The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+ (Book Notes)

Being in my mid-50s and having read some of Suze Orman's columns and books, I came across The Ultimate Retirement Guide for 50+. 

There are a lot of good tips which I wish I would have known at a much younger age. She has excellent advice that I can learn from now and that I can share with Sophia and Olivia, even though they are only 18 and 20 years old. 

Below are some of the things I found interesting:

- Fear, shame, and anger are the main obstacles to wealth. They cause youto do the wrong things and miss out on the smart choices that can move us toward our financial goals.

- The only way to conquer fear is through action.

- What I don't think is healthy - emotionally or financially - is when an adult child living in your home doesn't contribute to household costs. This has nothing to do with tough love. This has everything to do with continuing to be the strong, supportive parent who helps guide your children to become their best selves.

- Parents should be directing their money into their retirement savings accounts.

- The money that parents spend on their adult children is money they really should be socking away for their future, yet they can't stop themselves from being the provider. This is an unhealthy financial dynamic.

- Differentiate between financial assistance that helps with kids' needs versus money that funds their wants. 

- Resist co-signing for loans for your adult children. 

- A big problem is the "it's only" syndrome. It's only $100 or $200 a month to help with the rent. It's only an extra $20 a month to keep paying for their cell plan. Add up all the ways, big and small, you continue to provide support to an adult child. See how much "it's only" is costing you every year. 

- A hard no to: helping with a loan for a new car for an adult child, carrying an adult child on your health insurance and cell phone plan, and kicking in money for their vacations.

- If a child needs a car, they should be shopping for a used car that they can pay for with the shortest-term loan possible. 

- If your child is working, they should cover their share of the health premium.

- Consider how reducing your support for others will enable you to achieve your ultimate retirement goals: security and not needing your family to support you later on.

- Make sure you are helping your adult child become financially independent.

- If you reduce your monthly spending by $500 or $1,000 a month today, that's $500 or $1,000 a month you won't need to generate in retirement. 

- Moves to make during your working years:

---Prioritize paying off all debt before you retire.

---Embrace living below your means.

---Save more for retirement...in the right accounts.

---Have a plan to work longer.

---Consider long-term insurance.

- Ditch the landline and use cell phone only.

- Keep FICO score very high keeps auto premiums lower.

- Retirements savings must take precedence over paying for college.

- Spend the least amount you can for a reliable car. If you need to take out a loan, commit to a term that is no longer than 36 months. 

- There are three ways to save money today that you can then use without owing any tax in retirement: a Roth 401(k), a Roth IRA, and Health Savings Account (HSA)

- Plan to work until you are 70.

- Use the Social Security benefit calculator to get an estimate of what you may qualify for: www.ssa.gov/benefits/retirement/estimator.html 

- Visit kerryhannon.com about career transitions and great jobs for those who are 50+ years old.

- Long-term health premiums are lower for those in their 50s and 60s because as you age, a pre-existing health condition could be grounds to deny you coverage. And the longer you wait, the higher your premium will be.

- See suzeorman.com/retirement to learn more about key features to shop for in an LTC insurance policy.

- If you are intent on not moving, make paying off your mortgage before retirement a priority. Tackle remodeling work today that will accommodate the needs of an older version of you.

- If you plan to stay put:

---Pay off the mortgage before you retire. Ideally, pay it off by age 65.

---Be able to pay your essential living costs (e.g., housing, groceries, utilities) guaranteed income (e.g., Social Security, pension payout, an income annuity you purchase at retirement).

---Don't rely on a reverse mortgage to pay the bulk of your expenses.

---Consider whether your home will be socially isolating to an 80+ you.

---Think through whether your home will be physically challenging for an older you (and your friends).

- The steps up to your front door.

- That you must climb stairs to your bedroom

- How you step into the tub to take a shower

- A narrow hall or doorway that doesn't allow a walker or wheelchair through.

- A bedroom on the main floor or a room that can be easily transformed into a bedroom and a bathroom on the main floor with a walk-in shower that has a bench are what allows you to stay in your home longer.

- Look around your home and see how plausible and comfortable it will be to stay in your home if you become ill, arthritic, or injured.

- Changes to make today: better lighting, more light switches, replace throw rugs with wall-to-wall carpet, and professionally-installed grab bars in the bathroom.

- Go to the National Association of Home Builders for their "NAHB aging-in-place remodeling checklist."

- Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) contractors are who you want to do remodeling.

