As of this writing, the USA is mostly open. Sports facilities and restaurants are at full capacity again and Broadway is reopening. More than 50% of the population over 12 is vaccinated and despite the contagion of the Delta variant, hospitalizations are low.

It felt like this happened quickly. After months of lockdown, we had a few weeks of limited openings and then BOOM! All open for business. Once the vaccine became readily available, and people had their shots, people, including me, felt more at ease in public venues. So, it was time for me to return to normal.

The Home Front

My first party post lockdown was with my writing group, The Legacy Writers. We are all over 50 and once our last member was two weeks past his second shot, we gathered. Oh, the hugging and laughing and back patting!

We had met weekly on Zoom throughout lockdown but were oh-so-happy to be in one another’s physical presence. We have decided to continue to do most of our meetings on Zoom as we all realized how much easier it is.

There is no drive time and no need to get dressed up. But nothing replaces face-to-face so at least once a month we will gather at one of our homes. We got more writing done during the pandemic and have vowed to keep our productivity level high.

Baby Steps

My first theater experience was the philharmonic orchestra playing the music of Queen. The young man playing Freddie Mercury was a Broadway actor doing his first live performance since the lockdown. He was on fire!

He encouraged the group to get up and dance and we did! Because of the limited audience capacity, there was plenty of room to wave your arms and do a bit of jumping and shimmying. The JOY in the room was palpable.

My first sporting event during the limited opening was a minor league baseball game. The stadium had just reopened at 30 percent capacity. There was at least one row and half a dozen seats between ticket holders. There were no walking vendors, passing hot dogs or beers hand-over-hand to fans.

If you wanted food or drink you had to go to a stand and follow social distancing there. But it was baseball, and I could still hear the crack of the bat and sing during the 7^th inning stretch. Masks were not required as it was an outdoor event. And I was able to dine prior to the game on an outdoor patio at a restaurant near the ballpark. The whole evening was a heady experience!

Grocery Shopping

The next step was doing more in-person shopping. At the height of the lockdown, groceries were either delivered or ready for me at a drive through pick up. Gradually, I started to shop in person, aiming for less crowded times and being very purposeful about following my list.

Then I began to shop in a more leisurely fashion, not worrying about being close to fellow masked shoppers or the time of day. I have vowed to stay purposeful about this. To limit the number of trips by having a list and sticking to it, avoiding those runs for just one thing!

Venturing Forth

I was accustomed to wearing a mask, social distancing, and zoom gatherings. I was accustomed to being vigilant about hand washing and limiting my exposure to others. I returned to sporting events and indoor dining.

But, as a person with wanderlust, I most missed travel. International travel is still extremely limited. But after the full opening, I decided it was time for at least an in-country adventure.

I took my first trip, to Mackinac Island in Michigan. You arrive by private plane or ferry. This island allows no cars or motor vehicles, including golf carts. The two exceptions are the ambulance and the fire truck. Everything else is done by horse drawn wagons, bicycles, or on foot.

Most people walk or bicycle where they need to go. Masks are still required on the ferry and dock as well as in the airport. On the island, every business had sign on their door stating if you were not vaccinated, please wear a mask. The island was busy, with all hotel rooms rented. I would estimate that between 20 and 30 per cent of folks were masked.

So, while not completely normal, it was a huge step in the right direction. People were in a good mood. It was the Lilac Festival and the air was fragrant and the streets filled with color from the multitude of Lilac bushes. There was even an outdoor concert and plenty of other live music. Again, close to normal.

Back into the World

I am filling my 2021 date book with parties and in-person classes and retreats. I have a long list of USA destinations to explore. 2022 plans include a trip to Bali in the spring and Italy in the fall. What’s different is the volume of things I have planned.

I realized I enjoyed the time at home alone. I learned the bliss associated with not hurrying, not packing every moment to the gills with activity. I am enjoying lazy afternoons with nothing to do but dive into a good book. I am savoring long walks with my dogs. I like looking at my date book and seeing huge gaps. I even nap sometimes! No more over planning for me.

So, I am returning to normal but a kinder, gentler version. One that allows for more time between and more time for reflection, one more conscious about how my time is allotted. I am better about saying “no” to things that don’t feed my soul and therefore having time for a “Hell yes!” to the things that do. I am more purposeful. I feel more ease.

How about you? How are you returning to normal? What are you keeping and what are you letting go? Let’s have a heartfelt discussion!

Fans of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb, the non-sticky lip gloss favorite, are going crazy over the brand’s newest formula. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat is the first lip plumper from Rihanna’s beauty brand and a truly unique one at that. Plumping lip gloss is nothing new and there are some great ones on the market. But Gloss Bomb Heat has much more than just plumping action. Allow me to explain.

