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Life: A March Wrap-Up - We are still On Fire!

3/27/2020

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The COVID-19 virus has changed our lives this month. Last week I wrote a blog post about how we see it, deal with it, and live with it. I hope you learned something useful.

This week I want to close out the month of March with a few thoughts on life today. Life may have changed (temporarily), but we still have it. We are still alive and kicking!

We are still
ON FIRE for our life.



Things I have written about in the past are still true:

We need to move! We must find ways to exercise, even if in our own home. Doing what you can is better than doing nothing. There are many YouTube videos on in-home workouts for the over 50.

There are many Facebook pages with free videos on short in-home workouts. Being stuck indoors or at home is no excuse for not doing something physical to take care of ourselves. Exercising increases our immunities so we can fight off viruses and illnesses better. It also helps keep our attitudes positive which, in turn, increases our chances of surviving an illness.

My Zumba teacher, Dawn and her daughter, Raven, have used an app called Zoom to connect with us and teach Zumba from her home. It's almost like being there.


We need to keep our minds active! Reading, doing creative projects (like painting, sewing, writing, etc), working puzzles of all kinds, FaceTiming with our family and friends, and any other activity that you can participate in safely.

Just keep your mind active and not just with news and virus updates. After a while, that can drag you down.


Stay social! We have SKYPE, FaceTime, Zoom, TicTok, FaceBook, FaceBook messenger, the telephone (yes, an actual phonecall), and many other ways to connect. Some churches are offering online services. There's no reason we should be alone.

Stay positive! It has been proven that someone with an illness is more likely to recover and recover faster, if they maintain a positive attitude. Laughter is the best medicine. Our body produces good and helpful hormones, chemicals, and such that promote good health when we are happy and positive.

March has definitely been a challenging month and it looks as those the next few weeks and months will be the same. However, if we hunker down at home, practice the safety protocols the government has issued, stay active, stay social, keep our brains active, and above all, not panic, worry, or let this take our joy away – Stay positive, we will come out of this stronger, wiser, and better.

“Love your neighbor as thyself.”
Mark 23:31


“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2


“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report,
if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things.”

Philippians 4:8


Regardless of what others are saying, this is not the end of the world. It may take some things away from us, but it is a temporary situation we are in. We may lose someone we love to this virus and it will hurt, but we must focus on those still living and remember, God is still in control and still hears our prayers.

God bless you all.

XOXO
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SPECIAL: Covid-19 - The Blog I Struggled to Write

3/22/2020

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This week has been a week of conflict.
I had a whole other topic I was going to publish, but in the back of my mind, the COVID-19 virus kept popping into my head. I wanted to deal with it from the perspective of a person over the age of 50, but I also wanted to be sure that I was encouraging, not sensationalizing, and also, truthful.


After a sleepless night and much daytime thought, I finally decided how to write this blog on the COVID-19 virus that says what I want it to say.

This virus has changed our lives so much in such a short time, but it is temporary. Finally, I narrowed the points I wanted to make and hopefully, I have chosen the right words to use so that you understand my message. The COVID-19 virus topic is a hard one to discuss.



Here are the points and at the end you will find my overall message to everyone over the age of 50:


First - There has been much discussion on the name of this virus. It is not unusual for the United States (and other countries, as well), to refer to a pandemic/epidemic/virus by the name of the country of origin, creature of origin, or area/region of origin. For example:


Hong Kong Flu Pandemic (AKA: Category 2 Influenza) 1968: First case originated in Hong Kong (July 13, 1968) and in only 17 days outbreaks were reported in Singapore and Vietnam, and within three months it had spread to the Philippines, India, Australia, Europe, and the United States. While short lived and resulting in a low mortality rate, it still killed over a million people, including 500,000 residents of Hong Kong which was at that time 15% of it's population.


Asian Flu Pandemic (AKA: Influenza A) 1956-1958: Originated in China and within two years it from it origin of the Chinese Province of Guizhou to Singapore, Hong Kong, and the United States. The World Health Organization estimates the final death toll at 2 million deaths, with 69,800 of those in the United States.