- If you need to borrow money for remodeling, doing it while you are working will be easier to get than when you are retired. Before doing this, you have to look at how much that will eat into your retirement. Moving may just be the best thing you can do to ensure that you have the money you need for your 80s and 90s,

- Contact mortgage lender to ask for an “amortization schedule” that will have your loan paid off by the time you are 65.

- Find more monthly cash flow to put towards your mortgage payment.

- An emergency fund should be large enough to cover your basic living expenses for eight months.

- Aim to spend just 3% of your portfolio in the first year of retirement and then adjust that amount for inflation in subsequent years. 

- Your home is aging too which means more wear and tear on top of the regular maintenance costs. How old are your roof and HVAC system? If your intention is to stay in your home for 20 or more years, the reality is that you will likely have major maintenance expenses.

- Consider what tasks you do today that you might not want to - or be able to - keep doing long into retirement. Snowblowing, gardening, regular housekeeping, and general upkeep.

- A reverse mortgage can create extra income in retirement by using some of your home's equity. The income you receive is tax-free. 

- A reverse mortgage is a bad idea if you need it to cover the majority of your fixed living costs in your 60s and early 70s. Don't use it keep up with rising property tax, insurance, and maintenace; or if you will move in less than 5-10 years. Don't use it for wants (vacations, RVs) or pay off credit card debt. 

- You don't have to repay any of the money on a reverse mortgage while you remain in the house. It is only when you move or die that the borrowed money must be repaid. 

- Think about how your home will work for you when you are 80 or 85. If you can no longer drive or want to drive, is there convenient public transportation, taxis, Uber/Lyft so that you can get around easily? How far do you live from town or friends? 

- In your 60s, keep investing for a long retirement, delay starting Social Security until age 70, and enroll in Medicare and supplemental coverage.

- When one spouse dies, the surviving spouse is entitled to just one Social Security benefit. If you have the high earner delay until age 70, you lock in the highest possible benefit for the surviving spouse.

- Medicare doesn’t cover long-term costs.

- If you don’t have a reliable income stream that can support you for a long life, then you are probably going to make your life and your kids’ lives more difficult.

- Retirement sources that offer guaranteed income: social security, pension, and income annuity that you purchase.

- Focus on a lifetime payout for a guaranteed income. Consider an annuity that will continue at the same level for the surviving spouse.

- Look at deferred income annuities. Buy the annuity today, but don’t start the payouts until a set period of time, such as 5 years or 10 years.

- An income annuity with a cash benefit will pay you a lifetime benefit, but if you die before your total payouts equal the up-front premium you paid, your beneficial will continue to get payments until total payments equal what you paid for the income annuity.

- Do not invest with any company that has any form of a grade with even the letter B.

- Have a separate bear-market emergency fund in retirement that has at least two years of living expenses in it. If you expect that you will not cover all your living expenses from guaranteed income, then keep three years of expenses in super-safe accounts that you can tap whenever you need to and know the money will be there for you.

- Invest equal amounts in five different CDs: 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 4 year, and 5 year. When the 1 year CD matures, invest it in a new 5 year. You will have a CD maturing each year. That will pay you more interest than if you kept all of your money in a 1-year CD.

- You would need $1 million in order to withdraw $40,000 or 3% in your first year.

- Subtract your current age from 110. That is how much you may want to consider keeping in stocks. Mutual funds accomplish this since they have a variety of stocks in one fund.

- Treasury bonds are the best option for a retirement portfolio. They are the safest type of bonds.

- Must-have documents: a living revocable trust with an incapacity clause; will; advance directive and durable power of attorney for health care; and a financial power of attorney.

- Check all beneficiaries to make sure they are up to date.

- Ask your kids today what they want and spell that out in a will.

- If more than one child wants something, have an open discussion while you are still alive.

- Name an executyor of your will.

- Keep docuemnts in a waterproof and fireproof box that is easy to grab and go at a moment’s notice.

- If the documents are in a bank safe deposit box, make sure the name of trust’s successor trustee (and maybe even one more family member or someone you trust) is also listed on the account.

- Spell out your final wishes. If you don’t want your family to overspend, put that in writing. It will make it so much easier on them.

- Patience and perseverance must prevail in the years to come. When it comes to your money, you have to accept – and expect – that your money will have its ups and downs.

20 Quotes (Swap-bot)

There's a swap on Swap-bot that intrigued me in which 20 words were given and the challenge was to find quotes, lyrics, sayings, or titles that included those words. I chose to focus on quotes. I've included photos that I've taken or that were taken of me throughout the years that tie into the quotes.

