How Does Old Feel? When Are You Old?

As I hear more and more people talk about getting old I keep wondering when are you actually old? How does old feel? Does it really matter in real years how many years you have lived? If it is a matter of how you feel no matter what age you are I can understand that. I think I felt worse than I do today seven years ago. Now I live with pain in both of my knees but any age person can have that. Back then I had to get up and do chores whether I wanted to or not. Now I can take it easy if I am in pain. I will admit that now I do not do the same type of chores so it is easier anyway. For me my health started giving me trouble when I turned fifty. That was also the year my mother died so it was a tough year. Very stressful!

 

I love to spend time coloring!

Stress and worry seem to go hand in hand with health conditions. If you are experiencing a health condition but also worrying about something it could make it worse. I am a worrier so I know it is difficult to shut it off. What I have found works for me is to start coloring in one of my adult coloring books. Then I think about the problem that is causing me to worry so much. Sometimes I come up with solutions for that problem. Often I put music on while I color and don't think about anything but the song and the colors. Music and color therapy almost always helps me. Sometimes I write in my journal and make a list of what I can do to change it. That works pretty good too. 

Choose your weapon!

Yeah we look different as we get older. Even our animals do. Just a part of the living process. I think that is why you see people who use cosmetic surgery to look younger ruin their remaining years instead. The natural process of aging always looks better than what a doctor in the operating room can do. So many of the famous stars, men and women, have become grotesque after their surgeries. You can make yourself look better by using your tweezers, applying lotions or adding some color to your eyebrows and face. For myself, I only use beef tallow for my face lotion. It works great and is safer than what the lotions made for aging have in them.

My son, Jeff with my Daddy

I may not look as good as I did when I was younger but I feel good and enjoy living. Keeping a positive attitude helps. Complaining and whining does not help anyone. It is one of my pet peeves. It breeds negativity and that is the most harmful substance there is. Every morning when I was a child at home I woke up to hear my Daddy whistling in the kitchen as he prepared breakfast before he had to leave for work. It was my favorite time! I would hurry out to be with him before he had to leave. He was always cheerful and I loved to be with him. Even as he got older. It was hard on him when my Mom got sick and eventually passed away. But he stayed busy doing the things he always did. He showed a cheerful face to everyone but I know he was hurting inside. 

First spring flowers in the park!

So when anyone asks me how I am I always say I am good. I don't tell them all the aches and pains I have. I don't tell them all the things I am worried about. Instead I focus on the good things I have going today. You know what happens? As I talk to them I feel good again. I forget all those things I was worried about. I put the pain out of my mind. I focus on how lucky I am compared to others who are worse off. Or others who are depressed or miserable with their life. I come away thinking about what I am going to do today. Instead of feeling old..........I feel alive!

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

 

Using A Computer For Convenience As You Age

Keto Chow For The Win!

Struggling with most any health issue is stressful. The key to that is to do your own research. I always do that and try different methods to improve my issues. Whether it is food or activities I will try it and give it an adequate amount of time to get some type of result. If it does not work then I move on to something else. I have to at least try. One of the things I do now is live a "keto based lifestyle" which does help. It means no sugar or high carbs, fruits or most vegetables. My style of keto is heavy on the meat (especially beef), seasonings, some low carb vegetables and dairy. I had a struggle in the beginning which lasted many years. Living in my own place has made it pretty easy to stick to it. Also I give credit to Keto Chow, which is a keto meal replacement shake that supplies all the vitamins and minerals for one third of what I need for the whole day. I make it into ice cream with the Ninja Creami ice cream maker and it is a game changer for sure!  

Walking in the park across the street!

The real problem for me has been getting movement in. Both of my knees are very bad and hurt when I stand or walk. Suffering with Lymphedema is no fun either. Getting some kind of physical activity is most important with that condition. Every time I try though my knees seem to get worse. If I walk very far one day the next few days I can't even walk around my small apartment. It is not fair! I used to race walk many years ago and could even run up and down the bleachers at a local high school football field. I sure miss those days! When I moved here to my downtown location 7 years ago, I pictured walking everywhere. Unfortunately my mobility issue has become worse as time goes by. Even when I try to increase walking every day. I even purchased two different pieces of equipment that are for walking movement from a chair. I used them and the next day my knees were in extreme pain. Presently I am experimenting with the LifePro vibration plate. 

One part of my hall that I walk for exercise.

