Stay Young My Friends

STAY YOUNG MY FRIENDS

We all need to read this one over and over until it becomes part of who we are!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG

1. Try everything twice.

On one woman's tombstone she said she wanted this epitaph:

"Tried everything twice. Loved it both times!"

2. Keep only cheerful friends.

The grouches pull you down.

(Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches!)

3. Keep learning:

Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever...

Never let the brain get idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud.

Laugh until you gasp for breath.

And if you have a friend who makes you laugh,

spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER. 

6.. The tears happen:

Endure, grieve, and move on.

The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.

LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love:

Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever..

Your home is your refuge.

8. Cherish your health:

If it is good, preserve it.

If it is unstable, improve it.

If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips..

Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county,

to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

I love you, my special friend.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second chance..

And if you don't forward this - who cares?

But do share this with someone who means something to you.

Remember! Lost time can never be found.

Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.

Wine does not make you FAT ..........................

- it makes you LEAN

Spring Is Near

Here is a shot of what's going on in my flower bed as of this morning. Still waiting for my tulips, glads and calla lilies.

Discovery Park - New City Park In Canyon Country, CA

They are building a new park right outside of the gates of our community. It will be called "Discovery Park". It is along the usually dry riverbed and they refer to it as a “passive river park designed to encourage barrier-free interaction with the natural environment". It will be 25 acres with picnic facilites, etc.
Modeled after the area’s natural landscape, Discovery Park will aesthetically enhance existing wetlands while minimizing stormwater runoff and improving wildlife habitat and bio-diversity. The park will also offer opportunities for education about Santa Clarita’s native wildlife, scenery and environment.
Designed with sustainability in mind, Discovery Park will include many environmentally-friendly features, such as drought-resistant plants, native and native-adapted landscaping, low volume irrigation and permeable surfaces meant to improve water retention and decrease water consumption.
I've been walking in this area for the past 15 years and have started making a "Photo Diary" of the building of this park, starting with what it looked like before the ground-breaking. I will continue to post photos until the park is complete.

Before the ground-breaking

Bulldozers show up

Ground-breaking

Heartburn

Well I learned something today that I never knew.
I've started eating pistachios to try to help lower my cholesterol. I usually eat peanuts or almonds. Anyway, I read online that pistachios were known to lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol.
After eating a handfull of them each day for the past 4 or 5 days, I started noticing that I have severe heartburn. Had trouble sleeping last night from it.
I checkws the Internet and found that because of the fats in pistachios (which are GOOD fats), they can cause heartburn to people who suffer from acid reflux. I was diagnosed with acid reflux decease about 25 years ago, although, I have not had a bout with it for about 20 years.
I have been miserable today.

Busy Hiking

I have not posted on this blog for a few days. I've been so busy hiking that all of my posting has gone on my other blog Hiking With An "Old" Woman and I've been neglecting this blog.
The weather here in SoCal has been like summer! For the past week, we've been in the high 70's, low 80's and the sky has been so blue and clear.
I got in two really nice hikes this week. Both with a lot of greenery and babbling streams. We do not have streams around here year-round as we are in a desert, but when we have rain during January, Februay and March, the streams in the mountains start to flow and I just cannot resist getting out there to photograph them.
This morning instead of hiking, I went for a nice 1.5 mile walk around Bridgeport Lake and enjoyed the sounds of the birds and also watching the ducks and geese in the lake.
We are supposed to get more rain this weekend, so I guess there will not be any hikes for a few days.
Here are a couple of photos from my two hikes this week. If you have not checked out my hiking blog, I hope you will check it out.

The Narrows In Towsley Canyon

Whitney Canyon Waterfall

For Those Of You Covered In Snow.....

My flower beds are starting to bloom. Must be from the rain we've had and then the 80 degree temperatures. Thought I'd share a little early "springtime" with you.

Happy Valentine's Day

Just wanted to stop by and send a Valentine's Card to all of my friends. Check it out at the link below:

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=2217103111163&source=jl999

Ben got new tires on my car this morning. I told him that was his Valentine gift to me.
80 degrees and sunny here in SoCal.

Beautiful Day In SoCal Today

Dark blue sky, big white fluffy clouds, temps in the mid 60's......PERFECT!
Went and got our taxes done and put the forms in the mail. Very happy with our return this year.
Been busy with my new blog here on blogspot. It's about my hikes, current ones and past ones. Posting still photos and some videos of my hikes on the blog.
Thinking about buying a new laptop computer. The one I have now is about 2 1/2 years old and only has 512mb of memory. It is running so slow and freezing up so much. I think it's time for a new one.

Now I Know How Evelyn Couch Felt.....

