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What We Are UP To – The Music Edition

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music image showing notation

I read an article recently about “Using Music for Self-Care” that was very interesting. I had always heard about theories like the Mozart effect (which I don’t believe is true) but I can definitely see how listening to music can be helpful in stressful situations. While we’re not experiencing any out of the ordinary stress this month, we are listening to a lot of music and it’s been nice. Here’s what else we’ve been up to:

Watching | TwinsthenewTrend

> Tim and Fred Williams are twins who record their reactions to music that they’ve never heard before. I recently discovered them when their reaction to the Phil Collins classic song “In the Air Tonight” went viral. Totally loved it and have been checking out their older videos. I especially liked their reaction to “Dream On” by Aerosmith.  

Geeking | Spotify

> I think one of the reasons that I’ve been enjoying the TwinsthenewTrend videos is because they’ve been listening to a lot of the music that I listened to growing up. The blast from the past is fun. I’ve also found a couple of playlists on Spotify that are filling my need for the oldies: 70s Road Trip and Classic Road Trip Songs. If you have a Spotify account (FREE), check them out.

Loving | Peloton

> Yep, we broke down an bought a Peloton. COVID-19 put our Pilates plans on hold and we really wanted to exercise. So, we looked at all of the money that we would have spent on classes and it quickly justified the expense. One of the things that I’m enjoying about Peloton classes is the music. I’m finding some new artists to enjoy. If you’re considering a Peloton, let me share with you my referral code – 83QXDQ. If you use it, you’ll get $100 to spend toward accessories. I get a little something too. 

Remembering | Halloween

> It’s hard to believe that the holidays are right around the corner. I mentioned last month that we’re working on organizing our garage. Well, in the process we found our Halloween decorations. Frankly, I’m not sure we should put them up. Which is sad, since this is our first Halloween in the new neighborhood. But better to be safe. The good news is that we will be able to do our annual viewing of “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and sing along to the music. 

Planning | Going to a show?

> Speaking of holidays, one of the things we love to do in the fall is go to the theater. And I’m not sure that’s going to happen this year. Last year, we were able to see both Randy Rainbow and Lindsey Stirling in concert. (Not together, separate shows.) Both were fabulous! Now we’re eyeing the fall new movie releases and realizing that we might be catching a lot of shows when they come out on video. 

Feeling | Ready for Autumn 

> My Pinterest page is filled with soup recipes! While I’m enjoying salad season, I can’t wait for soup season. We discovered some soup mixes from King Arthur Baking right at the end of last winter. They were easy to make and very tasty. I’m looking forward to making some soup as soon as the weather drops below the 90s. 

Working On | Estate Planning

> We’re taking our own advice and updating our wills and health directives. This process is a lot less stressful when you have the time to think about and discuss your final wishes. 

Reading | “Life” by Keith Richards

> I saw an article in Rolling Stone that ranked the best musician autobiographies of all time. One of my favorites is “Life” by Keith Richards. I’m not even a huge Rolling Stones fan and I loved this book. If you’re looking for a nice read to finish your summer, this might be it. 

What’s UP with you? Let us know what music you’re listening to these days. 

Make a FINAL File for Your Loved Ones

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Quote box saying organization shall set you free including planning your final wishes

I know it’s a terrible time to be writing this post. Or maybe, depending on how you look at it, it’s the perfect time. 

I ran across an article in TIME titled, “Why You Need to Make a ‘When I Die’ File – Before It’s Too Late”. It’s a good read that you should check out. It reminded me of the article I wrote recently on “Loved Ones Must Know Your Health Care Wishes” and how important it is to plan a little for the future. 

Talking about illness and death isn’t fun. None of us want to do it. I remember every time we visited my father-in-law, he would at some point have the “When I die…” conversation. On one hand, you dread it. That’s not why you came to visit. It’s to enjoy his company. But when his health did start failing, we were prepared. And it allowed us to focus on making his final days comfortable versus worrying about papers, insurance, etc.

