I'll have to admit, i don't really see myself retiring. Prob won't be able to afford it, but because I'm an artist, i will be painting, etc. on top of keeping the house in order. If I'm put into an old folks home one day, I'll probably start working there!! I'm sure I will find a job to do there, because something won't be getting done in my mind! HA! Ok, ok, so i'm a little sick. I do like helping people though, when I can. Haven't had a lot of time for that the past couple of years, but I wil again.

btw, got the white elephant out of the kitchen! yay!! new frig looking beautifully in place and put the white one on craigslist yesterday morning. It was picked up within an hour and outta the crib yo!

bob, any time on the treadmill would be better than not doing it at all. Prob need to make sure you do it in the morning though. If you do it at night, you will get that high and will never sleep!
p.s. when I said the thing about the meatloaf recipe, if carbs are the problem, then do a lot shredded carrots or whatever veggie you like and cut the bread crumbs in half. It really does work and is really good!

Ok, thanks! That's a plan then. Just tested my blood sugars, should be

Morning all, Houzz seems to be playing up again, just lost all my comment. Had a very rude awakening this morning, people two doors down are removing a huge pine tree so we had chain saws and chippers at 7AM!!! Not how I like to start my day. I don't know why it is but everytime someone has noisy work done, it always starts at 7am and then a couple of hours later they move on to the next job. Why we can never be the "next job" is beyond me.

j22 - you are retired woman, time to stop and smell the daisies, but I understand how you can feel unproductive. The bigger issue is sorting out what is really important and what isn't and worrying or feeling guilty about it will only make you feel worse. Sometimes too you really have to seriously look at the things you really want to do. Some things can be hangovers from past things you have always enjoyed, but subconsciously you may have moved on from them, things you really really want to do, you will do.

Another problem with ageing and retiring too is having all day to do things, it can take you all day, whereas if you have an hour to do something it gets done in 1/2 an hour. Try breaking your day into segments and list what you want to achieve in each segment, set a timer and when the time is up, move onto the next irrespective of where you are up to. It may take some time but you will gradually get back on track.

Two rules for retirement - first is get up each morning and shower and dress for the day, even doing hair and makeup, so you are ready to face anything and everything. I think there is a bit about that on Flylady.

Second thing to is to walk - recreational walking that is. One of the easiest habits to fall into is to sit doing things for too long, the longer you sit the happier you are to sit and the less inclination you have to move on. This is how many elderly people get to the point they don't want to get out of bed even. I enjoy even just a simple stroll around my neighbourhood studying other peoples' homes and gardens, it can be very motivational, the really neat ones make me want to go home and check how mine compares, the messy, untidy ones have me checking where I can make mine look better. Walking in the fresh air does clear the cobwebs and revives and enervates the mind as much as the body.

Bobbi, ideally you should be aiming for 30 mins a day on the treadmill but latest research shows that breaking it down into 3 x 10 min segments is every bit as beneficial, even 6 x 5 mins is better than nothing. For your blood sugar, this would probably be more beneficial too as it would keep your levels more even through the day rather than one spike. To keep your metabolism moving though, you really need to do weight work as your muscles will continue to burn energy long after you have finished a workout. Now this doesn't mean you have to run out and buy all sorts of equipment. You can find simple things around the house to use, a bottle of water, canned food, even pushups can be done leaning against a wall and pushing off it. I will see if I can find some things for you.

Dave, great to hear from you and good to know you are settling in home again. Just don't overdo things, it will still be there tomorrow. Really feel your annoyance with volunteers though, I get quite feral about other people taking over things in my home, you wonder how they treat their own homes. Of course even more annoying is that no one ever comes back and offers to put things right for you. Take care.

Roo – Don’t they have ordinances where you are, where work like that can’t be done before 8 AM or after ___ PM?

I wish I could get back on my treadmill, but have to wait for my toes to fully heal.

I think my other comments should go on AARP!

Roo, half my comment is missing too! And no email notifications for hours. Just took Rocky for a walk, that's pretty good excersize (sp?) as he wants to stop and smell all the flowers!

