I'm sure you know February 29th makes this a leap year...the once every four year addition of an extra day to poor little February to make the calendar stay on track....sort of like finding the cash drawer short at the end of your shift and adding a $20 to make everything balance out.
But, that isn't quite true. Over a 400 year period of leap years, we'd end up with a year that is 3 days too long. Eventually, after thousands of years, winter would happen in June in the Northern Hemisphere.
So, leap years only occur in years easily divided by 400. Actually, to get completely technical: a leap year is any year whose date is exactly divisible by 4 except those which are divisible by 100 but not 400. Confused? You may consider the approach most of us take. If there are 29 days in February on next year's calendar, then it is a leap year. Actually, Leap Year has a rather strange series of traditions and beliefs. The web site Ask.com has a section of urban legends. David Emery writes that:
"Persons born on leap day, February 29, are called "leaplings" or "leapers. It was once thought that leapling babies would inevitably prove sickly and hard to raise." Continuing, he notes that " It used to be said, that beans and peas planted during a leap year "grow the wrong way" — whatever that means — and, in the words of the Scots, "Leap year was never a good sheep year."
Most of us have heard that leap year confers upon women the "privilege" of proposing marriage to men. The convention was that any man who refused such a proposal owed his spurned suitor a silk gown and a kiss — provided she was wearing a red petticoat at the moment she popped the question. Seems like there were enough exceptions to keep this from from happening very often.
There is a Greek superstition that claims couples have bad luck if they marry during a leap year. Apparently one in five engaged couples in Greece will avoid planning their wedding during a leap year. An actual law once existed in Scotland forbidding a man to refuse a proposal made to him on February 29th. Punishment for such an offense was a large fine.
So much for Leap Year....an odd adjustment to the calendar that happens for all sorts of important reasons...that we can safely ignore.
Now, two announcements for February 29th:
I am privileged to be included in a new hardcover book that will be available in bookstores and on-line in a few weeks. From what I understand the first printing has already been sold out to the book sellers, with a second printing underway.
The book is 65 Things to Do When You Retire. This fun, and inspiring guide features 65 essays with advice from noted authors, retirement experts, and yours truly,....people who have used their satisfying retirement as an opportunity to turn their personal dreams into a reality.
I am honored to be included with other contributors that include former president Jimmy Carter, Gloria Steinem, John E. Nelson (author of What Color is Your Parachute? For Retirement), and Liz Pryor (“life advice guru” for Good Morning America).
All royalties from the sale of the book are donated to non profit organizations dedicated to preventing and curing cancer. My understanding is that last year over $100,000 was donated from a similar project.
As soon as I receive my copy I will give you more information. I am excited and honored to be including with these 65 retirement pros and national figures.
Secondly, to celebrate the publishing of this new book as well as a thank you for your support and readership, I have permanently dropped the price of my e-book, Building a Satisfying Retirement to just $.99. Now you have no excuse for not downloading a copy by clicking on this link. After you download it, I'd really appreciate your adding a review to the Amazon page (if it is a good one. Otherwise, e-mail me about what you didn't like and I'll fix any problems in future additions!).
So, Leap Year 2012 turns out to be kind of a big day after all.
February 29, 2012
February 26, 2012
I've Been Twacked! (My Twitter Account Was hacked)
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| from Google images |
I opened my Direct Messages and saw hundreds of bogus messages sent out in my name. As fast as I deleted them more kept coming. They all said the same thing: Did you see what this Tweet said about you? This was followed by a shortened link. Clicking that link took someone to a Romanian web site that promptly stole that person's password and sent the same message to everyone of their followers.
A nightmare!
The account had been so screwed up I couldn't even sign in to change my password. Apparently, the phishers had changed my password blocking me from my own account. Eventually, I managed to get to a Twitter help screen to submit a form to change my password. Of course, that meant changing it for several other sites, too. And, just to be safe I changed the password on my Google account so this blog couldn't be hijacked or spammed. Next, after about half a dozen attempts I managed to deactivate my Twitter account. The hope is by changing passwords and closing down the account for awhile, the computer that was flooding the world with my name would go somewhere else. I also deactivated all third party apps that interacted with Twitter.