Dog 

“Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love, they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog. It merely expands the heart.”―Author Unknown

Baseball 

“Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” – Bob Feller

Love 

“A life lived in love will never be dull.” – Leo Buscaglia

Man 

“You educate a man; you educate a man. You educate a woman; you educate a generation.”
― Brigham Young

Holiday 

“A holiday is an opportunity to journey within.” —Prabhas

Mountain 

“Everybody wants to reach the peak, but there is no growth on the top of a mountain. It is in the valley that we slog through, the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life’s next peak.” – Andy Andrews

Remember 

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." - Benjamin Franklin

Race 

"No human race is superior; no religious faith is inferior. All collective judgments are wrong. Only racists make them." - Elie Wiesel

Horse 

​”Through the days of love and celebration and joy, and through the dark days of mourning – the faithful horse has been with us always.” ​- Elizabeth Cotton

Hospital 

“Still, when you work in a hospital, the papers you file aren't just papers: they are fragments of narratives filled with risks and triumphs.” ― Paul Kalanithi, When Breath Becomes Air

Music 

“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music.” ― Albert Einstein

Night 

“The moon will guide you through the night with her brightness, but she will always dwell in the darkness, in order to be seen.” ― Shannon L. Alder

Drama 

“If only people put as much energy into helping people as they do into creating drama.” ― Akiroq Brost

Beach

"Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard.” – Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

Eyes 

"Your eyes show the strength of your soul." Paulo Coelho.

Sad 

"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad." Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Fell 

"If you fell down yesterday, stand up today." - H. G. Wells

Drive 

“Passion and drive are not the same at all. Passion pulls you toward something you cannot resist. Drive pushes you toward something you feel compelled or obligated to do. If you know nothing about yourself, you can't tell the difference. Once you gain a modicum of self-knowledge, you can express your passion.....It's not about jumping through someone else's hoops. That's drive.” ― Randy Komisar, The Monk and the Riddle: The Education of a Silicon Valley Entrepreneur

Home 

"The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place we can go as we are and not be questioned." - Maya Angelou

Funny

"There's only one true superpower amongst human beings, and that is being funny. People treat you differently if you can make them laugh." - Jeff Garlin

Living Well Spending Less - Book Notes

This past week I read Living Well Spending Less by Ruth Soukup. 

Although there was a lot of information I already was taught or knew, there were still some new things that I learned. Below are some things that I thought were helpful:

These are some of the quotes that were in the book that I liked: 

- What would happen if we took the time to actually write down our current priorities? How would our perspective change if we took just a few moments to determine what it is we want most out of life?

- If I were to die tomorrow, what would people remember me for?

- If you are discontent, consider that:

- You are reading a book (people in many countries in the world have tightly restricted access to books, newspapers, and the internet)
- You are not hungry - 870 million people or roughly 1/8 of the world's population, are suffering from chronic hunger.
- You have access to medicine - between 1.3 and 2.1 billion people in the world do not have access to even the most basic medicines

- You can drive - only 9% of the world's population owns a vehicle.

- You can turn on the lights - 1.2 billion people don't have access to electricity.

- You are not thirsty - 780 milllion people in the world lack access to clean water.

- You have a place to sleep tonight - 100 million people do not have homes around the world, including between 600,000 and 2.5 million homeless right in the United States.

- Find someone you can bless today.

- Living in our sweet spot means not only taking the time to discover our passions and to realize what it is we were made to do, but also being willing to take the next step.

- Taking the time to write down your vision of the future not only forces you to self-evaluate and to decide what is most important, but it also motivates you to act on those dreams.

- Do Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University and resources on DaveRamsey.com

- Put your most important tasks first each day. 

- Take the first 30 minutes of your day to work only on long-term goals.

- Eliminate things in your day that don't align with your priorities and are taking up time but not adding value.

- Do our choices match our calling - our vision, goals, passions, and dreams?

- Stuff isn't bad or dangerous in and of itself, but in a world where we are constantly told that what we have isn't quite good enough, the love of things can so easily consume us. The pursuit of it all...makes us forget all the things that actually matter.

- Less stuff equals more joy.

- Give your children a life filled with the things that matter most, things like faith, joy, peace, fellowship, contentment, gratitude, and compassion.

- Cut all nonessential spending for one month. Only spend on normal bills and perishable food items (e.g., bread, milk, vegetables). Everything else is off-limits.

- As I was growing up, the first and only rule of money was that we didn't talk about money.

- Only 32% of Americans actually prepare a detailed budget each month and only 24% have a long-term financial plan.

- Create a stockpile in your pantry or cupboards of the grocery staples and food items your family eats.

- Consider going meatless or two days a week.

