Menopausal Mother

Several years ago when I was walking a 7-mile track regularly, I started to experience uncomfortable foot pain, mostly in the arch of my right foot. Turns out I developed what my doctor diagnosed as plantar fasciitis. He suggested I buy comfort insoles and a better pair of shoes with support to reduce the pain---and it worked! Within weeks I was on the track again, enjoying my morning walks. 

Many people my age (in their 60s) complain about the changes they've noticed in their feet, such as a widening of the foot width, bunions, or overpronation. These conditions can limit physical activity--something those of us past middle age need to do to stay heart healthy. This is why comfort insoles are beneficial for leading an active life. 

As it turns out, walking is one of the best forms of exercise for people 50 and older. It helps strengthen our muscles and bones and is also great for maintaining a healthy weight. Walking keeps our joints flexible and prevents both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. However, without proper shoes with supports, walking long distances may become difficult and cause increased foot pain. 

My husband experienced this recently. His job requires quite a bit of walking around a large, residential property where he works as an overseer, and recently, he started experiencing foot discomfort as well as knee pain. He was constantly limping and complaining, even after trying several medications, shoe inserts, and knee braces, but nothing helped. I finally convinced him that he needed to ditch the old shoes and buy special ones with comfort insoles made to decrease the pain of plantar fasciitis. Within the first week of wearing his new shoes, he felt relief, and by the second week, the knee pain had disappeared!

To me, it's a no-brainer. If you want to stay healthy by being physically active at any age, good shoes with comfort insoles are a must!

Disclaimer: Please know this partnership is between Responsival, and my blog, Menopausal Mother. 

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today there are three of us inviting you into our homes to see what a nosy fly might see if he was buzzing around our houses. 

The fly has seen me at my desk throughout most of the summer---thankfully, the assignments have been rolling in from AARP, and that helps me afford the abundance of seed I feed my outdoor "pet" squirrels (more on this squirrely insanity below). Fall is also a mellow, reflective time for me, my thoughts often turning to family, bittersweet memories, and loved ones I've lost. I am fortunate to have had the privilege of writing these sentimental thoughts in personal essays for AARP this month (see links below). It is always very cathartic for me to get this stuff out into the world, and in a way, it validates what I'm feeling when I read the reader's comments who share my perspective.

What cheers me up though is spending lots of time with the grandbabies, which I did this month, so heads-up--lots of grandkid photos in this post! 

Mac is also great at bringing humor into almost every situation, and this month's nosy fly overheard quite a few weird comments from my better half...... 

I've been feeding the squirrels for over 25 years, and I'm not about to stop anytime soon. If Mac keeps arguing with me about it, I've threatened to turn him into a human birdfeeder by strapping him into a chair, slathering him with peanut butter and covering him with seeds and nuts. Too much? 

Now if you'll excuse me, there's a squirrel knocking at the back door....I also need to find some duct tape and peanut butter....

By the way, we are HUGE KC Chief Fans, (and totally stoked about this season!) so of course.... I had to include a pic of us in our football attire. GO CHIEFS!!!

***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? It has been a VERY busy writing month! I LOVE this AARP/ Ethel personal essay about my mother cooking in the kitchen (including some of her recipes). You can read this lovely bit of nostalgia HERE Another heartfelt essay on AARP/Girlfriend about the loss of my sister---I'm especially proud of how this one turned out----You can read it HERE I also have a few food articles up---one on crock pot recipes at AARP/Girlfriend HERE  and another recipe article on the classic American burger over at AARP/Experience Counts, for you to read HERE My latest column for Yahoo Life focuses on the emotional side of retirement HERE And lastly, I also have a fun piece on why it's great to live in Florida, which you can read at AARP/Experience Counts HERE

Now go hop on over to Karen and Diane's houses to see what that naughty fly has been up to!