I'm sorry about your rude neighbors! Good grief. I would def show them how to cut down a tree at 7am.

Astraea, yes we have ordinances - 7AM is start time weekdays and they are always ready to do on the dot. I might add it is now 10.20 and they are still going.

I actually had trouble with AARP last night too, couldn't get comments on at all. Haven't tried it this morning.

j22, hope you can get something from it, mind you I have to keep that list very visible to force myself all the time, I think when you worked long and hard for many years and basically lived on automatic pilot, falling in a heap when you stop is the most easiest thing to do - picking yourself up afterwards is the hardest.

I often dream of coming to LA and meeting up with you and driving to SF to meet Bobbi at least but I just don't know when it will happen. If we lived in TV land and I could say "Beam me up Scotty" it would be tomorrow. I have panic attacks just trying to get to the airport, but now my legs are giving me so many problems, I can't sit for any more than about 45 mins before I start getting horrible cramps. I'm like a bag of worms at times.

When I 'talk' to you guys here, I read your comments in Aussie, and never think about how you would sound in real life. It was funny the other night, I was watching people being interviewed after the big snow and it suddenly hit me how different it would all sound if we ever did meet up. I know too how American accents vary in different parts of the country so it is double the fun wondering just who has what accent.

Bobbi, bet Rocky does more than just "smell" the flowers - is that before or after?

A lot depends on what you want to achieve with your walking. When you walk for recreation, there isn't necessarily much aerobic benefit to it as it is easy to slow, stop and start. The treadmill will give you the consistency that is far more beneficial.

j22 - a lot of them I don't know so would probably not pick, it is more about who I would understand - problem is I think we are the ones who are hard to understand because we can talk so fast.

I was just thinking that! If we ever got together we'd be saying 'slow down roo!'. Funny how great minds think alike!

Well, jump ovah heah to Cape Card and I'll pahk your cah in my yahd, or call me on the phone, if I don't ansa , leave me a message. You think our president is Obama? Nope, his name is Obamer.

j22, retired, also. I think you are my husband's age. YOUNG! I walk every morning, same spot, different route with a group of gals. Sometimes, there ah two of us, sometimes foah, sometimes moah. We meet everyday at 8, walk around 3 miles, which takes us about 51 minutes. Then we always sit for a while, have a coffee and chat. It is such a good beginning to my day. When I get home I am charged and delve into something so I can have some houzz time.

The key to retirement, I believe, is to have some one to love (friend, spouse, grand), something to do and something to look forward to.

You are putting too much pressure on yourself. At our age, we have done a lot; maybe too much. It is o k to take a breather once in a while.

I had a little beep on the radar a few years ago. Any chance you may be a little depressed? Not unusual for our age. And not a sign of weakness, just a chemical imbalance that can be corrected, easily.

I also have a New York (or worse "Brooklyn") accent; wish it was easy to change .. but it's not.

Bobbi, I reckon you and I together would have to talk shorthand, I think it would take us at least a week to slow down.

Baaaston accent? Where did you put your khaki's? (Car keys!!!)

I agree with everything Judy says! You must have something to look forward to and someone to love (and who loves you, wouldn't hurt!).

So is a Brooklyn accent like The Nanny? The ones that add 'already' to everything?

Judy you sound almost like a snooty Pom - maybe 'cause you are closest to Pommyland -lol, maybe we would understand each other the best.

From what LAdd tells me the 'r' sound is the most grating, maybe only in CA?? We say cah too, where she said they say krr. SIL is Merk not Mahk as we would say.

I think the accent that always annoyed Aussies most was what was described as midwestern - very loud and raucous, or maybe they just behave that way, you can pick them a mile away at airports. Probably about annoying as drunken Aussies at Oktoberfest.

astraea, I said come heah. I will help you speak correctly. You can tork and I will tock. And for your first lesson, it is not New York it is New Yawk. My husband's college roommate was from Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn. We still do not understand him.

