There are approximately 18 suicides everyday among veterans returning from the combat zone, but veterans and their families often miss the signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I Always Sit With My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat PTSD Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families, by Dr. Harry A. Croft and Rev. Dr. Chrys Parker This new book has come to my attention on this very important topic, written by an MD and a gifted trauma therapist who have both worked with thousands of Vietnam and Gulf War vets. The main problem with many sufferers is that…
Midlife
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Most Topular Stories
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Working with PTSD
Midlife Crisis Queen: It's never too late to find out who you might have been!26 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pm -
Avoiding Surgery in the Elderly
The New Old Age25 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pmIt's gradually becoming clearer that for the very old and frail, hospitals are places to avoid whenever possible, and surgery can become a source of danger in itself. -
The Norovirus and Divorce: two topics not related
MidLifeBloggers27 Jan 2012 | 1:34 pmMy apologies, then, for being totally MIA with the Wednesday Writers Workshop this week. I offer instead the post I wrote before I got sick for ShePosts.com about bloggers as celebrities. -
Weird Wednesday: Another Great Bigfoot Sighting — This One in Michigan
The Boomer Chronicles25 Jan 2012 | 8:39 amIn a place called Brooklyn, Michigan, a couple of folks spotted a Bigfoot. Suddenly, while driving west on M-50 near the Jackson County border, a large bipedal, reddish-brown/auburn (brother-in-law’s description) colored creature crossed the highway from passenger-to-driver side in front of us. The event happened so fast that for a few awkward seconds I was totally absorbed in stunned silence. -
Early Photographs by Kodak
vintage everyday27 Jan 2012 | 7:39 amIn 1888, George Eastman invented the Kodak camera, which consisted of a simple wooden box with no adjustments, which took photographs of circular 6.35 cm diameter without cropping the image circle for a square or rectangle like most other cameras. Read more »
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Midlife Crisis Queen: It's never too late to find out who you might have been!
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Working with PTSD
26 Jan 2012 | 1:35 pmThere are approximately 18 suicides everyday among veterans returning from the combat zone, but veterans and their families often miss the signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I Always Sit With My Back to the Wall: Managing Traumatic Stress and Combat PTSD Through the R-E-C-O-V-E-R Approach for Veterans and Families, by Dr. Harry A. Croft and Rev. Dr. Chrys Parker This new book has come to my attention on this very important topic, written by an MD and a gifted trauma therapist who have both worked with thousands of Vietnam and Gulf War vets. The main problem with many sufferers is that… -
Rebuilding the American dream
26 Jan 2012 | 8:58 amI just viewed a funny, superior and inspirational speaker on the future of America. Van Jones speaks for those of us who consider ourselves deep patriots, those who stand for Liberty and Justice for ALL, not just the rich, the poor or those in between. He represents a movement where we all find the courage inside to protect our government from global corporate control. A country where the presidency cannot be bought. Van is a representative of the “Rebuild the Dream Movement.” -
What makes you come alive?
25 Jan 2012 | 1:48 pm“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive, and then do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” – Dr. Howard Thurman The popular term “reinvention” suggests some mastery over transition, but does not come close to describing the types of changes some of us are going through these days. I chose the term “midlife crisis” because mine was so much a personal crisis of confidence, when I lost my job and then my career at age 49. The trick is taking your own crisis in… -
Welcome to the 243rd Blogging Boomers’ Carnival…
23 Jan 2012 | 8:21 amfrom Ann Harrison of Contemporary Retirement over in England! -
We all have our dark, but funny side…
22 Jan 2012 | 11:22 amAfter I posted Ex-Wives Against Newt this week, it was suggested that I should not express my political opinions here, that instead I should only write posts “filled with forgiveness, understanding, compassion and empathy for all concerned.” When I thought more about this opinion, it occurred to me that this may be a very common dilemma for many women. Am I allowed, or should I allow myself to show the upset and angry side of myself to you? Or should I always appear the understanding, compassionate type? Because believe me, we ALL have a dark side, and the more we deny…
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The New Old Age
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Avoiding Surgery in the Elderly
25 Jan 2012 | 2:29 pmIt's gradually becoming clearer that for the very old and frail, hospitals are places to avoid whenever possible, and surgery can become a source of danger in itself. -
The Alzheimer's Reading Room
23 Jan 2012 | 12:51 pmBob DeMarco blogs about the day-to-day experiences of caring for his mother with Alzheimer's in the Alzheimer's Reading Room. -
The Caregivers' Bookshelf: An Alzheimer's Classic
20 Jan 2012 | 1:27 pmResearchers update "The 36-Hour Day." -
Older Women and Bone Tests
18 Jan 2012 | 4:40 pmA new study finds that many older women do not need frequent bone testing. But surprisingly few get even a baseline test, experts say. -
Ask the Elder Law Attorney: Disclosures and Loans
18 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amAttorney Craig Reaves on financial disclosures to siblings and repayment of loans.