- When was the last time you reached out to a friend to find out how they were doing, without the ulterior motive of sharing your own latest news? 

- When was the last time you picked up the phone just to catch up, or dropped off a meal just because you knew they could probably use it?

- If friendships are to be a priority in your life, you have to be purposeful about making time for your friends, even when you are busy.

- Creativity is born out of limitations rather than out of abundance.

- Ways to cultivate more creativity in your life:

- Read more - the more you read, the more you know. Reading engages your brain and makes it work better.

- Reflect

- Ask questions

- Pay attention

- Play

- Brainstorm

- Rest

- Cultivate and enjoy the creativity of the people around you.

- Give of your time and talents:

- Cook or bake: deliver a meal to a sick friend, neighbor, or shut-in; volunteer to cook in a local soup kitchen or women's shelter, or send a care package to a college student or soldier. 

- Good with children: become a Big Brother/Big Sister, become a tutor, volunteer to read at the local library or school.

- Love animals: volunteer at a local animal shelter, volunteer at a local wildlife center, 

- Introvert: shelve books at the local library, volunteer at the local food pantry, donate blood, write encouraging notes or cards to teachers, friends, neighbors, soldiers, prisoners, or other people who may feel lonely or discouraged.

- Outdoorsy: volunteer at the local park or work in a local community garden. 

- Serve in love in your home:

- Offer genuine encouragement and know what's going on in their days.

- Show grace - forgive and forget without harboring a grudge or resentment.

- Be generous - give freely and generously of your time, energy, and resources. Take care of the home and cook meals. Help out without being asked and without expecting anything in return.

- Slow down - if overcommitted, then be intentional about eliminating the things that don't need to be done so you can have more time to just be.

- Have fun - laugh and play games with your family. Go for walks or bike rides. Spend a day at the beach. Do something completely unexpected, just for fun. 

- Make a list of three areas in your life where you could stand to be more generous.

- How many hours a week or month do you spend volunteering or doing service work? Make a plan to volunteer or serve some time in the next month.

- Write down three goals for making improvements in serving those people closest to you. Give the best of yourself to your spouse and children.

QUOTES 

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of the intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded." (Ralph Waldo Emerson)

"Contentment makes poor men rich. Discontentment makes rich men poor." (Benjamin Franklin)

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." (1 Timothy 6:6-8)

"The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our dispositions and not our circumstances." (Martha Washington) 

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things." (Philippians 4:8)

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves." (Romans 12:9-10)

"People are most successful when they are in their sweet spot. Your sweet spot is the intersection where your passion meets your greatest strength." (Ken Coleman)

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully." (Romans 12:6-8)

"Things that matter most should never be at the mercy of things that matter least." (Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

Add these quotes to the purple book of quotes that I keep:

"Have nothing in your houses that you don't know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." (William Morris)

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength." (Philippians 4:11-13)

"We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like." (Dave Ramsey)

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty." (Proverbs 21:5)

"A bargain ain't a bargain if it is not something you need." (Sidney Carroll)

"I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home...I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby." (Nancie J. Carmody)

"You aren't really wealthy until you have something that money can't buy." (Garth Brooks)

"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give." (Winston Churchill)

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls - Copycat Recipe

For Mother's Day, Sophia asked me what I would like for breakfast. Although I was hungry for waffles, our waffle maker was broken by Aspen who pulled it off the counter and it fell to the floor. So much for using that again.

As I looked through ideas on Pinterest, nothing grabbed my eye until I saw: Copycoat Cinnamon Rolls! The recipe led to Fun Happy Home.

The recipe requires some time to prepare, but is much easier and less time-consuming that the recipe that my Grandma made. It is packed full of flavor and each roll is very filling. Sophia did a nice job with making and baking the rolls.

We would definitely make this recipe again! I'd like to try the overnight and freezer methods to see how they taste compared to making them, baking, and eating them in one day.

Cinnabon Rolls Dough

1 (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm milk
½ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup softened butter
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 cups flour

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Filling

1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp cinnamon
⅓ cup butter, softened

Cinnabon Cinnamon Rolls Cream Cheese Icing 

6 tbsp butter
1½ cups powdered sugar
¼ cup cream cheese
½ tsp vanilla
⅛ tsp salt

Cinnabon Recipe Directions

To start the rolls, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, add sugar, butter, salt, eggs, and flour, mix well.

Pour the milk/yeast mixture in the bowl and mix. If using a stand mixer you will want to use the dough hook. Mix well until well incorporated.

Place dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface, until it is approx 16 inches long by 12 inches wide. It should be approx ¼ inch thick.

