Our kitchen renovation adventure continued.  We had our new G E gas cook top.  After 3 weeks of getting estimates for a new countertop to go with the new cook top, we decided the  countertop we wanted was too expensive.  So, we installed our G E gas cook top in our old counter.  Installing a cook top seems pretty run of the mill.  However, the demolition and installation was another senior adventure.

                            Clearing the Cabinet for the G E Gas Cook Top

Before starting any work on the stove top, we cleaned out the cabinet.  We foundthings that had been stored and forgotten.   Incredibly, there was everything from things that a slice and dice to ancient hot plates.  We found cast iron pans and some wonderful old, pot holders made by a distant aunt. Everything was piled on chairs in the dining room.  Of course, we could no longer walk in that direction.

Once the cabinet was empty, we tried to remove the old cook top and downdraft.  How difficult can that be?  It was difficult.  We turned off the gas to disconnect the line.  Of course, this meant no heat or hot water.  Which meant a chilly house and no showers for awhile.

We unhooked the power to the old cooktop so we could take it right out.  Of course, it wouldn’t come right out.  Years of caulking around the cook top held it in place.  As well, when the counter top had been redone long ago, the cook top was glued down.  Eventually, careful work with a putty knife  cut the glue.  Finally, the old cook top came up.  We broke some trim tiles, but damage to the cabinet was minimal.

A Few Minor Adjustments for Our G E Gas Cook Top

Of course,  we ran into a few unexpected problems which delayed the stove top installation. Delaying installation delayed the gas hook up.   No gas meant meant no showers or heat.

The new cook top had a 1/2 inch gas fitting.  The old fitting was 1/4 inch.  So, I went off to the hardware store.  It just took a couple of minutes to change the fitting on the gas line.

Unfortunately, the unexpected adjustments didn’t end there.  While looking over the manual for the new downdraft, we discovered  the volume of air moved was much higher than the old unit.  Consequently, it had to have an outside vent.   Consequently, we had to cut a hole in our house.   So, I went off to a larger hardware store to find an outdoor vent and all the piping.  Cutting the hole through the wall and the stucco was a real joy… not! The outside vent cover was huge. It was designed to have the finished wall around it.  Cleaning the edges and painting will make it look a little better.

Installing the G E Gas Cook Top

Eventually, the new gas fitting, the down draft pipe and vent were installed.  The next task was installing the downdraft and cook top into the cabinet shell.  I am much better at breaking things than fixing them, so I had to be careful throughout the process.   The 24 inch long 1/2 inch gas line was easy to install.  I also capped off the electrical wires that had been to the old downdraft.  The new downdraft pipe took awhile to install.  Unfortunately,  we had to cut the interior cabinet wall and the outside wall for the outside vent to be installed.

The G E gas stove top itself was 3/8 inch too big.  I couldn’t believe it.  It must pay to have good eye sight when reading a tape.  Fortunately, the grout line between the stove and the tile edging was about the right size.  The edging broke when the old stove top came out.  Without the grout, the new one fit.

When we unpacked the new downdraft, it looked far too big with its motor and fan to fit into the counter.  With some angling and some technical language,  the downdraft fit.  As it turns out, this one is far more powerful than our old one.

The new G E gas stove top and downdraft were in.  We are still trying to figure out what to do about the countertop.  That’s another adventure.

The New Cooktop part of our Kitchen Remodel Expense

Our home warranty company had repaired our 30 year old cooktop lots of times.

Recently, when two burners stopped working, they offered us a new cooktop and downdraft.    Naturally, the home warranty covered this cost.   However, we had requested a stainless steel cooktop. Ultimately, they sent us a new white cooktop and down draft.  Although the cook top was not the color we wanted, we had installed both.

In the end, with alterations, we only paid about $300 for the appliances and installation.

The Countertop was a major Kitchen Remodel Expense

Once we installed the cooktop and downdraft, we had to replace our outdated countertops with modern, exciting stone.   

Consequently, we went to warehouses to look at slabs of different kinds of stone.  There was  quartzite, slate and granite.  Beautiful porcelain slabs were imitating stone.  For our countertop and backslash, we needed about 130 sq. feet of material.  Incredibly, prices ranged for $47 to $250 /sq.foot.  The material we picked had a total price of $6200.  Wow!!

