Mindfulness : finding peace in Boomer Life Today

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Buddhism, creativity, Eckhart Tolle, Google, innovation, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Kathryn McEwen, Meditation, mindfulness, New Zealand, peace, Power of Now, spirituality, stress, Thich Nhat Hanh, Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These past six months have been very difficult because my department has been under review.  To help me cope with the stress, I enrolled in mindfulness classes offered by my employer, a large healthcare organization, here in New Zealand.

Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining, as much as possible, a calm awareness of your body, feelings and mind.  It involves guided meditation and activities that encourage you to be totally present in the moment.  My course consisted of one two-hour session per week for 4 weeks, although, normally courses run over an 8 week period and include a silent retreat.  However, in this short time, I have noticed decreased physical and emotional stress levels, reduced chronic pain, enhanced sleep quality and increased gastrointestinal comfort. It has also increased my ability to think more creatively and I understand that large corporations, such as Google, use it to spark innovation in the workplace.

I am really very grateful to the facilitators of the course and our organization for making it available and I hope to take more classes and perhaps attend a silent retreat.

To learn more about mindfulness, here are a few books, which you may find interesting.

Kabat-Zinn, Jon . Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life

McEwen, Kathryn. Building Resilience At Work

Thich Nhat Hanh. The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation

Tolle, Eckhart. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Oh, and I found out on Friday that I have not been made redundant

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of products in this Boomer Life Today blog post was not solicited or paid for by companies or individuals in New Zealand or abroad.

Writers and readers festival : a “page” from a boomer’s life today

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Aleks Krotoski, Aotea Square, Auckland, cookie bar, Helena Popovic, Kate De Goldi, Kathryn Burnett, Lloyd Geering, Moustache, Toby Manhire, Writer and Readers Festival

A couple of weekends ago, I attended 4 sessions and one workshop at Auckland’s Writers and Readers Festival.  I started the day at Lloyd Geering’s lecture How man made God - not a new concept, but nevertheless a very dynamic and interesting presentation.  Next I was off to The Good Life a very entertaining, mostly question and answer session on turning your urban property or “section” into an oasis, complete with veggie patch, chicken run and worm farm. After a quick lunch break, I headed to a fast-paced hour with digital technology specialist Aleks Krotoski and Toby Manhire on What the Internet is doing to you. I had read the book, The shallows : what the Internet is doing to our brains, so found Aleks’ take on the subject really fascinating.  My next stop was a session on Living with Dementia a very thought-provoking look at living with and caring for a family member afflicted by this devastating disease. After hearing about the experiences of Dr. Helena Popovic and Kate De Goldi, who are both daughters of dementia sufferers, I needed the comfort that only “afternoon tea” could provide. So, off I went to nearby Moustache, a milk and cookie bar on Wellesley St.  This tiny spot is a must if you are in the city and need a pick-me-up! They don’t have much seating, so I took my “afternoon tea” al fresco on a bench in Aotea Square. Beautiful! I was now ready for the last session of the day – a workshop with writer and innovation workshop facilitator, Kathryn Burnett. Her Creative ideas fast workshop was described as a “short, sharp workout that will get your right brain firing” and it lived up to its promise in every way. I’d highly recommend Kathryn’s classes and workshops for anyone wanting to get the creative juices flowing.

I have lived in New Zealand for almost 9 years now and this was my first year at the festival.  However, it won’t be my last – it was a wonderful way to spend a Sunday!

If you would like to know more about the authors featured here and their newest books, please see the links below.

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of events, people or businesses in this Boomerlifetoday blog post were not solicited or paid for by companies or individuals in New Zealand or abroad.

References:

Geering, Lloyd.  From the big bang to God

Hallinan, Lynda.  Back to the land : A year of country gardening

Luke, Janet. Green urban living : Simple steps to growing food, keeping chickens, worm farming, beekeeping and much more in New Zealand

Murrell, Tony. Garden: Garden designs to enhance your life

Krotoski, Aleks.  Untangling the Web : what the Internet is doing to you

Popovic, Helena.  In search of my father

De Goldi, Kate. The ACB with Honora Lee

Burnett, Kathryn

Boomer Life Today : Following up …

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Antler, baby boom generation, boomers, Canada, Environmental Working Group, Good Grips, health, Hon code, La Roche-Posay, Luggage, Nature Organics, New Zealand, Skin Deep database, Skincare

This week, I’d like to follow up on some past blog posts.