Make the Copycat Cinnabon Filling

To make cinnamon filling, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly over the surface of the dough. Alternatively you can spread the butter first on the dough and then the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Carefully starting from the long edge, roll the dough down to the bottom edge. The roll should be about 18 inches in length. Cut the roll into 1½ inch slices.

Place the cut rolls into an oiled 13×9 inch pan Cover them with a damp towel. Let them rise again for another 30 minutes until they double in size.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

While the rolls are baking, mix all icing ingredients and beat well with an electric mixer until fluffy.

When the rolls are done, spread generously with icing.

Overnight Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Recipe

We know that making homemade cinnamon rolls can be time-consuming and that you may not want to rise at the crack of dawn so you can have them ready for breakfast.

You can make this recipe up to the point where you cut your rolls and put them in the pan. Once they’re cut and in the pan, instead of letting them rise, cover them and put them in the fridge.

Take them out in the morning, let them rise for the second time, and then bake as instructed. {Please note that it will take a little longer for them to rise as they will be cold from being in the fridge. Allow for 15-30 minutes longer for rising.}

Freezer Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Did you know that you can freeze the cinnamon rolls while they’re still dough and then cook them? This is a total game-changer and will allow you to have homemade cinnamon rolls any time you want. And it will also allow you to make less at a time.

Simply make them up to the point where you cut them and shape them. Instead of putting them in the pan, put them on a cookie sheet (without letting them touch) and put them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. This will allow them to freeze enough that they won’t stick to each other.

Once they are frozen, place them in a gallon-size freezer bag and store in the freezer til 12 hours before you’re ready to use them.

The night before you want to make them (or 12 hours before if you’re making them for the evening), move cinnamon rolls to the fridge and allow them to thaw.

When you’re ready to bake them, take them out, place them in a greased pan and let them rise til they’re double in size. This will take around an hour since they’re going to be super cold to begin with.

Once they’ve risen, bake as usual.

A View of Where I Live

On the last day of March, it is rather bleak outside. There's not much color since the snow just melted about a week ago (though there are still patches of snow in spots). Within a month or so, though, there will be more color as the early-Spring flowers emerge and the trees start budding. It will look quite different. Until then, this is gives an idea what early-Spring in Minnesota looks like.

The east pasture is flooded from heavy snowfalls and then rain before the ground has thawed. This is the first time we have had a rather substantial-size pond in this pasture. This is one of two pastures for the horses, so there area is rather limited now.

The West pasture is having its own challenges too. These pictures show the Southwest (left side) and Northwest (right side) of the pasture. Never has this pasture been this flooded. We have a small lake (this is about half of the area - the other half is in the Southwest pasture (which we don't use) and in the neighbor's field. 

The horses are unable to access this pasture (what there is of it) since the water goes into their run that leads to this area. I can only hope this dries out soon. The frogs, though, came out this past week so I've been enjoying hearing them singing throughout the day and into the evening. The red-winged blackbirds, too, are singing. 

Onto drier land now. I'm standing across the street in the ditch to take this photo so I could get the full height of the trees. They have easily doubled in size since we moved here in 1995. They tower over our home and provide a great wind barrier when the wind is coming from the North.

Walking down the driveway and back to our home, this is the side that faces west. So the window on the first floor where the shutters are is the dining room. Many evenings when we eat dinner, we can see beautiful sunsets from there.

The little section that juts out is the mudroom. It was added on before we moved in, but after the original house was built in 1890. On top of the roof is a birdfeeder. We get such a variety of birds visiting the feeder, and many of my close-up photos of birds are taken from this window while the birds at the feeder.

We have been experiencing an oddly-cold kitchen this year. I'm not sure what is going on with it. We did have a fire at our farm this past May (May 5, 2018). Even though the siding was removed and replaced since it melted, the insulation was not removed. I'm wondering if it became somehow damaged during the fire. There is a distinct temperature difference between the rest of the house and the kitchen as well as master bedroom.

So, while making dinner tonight, the girls brought in the portable electric heater so the little dogs could stay warm. Danny and Scooby, especially, liked sitting in front of it while I made dinner.

One of Cooper's favorite spots is looking out the window in the living room. The chair is covered with a blanket so his paws don't get it dirty. Often times he comes in with mud on his paws since the backyard isn't yet finished from last year's repairs. (Once the ground is thawed and it is dry, it will be regraded and sodded.)

At any rate, he loves watching the birds at the feeder and is very protective of it. He doesn't like when the squirrels eat out of it. Cooper also has an issue with the pheasants for some reason. They are rather big as they walk by the window. Maybe he thinks they are some type of threat to the other littler birds and wildlife.