Asiatic Flu or Russian Flu Pandemic (AKA: Influenza A, subtype of H3N8) 1889-1890: First cases discovered in May 1889 in Central Asia (Turkestan), Northwest Canada, and Greenland. It claimed the lives of over a million people in the short period of its existence.


Ebola Virus 1976: Originated in the Ebola region of Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo and Sudan). It moved across the globe in such places as England, Zaire, Italy, Uganda, Philippines, and the United States. It is still on-going with the death count at 1676 as of 2018.


As you can see, calling a pandemic/epidemic/virus by the name of origin is nothing new and not meant to insult anyone, only to identify the strain. (In the 16th century, we had the American Plague; and the Philadelphia Yellow Fever Epidemic in 1793; just FYI)

As far as our President driving the name of this virus as the Chinese Virus... yes, he is doing it to irritate the Chinese government - NOT the Chinese people or Chinese Americans. The Chinese government tried to cover this virus up, as they do a lot of things they do, that hurt their own people and people of other countries.

But the history of naming these events by the origin is nothing knew and not meant to be insulting.


Second - With each pandemic, epidemic, and virus, we have learned something new and developed better methods of dealing with each. We still make mistakes while trying to avoid nationwide panic.

No matter how our government handles such events, we can still do better. We learn with each event.

The big thing to remember is this: Everything is temporary. Life is temporary, no matter what we do to delay death, we will all die one day. Sorry, but that's the truth.

It is a fact, however,  that people can increase their chances of survival in these events if they stay calm (not panic), stay positive (no doomsday thinking), and devise a plan to stay safe.



Third - As people over the age of 50, we have experienced our share of pandemics, epidemics, viruses, and other such events. We have knowledge, wisdom, and skills. Our age group is better prepared for this type of event because of our experience.

The key is to remember those experiences, remember they are temporary, and remember what we learned from each.


The MESSAGE is this:

Be safe,

listen to the guidance provided by the government and health officials,

stay calm,

stay positive,

remember this is temporary,

remember we have been through similar events before,

and above all remember, God is still in control and he hears our prayers

(lean on your spiritual beliefs,whatever they are)

Don't be taken in by those who make a big deal about the name of COVID-19,
instead concentrate on what you need to do.


Are you fearful of COVID-19? Do you feel helpless or in control? Do you have faith in your God? How has this event affected the way you look at life now and in the future?

XOXO
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Health and Wellness: Bowling is Healthy - No matter what your age or Handicaps!

3/13/2020

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There are so many ways to stay active, even if you are over 50, and even if you have never done something before - like bowling. 

Bowling involves all your body. Every muscle, tendon, ligament and even your brain is involved in this activity. I have bowled my whole life. I stopped briefly for a few years, then I went back to it.

While I don't bowl on weekly leagues or compete in tournaments anymore, I still bowl. At some point I would love to bowl on a weekly league and perhaps compete again, but we will see.


In case you were wondering...(I know you were), here are a few facts about bowling:

- Bowling burns about 100 calories per hour

- Bowling builds muscle: 134 muscles exhausted in a 4 Step Approach

- Bowling is a weight bearing sport that helps build strong bones

- Bowling helps to sustain Hand and Eye Coordination

- Bowling just 3 games equals 1 mile of walking

- Bowling can promote family and friend bonding as it is fun for all ages

- Bowling is done by handicapped individuals and the elderly as well as children (wheelchair accessible, lane bumpers are available, ball ramps are available, and other aids depending on the bowlers needs.)

- According the Experian Simmons report of 2012: 20 plus million Americans age 17 and under bowl each year and 47 states in the U.S. have established high school bowling programs.

As you can see, there is more to bowling than just throwing a ball down a wooden alley at some wooden pins. Bowling is good not only for your health, but for your social life as well. It's a great place to meet people, especially if you join a league. League bowlers get to know each other and friendships develop.