Perhaps you are wondering why don't I just move on and forget Twitter? Simple: promotion. Twitter is an important source of traffic to satisfying retirement blog. I use it to promote new and old posts on this blog. I take interesting articles from my two daily e-newspapers and provide links. I exchange tweets with followers. So, while I can live without it, losing Twitter would hurt my blog's growth.
Update: After waiting several days, I reactivated my account. So far, so good. But, I will never again click on a link that appears in a direct message...too much spam and too easy to compromise my account.
What to do if this happens to you:
- Change your twitter password
- Revoke all third party apps
- Tweet apologies to all followers
- Tweet specific message to be on lookout for
- If this doesn't send the spammer packing, deactivate your account (have up to 30 days to restart without losing followers and Twitter name)
- Wish the spammer a painful and near-fatal skin condition
How about you? Ever been hacked, or password stolen? Ever had anyone mess with your on-line bill paying? Share your experiences and what the outcome was. We can all learn from each other.
February 24, 2012
Our Health: The Concerns That Keep Us Awake At Night
As you are well aware, right behind financial concerns and questions, health is something that all of us think about as we attempt to navigate the sometimes choppy waters of a satisfying retirement lifestyle. While a cliché, the statement, "if you don't have your health you don't have anything," is absolutely true. By health I'm not talking about maintaining the energy and flexibility, eye sight and strength that you had at 30 or 40. Rather, in our context being healthy means being able to care for ourselves, enjoy friends and family, engage in physical activities appropriate to our age, and learn to manage the pains and limitations that are part of aging.
Because I am not a doctor (if I were I would have better health care!) I am not prepared to suggest how you can live well as long as possible. What I am good at is locating web sites that will give you additional information or ways to learn more, if that disease and infirmity is one you want to know more about.
I have found lists of the major health concerns of older folks. They are remarkably similar so I trust they have captured the top-of-mind topics that might be important to you. After each, I will provide some links to web sites that can give more more information. At the end, I will provide some links to previous articles I have written that you may have missed.
I wish God had decided to design our bodies so we stay fit and healthy until the second we drop dead. But, that isn't how it works, so here are our top health worries:
#1 on all lists is heart health. The most common condition for those over 65 is some type of heart problem. We know about the negative effects of smoking, lack of exercise, or being over weight. But, what are some of the signals of problems and what can we do?
Next on the list of concerns is a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, "A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. There are different severities of strokes, some leaving no permanent damage, others just some weakness, while major strokes affect one's ability to speak or move.
Cancer is a disease virtually all of us have some personal contact with, either because of family or friends. In particular, female breast cancer is a high profile concern, while males die way too often from prostate cancer. The number of sites that deal with cancer in all its various forms number in the millions. Here are just a few to help you get started in your own investigation.
Pneumonia and Flu are certainly not restricted to older folks. But, the consequences tend to be more severe. In fact, pneumonia is the fifth highest killer of those over 65. Since seniors tend to have more lung problems it is often hard to diagnose pneumonia until it is advanced.
Falls and accidents around the home. Simple falls or accidents that would have no long term effect on a younger person can prove fatal to someone older. Not only does it take longer for an injury to heal, but too often other complications like pneumonia occur because of the extended time spent lying in a bed. Osteoporosis creates brittle bones that may never heal properly.
Eye issues, like macular degeneration and cataracts. This is an area of health concerns that strikes a real chord with me. My mom began to lose her sight to wet MD about 3 years before her death. Aggressive treatments with shots did not help. Within 18 months she could only tell light from dark. As a life-long teacher and reader, losing her sight was very difficult for her. It directly contributed to her falling, breaking her leg, and forcing her to spend the last year and a half of her life in a hospital and nursing care center. Personally, I believe Macular Degeneration shortened her life by several years and destroyed the quality of the time she had left.