As well, on top of the material cost, we received bids to install the countertop. They ranged from $3800 to $5200 depending on the material.  Incredibly, the cost for the material and labor  could be almost $1400.  We were not at all sure we needed a modern kitchen for that price.

New Kitchen Sink and Faucet

Naturally, we thought about a new sink and faucet to go with the new stove.  We knew that we wanted a large, single bowl, stainless steel sink.  As well, we wanted a new industrial faucet.  In fact, our old porcelain sink and fixture had been around for 15 years.  Consequently, we were sick of it and wanted something new and easier to clean.  Beforehand, we had estimated that the cost for a new sink and fixture with installation would be about $500.

The Estimated Kitchen Remodel Expense Changed Things

Because of cost, we are going to demo the kitchen counter ourselves.  Fortunately, we will eliminate that part of the cost.  As well, I will hook up the sink and faucet eliminating the need for a plumber.  Since the beginning of the project, we intended to redo the cabinets ourselves.  Hopefully, we can cut our costs almost in half by making a few simple changes.  Watch for the next episode of our senior adventure.

Our 30 year old cooktop has two dead burners.  Apparently, the home warranty company has repaired the appliance so many times,  they finally said, “Enough.”  As a result, we were offered either a cash buy-out or a new cooktop and down draft.  We choose to take the new cooktop.  Suddenly, we found ourselves looking for affordable kitchen remodeling ideas to accommodate the new stovetop.  Take a minute to join us on this little life adventure.

Why Affordable Kitchen Remodeling Ideas

When we realized we needed a new, gas cooktop, we also realized that everything else in the kitchen was almost 30 years old.     Not only that.  We wanted to change the style of the island that held our cooktop.  Eventually, we decided that having a level eating bar in front of our cook top made more sense than the raised bar that we have.  Consequently, we would need a carpenter to alter the peninsula.  Years ago, we would have done this ourselves.  Now, we wanted it to be done quickly and with a minimum of mess.

The tile on the counter and the backsplash was dated.  Originally, it was put in to last for 10 years.  It has been there a lot longer.  As well, we have found that the grout between the tiles requires a great deal of maintenance.

We decided that some kind of a slab counter top with matching backsplash was needed.  Of course, this required the special skills of someone who can work with natural or artificial stone.

Affordable Kitchen Sink and Faucet

Although our sink and faucet are fairly new, we decided that new countertops called for new fixtures. Naturally, this meant that we needed a plumber willing to set the sink before the countertop went in and then plumb both the sink and faucet.  All too soon it was obvious that our plans for affordable kitchen remodeling ideas was evaporating.  Understandably, the labor needed to do all the work related to the remodel was going to make the project anything but affordable.

Affordable Kitchen Remodeling Ideas Include Stone Types

The major expense for our kitchen renovation would be the countertops.  We knew that we didn’t want tiles with grout.  Basically, we had to decide if we wanted our countertops to be natural stone like granite or engineered stone like quartz.  We also decided to look at porcelain slabs because of durability and easy maintenance.  The choices were overwhelming.  Unfortunately, so were the prices.

We knew we needed three 5 ft.x 10ft. slabs to do what we wanted to do.  The price ranged from $4200 to $6800 for the minimum we thought we would need.   Consequently, the idea of an affordable remodel disappeared completely.

Thinking about What We Need for a Kitchen Remodel

We decided that the configuration of our kitchen cabinets was fine.  For the remodel, we would simply make new doors, with new hardware.  Fortunately, the timing was right to change the door hinges and drawer slides.  We decided to use all soft-close hardware.  As well, we wanted to change several lower cabinets into drawers.  We calculated the full cabinet overhaul would be about $1200.

That was only a fraction of what our affordable kitchen remodeling ideas cost.

The estimate we came up with became a whole new adventure.

• Lower the bar – $500
• Refurbish cabinets – $1200
• Porcelain Countertops & Backsplash – $4800
• Porcelain Sink and Fixture – $750
• Countertop Guy – $5500
• Plumber – $300

We decided to change the name of this adventure to Kitchen Remodeling Ideas.  We dropped affordable.