Roo, I don't know what I'd do with you. I'd pick you up at the airport in a Subaru.

Holy cow for chit chat today. Hi all :), just checking to see if I'm painting that gate in flat or gloss black?

judyg, I'm choking and pop was coming out of my nose, please don't make me laugh so hard without warning

Judy, you raised the subject of depression, something I never like to bring up at times unless I know the person well, but it is a very common thing with ageing, as you say a little chemical imbalance and it sneaks up on you before you even realise. Depression has been so covered up and ignored and until recently not even accepted as an illness that makes it hard for people to understand that there are many levels and early intervention is the best way of dealing with it. I never advocate medication if possible, there are way too many side effects, which when I had a bad run many years ago, actually depressed me more.

Judy - are you being poetic there?? 'Do with you ......... Subaru"??? I'm getting the difference with you and Astraea though.

Olldcan - my vote was for flat, I think it looks classier. Wondering too how long before the gloss would loose it's sparkle, which would depend a bit on weather. Maybe that is why we see more flat here, the sun would kill the gloss in no time fast.

@olldcan: our painter came today to give us an estimate on painting our 2 wrought iron gates and the WI fencing we have around the house. They were painted in a flat and although they are 11 years old, they have been showing signs they needed to be re-painted for quite some time. Painter suggested a semi-gloss or gloss paint b/c he said those paints were more durable than the flat paint. I think hi-gloss is too glossy for me, so I told him to buy semi-gloss. He said he was going to buy it at Sherwin Williams...an oil base. So, I'm hoping the semi-gloss will last longer than the flat did.

I think a gate should have some shine. To me, a true flat paint on a trim piece looks like it has been too long since it's been painted. I like to see some sheen on the surface otherwise it reminds me of the old black cars with the faded finish.

We recently painted a gate (much smaller scale, of course!) an anodized bronze color. It was a dark brown with just a hint of metallic if it caught the light. Very subtle, but still there. I don't care for a full gloss finish since that shows every issue, but getting a true flat which doesn't look faded is difficult, so I go for a semigloss on most surfaces

Yep, I would be happy with a semi gloss too. I have also seen gates done in a really dark forest green that look fabulous.

I'm swinging from the ceiling at the moment too, just got the quote from the painter I had here yesterday and it is less than HALF what I expected!!! I was thinking $4K and he has come in at $1,600 including paint. He comes recommended by the bathroom guy so I am quite confident about using him, but will still get more quotes. We had him quote separately for the woodwork and we want to use oil as it wears so much better but that quote was almost as much as the walls and ceiling. I'm really happy to paint it myself, it isn't a big deal, just slow waiting the 24 hours between coats, and with all the carpet up the skirting will be much easier to do. Just need BH to sand and at the moment he doesn't seem keen to do anything.

We finally got a coat of finish on the floors in the project house today. We sanded down the old floor even though there wasn't any extra wood, then sealed the floor. Someone had patched in an entire section of the maple floor with oak so we were concerned with keeping the color tone even across the two different woods. We used a clear shellac to seal the oak then put the amber tinted sealer over the maple and the oak. Although the grain pattern is more noticeable in the oak, we at least have consistent color. We see it because we know it is there and because that is our business to catch the visual details that others won't see. I don't think most people will even see it, let alone care about the difference, when we put rugs and furniture in the property.

Tomorrow we can screen and second coat the floor then on to trimming out the windows and doors in the kitchen, and recutting the butcherblock countertop to fit the new layout of the kitchen.

Well, maybe I should do a semi-gloss to extend the life of the finish. Just afraid too shiny will make it look cheap. Honestly, it couldn't get worst than the gold part's, could it? The gate faces south, into the sun here. The other option is to paint it with automotive paint, I have an automotive paint, spray gun and i'm not afraid to use it!!!! Only problem there is, I'd have to wait till it warms up outside, to do it. If i brush it, I can do it in the heated shop but wont get as nice of a finish, compared to spraying it. All the other gates at the lake are aluminium, black, same with the fences. I think at one time they might have had a bit of sheen to them but not any more.

olldj22, Is your painter spraying or brushing?