The gist of the TIME article was to put all of those things that someone might want or need in a file. It could be a paper file or an electronic one. That’s up to you. But think about what you might want to share with someone. I kinda like calling it a FINAL file versus “When I Die” folder. You can figure out what you want to call it. Here are a few things to consider:

Family traditions. One of the things that struck me in the TIME article was that a mother included her famous family recipes in her FINAL file. I could totally see that being important to her children. How many traditions are passed along from generation to generation? And how many of those famous meals are simply in someone’s head?

Estate and household paperwork. Make sure your will, power of attorney, and health care directives are someplace where people can access them. Also make sure that whoever will be handling your affairs knows where your bills are because they have to take care of paying your final utilities bills, credit cards, etc. 

Directions on how to access your digital life. In today’s very technology driven world, chances are we have cell phones and computers. They’re probably locked with passcodes and should be changed regularly. I know that I don’t want to let a bunch of people know every time I change a password. But it could make sense for me to keep all of my passwords in a password management program with instructions how to access it in my FINAL file. 

Final letters to loved ones. Depending on your situation, you might want to draft final letters to relatives and have them in your FINAL file. Maybe to a spouse, child or grandchild. Possibly to someone who you haven’t spoken with in a long time. Entirely your decision, but nonetheless, a decision you should think about. 

The goal here isn’t to do all of this at once. Which is exactly why you want to start this project earlier than you might think. But maybe take an hour each month to start thinking about it and putting it together. This could be a good project for us to remember all of the estate planning we need to do. And it will ultimately be helpful for our family and friends at some point in the future.

Quote from Chef Alton Brown captured by Sharlyn Lauby 

What We Are UP To: History Edition

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Caesar's Palace showing history through art

2020 is making history. We’re in a recession during a pandemic. We have an election coming up later this year. We’ve all sheltered-in-place at some point. Keith and I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and well. We started July with the Independence Day holiday and history seems to be a pretty strong theme this month. 

Watching | Hamilton on Disney+

> We enjoyed Hamilton in a theater a long time ago and really wanted to see it with the original cast. Watching it was a nice start to the Independence Day holiday weekend. I realize that there have been some challenges to the accuracy of Alexander Hamilton’s life as represented but it’s a great show with terrific music. And it will get you interested in history. 

Reading | OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?

> I’m a political science major. I love news and politics. But I will admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve read the Constitution. So, I was very excited to read Ben Sheehan’s book “OMG WTF Does the Constitution Actually Say?” It not only has the actual content of the Constitution, but Sheehan does a great job of translating it into everyday conversation. It’s an easy read and a great history lesson at the same time. 

Remembering | National Treasure 1 & 2

> Our annual July 4 tradition is to eat brats and tater tots and watch the National Treasure movies. While the movies are pure entertainment, I love the history theme and story line. It’s also exciting to hear that there’s a National Treasure 3 in the works. 

Working On | Garage Insulation

> We’ve lived in Central Florida before but after years of living in South Florida, we’ve forgotten historical weather patterns. South Florida always had some nice ocean breezes, even when you lived inland. North Florida is ridiculously humid. So, we decided to add some insulation to our garage attic area. It’s made a huge difference!

Feeling | Caution Fatigue

> I read a TIME article recently titled “How to Combat COVID-19 ‘Caution Fatigue’”. It’s a very interesting read and might help to explain how exhausting it can be to deal with the face masks, disinfecting, distancing, etc. We’ve never been through anything like this in modern history. We’re all going to feel things that we’ve possibly never felt before. 

Planning | Erin Condren LifePlanner

> I have a lot of friends who joke about trashing their 2020 calendars given all we’ve dealt with already this year. But I still love my planner. The new 2021 Erin Condren planners are out, and I couldn’t resist pre-ordering mine. One of new designs is Wonder WomanTM one of history’s best superheroes. 

