Are You Ready?

 I happen to live in a hurricane prone part of the United States, so every Fall those of us in the path of potential storms become keenly aware of the weather.  Hurricane season officially starts much earlier, but it seems like late August, the month of September, and even in to October are the months when the greatest threats occur.  Like anything, this heightened awareness is somewhat limited to faithfully watching the Weather Channel, depending on how much time has elapsed since the last threat of a hurricane or an actual storm has plagued our part of the planet.  A sort of wary apathy takes hold and we forget the items we need to keep on hand or what precautions we really should be taking in case a tropical storm or hurricane comes our way.

Here are a few tips to help remind you, no matter where you live, of the things you need to do to make sure you are ready for any natural disaster:

*  Know your evacuation routes, whether you live in a hurricane prone area or someplace that never gets hurricanes, it's important to know the designated routes to get you out of harms way.

*  Know where the local shelters will be set up.  Most local governments can give you a list of the facilities in your area that will be set up as shelters in case of an emergency.  If you have pets make note of the shelters that will allow pets or where pets will be accepted in your area.

*  Keep a list of your medications, get them refilled if you have time, and be sure to take them with you if you have to evacuate.  Make sure to note the dosing information so that if you need to have them replaced you will know the dose you need to take and a schedule for taking them.  Don't forget your pets and any medications they may need.  If you have other special needs such as oxygen, make sure you have the contact information for the company that provides that service.

*  Keep enough non perishable specialty foods you may need on hand.  A week's supply is recommended but a minimum of 3 days is a must.  Remember that specialty food stores that carry items such as gluten free may be affected even if you are not so it may take awhile before you can get those items again.  Again, don't forget your pets and any special foods they may need if you are forced to leave your home.

 

Photo Credit: NOAA

*   If at all possible, have family or trusted friends keep a list of your insurance contact information, doctor's numbers, bank information (including credit cards), and even a copy of your drivers license.  That way if these documents are destroyed you will have access to your information much sooner.  Just be sure that you leave this information with a trusted source.  Remember that you DON'T have to give them any password information, but you may want to keep that information somewhere handy so you can retrieve it before you need to evacuate if you have time.

*  Keep a detailed inventory of your possessions.  Document serial numbers of your electronic equipment, such as TV's and computers.  Keep a list of expensive artwork, jewelry, and valuable collections (including coins, stamps, figurines, silver, crystal, china, bonds, and books, etc.).  Itemize your furnishings and make note of any antique or valuable pieces.  You may even consider video taping your home and keeping the tape with family living elsewhere to help you when it comes time to submit an insurance claim if necessary.

*  Consider installing a whole house generator if you live in an area plagued by outages.  This is very important for people who need oxygen concentrators which run off of your home's electricity.  Portable generators are also available but will provide less available power and are difficult to get out of your garage or basement during or right after a storm.  Remember to NEVER set up a portable generator inside your home due to the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.  Having a generator, whether portable or whole house is something you want to do well ahead of time, they sell out quickly following any natural disasters where power has been interrupted.

*  Keep the propane bottle on your gas grill filled, it can provide a cooking source if you lose power, and it can also be used to heat and purify water.

*  Keep the gas tank of your car filled in case of an evacuation.  Many gas stations close down as a storm draws closer, and they likely won't be able to pump gas if power is lost. 

 

Photo Credit: National Geographic

*  Make sure you have access to cash.  Whether you chose to keep some cash on hand or simply familiarize yourself with bank machines in your area, it's important to have some cash available following a natural disaster.  Many businesses, including gas stations are unable to process credit cards for a period of time following a disaster.

*  If you don't have family close by, set up a call list to keep tabs on friends in the area and have them do the same for you.  Have a list of their phone numbers (including cell phone numbers) and addresses in case of an emergency.  Having their address and vice versa will allow emergency responders to find them if you feel they are in danger and you are unable to contact them.  Also make sure that you have the phone numbers of relatives you may need to contact who are not in your area so that you can check in to let them know you are alright.

*  Keep your cell phone charged and be sure to take the charger with you if you need to evacuate.