Health is at hand Parts I and II

Those who have followed our blog from the beginning may recall our posts titled Health is at hand Parts I and II.  I have just completed an online course through the National Library of Medicine in the US and want to provide you with an update.  Previously, I recommended using the HON code as a way of determining reliable consumer health information. However, it seems that there have been some sites featuring the code, which are providing inaccurate information. Although, they have been asked to remove the code, compliance is voluntary.  Also, some others in my course had reservations about WebMD because it is commercial site funded by pharmaceutical companies, so a word of caution is in order there too.

Form follows function in the kitchen

In Form follows function, I took a look at different kinds of jar openers and while we were in Canada over Christmas, I bought the newest version of the Good Grips jar opener (see above).  It takes little effort to use and fits all jar/bottle lid sizes.

A miracle minefield

In A Miracle Minefield, I talked about the different skincare regimes recommended in the medical literature and promised to let you know which products I purchased.  For a day moisturizer, I have been using Nature Organics’ River Veda Rejuvenate Day Star SPF 30 UVA and UVB cream. I have sensitive skin and this New Zealand cream is effective and gentle.  At night, I use La Roche-Posay Redermic R Anti-Aging Dermatological Treatment for my face and La Roche-Posay Substiane+ Fundamental Replenishing Anti-Aging Care for my eyes.  La Roche-Posay products are made in France and are available in Shopper’s Drug Marts in Ontario, Canada and through nz.strawberrynet.com in New Zealand.  I would highly recommend their products – not only are they effective, but they also score well in the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.  If you don’t know about this database, click or touch here.

Too much baggage

In Too Much Baggage, I was contemplating a new piece of lightweight  luggage.  While on our US holiday last year, I bought Antler’s Airstream Large Suitcase and am very pleased with it. It’s lightweight, turns on a dime and has a 10 year guarantee. To learn more, click or touch here.

Is there a product that has really improved your life?  Let us know…

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Today Partners

Disclosure: Products mentioned in this Boomer Life Today blog post were not solicited or paid for by companies in New Zealand or abroad.

Boomer Life Today : The mind is a beautiful thing to waste

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Canada, continuing education, Coursera, Duke University, Harvard University, lifelong learning, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Massive open online course, MOOC, Open University

Did you like school? Do you like challenging your mind by learning new things?  Those who follow our blog will know that I graduated last year with a post-graduate certificate in aging from Mount Royal University in Canada.  This was a web-based program of study and I really enjoyed it.  But what if you don’t have the money, desire or commitment to study for credit? Why not study just for the fun of it? If you own a computer/mobile device, you may be interested in MOOC, Massive Open Online Courses. These free courses are offered for interest, not credit and cover a wide range of subjects.

I’m currently taking one from Duke University and it is very good.  Other universities contributing great content include Yale, Harvard, MIT, McGill (Canada), Open University (UK) and many more!  Click or touch here for a list of MOOC course providers.

Keeping your mind active and learning new things is thought to help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of cognitive decline.  So why not register – courses start every week!

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of these courses in this Boomer Life Today blog post were not solicited or paid for by companies/schools in New Zealand or abroad.

Boomer Life Today : Quilts & quilting

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Arts, Auckland Quiltmakers' Quilt Show & Market, baby boom generation, boomers, Craft, Dhahran, Fiber art, hobbies, Middle East, New Zealand, Quilt, quilting, quilts, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

If you have been following our blog, you will know how much I love fabric, so it will come as no surprise that I attended the Auckland Quiltmakers’ Quilt Show & Market this weekend. My mother always loved quilts and from a very young age, I would go with her to quilt markets and exhibitions in Elmira, St. Jacobs, and Kitchener in Southern Ontario, Canada. She did some quilting herself but also commissioned an “old-order” Mennonite woman to make a white whole-cloth hand-quilted piece, which I have to this day. My family connection to quilting does not stop there – one of my cousins is a beautiful quilter and I can only hope that someday I will be.