Loving | JLANI Jewels

> As a small business owner, I like supporting other small businesses. My hope is that by supporting them, they will make history. JLANI Jewels is a Black owned, female owned, small business, based in my home state of Florida that makes eco-friendly sustainable jewelry. I fell in love with the stackable rings and couldn’t resist. 

Geeking | Calamityware

> Over the years, we had accumulated quite a collection of coffee and tea mugs. Before our move to North Florida, we purged ourselves of most of them. I’ve been admiring the designs at Calamityware for quite some time and decided to splurge on new mugs. Calamityware is a traditional blue willow-pattern with fun features like pterodactyls, robots, zombies, monsters, etc. 

How’s your summer going? What’s UP with you?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Las Vegas, NV

Examining the New Normal After COVID-19

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this is your moment sign in Atlanta implying the new normal

You have probably been reading and hearing the term “new normal” a lot lately. Wikipedia indicates that “new normal” became popular as a business term to describe the financial conditions following the 2007-2008 financial crisis. Today, the term is frequently used to describe the period following the COVID-19 pandemic – specifically, as we emerge from shelter-in-place restrictions. It references the social and economic changes that will impact most of us moving forward.

But what can we expect from this “new normal”?

Clean is the new green – we’ve learned since childhood that cleanliness prevents illness and that message was abundantly clear as COVID-19 spread across the globe. Experts agree that simple precautions such as sneezing and coughing into your elbow, frequent hand washing, and cleaning frequently used surfaces will continue as areas of focus. Consumers may even be even more critical of business cleanliness when they decide which restaurant or hotel to use. Some like immunologist and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci think this may even be the end of the handshake.

Age in place, but with a little more space – it’s possible that retirees who had been considering downsizing to age in place may be rethinking that strategy in the new normal. Smaller condominiums or apartments which offered a little cost savings may be viewed as undesirable due to density of population in those structures. That also extends to the location, as less populated rural settings are being viewed as more attractive over urban or even suburban settings.

“Economic Darwinism” for some but a rebirth for others – Economic Darwinism is the concept that there will be an economic elimination of antiquated industries. For example, while many have been holding onto their paper magazine or newspaper subscription, that option may be a little closer to extinction. Though digital media also has expense limitations, it is far more cost effective in the new normal. Another casualty may be the buffet restaurant as diners steer clear of exposure to multiple hands. And though the neighborhood multiplex theater may be closed, many areas are seeing new interest in drive-in movies which provide built-in social distancing.

Staying home or the new travel – as sheltering restrictions are lifted, we have the opportunity to venture out. But will we? And, if we do, what will that look like? Cruise lines are still grounded, and most expect to stay that way until late July or August. Rental shares like Airbnb are being overlooked in favor of hotels with more rigorous cleaning protocols. Given all that, many are simply choosing to stay home. In fact, home goods stores are reporting significant growth as homeowners try to fix their place up.

One thing we know for sure right now is that things are changing. And they may change again with the possibility of a second wave of COVID-19 cases in the fall and winter. Fortunately, medical professional are working on treatments and vaccines, but that could take months or even years.

If you are a planner like us, you probably already know that we’re not going back to the way things were. And you might feel a little frustrated by the speed of change as we begin our entrance into the post COVID-19 era. But we can focus on our lessons learned to protect ourselves and our loved ones. It’s a bold New Normal, but we’re up to the task!

Loved Ones Must Know Your Health Care Wishes

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wall art heart showing for health care let all you do be done in love

I’m sure that no one wants to read today’s article, but I’m hoping you will. 

This is not an “older person” article. It’s also not a “pandemic” article. It’s also not about having a will – although that’s a good idea. It’s not meant to cause alarm or panic. But if there was ever a time to say to ourselves, “If I got sick, do my family and friends know my health care wishes?” now would be that time. 

I’m saying this a bit tongue in cheek, but when Buzzfeed…you know, Buzzfeed as the source for all of those cutesy quizzes that fill our Facebook page…when Buzzfeed publishes an article titled “The Four Legal Documents that Everyone Needs to Plan for Their Future”, then pay attention. I don’t want to give the whole article away, but here are three of the documents they mention:

A living will is a written statement detailing how you would like your medical and health care treatment to be handled in the event that you’re unable to express it yourself. 