Luckily I can use a computer and enjoy being on it. Whether I am working online or off there is something that I can always get into. So I am never bored at home or having to sit with my feet up for a period of time. I still try to get the walking into my day somehow. If I cannot walk outside that day, I will walk laps around my hall outside my apartment door. Then if I have to stop suddenly, I am right here. It is easier for me. I used to have a neighbor who would always tell me to walk outside or that I needed to get out because that is what he does. I would wonder why he thought I could do what he did when he saw I had to use a walker or a mobility chair? Yeah, if I could walk as well as he did I would most likely not be living here. 

My  Trusty Laptop!

For many senior citizens (and disabled people) who live here and don't know or want to know how to use a computer or at least go online with their phones, life can be pretty hard. Being able to go online to do all my banking, paying my bills, ordering my supplies and buying groceries that are delivered to me makes life easy for me without a car. Do those things cost me extra money? Of course! I pay for convenience instead of the high price of owning a car. I put all those expenses into my monthly budget and never go over it. If I know something is going to be due I plan for it. If I know I am going to have to replace something soon I start saving money for it in my budget. 

Not that hard to learn how to use a computer!

If someone tells me something they heard which is causing fear among the residents here I just check it out online. Usually it is a rumor. Instead of stressing over something I have heard, finding the truth out keeps my life free of worrying and stressing. I do not watch or listen to mainstream news. They do not have any credibility and that is what the people who live here watch. They will say, "CNN said...........I roll my eyes and say,"lies and propaganda". Time for everyone to learn how to do things online and to free their own lives up. Especially as they get older. I feel sorry for them but it is like the time people had to give up their horses for the automobile. Or the radio for the television. Some stayed behind and had a harder time of it. For me my day starts every morning with a cup of coffee and my laptop..........

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

My Life Had To Change

An Aframe I saw in my travels

Lately I have been watching a video channel that is about a younger woman who has a lot of adventures. Building an awesome Aframe cabin on a remote property she bought. Setting up a wall tent and camping out alone. No fear of wild animals in the thick forest around her. No fear of going out on the huge lake that borders her property by herself. Clearing the land for the camp and the cabin as a surprise for her husband. I appreciate the fact that she films her walks in the forest as she discovers what is on her new property. She does it all with enthusiasm and skills for the various jobs needed. Yes, I envy her. Wishing I had been more like her. Maybe that is why I find myself watching videos about women living off the grid or exploring remote areas. 

With my brother and holding a doll

The fact is that I was never a "tomboy" type of girl. I don't know if I would have been capable of doing physical jobs that involved skills I see as male jobs. I never attempted them. I was not a brave type of girl or woman even after I grew up. As a little girl I played with dolls and I had a lot of them. Dolls and books were my favorite things back then. In fact, I learned to read and write before I even started school. I always liked the outdoors though. Especially the forest. When I lived in Florida as a child, I made a hut out of palmettos that would stay dry even in a storm. I wrote stories and made books out of onion skin paper. The hut was called "Africa" and my friend, Cindy and I would be in there writing our books to take to school. At that age the thought of snakes in the hut never crossed my mind! Now it would. 

Peaceful Forest

Even though I have lived in various places through out my life the one that stands out the most to me now is my last home. Peaceful Forest. My off the grid homestead that was in the middle of the state forest. It was very peaceful. If I had it to do over again would I? Absolutely! I think it would have been easier for me as I got older, if instead of living in the house, I had a tiny house or a camper to live in. I craved my own bedroom, a private space for me. I felt there was no room for me there. It was dusty from wood stoves and firewood being brought in. I was not comfortable when the wood stoves made it too hot. In the middle of the night I would get so hot I would go outside and sit on the porch to cool off.

Conifer Bug aka "Stink Bug"

Then there was the problem of "conifer" bugs or "stink bugs" and mice. They were everywhere! In the fall the bugs would come in on schedule in September. Hibernate through out the house. Then if the house got too warm from the stoves, out they would come. Dropping down from the ceiling right next to me! I would smell them before I would see them. The mice was another constant problem. Even with four cats who killed them regularly. They were in areas of the house where the cats could not go. I could not set up my kitchen and pantry the way I wanted it due to the mice. They would get into my dishes, silverware, pots and pans, etc. They did not get into the food so much but I did protect it by putting it in containers that they could not access. This alone wore on my nerves. I felt like they were making me go crazy. 

Batteries

Another thing that bothered me and maybe I was wrong about this. It was the batteries for the off the grid electric system. For years they were on the floor in the living room. In the main living area of our house. Where we spent a good many hours on the computer. I even ended up sleeping on the couch there right next to them. The big wood stove was within feet of the battery bank! Opening it to add wood while the batteries are letting off gases while charging. Scared me constantly that it was not a safe way to live. Also the wood stoves didn't always feel safe to me either. That is the main reason I started sleeping downstairs on the couch. So I could keep an eye on them during the night. 

