Author Julie Stephens – Living in the Mountains

How Did You Spend Your Christmas Season

Bruce and Joy deciding which tree is the right choice

For our mountain Christmases we always cut our tree. When living in suburbia, I’ve gone to a Christmas tree lot and also had an artificial tree. Cutting our own tree my favorite! We don’t have a specific time to put the tree up, about a week or two before Christmas is usually when we do it. How about you?

How do you get your Christmas tree? When do you put your tree up?

Elsa and I have been together for 4 years; since she was a young 2-year-old. Officially I’m her nanny-teacher. She’s like my Lake City grandchild. Having been a teacher and being a mom and grandma makes me a perfect choice!

Joy is never far from Elsa – she’s really quite adorable the way she ‘watches’ over Elsa.

The lighting of the advent wreath

I grew up Catholic observing the season of advent; the 4 weeks before Christmas. A candle is lit for each week.

We spend a lot of time outside

Christmas Eve – what a sky!!!

More often than not our winter days are calm and sunny with this cobalt blue sky. We work to keep a path open to enjoy walking on our nature trail right outside our garden.

Church is always a part of our Christmas. Bruce and I were asked to read at the Presbyterian / Episcopal Church Christmas Eve service. Bruce was working until late in the afternoon Christmas Eve. I also went to St. Rose Catholic Church afternoon service Christmas Eve.

Growing up I remember once or twice going to my father’s parents for Christmas. They lived in Kenosha, Wisconsin which was a completely different environment from where we lived in the south. Christmas morning we walked to church through the snow, leaving our unopened Christmas presents under the tree. Between untouched snow yet to play in and unwrapped presents yet to open – it was hard to be a child in church!

This year it was ‘just’ the two of us with our canine kids, Joy and Hope

What are some of your Christmas memories? Traditions?

“May you live all the days of your life.” J. Swift
julie@handsbestrong.com

Living in the Mountains

Venice, Italy and Lake City, Colorado

My husband and I were in Venice, Italy this October, just 24 days before the worst flooding in 50 years. I really connect with Venice. Venice is a delicate island ecosystem and it reminds me of home. My husband and I live at almost 9,000 feet above sea level, in the tiny mountain village ecosystem of Lake City, CO.

Last October began an unprecedented snowfall for us that continued through May. According to our local weather man Phil, we received approximately 55″ from November 2018 thru February 2019 and approximately 43″ in March of 2019!!! (Which beat the 1906 record)

Unprecedented avalanches followed. It was mind boggling and heart wrenching for me to see where we had just been walking around Venice, was now flooded. This past winter, it was mind boggling and heart wrenching for me to see, about 20 minutes after I had driven out of our valley, an avalanche pushed down the mountain and into that exact same spot where my car had been.

And oh yea, as I write this, it’s been snowing for 24 hours now.

This November 30^th picture is a month or two ahead of what I’d say is ‘normal’ for the river on our nature trail to look like.

Many Venetian churches and museums have flooded. We were recently enjoying the historic beauty of St. Mark’s Square and Basilica, which have since flooded. The damage the salty sea water does to centuries old mosaics and buildings won’t be known for a long time yet. In Lake City, our sheriff’s house was destroyed by an avalanche as he and his family slept – mercifully, everyone lived.

More than 20 million visitors visit Venice each year, compared to its permanent population of 55,000. Lake City has about 300 permanent residents. In the summer our population swells to around 3,000.

Venice has seen loads of cancellations. Many would be tourists saw the floodwater footage and decided not to go to Venice. The waters have subsided, and most of the museums are open again. The city is as beautiful as ever — even more beautiful, locals might say, with its current lack of visitors. I understand the beauty of having your home to yourself; as it gets tiresome being inundated with visitors. Our mountain’s natural peacefulness returns when the visitors finally leave.

But the Venetians have suffered devastation, and what they need now is to be busy with visitors — people need to make money to survive the losses they’ve had. If tourists decide not to come, people who desperately need money will suffer, because Venice is based on tourism.

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This past year Lake City was expected to be devastated with flooding as the unprecedented snowfall melted – thankfully the flooding didn’t happen. Still, tourism was way down and businesses suffered as would be visitors listened to the reports on national news and newspapers, of probable floods.

It’s late November now and it is cold. Our glorious Indian summer days are over. Highs of 32 and much lower will be the norm, along with the onset of single digits and negative temperatures. But dressed in warm layers, with calm sunny, blue sky days, bringing up firewood, walking with the dogs in the mountains, our days are generally delightful and cozy.

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However, as I write Lake City is not having a cozy day. It’s just nasty outside – windy cold – an awful combination. It has been snowing all day today. Prayers Venice will not continue with flooding rains. Prayers we are not having another harsh, very snowy winter!

Our little sheltie girl Joy out walking today.

Too often visitors come to Lake City and don’t show respect for our environment as they ‘forget’ / don’t care / think it would be fun to see a bear – and they leave food out on their grill or campfire or in their non-bear proof garbage container. They don’t care about the noise or the carbon footprints they make – it’s their vacation! Likewise visitors have been offensive in Venice with swimming in the canals and demonstrating private, bedroom behavior, in public places – like under the Rialto Bridge. It’s not just your vacation – it’s home to some of us!

