Everyday Strolls

Some years ago, in the mid-80's, I became the caregiver for my maiden great-aunt Ada who was losing her vision due to macular degeneration. She moved to a senior residence we had chosen in Alexandria, Virginia which had an attached nursing home facility should that need for her arise. Ada now saw things in a dark, grey shadow but she could distinguish black, white and the color yellow. Since she was a fastidious dresser, she attached small pins to all her skirts, blouses, sweaters and gloves as a guide: one pin for blue, two green, three red, and four for lavender. During the twelve years I was her caregiver, I never took her out to shop or for a drive but that she was not perfectly dressed -- and always wore gloves, no matter the season.


In the spring of her 96th year she began to suffer mini strokes of the brain which her doctor explained to me were much like a short circuit when a fuse blows out. She would get the right ball park but the wrong base. For example, she said, "My drapes won't sleep across," meaning 'pull across' or "My iron won't play," and she had forgotten she had unplugged her radio. As I was driving her to lunch that early spring she saw the forsythia and exclaimed, "Oh, look, the forsythia is talking." I didn't correct her. And from that day every spring as the forsythia comes into bloom, I say that myself: "The forsythia is talking." The delicate yellow bloom tells us that winter is past, spring is here and summer is on its way. The marvel of this earth has awakened once again from its winter's slumber and now offers itself in all its beauty to us. I cherish the memory that a legally blind, 96-year old senior taught me to truly see, and hear, spring.

Easter is early this year. Easter is always the 1st Sunday after the 1st
full moon after the Spring Equinox (which is March 20). This dating of
Easter is based on the lunar calendar that Hebrew people used to identify
passover, which is why it moves around on our Roman calendar.

Based on the above information, Easter can actually be one day earlier
(March 22) that is rare.

Here's the interesting information. This year is the earliest Easter any
of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of
our population have ever seen it this early (95 years old or above). And
none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here's the
facts:

1) The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year
2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if
you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

2) The next time it will be a day earlier, March 22, will be in the year
2285 (277 years from now). The last time it was on March 22 was 1818 So,
no one alive today has or will ever see it any earlier than this year!

Interesting!

A corporate Attorney sent the following out to the employees in his company. I thought it might be of use to you all.

1. Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put "PHOTO ID REQUIRED."

2. When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card Accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the "For" line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won't have access to it.

3. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home Phone. If you have a PO Box use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. (DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary. But if you have It printed, anyone can get it.

4. Place the contents of your wallet on a photocopy machine. Do both sides of each license, credit card, etc. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to Call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. I also carry a Photocopy of my passport when I travel either here or abroad. We've all heard horror stories about fraud that's committed on us in stealing a Name, address, Social Security number, credit cards.

Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have firsthand knowledge because my Wallet was stolen last month. Within a week, the thieve(S) ordered an Expensive monthly cell phone package, applied for a VISA credit card, had A credit line approved to buy a Gateway computer, received a PIN number From DMV to change my driving record information online, and more. But here's some critical information to limit the damage in case this happens to you or someone you know:

5. We have been told we should cancel our credit cards immediately. But the key is having the toll free numbers and your card Numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them.

6. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit Providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an Investigation (if there ever is one).

But here's what is perhaps most important of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7. Call the 3 national credit reporting organizations Immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. I had never heard of doing that until advised by a bank that called to tell me an application for credit was made over The Internet in my name. The alert means any company that checks your Credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by Phone to authorize new credit.

By the time I was advised to do this, almost two weeks after the theft, all the damage had been done. There are records of all the Credit checks initiated by the thieves' purchases, none of which I knew about before placing the alert. Since then, no additional damage has been done, and the thieves threw my wallet away this weekend (someone turned it in). It seems to have stopped them dead in their tracks.

Now, here are the numbers you always need to contact about your wallet, etc., has been stolen:

1.) Equifax: 800-525-6285

2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 888-397-3742

3.) Trans Union: 800-6807289

4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line):800-269-0271

Many seniors no longer work at a regular job so there is no need for that morning dash to the subway or car or train and the attendant exercise that it provided for us. So, many of us walk or have chosen Tai Chi, Yoga or a gym workout to keep fit. But what about our brains? They are not challenged any longer by a job and our brain needs exercise too, a fact substantiated by science. Recently, one answer,at least for me, is the wonderful United States Mint's Quarters Program which covers a 10-year period (1999-2008) as it commemorates each of the 50 United States, with the last issue being that of Hawaii next year.

