Obama Care Questions

I have discovered there are many questions out there about Obama Care, how it will affect your current health care coverage and how it will affect your coverage if you are on Medicare. I want to help, please post your questions, I will find the answers to all of them and get back to you all with the facts, not someone's interpretation of the issue, but the facts. So please, post your question on the comments forum and give me a couple of days to research the answers.

Know that if you want to know the answer to something, thousands of others will have the same questions and will also benefit from the answers. So lets all learn together!

Funny Things We Are Taught

      I have thought about the things my mother taught me in my youth; and now as an adult I can look back with a new set of eyes and find some profound, some hysterical, and some useful. We have reasons why we believe some of these "important messages". I know in the case of one of my relatives, they were based on Traditions and Superstitions; in the case of a friend, his was based on Expediency; in my case, my mother felt it her duty to Instruct. 

      The useful instruction my mother gave me (just a tidbit of the whole encyclopedia of wisdom she bestowed on me) included the following;

• Never chew gum, it makes you look like a cow chewing it's udder! (this one is particularly true)
• Never put your elbows on the table while eating, you don't need to be propped up to eat!
• Never put your fingers in ANY orifice while in public. (enough said!)
• Knowing and using good manners and proper etiquette will make you comfortable in any situation. (I have used this throughout my life in countless arenas)
• Her FAVORITE EXPRESSION when you did something she didn't find proper; "That is rude, crude, and unrefined!"

      Some of the funny messages that were based on superstition delivered to relatives; 

• If you leave the bathroom door open when you take a bath you will get "Igre" (spelling ??) which translated means "a cold". 
• If you put your car keys on the table it is bad luck, really bad luck.
• If you put your purse on the floor you will lose all your money.
• If you sleep with your mouth open you will let in evil spirits at night. 

      The BEST one EVER was shared with me at church;

• When you hear the music playing on the Ice Cream Truck, it means they are OUT of ice cream!!!! 

      I couldn't stop laughing at this one. This father was sooo clever and I can only imagine how much money it saved him! What are some of the funny, instructional, or superstitious things your parents taught you?

Legacy of Love & Service

      My awesome mother was one of 12 children born to Charles and Clarissa Furse, both from England but met here in Utah. I LOVED my incredible grandparents for so many reasons it would take too much time to enumerate. However, you have to know they must have been near perfect to have raised 11 (one died as a baby) of the most delightful, charming, poised, well-mannered, respected and respectful people I have ever met. Each one of my Aunts and Uncles were special to me and had gifts and talents unique to them individually. Of the 11, no two were anywhere near being alike, that is what made them so perfect! My Grandmother taught her children perfect manners, perfect grammar, and courtesy and love for all. My Grandfather taught his children the value of hard work, the importance of Faith, and the priceless gift of integrity. My mother passed these valuable gifts on to each of us, thank you mom.

      As the years have passed, we have lost all but two; my Uncle Grant and my Aunt Betty. Both are wonderful and I have great memories of each, but today I am focused on my Uncle Grant since he is nearing the end of his journey here. It is at times like this that we ponder our own mortality and the ultimate question arrises in our minds; What will MY legacy be? What have I done in this time here on earth that may be remembered by my family, my friends, my posterity?

      I can tell you about my Uncle Grant, he served his country with distinction in WWII along with 5 of his siblings. He has been faithful to his beliefs and standards his whole life. He married my dear Aunt Barbara who already had 6 children and he loved them dearly throughout their lives. He served his community, his church, his family, his neighbors, and could always be counted on to help my mother when she needed him. He loved everyone and didn't mind showing you how much he loved you. My Uncle Grant will leave a legacy of LOVE & SERVICE, one that all who reflect on their personal memories of him will undoubtedly have personal stories and tender moments that lighten the pain this loss.

      My own mother's funeral was the BEST EVER! While there were hundreds of people there, that is not the reason I make such a statement, it was the best because we all laughed at her stories, we loved her pre-designed and organized event (so like my mother), and everyone who attended left knowing my mother better.

      What will be my legacy? Have I given service that mattered? Have I helped those in need to a point that it made a difference in someone's life? Have I left a legacy of anything that will lead my family to do better and be better? What of your legacy......?

You are what you think?

      It has been said that "You are what you think". Is that true? I wonder if our thoughts are consumed with the frailties of age, are we old? If our thoughts are filled with plans for tomorrow, are we adventurous? If our thoughts are filled with unfulfilled dreams, are we failures? What of that statement?

      What fills your thoughts? Can you control what occupies your mind or is it just happenstance?
Hmmmm, what are your thoughts on this?

Is Your Vote Being Heard in our Current Caucus System?

      This Saturday, the Utah GOP will be meeting to discuss alterations to the Caucus System that is part of the election process for the State of Utah. Thousands of Precincts around the State meet prior to a general election; the residents of that area are invited to attend the Caucus and listen to their neighbors discuss issues and candidates. Several of their neighbors will run for positions in the precinct as delegates to the GOP convention where they will, as a representative of the voice of their neighbors, vote for the candidates of their choice that will move forward to the general election. These candidates must have received a minimum of 60% of the vote of the delegates in order to avoid a Primary Election.

