What 80 YEARS Looks and Thinks Like

Lee Anna Gibson

This article will feature a wonderful and beautiful lady that has single handedly raised children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other folks' children also. This outstanding lady promotes family, business-owners and education of her children and other people's children. This fearless lady has maintained two homes and has traveled as far as Cuba to ensure that her family was “ok”. This exceptional lady was interviewed and these are her words of 80 YEARS of wisdom.

Q. What were your greatest accomplishments:

A. According, to her the greatest accomplishments were raising her children and the children of other people and watching them grown up and become successful. Another accomplishment was being able to live with her husband A.B. Gibson Sr., until he died.

Q. What makes her HAPPY:

A. Life is nature and being apart of it makes her HAPPY

Q. Why you never re-married after being married to A.B. Gibson Sr.:

A. Because her family fulfilled her life and she never found another man that could relate to her understanding of her nature of life.

Q. What kind of MAN makes a good mate:

A. A man that (both) can laugh about same things and work out the bad things and make sad things joyful. And not always seemed depressed or stressed but understood that being together both parties could work out anything.

Q. What wishes did you have for yourself:

A. That she wanted to be a teacher and or a nurse (but raised a teacher, nurse, engineer, lab. tech.)

Q. What were the things you feel you missed out on (if any):

A. The experience of being HIGHLY educated (college educated). Traveling to other regions of the world.

Q. Some advice for WOMEN:

A. Stay prayed up, be steadfast and always have a GOAL

Always be a woman that as the qualities of a good mother and wife

Q. Some of the SECRETS of Life:

A. Love life and learn to appropriate the small things in life and know the value of LIFE. Most people don’t understand the worth of prayer but prayer is the sincere desire and need of something that needs change or to be done that could not be ordinary by themselves but they need that power of HOLY SPIRIT to take charge.

Q. How do you stay so YOUTHFUL:

A. To mix spiritual with nature things of life that brings success and prosperity. Learning to love even when you are not loved.

Q. Money Management Skills:

A. Learn that a part of all you earn is SOME of YOURS to keep and if it to be done it is up to you whatever the task may be. Remember that Pennies makes DOLLARS! Think about what you buy before you buy it learn the value of it (will it be useful or something that your eyes wanted). Money has a will of its own and if you don’t handle it will handle you---so therefore, you must always be in control of MONEY.

Q. How would you like people to think of you:

A. As a woman of determination, steadfast, always a friend to other WOMEN and men and an example of a GOD fearing woman. Also, an example of Christianity showing hope, trust, faith and love at all times.

Interviewed/Written: By Tonya Johnson

Never To Late to Manage Your Money

My mother wasn’t big on proverbs when I was growing up, but there was one lesson she was determined to pound into my head using one short phrase…and it stuck and has silently guided me through countless decisions with what to do with my limited funds. That one phrase continues to echo in my mind when I pull out my check book, prepare to swipe my credit card, or just lay down cold hard cash. What seven words could have such an enduring impact on my spending habits, you ask…? I can hear the voice of my mother as clearly now as I did the first time she imparted this pearl of wisdom to me…A fool and her money are soon parted…

I had no intention of being that fool, so through trial and a good bit of error I slowly figured out how to avoid being foolhardy and broke, and I’d like to begin by sharing these tips with you.

First things first: assess your current financial status by taking a close look at what you earn, actual take home pay, versus what you owe. Don’t omit any financial obligation--- rent, utilities, transportation, credit cards---everything must be listed. Don’t hide anything because you’ll only be hiding it from yourself and effectively sabotaging your road to financial health and freedom…Now dry your tears and let’s get down to the real work.

Get a free copy of your credit report at https://www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228. This website will allow request a free credit report from each of the three nationwide consumer credit reporting agencies, Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion, each year. Be smart about it and see your credit report once every four months by scheduling your requests one at a time instead of getting all three at once. To do this, simply request a report from Experian in January, Equifax in May, and TransUnion in September (you get the idea) each year to successfully track any discrepancies and monitor your credit.

Now that you have your credit report, review it carefully to ensure your personal information is accurate. Look for any fraudulent activities whereby someone may have obtained a credit card using your information. Your report will also reveal payment history and any adverse reporting from creditors. What’s so great about good credit, you ask? The better your credit is, the easier it is for you to obtain a loan with a decent interest rate. This is especially important when looking to purchase a home or a vehicle. Your credit rating could also affect the amount you pay for insurance premiums.