I love the hydrating Gloss Bomb formula so I was excited to try this new iteration. It has the same conditioning shea butter and vitamin E blend to help lock in moisture but the addition of ginger root oil and capsicum fruit extract (pepper) to instantly plump lips. I planned to use Gloss Bomb Heat as a topper on my usual lipstick shades, adding high-shine for a Hot Vax Summer vibe.

But it turns out, I’m obsessed with the non-shimmer color of Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper on its own. The Hot Cherry shade looks very red in the tube but when applied, is the perfect sheer hue. It’s not too pigmented, but just enough to add color to the shine.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Fenty Beauty.

When I posted about Gloss Bomb Heat on my Instagram the most popular question I got was, does it hurt? I would admit that it does burn a bit but less than others I’ve tried. My favorite thing about this formula is that it’s not just the plumping ingredients that make your lips appear fuller. The shiny red color makes a big difference and the lush shea butter adds to the effect.

Source: Instagram

The color also lasts a few hours on the lips before you need to apply again, which is key for me when I’m out running around. Plus, when you apply another layer, you don’t get that dry, sticky texture that sometimes happens when one layer has dried. The formula is thick and hydrating enough to layer on as much as you’d like. If you’ve been wanting lip filler or just want to steal Rihanna’s perfect summer pout, this gloss is going to be your new favorite.

Fans of Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bomb, the non-sticky lip gloss favorite, are going crazy over the brand’s newest formula. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Heat is the first lip plumper from Rihanna’s beauty brand and a truly unique one at that. Plumping lip gloss is nothing new and there are some great ones on the market. But Gloss Bomb Heat has much more than just plumping action. Allow me to explain.

I love the hydrating Gloss Bomb formula so I was excited to try this new iteration. It has the same conditioning shea butter and vitamin E blend to help lock in moisture but the addition of ginger root oil and capsicum fruit extract (pepper) to instantly plump lips. I planned to use Gloss Bomb Heat as a topper on my usual lipstick shades, adding high-shine for a Hot Vax Summer vibe.

But it turns out, I’m obsessed with the non-shimmer color of Gloss Bomb Heat Universal Lip Luminizer + Plumper on its own. The Hot Cherry shade looks very red in the tube but when applied, is the perfect sheer hue. It’s not too pigmented, but just enough to add color to the shine.

Our mission at STYLECASTER is to bring style to the people, and we only feature products we think you’ll love as much as we do. Please note that if you purchase something by clicking on a link within this story, we may receive a small commission of the sale.

Fenty Beauty.

When I posted about Gloss Bomb Heat on my Instagram the most popular question I got was, does it hurt? I would admit that it does burn a bit but less than others I’ve tried. My favorite thing about this formula is that it’s not just the plumping ingredients that make your lips appear fuller. The shiny red color makes a big difference and the lush shea butter adds to the effect.

Source: Instagram

The color also lasts a few hours on the lips before you need to apply again, which is key for me when I’m out running around. Plus, when you apply another layer, you don’t get that dry, sticky texture that sometimes happens when one layer has dried. The formula is thick and hydrating enough to layer on as much as you’d like. If you’ve been wanting lip filler or just want to steal Rihanna’s perfect summer pout, this gloss is going to be your new favorite.

For the past decade, I’ve had a front-row seat to the devastating effects of Alzheimer’s. The neurodegenerative disease has wreaked havoc on my mother-in-law. And those who love her.

According to neuroscientist Dr. Jeanette Norden, Alzheimer’s affects more than five million Americans and 25 million individuals worldwide. It is most common in industrialized nations and occurs more often in women than men.

Retired from Vanderbilt University’s School of Medicine, Jeanette researched nerve regeneration for 20 years. For three decades, she taught medical, graduate, and undergraduate courses. “My students have been good to me,” says Jeanette when I comment on her long list of awards bestowed on her by students.

Throughout her career and retirement, Jeanette has enjoyed increasing the public’s awareness of strokes, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and all the different diseases that affect the brain.

“The more information people have and understand, the more likely they are to make changes in their lifestyles,” she says. And our habits appear to be a significant factor in all those “terrible diseases that plague us as we get older.”

Besides teaching much-in-demand classes through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Vanderbilt, Jeanette delivers community service presentations to senior care facilities, churches, women’s groups, psychologists, and counselors. In her easy-to-digest style, she strives to strengthen her community through education.

Early-onset Alzheimer’s, afflicting individuals younger than 65, runs in families. It is genetically transmitted.