 

Photo Credit: NASA

*  Have a well stocked first aid kit, extra batteries, flashlight, a battery operated radio (to tune in to your local news and NOAA), non perishable food such as soups, beans,  granola bars or power bars, and plenty of bottled water to tide you over if stores in your area are closed for a few days, or if you can't get to the store.  If you use natural gas you may also want to keep a wrench handy and know how to shut off the gas main to your house as a precaution.

*  Move any furniture or possessions to an upper floor or attic if possible to minimize possible damage.  Unplug all electrical appliances that can't be moved and remember NEVER touch any electrical appliances when flood water is inside your home. 

*  Bring in or secure any items that will be affected by high winds such as lawn furniture or decorations and trashcans

*  If you do have to evacuate and the water has already begun to rise, DO NOT drive through standing water.  Nearly half of all flash flood related deaths are vehicle related.  It doesn't take much water, just 2 feet,  to float a car away and you can't tell just by looking how deep the water is, so play it safe and find another route to higher ground.

*  If you do need to evacuate, do not return to your home until authorities have declared it a safe place to return to.  Do not go sightseeing following a storm.  Debris and other dangers may exist including chemicals and waste that may have contaminated the water or ground.

 

Photo Credit: USGS

*  If you experience any damage, contact your insurance company quickly to begin the claims process and working towards restoring your property and possessions to the way they were.

This list encompasses just a few things you can do to keep yourself prepared for the unthinkable.  By planning ahead you can help minimize the stress and anxiety that comes with any natural disaster where there is a bit of forewarning, such as hurricanes or flooding.  The most important thing anyone can do is to heed the warnings given by your local authorities.  It's never a good idea to think that you can ride out the storm on your own.  By paying attention to the warnings and doing all you can to prepare, you'll be that much safer if a disaster does happen to affect your area.

 

National Weather Service Photo

Disasters, whether they involve fire, flooding, high winds/tornadoes, earthquakes, or even ice and snow, are not something any of use want to encounter, but being prepared is the key not only to your survival but also to your peace of mind.  Remember that the time to prepare for any natural disaster is NOW...don't wait!

Stay Safe!

To learn more about severe weather in your area Click Here

 

Everything Old Is New Again

Remember your first real record player?  The sound of the needle hitting the hard black vinyl, an occasional pop or the gentle hiss that came from years of wear on a particularly beloved record?  I was in heaven when they came out with the "repeat" feature and loved the mechanical sound it made as it re-started your record. And what about  the beautiful big album covers with photos of your favorite artist and the lyrics to each song printed on the back, the paper sleeve inside that held that magical round disk of vinyl that you could listen to for hours? 

First it was 8-track tapes that threatened the vinyl record, then cassette tapes, but the final nail in the coffin was the development of the CD.  You could strap a Walkman to yourself and enjoy music on the go with CDs so what was not to love?  CD's were small, efficient, the wave of the future, well until MP3s took over the market that is.

Every time I've moved I have brought along with me a stack of LP records, nearly doubling that number when I got married and we added my husband's collection to the mix.  They have occupied various places in each house, sometimes the top shelf of a closet, under the bed, or a shelf on a bookcase.  I guess there was a part of me that didn't want to let them go, as John Lennon would say "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."  Getting rid of those records would have been like losing a part of myself, each album was like a musical scrapbook of my life, reminding me of the highs and lows that come with growing up and then watching my own children grow up.

As nostalgic as I was for the records, I managed to get rid of every record player I had ever owned so somewhere deep in my psyche I knew I was struggling to hold on to the past, but a recent trip to Best Buy changed all that.  I had heard about various gadgets that would allow me to listen to my old vinyl records, like USB-enabled turntables such as the one listed HERE on CNET (my go to website for all sorts of electronic product reviews).  But the cost of these converters was high when they first came out and I often wondered whether it would be a lot like finding a favorite candy from your childhood, never the same as you remembered.  Then on a recent trip to Best Buy to pick up a new CD I stumbled across what appeared to be NEW vinyl records!  Yes it's true, vinyl is back and with over 6500 titles on the Best Buy website alone, and a decent selection in store, I knew my pack rat tendencies had not been in vain.   