Although I have a stash of quilting fabric, I have only made one small quilt, the result of taking lessons from a very talented French quilter living in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Most of her masterpieces were original designs and many were inspired by Islam. Another extremely talented quilter – a German woman, I met while working for the Arabian American Oil Company (ARAMCO) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia was also inspired by life in the Middle East and she created some truly magical quilts. Unfortunately, I’ve lost touch with these amazing textile artists, but my appreciation for quilts and quilting remains.

Here are some of my favourite quilts from today’s exhibition. There are so many talented people here in New Zealand. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Which one/s do you prefer?

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of this event and its quilts was not solicited or paid for by companies or individuals in New Zealand or abroad.

 

Boomer Life Today : Anzac Day 2013 celebrating freedom

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Aratiatia Falls, baby boom generation, boomers, Bradley's Gardens B&B, Forgotten World Adventures, Huka Falls, Huka Lodge, Kinloch links golf course, L'Arte Cafe & Gallery, New Zealand, railcarting, roadtrips, Taupo, tourism, Travel

Tomorrow is Anzac Day, a day to remember the sacrifices made by those who fought to give us freedom and keep us safe.  This past weekend we enjoyed the freedom afforded us by these great men and women.  Enjoy these photos of our weekend away to Taupo, New Zealand.

Bradley’s Gardens

Our accommodation at Bradley’s Gardens B & B, a beautiful place to stay in Taumaranui

Railcarting with Forgotten World Adventures from Taumaranui to Whangamomona

One of 20 tunnels en route

Fall colours en route

Fossilized rock with embedded shells found en route

Typical New Zealand villa

Weathered barn in the countryside

Our destination

- the Whangamomona Hotel

Hiking through the forest between Huka Falls and Aratiatia Falls

Dam at Aratiatia Falls

The dam is open!

Mosaic sofa in the outdoor living room at L’Arte : Cafe & Gallery, Acacia Bay, Taupo

Public toilets

On our way out to Kinloch links golf course near Taupo

Huka Lodge – NZ’s premier resort visited by royalty, celebrities and Mr. & Mrs. Boomerlifetoday!

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Today Partners

Disclosure: Places and activities mentioned in this Boomer Life Today blog post were not solicited or paid for by companies in New Zealand or abroad.

Boomer Life Today : Family histories, everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask

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ancestry, Ancestry.com, baby boom generation, boomers, Downton Abbey, family history, family tree, Genealogy, New Zealand, Scotland

Courtesy of http://www.acgs.org

A few posts ago, I wrote about the importance of knowing your family’s medical history and now I’m finding out even more about my ancestors.  Undertaking a genealogical search has never interested me until a few days ago.  On a whim, I downloaded a free 14-day trial of Ancestry.com and haven’t done much else since then (hence the delay posting to my blog!!!).  It’s not easy, but very compelling and gratifying when the pieces start falling into place.  I’ve discovered that in ‘ye olde Scotland’, there were many Marys, Thomas’s, Johns, and Anns, which has made my investigation very frustrating at times.  And, it also seems that people didn’t know how old they were (or maybe they did and didn’t want others to know) because some of my ancestors’ birth dates changed when they got married or immigrated to Canada, funny that???) And, to the best of my knowledge they weren’t criminals trying to confuse the authorities!!!  It’s fascinating to imagine what their lives were like, a la Downton Abbey (although I’ve found more members from ‘below stairs’ (domestics) than aristocrats so far). But I’m not finished yet, so who knows what I’ll find!  

Have you made any interesting discoveries when doing your family history? 

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Today Partners

Disclosure:  Mention of products/websites in this Boomer Life Today blog post were not solicited or paid for by companies in New Zealand or abroad.

Boomer Life Today : Future-proofing reno

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ageless design, aging-in-place, baby boom generation, bathrooms, boomers, ergonomic design, future-proofing; interior design, inter-generational design, renovation, toilets, universal design

Photo courtesy of axeldeviaje

Future-proofing, inter-generational design, universal design, ergonomic design, ageless design – whatever you want to call it, its one of the fastest growing renovation trends, according to a new Harvard study.  For once, we are on trend and are having our bathrooms/toilets renovated with future-proofing in mind.

