AARP Rewards Community Learning & Earning Contest August 2022

I have been retired for 9 years.  I have a few disabilities that make it difficult to do much exercising.  To keep my mind active I play several video games, logic problems, word puzzles and watch game shows on TV.  I also play some of the "brain" games on AARP.  I am afraid of losing memory or thought process, so I try to keep my mind as active as possible!

When I retired I decided to go back to school and get a bachelor's degree.  Got it in Natural Health and graduated with High Honors.  Love it so much I went on for my Master's Degree in Herbology.  Thesis accepted on first submission, so I went on for a PhD.  At age 78 I earned my PhD in Natural Medicine.  Started writing the health column for a local newspaper, and when they reformatted the paper I wrote a weekly article for an online ezine (sometimes on health or herbs and sometimes on humor (they all start with the letter 'h' so they must be related, right?).  Publisher died and ezine went with her.  Up in the air for a while and now look for questions on which to write articles in the local newspaper.  Love to write. Also, every morning I do the Jumbles in the local paper after I come back from my walk.  Work in my garden which is next to my chicken coop.  So many fun and interesting things to do when we get older and no longer work.  Older?  On July 31st I celebrated my 83 birthday!!

I subscribe to the NYTIMES online so I can stay up to date on national and world news. I also do the Mini Crossword and Wordle games daily.

I do several things to keep my brain active & engaged. I exercise, eat healthy foods, try to sleep 7-8 hours per night, drink at least a half gallon of water per day, practice a second language through Duolingo, solve word & logic puzzles, play cards, socialize with friends, travel to new places, and read articles on topics that are unfamiliar to me (like quantum physics) so I have to actually work at understanding them. I also am in the process of signing up for an online class to--finally!-- learn how to better use Excel. I also participate in qi gong class & use breathing exercises to control stress. I'm a big believer that stress is detrimental to our brain function!

I play golf. It is a game of concentration. My mind must plan what is the best shot in each instance and which club is the best to use. It also gets me outdoors in the sunshine and I have a great group of friends to interact with.

  I read the Bible daily. And a Bible text for everyday to help me be a better person. I pray daily. I read the AARP emails to increase my knowledge. I weed and mow the yard. I read Dr MERCOLA and Dr Beckers columns for your health and my furry baby. If Ed my dog organic food I make. I do his grooming and nail’s myself. I do  crosswords and puzzles word games. I hand write letters, no computer. I add and subtract and do all math in my head. I play discover item games and spelling games and trivia, scrabble, hand and foot …I just stay busy and I read read read , especially cardiology updates.

My husband and I watch less TV. During Covid we were sitting and watching too much.  We do Wordle, Phoodle and Crosswords instead.

I retired in June and now spend more time volunteering as an EMT at my local fire department. I spend 12 to 24 hours a week there. There is constant training, and I love interacting with my patients, especially the elderly, and learning from them. It not only keeps my brain active, but keeps the gratitude coming.

My parents spoke broken French [patois] with each other but never taught us to speak it.  This started my fascination with French.  Several decades ago, I spent two weeks in Paris and today, in my 70's, I study French at least 2 hours per day, to keep my brain active and to stay engaged.

Pamela

For last 10 years or so I have been completing on line survey for a dozen organizations(Toluna,You Gov,Junky Surveys,My Points,One Opinion,Ipsos,ERewards ETC)I acumulate points for answering questions.I then earn cash rewards,resturant gift cards,other gift cards,political surveys,product surveys.These keep me sharp on a daily basis and avoid old age problems.I also get to eat at restuarantsI like and keeps me young.Joseph