My grandsons came to visit us after the last set of storms.  I hadn't yet tidied up and put away the flashlights and battery operated lamps we had out and they were quite excited when they saw my intriguing emergency lights set here and there for the power outage that, Praise God, did NOT happen.  

One of their favorite activities when they come over to visit my senior mom and myself is to turn our soft comfy couches and pillows into a variety of cool forts. When they saw those battery operated lamps, lights, and candles, they begged and begged to get to FORT-ify the couch, complete with blankets on top and lamps inside. Of course, this soft-hearted Sandwich Generation granny nanny said YES. After I helped them get all set up and we covered the top with the blanket, they had a blast playing with old and new LEGOs, space creature people, and the lights. It was wonderful!

See the red arrow? I just HAD to show you this last cute photo, taken with my easy to use digital camera, and complete with adorable head under the blanket. You can't see them, but there are HUGE smiles on three little faces there.  

Kaye

Lights, lights, lights everywhere. Lights from the lightening during the storms, lights from the ceiling, and even the battery powered candles and lights from this member of the baby boomer generation and her new lamps for any future power outages.

Speaking of those new lamps, I have some news updates for all of us about them:

Remember this blue battery operated flashlight / lamp I couldn’t close? I had planned on returning it since I just wasn’t strong enough to turn the cap. But first, I asked my sweet son if he could try to close it. I wasn’t too surprised when he was unsuccessful as well. Obviously, it was broken – right? WRONG! He took a closer look at it, got a funny grin on his faced, and removed the rubber protector from one of its “prongs.” After that, the cap went on just fine – for him AND for me! Color me PINK veering on RED! (Don’t you love it when I “tattle” on myself.) ☺  Now it works great and since I know I can handle those battery changes after all, I’ve taken it back to my house for any future power outages.  

My pretty and, dare I say it, fun PINK battery operated pillar candle arrived and it’s really lovely. AND it looks, feels, and even slightly smells like real candles. I definitely like it BUT it is not very bright. I can see in my bathroom with it – barely. Yesterday I took a shower with all the lights off except the candle and it just wasn't bright enough with the shower curtain closed. Half way through the process, I switched to the cute PINK faux Coleman with the battery powered lights and it was definitely better. Still not great, but we don't have power outages very often, so I'm sticking with that for now.

However, I do like the candle as a soft night light when I have company. They don’t always like my brighter night light but I hate to have it be pitch black when I have to get up in the middle of the night. So, it’s a great compromise and help there. If I really wanted to use these cute battery operated pillar candles in the bathroom for showers, I'd get the three piece set for more light. 

As for my senior mom? She will keep using one of the hand crank emergency radios and lights she loves for any power outage showers or wait for the lights to come back on. How about you? Which battery powered lamps or LED lights did you like best? And for more Favorite Things for Saturday, check out Bargain Hunting with Laurie, a fun fellow grandmother and blogger.  

Kaye

This week Twitter had several links of interest for us in the Sandwich Generation :

Caregivers:

As the economy continues to struggle, elder abuse cases are on the rise. If your aging parent is being cared for by an outside party, it’s always vital to monitor the situation closely.

Encouragement – Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!

Grandparents:

“You acquire much of the thinking, mannerisms, and characteristics of people you are around.” Zig Ziglar. What a great reminder to us grandparents of the importance of the examples we set . Each day we have new opportunities to help build that very vital spiritual heritage in our grandkids.

Of course, a heritage of good memories is also great. Here is a recipe for some wonderfully awesome gooey fun for you and your grandkids . I’ve enjoyed playing with this goop when helping with my grandkids at vacation Bible school and it is really neat. Very easy too.

Janice and Susan of 5 Minutes for Mom have an interesting post about Janice’s article that was recently published in Guideposts . “Did your journey of building a family take tears, tantrums and begging? Ours did…”

If any of your grandkids are homeschooled, Heart of Wisdom’s home school book store is having a sale and you can save up to 50%!

Sandwich Generation/Baby Boomers:

I really enjoyed the “tongue-in-cheek” article,  This Old House , about growing older, by Lynn Mosher. I hope you do, too.

With fire season getting closer, we can never have too many reminders to pay extra attention to fire prevention – for your own home, your aging parents’ homes, and don’t forget to share the info with your kids and grandkids as well.

Elizabeth Blake (whose blog had the wonderfully gooey recipe above) shared some great links for sunscreen clothing . If you or an aging parent suffer from skin cancer, or if you are trying to protect your grandkids tender skin, you might want to check out Sun-Togs and Coolibar for extra protection from the summer sun.

