Just want to talk: What are other seniors doing while staying home?

suzquez. I think I must have made a typo error or it was auto correct, I certainly didn’t mean to call you Susquehanna! Please accept my apology. Becky

They are upstairs in a cupboard. My 5 girls and grandchildren can look at them and take a phone photo of any they want to keep.

Susquehanna Sounds like you keep busy! I’d love to know what you do with the photo albums! Will you share? Becky

Will definitely keep it going. Maybe if I encourage cousins to talk about grandchildren there will be more interest! It is sad how little we see or hear from each other when several of us would meet every weekend at Nonna's (grandma's) house for Sabbath buffet when we were growing up.

I would love to try a Zoom session, but my relatives are so busy doing who knows what that they are mostly not answering me about communicating. I have met an unknown cousin through Messenger. It is my children and cousins who were already sending messages to me before I made the group that respond now. I send holiday greetings, recipes, jokes and movie reviews every week and occasionally someone new is motivated to answer.

@kneadmuscles53 Wow! I really like your ideas! Especially the Facebook group. My sister set up something similar so we can all communicate on Fb messenger. Will you keep it going after Covid?

Hello @kneadmuscles53, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. Setting up a group of Facebook Messenger with all of your relatives is a great idea and a good way to maintain contacts. Have you ever tried a Zoom session so that you can see each other and talk?

My extended family is large and members live in various states. It has been quite a while since almost any of us has communicated with each other, so while at home I started a group on Facebook Messenger with all my relatives included and have been weekly sending news from home, jokes, asking for advice and giving advice, sharing recipes and updating new addresses, etc. I spread the word to all to add new member's names such as in laws or people I didn't even know were my relatives! We review new movies seen and one person posted a photo of a strange insect found in their yard and asked who recognized it! Also I have been calling friends and relatives in assisted living facilities or living home alone.
I finally have plenty of time to sort through my mountain of old "important" papers, most of which can be thrown out! FedEx, UPS and USPS are at my door every week, so now I make more trips to the recycling center with trash because we don't have garbage pickup in farm country. I own 5 musical instruments, have a jewelry making hobby, paint by number and help my husband make minor repairs constantly to the old farmhouse we bought. The most fun we've had recently was driving to the clinic to get our Covid 19 vaccine shots. Whoopee!

@howardm Great idea! Those stuffed animals are a good tool to get moving. Do your granddaughters have a little spiel they recite, like a tour guide?

In the middle of the night, when my back is hurting, I have a loop around the living room, going into kitchen and out, then down the hallway and back to living room. The cat usually follows me as I shuffle along. Walking is a simple movement, and can lead to big changes, taken in small increments like you are doing. Keep on, and we'll be looking forward to hearing from you again on this!
Ginger

I’ve been walking - inside my home! I added a pedometer app for my iPhone that’s free, I can walk around the inside of the house.

All of this started mainly because I fell and tore my ACL, so my doctor said to stay away from the gym and any exercise that might irritate the situation. With a pedometer I can set my goal of how many steps I walk daily. (I’m only at 1500 now, will go to 2000 in a few days).

I’m using “Steps App Pro” the free version, but there’s many in the app store. I liked this because you can increase the goal by 500 steps, and with the notification on the number of steps shows on the home screen without even opening it.

Anyway, when my granddaughters (2 yr old twins) come over a few times a week, we have fun walking together. We have a number of stuffed animals, so we each take one for a walk, and each lap we exchange it for another one.

That’s some of the most joyous times of the week for me. I pray the Lord will keep me going so I can watch the twins grow!