Now don't get me wrong, I will still need to purchase a turntable, but like any new technology that has been on the market for a while, the prices have come down significantly.  Amazon has a great selection of turntables in a variety of styles, prices,  and quality to whet the appetite of most audiophiles or even people like me that just want a chance to dust off those albums and bring back a few memories.  Plenty of places are selling both the players and the vinyl records so I can even add to my collections with new artists I have come to love in the years dominated by CDs and MP3s.  And this may even give me an excuse to peruse those milk crates full of vintage LP's at the local used book store!

I will still love my tiny portable MP3 player or the six disc CD changer in my car, but with every snap, crackle, skip, and pop I'll relish listening to those records just as much as I would putting on an old sweatshirt I still have from college.  Some things really do get better with age.

For a list of new vinyl records visit Best Buy or Amazon

For turntable reviews check out CNET

True Blue

I confess, I'm addicted to blueberries.  I eat handfuls of them everyday from late July until the end of August as if they were candy.  Then, much like a squirrel preparing for winter, I gather more berries to put into the freezer for use during the other months of the year.  Luckily for me we have 25 or so blueberry bushes that were planted nearly 20 years ago that produce wonderful organic berries so that I don't even have to purchase them.   I can simply go and pick a bowlful to enjoy until they run out and then go pick some more.  In our house it's often a fight for the last few berries instead of a fight for the last cookie, even the dogs get in the act hoping to catch a stray blueberry that falls on the floor.

When the bushes were planted we knew nothing about antioxidants or the health benefits associated with this tiny blue fruit, we just knew we liked blueberries and that our climate was conducive to growing them.  My late father was the mastermind behind the blueberry patch and as a native of Michigan I think they reminded him of his childhood.  Whatever the impetus behind planting those bushes 20 years ago, we have all reaped the rewards of his mission.

It turns out that these little blue berries are more than just delicious, they are actually quite a wondrous food.  Research by Tufts University and the USDA have shown that blueberries can actually reverse the effects of age related brain decline.  Studies using blueberry, strawberry, and spinach extracts in rats found significant improvement in overall cognitive function, short term memory loss, and balance in the rats given blueberry extract.

One of the new buzz words, or acronym in this case, for healthy foods these days is Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity or ORAC.  The higher the ORAC score for a given food the more antioxidant phytonutrients or polyphenols it possesses and that means higher anti-aging, anti-cancer, and overall disease fighting properties for the highest ranked foods such as blueberries.  Some foods, including fruits and vegetables, along with some tea and fruit juice packages are starting to include the ORAC scores on their nutritional labels to help consumers make healthy choices.

Just by adding 1 or 2 cups of blueberries to your diet each day can help keep the neurons in your brain connected and working up to their potential.  Good news for blueberry addicts such as myself!  But if you're not a big fan of blueberries don't despair, the article linked below provides a list of other fruits, vegetables, and even nuts and their respective ORAC scores.

 

Click HERE to read more about the brain benefits of blueberries and other brain healthy foods.

Acupuncture: Ancient Treatment For A Modern Society

Acupuncture is a traditional form of Chinese medicine that has been around for centuries.  Today, western medicine is embracing some of the benefits of these ancient forms of medicine, and are slowly starting to recognize some of the benefits that non-traditional medicine can provide.

Acupuncture involves the insertion of very fine needles, often thinner than an individual strand of hair, into certain parts of the body to help relieve pain or treat specific conditions.  Though long embraced by Asian culture as a viable form of treatment for many illnesses, traditional western culture has been slow to appreciate the benefits of acupuncture, but now that is changing.  I have been seeing an acupuncturist for nearly 2 years now and was so impressed with the results that my husband also joined the bandwagon and has been seeing the same acupuncturist for nearly as long.  His complaints were mainly back pain and sinus issues while mine were more stress related and adrenal/thyroid centered.  Both of us have become firm believers in the benefits of acupuncture as an adjunct to traditional western medicine.
 