Good and services are much more expensive in remote places like Lake City and Venice, where everything has to be brought in. Though cold, I can imagine how beautiful Venice would be at Christmas. Though cold, Christmas in Lake City is adorable and romantic. It is neither easy nor inexpensive to live in these secluded spots. However, for some of us this is our choice, our home and we feel blessed.

“May you live all the days of your life.” J. Swift
julie@handsbestrong.com

Living in the Mountains

Overcoming Osteoporosis

MOST EXCELLENT NEWS!!!

Listen Up!

Had Osteoporosis

Now I Don’t!!!

I am not telling anyone what to do. This is simply information I have gathered, made as straightforward as I could make it,

along with my experience:

I am (my birthday was days ago) 63-year-old, Caucasian, female, who has always been physically active. I have never been a smoker or drinker, and have a healthy body weight and healthy eating habits.

When I was 60 I freaked out when I was found to have osteoporosis. I didn’t like the idea of being on medicine – it has been my observation that too often medicines, especially over a long period of time cause horrible side effects. Also, as much as possible, I want to be in control of my health and change any part of my lifestyle as needed, rather than pop a pill.

I live in a little mountain village and have a good, personal relationship with my health care provider – so that I am not just another patient who gets the standard treatment – because that’s not what I want.

***I know where I made my health mistake – I wrongly thought that with my healthy life style I could forgo supplements.

Information on taking supplements varies. For me it is vital to take supplements along with my healthy lifestyle to maintain my health.

When I calmed down I heard that I was just over the line that marks having osteoporosis. My health care provider agreed with the advice I had from my good friend and retired nurse Judy – take 2 calcium daily, 1 in the AM and 1 in the PM making sure vitamin D is included. Keep up my healthy active lifestyle and healthy diet.

Just FYI an OB/GYN I saw in a nearby town automatically thought that the pharmaceutical recommendation of being on meds for osteoporosis for 2 years (before making a new assessment) was the way to go. ***She and I had just met and did not have a close, individual health care relationship as I do with my health care provider here for years – vital to me.

***Yesterday I got the report from my bone scan 2 days before, that I no longer have osteoporosis!!!

Osteoporosis is a disease in which there is loss of bone mass and density.

Risk factor for osteoporosis that are uncontrollable: gender, age, and ethnicity

Women are 4-times more likely than men to develop osteoporosis.

After age 30, bone mass naturally begins to decline with age.

Caucasian and Asian women are at the highest risk for the development of osteoporosis.

Risk factor for osteoporosis that are controllable: smoking, excessive drinking, underweight, lack of exercise

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH): A BMI of less than 18.5 means that a person is underweight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal.

Calculate BMI by dividing weight in pounds (lb) by height in inches (in) squared and multiplying by a conversion factor of 703. When using a handheld calculator, if your calculator has a square function, divide weight (lb) by height (in) squared, multiply by 703, and round to one decimal place.

Two easy BMI calculators below

https://bmicalculatorusa.com/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/obesity/in-depth/bmi-calculator/itt-20084938#

Researchers have shown a direct link between smoking and decreased bone density.

Research has shown that regular consumption of more than two alcoholic drinks per day increases the risk of developing osteoporosis. Consuming more than four alcoholic drinks per day may double the risk of osteoporosis related fractures. In the United States, a standard drink is defined as 12-ounces of beer, 5-ounces of wine, or 1.5-ounces of distilled spirits.

Studies have shown that women who sit for more than 9-hours per day are 50-percent more likely to have a hip fracture compared to those who sit less than 6-hours per day. Bone, like muscle, becomes stronger with exercise. The stress of exercise stimulates bone cell activity. Exercise also promotes balance, which can decrease the likelihood of falls and fractures.

Two types of exercises may help prevent osteoporosis: weight-bearing and muscle-strengthening exercises. Examples of high-impact weight-bearing exercises are dancing, hiking, jogging, and tennis. Examples of low-impact weight-bearing exercises are elliptical machines, stair-step machines, and walking on a treadmill. Examples of muscle-strengthening exercises are lifting free weights, using elastic exercise bands, and lifting one’s own body weight with pull-ups or push-ups. Walking is the best exercise for me. I walk with our dogs, in our mountains, on and off throughout the day(s) I also keep hand weights in my bedroom window seat and lift them 3x’s off and on throughout each day. I do a video of Tai Chi. I climb stairs and carry firewood, etc –

At least 30-minutes of exercise most days of the week, provides the greatest benefit to bone health. I wear a Fit Bit.

In addition, the National Osteoporosis Foundation reports some medicines may cause bone loss.

Life is hard enough. Aging is hard enough. Being healthy and strong is everything (to me) doing all I can to stay as healthy and as strong as possible is vital to my happiness! I am getting up from the computer now and bring up firewood and going walking with our dogs again on our nature trail. *Life is Good!

How about you?

What’s a “Good Day” for you?