While I'm at it, I might as well take photos of all the dogs. This is Aspen sitting on her favorite couch. The blanket should be covering the cushions. However, she moves it. She likes to sit on the cushion itself and not blankets. The other little gray mattress is for Danny. Sometimes he likes to sit up high on the couch and watch what is happening.

This is a lighted cabinet that belonged to my parents. It has many of their items in it that I inherited when both passed away in 2012 and 2015. I've added some of my own items to it that I don't want the pets to break.

Each item has a memory and story. The black pitchers in the back are from England in 1988 when my parents and I visited my sister when she was studying abroad during college. The two teapots are from China when we adopted Sophia and Olivia in 2001 and 2003.

The green glass bird belonged to my parents. My grandma had similar glass birds - a blue one (that my sister has) and a purple one (that I have). The silver salt and pepper shakers belonged to my grandma on my mom's side.

Last, the textured bowl with grapes on the outside and copper/gold on the inside is from my parents. They would put homemade cranberry sauce in on Thanksgiving each year.

This was kind of a hodge-podge of photos showing some of our home from the outside; our dogs in different rooms of our home; and a piece of furniture holding special memories.

The ABCs of Me

On Swap-Bot, I'm participating in a swap that is a bit of game or challenge: The ABCs of Me. The goal is to answer each of the following alphabetical subjects with a one-word or phrase answer.

AGE: 52. Some days I feel younger than that...and other days, I feel every year - if not more - of it.

BIRTHPLACE: Minneapolis - Abbott Northwestern Hospital (which is still around).

CURRENT OUTFIT: I'm wearing a sweatshirt that I've had for a good ten years, pajama pants, and fuzzy socks. It's still early in the morning before I have to go anywhere.

DRINKS: I'm drinking mostly water these days as well as hot chocolate in the morning and evening to get in some calcium to keep my bones strong. Every once in a while a Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi slips in when I'm tired and need to stay awake or drive.

EASIEST JOB: When I look back on my life, the easiest job I had was working at Hardees. I was a hostess so I made sure people's coffee was filled, I would ask people how their meal was and if they needed me to get them anything else, and kept the dining area looking nice. I would collect trays and bring them back to the kitchen to be washed.

FAMILY MEMBERS: My husband and two daughters (ages 17 and 15...soon to be 18 and 16); 4 dogs, 3 cats, and 2 horses.

GRATEFUL FOR: Having a loving family; being raised by compassionate and encouraging parents who had my best interest at heart; having my brother and sister living within 40 minutes of my home; and a home.

HOME DECOR STYLE: I had to look up online the different home décor styles. Based on our home (an 1890 farm home) and the furnishings, I'd have to say the home décor style is mostly Country. That being said, it's also a kind of eclectic home - with some modern pieces and artwork; Scandinavian style with white walls and light coming in all the windows (we have windows in each room with the exception of one room that is part of a two-room bedroom).

IN LOVE WITH: My family and pets. Life is full and rich with each of them in it. I couldn't imagine it otherwise.

JEALOUS OF: Jealousy isn't something that I feel. I think it's more along the line of "I wish" or "It sure would be nice..." - rather than the more negative feeling of jealousy. So, every once in a while I think it would be nice to be like people who have debt-free lives and have their retirement plans fully-funded; and don't have a care in the world.

KINDEST PERSON: My sister. She truly wants the best for others and is compassionate.

LATEST OBSESSION: Taking classes at the arts center. I'm enjoying taking a variety of classes in the visual arts - pottery, Saori weaving, and hand-sewing leather.

The arts center has graciously given our family scholarships (three per person per quarter) to take classes due to financial hardship during the past year. The only thing we have had to pay for is the material fee. The classes have been a bright spot in a very difficult year.

MIDDLE NAME: Marie. That's the name my parents gave me. Elizabeth is my other middle name. That's my confirmation name. It's not legally part of my name, but it is part of my identity.

NEXT PROJECT: I am working on a coil bowl in my pottery class. I have the general design done, but need to fill in the spaces with little balls of clay so that it is a solid bowl. The outside will be smooth because it has a slab of clay as the base/exterior.

I also have quite a few sewing and quilting projects that I have been wanting to do since August.

The other projects I want to work on relate to Sophia's graduation gifts.

As I write this, I'm realizing that creating a schedule or creative goals may be necessary to stay on track with all the projects.

OLDEST LIVING RELATIVE: Within my family (the family I grew up in), I am the oldest living person. If I look at my extended family (with cousins), it is one of my cousins who are in their 70s. I don't think any of them are in their 80s yet.