Roo - One of the best aspects of a professional paint job is the "here and done" approach. They can get a project finished and then you can move on to another phase of the house remodel or just get on with life without the unfinished work staring at you.

When I volunteered at our local Habitat's ReStore, I used to talk to people about the effect that DIY has on their enjoyment of their time and their space. Many people just get tired of the constant internal pressure of unfinished projects just hanging around laughing at them. Many unfinished projects don't actually need much to be finished, but people just move on to something more interesting. So, the 15 minute task of putting up the switch plates and outlet covers just doesn't get done. Many people need a deadline of some sort to finish a project; often it has to do with relatives or friends coming to visit for some event.

Yes, I am guilty as charged - I end up working on new projects but not finishing the stupid stuff at my own house

Roo, agree. The old way was either get over it or pull your self up by your boot straps. In truth, our brains are organs, just like our liver, heart, etc. If something isn't firing right there, we all run to the doc for a fix. Brains,,,,ooooooh, hush, hush. Crazy. For some strange reason, after we women have spent our lives focused on others, when it is time for a breather, we don't know how to do it or what to do with ourselves. Keep in mind, 100 years ago, we wouldn't be alive to deal with old age.

Right this minute, we OLLDs are focused on our convos with each other. That, in itself, is good and healthy.

bobbi, my kahkis are in my kah!

roo, what is a snooty Pom?

Roo, congrats on the painter price! Don't you wish you had looked into this sooner? hehehe

Linda, have you tried the new Bona Professional sealer? I was just wondering how it works and how it looks. And does it really take a professional.

Hey ollds, I'm on prednisone, which ramps my blood sugars way up. So I don't eat any sweets (except since I got back...a taste of freedom(?). Or bread or rice or oatmeal or just about anything but the handmade style La Tortilla Factory tortillas. Bobbi, the white corn, make a quesidilla in the morning, use a wee teaspoon of canola or olive oil, pull it out, add a handful of baby kale (you know it's good for you, right?), turn off the heat, throw in a beaten egg and scramble with the kale, add some salsa and wrap it up. Breakfast burrito in less than ten minutes. I eat some whole grain crackers with sardines for the fish oil..but my sugars head uphill instantly. The rest of the time I go Paleo Diet. Meat, fish, eggs and veggies. No fruit except some unsweetened berries for my yogurt and an occasional banana. My mom always added whole oats to her meatloaf, sometimes as much oat as meat by volume...five kids and preacher pay. It isn't meatloaf without it..and ketchup, onions and a little garlic, no fancy schmancy eggs and bacon for me, noooo. No herbs either....though a little Worcestershire Sauce sounds about right. Baked potato....does that count as a veggie? OK, have to go work with my son to cook dinner...I can't use a knife yet. Then blood sugar testing..those damn little Girl Scouts, selling those crack cookies...get me every year!

Honestly, when I had to empty things for the bathrooms to be done and the carpet laid, I was able to put most things in the 2 spare bedrooms and close the doors. Now we need those bedrooms empty and I don't want to trash my new carpet with stuff piled everywhere, it has literally taken over the family room with a track to squeeze into the laundry and one to get out the back door. Of course the whole thing has taken a different light too becaue BH is being inconvenienced. He was just on about how long he would be with minimum clothes - talking in days - and didn't like it one bit when I said to try 5 months like I had to. The message is getting across, this rotty doesn't crawl back into it's kennel quietly.

Once this painting is done and the carpet laid, which is only a morning's work, it will be open slather on getting all the furnishings done. Have lots of shopping to do for new furniture too. Of course that will be all my domain, bet I get no help with it but we will see, someone's arm will definitely be getting twisted, even if he just hangs curtains, little things like that make a difference. Of course having 3 months then to organise everything before LAdd arrives will be quite a breeze and definitely the fun part. Oh, and the fact that the whole job has come in under what we expected, BH wants to pay the extra to have him paint all the timber too. No complaints from me, when I consider I have been painting this house for 45 years singlehandedly I think I have earned the break.