Thanks for joining us on this shocking little senior adventure.  Keep watching to see how things turned out.

We have been enjoying our Step Thru E Bikes just riding around town.  We bought folding e bikes because we thought they would fit in our SUV.  However, we added cargo baskets to the bikes. Consequently, they do not fold properly.   So, we bought a bike rack  that would fit on our SUV.  We needed it for our RV anyway.  This meant that the next senior adventure for us would be a Hollywood Sport Rider E Bike Rack build.  Thanks for joining us on this adventure.

Hollywood Sport Rider E Bike Rack Instructions

The first step in this build was to look over the instructions.  As we looked through the booklet, we weren’t at all sure that we could build the rack as quickly as we needed it. We were heading out for a family gathering hoping to take the e bikes with us.  We had two days for the build.  This was going to be an adventure.  However, we felt that two senior adults should be able to hand assembling a simple bike rake.

We made sure all the parts and provided tools were there.  We laid all the parts out as we found them listed on each page.  The logical thing was to go page by page and image by image.

Assembly Should Have Been Easy

Following the instructions, we began by assembling the part of the rack which attached to the receiver of the car.  Once we located the right bolts, lock washers and nuts, things went together pretty well.  We added the bottom brackets and the center post.  They would hold the bikes up straight.  After that the stabilizing hooks were added.  These kept the bikes from shaking when driving.  Of course, there was time for redoing things when the wrong bolt was used or the part put on upside down.  As I mentioned, we felt that two senior adults should be able to assemble a simple bike rack.

We put the tire rests on upside down which meant that the locking, hold-down straps were on the wrong side of the rack.  So, we took those off and turned them over.  Assembly took about an 2 hours.  I figure we put every part on at least twice.

Things Not on the Rack

Once the Hollywood Sport Rider E Bike Rack was together, there were two things that needed to be tested. They were not part of the rack.  However, the rack could not be used without them.

Bar Adapters

Both of our e bikes were “step through” models.  Years ago, they were called “girls bikes.”  We  bought this model because one of us was used to a step through and the other of us wasn’t confident about climbing onto a regular bike without fall over.   The stabilizing hooks of the bike rack could not be used without a center bar adapter to hook onto.  We had purchased one of these for each bike so we tried them out.

The bar adapter went between the front fork and the seat post to create a solid place to hook the stabilizing bars.  At first, it was a bit difficult to get the bars off and on the bikes,  but we got it.  With these bars, we were going to be able to carry 2 e bikes on the rack.

Locks

We also needed to make sure that the entire Hollywood Sport Rider E Bike rack was not stolen off our vehicle.  This was true whether or not bikes were on the rack.  We had ordered a receiver lock with our bikes.  We installed that to see how steady the whole assembly seemed.  A pin went through the bike rack tongue and then through the vehicle receiver.  A lock was attached to that pin.  Any pin lock would work, but ours was made for that Hollywood Rack.

In addition, we needed to lock the bikes to the rack.  Although the stabilizing hooks locked over the center bar another lock through the wheels seem appropriate.  So, we also installed a 10ft. long, steel, cable lock which could wrap around the rack and all 4 bike wheels.

Of course, the stabilizing hooks and the cable lock could be cut if a thief had the right tools and a bit of time.  We had decided to have these three locks as a deterrent and for our peace of mind.

Finally Done

Our two hour session of assembling the bike rack was over.  We had read the instructions.  Then, we assembled the rack piece by piece.  Through the process, we disassembled and reassembled the rack piece by piece.  As well, we had added the few extras we felt were necessary.  We were finally done and could put a bike on the rack.

It was fun to share this little senior adventure.  Click here to leave a comment about the adventure.  Check us out on YouTube @Our Senior Adventure.

We had ridden our ebikes around town enough to get used to them.  It was time to get out on some trails.  We needed a way to carry both ebikes with our SUV or RV.  After a lot of research, we decided to buy the Hollywood Sport Rider eBike Rack.

Why We Chose the Hollywood Sport Rider eBike Rack

With dozens of bike racks for sale, we decided on 10 things we had to have in our bike rack.