PROFESSION: Homeschool Educator to my daughters who are a senior and sophomore in high school. Sophia, the senior, also is doing PSEO courses, so I'm assisting at the college level as well by proofing her papers. It has been a fascinating journey - from infancy to college-level work since 2001.

QUIET PLACE: My bedroom. Well, actually, any place in our home and farm is quiet. It is very peaceful here. Even the dogs like to rest here...like Aspen who burrows under the covers and uses the pillows like a human being.

READY FOR: Nothing. It seems like I have a lot of projects and things that need to get done, but never enough time to do them.

SWEET TOOTH CRAVING: I have been wanting to make an apple pie like my mom used to make. She used a combination of Cortland and Harralson apples which would get soft. My sister recently told me the types of apples my mom used. I never knew that. The apples in my apple pie never would get completely soft and I would be so disappointed because it wasn't like my mom's apple pies. Now I'm on a mission to find Harralson apples.

TIME YOU WAKE UP: This morning I woke up at 6:30 a.m. The days are getting shorter, so it's darker in the morning. I used to wake up around 4:00 a.m. and would start doing work. I'm not as energetic these days.

USEFUL ITEM: Toothbrush. I don't know why that was the first thing to come to mind....but it is useful with getting your teeth clean.

VACATION SPOT: My go-to spot for many years - probably more than a decade - was Grand Marais. We have gone hiking, kayaking, canoeing, horseback riding, ziplining, and boating along the Gunflint Trail.

I haven't been there with my daughters now for many years. I miss it.

My dream domestic vacation is to do a driving trip around the United States - go to every one of the continental states. I've already been to Alaska and Hawaii.

WORST HABIT: Eating food with sugar and flour in them. I know that's not good for me.

X-RAYS: I've had many x-rays. The most interesting x-ray I've had was a live one for the second toe on my left foot. I was able to watch the podiatrist put a needle into my toe and inject a dye which showed there was a leak in the joint capsule. Although I did have a local anesthesia, it was a bit uncomfortable.

I had to have surgery and have a couple of screws in one of the bones in my second toe now.

YEAR YOU WERE BORN: 1966.

ZODIAC SIGN: Cancer...the crab.

Spend the Day with Me - Saturday, September 15th

On Swap-Bot, I am doing a swap called "Spend the Day with Me" in which participants take photos of how they spent a day. So, I brought my camera along to document how I spent Saturday, September 15th.

After doing the normal tasks in the morning - like letting the dogs out; feeding the dogs and cats; eating breakfast; and getting ready - Sophia, Olivia, and I left for a full day of errands and activities.

The first stop was dropping Olivia off at gymnastics. She moved up a level this Fall and her lessons are two hours now.

Then I dropped off Sophia at the YMCA where she could work out and take a shower.

It was time for many quick stops to do errands: the post office (to mail a grant proposal for a quilt retreat/service activities we want to do in February 2019), a bank (to pay the mortgage and to change my mortgage statements from being online to being sent to me), another bank (to withdraw some money for an upcoming trip), the feed store (to get grain for the horses), and the library (to get a book about ceramics and wheel-thrown pottery).

I picked up Sophia and took her to Starbucks where she got a free rewards drink.

We picked up Olivia from gymnastics and then headed to a home that my sister is looking at purchasing. I'm excited because she is only 20 minutes from us now! This home has everything she is looking for in terms of everything being on one floor (except the mechanicals and a bonus walk-out level) and her design/style tastes.

After listening to the inspection report for about 40 minutes with my sister, brother, my sister's Realtor (Sherri), and the girls, we headed to Mall of America to get some clothes and shoes.

Normally, we don't go shopping at the Mall of America. However, there are a limited number of stores in our rural area, so sometimes having a wider variety of stores is necessary.

We parked on a new floor and area and came in through Sears which carries Lands End clothes. Perfect! Because I wear cardigans almost every day and Lands End carries the most comfortable ones, I was able to stock up on them. Got a couple black ones (typically what I wear), a navy one, and - because the girls insisted: lilac.

Onto the other end of the shopping spectrum with a stop at Nordstroms for Sophia. She had to get some items for wearing under her Chinese dress for her senior photos. Talk about service in that department! I was impressed with how the employees work with each of the customers to find exactly what they need.

As we walked by one area, there were people working on sculptures made from cans of food. We found out that it is called Canstruction which is a national nonprofit committed to ending hunger.