Unfortunately, I have only begun to scratch the surface of health issues that affect us. I'll save a similar post for links that deal with Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Dementia and Alzheimer's, and depression. These are not cherry subjects nor ones that most of us want to spend much time with. Unfortunately, that is part of the problem. Education and awareness helps both the senior having issues and the caregivers trying to protect that person's quality of life as much as possible.
Related Posts
Because I am not a doctor (if I were I would have better health care!) I am not prepared to suggest how you can live well as long as possible. What I am good at is locating web sites that will give you additional information or ways to learn more, if that disease and infirmity is one you want to know more about.
I have found lists of the major health concerns of older folks. They are remarkably similar so I trust they have captured the top-of-mind topics that might be important to you. After each, I will provide some links to web sites that can give more more information. At the end, I will provide some links to previous articles I have written that you may have missed.
I wish God had decided to design our bodies so we stay fit and healthy until the second we drop dead. But, that isn't how it works, so here are our top health worries:
#1 on all lists is heart health. The most common condition for those over 65 is some type of heart problem. We know about the negative effects of smoking, lack of exercise, or being over weight. But, what are some of the signals of problems and what can we do?
- Heart Disease Risk factors and Awareness for Seniors
- How the Heart Grows Old
- Congestive Heart Failure
- Heart Disease in Seniors
- Exercise to Help Your heart
- Healthy Heart Exercises After Retirement
Next on the list of concerns is a stroke. According to the National Stroke Association, "A stroke or "brain attack" occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery (a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to the body) or a blood vessel (a tube through which the blood moves through the body) breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When either of these things happen, brain cells begin to die and brain damage occurs. When brain cells die during a stroke, abilities controlled by that area of the brain are lost. There are different severities of strokes, some leaving no permanent damage, others just some weakness, while major strokes affect one's ability to speak or move.
- Warning Signs of a Stroke
- Recognizing a Deadly Stroke
- How to help Care for A Stroke Victim
- Recovery From a Stroke
Cancer is a disease virtually all of us have some personal contact with, either because of family or friends. In particular, female breast cancer is a high profile concern, while males die way too often from prostate cancer. The number of sites that deal with cancer in all its various forms number in the millions. Here are just a few to help you get started in your own investigation.
- Live Strong Organization
- National Cancer Institute
- Cancer Information Network
- American Cancer Society
- Living With Cancer
Pneumonia and Flu are certainly not restricted to older folks. But, the consequences tend to be more severe. In fact, pneumonia is the fifth highest killer of those over 65. Since seniors tend to have more lung problems it is often hard to diagnose pneumonia until it is advanced.
- Signs and Symptoms of Pneumonia in the Elderly
- Too Few Seniors Are Immunized Against Pneumonia
- Caring For Those with Pneumonia
Falls and accidents around the home. Simple falls or accidents that would have no long term effect on a younger person can prove fatal to someone older. Not only does it take longer for an injury to heal, but too often other complications like pneumonia occur because of the extended time spent lying in a bed. Osteoporosis creates brittle bones that may never heal properly.
- Falls and Accidents: How to Care For and help prevent
- Accident-Proofing Bathrooms
- Accident Prevention for Seniors
Eye issues, like macular degeneration and cataracts. This is an area of health concerns that strikes a real chord with me. My mom began to lose her sight to wet MD about 3 years before her death. Aggressive treatments with shots did not help. Within 18 months she could only tell light from dark. As a life-long teacher and reader, losing her sight was very difficult for her. It directly contributed to her falling, breaking her leg, and forcing her to spend the last year and a half of her life in a hospital and nursing care center. Personally, I believe Macular Degeneration shortened her life by several years and destroyed the quality of the time she had left.