What a great day – My son and his wife were on a conference trip with their engineering NASA jobs. I was helping with my grandchildren. My son surprised me with an outing to the Japanese gardens and feeding the koi fish like we did when he was little – so thoughtful!

A Good Day

People are always wishing us to: “Have a good day!”

Good days for me have encompassed exquisite, rare opportunities like getting to see the aurora borealis in Alaska, visiting Paris in celebration of my husband’s and my 40^th wedding anniversary, watching a total solar eclipse and flying over frozen landscape in a hot air balloon. Good days for me have encompassed everyday joys like a walk in the mountains where we live with our dogs, accomplishing something difficult like learning, yet one more thing connected with technology or enduring a challenging hike and always – reading a book I can’t put down.

What constitutes a good day has certainly changed over the decades; hasn’t it? I remember – maybe you do too – when what made me have a happy included: no homework, my favorite babysitter, something I liked for dinner (perhaps spaghetti or grilled cheese) and watching a favorite TV show, like Bewitched or Gilligan’s Island.

Around that time, when I was about 8-years-old, TV and food played a huge part in my delight; as did spending time at my Meme’s. Summers at Meme’s were the greatest since I got to spend several days at a time there, without any parents! Spending the night meant being treated like a big kid. I was scared in front of the television watching The Twilight Zone with my aunt who was 4 years older than me. Sometimes I close my eyes at the really scary parts of the show and she would make fun of me. But the opportunity to be a big kid was worth enduring being teased.

Just Meme and I would have breakfast in her cozy kitchen. Suzy the Siamese cat rested on top of the refrigerator, twitching her tail while watching us. I enjoyed warm buttered toast and hot tea with cream and sugar while watching The Beverly Hillbillies on the little portable TV. I was sure there was no better way to start the day.

Meme had a great big above the ground swimming pool that was so deep; it was up to my shoulders! She’d bring out party sandwiches in the shape of triangles with the crust cut off and celery stuffed with pimento cheese. We’d eat right in the swimming pool!

Meme’s screened porch was one of my favorite places to play. Her elephant ears grew up against the porch creating a snug environment. I’d read or dress my paper dolls and Meme would slip in with a bowl of cherries or strawberries, respecting my quiet place.

When I was old enough to go on walks by myself, walking soon became my favorite activity and an important part of a good day. Walking our collie dog, Duke was so satisfying. Duke was a great listener and always up for a walk. I liked our alone time.

By third grade part of a good day was a trip to the library or walking to the neighborhood bookmobile. Having a new book to read or having uninterrupted time to read a book I couldn’t put down, that’s been a much loved part of a good day for me since childhood.

As a child, my favorite books were often Nancy Drew mysteries or stories about the lives of the saints. Regularly in my catholic school we’d have to give a report on the books we read. Classmates were clamoring for the books I described. The lives of the saints were particularly fascinating; as one saint drove a nail in her skull to endure suffering for sins. Another saint was waiting to be torn to bits by a lion while she gave birth. The guard laughed at her birthing pang cries. She responded that she would not cry out loud in the morning when she was being torn to bits by lions. Periodically my mother got telephone calls from classmate’s mothers wanting to know what kinds of books was I was reading and where did they come from. I simply replied that I got my books from our school library.

Seldom was I the center of attention; so it was an intoxicating feeing having the whole class listening to me tell about my book. That is when it (be it subconsciously) occurred to me that the written word is powerful.

Having a reader tell me that they were moved my something I wrote is an exciting feeling that makes my day. The recent day spent alone with my 2-year-old granddaughter and I discovering each other was especially wonderful. A few days ago I spent the day with two 1^st graders. It was a busy, tiring, exhilarating and very satisfying day. A good day sometimes involves getting together with one or more girlfriends. Good friends, good conversation and good food is always fun!

Yesterday my daughter telephoned and we talked unhurriedly about numerous topics important to us. It was part of a good day. She is having her first taste of ‘motherhood’ as she is presently staying home full-time with her 3-week-old foster son. It’s always good to know my daughter or son is thinking about me with a call, text or email.

Visiting my daughter when she was at Brandeis University for graduate school – she’s dressing her puppy warmly for a cold day

For me a good day can involve many things, of which walks with my dogs and time spent reading and writing are often a part.

Today was a fun day with my husband. We drove to Montrose to get more supplies for our sunroom that he’s building us. It’s a long drive. We talked. We listened to podcast. After getting our building materials I picked out some colorful flowering plants for our deck. We then enjoyed a tasty lunch at our favorite Montrose restaurant, Daily Bread. We don’t eat out often, so it’s a treat. I very much enjoyed my cup of mushroom soup and my crab and avocado salad at this mom and pop café. When we got home we walked our dogs and I enjoyed playing with my flowers. I checked on a friend’s cat which meant I got to do a kindness and make an animal happy. I’ve enjoyed reminiscing about Meme and writing this blog entry (and remembering the theme songs to Gilligan’s Island and The Beverly Hillbillies!) It’s been a good day!

As you journey through life I wish you countless good days. What makes a good day for you?

Celebrating our 40^th wedding anniversary in Paris