Baking In A Tornado                                https://www.BakingInATornado.com

                              

On the Border                                         https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

If you don't have life insurance yet, now is the time to consider it---and some companies offer instant life insurance! Signing up for it isn't as hard as you may think but it's crucial for your future. Why? It helps your family cover financial burdens after you are gone. These expenses include funeral costs, medical bills, or other outstanding debt such as a mortgage. Essentially, it replaces lost income for the surviving spouse and covers future living expenses. Knowing that your loved ones will be taken care of once you're gone will also give you peace of mind. 

There is a wide range of life insurance policies available, including instant life insurance, so it's important that you do your research before purchasing a plan that is right for you. First, look at your monthly income, expenses, and debts. Calculate what money you have left after monthly bills are paid to see what payment plan works best for your family. Secondly, decide on what type of coverage you need. For example, do you have a mortgage payment, a child's college education to pay, or a personal/business loan debt? Lastly, choose which type of policy will provide exactly what you need. 

Keep in mind that the older you are at the time of buying life insurance, the higher the premium. For this reason, you should consider purchasing a plan while in your 20s and still healthy--or by the time you have people dependent on you, such as a spouse and children. They are the reason you need life insurance---and some policies also cover funds to hire a caretaker if small children are involved. 

It's never too late to prepare for the unexpected. Consider speaking with a financial planner who can asses your situation for the most affordable policy. Once you find the perfect plan, you can rest easy knowing your family will be financially comfortable for years to come.

DISCLAIMER: Please know this partnership is between Responsival and my blog, Menopausal Mother. 

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today there are three of us inviting you into our homes to see what a nosy fly might see if he was buzzing around our houses. 

The fly is still sweltering over here in sunny south Florida and Lucy, our RV, is in resting mode while we wait out the hurricane season. Thankfully, summer is winding down, and pretty soon we'll start seeing fall decorations (pumkin spice, here I come!). But I can't complain---the past few months have been fun for us. We've been hanging out with friends, neighbors, and family whenever we can and making the most of our time together. 

But the best news is WE ARE EXPANDING OUR FAMILY!! My son Jared and his wife Kay are expecting another baby in February, and we are overjoyed! This will be grandbaby #5 for us. We have 2 girls and 2 boys.....what will this one be? I say keep 'em coming----one can never have too many grandbabies!

It's hard to believe that next week marks 13 years of blogging for me. Meno Mama has come a long way since that first blog post (and I'm pretty much over my menopause journey), but I thought you might get a kick out of reading that original blog posted on August 27, 2011. Here's the link: http://www.menopausalmom.com/2011/08/first-menopausal-moment.html  

I'm using photos from this beastly hot month to show you what the nosy fly watched us do while we were sweating and running up our A/C bill (plus eating way too much Heath Bar rum cake for Mac's 68th birthday celebration!):

***WANT MORE MENO MAMA? Check out my latest column for Yahoo Life on seniors and loneliness HERE Over at AARP/Experience Counts, read my latest article on exotic pet ownership HERE And then on AARP/The Girlfriend I have 2 foodie articles up---one on easy make-ahead meals that you can read HERE and another on what do make with leftover chicken HERE.

That's a wrap! Now go see what the fly has been up to at these houses: 

Baking In A Tornado                                https://www.BakingInATornado.com

                                

On the Border                                         https://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/

Everyone has always said that I am my mother's child due to our similarities---we have similar features, the same sense of humor, we both love cooking and we try to keep a positive attitude when life throws us curveballs. I'm sure many of you have heard the same about your own mothers. As the saying goes---like mother, like daughter! But this is not always the case, especially when it comes to menopause and the phase right before menopause, known as perimenopause. With menopause, there's a good chance that you might be dancing to the beat of a different drummer since no two women experience (or adapt to) menopause symptoms in the exact same way.

Welcome to another edition of Fly On The Wall group blog postings hosted by Karen of Baking In A Tornado. Today there are three of us inviting you into our homes to see what a nosy fly might see if he was buzzing around.