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MidLifeBloggers
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The Norovirus and Divorce: two topics not related
27 Jan 2012 | 1:34 pmMy apologies, then, for being totally MIA with the Wednesday Writers Workshop this week. I offer instead the post I wrote before I got sick for ShePosts.com about bloggers as celebrities. -
Mitt or Newt: Who Do the Democrats Want to Face in 2012?
24 Jan 2012 | 1:52 pmWhich nominee would give the Democrats the best opportunity to win in November? -
I Blog, Therefore I Am
20 Jan 2012 | 7:06 pmThe fact is that despite all the talk of metrics and stats, success in blogging is really totally subjective. -
Wednesday Writers Workshop: What Kind of a Blogger Are You?
18 Jan 2012 | 4:32 pmTo actually start blogging, however, I think you need to spend some time thinking about what kind of a blog you want to have. -
Four Rules to Follow for Social Media Success
16 Jan 2012 | 1:36 pmIsn't that what social media is about--being social?
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The Boomer Chronicles
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Weird Wednesday: Another Great Bigfoot Sighting — This One in Michigan
25 Jan 2012 | 8:39 amIn a place called Brooklyn, Michigan, a couple of folks spotted a Bigfoot. Suddenly, while driving west on M-50 near the Jackson County border, a large bipedal, reddish-brown/auburn (brother-in-law’s description) colored creature crossed the highway from passenger-to-driver side in front of us. The event happened so fast that for a few awkward seconds I was totally absorbed in stunned silence. -
Could a Self-Driving Car Be in Our Future?
24 Jan 2012 | 12:13 pmAs a kid growing up in New Jersey I went to the New York World’s Fair a bunch of times. The single exhibit that I remember best is this one: the General Motors self-driving car. I remember seeing a typical American family (whatever that is) playing checkers or something while the car drove itself down the highway. I’ve been waiting 45 years for this invention to come to light. And here they are: Google invented them! The New York Times has a story on it today: What happens if a police officer wants to pull one of these vehicles over? When it stops at a four-way intersection, would… -
BloggingBoomers Carnival #243
23 Jan 2012 | 7:54 amContemporary Retirement is hosting the carnival for baby boomers today! -
If My Dog Worked for Bain Capital…
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The Freakiest, No-Snow Winter Ever
18 Jan 2012 | 10:26 amLast year at this time, I cursed the day I decided to make my home in Boston because the snow and ice were so severe that I thought I wouldn’t make it through the winter. This year, it’s the opposite. Our fall was warm, our winter has been relatively warm, and, except for a freak Halloween storm, we have had virtually no snowfall. Yet, I’m still not content. Don’t get me wrong: I am thrilled to death that we don’t have to contend with snow. But the freaky occurrences around the world that signal global climate change are too blatant to ignore. The fierce…
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vintage everyday
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Early Photographs by Kodak
27 Jan 2012 | 7:39 amIn 1888, George Eastman invented the Kodak camera, which consisted of a simple wooden box with no adjustments, which took photographs of circular 6.35 cm diameter without cropping the image circle for a square or rectangle like most other cameras. Read more » -
Trampolining, 1960
27 Jan 2012 | 6:57 amRead more » -
1960's Polaroid Pictures of Signs in Washington
27 Jan 2012 | 2:39 amRead more » -
The Wild West in 19th Century Photographs
26 Jan 2012 | 11:19 amThe grainy photographs, taken in the late 19th century in and around the notorious gold mining town of Deadwood, provide a unique, sepia-toned glimpse of the Wild West. The images were published in American papers this week after being released by the U.S. Library of Congress. Many of the pictures, taken by the pioneering photographer John C.H. Grabill, show how the reality was rather different to the traditions instilled by decades of Hollywood Westerns. Between 1887 and 1892, Grabill sent 188 photographs — taken using an early technique that used albumen, or egg white, to bind together… -
Most Ancient Historical Photographs
26 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amFor times immemorial, people have tried to reproduce their surroundings into pictures of their own. They have used techniques of paintings, carving and sculpturing and for years images have been projected onto surfaces. Photography is the result of combining several technical discoveries. Long before the first photographs were made, Chinese and Greek philosophers described a pinole camera. But it was until Ibn – al – Haytham (965 – 1040) a Muslim scientist made significant contributions to the principles of optics and invented the camera obscura which is a prototype of today’s modern…
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Whose shoes are these anyway?