Questions and concerns about 401k and IRAs? Pop over to ChristianPF and read up on 401K Questions Answered and Retirement Plans. It’s never too early or too late for those of us in the Sandwich Generation to start saving smartly.

Need a fun break from caregiving and grandparenting? Moomette has some fun contest and giveaway links. A couple have expired but most are still available for you to enter to win all sorts of fun goodies.

Just wanted to remind you that SandwichINK will be hosting the Boomer & Senior Blog Carnival on May 27. There’s still plenty of time to submit a post for it.

With the downturn in the economy, we in the Sandwich Generation are getting more and more company.

Encouragement – Blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.

If you are one of the growing number of Baby Boomers and Caregivers on Facebook, check out Seniors For Living’s brand new Facebook page.

That’s it for today. Enjoy your Sandwich Generation surfing!

“Arthritis is the number one cause of disability in the nation,” according to Thurston Arthritis Research Center. I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis around 1999. I am blessed to have it fairly mildly except for the occasional flare ups that aren’t so fun. Some of my worst flare ups include:

I was walking across a room just fine one minute, and the next my knee hurt so badly I could barely walk. That lasted for a few weeks. Wearing a knee brace did help.

My whole body ached for weeks. At the time I wasn’t that familiar with flare-ups and thought it was my bed mattress. I finally broke down and bought a new one, which did nothing, but eventually the aching eased. Later I realized it was a flare-up. Fortunately both mattresses have come in quite handy for my whole family over the years. 

My favorite incident, and the one that led to my diagnosis, was all in my finger. I was trying to open our front door with a key. I did nothing unusual but heard a weird pop and my finger started hurting like you wouldn’t believe. It got hot, swollen, and miserable. After a couple of days I finally broke down and went to the doctor’s, all the time wondering how opening a door could lead to a broken finger! It didn’t. It was my first known flare-up and quite a shock to have something I suspected I had be confirmed. It wasn’t the end of the world but it did hit hard. It made me realize I really wasn’t going to be sweet 16 my whole life! (You would think that, being in my mid-forties, I would have already realized that!) It was definitely outside the realm of my normal experiences. As I researched sites for this article, I discovered the term for the popping noise I heard – Crepitus . I must say, it’s an odd name for an odd sensation! I also discovered some other interesting facts and sites that were new to me that I wanted to share with you.

Did you know:

Arthritis pain may keep people with heart disease physically inactive . I can certainly understand this. I am very active, in large part due to my adorable grandkids. I also try to walk regularly with my senior mom. Some days I can exercise just fine. Other days, I play one day and pay the next with pain in one body part or another, which keeps me from doing much for a day or so. For those with complicating issues, such as heart disease, I am sure this all adds to the frustration level!

Arthritis isn’t just one disease . I t’s a complex disorder that comprises more than 100 distinct conditions and can affect people at any stage of life. Two of the most common forms are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis . I knew about the first two. I had no idea, though, that there were that many different and distinct conditions!

The burden and impact of Arthritis are greater among U.S.women than men . Very interesting! This site, along with it’s hour-long podcast (at the bottom of the site page), both look quite intriguing.

One of the signs of arthritis is extreme fatigue, lack of energy, weakness, or a feeling of malaise . Now that explains a lot about a handful of my days. Fortunately I’m generally so over-energetic it usually mitigates those symptoms, but sometimes… You can find more signs and symptoms along with links to a wide variety of screening quizzes at the About Arthritis site. Very handy.

Gout is part of the arthritis family.

The National Institute on Aging,  NIH , is a wealth of information, including plenty of very useful information about osteoarthritis and  rheumatoid arthritis , as well as many other diseases applicable specifically to Senior Citizens. Definitely a great site to bookmark.

There is a magazine called Arthritis which you can subscribe to at Arthritis.org You can also read articles from it there and subscribe to their free arthritis email newsletter.

Arthritis does not just impact adults . According to KidsHealth , " The most prevalent form of juvenile arthritis is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, or JRA. It affects approximately 50,000 children in the United States. JRA also called juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) because it is very different from adult rheumatoid arthritis." The Arthritis Foundation has a special site just for those dealing with Juvenile Arthritis.

Sadly, there isn’t one great cure for all the different conditions in the Arthritis “family .” There are, however, many ways you can gain some pain relief. You can find many of those listed at Healthlink , including discussions about medications, heat and cold, joint protection (that’s one of my favorites), weight reduction (that’s one I have to work on continually, just to maintain), exercise, surgery, and alternative remedies. Of course, you would run any and all of these by your family doctor first. 