- Macular Degeneration Articles
- Warning Signs of Senior Eye Disease
- Senior Eye Care
- Senior Eye Health
- 10 Tips To protect Your Vision
Unfortunately, I have only begun to scratch the surface of health issues that affect us. I'll save a similar post for links that deal with Diabetes, Osteoporosis, Dementia and Alzheimer's, and depression. These are not cherry subjects nor ones that most of us want to spend much time with. Unfortunately, that is part of the problem. Education and awareness helps both the senior having issues and the caregivers trying to protect that person's quality of life as much as possible.
Related Posts
February 22, 2012
Adjusting to Retirement: Being Together Full Time
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| The goal..but it takes work |
Figures that specify the divorce rate among retired folks are a little hard to come by. But, for married people over 50, the divorce rate has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Some lawyers report up to 25% of their clients are men and women over 65. Certainly there are lots of reasons for a marriage to end. But, severe strain on a relationship can occur when at-home routines are disturbed by a newly retired spouse. Also, the reason for retiring can affect what happens at home. Being forced from work leaves a much different taste in one's mouth than voluntarily ending employment at a particular job.
Some of the problems that often arise when a newly-retired spouse is suddenly home full-time are well documented:
- The retiree has lost a major source of self-identity. Especially for men, so much of who we are is defined by our job. When that ends there is a shock to the ego and we can feel cut off from society. Men have to find a new way to define themselves outside of work or activities.
- When the blush of sleeping late wears off, there is the realization of diminished income. Suddenly, expenses that were not questioned can become points of argument.
- Seeing your spouse all day, everyday, can quickly wear thin, if the partners do not have a healthy relationship. . After building parallel lifestyles for decades, their time is suddenly shared with just one other person. Folks discover they have little in common and very little to talk about.
Dr. Larry Anderson wrote a personal look at his impending retirement in the on-line magazine, IMPOWERAGE, and made a point that I discovered in doing some basic research for this post.:"there has been much less investigation of women’s retirement experience. It is reported that, as working couples age, men report greater marital satisfaction than women. Comparing men and women’s retirement is somewhat like comparing apples and oranges. For instance, women are more likely to work part time. Women may have more interests outside of work and thus have less of an adjustment when retiring."
I would speculate that younger generations will produce more meaningful data in this regard. As women continue to be a significant part (if not the majority) of the work force, there will be instances when the husband has retired and is at home, while his wife continues to remain employed. When she stops working, how will the dynamics change?
What Others Are Saying
The good news is there are definite actions that can be taken before things reach such a critical state.
Communicate Openly. Communication both before and after retirement is essential. Guys are generally less likely to want to "talk," but in this case self-interest dictates that they do. It is important that couples discuss
their expectations for retirement from a personal perspective, such as interests, goals, even long range goals. In addition, discussions from the couple's point of view are just as critical. What activities will be shared, what goals are the same, even intimacy issues.
Setting Boundaries. We all have different needs for "alone" and "together" time. To ignore that reality is harmful to the relationship. There must be a balance between "separateness" (personal privacy, pursuing individual hobbies, spending time with friends) and "togetherness" (participating in joint activities and socializing as a couple).
Don't forget to discuss time spent with family and friends, both his and hers. Women tend to have a stronger social circle of female friends while guys don't. Men can get jealous if his wife is busy with friend activities while he sits at home.
Obviously, that is his problem to solve by making friends, taking on new activities, and building an interesting life outside the home. But, just because he is the one with the friend deficit doesn't mean both partners shouldn't discuss the issue.
Prepare for the loss of how you have defined yourself. The end of work can lead to feelings of depression, or of being worthless. Couples need to recognize this can be a serious problem. Working together to help each other feel a sense of fulfillment through other activities is important. This is where hobbies, interests outside the home, volunteering, or discovering a new passion become so important.
Designate household tasks. This is one of the biggies. Deciding the role of each partner in keeping a household functioning more important than many couples realize. A common source of conflict for retired couples involves the division of labor in the home. Will the division of chores that existed before retirement still work? Will the retired spouse be expected to divide tasks more equally? This needs to be discussed. Making assumptions can spell big trouble.