But like with any medical treatment, it's important to find an experienced and well trained practitioner.  You'll want someone who is properly licensed and who is familiar with treating the types of conditions you are suffering from before agreeing to be treated by any acupuncturist.  Many acupuncturists now specialize in senior care so you may want to look for someone treating those 55 years old and older.  It's also extremely important to talk with your regular doctor to make sure that acupuncture won't interfere with any medications you are currently taking or pre-existing conditions you might have.  

Below is a list of some of the diseases and conditions where acupuncture has been demonstrated to provide symptomatic relief:

Lower Back Pain

Tennis Elbow

Osteoarthritis

Fibromyalgia

Migraines 

Post Operative Pain

Dental Pain

Chemotherapy Related Nausea or Vomiting

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 

Fatigue

Neuropathy

Hot Flashes

Even the Mayo Clinic and The National Institutes of Health have begun recognizing the health benefits of acupuncture when performed correctly by a licensed practitioner.

Here is an excerpt from the Mayo Clinic's website explaining the pros and cons of acupuncture:

Pros and cons

As with most medical therapies, acupuncture has both benefits and risks. Consider the benefits:

• Acupuncture is safe when performed properly.
• It has few side effects.
• It can be useful as a complement to other treatment methods.
• It's becoming more available in conventional medical settings.
• It helps control certain types of pain.
• It may be an alternative if you don't respond to or don't want to take pain medications.

Acupuncture may not be safe if you have a bleeding disorder or if you're taking blood thinners. The most common side effects of acupuncture are soreness, bleeding or bruising at the needle sites. Rarely, a needle may break or an internal organ might be injured. If needles are reused, infectious diseases may be accidentally transmitted. However, these risks are low in the hands of a competent, certified acupuncture practitioner. 

If you think you could benefit from acupuncture then follow these simple steps:

1.  Find a licensed acupuncturist in your area.  You can visit the National Certification Commission for    Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine's website HERE to find a practitioner in your area.  Look for the "Find A Practitioner" tab on the upper right hand side of the page.

2.  Be sure to ask you current doctor if acupuncture is right for you. 

3.  Get a recommendation from friends or family.

4.  Be sure to tell your Acupuncturist if you have any existing medical conditions you may have and any medications you are taking.

Acupuncture is relatively painless and has many benefits so instead of suffering when conventional medical methods may have failed you, why not try something new, or something ancient as the case may be.

Using Skype

Did you know that you can call almost anywhere on Earth for free using your home computer or laptop?   Skype isn't a gimmick or way to trick you in to signing up for a new phone service, but a legitimate service you can utilize for free with just a few simple steps.  I've been using Skype to talk to friends and family all over the world for over 3 years now and in addition to keeping me connected to my loved ones, it's been an invaluable resource for calling hotels/B&Bs, rental car companies, and tour companies all over the world.  With just a few easy steps you can connect for free with the ones you love most.  You'll even find that many websites now have links to Skype where you can simply click on a button and use your Skype account to contact them directly.

Here are some Frequently Asked Questions about Skype."

What Is Skype? 

The fancy term for Skype is VOIP or Voice over Internet Protocol, what that means simply is free calls over the internet.

 How Does It  Work?

If you have the Skype program downloaded on your computer and a friend or relative has Skype on their computer you can talk to one another via the computer for free!

Do I Have To Pay A Monthly Fee?

No, there are no set up or continuing fees for talking from one computer to another.  You can however opt to purchase minutes on Skype if you want to talk directly to a home phone line or cell number, but there is NEVER a fee for talking computer to computer.

So Do I Have To Purchase Minutes?

No, you have the option to purchase minutes if you want to call someone who doesn't own a computer or if they have a cell phone you want to call in another country.  For example:  When our daughter was living in France we used Skype for free to talk to one another from computer to computer, but we OPTED to purchase Skype minutes so that we could also call her on her cell phone at a much cheaper rate then we would have paid using a conventional phone.  Instead of paying up to $1 a minute to call her phone we paid $0.20 per minute and it would have been even less if we had called a home phone or land line.  