Definitely, Bobbi, I should have looked into it better, I just went on what others around me had recently paid, but when you have neighbours like mine, I think the tradies see them coming. Can you believe one even hired a colourist to match the paint for her new fence to the trim on the house!!! How hard is it to get a colour card??? Certainly, when the kitchen is done, I won't hesitate to have the painter back again either. Actually the laundry will need doing too, that will be a good excuse to have that room renovated, it really needs it but BH has turned a bit of a blind eye to it.

@olldcan I think brush not spray, but I do not know for sure. He said it was a 2 day job. First day brush rust areas with a wire brush and prime with a rust preventer and second day paint. Hopefully he's coming next week. when he comes, I'll let U know.
As far as the gold. I kinda like the gold. I think I'd keep it and see how U like it...you can always decide to paint those areas.

Judy, good point what you say about how much longer we are living. You know our generation has really been the guinea pig generation. When you think of all the medical advances, good and bad, that have been made in our time - childhood disease vaccinations, the Pill, Thalomide, HRT, hip and knee replacements, heart surgery - future generations will really owe everything to us - and the same applies to mental health. Even my panic attacks and anxiety are finally being acknowledged, even accepted as a normal part of growing older. Definitely the worst thing anyone can do though is to tell someone to "get over it". I came very close to belting a few people.

A snooty Pom is an upperclass Brit - a la Downton Abbey, Royalty.

Oh, your mention of 'khaki" cracked me up too, you call it cakky we say khar'kee.

Dave, my niece (who is a nutritionist) and her hubby started on a Paleo diet last July originally for a month but are so happy with it they have stayed on it. They both lost heaps of weight and have never felt better. They are only late 20s but the pace they keep up is amazing and they never run low on energy. It sounds the most sensible diet I have ever read and so back to earth basic. She is a fab cook too so does the most amazing dishes.

Are your meds a lifetime thing now?

You reminded me, I often used oats in my meatloaf instead of breadcrumbs, seemed to bind it better. Wasn't sure if you could get Worstershire Sauce over there, it does add a nice touch too.

Don't know if you can get rice cakes over there, they are like a savoury biscuit for adding toppings, very bland and good for people with gluten and other allergies. They also make a corn version which is really nice and far more tastier, I have totally lost my taste for bread lately and have been living on them for lunches. Would something like that work for you??

Bobbi I meant to mention, there are a lot of different types of wrap breads available now maybe try different brands, but do you have a sandwich iron? They crisp them up a bit and take the gluggyness off them.

Read any of this?
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/should-houzz-include-project-cost-as-an-option-dsvw-vd~346578

Dave, Carolyn is looking for you.
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/refacing-a-house-to-improve-curb-appeal-dsvw-vd~347357

Dave, I looked up the Paleo diet and I can't do it. There is no tequila. I would be fit, lean, pain free and miserable. :>)

On a serious note, we definitely all eat the wrong things, more often than not. Tonight, because of bobbi's meal plans, I had to have Mexican. I mean I had to have it. Off to Guapo's. I had a naked fish burrito (naked to save calories and carbs from the wrap), but then I had it dressed (sour cream, salsa and guac.) Of course, the margarita with salt. The worst is we have so much ice I can't walk it off tomorrow.

Good night (burp, pardon me).

I'll open 2/12.

Roo – “The Nanny” was Brooklyn on steroids, or Brooklyn while holding your nose (LOL). Speaking of “depression”, I could never understand some antidepressant medications, where the side effect was “suicidal tendencies”. But isn’t “suicidal” the extreme of depression .. so how does that help?!

Judy – Know Flatbush Ave. well; don’t think I’m as bad as some, and I definitely don’t sound like NY/NJ kids on TV!