I surrendered to temptation and ordered a few rolls of 'Mint' New York State quarters - also a roll of the Washington Presidential One Dollar series but more about that at another time. I began collecting the quarters by just checking my change after a purchase and became fascinated with the beautiful detail of each design on the reverse. That led me to doing a bit of research on each state as to date of statehood and the basic things of note such as the flower, tree, bird and motto. Then, I suddenly found my self remembering items about various states - with no apparent effort on my part.

Well, that led me to a map of the United States and the exact location of each state - the mid-West has always been a muddle to me, but no more. And then came the major rivers, lakes and mountains - and it continues. Like the fact that the beaver is the state animal of New York and just two weeks ago the papers reported that for the first time in a great many years a bea ver had been spotted in the Bronx River building a dam! And do you know that there are several 'beaver' ceramic designs in the Astor Place subway stop? Most fitting, since the Astor fortune was made dealing in furs. So many, many things of interest and I think the United States Mint has done a great service for all of us when, perhaps, we need a reason to be proud of our great country when we are told so much of the world now holds us in low esteem.

One further note, my West Virginia farmer ancestor named my great-grandfather Lewis Clark Phillips, and so early on I read an edited version of the William Clark Journal of the search for a water passage to the Pacific, and recently devoured a wonderful book. It is called "Undaunted Courage", the heroic story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. So, again, I was thrilled to find that the 'Corps of Discovery' was the design for the state of Missouri which is so very appropriate.

I'm not urging everyone to research a history of each state or even of New York or your home state if it is other than New York (the only one which features the Statue of Liberty). And as for a memorizing exercise, I have decided to limit myself to the design of each state - a great workout for the brain and one that is much fun and which has led me to many interesting bits of information. The Quarters Program just seems such a wonderful and exciting way to exercise our brain - and, the good part, there is no final exam! Enjoy twenty-five cents to your heart's content.

I am seventy-seven years old and here we are with a new Internet Blog in the year 2007. The number seven got me to thinking and I was amazed to discover that it carries significance in many different societies whether it is the Masonic Lodge or gambling or even the cultures of other countries such as in the Muslim and Asian worlds. Of course we have the well known ‘sevens’ such as the Seven Deadly Sins which tempt us all. They are present amid the Seven Wonders of the World, located on Seven Continents surrounded by the Seven Seas , and, lest we forget, the Bible tells us that God created the world in just seven days. Indeed, Biblical references to the number seven abound and the investigation of them is a complete study in itself. Just to humor human nature, we have the Seven-Year Itch and can you imagine any childhood without Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs?. And on and on. Just type in the number seven, click search and examine for yourself the numberless possibilities. I guarantee that you will be both amazed and intrigued.

And what does this mean in regard to Senior Planet? Just that it appears to me that Senior Planet is being launched at an auspicious time and, like the number seven, the possibilities are unlimited. Of course this depends on the interest of Seniors everywhere so think ‘seven’ and let us hear from you in this first year of Senior Planet in 2007. Hopefully, we'll discover, learn about, and share a great many things of interest and benefit to Seniors everywhere. Welcome aboard and take a walk through Everyday Strolls!

Webster's gives a number of different definitions for planet and I have selected just three that seem to fit for our purposes. 1) one of the bodies except a comet, asteroid, or satellite that revolves around the sun in the solar system, 2) a celestial body held to influence the fate of human beings and 3) a person or thing of great importance. I think we can apply all three to Senior Planet, with, of course, the support and input from Seniors everywhere.

Our own planet, Earth, has the necessary oxygen for life, fascinating fauna, and abundant flora which ranges from towering redwoods to the tiny Trailing Arbutus. It has majestic mountains, mighty rivers, dazzling cities, rural hamlets and deserts which defy most life. All these wonders and more, plus millions and millions of human beings, a large percentage of whom are Seniors. The 2004 census has the figure of 1.3 million in New York City alone - a truly powerful force to reckon with.

My parents taught me that faith can move mountains, albeit coupled with a lot of hard work. I have several mountains I would like to see moved or at least landscaped. They include peace and goodwill for all, adequate food and safe water and basic medicine for everyone from the starving children in Africa to the homeless on the lower Bowery here in our own great city. We, Seniors, can make a difference. Not only in our thoughts and prayers but in the manner in which we lead our daily lives, our right to vote, the selection of how we gift certain charities and our own involvement whether as volunteers or simply sharing hopes and dreams and thoughts here on this Website: Senior Planet. We want to hear from you.