QuickWitz launches YouTube Channel

From the beginning of QuickWitz, I have enjoyed the presentations to community groups and senior homes. I always wanted to be there for support for delivery of the program. The teacher in me says, "Try it this way." Now I have found a way to do that. Take a peek at QuickWitz Tips on YouTube.
This is my attempt to be completely "transparent", mistakes and all!  And I made some. 

Take a look:  Working Memory: 2 BACK

If bees can...why can't I?  Researchers have found that older momma bees...maybe grandmomma bees, who return to the nest and take up the duties again, renew their youth and "significantly improved their ability to learn new things."  In the future will we reap the benefits of this research?

Read the rest of the story:
 Reverse Brain Aging: Evidence in Bees

Us: Staying Young and Looking Good

There is a never ending stream of info about how we can, even as we inevitably age, stay young and look good.  This piece is especially impactful, since they put a number on it, "nearly 2 decades."  What?  Can I look 16 years younger...really?  For me, that pushes me back to 40-something, which works for me.  Babies were birthed and becoming teens---back in that day, there was little time to be "looking good" just looking different.  Soooo, if I can look, now, like I wanted to look then, I will take it.
Read it for yourself

Brain Training Habit Worth Forming

From the University of California, Berkeley comes the following report:

A new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, provides even more reason for people to read a book or do a puzzle, and to make such activities a lifetime habit. Brain scans revealed that people with no symptoms of Alzheimer's who engaged in cognitively stimulating activities throughout their lives had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid, a destructive protein that is the hallmark of the disease.

While previous research has suggested that engaging in mentally stimulating activities -- such as reading, writing and playing games -- may help stave off Alzheimer's later in life, this new study identifies the biological target at play. This discovery could guide future research into effective prevention strategies.

"These findings point to a new way of thinking about how cognitive engagement throughout life affects the brain," said study principal investigator Dr. William Jagust, a professor with joint appointments at UC Berkeley's Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, the School of Public Health and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. "Rather than simply providing resistance to Alzheimer's, brain-stimulating activities may affect a primary pathological process in the disease. This suggests that cognitive therapies could have significant disease-modifying treatment benefits if applied early enough, before symptoms appear."

Read the rest of this compelling research.

Brain Stimulating Habits Linked to Lower Alzheimer's 

 

This is just one more in a long list of research publications which is touting the justification of mental fitness activities. Again and again, we are told, "There is no cure, BUT...the time for intervention is sooner than later, AND...there is no downside to cognitive activity, THEREFORE...make such activities a lifetime habit...starting today.

Memories...pressed against the pages of my mind

Our generation, that's the Baby Boomer generation, is coming of age again.  They wrote about us in the 60's...and, yes, we created a revolution.  In the 70's-80's, we were responsible for a boom in housing, as we came of age again and began raising families.  So, it is nothing new that we will usher in another age, but we are reluctant this time.  Memories are precious.  They connect me with my youth, my past, my hometown, my departed grandparents, my old friends.  I do not want to be a shell of a person. 


At our age, we have each had some experience with memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer's...a grandparent, parent, maybe a classmate.  All too close for comfort.  Is it inevitable for me?

No!  But know the signs, the signals, the measures to employ now to continue productivity as long as the body is warm.


Read what the experts are saying:
Must I accept that memory loss is a given?

Cognitive Decline Begins When?????????

I guess when you have passed that 60 year-old mile marker, there is a certain smirkiness that rises from your innards when you hear those "young things" at 45 are about to come face-to-face with science that says, "Quit laughing at us.  You are already there!"  I am fairly certain that it was the big 6-0 that ushered in the catty comments about my forgetfulness or tip-of-the-tongue experiences.  And for all of us who have arrived, we can say the same thing we said at the big 5-0... it doesn't feel any different.
So look at the results of the British Medical Journal, as reported on ABC.  We need to be aware that while dementia cannot be cured, it can be kicked on down the road if not completely avoided...if we do the right things for our body and our brains.
Mental Decline Begins Earlier Than Believed

More Second Act

This online resource from Entrepreneur.com continues to offer motivation and inspiration.  Having dreams and goals that require hard work give us a reason to write resolutions and then keep them.  For too long we have looked at the retirement age as the point at which we begin to "sit it out."  I love that country song which features a mom singing the song for her daughter, "When you have the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance."  So read Second Act and then, "Dance."