My home for 7 years now!

These reasons along with my mobility issues are why I left that home and life. My life had to change. Giving up living in the forest was easier once I knew my cat had been killed by a bear. It still bothers me to this day. Nine years ago. At this time in my life I am content to watch the videos about others having adventures and building remote homes. It is not something I could have done anyway. Though I also enjoy watching videos about traveling and living in other locations I would not want to do that either. Maybe I am a "homebody" preferring to be in my own home. I am not sad about it because there are plenty of things I do. Being an introvert makes living alone easy. I like making my own choices on what I will do each day. 

 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

 

A Beautiful Spring Morning

Spring Is Here!

Today is one of those days when it is cool out but nice. The promise of spring temperatures in the air. I loved spring time in my garden! Working out there getting the dirt ready to put my seeds or plants I had started in the house into the ground. Such promise and hopes went into my garden besides a lot of work. Since I canned all the vegetables I grew I did not waste a single plant. It is one of things I miss most about living on my homestead in the country. There were just things I needed at that time that I could not get. I may miss it at times but I know I made the right decision. 

Windows and Sill Blocked For Winter

Maybe it sounds funny but a beautiful day like this makes me want to just work on spring cleaning my apartment. I had blocked the cold air from coming in from the windowsill and around the windows. Using black out curtains that I closed at night. It made it dark and gloomy in here. Not my favorite setting here! I like bright colors and lots of sunshine coming in my windows. Especially in the morning! Morning is my favorite time of the day. If I could skip night I would. Must be that is why I fall asleep as soon as I turn my television off at night. Never have had trouble sleeping. 

"Rabbit"

There is something about waking up in the morning and knowing you can do whatever you want. Nobody is telling me what I have to do today. That is why I do not like appointments or meetings. This morning I walked out to the dumpster and stopped to talk to a couple of the guys who live here. Then I picked some grass and dandelion leaves for my bunny boy, Rabbit. He was busy this morning chewing on cardboard and would not stop. When I brought the grass and dandelions for him, that did the trick. He ate it all eagerly and promptly went to sleep. Of course he is now listening to Linda Ronstadt's greatest hits on the stereo. He is a music lover! 

Coffee At My Computer

Every morning after I finish my morning devotions I make my coffee and then check my computer. Facebook and a forum I belong to. Then I am trying to stick to a schedule of writing a blog post. Since I am not a "modern homesteader" any longer it has been hard to focus on any one topic. Yet when I examine my life, it has never been about only one topic. My life has been a journey with many starts and stops along the way. The homesteading one was just one chapter. I like to read biographies of various people in history. Most of them did many different things throughout their lives. I think it is what God does to teach us about life. We learn many different lessons along the way.

 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

Keeping It Easy and Simple

Cooking In My Kitchen

 After years of cooking large meals for my family, I have given that up. In my mind I still love cooking. Probably is the reason I like to watch cooking or recipe videos. I will copy a recipe and then later look at it and say, "I am not doing that." Usually too many ingredients or too many steps to it. One thing that stops me from making something is how much clean up is it going to make for me. I like things to be easy and simple these days. Not that I cannot do the more complicated ones. I still could.......just don't want to. My favorite food to cook is a burger or a steak put in the NuWave oven. Easy and something I love to eat. Breakfast is usually eggs and some kind of meat. Just recently I have added a cup of Fage Greek yogurt to my daily menu. I needed to add more protein. That is why I often have the Keto Chow replacement shake made into ice cream. The protein and fat is something I have to keep track of or I will not get enough. 

Going to keep the counter clutter free!

Recently I took my small cooking appliances off the counter. I organized my cupboards so that now I can have those appliances in the cupboards out of sight. Easy to get to when I need them. The only ones I left on the counter are the ones too tall to go in a cupboard. I love having that much room on the counters! It looks much better than being cluttered. In the near future I will work on some of the other cupboards. The ones I cannot reach easily. No sense keeping stuff I do not use in them. I have two large stockpots that I don't use for anything other than making my supply of Essiac tea. I brew it from the dried ingredients and it needs to be done in those stockpots. So I will be keeping them. 