      This sounds great and sounds like the voice of every voter is being heard, but is it? Many of the Candidates running for various offices have tainted the system by cheating the very electorate they are running to represent. Candidates search out a potential delegate that will support them with their vote then they go about "TRAINING" this potential delegate on how to get elected as a delegate and then how to vote. They go so far as to hold training meetings in restaurants where potential candidates are fed expensive meals, given political gifts and even taken to lavish entertainment sites, all to win their vote. Many times when these pre-selected delegates run, they do not reveal to their neighbors that they are pre-disposed to vote for a given candidate, their only goal is to get elected as a delegate.

      There has been an uprising about the current Caucus System, voters want their voices heard and clearly at this point they are not! There is a faction of voters that want to change the system to send all candidates to a Primary, then a victor will arise and be the candidate for the party in any given seat. That too sounds great, but Primary Elections are VERY expensive and only those who have sizable personal money or have amassed a sizable "war chest" of donations can afford to run. That means, the person in your community that would run for office and could make a great representative because they are one of you; they know your concerns; they live next door; they represent the same views as you; would not be able to run due to lack of funds. I don't think we want that either; only the wealthy would be running for office since donors do not generally donate to a campaign before they know for sure that a candidate will actually be THE candidate in the final election. So, no donations of any size prior to the Primary.

      The changes to the Caucus System that will be presented this Saturday by the GOP State Leaders will enable more voices to be heard, but it doesn't address the core of the problem.....Candidates who cheat the system and run their own delegates! THAT is what needs to be addressed, that is what has ruined a well-designed system, that is where the cancer is that needs to be cut out. I believe that those who are going to the Central Committee Meeting this Saturday need to be made aware of your thoughts on this very important issue. I have given you mine, what are yours?

     

Working out to Music

      This morning when I was walking, trotting, and lifting weights to Flash Dance and Proud Mary I was struck by the question; "What is it about music that we settle on the type of music we grew up with, dated and danced to, and fell in love to..........then nothing!" We hate the next generations choice of "music", we long for music that you "can understand the words and hum a tune to". Our dance style from high school NEVER CHANGES, and our hair styles NEVER CHANGE (with the exception of required changes due to hair loss). Did we freeze in time? Who even remembers the songs we heard when we were 40 or 50! But, I remember every lyric from the hits when I was 10, 15, 18, 20, even 30.

      My mind says I am 25, thin, pretty, and lots of dark brown hair. It is always such a shock when I walk by a mirror and am catapulted into the present with the rudest of all accuracy. What happened to the promise of "Mind over matter" or did my mind just say "It doesn't matter"?

      We are never too old to walk some every day; lift a few weights; sweat a little; and of course rock out to the hits of our generation. Hits that rocket us back to our youth, our tender memories of innocence, a simpler time, and bodies that followed the adage; "What the mind can conceive, the body can achieve."

     

     

Voting is Your Right & Responsibility

      Early voting began yesterday here in Utah. There are several selected locations around the State where one can vote early and avoid waiting in line of November 5th.

Is your vote heard, does it really count?

      How many times have we heard these sentiments? Yet there are those who have fought for the right to vote, given their lives for the rights of others to vote in their countries, and whose sole focus is on protecting that right for future generations in America. Can we really be so disengaged as to ignore our small part in Democracy and fail to participate in an action that is at the core of what our Country stands for?

We have to salute the courage and bravery of those who are risking their lives to vote and those brave Iraqi and American soldiers fighting to protect their right to vote.
Hillary Clinton 

Nobody will ever deprive the American people of the right to vote except the American people themselves and the only way they could do this is by not voting.
Franklin D. Roosevelt 

“Elections belong to the people. It's their decision. If they decide to turn their back on the fire and burn their behinds, then they will just have to sit on their blisters.” ― Abraham Lincoln

      I cherish this right and power. I will not hand my vote over to others because I failed to participate. No matter how small the ballot, no matter how seemingly insignificant the issues, my vote counts and I will voice it! 

      Take a bus, ask for a ride, carpool, walk, do an absentee ballot, do what ever it takes, but VOTE. 

Today's Funny!

      I would say this is the Ultimate in Leisure Services!!

Tear and Air vs. Clean or Cling?

      My husband Blair and I had to go to Southern California on business about a year ago. We drove and as usual, we stopped along the way to spend the night (rarely do we drive all the way in one stint now). We stopped at a nice hotel in Mesquite (the only nice hotel there), parked at the front of the hotel where the Bell Hop station is located. Walked all the way through the Casino, stood in line in the check-in area, walked all the way back through the Casino to the front to the hotel to get our things out and park the car when the Bell Hop approached and whispered to Blair; "Are you aware that you have a tear in your pants?"

      A tear in his pants! It was more like the opening to a Circus Tent! It went from the top of his back pocket to his knee! His whole backside was hanging out! I can't believe he didn't feel the breeze. I had to walk behind him practically attached to him, all the way back through the Casino to get him to our room. That should have been an omen of what our trip would be like.

