in readiness for thee; Then it was that you found me instead in the bookmark of a year, a long year flagged for stillness and thought, one that clung to your poems as the days slowly turned, then fell from the others to be creased and worn, and made to steal hearts in the night as only dirty angels can. You did not turn in contempt when time and again I bowed to the fallen angels I found on the roads you described, those beloved ones who knew your lord far better than I, but, like I, with dancing light and sweet song were endowed — and entering my heart unbidden even as one of the common crowd, Your ageless words for the surprising ages and the phases of mankind questioning the darkness within rang true for me — yet not all at once, not in a first reading, but later did I yearn to know you well, to see your face, to hear the voice of one whose Voice I treasure, oh poet, oh songwriter, oh prophet of a hoped-for dawn of knowledge and reason, thought and action, of ever-widening concepts of truth and of faith. And in the stillness and thought of that year long gone unknown to me, my king, thou didst press the signet of eternity upon this gratitude of mine so humbly told, so deeply felt — The paupers and children you knew know how I feel, the seashores and the footsteps you wrote of are imprinted with the memory of your depth; so, too, are the hearts of every lover who ever waited in the dark. Whether they were whore or monk, husband or wife, each hoped for tenderness to visit for a while and each prayed for transcendence in his/her own way. Your supreme poems, oh Nobel one, have made rife many a fleeting moment of my life. ***Written for dVerse Poets Pub FormForAll, where Samuel Peralta's prompt is Paying Tribute, Page and the Glosa. Please visit the link to read Sam's soaring glosa, titled "The Dream," which is his tribute to poet P.K. Page. Sam's writing prompt instruction on this poetic form is as follows: The glosa is a form of poetry from the late 14th century and was popular in the Spanish court. The introduction, the cabeza, is a quatrain quoting a well-known poem or poet. The second part is the glosa proper, expanding on the theme of the cabeza, consisting of four ten-line stanzas, with the lines of the cabeza used to conclude each stanza. Lines six and nine must rhyme with the borrowed tenth. There are no rules governing meter and line length, except that traditionally, they emulate the style of the lines in the cabeza. Because of its structure, the glosa is ideally used as a poem of tribute – as Page did for Neruda in “Planet Earth”, and as I do for Page in “The Dream”. In writing that tribute, you weave your lines with the lines of the opening cabeza, collaborating, as it were, with the spirit of the poet you honour. _____________________________________ Full text, Gitanjali - Poem 43 by Rabindranath Tagore (entire work online text here) The day was when I did not keep myself in readiness for thee; and entering my heart unbidden even as one of the common crowd, unknown to me, my king, thou didst press the signet of eternity upon many a fleetin

Still life with lilies-of-the-valley, a Wedgewood pot, and a Palestinian purse.Fountain pen on paper, 6"x8". My mother died on May 23, seven years ago. Yesterday morning I called my father, and after speaking with him I went to my garden. The lilies-of-the-valley were in bloom, as they were when she died, and I picked some to bring back home, but before that I picked up and held the stone I had brought from her garden to mine. Last night I did this drawing, which is about her and me...my mother would be very happy to know I am drawing and painting again. I'm not sad, thinking about her -- tremendously grateful.

Joyce and I were heading to a tea party at our friend Debra's when we came upon this adorable St. Bernard.

If you’re approaching the age of 65 or have just turned 65-years old, you have no doubt been pelted with various literature advising you to enroll in Medicare Advantage and/or choose a Medicare supplemental insurance plan. Navigating the seas of Medicare Advantage and Medicare supplemental insurance can seem rather overwhelming, but with the following simple pointers you’ll be able to choose the right plan, and sail off into your golden years well-prepared and worry-free. Remember, you’re never too young to start researching your Medicare supplemental insurance options. When searching for Medicare supplement insurance for seniors, it is important to keep in mind there are hundreds of options to choose from, and with many seniors living on fixed budgets, costs can really matter. While Medicare supplemental plans are standardized and regulated by the federal government, there are some variations that occur due to additional state’s regulations. Double- and Triple-Check for the Best Deal It may seem easy to just reach out and sign up for the first supplemental Medicare insurance plan you find, but trust me, patience will pay off here. It is nearly impossible to over-stress how important it is to compare Medicare supplement plans before choosing the best one for you. There are quite a few resources readily available both on the Internet and in person. One major resource that is used is www.Medicare.gov where you can find information regarding all aspects of Medicare. On another site there is even a nifty tool to assist in the planning of long-term care. The good thing about databases like these is that they contain a wealth of information. The not-so-good thing about databases is that they sometimes contain so much information it can sometimes take a little while to find the answer to your exact question. In circumstances like this, our next tip is essential. When in Doubt, Give a Person a Shout In addition to online databases, there is a wide variety of human resources just a phone call or email away. In order to get the best answer to your question it is recommended that you consult with one of the national groups that specialize in Medicare insurance. An excellent resource is the Senior Advisors Group. This insurance agency deals exclusively with Medicare supplemental, Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans. Because of their expertise, this agency as well as others quickly and (more importantly!) correctly answer any query whether it’s about Medicare Advantage, choosing the best Medicare supplemental insurance plan, or even questions about Medicare Part D (Medicare’s prescription plan). So next time you’re confused about your options, just pick up the phone and make a call! Do I Really Need Medicare Supplemental Insurance? Yes! So how does this relate to Medicare’s coverage? There is a general rule of thumb that is called the “80/20 rule.” Outside of some of the preventative items like mammograms, colorectal screenings, and some psychiatric care, Medicare covers the first 80 percent of medical bills, leaving you to cover the last 20 percent. Medicare will also cover certain medically-necessary pieces of equipment like seat lift mechanisms and diabetic shoes (fitted by a specialist, of course). It doesn’t seem so bad at first, especially if you’re a healthy individual, but if something happens that requires you to need urgent medical care or even an operation, you may have to spend tens- to hundreds-of-thousands of dollars. A June 2011 report from the Kaiser Family Foundation predicted that by the year 2020 the median out-of-pocket spending for seniors with Medicare is projected to reach 26 percent of all income, with the most money being spent in the last five years of their life. This is why supplemental Medicare insurance is a necessity for every senior. Not only do you really need Medicare supplemental insurance, you need it before something happens to you, and you likely won’t use it much until the last 5 years of lif