My Cleaning Supplies

Keeping with the easy theme in my home I keep my vacuum cleaner close by and easy to get to. No big deal to get it out and do a quick vacuum. Since my apartment is so small it takes less than five minutes. If cleaning or dusting is on my list for the day, I put the cleaning supplies out in the kitchen. As long as I see them I will not forget what I was supposed to do today. Not leaving things out or letting them pile up somewhere has been key for me living here. I do have that problem with papers piling up but make sure to go through them at least once a week. Throwing away or filing every single one. 

Every Day Water Supply in Canning Jars

You may have items you just cannot part with. I did. So I came up with ways I can use those items. This was the case with my canning jars. I have many but I don't think I took them all from my house when I moved. I might ask my husband if he would let me have them now. Not that I need them. I am just attached to them. When I moved from there I left a large amount of foods I had canned in the cupboards. The jars I am missing are the smaller ones. The pints. It was hard moving from a house to a studio apartment. So I was not able to take everything. Maybe it was a good thing........

Bunny Trail

The thing is as you get older many tasks are harder to do. Like standing on a chair or a stool to put something away. Or to fix a curtain rod or blinds. To quickly grab something you forgot to get out and now you need it instantly. That happens way too much. I am a list maker so I make a list of everything I need to do or to get out. That does help me a lot. When making a recipe I always put the recipe on the refrigerator. Then look at it often throughout the process. Label all the jars you store ingredients in so you do not make a mistake......yup, I did that! Doing routine tasks will be easy after you get used to doing them daily. That is why I do not like to change the way or time I do things. Not so much that I am set in my ways. 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

My Things Matter To Me

Cleared off the counters!

As I look through my kitchen finding items I might want to get rid of because I haven't used them in a long time, I spend time thinking. Thinking of the day I got the item. Or the reason I bought it in the first place. Or who gave it to me. Or what job I use it for, or did use it for. Or, or, or. So many things that have special meanings for me. Not of interest to anyone else. Only to me. When I am gone, what will come of it all? Thrown out to end up in the landfill? Donated to charity or thrift stores? To end up in smoking home? I know they are just things..........but they are my things and I love them all. 

My mother-in-law gave this to me as a gift

Nothing I have is of much value to anyone but me. Many are valued due to their memory. That is why when I was looking at decorating videos on how to create a new look for my apartment I could not follow through on it. I did not want to part with my old furniture or other keepsakes. I suppose if they were destroyed, out of my control, as in a fire or a flood it would be easier. I watched the people of CA searching for something left in their burned out homes. Anything! A little knick-knack or a tool. A memory they didn't want to lose. Even if they had pictures of their things most of them were lost too. Unless they stored them online. My whole life I have taken care of all my things. When I lost anything it was usually due to whatever man was in my life. I found out they didn't care about my things. Only their things!

My treasured cat that my husband bought for me in Florida

Why are things so important to someone? I wondered about that for myself. Thinking maybe it is not normal. Well for most of my life I lived with a spouse (three in fact!) and had no place for my own things. The only time I had that freedom was when I was able to live alone. Which I am doing now. As soon as I moved into this apartment almost seven years ago, I started putting out my treasured items. I could use them instead of packing them away in boxes in the attic. What a great feeling that was! Things that represent my past..........my life. They have meaning for me. Not like some home decor item you buy just because you need it at the time. 

I am working on the windows & windowsill now.

It is true though, that the more you get rid of the better you feel. In time the item is forgotten. Clear open spaces is what my goal is now. No clutter. No excess stuff to clean around. Finding places or new homes for the treasured items. Making my apartment easy to clean and care for. Even if I get help to assist me it will be easier for them too. I am not getting rid of everything! I like to rotate the items I put out. Put the ones I am not displaying in the curio cabinet. Then a few months later change them. It is a good method I discovered for keeping them useful and appreciating them. 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

kat's Studio Apartment - Apartment Life

I am not sure how I manage but almost everything I plan to do I eventually do. After many years of starting and stopping......Atkins, low carbs, keto & finally, ketovore. Ketovore is a cross between the carnivore food plan and keto. Mainly meats but some other keto friendly foods as well. Now I am definitely on it and stick to it at least 90%. I figure that is good enough for me. I do feel better on it and that is the main reason I eat this way. The other reason is that it is so good! Easy to shop for, easy to cook and easy to clean up after. What more could you want? After years of cooking for others this is a relief for me. Especially since I cannot stand in one place (at the sink or the stove) for very long. My doctor said don't stand longer than five minutes in one place. I try not to.