If you have an uncommon condition, you might find information for it at the National Organization for Rare Disorders , which has an extensive information library.

Now it’s your turn. Do you have a great site that discusses Arthritis ? Please share it with us in the comments section below.

Welcome to the April 7, 2009 edition of Boomers and Seniors – News You Can Use! We have some interesting articles in store for you. Among other things, you will find information and encouragement on subjects such as dealing with Caregiving for Aged Parents, Having Fun With Grandkids, Alzheimer’s Awareness, Helps and Hints for Seniors, and more! I’m excited, as this is SandwichINK’s first time hosting this Blog Carnival. Once again, WELCOME, and off we go: SandwichINK presents two articles to inform and encourage you. First up is an important reminder to caregivers. Caregiving in general can be be very demanding. As members of the Sandwich Generation, we are often caring for more than one person and more than one age group which gets downright complicated. SandwichINK wants to remind you that What We Don’t Read Can Be Harmful To Our Pocketbooks ! This article is an important reminder to all of us to make sure to read all your mail, deal with it in a timely manner, and toss what is unnecessary. Then do the same for any elderly parent you provide care for. Letting it stack up, no matter how busy you are as you juggle caregiving, work, grandkids, etc., can be hazardous to your financial health!

Since SandwichINK focuses on the needs of the Sandwich Generation, those caring for elderly relatives and grandkids as well, you’ll also find many articles here written specifically for grandparents and grandkids. Since it’s Easter break for many schools, and there are a lot of grandparents helping out with the grandkids this week, 25 Ideas for Rainy Day Fun with Grandkids should be a help, even if it’s not raining or snowing where you live. Senior Care/Caregiving SeniorsforLiving.com’s Editorial Director Gina LaGuardia presents Young Professionals Unite for Alzheimer’s Awareness , posted at Seniors For Living . Even twenty-somethings care about Alzheimer’s awareness, and are raising awareness in a big way. "Learning to shift your beliefs and flip a negative thought is the buzz in personal growth these days. But how do you learn to do this in highly emotional relationships, such as being a caregiver to your parents? Natalie Tucker Miller, IAC-CC offers some ideas to clarify your intentions in Facing Elder Phases , posted at Ageless-Sages .

Senior Housing

Gina LaGuardia also found quite an intriguing story. Quite the Experiment: Experiencing Senior Living at 43 , posted at Seniors For Living is about the 43-year-old publisher of two major mid-Atlantic based senior resources who wants to lend more authenticity to the information he provides. So he’s moving in!

Read about the growing trend of non-traditional retirement communities. Dale Carter presents Age in Place with Nontraditional Retirement Communities , posted at Transition Aging Parents .  “Groups of like-minded seniors come together, enjoying similar benefits of a retirement community but with the great plus of ‘aging in place.’" Victoria Powell writes, "People spend years building and spending their hard earned money and time on their homes.  But how many think about making an environment that is senior friendly?" Explore that question at Making Your Home Senior Friendly , posted at VP-Medical News . Victoria Powell also writes about ways to allow our aged parents to continue living in their own homes longer. In Sensors for Seniors , posted at VP-Medical News , she writes, "A new flurry of technologies now exist to enable seniors to live independently and avoid expensive trips back and forth to the emergency room.  Wireless sensors have been used in the beds of nursing home residents to alarm the staff of potential falls.  These same type of sensors are now available for the home."

Financial Issues

Patrice Jenkins presents On and Off Days , posted at What Will I Do All Day , saying, "Retirement offers a well-deserved break from the stress and demands placed on you when you were working. Finally, no one is making you do anything you don’t feel like doing. If you want to sleep until noon, fine. If you want to dawdle around the house all day, it’s up to you. Same clothes every day—no one is keeping track. While this may sound like paradise, be careful. Retirement can be too easy. When this is the case, life will soon become boring and you’ll be boring. In order to cherish the days off, you need to have some days on! You need to do something that makes retirement harder.”

