BOOMER Magazine: June 2019
“When are you going to retire?” is a question I am asked almost every day. I love what I do and the people I work with. Why do I have to retire? I can see it now – my company would throw me a nice retirement party, everyone would say enjoy your life, have fun, goodbye! And then they’d find me at my desk the next day. I understand that some people can’t wait to retire – they hate their jobs, or can’t physically do them anymore or they’ve worked hard and saved enough money to be able to spend the rest of their lives without the constraints of time clocks, grumpy bosses, or millennials! My point is, retire, or don’t. Luckily, with the great advances in health care, more and more of us keep on working (and playing) into our 70’s and even our 80’s! In this issue of Sacramento Boomer we feature articles of interest to anyone regardless of work status. If you are wondering how to make sure you aren’t a target for financial fraud, turn to page 32 and read how to protect yourself from these ever more sophisticated scammers. Now that warmer weather is here, we offer up 10 gardening tips for the rookie gardener. I took up gardening last year for the first time and discovered that one little tomato plant produces A LOT of fruit! For you travel bugs, how about a trip to Japan? Read about this fascinating and beautiful country on page 52. If you are less into traveling afar but want to get outside, we offer up a hiking day trip on page 14 and if you are interested in volunteering, learn how you can help repair homes in the Sacramento area (page 28). And as always we offer up advice on health & wellness, deliver some delicious recipes to you and so much more. So enjoy our 2nd issue of the new Sacramento Boomer. Oh, and let me know if you’d like some tomatoes. This year’s crop is going to be amazing! By Debra Linn Associate Publisher
“When are you going to retire?” is a question I am asked almost every day. I love what I do and the people I work with. Why do I have to retire? I can see it now – my company would throw me a nice retirement party, everyone would say enjoy your life, have fun, goodbye! And then they’d find me at my desk the next day. I understand that some people can’t wait to retire – they hate their jobs, or can’t physically do them anymore or they’ve worked hard and saved enough money to be able to spend the rest of their lives without the constraints of time clocks, grumpy bosses, or millennials! My point is, retire, or don’t. Luckily, with the great advances in health care, more and more of us keep on working (and playing) into our 70’s and even our 80’s!
In this issue of Sacramento Boomer we feature articles of interest to anyone regardless of work status. If you are wondering how to make sure you aren’t a target for financial fraud, turn to page 32 and read how to protect yourself from these ever more sophisticated scammers. Now that warmer weather is here, we offer up 10 gardening tips for the rookie gardener. I took up gardening last year for the first time and discovered that one little tomato plant produces A LOT of fruit!
For you travel bugs, how about a trip to Japan? Read about this fascinating and beautiful country on page 52. If you are less into traveling afar but want to get outside, we offer up a hiking day trip on page 14 and if you are interested in volunteering, learn how you can help repair homes in the Sacramento area (page 28).
And as always we offer up advice on health & wellness, deliver some delicious recipes to you and so much more.
So enjoy our 2nd issue of the new Sacramento Boomer. Oh, and let me know if you’d like some tomatoes. This year’s crop is going to be amazing!
By Debra Linn
Associate Publisher
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
“The importance of ‘home’ is something<br />
many people don’t think about until<br />
they’re at risk of losing it,” says Carrie Grip,<br />
executive director of RTS. “Perhaps it’s in<br />
disrepair or the maintenance is too much<br />
to handle, but there’s a direct connection<br />
between the health of a home and the<br />
occupant’s ability to thrive.”<br />
Here’s what one project house looked like before Rebuilding Together<br />
Sacramento’s “Rebuild Day” event April 26-27 in Rancho Cordova.<br />
Grip first worked with the group more than<br />
20 years ago when she was brought in by<br />
her corporate employer to coordinate a<br />
volunteer event for coworkers. A few years<br />
later she was hired by the affiliate’s board<br />
of directors, who had managed it with<br />
no staff for 10 years. “Our affiliate would<br />
not be here today without that group of<br />
hard-working, dedicated volunteers with<br />
a vision,” Grip says.<br />
Here’s the same house with a new exterior paint job and drought<br />
tolerant landscaping after the two-day event ended.<br />
Preserving existing homes is often<br />
overlooked as one of the most economical<br />
housing option for low-income residents<br />
and those with disabilities. “Many of our<br />
clients are people whose home is no longer<br />
accessible due to their changing mobility<br />
needs,” Grip points out. The Safe at Home<br />
program—where volunteers install safety<br />
aids such as bathroom bars, raised toilet<br />
seats, and transfer poles—is an ongoing<br />
effort available to people of all income<br />
levels. “I just heard from a recipient who<br />
said he was able to get up after a fall in<br />
the shower by pulling himself up with the<br />
grab bar that was installed a month earlier,”<br />
Grip says.<br />
“Our affiliate<br />
would not be<br />
here today<br />
without that<br />
group of<br />
“The home safety modifications are<br />
provided free of charge for those with<br />
low-income or for a fee to those who<br />
don’t meet the guidelines,” she continues.<br />
“It’s better to prepare the home for aging<br />
before it’s needed. Too many of our calls<br />
are from people who didn’t prepare and<br />
ended up in the hospital because of a fall.”<br />
hard-working,<br />
dedicated<br />
volunteers<br />
Volunteers prepare the<br />
home’s exterior for a new<br />
paint job.<br />
Typically, participants volunteer on a<br />
weekly basis. Each spring, RTS also<br />
organizes their biggest Rebuild Event<br />
when volunteer teams go out into the<br />
community to work together on numerous<br />
renovation projects.<br />
rebuildingtogethersacramento.org<br />
with a vision.”<br />
Photos by Joe Happ.<br />
30 SacBoomer.com | <strong>June</strong> <strong>2019</strong>
Change language