Lilacs, technology and insurance - Thriving week 36

I saw this lilac bush on one of my 7am dog walks and it brought back memories of the lilac bushes in my childhood backyard in Illinois. I really liked those bushes and looked forward to the flowers each year!

September is one of the hottest months here and it has started off with a bang. We are so happy we put a mini split heat pump upstairs and it is also helping cool the main floor. A few fans, opening windows at the right time of day and the mini split and so far we have been comfortable.

I am slogging through prepping to change our health insurance and providers. I’ve read through the appropriate Kaiser federal employee Medicare Advantage plan details for this year and have a couple of questions. The 2025 one is not available yet. There is such a short enrollment change window that I’m trying to make sure we are clear in advance not only how to get through the process but also to pick the right plan.

I’m also pushing myself back into decision making mode so I’ve decided to switch to a Mac laptop. Happily my son will go to the Apple Store with me and guide me to one that will meet how I plan to use it without overbuying. He also wants to make sure it is one that will last me a long time.

I do need to find some tutorials and think about how to structure a learning plan to reduce frustration. So far my Google searches have shown me that people of all ages find switching from long time Windows use is a steep learning curve so at least I know it’s not just me. My son has convinced me to also use Google cloud storage, use Google docs instead of Office, and use a password manager. My brain and frustration levels are in for a workout. 

My desktop was bought on 2013 though as was my Kindle so it has served me well and I need to change before it has a breakdown. My son also took care of deciding on a replacement Kindle and simply ordered me one and said it was a birthday present. I do tend to keep technology a long time. That learning curve should be easy!

Loving gifts

A neighbor asked me on Sunday if we had plans for the day and I said yes as it was my birthday celebration with my family. Later they and another neighbor showed up with this bouquet! We lucked out on neighbors for sure.

 

My family has been paying attention to who I am at this point and what I actually would want for a gift! That alone is a gift as being known is important.

I received the perfect gifts: 

They spent a big chunk of my birthday on Sunday with us 

While the baby napped and the others went to the park, my son listened to me struggling to get through tech choices plus other things on my mind. Then he solved the problem of my old kindle not holding a charge by saying he would just order me a new one and make the decision for me. He also said he would go to the Apple Store with me if I decide on switching to Apple and then help me transfer everything from my 2013 desktop. That whole discussion made me realize I am overwhelmed with decisions and tasks and not using my prioritizing skills to get out focused and feel less overwhelmed.

We had a lovely meal prepared by Hubby and strawberry shortcake with homemade sweet biscuits just like childhood memory made by my lovely DIL. However the older granddaughter was not amused to find out it wasn’t really cake! 

I also received a houseplant and a handmade by my other DIL pottery holder for our oil bottle that sits by the stove.

A lovely birthday.

The week ahead: 9/1 - 9/7

My weeks start on Sunday - so an old habit to look Saturday to see what is ahead and what can be added.

 So what is planned for us this coming week in addition to the routine stuff?

Btw, my lovely neighbor (with a big 4 day a week job and husband with a big 5 day a week job; 3 kids in 4th, 8th, & 11th grade; and of course a house) mentioned that Friday is her family admin day since she doesn’t work that day. I like that label.

Fun: My birthday lunch/brunch Sunday with the local family. Hubby has Saturday plans with a friend who will be in town. I am babysitting for a few hours Saturday. I will be contacting a new friend to make plans to get together.

Appointments (we work around the 1 car situation): Pilates session Wednesday, dog grooming Thursday, Hubby annual physical Friday.

Family Admin: Pay IRS estimated taxes, balance July finances, backup computer, work on window project, declutter first aid and toiletries that are expired

Self Care: Aim to exercise daily in addition to dog walks

What is happening for you in this coming week?

Prep for company, my looming 75 - Thriving week 35

By the time this post is up my son and DIL who live in S. Cal will have arrived for a stopover visit. Just one full day but on their way back home we will get to see them again ❤️. Our local son and the two grandgirls will be over for a family dinner tonight but since it is back to school night our DIL can’t make it. We are going to order take out as we are just too tired to have to cook. Glad to have the money to throw at this kind of thing. Getting ready for guests staying over really was a matter of getting extra food, making the bed, adding towels, cleaning the bathroom, and doing a quick dusting and dust mopping.

