Hope you’re having a wonderful Turkey Day celebrating the way that is most meaningful to you. Thanksgiving has certainly looked very different for us each of the last four years due to the pandemic, health issues and family dynamics. I’m very thankful to finally have had a relatively normal Thanksgiving this year. It did my soul a world of good.

As 2024 approaches, I’m excited (and thankful) to see quilt retreats, travel opportunities and full class/club schedules from my local quilt shops return to my inbox once again. I’m also thankful that my SUV is finally fixed so I can feel confident driving it to local quilting activities again.

On Mondays, I work as a literacy enrichment instructor for a local private school. This provides a purpose (and a small stipend) that helps keep me part of the happy retiree camp. I’ve had an absolute ball choosing stories to share and selecting the accompanying maker activities each week. Unlike my school librarian days where I had a budget (school and personal) to buy whatever I needed wanted, that is definitely not the case now. The school and I are both on a super tight budget this time around.

How do I handle it? Most of the books I read are borrowed from the public library, which means I have to plan ahead if I’m reading a holiday story. Craft activities are kept simple and re-engineered to use supplies already on hand. Yes, I do still buy some books and supplies (the new Pigeon book, green cupcake liners, small pompoms and red/white pony beads), but it generally averages out each month to what I’d spend on lunch with a friend. Books are added to Sadie’s READ library and leftover craft supplies are utilized in future projects. Any supplies left once enrichment classes end will be donated. It shouldn’t be much.

Here’s what we’re doing for for Christmas:

Week 1
If You Take a Mouse to the Movies by Laura Numeroff (Reindeer paper bag puppet activity)
Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh by Mo Millems
The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas by Laura Murray (Gingerbread boy/girl ornament activity)

Week 2
Cobweb Christmas by Shirley Climo (Christmas trees made from cupcake liners)
Charlie and the Christmas Kitty by Ree Drummond

Week 3
Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Wilbur (Candy canes made from pony beads)
Crystal wreath kits and/or popsicle stick Christmas trees

One book I really wanted was the Legend of the Christmas Poinsettia, but it was unavailable. I’ll keep checking back and will slide it in on Week 3, if a copy becomes available.

Yesterday, I listened to the Retire Sooner podcast while out running errands. This week’s episode (#173) was about the how much good health contributes to a successful, happy retirement. The guest discussed how the USA pays the highest amount per capita in the world for healthcare, but our health stats are near the middle to lower tier of developed nations. He went on to list several reasons why he thinks this might be the case. Very interesting reasoning. Our country is more apt to “take a pill” to fix whatever ails you rather than doing preventative things that take more time and effort like eat a healthy diet and exercise. Of course Big Pharma, the food companies and the government all play a role in our health outcomes. He reasoned it would take politicians willing to do the hard work needed to fix our healthcare system and not be concerned about re-election before anything meaningful got accomplished.

So what can we do? We don’t know when our last day on earth will be, but people have a lot of power in their own hands to make sure they are as healthy as possible up until that time. The average age before aches and pains start to set in is 66. The average life expectancy is about 77. If you eat right, maintain a healthy weight. exercise/move and enjoy meaningful social connections, there’s a much better chance you’ll be enjoying a longer, active life in retirement.

This message really hit home. My recent physical was a mixed bag. I knew something was off going in, but couldn’t tell exactly what it was (menopause, BP meds, general aging). Side effects from my BP meds were reflected in some of the bloodwork, so we changed it. It’s taken two weeks, but I finally feel more like myself again. Increasing my water intake and getting outside for about 1/2 or more each day seems to have helped in addition to the BP meds change.

Don’t know about you, but I plan to be active and independent for as long as possible. My primary care physician told me a lot of that rested in my hands. Losing 30# and incorporating more movement (walking, yoga, dance, etc.) would have the greatest impact for me.