Cat Collection in curio cabinet

Another thing I have been doing over a bit of time is getting rid of all my excess things that I do not need. There is free table downstairs in my apartment building and I try to set something on it every week. If I see someone picked that item up I put another one down. Kind of interesting to do. Because I figure if I don't use it I may as well give it to someone who will. I don't know if I will ever get brave enough to start putting my ceramic cat collection on the table. Maybe not. Maybe I will wait till I am in my nineties to do that. The same with my dolls that I have had since I was a child. I don't know if "uncluttering" or downsizing as it is sometimes called is an aging thing or not. I see a lot of videos with young people doing it too. Maybe it is trending that we bought too much stuff and now need to get rid of it. I tell myself if I ever have to live in an RV or a van I could never do it with all the stuff I own. 

The best I could do for now.

Since I am following the "ketovore" food plan I have found a lot of gadgets I own for food preparation I no longer need. Basically everything I have out on my counter I use often. I have too many other items that are just taking up room. I am thinking of getting rid of those items. It is funny how someone said on one of the "decluttering" videos that the more you get rid of the more you want to get rid of. Yes, that is definitely true for me. I am seeing that in myself every time I see something I put on the free table is gone. Makes it so much easier to clean or find what you are looking for. I removed as much as I could from my counter so it would not look so cluttered. It also gives me plenty of room to prepare my meals. 

Oma Lisa, my childhood doll

As I get older I find I don't really need so much stuff. If I can use it for other purposes than what it was meant for then I do that. I would always rather use that than purchasing anything new. When I write down my lists of what I need to do or what I want to eliminate from my life I can analyze it further. The key is to get started. Experts are always telling us to find our why. My why is to make life easier now. Not work around it until the day I die. If it is not serving any purpose now is the time to rid myself of it. As I said before there are some items I will never part with. One being my childhood dolls. They still bring me pleasure and I just cannot part with them. At least not yet. 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

Bathmophobia Fear of Stairs Is Real

3 Story Apartment Building for Seniors & Disabled

 The past couple of weeks I have been living in my apartment on the second floor with a faulty elevator. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. I knew this would happen eventually.  I really do understand why this happens. Elevators are a man made machine and they break down. Like a car or a computer. Nothing lasts forever. Even knowing and understanding that it is difficult for me to be without it. I have gotten used to it. Comfortable. Time to examine my options and get out of my comfort zone. Moving from here is not an option I want. For one thing a year ago I moved my son upstairs in my building so I could help him. The other thing is that I really love my apartment. I do not want to give it up. Nor do I want to move to first floor apartment. It is noisy down there. Too much activity for me. This is my home. So what to do?

Again???

The only option I really have is to increase my mobility. Maybe I have made it worst by never using the stairs since I moved here in 2018. They are steep and I admit I have a fear of them. So maybe the reason I cannot go down them is not my mobility issues but my fear of stairs in general. There is actually a name for this fear. Bathmophobia. Fear of stairs! Even as a child I was afraid of them but I would still use them. Just very carefully. I have been researching how to rid myself of this fear and how to use stairs when you have bad knees. I have two that are bad but normally one is worse then the other. In other countries elevators are not commonly installed in apartment buildings. Those people are able to live without ever having an elevator (or lifts as they call them). 

Walking laps around my hall

Little steps is essential for me to change anything. My first step has been to start walking laps around my hall. This is an easy step as I have done this in the past. I am walking two laps presently with my walker. I still need to use that for any walking I do. There are times when I need it constantly in my apartment  then other days not at all or not as much. The second step is using my Vibration Plate. I am still in the testing mode with this piece of equipment. It is supposed to work for many different health issues and one being for people with Lymphedema. So that is why I bought one. 

Overcoming my fear of steep stairs

The third step of my plan is something I going to try today for the first time. Walk up 3 steps and down 3 steps on the stairs at the end of my hall. I believe there are only 8 steps down to the landing. Trouble is I cannot carry my walker with me. So using a cane even though I have not come up with a solution for sitting down at the bottom of the stairs. Going up with the good leg and down with the bad one. Maybe increase it after it becomes easier. The biggest problem for me is that these stairs are very steep. At least it seems so to me. Going to try to keep focused on the stair in front of me and not the whole thing at once. Doing it daily is also part of my plan. Not giving up.

Eggs are a good protein source

I have been increasing my protein while following a low carb/keto food plan that is heavy on the protein sources. Twenty carbs or less along with an eating window from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (Intermittent Fasting). I feel this is the most healthful food plan to follow. I can stick to it with no problems. In fact eating this way makes you calm and more peaceful. It helps people sleep at night though I have never had that problem. Processed foods, grains, starches and sugar affect me in negative ways. Eliminating them is one little step that is essential for me! 

 

Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2025 Kathleen G. Lupole