Second Act: Reinvent Yourself

Lutheran Homes of South Carolina

I never tire of training the ladies who will be instrumental in bringing QuickWitz to the community residents.  This session was particularly enjoyable, as the setting was intimate in that the Directors have worked together and shared life experiences.  While they may not physically see each other daily, I got the clear sense that they are genuinely co-workers, colleagues with a common cause.  And I am certain that the communities they serve feel their warmth daily.
Thanks, ladies.  I had a great time!

Is there a 2nd Act in your future?

As I press on with the development of brain training activities, products and seminars for those at midlife and beyond, I am always interested in stories of boomers and seniors who have entered a new profession, made a discovery of new talent or started a new business.  At 50, my sister became a flight attendant.  My friend, Chuck,  has applied for another patent.  He has several already, but at 70 years of age, he shows no signs of shutting down.
While we know little of what the future holds, we have learned a great deal about the past.  And we have grown wiser for that.  Why not use the wisdom we have attained to brighten everyday and to give ourselves purpose.
I am attaching a link that connects to an online magazine I have so enjoyed.  Click on it and get inspired!

2nd Act

Retirement Reset

Here is an article that draws from history, in that takes a different look at retirement.  Our perception of being "entitled" to retirement colors our thinking.  We are stuck between the proverbial rock and a hardspot.  Living much longer is a great thing, we think.  But will we outlive our money?


Retirement Reset

History Test

This is a History Exam for those who don't mind seeing how much they really remember about what went on in their life.

*** Get paper & pencil & number from 1 to 20.
****Write the letter of each answer & score at the end.

1. In the 1940s, where were automobile headlight dimmer switches located?
A. On the floor shift knob.
B. On the floor board, to the left of the clutch....
C. Next to the horn.

2. The bottle top of a Royal Crown Cola bottle had holes in it.. For what was it used?
A. Capture lightning bugs.
B. To sprinkle clothes before ironing.
C. Large salt shaker.

3. Why was having milk delivered a problem in northern winters?
A. Cows got cold and wouldn't produce milk.
B. Ice on highways forced delivery by dog sled.
C... Milkmen left deliveries outside of front doors and milk would freeze, expanding and pushing up the cardboard bottle top.

4. What was the popular chewing gum named for a game of chance?
A.. Blackjack
B. Gin
C. Craps

5. What method did women use to look as if they were wearing stockings when none were available due to rationing during WW II.
A. Suntan
B. Leg painting
C. Wearing slacks

6. What postwar car turned automotive design on its ear when you couldn't tell whether it was coming or going?
A. Studebaker
B. Nash Metro
C. Tucker

7. Which was a popular candy when you were a kid?
A . Strips of dried peanut butter.
B. Chocolate licorice bars.
C. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside.

8. How was Butch wax used?
A. To stiffen a flat-top haircut so it stood up.
B. To make floors shiny and prevent scuffing..
C On the wheels of roller skates to prevent rust.

9. Before inline skates, how did you keep your roller skates attached to your shoes?
A. With clamps, tightened by a skate key.
B. Woven straps that crossed the foot.
C. Long pieces of twine.

10.. As a kid, what was considered the best way to reach a decision?
A. Consider all the facts..
B. Ask Mom.
C. Eeny-meeny-miney-MO.

11. What was the most dreaded disease in the 1940s and 1950s?
A. Smallpox
B. AIDS
C. Polio

12.. 'I'll be down to get you in a ________, Honey'
A. SUV
B. Taxi
C. Streetcar

13.. What was the name of Caroline Kennedy's pony?
A. Old Blue
B. Paint
C Macaroni

14.. What was a Duck-an d-Cover Drill?
A. Part of the game of hide and seek.
B. What you did when your Mom called you in to do chores.
C. Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.

15 . What was the name of the Indian Princess in the Howdy Doody Show?
A. Princess Summerfallwinterspring
B. Princess Sacajawea
C Princess Moonshadow

16.. What did all the really savvy students do when mimeographed tests were handed out in school?
A. Immediately sniffed the purple ink, as this was believed to get you high.
B. Made paper airplanes to see who could sail theirs out the window.
C. Wrote another pupil's name on the top, to avoid their failure.

17.. Why did your Mom shop in stores that gave Green Stamps with purchases?
A.. To keep you out of mischief by licking the backs, which tasted like bubble gum.
B. They could be put in special books and redeemed for various household items.
C. They were given to the kids to be used as stick-on tattoos.