"In this tight economy, it is very difficult to afford many of the more expensive prescription drugs. But there are a few simple ways in which you can save a few bucks on prescription drugs. I have detailed those in this article," writes Ishanbansal in How to Save Money on Prescription Drugs , posted at Save Few Bucks . Super Saver presents Claiming a Parent as a Dependent on a Tax Return , posted at My Wealth Builder . "With more children caring for or providing financial support for aging parents, the question of whether a parent can be claimed as a dependent sometimes arises. I’ve investigated the possibility and here is my understanding." Traffic accidents can happen to any of us. Those of us with aged parents or teenage kids/grandkids are at a higher risk. John Russell offers some excellent information to help us if that sad event happens. 14 Auto Insurance Secrets They Don ’t Want You To Know , posted at The Low Cost Auto Insurance Guru , explains, "If your car is “totaled” after an accident, do you know how your insurance company determines your car’s present value? The answer may surprise you!" John Russell also presents Gap Insurance – Should You get It? , posted at The Low Cost Auto Insurance Guru , saying, "Gap insurance is an additional insurance policy that is usually tacked on to your monthly lease payment or finance payment if you are financing your car." With many of our elderly relatives living in the same home for decades, you’ll appreciate reading Jacqulyn Richey’s article, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Tax Credits , posted at Las Vegas Real Estate News . "New tax credits for energy efficiency and renewable energy home improvements under the Obama administration. Some prior tax credits have been expanded and had the cap removed….If you live in an older home, these tax credits are targeted at you."

Health and Wellness

Brain Blogger discusses upcoming changes in the pharmaceutical industry that could have a direct impact on our medical bills and those of our elderly parents. In Transparency in the Pharmaceutical Industry , posted at Brain Blogger , we read "with the intensifying call for transparency in corporate America, several pharmaceutical companies have announced plans to jump on the proverbial bandwagon early. In anticipation of the passage of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act in the U.S. Senate, Eli Lilly and Merck have announced plans to establish online registries of payments made to physicians. Additionally, Glaxo Smith Kline, Pfizer, and AstraZeneca will disclose charitable giving and change the way they financially support educational programs." "The key to living a longer and healthier life can be found by studying the people that live in Okinawa, Japan. They live the longest and are among the healthiest people in the world…" Read more of this intriguing article by Pat Evans, Five Keys To Living A Longer And Healthier Life , posted at Life's Instructions .

hjo’s article, Easy Exercises that Help In Getting Rid Of Wrinkles , posted at Health Journal Online , will be of great interest to those of us developing those lovely little laugh lines around our eyes, more commonly known as wrinkles. "Under eye wrinkles are caused by stressful actions but there are ways to deal with them. The least expensive options are assorted exercises. The most effective way to avoid furrows is free and is just a muscle workout, which you can do when it suits you. Because it is facial lines that are the most obvious, here are the exercises which will help those creases best." How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally , posted at Health Journal Online , is another interesting health article by hjo. "If you need to lower your cholesterol you can always take the medication route. There is no doubt that medication works to lower cholesterol in the body but doctors prefer the individual to take more responsibility for their own well being. Get more details on dealing with cholesterol and the importance of good cholesterol levels…"

Join Us Next Time… That concludes this edition. We have really enjoyed your visit and looks forward to seeing you again at the next blog carnival. Submit your own blog article to the next edition of Boomers and Seniors – News You Can Use! using our carnival submission form . Past posts and future hosts can be found at “What Is a Blog Carnival, Anyway?”

Do you read every single piece of mail you get as soon as you get it? Even when you or a loved one are ill, just had a baby, are in the middle of a move, or are just plain overwhelmed with juggling everyone’s schedules? Be honest now.

I may be smiling, but I’m also very serious. Did you know that some, if not all, mortgage companies do NOT credit a payment you sent in if it is for less than the amount that is due! Apparently I forgot to look at the my normal monthly mortgage statement that came a month or so ago as I was in the throes of all of the above, except the new baby. I have a fixed rate mortgage, so my house payment never changes. Well, it never changes except when they do an annual adjustment for changes to property tax, insurance, etc. So I missed the minor detail that my March payment would be $40 more. $40!!!! Yesterday I got one of those not fun automated phone calls regarding my loan. Being well-versed in NEVER giving out information to phone calls I receive, even if they seem on the level, I hung up and called them back. As I did so, I quickly looked online and discovered to my horror that the March payment was now three weeks overdue! My first thought was that I had forgotten to pay it in the midst of all that was going on. When I looked at my online account and check book, however, I found I had paid it via computer e-pay.

I was in the middle of requesting that my bank research the missing payment when I finally got through all the button pushing to talk to a person. She explained that they had received the payment but because it was $40 short they had not credited my account for ANYTHING! Long story short, I immediately sent the rest of the payment, edited my budget to reflect the new amount, put a note on the calendar to call to see if the late fee could be waived, put another note on the calendar to check for mortgage payment amount adjustments monthly, and mentally yelled at myself up one side and down the other for not reading all my mail!

