Activities in Your Community For Seniors

 

This past week, I attended so many group activities, I felt like I was on a cruise ship!  There is a wealth of opportunities available.  I realized that people who move to assisted living could save a lot of money by keeping their residence and attending classes at senior centers, community centers, and online groups.  Prices at those places are very reasonable.

I know in my case, I am very attached to my home and garden, and  have no plans of selling and moving.    It takes time for fruit trees to mature and produce, rose bushes to spread out and develop, and  to make your house a reflection of your personality.

In the last seven days, I played ping pong at two different locations, went to a senior gym four times, met up with enthusiastic knitters at three different places, took a group singing class, and performed with the same over fifty-five group onstage.  The whirlwind was busy and exciting, but a little exhausting.  Next time I will pace myself.

Do you attend any group activities with friends?

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Small Cottages in Norway

 

I was so impressed with the simplicity of Norway.  The small, sweet, neat and clean homes had lovely gardens.  

The curtains in the windows and potted flowers make the entrance to this cottage look so welcoming.

Of course, being nestled among these waterfalls makes for spectacular sound effects.  The negative ions in that area are so powerful.  It was a very healing setting. 

After a glorious hike, we headed back to our home, The Norwegian Prima.

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Baking Cream Scones

 

Today I tried a King Arthur recipe for cream scones.  It was a much easier one to make, than others I’ve sampled. Theresults were fantastic!  You don’t need to cut in butter, mix eggs with cream, or any of the other American techniques. (that I found in Martha Stewart’s recipes.)

This version makes twelve scones, so I plan to roll out the second half of the dough and store the triangles in the fridge.  First I will brush them with heavy cream and then sprinkle them with sugar.  They baked up nicely in my vintage toaster oven.  I served the, with strawberry rhubarb jam.  Heaven!

As a child I thought I didn’t like scones.  The ones that our San Mateo bakery sold were huge, dry, crumbly, and stale. 

I finally tasted scrumptious scones after fifty at The Simpson House Inn, and then again at Hotel  41 in London.  Enjoying them at the cottage, out on the front porch makes me feel like I am on vacation.  What are you baking?

Do You Sleep Well?

 

One of the top difficulties that many seniors face is that they have trouble sleeping.  Before I had my hips replaced, I was one of those people.  I would dread going to bed, because I knew that the pain radiating down my legs would increase.  If someone or something woke me in the night, I would feel enraged, because it was so difficult to get back to sleep, or to get any sleep.  This sets up a vicious cycle.

Thankfully, I now fall quickly into a deep slumber after heading to bed.  It is such a relief to be pain free and to experience the peaceful, healing qualities of deep sleep. It is restorative and rejuvenating.

These fresh flowers are something I started splurging on in the last year.  I showcase them in  vintage crystal vases the previous owner left at the cabin..   I buy the bulbs from a local woman in Wrightwood.  I also grow tulips, daffodils. and irises of my own.  They are so lovely to enjoy while living life inside the cottage.

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Keeping Your Cottage Instead of Moving Into Assisted Living

 

Time and time again, seniors are encouraged to sell their homes, downsize, and move into assisted living.  Is this the right advice for you?  In my case, it isn't.  Not everyone has the personality to live in those types of situations.  You need to really like being in groups.  Some senior living homeowners  report problems with residents who drink too much, are inconsiderate, and won't follow the rules.  

My parents both spent their final days in their home. They owned a gorgeous Spanish style house that they had taken impeccable care of, restoring it lovingly and nurturing the vibrant garden.  They could afford help in their later years.  A housekeeper came every couple of weeks and took care of the cleaning.  My dad eventually hired a gardener to manage the front and backyard when he was in his early eighties.  He took care of all the plants until that time.  He was very proud of how lush and healthy the front and backyard looked.  

As a person who likes one on one time and privacy, I don't think I would feel comfortable in assisted living.  I like my privacy, spend much of my time on this porch, and I would miss my garden.  I love watching the alpacas frolic on the hillside, observing the bees and butterflies, and seeing the color of the sky shift and change at night.

 Each of the plants I picked out myself and planted.  The soil was clay when I bought the bungalow.  I amended it regularly with straw and compost over the years so that it would support the flowers, trees, herbs and wildlife.

Do you plan on moving in retirement, or will you stay where you are?

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Using Your Time Wisely in Retirement

 

One thing I commonly hear from people nearing retirement is that they don't know what they will do all day!   Many of them identify strongly with their work/career role.    They worry that once that form of expression ends, they will be bored, lonely and have endless hours stretching out in front of them each day.  They imagine a depressed and lonely existence. 