The number one complaint from women whose husbands have retired falls into this category. Assuming they operated with a "traditional" division of chores before retirement, the wife gets unhappy very quickly when suddenly she is expected to prepare three meals a day, plus do the shopping, laundry, and housecleaning like she did when he was gone 8 hours a day. Hubby is perceived to be expecting to waited on hand and foot as a just reward for working all those years.
That attitude will not fly. Younger men are much better at handling their fair share of the chores even before retirement. But, for some reason social expectations are that the female continues to be responsible for the "inside" stuff while the man will take care of maintenance and outside chores. The problem is obvious: there isn't nearly as much "outside" work on a daily basis. Plus, as we age we are more likely to hire someone to do repair and maintenance chores, so the husband's responsibilities disappear.
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| Not me, but you get the idea |
There is a lot of information and feedback about women and the adjustment to retirement. I'd like to hear from those who are already facing this situation, or have it coming up soon. What are your fears and plans?
Guys, there is very little about all of this from the man's perspective. You could help communication between the sexes tremendously by chiming in. Remain anonymous if you want to, but let us know how you propose to deal with these issues.
February 20, 2012
Senior Security: Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones With These Simple Hints
Did I forget to cover an important topic? The post of a few days ago, What's Best: Aging in Place or a Retirement Community, provided several links to resources to help you decide what might be best for your satisfying retirement living decision. But one topic that was not addressed is the issue of security for seniors. Home invasions, burglaries, robberies, and other crimes are not restricted to older folks. But, news reports make it clear we are usually easier targets.
We are more likely to open a door when someone rings the bell. We are more trusting of a "repair person" who says he is checking for some type of utility issue in the neighborhood. Often our homes are older, meaning the locks may be less secure and the windows harder to lock. Forgetting to close the garage door is not uncommon.
The bottom line comes down to security for you and your property. Here are a some common sense steps you can take to protect yourself in your home:
*Spend some time walking around your home, both inside and out. Where are places someone could gain access (doors, windows, sliding patio doors). What type of security devices are installed now? What might need to be upgraded?
* Are your front and rear door areas well lit at night? Criminals love dark places.
*If mobility is a problem for you, consider installing exterior cameras so you can see what is going on outside your home or who is at the front door. If your budget is too tight, consider installing a camera that isn't actually hooked up to anything. Bad people don't know that and will shy away from homes with cameras.
*All exterior doors should have strong dead bolt locks. Almost any key lock can be picked, but properly installed dead bolts will keep away all but the most determined thieves.
*If you have a large doggy door you have a large hole in the side of your home. It may not be convenient, but sliding a locking panel down at night is a step you should consider. Also, don't forget to have a good lock on the door into the home from the garage. If you leave the garage door up or someone gains entry, that is an open passage into your house.
* Windows should have solid locks as well. If your windows slide open and closed, simple channel thumb locks are available at any hardware store.
* A peep hole in your front door should be installed if there is no way to see who is at the door. Never, ever open a door if you don't know who is on the other side.
*Have a can of pepper-spray by each door. If you have any question about who you are opening to door to, have the can in your hand for quick use.
* Keep window shades or blinds down at night. Don't keep large quantities of cash at home and store all valuable papers in a safety deposit box at your bank. If you have guns, keep them securely locked and out of sight.
For many folks the wisest course is to install a home security system. These can be basic and effective with alarms rigged to your doors and windows. For more protection, you can add motion detectors and even alarms that tell you if a water heater or clothes washer is spewing water all over the floor. One caution: pick a company with a good reputation that provides constant monitoring. The false security you have from a company that lets you down when you most need it isn't worth saving a few dollars a month.
As we age, health concerns become more important, and potentially more dangerous. An alarm that you wear around your neck or as a watch can be triggered by you if you fall or hurt yourself and can't get to a phone. Much like the home security systems, pushing the button summons help to you when you might need it to save your life. The costs are very reasonable.