This morning, as I was praying, I was praising God for letting me catch it so quickly. Then my thoughts turned to all the people in our lives who might also not know about this, make the same mistake, and not catch the mistake once it happened. I was especially thinking of all of our elderly parents, who could be easily confused by this. I would encourage everyone to discuss this with your families. This is also good info for our young adult kids. It would probably be wise to touch base with our elderly parents over their financial issues at least quarterly. And to all of you, my fellow multi-generational caregiving jugglers, don’t follow my bad example. As busy as we are, we need to read all our mail as we receive it, then deal with it, file it, or toss it right then. It will save us time, energy and much aggravation in the long run.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Wait till you see the current edition of this useful and interesting collage of blog posts. Ageless-Sages is hosting it and they used the greatest pictures. Vintage photos! As you can probably guess from past posts here at SandwichINK, I LOVE vintage pictures. That alone is enough to make me run over.

But that’s not all. Once you get there you’ll discover a wealth of information wonderfully suited to all of us in the Sandwich Generation. There are several articles under the heading of Health & Wellness, including why it’s important to check your mouth regularly (believe me, after reading those facts and statistics, I did that ASAP) and information to help with the decision of whether a loved one has Alzheimer’s Disease or just normal aging.

Moving on to financial issues, I discovered several items of interest including Five Ways to Survive a Layoff. I’ll have to share that with some of my friends at home!

Under Senior Care/Caregiving, you’ll find tips for visiting elders, a good discussion on elder abuse, and an article from yours truly from a few weeks ago – can you spot it quickly?

Finishing up with the section on Boomer Trends, you’ll enjoy several items of interest. One in particular caught my eye tonight that I think impacts all of us – Understanding Elderspeak.  Hmmmmm. I think I’ll head over to read that right now and find out what they mean. How about you? Join me at Ageless-Sages . But first, HARK, what do I hear? Could it be trumpets making the sound of an announcement coming? I do believe it is because:

The Boomers & Seniors Blog Carnival is coming to SandwichINK on April 7, 2009! WOW! This will be my first time hosting it here. I’m really looking forward to it. So tell your friends and make sure you come visiting here on April 7 (not to mention every other day of the year ). If you’d like to submit an article for it, just click on Blog Carnival . It should take you to exactly where you need to be to sign up for  it.

Well now, let’s head over to Ageless-Sages , shall we?

This is a tough economy for employees! Right now I personally know six people who are out of work. It’s bad enough losing your job and losing your salary. But what happens to those who have health problems? This is becoming especially prevalent right now for Baby Boomers. Generally speaking, it seems like the younger you are, the easier it is to find another job. Part of that is salary expectations. Workers with more experience expect higher salaries. Employers who are strapped may prefer to pay lower salaries. They may also have a harder time finding jobs that will accommodate their schedules if they are caregivers who need occasional time off to take elderly parents or grandkids to appointments. Baby Boomers are also right in the age that is starting to see more health problems rearing their ugly heads! They are too young for Medicare, too old for the health options available to children. Do they have any viable options?

One I read about today in the paper is to become a test patient for a medical researcher. Some call it being a “medical guinea pig.” This is a solution that carries some risks, and you have to fill out plenty of forms. If the alternative, however, is to go without needed medications and doctor check ups, it certainly seems like it is worth checking out. To find out more, you can read the article, “For Some, Care Means Being A Guinea Pig .”

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! It’s a perfect day for us to head for a carnival. What’s that? Is it raining or snowing where you live? No worries. Our carnival is right here on the internet.

At the carnival you’ll find all sorts of information specific to Baby Boomers and Senior Citizens. You’ll find things to help you, to help your elderly relatives, and more. Let’s take a peek:

Michelle Seitzer of Seniors for Living has written a very interesting and timely article on the new stimulus package and how it will affect our elderly parents. There are good things to be found in the package, including a rebate that does NOT need any paperwork to be filed. Sadly, there are negative things in the package as well including some unpleasant changes to Medicare.

My Wealth Builder has an interesting article on going back to school when you are older. I never quit school until two years ago. That’s when I FINALLY finished my A.A. in Real Estate in my 50s! It was a great feeling. Right now, I’m busy learning a ton on the internet as I work on building this and other websites. Eventually, in my 60s or 70s, I may decide to go back for my B.A. if they’ll give me a senior discount.