Remember the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes"? Kathy Bates played "Evelyn Couch, a middle-aged woman who found her inner strength after meeting Jessica Tandy (Ninny Threadgood).

Well today I know how "Evelyn Couch" felt in one of the scenes of the movie.
Ben and I had to go over to Sam's Club to pick up a few things. It was raining. When we got there, we came upon a guy getting into his car to leave and he was in the first spot in the parking lot, right across from the front door of the store. What luck! I sat and waited for him to pull out, when from out of nowhere, here comes some woman who looked to be in her 30's.  She looks over at me, seeing that I'm waiting for this parking space, but does that stop her? NO! Once the guy had cleared the space, she pulled right into it while I was waiting for the guy to get out of my way.
BITCH! I say out loud. She knew I was going to park there, but she took the space anyway.
I immediately thought of how "Evelyn" had this happen to her when those young girls in the Volkswagon Bug did the samething to her at the grocery store. I remember how she slammed her car into that Volkswagon in revenge.
I had to settle for pulling up along side the young woman, honking my horn at her and flipping her the bird.
Alas!

Not Impressed

Well my doctor sent me an email about my lipid panel numbers. He didn't seem very "impressed" by the fact that the "bad" stuff was down and my "good" cholesterol was up. He just said "your numbers are still very high". He told me to try slow release niacin, even though in his office I had told him that I had tried that and it caused the muscle pain and fatigue. He even suggested I try Red Yeast Rice KNOWING that I cannot tolerate statins and that Red Yeast Rice has statins in it. He even told me the Red Yeast Rice "might" cause muscle pain. (DUH). Anyway, I wrote him back and told him that I had already tried both of those throughout my 6 years of struggle with my cholesterol numbers and that I will NOT try them again. I told him that I was quite pleased with my numbers going down as much as the did. I told him I will continue to exercise and watch my diet, although I told him I will "indulge" myself now and then. I did mention to him that I started taking the Bayer Heart Health Advantage and the Mega-Red Krill Oil about 3 months ago (right after I first saw him) and that I think they helped to lower the numbers. I guess doctors are never satisfiel. Now I'll just wait and see if he emails back.

My Latest Lipid Panel Bloodwork Results

Those of you who have followed this blog know that back in October 2009, I blogged about my high cholesterol. I was diagnosed with it back in March of 2006 and mine is a genetic problem. I cannot take statins because they cause me to have muscle pain and weakness.
Back in October, I went to a new doctor and he did a complete bloodwork on me. At that time my cholesterol and triglycerides were the highest they've ever been, but I had not really been watching what I ate. Although even when I do watch what I eat, my cholesterol and triglycerides are still high because I inherited this medical problem from my mother. When she was alive her doctor used to tell her that she could eat absolute nothing and still have high cholesterol and triglycerides. That's because our liver produces more cholesterol and triglycerides than our bodies need. She took statins, but I think they were the cause of her death because she died of congestive heart failure and statins can cause heart failure if you do not take COQ10 when taking statins. Doctors do not tell you that.
Anyway, this morning I went back per my doctor and had my lipid panel bloodwork redone. For three months, I've watched a little better what I've been eating, plus I've been taking Bayer Heart Health Advantage, Phillips Colon Health and Mega-Red Krill Oil. My levels are still high, but not as high as they were three months ago.

3 months ago:                                              
Total Cholesterol = 326
Today:
Total Cholesterol = 293 (Down 33 points)
3 months ago:
Total Triglycerides = 326
Today:
Total Triglycerides = 213 (Down 113 points)
3 months ago:
Total HDL (Good) = 47
Today:
Total HDL (Good) = 50 (Up 3 points)
3 months ago:
Total LDL (Bad) = 214
Today:
Total LDL (Bad) = 200 (Down 14 points)

I know my numbers are still high, but I'm pleased that they came down some. I think it may be those three extra supplements I'm taking. Hopefully, my numbers will continue to come down.         

Did Some Cleaning

Spent the entire morning cleaning mildew out of our window sills. We live in a manufactured home and we have single-paned windows, so when we have a "wet" winter, we start to get mildew building in the window sill because the moisture outside and the warmth inside causes condensation on the windows. When we have "dry" winters, this does not happen. I have to spray all of the sills with Lysol Scrubbing Bubbles and let it sit for awhile. Then I take an old toothbrush and brush the areas where the mildew accumulates. Then I wipe it all down and spray it again with Scrubbing Bubbles until I get it as clean as possible. Then I spray it with Lysol Disenfectant. I wish we could afford to have double-paned windows put in, but they are so expensive.
Ben slightly overcast all day here. They keep saying we may get a chance for a little rain tomorrow.