The other nice thing about bowling is that it is not dependent on the weather. It can be 100 degrees outside or snow on the ground and you can still bowl. It can also be anytime of the day and even into the evening. A lot of bowling alleys have Friday and Saturday night specials and stay open later.

If you are over 50 and have a hard time meeting new people, try bowling. If you are over 50 and you need exercise, but the gym is not for you, try bowling. If you are over 50 and physically challenged, give bowling a chance. It's a great sport that almost anyone can do.

Do you bowl? Have you ever bowled? Would you consider giving bowling a try now that you see all the benefits? If you have an interesting story about bowling or tips or anything about this great sport, please make a comment below. Share!

​XOXO
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Health and Wellness: 7 Health Benefits of Music! Younger, Smarter, Healthier!

3/6/2020

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A couple of years ago I was visiting family in Oklahoma and we went to a Johnny Rivers concert at a local casino. The music was amazing but what was really amazing is how good Johnny Rivers looked and moved for a man in his seventies. He was aging well, very, very well.
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Music is one of those pleasures in life that can do many things to our souls, our minds, and our hearts. 
​


Here are a few of those many benefits that music brings to our lives:
  1. A song can remind us of a past event or a certain past time in our lives.
    These memories can be happy, sad, or just memories. (Weddings, births, deaths, our first dance, our first date, etc.)
  2. Certain songs can create peace during a non-peaceful time in our lives. Songs that are relaxing and easy to listen to.
  3. Some music can bring us closer to our spiritual self.
    It doesn't matter what religious doctrine you follow, each religion has it's own music – chants, hymns, In my case, it is Christian hymns. When I sing or hear a Christian hymn, my mind goes to God, my blessings, my beliefs, and the scriptures.
  4. Music is good for the health of your brain.
    Music lessons and listening to classical music has been researched and found to improve IQ. Yes, your IQ can be improved by listening to classical music. Other types of music have not been proven to have as good results. Taking lessons in music, whether an instrument or vocal, forces your brain to learn to think on multiple levels. For example, playing the piano requires independent movements from each hand. Improves hand and eye coordination also.
  5. Music is good for managing pain:
    Music is used by pain management therapists to help patients relax. It can help patients use less pain medication. Music can help improve breathing (respiration), blood pressure, heart rate, and can even help muscles to relax. Patients that are given music therapy have an improve quality of life and a more peaceful state of mind.
  6. Music can give your gym or home workout a real boost:
    There's a reason that Zumba classes are so popular. The workout is dancing, but also a strenuous, cardio workout. The music can make a difference in the intensity of the workout. Softer music is good for warm ups, faster music is good for raising heart rate, and the middle is good for building stamina. Here's a link to an interesting study point for music and workouts: https://bit.ly/2vNkOVt
  7. Music can make you a better person:​There has been some research into the affects of music on our personalities. While some songs can bring out the “wild child” in us and sometimes cause us to lose good judgement (drink more alcohol, get into fights, drive too fast, etc.) some can make us more compassionate and empathetic. Here is a link to information on a study done on young children and compassion: https://bit.ly/2uZxyrz
    There are many other ways that music improves our lives. Music has always been around in various forms.
    Music also varies depending on the region of the United States and regions in other countries. There is a distinct difference in music from various countries and it is all beautiful. Even when you may not know the language of a country or people, music is a universally understood language. ​​

Here are a few samples of music from other countries:
Next time you hear a song or go to a concert,
remember you are not only doing something enjoyable,
but also good for your health and improving your life.
​


Enrich your life with music from multiple cultures and countries.


What is your favorite song? What is your favorite genre of music? Have you considered learning to sing or play an instrument? How does music affect you? Do you have any interesting stories about certain songs or music experiences to share?


XOXO
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    My mission​

    Sharing thoughts and ideas for the woman over 50 that are helpful, fun, creative, inspiring and interesting. Over 50s who want to remain relevant, happy and loving their life.
    On fire for your own life!
    ❤ Sheryl ❤

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