If you love to travel, check out Donna Hull’s travel site, MyItchyFeet. She has excellent advice for the carnival on visiting your local travel clinic before going overseas. After you finish that article do a bit more exploring. You’ll find interesting travel stories and great pictures. My favorite is the cottage with the grass growing from the roof!

Dale Carter posted an article that I would recommend bookmarking for an excellent resource. It explains more about Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia symptoms, and how to help an aging parent who is suffering from dementia.

These are just a few of the many articles you can find at Seniors For Living . Other topics include Senior Care and Caregiving, Senior and Boomer Trends, Financial Issues, Health, and Wellness. So let’s all head on over and do some visiting and even leave some comments. As a matter of fact, I’d love it if you’d say a cheery green "Top O’ The Evening" in the comments below.

It’s that time again. Time to check out all the great resources from Twitter over the past week or so. I’m going to start with the most recent as it’s also the most important.

If you get an email from Delta about a ticket, DON’T open any attachment. A nationwide fraudulent email scam has hit millions!

Another vital tip – don’t forget to set your clocks ahead tomorrow, Saturday, 3/7/09. Spring forward, Fall back!

I don’t know about you, but I have several friends and acquaintances who have either been laid off or are concerned they will be. It’s especially hard for the Baby Boomer Generation as ageism can rear its ugly head at times. Seems silly, as we have more experience, but we can also require a higher salary and that is a key concern in this economy. Here’s a great article about some of the creative ways people are using this forced time off to learn, help, and/or recharge, as they wait to get another job.

I found some great new add-ons for Firefox. I gave up on Internet Explorer a few months ago due to so many crashes. Firefox crashes as well, but it doesn’t seem to be as often. On top of that, they have such great add-ons, I haven’t looked back. My favorite is called Morning Coffee. It allows you to enter as many of your favorite websites as you like. Then, when you have some time to just read, you click the cup of coffee and they all open at once. It’s great for people who always read certain sites each day. It’s also great for caregivers like me who don’t often get that luxury, but know it’s there when we do.

Another useful add-on that I just found out about yesterday is called Session Manager. “Session Manager saves and restores the state of all windows – either when you want it or automatically at startup and after crashes. Additionally it offers you to opportunity to reopen (accidentally) closed windows and tabs. If you’re afraid of losing data while browsing – this extension allows you to relax.” Talk about perfect timing. I had just installed this when I got called away from my desk. While I was gone, one of my grandkids accidentally closed all the windows. Session Manager did, indeed, save the day!

Isn’t this perfect for Senior Home Care Givers  - The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He won’t grow tired or weary…gives strength to weary!

I love working on the computer and the internet. I can spend hours at it and the time flies. I love playing with grandkids as well, and again the time just soars. Housework is a whole other kettle of fish. I work on tidying, vacuuming, making beds, etc. and the time just drags. Or it did. Now I listen to my iPod with great sermons, educational business shows, and interesting books and the time flies. It really makes things much more interesting. I’ve already listed my favorite sermon sites. Here’s a couple of great sites for podcasts.

Blog Talk Radio – . This site is well set up and easy to navigate. You can go through it by channels or use the search button. There is plenty to find there to interest you, from caregiving to frugal, from business to blogging, and more. Many, if not most, of the shows are available through iTunes but it helps to have specific names/titles which you can get from here. You can also download the podcast directly following their directions.

Another resource I just found that looks quite useful, RadioPaq -– offers shows from BlogTalk Radio, along with the BBC, several French stations, a Jazz station and more. Between these two, you should find plenty to get you through your housework, your commutes, and more.

Are you a writer, a reader or do you know someone who is. I just read an interesting article in Publishers Weekly about RedRoom which is set to be a Facebook for authors and readers. Currently it has 2000 authors/20,000 members. It’s free for readers. I’m not sure about writers. If you know, tell us about it in the comments section below.

Do your favorite ways to save money include shopping at the Dollar store? Read the article to find out the goods and bads there.

For senior home care givers, It’s always the right time to brush up on our stroke awareness, such as signs and symptoms to watch for in your elderly parents or yourself!

Here’s some great health news! An early non-invasive cancer test is coming soon, in the next two – three years.

Encouragement – A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all!

This article has some great ideas for putting together frugal gift kits for kids and grandkids using items found at yard sales and thrift stores. I’ve got it bookmarked for my grandkids. It’s definitely one of those great ways to save money.

Well, that should keep you busy for now. I’ve got plenty more for tomorrow as well!