To get ideas, we toured a number of new homes in New Zealand and Canada, which were designed for the active retired demographic.   At one of Auckland’s newest retirement developments, we were fortunate to meet the interior designer and asked for her help.  In preparation for our first meeting, I borrowed interior decorating books and magazines from the library and photocopied pictures of rooms that Mr. Boomerlifetoday and I liked.  That way it was easy for the designer to develop our brief – minimalist, light, airy, a tiled barrier-free shower in the en suite, slip resistant heated floors, wall hung vanities with drawers for easily accessible storage, improved lighting and raised height toilets.  Energy efficiency was also important.

VVe have had our second meeting with the interior designer and our first with her builder, so we’re making progress.  VVe’ll keep you posted and let you know which products we choose and how the transformation is going.

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Boomer Life Today : Happy Easter!

Tags

Canada, childhood memories, Chocolate, Easter, Easter bonnet, Easter candy, Holiday, Laura Secord chocolate, New Zealand, Savage Shoe Company, Traditions

Photo courtesy of riptheskull photostream

Happy Easter! Easter is celebrated so casually now compared to when I was young.  As a child, Easter meant new clothes to wear to church on Sunday.   My mother was a wonderful seamstress and most years, she would make me a new suit or dress.  I often had new shoes, which were always bought from the same store.  I loved that shop because when the salespeople measured your feet or helped you try on shoes they sat on little stools with animals painted on them.  I especially liked the stool painted to look like an elephant! The store was owned by people who went to our church and they always stocked lovely shoes by the Savage Shoe Company.  One year, I chose dark blue velvet ones with sparkly bows!  I loved them.  Another year, my mother took me to get a new spring coat at  one of the downtown department stores and I remember the difficulty of choosing between a grey one with grey braid trim or a navy one – I chose the grey one.   VVhen I was very small, my outfit would not be complete without a new hat (Easter bonnet) and gloves.  VVe did not have a lot of money when I was a child, but my mother had very good taste and always bought the best quality we could afford.  A good habit, which I try to follow to this day.

The other childhood Easter memory I treasure was waking up Sunday morning to find Laura Secord chocolate bunnies and eggs in woven baskets lined with yellow, pink and mauve straw.  I especially liked the eggs, which had either a vanilla cream (coloured white and yellow to look like the yolk and white) or chocolate and walnut centre.  My mother worked in a Laura Secord shop when my father was away at war and always remained loyal to the brand.  The company was founded 100 years ago and is still going strong so seek them out if you are in Canada and find yourself in NEED of chocolate!!  They will not disappoint…..

This year we have not made any special preparations for Easter – no new clothes or chocolate treats.  I have not even planned a special Easter dinner, which my mother always did.  It is too bad in a way but here in New Zealand, Easter is like Thanksgiving weekend in Canada – the last holiday weekend of good weather before the cooler temperatures and rainy days set in.

VVhat are your childhood memories of celebrating Easter?  Do you still maintain any traditions from your youth?

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of products in this Boomer Life Today blog post are not solicited or paid for by companies in New Zealand or abroad.

Boomer Life Today : Laughter is the best medicine

Tags

Auckland, baby boom generation, baby boomer, boomers, comedian, Danny Bhoy, humor, humour, laughter, Nevv Zealand, Russell Peters, The Edge, Vector Arena

 

I’ve been in need of a good laugh lately. My medical scare left me shaken, our place has been infested by bottle flies (they laid eggs throughout our home, in the closets, drawers, under furniture, under appliances!!!!!) and the department I work in is under review.  Enter Russell Peters right on cue!  He made his first appearance in Auckland (he’s Canadian) and didn’t disappoint.  He was already one of my favourite funny men.  I’ve watched his DVDs and seen him on television, but, his live show was his best.  I literally did not stop laughing from start to finish! If you haven’t heard of Russell, I urge you to catch one of his shows.  Touch or click here to find out more.

And, in May we’re looking forward to another must-see comedian, Danny Bhoy.  Can’t wait!  Click or touch here to find out about this wonder-bhoy.

Who are your favourite comedians?

Until next time,

Your Boomer Life Partners

Disclosure: Mention of these shows was not solicited or paid for by companies, individuals or agencies in New Zealand or abroad.