This year marked its 13th year at Mall of America; and Canstruction - according to the Mall of America's website - was doing a "unique design/build competition showcasing colossal sculptures built from thousands of ordinary cans of food.

"Highlighting the creativity and compassion of top local architectural and engineering firms, these astounding structures are helping to change the world– by lifting the spirits of those in need, by raising public awareness, and most importantly, by collecting millions of pounds of food for Second Harvest Heartland."

While we were watching them build the sculptures, we could hear the laughter and screams from the rides in the center part of Mall of America.

We stopped for a quick refresher at Orange Julius and then onto Maurice's for a couple more pieces for Sophia's senior photos (a top and jacket) and a pair of jeans for me. The only options were mid- and high-rise jeans.

Having already been through one era of high-rise/Mom jeans, there was no way in the world I was going to try a pair on again.

This is not me...but an example of the dreaded high-rise jeggings. 

(This image came from an insecure website, 

so I'm not going to link to it.)

Where were the low-rise jeans? Apparently they don't carry them anymore. I was shocked...and distraught. What should I do?

I decided I'd try the mid-rise jeans and jeggings. The sales person asked what size I wore. I had no idea. I'm not into shopping or clothes like I used to be. She picked out small and medium for me. What? I thought I once wore extra-large jeans?

To make a long story short, after trying on about a dozen pairs of jeans and jeggings, I settled on  medium/short jeggings. The waistband is tight which - multiple sales people said - has to be tight so they stay up. They loosen up as you wear them, so if they start out loose then they will fall down. Well, we don't want that to happen.

So, although they aren't my ideal style due to the higher waist, I was really happy to see that my size has gone down. When I first started wearing clothes at Maurices many years ago, I was an extra-large. About a year or so ago, I went down to a large. Now, I'm in a medium which is encouraging and reflects a change in eating habits (significantly more vegetables and fruit; less carbohydrates; slightly more protein; and rarely a Diet Coke - compared to 2-4 pops a day at one time).

As a side note: when I came home and looked online, I found out that Maurices still makes low-rise jeans. The Mall of America just doesn't carry them. So, I'm going to return the jeans and get a low-rise pair in the right size.

After that, we made one more stop for shoes at DSW. There are rows upon rows of shoes at discounted prices.

Of course, the girls always enjoy trying on the impractical super-high-heel shoes that they would never wear.

After much looking, Sophia found a pair of black shoes with gold trim for her red Chinese dress. They will look nice with the dress and her headdress.

Olivia found a pair of high-top Converse canvas sneakers to wear instead of her black boots and sandals. She was happy that they had her size (which is a rather small women's size).

By the time we were done, it was well almost 5:20 p.m. By the time we would get home and make dinner, it would be in the 7:00 hour. So, we decided to stop and pick up a pizza and cheese bread for dinner.

We had not eaten a "normal" meal since breakfast (lunch was relatively-healthy snack food we ate in the car), so having a hot dinner was good. We all didn't realize how hungry we were!

After dinner, I walked out to see the delivery that had come while we were gone. It's the siding for the back of the house. This will replace the siding that was warped due to the fire back on May 5th. The window also was delivered and is in the garage.

I noticed that one of the roses has a couple of flowers on it. Despite the heat (92 degrees and humidity in the 70s), it is doing well. Found a Japanese beetle, though, which is not good. It was starting to destroy the leaves on the roses. Had to put an end to that or else it would completely strip all the leaves from the roses and move onto another bush or tree and do the same thing.

After dinner, I helped Sophia type her application for being a 4-H county ambassador. Normally she would do the typing, but she broke her third finger on her right hand on Friday morning.

Her finger got stuck in a metal opening in Bailey (the horse's) halter/lead line, and when the farrier was here and Sophia was holding the line, Bailey jerked her head up abruptly and Sophia's finger twister and the bone broke.

Right now, her finger is "buddy taped" to the fourth finger to provide support until she can see a hand specialist this upcoming week.

This is what her hand looks like - you can see the diagonal line on her third finger - just where the bone is broken.

There is quite a bit of bruising on the third finger. It is at a slight angle too compared to the other finger (though it's not as obvious in the photo below as it is in real life). This may pose an issue since she plays the harp and piano. We'll have to see how the orthopedist can better line up her finger this week.

In the evening, I caught up on reading the paper.

There was an interesting article about how the state parks are collecting prairie seeds with the help of the public. There are quite a few sessions coming up where people can help collect the seeds which are then planted to expand the prairies.

I had the t.v. on for a while, but ended up falling asleep with it on. Woke up around 10:15 and turned it off. Ended up going to bed I was so tired.