A healthcare proxy is a document that says who can make healthcare decisions on your behalf, when you’re not able to do so. 

A power of attorney is a written authorization for someone to represent you or act on your behalf when it comes to business or financial affairs. 

As you can see, these documents are very inter-related. It might take some time to figure out how you would like your health care treatment handled and who you would like to be your spokesperson. You also have to figure out if the person making the decisions about your medical treatments should be your power of attorney. And then of course, there’s the decision of backups in case your first choice isn’t willing or able to take on this responsibility. 

The point being, the process of putting these documents in place takes time. It’s also recommended to have an attorney create these documents for you, so you have to budget for that. The ideal time to do all of this is when you’re not under the pressure of having to do it. This requires careful consideration.

I’ve probably mentioned this before, but my father-in-law was the ultimate planner when it came to his health care and final wishes. He talked to us for years about it. When his health started to decline, we all knew his wishes and there were no questions. There were no squabbles amongst family members about decisions. Everyone was focused on the same things. 

As a result of COVID-19, I have a few friends who have already begun conversations with their children about their medical wishes should they become ill. I realize that no one wants to do this. But it can be a big relief to everyone to have these health care conversations and draw up these documents so there’s no confusion about what to do and who will be in charge of decision making. 

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Gainesville, FL

What We Are UP To – The New Normal Edition

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brain cramp zombie poster on bus stop implying the new normal

This month we’re watching states relax shelter-in-place restrictions. I will admit that while it’s nice to see places reopening, I’m not sure we’re completely ready to resume all of the activities that we were planning before COVID-19. So, this month, we’re getting ready for a new normal – at least one that we believe will last for the next few months. 

Watching | The Mandalorian

> I’ve never been a huge Star Wars fan, but I have seen the movies. After all the Baby Yoda news, we broke down, ordered Disney+, and watched The Mandalorian. The Child (aka Baby Yoda) is adorable! I’m a fan. This will definitely be a part of our “new normal” viewing schedule. 

Reading | “Love Your Age”

> This was the perfect time for me to pick up this book. Author Barbara Hannah Grufferman gives readers an actionable, practical list of things we can do to feel better about ourselves and live a healthier life. I particularly liked the “master cheat sheet” at the end of the book with tips for things we can do daily, weekly, monthly, and annually. It’s given me some ideas about activities that I should incorporate into my new normal. 

Remembering | Road trips

> I ran across an article in Lifehacker about “Why You Still Need to Drive Your Car a Little If You’re Quarantined” and it reminded us that we need to figure out how to do this. A dead battery is not any fun. So, Keith and I took a road trip to a nearby small-town with a roadside restaurant famous for their barbecue. We ordered online, took a drive, and the restaurant brought it out to the car. The Q was delicious, and the road trip was just what we (and the car) needed. 

Working On | Sourdough starter

> Yep, we jumped on the “make sourdough starter during quarantine” craze. I’m not sure how this kitchen science experiment will turn out, but it has been fun. We’ve researched all sorts of recipes to understand the science of sourdough. And we had to find lots of uses for sourdough starter discard. The best so far? Sourdough peanut butter cookies.

Feeling | Comfortable with face coverings

> I must admit the first couple of times that I went outside with a face covering, it was odd. The face covering doesn’t hurt, and it doesn’t seem to fog up my eyeglasses too much. It just takes some getting used to. Personally, I think I will be wearing face coverings for a while, so I’m thinking about having a small (very small!) collection. That will allow me to always have one available. 

Planning | Meatless meals?

> Is anyone else out there wondering about meat shortages? I’ve been in a few grocery stores over the past month that are limiting meat purchases. The news is talking about supply chain issues. Not sure where all of this is going but Keith and I are thinking about adding a meatless meal to our new normal. We both love lentils, and this might be a good time to test out some recipes. (If you have a good meatless dish, drop a link in the comments.)