18.. Praise the Lord , & pass the _________?
A.. Meatballs
B. Dames
C. Ammunition

19.. What was the name of the singing group that made the song 'Cabdriver' a hit?
A. The Ink Spots
B.. The Supremes
C. The Esquires

20.. Who left his heart in San Francisco ?
A. Tony Bennett
B. Xavier Cugat
C. George Gershwin
----------------------------- --------------------------

ANSWERS

1. (B) On the floor, to the left of the clutch. Hand controls, popular in Europe , took till the late '60's to catch on.

2. (B) To sprinkle clothes before ironing.. Who had a steam iron?

3 (C) Cold weather caused the milk to freeze and expand, popping the bottle top...

4 . (A) Blackjack Gum.

5.. (B) Special makeup was applied, followed by drawing a seam down the back of the leg with eyebrow pencil

6. (A) 1946 Studebaker.

7. (C) Wax coke bottles containing super-sweet colored water.

8. (A) Wax for your flat top (butch) haircut.

9. (A) With clamps , tightened by a skate key, which you wore on a shoestring around your neck.

10. (C) Eeny-meeny-miney-mo.

11. (C) Polio. In beginning of August, swimming pools were closed, movies and other public gathering places were closed to try to prevent spread of the disease.

12. (B) Taxi , Better be ready by half-past eight!

13. (C) Macaroni ....

14. (C) Hiding under your desk, and covering your head with your arms in an A-bomb drill.

15. (A) Princess Summerfallwinterspring. She was another puppet

16... (A) Immediately sniffed the purple ink to get a high.

17. (B) Put in a special stamp book, they could be traded for household items at the Green Stamp store.

18. (C) Ammunition, and we'll all be free.

19. (A) The widely famous 50's group: The Inkspots.

20.. (A) Tony Bennett, and he sounds just as good today.

SCORING

17- 20 correct : You are older than dirt, and obviously gifted with mental abilities. Now if you could only find your glasses. Definitely someone who should share your wisdom!

12 -16 correct: Not quite dirt yet, but you're getting there.

0 -11 correct: You are not old enough to share the wisdom of your experiences.

Post your score in comment section...and your age if you are not ashamed.

Going back to school

How many times have I said, " I would love to do those college years again!"  Guess I am not the only one.  Lifelong learning, football games in the fall, more efficient living space all add up to more fun!

  What we are doing more of...

Bucket List

So drop in your items.  Whatever crazy, wild and whackey adventures you wish to embark upon, add them to your list.  Surely, more surely as we age, there are life's ambitions not yet fulfilled.  We have been told for a lifetime, "Set goals, write it down and watch it happen."  Brag about it, blog about it here.  Then come back and write about the accomplishment.

I will start:

I want to go to the summer Olympics.
I want to attend a Republican National Convention.
I want to write a book.
I want to ride the train across the Canadian Rockies.
I want to see the salmon swim upstream.
I want to ride an airboat through the Everglades.


Next?  Follow this blog so you can share.

Maybe I would prefer the monkey's brain!

Recent research indicates that the brain of the chimpanzee does not shrink like his primate cousin, the human. It seems big brains and long life spans may free up older members of the population to look after the youngsters.  Now I have purpose in life.
READ MORE

Laughter, it turns out, is great medicine.

There is something to smile about!

Promoting Healthy, Meaningful Aging Through Social Involvement

Over the last decade, scientists made two key discoveries that reframed our understanding of the adult brain’s potential to benefit from lifelong environmental enrichment. First, they learned that the adult brain remains plastic; it can generate new neurons in response to physical activity and new experiences. Second, they confirmed the importance of social connectedness to late-life cognitive, psychological, and physical health. Read more here...

Muscle Cars

We are a targeted generation for many reasons.  As teenagers, we were the first generation to have a love affair with the automobile.  Read how Detroit would like to reignite that affection...Bring back the muscle cars


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BOOMER EXPRESS

"The Boomer Express is unstoppable,"  so says Dr. Caroline Cicero, in Addressing the Real Challenges of an Aging Population.  "It is time to face up to wrinkles, own gray hair and get busy supporting solutions to the real challenges of aging." 
Really?   Gray hair was just the first challenge of aging?  Since Boomers made Clairol a household name, I concur that we need to move on and tackle some of the toughest issues.


Read more
Boomers 70-80 million of us

Alpha Boomers

I like the sound of that.  I have heard of the Alpha Male and the AlphaBet (she's my mother)  but never the Alpha Boomer.  So I want to be one.  Read this and you will, too.
Richer and Wiser

Nascar...from the Villages

I Want One of Those