As more of us stay in our homes for as long as possible, our safety and security takes on more importance. The hints and ideas presented here are basic steps most anyone can take. Obviously there is no guarantee that you can completely keep yourself from being a victim of a crime no matter how many locks you install. But, being proactive, assessing your situation, and doing what you can to make your home environment as uncomfortable as possible to criminals, makes it that much more comfortable for those who live inside.
Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, in part, by the home security company, ADT . I have been a customer of theirs in the past. Luckily, I never had to use the system due to a break-in, but I did feel much safer when I had to be away from my family for business travel over 150 days a year.
Whether you avail yourself of their services or not, security and protection are things that cannot be ignored. Take the time to do something today to protect you and your loved ones. I want you to stay a reader of satisfying retirement for years to come.
We are more likely to open a door when someone rings the bell. We are more trusting of a "repair person" who says he is checking for some type of utility issue in the neighborhood. Often our homes are older, meaning the locks may be less secure and the windows harder to lock. Forgetting to close the garage door is not uncommon.
The bottom line comes down to security for you and your property. Here are a some common sense steps you can take to protect yourself in your home:
*Spend some time walking around your home, both inside and out. Where are places someone could gain access (doors, windows, sliding patio doors). What type of security devices are installed now? What might need to be upgraded?
* Are your front and rear door areas well lit at night? Criminals love dark places.
*If mobility is a problem for you, consider installing exterior cameras so you can see what is going on outside your home or who is at the front door. If your budget is too tight, consider installing a camera that isn't actually hooked up to anything. Bad people don't know that and will shy away from homes with cameras.
*All exterior doors should have strong dead bolt locks. Almost any key lock can be picked, but properly installed dead bolts will keep away all but the most determined thieves.
*If you have a large doggy door you have a large hole in the side of your home. It may not be convenient, but sliding a locking panel down at night is a step you should consider. Also, don't forget to have a good lock on the door into the home from the garage. If you leave the garage door up or someone gains entry, that is an open passage into your house.
* Windows should have solid locks as well. If your windows slide open and closed, simple channel thumb locks are available at any hardware store.
* A peep hole in your front door should be installed if there is no way to see who is at the door. Never, ever open a door if you don't know who is on the other side.
*Have a can of pepper-spray by each door. If you have any question about who you are opening to door to, have the can in your hand for quick use.
* Keep window shades or blinds down at night. Don't keep large quantities of cash at home and store all valuable papers in a safety deposit box at your bank. If you have guns, keep them securely locked and out of sight.
For many folks the wisest course is to install a home security system. These can be basic and effective with alarms rigged to your doors and windows. For more protection, you can add motion detectors and even alarms that tell you if a water heater or clothes washer is spewing water all over the floor. One caution: pick a company with a good reputation that provides constant monitoring. The false security you have from a company that lets you down when you most need it isn't worth saving a few dollars a month.
As we age, health concerns become more important, and potentially more dangerous. An alarm that you wear around your neck or as a watch can be triggered by you if you fall or hurt yourself and can't get to a phone. Much like the home security systems, pushing the button summons help to you when you might need it to save your life. The costs are very reasonable.
As more of us stay in our homes for as long as possible, our safety and security takes on more importance. The hints and ideas presented here are basic steps most anyone can take. Obviously there is no guarantee that you can completely keep yourself from being a victim of a crime no matter how many locks you install. But, being proactive, assessing your situation, and doing what you can to make your home environment as uncomfortable as possible to criminals, makes it that much more comfortable for those who live inside.
Disclaimer: I was compensated for this post, in part, by the home security company, ADT . I have been a customer of theirs in the past. Luckily, I never had to use the system due to a break-in, but I did feel much safer when I had to be away from my family for business travel over 150 days a year.
Whether you avail yourself of their services or not, security and protection are things that cannot be ignored. Take the time to do something today to protect you and your loved ones. I want you to stay a reader of satisfying retirement for years to come.
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