The late-onset version, occurring after age 65, is idiopathic. The cause is unknown. Among the factors increasing the risk for developing late-onset Alzheimer’s are obesity, head injuries, hypertension, diabetes, and chronic stress. And risk increases with age.

“If you are misfortunate enough to have a genetic form of the disease, no amount of lifestyle change is going to make much of a difference,” says Jeanette.

But our daily habits can play a role in other forms of Alzheimer’s. We can decrease our risk of the dreaded disease by taking matters into our own hands.

According to Jeanette, some factors we can control are:

Exercise

Jeannette makes a point to walk at least 10,000–12,000 steps each day. She and Pansy, her rescue dachshund, start the morning with a 45-minute walk in the park. “Even if she dawdles, I continue to move in place,” says Jeanette.

“What we want to avoid is sitting,” says Jeanette.

The good news? “Any form of movement is positive,” says Jeanette. House cleaning, gardening, grocery shopping, all those steps count. And they add up. Her weekly routine includes resistance training with light weights and yoga. And she stretches every day.

“After we exercise, the muscles we’ve worked shorten,” Jeanette says. To avoid muscle pain and injury, we must stretch. Consistent stretching won’t keep us cognitively sharp, but it keeps our bodies healthy. And a healthy body can move.

Diet

We all know we should avoid sugar, salt, and fats. We should concentrate on eating ingredients from the earth – vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains. What we may not know – and I didn’t – is, after we eat our final meal or treat in the evening, we should not take one more bite until the next morning.

“Periodic fasting – even if only 8-10 hours – helps to control weight, regulate blood sugar, and promote cognitive health,” says Jeanette. Once she’s eaten dinner, no more food until the next day.

An early riser, Jeanette’s biggest meal is breakfast, with an “enormous bowl” of oatmeal, cream of wheat, and loads of berries and dried fruit. She’ll grab a cup of nuts or a protein shake for lunch. Dinner consists of a plant-based protein or chicken alongside a mound of vegetables.

The veggies provide antioxidants, vitamins, and fiber, which are good for the gut. “And studies show a relationship between a healthy gut and brain,” says Jeanette.

Jeanette is quick to point out she doesn’t “deprive herself. Of course, I enjoy the occasional piece of steak or ice cream cone or glass of beer,” she says. If we eat well most of the time, a splurge is not going to affect our health. “It’s moderation, not deprivation,” she says.

Sleep

Jeanette sleeps 7-9 hours each night.

“Our brains have no way to store glucose, oxygen, or nutrients,” Jeanette explains. They constantly turn things over, metabolizing sugar and using up proteins. Some of these byproducts “dump out” into brain spaces. At night, those byproducts are removed from the brain. “If they aren’t cleaned from the brain, we think they play a role in the buildup of plaque and gunk between neurons in the brain.”

Social Connections

All humans need companionship – others to share and socialize with. Friends keep us engaged, look after us, and stave off loneliness. We need those bonds.

Since Jeanette is a beloved teacher and speaker, I’m surprised when she describes herself as “socially shy.” Her main source of support is a close-knit group of people who know her inside and out. “We aren’t all geographically close, but we share a bond. And that bond is what matters,” she says.

Mental Challenges

Sitting and playing solitaire doesn’t cut it. A crossword puzzle only counts if we have a difficult time solving it. We have to work at the mental activity.

We could learn French or Spanish. Or, says Jeanette, “we might become more proficient at the language we already know by learning new vocabulary words.”

To sit and watch a movie, we aren’t challenging ourselves cognitively. But “if you summarize the plot, profile the characters, and lead group discussion after the show, that’s a challenge.”

The latest bestseller may be an entertaining pastime, but reading is not necessarily a mental challenge. Before she dove into Madeleine Albright’s Fascism: A Warning, Jeanette had a basic understanding of Fascism in some European countries. Albright’s book reinforced facts Jeanette, an avid World War II buff, knew. And taught her some new information also. “To challenge yourself, build on what you already know,” she says.

“I always tried to teach my students how much fun learning can be,” she says. She has traveled around the world, speaking to hundreds of audiences on effective teaching methods. For a long time, she’s considered writing a book targeted to educators – college professors, second-grade teachers, parents. “I talked about my ideas for a book until my friends grew tired of hearing me,” she laughs.

And then came the pandemic.

Nowadays, Jeanette is putting the finishing touches on her book. Her challenge is to organize her complex material and structure her chapters in an understandable fashion. “So readers will follow me and learn something,” she says.

So – some factors we might be able to control. When a neuroscientist gives me direction, I hope I follow her instructions! 

What kinds of exercise do you do? Do you try to limit the junk in your diet? What types of mental challenges interest you?