I have found the exact opposite to be true.  With so many hobbies, in addition to the responsibility of taking care of my home and garden, I find that it's difficult to fit in everything I want to do in twenty-four hours.   Each day in retirement for me is full and busy. 

I love to be outside with my dogs on our gorgeous, sunny California hiking trails.  The shot above is taken on a long walk that I took last week in Agua Dulce.  That is the famous Pacific Crest Trail.  The damp caves, sparkling stream, and flagstone staircase made the journey feel enchanting. Parts of the landscape are rocky, stark and memorable.  Vasquez Rocks in pictured in the background. 

Although in the past few years I took some magnificent trips to Europe, in 2023, I have stayed home.  The plans I carefully made to visit the Panama Canal, London, and the British Isles collapsed, because all three of my flights were canceled.  That disappointment dampened my excitement.  I lost the passion, due to not trusting in the airlines, travel insurance carriers, and other merchants.  There is so much to do close to my home, so I have been kayaking at our local lakes, paddling in the ocean, and biking on the bike trails and through our neighborhood. 

You don't have to sit in front of the tv and veg out as you age.  If you stick to a routine, you can enjoy making delicious meals, get in your daily exercise, grow a lush garden, and take care of your home and pets.  I savor watching my favorite television shows and documentaries on Netflix and Max each evening.  For many of my lean years I didn't have tv, so now it feels like a real treat.  I definitely get my money's worth from the two streaming services I have.  

Retirement is what you make it.  If you fill it with things that you love to do, it can be a rewarding and fantastic time. 

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Roses in Retirement

 

I have been letting the roses grow wild in front of my cottage.  One bush is now five feet tall.  They seem to love to expand and reach toward the sunlight.  As the saying goes, "Roses love to be on display." 

Although roses appear to be expensive in the nurseries, I have found that they are well worth the investment.  They provide, beauty, grace and fragrance.  As they age, the plants as a whole become stronger, and their stalks thicken.  

You can cut them to enjoy in a crystal vase in your home, and you don't need to hire an expensive tree trimmer to keep the pruned.  If you deadhead them regularly, they will reward you with constant blooms during the warm weather.

For those who own cottages, roses are a classic plant to show off in your front garden.  They attract so much attention and admiration.

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Gardening Chores and Gorgeous Flowers

 

We had some snow in this month up at the cabin.  I was worried about my tulips and daffodils, but they did just fine, and are still standing tall and proud.  I love seeing the bulbs push through the soil in Spring.  Soon the purple Lilacs will be in full bloom.  Their fragrance is intoxicating!  They grow wild in our area.

Today I met with a man who owns a tree service.  His crew will trim a few of my trees to prepare for the warmer weather.  He told me, "We will make it look very nice."   I can tell that they will, and am excited to get it all done.  I pulled weeds last week and filled two large green waste bins.  I still have more work to do, but the most difficult portions are finished.  

Have you been puttering around in your garden?  What's in bloom?

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The Daffodils are in Bloom

 

Yesterday I dragged the hose up the mountain and watered the irises, tulips, daffodils, roses and herbs.  I fed the flowers some organic Tiger Bloom plant food, hoping to help them along from the snowy winter we experienced.  This morning I was pleasantly surprised to see the daffodils had sprung open and were vibrantly colored.  Plants are so responsive to care.

I charged the weed whacker and got a head start on the grassy areas, before they become overgrown.  My machine uses an electric cartridge.  The power lasts about forty-five minutes.  I will continue to work the land in pieces until the weeding is finished.  

It's thrilling and rewarding to see the first flowers of the season.  Spring is really here.  The birds have been zooming around in pairs.  The juveniles are taking dust baths and building nests.  They seem excited and energetic.  The robins have been eating worms and bugs from the soil.  I get the sense that they feel safe and secure here, with all of the trees, food, and shelter.  

How was your weekend?

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The Grinch and the Garden

 

I found this set of Christmas characters from The Grinch Who Stole Christmas today.  Aren't they cute?  I adored that movie as a child, still do.   I have been singing the songs from it all afternoon.  What a brilliant piece of art it was, and so funny...

I have roses opening in December!  I think it's because I didn't prune back them for winter.  I'm hoping they will become huge.  We have had some nice rain, too.  The soil is rich and healthy, thanks to the straw mulch.  I love roses...they are the perfect flower to have in a cottage garden.  They make my heart sing.