Verifying the accuracy of your credit report should lead you to the next important step: taking control of your credit cards. Start by listing each card with its balance and the interest rate you’re charged for each one. Pay off cards with really low balances instead of paying the minimum monthly amount. As you pay off the lower balances, apply that payment to your card with the highest interest rate. Always, always, always pay more than the minimum required payment in order to free yourself from giving credit card companies your hard earned resources through excessive interest rates.

If you’re finding it hard to make ends meet, take a close look at your spending habits. Now may be the time to forego some luxuries disguised as necessities. You may have to scale back on entertainment, dining out (even for lunch), hair and nail appointments, new clothes and shoes (you get the idea) until you get your spending under control. Eliminating credit card debt is the best way to build your savings, because instead of paying Sears, you can start paying yourself. In the next issue, we’ll talk about building a nest egg.


Written By Sylivia Dickerson

Keeping Women Healthy in Their 40’s

By Dr. S. Hardy

As we age, we begin to notice subtle changes in our appearance and physical/mental abilities. It seems that all of a sudden, one day, out of nowhere, we realize that we can’t stay up all night and function the next day. We can’t run a marathon during the day and go out on the town that same night. We can’t seem to remember things as well as previously. Though our bodies change physically and mentally, there are things that we can do to optimize our health and live life to the fullest, even beyond our 30’s.

It is very important for us to do basic things when it comes to health maintenance. I will discuss a variety of things that are necessary to help maintain vitality and strength as women age gracefully. There are some things we cannot change due to genetics, but the things we can change should be made a priority.

Mammograms: With breast cancer being prevalent in our society, it is imperative that women over 40 get yearly mammograms to detect any abnormalities in the breasts early on. If you have a family history of breast cancer, your mammograms would start even sooner. Before you turn 40, every female who has menstrual cycles should know how to perform a self breast exam at home. Oftentimes, you are the first person to detect a problem from a simple home breast exam. After all, you know your own body better than anyone else.

Pelvic exams: This is also a part of a woman’s annual physical (or checkup). The pap smear takes cells from your cervix to help detect abnormal (cancerous or precancerous) cells. Since cervical cancer can occur in women in their 20’s, it is very important that women have this test done regularly. In addition, please ask your doctor to include an HPV (human papilloma virus) test with your pap smear since this is the primary cause of cervical cancer, it is not automatically done in all offices. Early detection is the key to avoiding an untimely death from a cancer that is preventable.

Blood Pressure: With the prevalence of obesity in our society, it is very important to have your blood pressure checked regularly, especially if there is a strong family history of hypertension. It is possible to have a normal blood pressure for years and suddenly, it becomes elevated to a level which requires medication. A diet low in salt and daily exercise are important factors in maintaining a normal blood pressure and weight. A systolic pressure above 140 and a diastolic pressure above 90 defines hypertension.

Blood Cholesterol: As a contributing factor to hypertension, cholesterol levels are also an important part of your health maintenance exam. This test is presently done in children also due to the overwhelming levels of obesity in our society. It is important to know what your total cholesterol, LDL level (bad cholesterol), and HDL (good cholesterol) levels are. Again, a diet low in saturated fats and exercise are primary ways to avoid an unhealthy cholesterol level. Sometimes, medications are needed to reduce overall cholesterol levels when conservative measures are not effective.

Blood Sugar: A large number of persons living in the United States are afflicted with diabetes. It is, therefore, imperative to have a fasting blood sugar level done at your routine health check, especially if there is a strong family history of diabetes. Type 1 diabetes generally develops in childhood and occurs because the body does not produce enough insulin to keep blood sugars in a normal range. Type 2 diabetes is usually seen in adults who have obesity, hypertension, and elevated cholesterol. However, we are seeing an increase in type 2 diabetes in children as they are developing adult type medical problems due to childhood obesity. There is also something called “pre-diabetes” which means that you don’t have diabetes but you are at a high risk of developing it. The frequency at which your blood sugars are checked is determined by your doctor based on your individual risk factors.

Thyroid screens: If you suspect problems with your metabolism, then it is a good idea to have a thyroid screen done. An over or under active thyroid can cause multiple symptoms and can be a medical cause of your weight problems, mood changes, or bowel problems.

These above listed screens are important areas that must be addressed in women as they enter their 40’s and beyond. Although, there are additional tests/procedures needed based on individual health problems, these screens are necessary for most people as they strive to maintain a healthy and productive lifestyle. As you can see, diet and exercise are both important in preventing a multitude of health problems. Although, it is not always fun to exercise or eat healthy, it is a vital part of health maintenance and prevention. There are many health problems that we can’t avoid no matter what we do, but for the ones we can, let’s take an active approach in prevention and get moving to a healthy life!

Be blessed and live long!
Seneta Hardy, M.D.
Atlanta, Georgia