Loving | Small tea kettles

> You know, I’m a tea person. Well, I broke my favorite tea infuser and decided to try something new. Instead of a tea infuser, I’m using a small glass kettle (with a strainer). It works great, easier to clean, and significantly cheaper. Sometimes being forced to try new options works out well. 

Geeking | Logic Puzzles

> I’ve mentioned before my love of puzzles. One type that I remember loving (and aggravating the heck out of me) are logic grid puzzles. It’s the type of puzzle where you are given a series of categories and an equal number of options within each category. Each option is used once and only once. The goal is to solve the puzzle using the mathematical field of deduction. 

What’s UP with you? Is there anything that you’ve been doing while sheltering that will become part of your new normal?

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of Chicago, IL

What We Are UP To: Quarantine Life Edition – #Unretirement Project

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wild wall art during quarantine life

Like many of you, Keith and I are still sheltering in place this month. But we’re making the best of our quarantine life. I know, it’s not really a quarantine. Here are a few of the things we’ve been doing during this wild time. 

Watching | Zombieland 1 & 2

> I’m sure this movie choice sounds a bit offbeat given what’s going on, but they are really fun movies. Neither of us are into scary or gory films. Don’t want to give away the storyline, but I will say that I loved the list of rules for surviving the zombie apocalypse. Especially number 32. You can look it up. 

Reading | AARP Memory Activity Book

> I bought this book a while ago because I wanted to see what types of activities were being encouraged to stimulate our brains. I believe brain health is important, so I was curious. The book contains dozens of individual activities that a person could do on their own (like creating a song playlist) or with others (playing a team sport). Even if you’re not dealing with memory loss, there are some fun things in the book to occupy your time. 

Remembering |Great Recession

> No, I’m not looking back on the Great Recession with fond memories. But with all of the talk about recession these days, we are looking back at what happened to see if there are some lessons that we need to remember or ideas we should incorporate into our lifestyle sooner versus later. Better to plan ahead.

Working On | Hanging Pictures

> Living the quarantine life is giving us the time to do a few small projects around the house like hanging pictures. We did a few right after moving in to make the house feel more homey but it’s time to finish the project. When you’re spending more time than usual inside, it is nice to have beautiful things on the walls. 

Feeling | A bit of FOMO

> FOMO is an acronym for “fear of missing out”. It’s often associated with the anxiety of not doing something such as going to the hip new restaurant or buying the latest trendy item. In our quarantine life, I think it’s attached to making the latest culinary trend like Dalonga Coffee, a South Korean drink made from instant coffee and sugar served over milk. It was tasty and a fun distraction to make. 

Planning | With Blueberries

> One of the benefits to living in North Florida is the number of blueberry farms in the area. And we love blueberries! The season just started, and we were able to get a summer’s worth of blueberries. Good thing they freeze well. LOL! That being said, I’m on the hunt for really good blueberry recipes. Quarantine life is the perfect time to try then out. 

Loving | Pigs in a Duvet Cover

> When we lived in Cincinnati, one of our favorite places was Skyline Chili. We were very fortunate when we moved to Fort Lauderdale that they had not one but two Skyline Chili franchises. Well, now that we’re in Gainesville, we’re not as fortunate. Luckily, we can buy Skyline online. We saw this recipe for ‘pigs in a duvet cover’ and decided to try it with some mustard, Skyline chili, onions, and cheese. OMGosh, it’s a deconstructed cheese coney! Delish. 

Geeking | Fiasco

> A favorite podcast of mine is Slate’s Slow Burn. It’s a well-researched look at significant events in our history. The original host of the podcast, Leon Neyfakh, has recently gone out on his own and created another podcast documentary called Fiasco. I’m listening to season one about the contested 2000 election between Al Gore and George W. Bush. If you enjoy politics and the news, check it out. 

What’s UP with you? How are you passing the time in quarantine?