1.  Able to carry 2 e bikes
2.  Sturdy construction
3.  Rated to carry at least 130 lbs
4.  Rated for both an SUV and RV
5.  Tilt function when in use
6.  Easy to attach to a vehicle with 2″ receiver
7.  A receiver lock
8.  Easy to load
9.  Lock to the e bikes
10.  Good price

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Everything we do together, in life, is an adventure.  Garage cleaning was no exception.   It’s just another life adventure we shared.

Garage Cleaning

With 40 years worth of stuff piled to the ceiling, this adventure had 2 distinct parts.  First, we had to sort through a garage full of stuff including decades of memories.  Then, we had to get rid of all the stuff we didn’t want.  This meant giving things away, selling things and hauling things to the dump.  Who knew garage cleaning could be so involved?  Although there was still lots to do, after a few days hard work, we emptied the garage. We moved everything taken from the garage to the back yard so we could finishing the garage cleaning.  Our senior garage cleaning adventure was well underway.

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Different parts of the country deal with winter lawn care differently. For example,  in the north, lawn care stops because of snow and ice.  But, here in central California, winter lawn care is important because of seasonal rain.  Cutting the grass can be an adventure for my wife and myself because of what is important to us.  Our attempt at winter lawn care is our next senior adventure.

Why Winter Lawn Care?

Would you rather cut grass or shovel snow during the winter.  I have done both.  Believe me. I prefer winter lawn care to shoveling snow.  In this part of California, winter means rain.  But, a few day of rain is always followed by several bright, sunny days that help the grass grow.

Our parkway shows several reasons for winter lawn care.  There are lots of leaves on the ground.  As well, the grass is long and the edging between sidewalk and grass looks terrible.  My wife and I had some decisions to make about how to take care of the lawn.

Lawn Care Decisions

People make decisions about lawn care no matter what the season.  Although I have been cutting lawns since I was 12 years old, it is only in the last few years that I have thought about the way I cut grass and do yard work.  What I do in my yard is important.

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Learning Something New During COVID

Lots of simple every day things became very complicated last year.  For most people, this meant learning something new during COVID. We had to plan in detail how to get groceries.  The home became a classroom with the teacher on a computer.  How could we be with family and friends without being with them?

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I find that everything is getting heavier as I get older.  A bag of groceries seems to weigh a ton.  I swear  that somehow my hammer puts on weight year to year.  Like many seniors, I am experiencing some loss of strength and mobility.  For some reason, I still think I am 30.  When is comes to physical labor jobs around the house, this is a bad combination.

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Physical Labor Jobs are a Challenge

Last year I dug a trench for a gas line to our  barbecue.  In total, it was about 50 feet long and 18 inches deep.  I took a week to dig the trench.  It would be great to say the heat or rain or broken shovels slowed me down.  But, in fact, I am not used to physical labor anymore and not as strong as I used to be.  Even 10 years ago, I would have dug the trench in a day.  Stopping to ease my back and catch my breath took time.

The list of things to do around the house is endless.  From changing light bulbs to rearranging furniture.  Of course, physical labor jobs are more difficult and often more dangerous.  Home Advisor lists the most common household injuries and how to prevent them.

Think about the Job

When we have any job to do around the house, there are a few things we consider as we plan.

• How important is the job compared to everything else that needs to be done?
• Can we do it ourselves?
• Does the job fit into our budget?
• What tools do we need to do the job?
• How long will it take?
• What will be interrupted as we do the job?
• What do we want to achieve?

For example, we have solar panels.  They need to be cleaned periodically for maxim efficiency.  We know we will use a ladder, a hose and a pressure washer.   The big question is who will do the job.  Because my wife does not trust me on a ladder anymore, she washes the solar while I prepare to catch her if necessary.  We realize the day will come when we need to have help doing this job.

Know Your Limits

Difficulty for most jobs around the house difficulty is relative term.  Some things are easier for me to do than for my wife.  As well, she has more experience doing some things than I do so she does them better and visa versa.

Recently, I decided to do a job and scared my wife.  We had a very large tree in our yard near the house and electrical service wires.  The trunk has cracked.  I suggested that I cut it down before the wind in the canopy brought the tree down on the house.  My wife suggested that we hire someone in the interest of preserving my life.  Through a bit of research, we found that removal of the tree would cost $2500 – $3000.  As it happens, when I was younger, I cut down dozens of trees.  Many of them we close to buildings.