I live in a state among some amazing neighbors! Seeing the lines and lines of people, miles long, waiting to just sign-up to volunteer. It's absolutely amazing. And the outpouring of support from people all over the US and the world has been amazing. The damage here was so widespread it is hard to get help to all the areas affected by the storms. A tornado hit on Sunday and wiped out two smaller towns east of us and of course the huge one on Monday hit a larger metropolitan area. So many displaced families. The need is great!We had several staff members who lost their homes and others had family members who lost their homes. One young man here was helping his cousin go through the rubble of his home looking for the engagement ring he had purchased for his girlfriend. The house was completely flattened (and had just been purchased). By some miracle Darrel looked down into the rubble and something caught his eye.....the ring box. His cousin was elated. It was a sign that everything would be OK....life goes on.Our young teacher friend, Justin Ayres, who was in the Plaza Tower school met with the other survivors from the school yesterday. It was an emotional reunion but a healing one. One little boy who had been seriously injured in the storm was there and wanted to give Mr. Ayres a gift for "saving his life". Justin was very moved by the child's gesture and so relieved that he was well enough to attend. Justin said he had a deep puncture wound in his back the size of a brick!I think I know how Oklahomans will be spending Memorial weekend!

What we do know from the last blog post: Most people in the U.S. today do not get enough vitamin DVitamin D deficiency is associated with several conditions and illnessesAge complicates the issue since it becomes more difficult to make vitamin D in the skin over time. Some dietary sources contain vitamin D -- egg yolks, fish, dairy, and fortified cereals, -- but it is nearly impossible to get enough from diet alone. So the question becomes, who is at risk and how do we get enough vitamin D? * This can be answered in part by where we live. People living the farthest away from the equator are exposed to less sunshine than those who live nearer. * Dark-skinned individuals make less vitamin D precursor, which is made in the skin and later converted to its active form in the kidneys and liver. * The larger we are, the more we need. Vitamin D is fat-soluble which means it is stored in fat cells and not circulated in the blood as efficiently as in thinner people. * Gender is an indicator; females are at higher risk of deficiency.* If sunscreen is used liberally, sunshine exposure is limited. Lack of daily sunshine exposure over time indicates risk; those who are institutionalized, for example, are at higher risk for vitamin D deficiency. * Age is a risk factor due to changes in diet, nutritional needs, and skin function over time.I don’t avoid the sun and I don’t use sunscreen, but I am a 53-year-old, olive-skinned, female Oregonian. I am at risk. After a heel injury a couple years ago, a blood test revealed my own vitamin D deficiency. I took supplements for 10 months but my vitamind D levels still dropped. High doses in gel form raised it nearly 30 points. I was elated and figured I would stay there with sunshine and supplements. I was puzzled, though, by something my doctor said. I asked for a brand recommendation since the first supplements did not work. I was told any over-the-counter brand would be fine. Uncertain, I began looking closer at supplements. Supplements are not classified as food and are not held to the same food packaging and labeling standards by the FDA, which means labeling, dose, concentration, and contamination levels are highly variable. In other words, the label does not necessarily reflect what is inside the bottle. I happened to see a news brief recently about labeling of supplements. Without the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) seal, label accuracy is not guaranteed. A supplement is not a supplement is not a supplement. Be sure to look for the USP seal if you are buying supplements.What happened to my levels? They dropped after taking over-the-counter supplements, a brand without the USP seal. My levels rose after taking doctor-prescribed high doses of vitamin D, but dropped again after taking a well-known, over-the-counter brand with the USP seal. It was winter, however, and I had less sunshine exposure. Last January my level was 36 nanograms, on the low end of the normal range. It is important to know your vitamin D levels. In hindsight, I am glad I hurt my heel, which led to this long discovery and put me on the road to better overall health.For more information about vitamin D and its effects on health, visit the Vitamin D Council. Karen Hoskins, RDH, MSGc Karen Hoskins is a master's candidate in the Gerontology program at the University of Indianapolis Center for Aging & Community and has been a dental hygienist for the past 30 years. Karen can be reached at klhoskins(at)yahoo(dot)com.