The Algerian Tangerine tree is loaded with fruit.  Each year it gets bigger and stronger.  Eventually it will be three times this size.  In the early days, many of the homes in Southern California had fruit trees in the front yards.  Green lawns then came into fashion, but that has changed, with the drought.  There are a lot of squirming earthworms in this soil,  When I first bought the house, the front yard was hard, red clay and tangled bermuda grass.   It is rewarding to see the growth and improvement.  The tangerines are a bit small, but they taste delicious.  We are expecting rain, so that will help them to become bigger and jucier.

How is your garden right now?  Are you growing any food?

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Bulbs Are in Bloom

 

On Saturday I was happily surprised to receive two bouquets of gorgeous tulips from hollandridgefarms.com.  I wasn't expecting them.  I had started to place an order on their website for peonies, and then canceled it.  (once I realized that you need to order those in the fall.)  I will go back and reorder.  These bulbs are spectacular!  I am eagerly waiting for them to open and bloom.  I have been changing the water in their crystal vase each day.  They sent me both yellow and red ones...my two favorite colors when I was a little girl.  How thoughtful of them.  (and a smart business move.)

Many people are relaxing their Covid restrictions here, but I am still being very careful.  I shop for groceries at 6:00 or 7:00 a.m., and spend a lot of time bicycling, walking, and hiking.  I turned down a recent invitation to a fantastic party in Las Vegas.  I would love to connect with my friends, but I just don't feel like it's safe yet.  Patience is a virtue.  I chat with my close friends on the phone, and keep in touch with others online.  I don't feel comfortable getting the vaccine at this time.  I plan to wait a year.

Spring is definitely here.  I have been feeding the fruit trees homemade compost, added a layer of mulch, and have been giving them plenty of water.  They really respond to the care.

Lula and I have also been soaking up the sunlight and vitamin D.  It really makes a difference in how you feel, I think.  Is it sunny right now where you live?

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Baby Chili Peppers and Other Garden Treasures

feverfew, a fairy plant

This morning I cut back some of the plants in my garden that had gotten a bit wild.  I trimmed the red rose geraniums, pruned the locust tree and snipped off the dead feverfew flowers. 

the sunflowers are getting strong and tall

All of that is now piled on the compost heap.  I dug a hole in the middle of it and dropped in my melon rinds, coffee grounds, carrots peels and other produce discards that I had collected in a tupperware container.  I really think that compost and mulch makes a huge difference in the garden.  Everything is so green!

I went searching for a small chili pepper plant that I put in the ground last month.  At first I thought that the rabbits had chewed it to the ground.  But then, hiding behind the four o'clocks, I found it!  I was amazed to see that some tiny fruits had formed.  They are so special.  I love their shape.  I am thrilled. 

There is something magical about growing a variety of food that you have never grown.  It brings out the child in us.

How is your garden doing?  (if you have one.)

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Finally! Success With Tomatoes

there are over fifteen tomatoes on this one compact plant

 
This is the first time in twenty years of gardening that I have had an abundance of fruit appear  on a tomato plant.  As the joke goes, I was one of those hopeful gardeners that grew a single, $14.00 tomato.  It always depressed me, and I didn't know why I had such a difficult time with this popular plant. 

After a few attempts, I stopped trying.  I stuck to growing things that  did well: hollyhocks, pumpkins, citrus, zucchini and herbs.  Deep down, though, I still really longed to grow tomatoes, like the ones in Italy.  I don't even know the name of this variety.  I threw away the tag after planting it, assuming I would fail again.  I bought it at the Tractor Supply shop, right after the virus hit.  This, a single pepper plant, several packets of organic Seeds of Change vegetable seeds and seven more fruit trees. 

I think part of the reason my three rose bushes  and lone tomato plant did well this year is that I piled  straw mulch on the soil before the rain.  It attracted loads of red wiggler worms.  I have fed the plants compost tea once a week, and reapplied the straw mulch after it decreased.  It keeps the soil cool and moist. 

healthy green leaves and sunlight

Sometimes when you least expect it, what you've wanted will creep up on you, unexpected.  It took me years and years to break into some of the shows that I really had a desire to do.  I continued to audition, and didn't give up.  When the timing is right, things happen easily.   Your heart's desire can come true.  Sometimes it's the little things that bring us the most contentment and sense of reward.  Do you grow tomatoes?

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A Tiny Garden In The Mountains

the Jeffrey Pines smell like vanilla

I planted a miniature garden last week, up at the cabin.  It's a petite rectangle, which I encircled with pine cones.   A few of my neighbors have noticed it, and commented that it looks pretty.  I wanted something simple and natural for people to see when they walked by, or rode their bikes.  I brought  up a couple of my mom's animal figurines from her old house.  They really work well with the trees.  The seller left behind a ceramic duck that I added, too.  I love the old, majestic oaks.  They are so wise and ancient. 