So, I went through the check list.  Professional removal was too costly.  All I needed to do the job was a ladder, a chain saw and some rope.  I had all these things.  Having cut lots of trees, I knew how to do the job, but I had to do it in stages.  Only about a quarter of the tree would fit into our yard waste bins.  They were picked up weekly so the whole job would take a least 4 weeks.  This would give me plenty of time to rest. Rather than cut the whole tree, we decided to attempt to train it to grow into a large bush.

My wife was scared by two words that went together during this job…. ladder and chain saw.  I reassured her.  What could go wrong.  My plan was to type a rope as far up in each trunk of the tree as I could.  I would cut each trunk almost completely through and pull it down with the rope.  Each trunk was tall but not thick.  There were 9 small trunks like these.  My plan worked.  As I pulled each trunk, it dropped where I wanted it.

Enjoy Your Work

Unfortunately, I fell as I pulled down the last trunk. Even more unfortunately, my wife was watching.  My using a chain saw while on a ladder days are over.

When I was done, the tree wasn’t beautiful anymore, but all the
literature says it will look like this in 2 years.  So, I am happy with the results.

This project although one of the most demanding physical labor jobs around the house was well thought out.  Lots of things could have gone wrong, but with planning, it all went well.  Now I just have to explain to family and neighbors why that beautiful, big tree looks so bad.

Don’t be afraid of home projects, but be realistic.  Plan well and don’t push yourself.  The satisfaction of a project done well will last for years.

I have a lifetime experience.  You probably do, too.   Senior citizen volunteer opportunities help us share that experience.  Also, volunteering  encourages seniors to make friends and help others.  Are you a senior thinking of volunteering?

For more information, click on any picture or link.

 Senior Citizen Volunteer Opportunities

Grandparenting

Naturally, many seniors are grandparents. I have 5 grandkids… 4 grandsons and 1 granddaughter. Coincidentally, there are foster grandparent positions at school, hospitals and childcare centers and  there are opportunities to help with kids at home for school.  Grandparenting experience is a valuable.   Americorps, for example, lists volunteer programs for grandparents.

Consulting

Work experience helps seniors help businesses.   Websites  like Volunteer Match have hundreds of senior  volunteer positions.

Fortunately, google can find places for seniors to volunteer anywhere in the world.  Because volunteering can have costs,  business will cover expenses.  Incidentally, most  communities list local senior volunteer positions.

Guiding

A docent is a volunteer who acts as a guide.  For example, at the Steinbeck House,  volunteer senior ladies serve lunch and lead tours and at Ano Neuvos Preserve, docents teach park visitors about elephants seals.  Guides are needed at parks, zoos, historical sites, registered homes, community theaters.  Once again, local listings site local opportunities.

Senior Citizen Volunteer Opportunities

Canadian Executive Overseas

National and State ParksLibrary

Local Outdoor Fund Raising Events

Libraries

Local Specialized Programs

Political Campaigns

Animal Rescue Groups

Environmental Groups

Organization Boards

Seasonal Events

Help Groups

There are thousands of volunteer positions like these around the world and one example may inspire you.

Thinking about Volunteering

Volunteering is like applying for a job so there are things to think.

• Why do you want to volunteer?   Seniors volunteer for many reasons.  Some seniors just want something to do.  Many want to give back to in the community. Others want to help or meet people.  Some want to share their expertise. What is your reason?
• What do you want to do as a volunteer?  There are seniors who will do any kind of volunteer work, but most have something specific in mind.  Some follow their passion.  Many seniors volunteer based on their work experience.  Others want something fulfilling.  How about you?
• Find out what the volunteer position involves.  Of course, you have to think about things like travel, physical demands, working conditions, working hours and other workers.
• What kind of commitment is needed?   How often will you work?  As well, how many hours would you be volunteering each day?   How long will the position last?
• What do others think?  If possible, talk with people who know the position.

Groups from churches to zoos ned volunteers.  Your free be a way fulfilling way to give back.

Parents always try to guide their children.  Senior parents giving advice to adult children is completely different than giving advice to kids or teens.  As a result, parental advice is heard differently by adult children than by a child or a teen.