It has been raining for days, and through the kitchen window comes the scent of wet earth and damp greenery. The word for this week might very well be rain, but it is earth and ground that call to the senses and the imagination.The word earth dates from well before 950 CE, and it comes to us through the good offices of the Middle English erthe, the Old English eorthe; the Germanic Erde, Old Norse j?rth, Danish jord and the Gothic airtha, all springing from the Ancient Saxon eard meaning soil, home, or dwelling. All are related to the Latin aro, meaning to plough or turn over. Thus to be earthy or "of the earth" is simply to dwell here on the little blue planet, to be a steward, a gardener, a tender shepherd of wild places.Where on earth does one find words and images to express the wonder and beauty and sacredness of this little blue world in which we all walk and dream and live out our allotted days? I sit and mutter in front of the computer screen - I sort through archived images, come close to despairing and decide to renounce photography altogether before choosing something for this week. Giving up photography is unlikely to happen, but I am painfully aware of my creative shortcomings and sad that I cannot do better.We are all yearning for wholeness and connection, and we have only to look down at the good dark earth below our feet - we have only to look back on the journey we have taken this far and hopefully understand that we are part of Mother Earth as She is part of us. To borrow the words of wise woman and deep ecologist, Joanna Macy, "We are our world knowing itself".Here's another greening season, and there are signs, miracles and wonders wherever I look - there is no way I can capture them on a memory card, although my lens does its best, focusing with tenderness and a clear eye on what it "sees" in the great wide world. Deep gasshos to the Old Wild Mother, to Mother Earth who endures, forgives and strives to heal, who gifts us with another springtime and beauty everywhere . With thanksgiving and a whole heart full of wonder, may we all continue to witness her grandeur and patience and reciprocity, and may we be her fierce and loving advocates all the days of our earthly lives.

One of the tricky adjustments in retirement is figuring out your new identity.  I call it the cocktail party dilemma.  You meet someone new at a cocktail party, and one of the first questions they ask you is what you do.  And by “do,” they usually mean your job, not “do” like piano and blogging, unless of course you play at nightclubs or blog for the Huffington Post.  While I wasn’t really too attached to my accountant identity, it was a thread with which to weave a conversation.  And even though that conversation might eventually stretch into non-work related topics, that starter was useful fuel in launching most cocktail party chatter. After I retired, I found that telling people I was retired didn’t have the same effect of propelling the conversation forward.  I think that retiring right into a huge recession might have had something to do with that.  Perhaps some people thought “retired” was a euphemism for out of work, and were concerned about how to tiptoe around that possibility.  Other people responded by asking what I did all day, usually accompanied with the assertion that they would die of boredom if they retired.  And to be fair, when you list out what you can recall that you actually “do” all day, it does sound kind of boring.  But Bob Lowry recently made me realize that I now have solid credentials for a new identity.  After five years of retirement, at the next cocktail party I attend, I think I can safely call myself a professional retiree.  Not only have I spent all these years blogging here about retirement, I’ve blogged about it for U.S. News & World Report, as well as a few other finance blogs.   I’ve enjoyed contributing content to magazines and blogs, and to a book called “65 Things to Do When You Retire.”  In my role as professional retiree, I was interviewed for Laura Vanderkam’s book, “All the Money in the World,” and for one of her Fortune magazine articles, and then most recently for a post at Free Money Finance.   I was even on the radio a couple of times. But back to Bob Lowry.  He just published an eBook, “Living a Satisfying Retirement,” in which he interviews a bunch of retirees about our experiences in retirement.  Although as far as actual identities go, ours are all changed in the book.  But if you’re a regular reader of the blogs listed in the back of the book, you’ll find it pretty easy to figure out who’s who.  And since I’m embracing my new identity as a professional retiree, I’ll save you the guessing:  I’m “Shirley L.”  It’s a great read even for a “professional” like myself.  There are so many responses that I can totally relate to, like “Gail P’s” least favorite part of retirement, “Still only having 24 hours in a day.  That was a big surprise to me and I still feel cheated.”  I love “Roger W’s” advice to new retirees to “Go with the flow.  Don’t think that you can, or have to figure it all out ahead of time.  You will become a different person in retirement than you ever imagined, but the amazing thing is that the person you become will be pretty much up to you.” And while it was almost unanimous that people did not miss working, it was almost as unanimous that folks missed some of the day-to-day relationships of the workplace as well as “the camaraderie,” as “Doug N.” puts it. Bob also included some not-yet-retirees in his book.  I was surprised to read that for most pre-retirees, their target retirement date has not been affected by the recession, although financial concerns did loom fairly large.  And I’m happy to read the last question, “What is the one question you’d like a retired person to answer for you?” becau