      The following day, we were in Orange County, CA at the famous OC Swap Meet. If you haven't been there it is HUGE; with thousands of people, crowded aisles, about 400-500 exhibits, and lots of music, food, and bargains. Well, the gallon or so of Diet Coke I had consumed along the way was taking effect and I made one of my customary ten stops at the Women's room. Afterwards, we enjoyed about 30 minutes of walking, shopping, laughing and mingling with the crowds. Suddenly a young woman tapped me on the arm and said; "Are you aware you have the toilet seat cover hanging from your pants?" Am I aware??? The only thing I could say since I was already embarrassed beyond belief was, "Well, at least people know I use one!" I thanked her profusely and tried to be discrete in it's removal. It's one thing to drag toilet paper around that is stuck to one's shoe, but to walk around with a toilet seat cover hanging from one's waistband is slightly more humiliating.

      We have to BE AWARE and work as a team at this age, check each other out to make sure we are in one piece and haven't put on one blue shoe and one black shoe. Keep active and make sure Silver is Sensational!

Stay Sharp after 50!

      The more you want to use your brain - and the more you enjoy doing it - the more likely you are to stay sharp as you age. This is according to findings recently published in the Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences by a team of researchers from Concordia University's Department of Psychology.

The new study has three major findings that can help forecast cognitive ability in one's golden years:

1.  1. The more one seeks out and enjoys cognitively demanding activities, the less likely one is to experience cognitive decline later in life.
2.  2. Doing a variety of different cognitive activities helps boost brainpower post-retirement.
3.  3. People who exhibit even mild signs of depression are more likely to show a decline in brainpower once they leave the office for good. 

      Consider life-long learning. Enroll in Community College classes; get another degree; learn a new craft or hobby; write your life story; do genealogical research; participate in physical activities of many kinds; remain social or get social; learn to ballroom dance; LIVE LIFE. It is a beautiful thing. Make every day of being Silver Sensational!

Obama Care

      Today I discovered some new costs in Obama Care. While one could acquire a policy for $200 a month as an example, there is a $6000 deductible on medical care and another $6000 deductible on prescriptions. So the policy that you thought was $200 a month is now $2400 (annual amount of monthly); $6000 for medical care deductible annually; $6000 for prescriptions deductible annually totaling a whopping $14,400 a year!!!! Not the $200 a month you thought you were getting. That also does not include regular Dr. visits which are not covered.

      Make sure you read the fine print before you sign up for any plan! (that is if you can get on the site to actually attempt to sign up).

Job Hunting

     This is the first of many conversations about the incredible opportunities that await those who have hit those magic numbers over 55. I have greatly enjoyed my life in the new world of being a "Senior" but there have also been some challenges that I will chronicle and hopefully help others who may experience similar in their Silver Years.

      We are living much longer than did our parents, we are healthier, more active, more engaged in life, and probably still working, or looking for work. I have been the latter. I went back to school 5 years ago on a whim, thinking I was fulfilling a portion of my "bucket list", not realizing that when the down turn hit the following year, I would really need the education I was gaining to find a job that would be appropriate for someone with my level of experience in the business world.

      I have spent the last 8 months aggressively looking for a full-time job. I have filled out over 200 applications online and have had only 3 interviews. I have a tremendous resume of business and personal accomplishments, I have completed my Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and fit every criteria on the list of requisites for every job I was attracted to. What seems to be the problem? I am healthy, educated, skilled, and anxious to work hard. I KNOW I will be an asset to any company smart enough to hire me......but nothing! No responses, no offers, not takers!

      I finally realized it had to be my age. But what of the law against age discrimination? Legally an employer is not allowed to ask your age, but some still do. Legally an employer is not allowed to discriminate because of age but they do. "How do they know your age?", you may be asking. Well, on EVERY application the employer asks; "What year did you graduate from High School?", not hard to figure out one's approximate age from that question.

      If it were me hiring a new employee, I would like the best person for the job, not the youngest, not the "fresh from college with no experience" person, not the person with no life experience. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be valued. We are calm under pressure, we are highly skilled in many areas, and most importantly, we have no distractions in life that will keep us from doing the best possible job for which we were hired. We are not having babies, we won't have any childcare problems as empty nesters, we came from a generation that believed in a full day's work for a day's pay, we are generally loyal to our employer; (it's a product of our generation), and you won't see us wasting time on FaceBook or Twitter.

      I may not run the '50' in 2 minutes, give me 4 and I can do it. However, I also can multi-task; counsel a heavy heart that needs comfort; sell a product or service to 10 people in the time it takes a new salesperson to sell 1; type a proper letter with proper grammar, spelling, and syntax without one single LOL in the verbiage; and learn new social media marketing skills quickly where needed.

      I will keep you posted on the job hunt and how I overcome this age barrier. I will overcome it and hopefully I can help a few of you along the way. I would love to hear your job hunting experiences and any comments on how SilverIsSensational!