I dug up and relocated some of the irises that had multiplied at the pink cottage.  I transplanted several lilac seedlings that were sprouting underneath the deck.  I also bought a couple of six packs of hollyhocks, and spaced them wide, since they will get huge.

one of my neighbor's gardens

I plan to add geraniums, sage, oregano, lemon thyme and cilantro.  I chose plants that need very little water, since I have to lug it up the hill.  I may buy a long extension hose.  How's your garden doing?

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The Rhubarb Is Teeming With Life!

As some of you know, I have tried to grow rhubarb in the past, but without success.  I've always wanted to grow it.  It's not easy in our climate.  This year, the stalks are starting to swell, and it is nearly ready to harvest.  I am thrilled.  You have to wait for two years in order for the plant to develop the size and vigor it needs.  The first year they are kind of spindly.  They look like celery. 

the smaller ones on the right are new growth

I put these bulbs in last winter.  Because we've had a wonderful rainy season, the plant seems much happier is very vibrant.  Fortunately, the temperatures haven't been too high.   I feed it homemade compost tea, and  mulch it with straw.  The red wiggler worms have done an excellent job of nourishing the soil. 

a nearby apple tree in full bloom

It looks like I will be able to bake a rhubarb crisp in the near future.  It is usually very expensive in our grocery stores, so I am super excited to finally be able to produce it.  Have you tried planting rhubarb?

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Riding Your Bicycle In The Mountains

I have been really enjoying the new bike rack.  It's exciting to load  and head off to different locations.  It's so much safer than having to ride on a highway or through a busy, high traffic area.  Although right now, there are very few cars out on the road. 

these 15 foot tall lilacs are blooming in my garden

The lilacs are in bloom everywhere.  I love them.  Their gorgeous hues of purple, lavender  and white catch my eye as I walk Lula through our tree lined neighborhood.  Their heady fragrance is divine.  I picked a bouquet and placed them in a crystal vase that the seller had kindly left behind in the kitchen cupboard.  They smell heavenly.

The snow has melted, and the earth is warm.  Families are busy planting their gardens.  I love seeing the children connecting with nature and learning to grow their own food.  Vegetable and flower seedlings are flying off the shelves! 

How is the weather where you live?  Have you been spending more time outside? 

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A Day of Sunshine, Friendship, and Working in the Garden

the first pomegranate bud

This morning, as I was digging up weeds around the fruit trees, my phone rang.  I  plopped the purple flowers into the green waste bin, and shut the lid.  I fished my phone  out of my apron pocket, and saw  that it was my friend Mark from New York!  We often sit and chat for a long time on Sunday mornings.  He asked if I was having coffee.  I explained that I was gardening, and told him that I would go grab a cup.   I put down my shovel, and raced into the kitchen to retrieve the mug of French press coffee that I had chilling in the fridge.  I love to have my third cup of coffee cold this time of year.  Settling into the porch swing, I asked him how things were going.

This rose is difficult to photograph, because it tends to glow-I love the green foliage

We caught up since our last conversation, talked about how our lives have been adjusting to these new shelter in place times, our families, our stocks, and our plans.  It's so healing to have old friends who know you so well.  I always feel better after I talk with him.  

aloe vera patch in bloom

Later on, I cut some blooms from my rose bushes and put them in vases with fresh greenery.  It's inspiring to glance at them when I walk through the bedroom or use the bathroom.  I have always wanted a cutting garden.  The new rose bushes are producing like mad.  It's a dream come true.

What's happening with you?

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California Poppies, Celery, Pink Roses, and More Garden Photos

I have some more photos of the garden for you.  The picture above captures the  bright orange of my patch of California poppies.  I save the seeds every year and spread them in the ground.  If we have rain, they come back each spring.  They are so easy to grow here!

This celery plant I rooted from the base of a bunch that I got from the co-op.  I set it in water for about a week, changing the water each day.  It looks like it's pretty happy.  We will see it it regrows...

My pink roses make my heart melt.  I thought that I couldn't grow roses.  I gave up on them for fifteen years.  Then I decided to try planting them in the ground instead of in pots.  I stopped trimming them and fussing over them.  What a difference!

They go through different stages of color.  I find their energy to be so spiritual and uplifting.  I love to sit outside and bask in their beauty.

The bearded irises are almost finished blooming.  They come all the way up to my shoulder this year!

This is the backyard.  All of the green spots are weeds that I am removing each day.  I have my work cut out for me. I use a shovel and they come up easily.  In time, this will be a forest of fruit trees...

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