I’m still slowly working my way around the house cleaning and lubricating windows. So far it has gone well but now I have discovered one bedroom window is missing a part that helps hold it in the track and tilt out for cleaning. Of course the company that made these windows is out of business but we found a source for that part. However another part also needs replacing and that one is beyond our skill level. I have also found many screens that were re-screened very amateurishly but that is easily fixable. As my DIL said, at least your windows seal tightly! 😉

And then there is my soon to arrive 75th birthday this Sunday. What we are doing is dinner tonight with almost the whole family and then Hubby and I are going to try a new restaurant overlooking Richmond Bay Marina. I am on a quest to find a few restaurants I want to go to more than once!

Putting myself out there; binge reading - Thriving week 34

Go me, semi-introvert that I am. I managed to get out to new experiences with social interaction 2 times this past week. Started with a coffee meet up with a fellow Pilates student. Another day I went to a talk on fall prevention at the city rec center. 

I would repeat the coffee meetup as I like her and we have a lot in common.

After the talk at the rec center I signed up for the 8 week program on fall prevention. It is a combo of information, resources, and strength and balance work. So far as an adult I haven’t had a serious fall but since they are mostly preventable I want to learn what more we can do preventively. One thing we can do is schedule a free home audit by an occupational therapist and then schedule the priority work through one of the organization’s licensed contractors.

Reading binging:

The library mystery book club selection introduced me to a series set in the 1970s after the communists won the civil war in Laos. I went down some rabbit holes to refresh my memory about how Laos was bombed by the US as part of the Vietnam war, learn about the twin history of animism and Buddhism in Laos including shamans, what happened to the royal family and more. The first book in the series by Colin Cotterill is The Coroner’s Lunch. I’ve read 4 of the 15 books in the series and enjoyed them all. The fifth one is not as good but that often happens in series. We’ll see how far I get!

Nana & Papa camp, insurance challenges - Thriving week 33

Our older granddaughter has had a very fun and varied summer of camps and vacation. Her school though started this past Wednesday so we got to hold Nana and Paps camp for two days. She was excited and nervous about starting 2nd grade. Always love to have her over. The pup really, really loves to have her visit and doesn’t want to leave her side.

We did 2 Kiwi crate projects together and the one on hydraulics taught us both how earthworms move. Movie afternoons were for rewatching Descendants 3 & 4 with snacks of course. Some physical activity including doing the very long street drawn hopscotch near us several times, “rock climbing” at the nearby playground, and helping walk the dog. We also took her out to lunch and played cards, colored and more.

Once again the medical group we are using has decided not to renew their contract with BCBS. We are giving up and transitioning to a Kaiser Sr Advantage plan for federal retirees once open season arrives. That will be our medical providers starting January 1, 2025. 

Then we will have to establish new doctors, etc. Northern California is a huge Kaiser area though so there are lots of doctors and a huge hospital plus urgent care, pharmacy, etc. It will be great once we make it through the process. If we need care before the end of the year we do still have options but not the doctor we have been seeing.

It is complicated to make the switch although nothing changes with Medicare. All the changes are through Federal Employee Health Benefits plus Kaiser health plan. I spent a lot of time on the phone talking to a very helpful representative so I could be clear on the multi step process for making the switch. I haven’t run the numbers vs the services for the 4 plan options yet but will do that soon using 2024 data and then again when the 2025 plans are available. 

Health insurance shouldn’t be this complicated and the companies shouldn’t be allowed to drop doctors and other providers mid year while we have to wait until open season to change companies with it not effective until January 1!

Art, butterflies & a walk by the bay - Thriving week 32

 

And lots of butterflies flitting around making for nice walks. This one was to our little neighborhood store to get marmalade and a baguette.

I walked to City Hall another day to see a small exhibition of art quilts. Then I kept walking to get a scoop of ice cream🤭

Another nice walk was an outing with the pup to nearby Richmond Marina Bay. A beautiful sunny and windy Saturday, lots of boats at the Marina, and it lots of good sniffing spots for the pup.  Once he noticed the moving water though it was time to leave from his perspective. I suspect it looked to him like the ground was moving (the water was on the other side of rocks and lower) which would be very disconcerting.