Do I Have To Purchase A Special Phone To Use With My Computer?

No, you don't need a phone at all, you simply need a microphone or headset.  Many newer computers and laptops have a microphone and sometimes even a webcam built in.  If you don't have a built in microphone you can purchase a headset that plugs in to your computer.

Can I Also Use A Webcam With Skype?

Yes!  Not only can you hear your friends and loved ones on Skype but you can see them as well if both you and they have webcams.

So How Do I Get Started?

It's easy, just go HERE to the Skype website and download the FREE program by clicking on the big "Download" button.  If you are using a Mac operating system, be sure to download the correct version of Skype from the menu on the upper right hand side of the page.  You'll be asked to create an account by selecting a user name or Skype screen name and password.

**Once you've downloaded Skype you can CLICK HERE to get detailed instructions on how to use the program.**

How Do I Find My Friends And Family On Skype?

You'll need to know their screen name or user name and then you can search for them using the search feature OR have them add you to their contacts list by providing them with your Skype user name.

So What If I'm Planning A Trip Overseas And Want To Use Skype To Make Reservations?

This is one of my favorite uses for Skype, aside from connecting with friends and family of course.  You can purchase minutes or credits on Skype by clicking on the "Shop" button and then select "Buy Skype Credit"  you can use your credit card as you would for any other online purchase to complete the transaction.  Once you have been notified by email that your Skype credits are available for use you can then dial the country and phone number you are trying to contact.  You can even click on each country to get the proper country code and find out the rate for calling almost anywhere in the world.  Skype has an easy to read display that allows you to keep track of how much money or credits you have left in your account.

You can also use Skype for conference calls and have more than two computers online at that same time.  There is also a "chat" feature that can be used like an instant messenger account if you're interested.

Staying connected has never been easier or cheaper thanks to Skype!

Click Here to Learn More About Skype

Volunteering...Getting Back By Giving Back

 Photo: Senior Corps

Retirement doesn't have to mean the end of productivity for people over 55 anymore, on the contrary, it can be the beginning of something wonderful.  Maybe you've always secretly been a closet historian, or wanted to be a teacher or mentor your whole life.  Volunteering allows you the opportunity to pursue those passions you've always wanted to pursue but couldn't.  University studies have shown that not only do the people receiving your volunteer help benefit, but those doing the volunteering do as well.  People who volunteer 40 hours per year to a single cause are almost twice as likely to outlive their non volunteering counterparts.  The vast knowledge base of seniors is an invaluable asset to many organizations who are seeking the expertise of the 55 and over crowd in growing numbers.

You can choose to volunteer at any number of places that might interest you.  In addition to traditional volunteer organizations such as the American Red Cross, the Lions Club, and Habitat for Humanity there are plenty of other areas where you can share your time and unique talents.  Schools love having volunteers to help tutor children in a variety of subjects, museums and historic sites are constantly looking for a steady supply of helpful volunteers, or why not lend your time and efforts at a homeless shelter or battered womens shelter.  

You can start your search for places to volunteer by contacting your local government's Office On Aging.

Or visit the Administration on Aging website to find out about volunteer opportunities where seniors are helping other seniors.  Their website outlines a whole list of volunteer activities along with information vital to seniors such as disaster preparedness and important health information.

Senior Corps is another wonderful resource for people over 55 who want to volunteer in their communities.  They have a Foster Grandparent Program, Senior Companion Program, and an RSVP Program to help you find the perfect match for your skills and talents to non profit organizations in your area.

Get out and volunteer TODAY!

 

Photos: Senior Corps

Mary Mary Quite Contrary...How Does Your Garden Grow?

Photo: Country Living Magazine

Every so often I like visiting a blog and just seeing lovely photos of something.  Today I'll post a few photos of plants in my own garden for you to look at along with some other flowers from lovely gardens I could only dream of creating...Enjoy!

 

  

  

  

 

Photo:  Country Living Magazine