Senior Parents Giving Advice to Adult Children

Parents get older.  So do their kids.  The relationship between parents and kids changes with age.  Even though senior parents have a lot of practical life experience, adult children sometimes don’t want to hear that experience.  As senior parents, we always need to be ready to help, advice and support.  But, remember, the world was different from when we learned about life.

 Stress is Unhealthy no Matter What the Cause.

Because of financial worries after retirement, many seniors live with stress.  When age bring declining health, more stress is added.  Parents of any age worry about their children.  This is true of senior parents giving advice because they worry about their adult children.  The U.S. National Library of Medicine along with National Institute of Health write about concern about global stress and cognitive aging in older adults.

The world is changing and shrinking.  There is a constant bombardment of information.  Natural disasters years ago were read about in the papers or reported on TV.  Now we see the event unfolding minute by minute.  Young adults sometimes feel that the parents’ parental experience does not relate their world.  Adult children are worried about the environment and financial and racial inequality.  We as parents were worried about a stable job market and world peace.

Senior parents are stressed when they see their children living through the same  difficulties they faced.  The stress is greater when we can’t help.  Our adult kids are stressed because they don’t want to be told what to do. But, they don’t want to ignore our advice.   Deborah Christensen, on medium.com in February of 2019, offers insight into difficult parent adult child relationships.

We are stressed. Our kids are stressed.  Sometimes, all we can do is listen and support until asked.

Parents Giving Advice to Adult Children Can Minimize Stress.

• Do a lot of listening.
• Don’t use any phrases like: “I remember when….” or “When this happened to me …..”
• Actively help out as appropriate.
• Be Present but not in the way.
• Offer the specific advice requested.

Our Adult Children’s World is Different than Ours.

Everything about the world today is the same as it for seniors, but very different.   Live video captures anything going on anywhere in the world.  Social media spreads news and more almost instantly.   Texting is both informative and destructive while almost continuous.  The” Knowledge of Wharton” website published by the University of Pennsylvania present a great article on the  impact of social media.

Decades of personal life experience is no longer a primary source of advice.  Adult children can instantly find information ranging from pop culture to scholarly lectures on any subject.  A lot of of internet searches are inaccurate, irrelevant or incorrect.  Sorting through information is part of the life experience of adult children.  Trying things in life is no different today than it was for senior parents.  The source of ideas to try is different.

Coping with the e-world builds bonds with adult children.

• Accept that adult children often look to the internet for advice first.
• Learn to use the e-tools your adult children use.
• Fully participate in e-activities that your adult children suggest.
• Engage in your own e-activities and let your adult children know.
• Establish clear e-boundaries with your adult children when using social media.

Work is Different for our Adult Children.

Many jobs are the same as they were 20 years ago.  The e-world has created a whole new type of work. As an adult, every time I saw my father, he would ask, “Workin’ son?”  I encouraged my children when they were applied for work.  After interviews, I usually asked how they went.  I inquired about how work was going.  Working was the foundation of life for my father.  Working was a necessary and important part of life for me.  Its necessary in the lives of my children but not in the same way.

I looked for stability in a job and always hoped to move up.  Adult children today look more for fulfillment from work.  I used to think, “If its not illegal and probably won’t kill you, do whatever you are asked to do.”  Adult children today often express, “Its not my job but I did it.  I won’t do it again.”  Human Resources sets the tone for almost any job now rather than a manager or foreman.  Fortunately, safety, inclusion and respect are the basis of most work today.

Relaxing with Our Adult Children Can Bring Us Closer.

There will always be the need to relax from work.  Commuting for work takes time out of the day.  Emails, pms, texts, etc. can create constant pressure to move to the next task.  New procedures, machines, equipment, programs and techniques mean constantly learning and catching up.  Decreases in staffing but not in production mean more work in the same time.

Senior Parents Giving Advice and Relaxing with Adult Children

• Set times for texting and internet use in your house and stick to them.
• Prepare and eat meals together.
• Talk about neutral things.  No embarrassing stories.
• Plan activities that everyone needs to learn plus old favorites.
• If possible, go somewhere together.
• Encourage participation without guilt or tension.
• Stop when it feels like its time to stop.