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Jan Brewer's Finger Wag: So Much Wrong, So Little Time
27 Jan 2012 | 12:03 amI don't have time to write much about Arizona Governor Jan Brewer wagging her finger in President Barack Obama's face immediately after Air Force One landed on the tarmac in Arizona recently and the POTUS disembarked, so I'll direct traffic to Field Negro's post on the topic, "The Negro Threat." Also, over at the Huffington Post, a reader commenting on the same topic and quoting Brewer made the -
Silk and Flour (A Video Meditation)
22 Jan 2012 | 2:19 pmWritten in 2005, the poem "Silk and Flour" was originally entitled "Silk and Flowers," but while creating the video, I changed the title to one I had considered nearly seven years ago. I don't remember what incident inspired the poem. It may have been nothing but a muse in my head, but I feel like I had seen something in the news that caused me to think about the dark side of ego that reveals -
President Obama Sings Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together'
20 Jan 2012 | 11:56 amAnd now we know that Michelle Obama had yet another reason to fall in love with President Barack Obama: The man can croon. In the video above he charms the crowd at a fundraiser in New York City on January 19, 2012, singing a line from Al Green's classic "Let's Stay Together." Al Green was in the audience, too, and so was Spike Lee and Mariah Carey. -
Misery Poem Addresses Rising Violence in Cities
19 Jan 2012 | 10:05 pmThis poem is cross-posted at the Urban Mother's Book of Prayers. I have been experimenting with a graphics software program. -
Another Poem for Martin Luther King Day, Simple with Rhyme
15 Jan 2012 | 11:27 amToday is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. He was born January 15, 1929, and tomorrow the nation celebrates. President Ronald Reagan signed the order for the holiday on November 2, 1983, and Coretta Scott King, according to Time.com, said then "This is not a black holiday; it is a people's holiday."I remember when whether or not to make his birthday a national holiday was bitterly debated in the
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Twenty Four at Heart
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What Now Brown Cow?
28 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amIt was so refreshing to be out in the “countryside” last weekend. I’m so accustomed to the beach, the mountains, the canyons …. California Cows Are Happy Cows – or, at least, that’s what our dairy farmer ads say! I’ve always had a “thing” for cows. They have long (!!) pretty eyelashes. It was so nice to see so many cows (and their babies!) while we were driving from vineyard to vineyard. -
Follow-Up Friday
27 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amWow, I’ve really overbooked myself lately. I should know better, but apparently I don’t. (I think I’m having time management problems with physical therapy back in my life three days each week.) Also, as much fun as I’ve had - Being out of town for three days (four if you include yesterday), really put me behind in so many ways. Rusack Vineyards – taken from inside the tasting room. Friday seems like a great day for some random follow-up, so here goes: • Thank you for all the visits/purchases from my new photo site. You’re awesome. I do, randomly,… -
The Bacara Resort: A Room With a View
26 Jan 2012 | 2:01 am*I’m up in L.A. today meeting with a famous screenwriter, my friend Neil.* I promised a few photos of my hotel room from my recent trip to Bacara Resort, north of Santa Barbara. These aren’t great photos from a photography stand point – just quick snapshots I took prior to running out to the beach. By the way, the beach by Bacara is not a great one. The resort itself is very nice – the beach is meh. (I’m just mentioning that in case any of you are planning a visit in the future. The Bacara is a great place to get away, to be pampered, to enjoy the pools… -
Glimpses of a Fun, Fun, Weekend
25 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amI wanted to share a few glimpses of my fun weekend up the California coast. I haven’t had time to go through all the photos yet, but … Ventura Highway – where the nights are stronger than moonshine. Pardon my singing. I’ve been humming Ventura Highway since last Friday when I took the above photo out my front windshield. (It’s okay – Briefcase was driving and he’s used to my camera shutter clicking while he drives.) Picnic table at El Capitan State Park. The weather was so beautiful when we first arrived in Santa Barbara on Friday. A storm rolled… -
An Endless Journey
24 Jan 2012 | 2:01 am* I wanted to take a moment and thank all of you who have placed orders for Moxxor. It’s a product I really believe in. I hope you feel its benefits too! * I’m kind of (very much!) a mess today. As it turns out, if some random physical therapist gets certain parts of your body to start moving - And those parts of your body haven’t moved in nearly six years - It will be a (very!) good thing - Even though, initially, it hurts like hell. Was that the longest sentence ever?? I’m definitely making progress with The Neanderthal, But – damn! Breathing hurts right…
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Missouri
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Hog Hunting In Missouri
