Final yr, I
turned 75 and joined the “aged” demographic. I assumed the subsequent turning
level can be once I turned 80. However here I
am, only a few weeks after celebrating my 76th birthday. My life has extra modifications: a give attention to well being, no journey, being homebound,
household visits, and new writing instructions.
Extra
Consideration on Well being
Once I
turned 65, I celebrated being a “sexygenarian” (being horny within the 60s), in
the center of all our thrilling travels. At 70, I started to really feel older as digestive
issues flared up. We modified to slower journey.
However now,
well being issues have turn out to be tougher. Invoice’s well being points have grown
from cardiovascular to neurological. My hypothyroidism has been cured, however GERD
nonetheless haunts me. Hypertension and levels of cholesterol are starting to
rise.
After the
Blue Zones captured the world’s creativeness in Netflix’s “Stay to 100”
documentary, I grew to become a scholar of longevity. As a result of we’re extra plant-based, I’ve dropped 12 kilos, and Invoice, six. We additionally attempt to transfer and stroll loads.
Virtually
No Journey
After we returned
from winter in Mexico, a San Diego celebration, a go to to Colorado in April,
and a visit to Honolulu for the marriage of Invoice’s first grandson in Could, we have now
not traveled once more. In August, we canceled our Sixteenth-anniversary journey to Leavenworth,
Washington.
Invoice didn’t
be part of me on a 10-day journey to Manila to obtain an award and a two-day go to to my
first great-grandbaby in Santa Monica. We’ll not be the wanderers we
as soon as have been.
Being
Homebound
We offered our
automobile final December earlier than we left for Cancun. We now journey across the valley on
Uber rides, primarily for physician visits. All the things is delivered through Prime, by the
grocery, and the pharmacy.
Our resort
life has turn out to be busy. Each Thursday I play Scrabble at a neighbor’s residence, host
a poker session at residence each Tuesday, and have Filipino pals come to the
home for mahjong as soon as a month.
There are conferences of the Pictures Membership and Portray Group, line dancing courses, and Karaoke classes. Discovering new, wholesome, and flavorful recipes is a continuing delight. My dwarf Meyer gave me 110 lemons this yr, so new vegetation can be added in
the spring.
Even when I’m
homebound, outreach tasks have turn out to be simpler. Final month, our Fil-Am Gala
undertaking efficiently raised funds for deserving UP college students after assembly through Zoom all year long.
I’ve additionally
turn out to be a participant in an NIH-funded research managed by the Mayo Clinic and
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute. It’s for my new trigger: the early prognosis and prevention
of Alzheimer’s illness.
Extra
Household Visits
My
son-in-law visited in Could to assist with the home enhancements we wanted, and my
eldest daughter got here down from San Francisco final month to assist with my
birthday events and Christmas decor.
My two
daughters’ households in North America will come to have fun with us in a pair
of weeks, from Christmas Day to New Yr’s Day. I’m renting one other home to
accommodate everybody.
Come and go to
us. It has turn out to be the norm. Even when internet hosting is a bit anxious, I really like doing it! I’ll cherish each go to.
New
Writing Instructions
With all
these modifications, I hardly write about journey anymore. Just lately, my posts have
been about management and administration, impressed by the award I obtained final
August. Well being and longevity, together with retirement and renewal, are different favourite matters.
My journey
weblog can not host these writings as a result of I’ll solely often reminisce about our travels. My subsequent publish will talk about my plans for
a brand new platform.
New e-book tasks have emerged. My MediterrAsian Kitchen: Cooking for Each Style and Well being is within the works, and the concept for a fourth e-book about caregiving
has begun to take form.
Life might be in
the quick lane, even after 75, even with out journey. There are such a lot of unrealized
concepts. It seems like we’re operating out of time.