Parents often “play it by ear” when it comes to helping their kids through life.  This is no different for senior parents giving advice and helping adult children today.  Because each generation faces the world differently than their parents, senior parents need to be patient as we support our children.

The 2020 wildfire season has been one of the worst ever seen.  Its not over yet.   Now more than ever, wildfire donations are needed.  Many volunteer fire fighters have worked for two months without compensation.  Fire victims are left with nothing.  Senior Citizens, on fixed incomes, are giving wildfire donations.  Many have lived through one kind of disaster or another.  They understand how important help can be.

Senior Citizens Giving Wildfire Donations

There are several different ways that senior citizens are helping those left in need from the wildfires.

• Monetary Donations – These can be made through a variety of organizations listed online.
• Living Space – Apartments, single rooms even motor homes help when a house has been lost.  The city would be the best place to go to identify the need.
• Clothing, toiletries, bedding and toys – Items like this can be taken to churches which have been identified as help centers.
• Non-perishable Food – City and neighborhood food banks welcome these kind of donations.

How to Prepare for a wildfire.

If you live in a forest fire zone, there are several steps to take to protect your home.

• Keep grass cut.
• Clear dead limbs and under brush from trees.
• Try to keep 5-10 feet between the tops of trees.
• Cut back limbs that extend close to the house.
• Keep firewood stacked away from the house.
• Store any kind of fuel or flammable substance away from the house.
• Use fire resistant material for outdoor projects around the house.
• If possible, keep a fire dedicated house at each end of the house.

Donations of Any Kind Help

Seniors are often the most generous people in their community.  They recognize the value of help.

People who have lived through a wild fire face lots of future challenges.   They may need to replace their home.  This causes stress because of money, permits, construction and so on.  If their home is okay, they may still worry about fire in the future.  Furniture and clothes may have to be replaced because of smoke damage.  Often appliances, particularly refrigerators, are ruined.  Outdoor structures need repair or replacement.  When the unimaginable happens and friends and loved ones are lost, life can be overwhelming.  Even the loss of pets or livestock must be overcome.

The entire community experiences these things in some way.  Seniors have lived through similar things in life. They help.  They donate often because they have been helped.

Wildfire donations of any kind bring some amount of relief to someone.  Senior Citizens are at the center of the movement to raise all kinds of donations for the victims of this year’s wildfires.

If you are like me, a senior citizen,  you worry more about your senior health issues during COVID 19.  My health is neither better nor worse, but I worry about what to do if I need to see a doctor.

Senior Health Issues During COV19

Waiting Rooms

My biggest concern is sitting in a waiting room with other sick people even with social distancing in place.  At the beginning of “sheltering”, my wife and I had all our groceries and medications dropped at our front door.  Even then we took precautions to clean every item.  We eased up on that, but still have concerns about waiting rooms at the doctor’s office.  Initially, we cancelled appointments.  Realizing that this COVID 19 is a long term thing, we rescheduled.

Pharmacies

Seniors are considered vulnerable in terms of COV19.  Those of us with health conditions are considered even more at risk.  We visit pharmacies regularly to for prescriptions.  There always seems to be a line and a long waiting time.  We think about this when we need to get medication.  Young or old, everyone waiting has some kind of medical need.  Most of the time, we go with curbside pickup for medications.

Specialty Appointments

As it turns out, we have needed dental and eye appointments during COV19.  These were unscheduled and unanticipated, but related to our senior health issues.  The main difficulty is that these appointments were at offices we did not know well with staff we do not know.  This simply meant that we were unaware of office procedures.  Calling in advance to ask about COVID protocol helped put our minds at ease.

Medical Appointments and Senior Health Issues

Here’s what we do to prepare for medical appointments and trips to the pharmacy.

• We make sure we are feeling good on the day of an appointment.
• If we don’t know an office, we call to find out about their COVID 19 protocols.
• We always have a mask with us and hand sanitizer in the car.
• We social distance.
• If an office seems very crowded, we will often reschedule the appointment.
• We order medications in bulk.
• We use curb side pickup for medications.
• We do teleconferenced appointments when possible.
• We follow office protocols.
• We wash our hands after each appointment even after using hand sanitizer.

There is no need to panic because of senior health issues and COVID 19.  Taking steps to be safe and healthy just makes sense.