I read that article about adding cost data, and I’ve thought that for years! I think Houzz, decorating magazines & HGTV should provide cost information .. and the general location, so it can be put in perspective. While the more sophisticated person is looking for ideas, and can translate a look into one that fits their budget, we know that everyone here isn’t sophisticated. That’s why if you watch “House Hunter”, young people with almost no $ to put down on a house, insist on stainless steel & granite, because they’ve been brainwashed into thinking they’ve got to have it .. and have no clue how much more it costs.

Astraea, I think if Houzz added cost data there would be far fewer Houzzers. We all want to imagine we could actually have some of these rooms in our homes and that we can do them on a dime, right? When we realize the actual cost, we'll move on to something we really can afford. I just haven't figured out what that is yet. It's funny!! I don't remember taking a vow of poverty :))

Sometimes it makes me sound like a "wet blanket", because I'm so practical! I'd rather know how much something costs, so I don't beat myself up for why my house doesn't look like one where the homeowner spent $150k on the kitchen & $50k on each of the bathrooms! (LOL)

It's an interesting realization, that even when we think we've "made it", there are ALWAYS people a lot richer than we are, and it's better to get use to that sooner rather than later!

Astraea, you're so right! I am every so grateful for owning a home in California, land of the impossible, and I forget how many displaced homeowners and even renters there are. We've made great strides in this house. It looks amazingly better today than it did two years ago when we moved in. Sometimes it's good to stop and take in what you have.

Wow! Ez, that's sounds like a great place? Before we moved here we had a huge apt in a horrible neighborhood, 1100 sqft $1290/month. It's amazing how much better we feel about life when the home we live in suits our needs, isn't it! No harvest gold and all the bathroom tiles match? It's a winner, for sure!

Ez, please don't take offense to what I said about renters. I rented for more years than I owned! I never meant anything bad, I hope you know me better than that by now :))

When you start out in a great place, whether you own or rent, you tend to take better care of it. At least I did. In the last apt I painted every wall, and I don't think it had been painted in 20 years. One bedroom had so many paint patches it was multi-colored. And we paid for the paint ourselves. The stove was harvest gold, and so old the temp indicators had completely worn off. But it was big! And we pretty much had free reign to do anything we wanted which was nice. It was just the neighborhood that was so awful.

Astraea - I knew the Nanny was over the top nasally, but it is the way of putting things, particularly the "already" that I identify, and I believe there are people who actually do leave the plastic on their lounges too.

I can understand how costing could be helpful with some things here but at the same time I can see the other side of it clearer, probably because costing is only a curiosity thing for me here, just to compare costs in different countries. There was a spat of articles last year on preparing your home to sell, sooooo much emphasis is placed on resale everywhere on this site and in a difficult market every bit helps but it doesn't apply everywhere. As well so many of the things suggested like granite benchtops for example certainly wouldn't add value here because it isn't what we use but in other areas of the US like Linda's house for example such an addition would grossly overcapitalise and she would never recoup the outlay but when costs seem to vary so much even across the US you just can't spoon feed everyone.

We all have the brains here to see something and know immediately if it is beyond our means, call for quotes if it might be possible or set about achieving the same effect at budget price, it isn't rocket science. We take the photos for the ideas we can get, not to slavishly follow, rarely would you get two rooms exactly the same to do so anyway, but it seems there are many who just don't have the vision to do this, they are looking at copy cat and then complain it is too expensive.

The whole thing comes down too to just what Houzz intended this site to be and I think a lot of people have lost sight of their original aims which was raised in those discussions. I remember one time an ideas book and there were complaints about high end rooms - can't remember who wrote it now, might have been Laura or Samantha, but I suggested some ideasbooks taking a high end room and doing two or three examples of how a similar look could be achieved without the $$. Whoever it was thought it an excellent idea as did quite a few posters but nothing seems to have come from it. Maybe finding appropriate photos that didn't insult the home owner might have been a problem or maybe it just isn't within the profile of what Houzz wants to achieve.

Ez - I think you meant Bobbi - teehee.

Like you say - we can all dream.

No worries, ez, I knew what you meant :))