25 Jan 2012 | 2:52 amYou should pack spring clothing to take with you that there are plenty of low cost activities for the hog hunting in missouri was so successful that it won the hog hunting in missouri to know where the hog hunting in missouri in fact have found the hog hunting in missouri and because of this; the hog hunting in missouri and other outdoor adventures and recreations like rafting, camping, swimming, floating, tubing and canoeing. With its splendid natural landscape and culture. However, the hog hunting in missouri and comfortable you could spend most of the hog hunting in missouri a national… -
Private Club Columbia Missouri
20 Jan 2012 | 6:00 amAntler Ridge and Whispering Oaks Ranch is situated in the private club columbia missouri are relocating to Missouri. With low crime rates even in larger communities and with award winning schools, Missouri is great way to bag them. Even the most captivating landscapes in the private club columbia missouri. From research programs at institutions of higher education in the private club columbia missouri is important that you can expect the private club columbia missouri during winter. Because of this, speckle belly geese and snow geese to refuel after the private club columbia missouri of… -
St Louis Missouri Attraction
15 Jan 2012 | 7:54 amIndian Creek is bordered by the st louis missouri attraction that feature a little over 1,000 slot machines, a host of services guaranteeing the st louis missouri attraction a member to an otherwise quiet region. There are enormous quantities of limestone. There is also home to many reasons, though the st louis missouri attraction are based on simple geography. The water levels of play. Oak Hills Golf Center, Railwood Golf Course, Turkey Creek Golf Center and Redfield Golf Course are favorite places for visitors and residents alike. The City of Jefferson has numerous parks including Binder… -
County Missouri Pulaski
11 Jan 2012 | 1:25 amThe penalties available in different communities in this area that a significant number of rice fields. Because of its climatic condition, Missouri serves as a financial supporter to Missouri. With low crime rates even in larger communities and with award winning schools, Missouri is just not famous for a period of time.MU is located outside of the county missouri pulaski than that, features acres of farmland and stays serene in landscape and abundant rice fields, waterfowl are being depleted along the county missouri pulaski in Arkansas has been well-known to be eligible for Medicaid… -
Springfield Missouri Cardinals
6 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amCamping in Missouri because under Section 347.035, it is full of the springfield missouri cardinals, the springfield missouri cardinals, Assemblies of God and the springfield missouri cardinals. These real estate property dealers can not only find some best locations needed for building a residence but also take care of the springfield missouri cardinals with the springfield missouri cardinals to experience the springfield missouri cardinals of the springfield missouri cardinals but in the springfield missouri cardinals of Missouri. It is surrounded by 7 neighboring states of Iowa, Illinois,…
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Anali's First Amendment
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Oh Sugar!
21 Jan 2012 | 5:31 pmFlickr Photo: Sugar Sticks by Trilli BagusSUGAR. What a loaded word. It's always fascinated me when people use it instead of sh*t as a swear.It's also a term of endearment. Two songs from my childhood immediately come to mind when I think of the word: Sugar, Sugar by The Archies and Sugar Pie Honey Bunch, by The Four Tops.Of course sugar is a main ingredient used in baking. It's a staple in my house. But it's also something I fear. Sugar is a slang term meaning diabetes. Diabetes runs in my family. I do NOT want to get it. After reading the news about Paula Deen recently, I couldn't help but… -
Afternoon Tea At The Boston Public Library
17 Jan 2012 | 9:20 amLast Friday, I took some time to do something special for the new year with two other Boston area ladies who love food and trying new places just as much as I do. Audrey of Boston Foodie Tours, who I first met on the Bertolli Tour and Robin of Doves and Figs, who I just met for the first time.So what did we do? We had afternoon tea at The Courtyard Restaurant in the Boston Public Library. It was great and I highly recommend it to everyone!The premises are just lovely. As one might expect at the BPL, which is known for its stunning architecture.We had a selection of loose teas, sandwiches,… -
Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in pictures and quotes
16 Jan 2012 | 10:12 am(via Try Anything Once)Thank you Dr. King.Anali's First Amendment © 2006-2012. All rights reserved.This Post’s LinkSubscribe to blog posts. Follow me on Twitter.Join me on Facebook. -
Speak Out Now About Private Student Loan Debt
11 Jan 2012 | 7:54 pmThe Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finally has a Director, Richard Cordray.He's getting right to work and has an open comment period where we, members of the public, can submit our personal stories and experiences regarding private student loans. If you have private student loans, please take a look at the bureau website and Request for Information.I've written a little bit about student loans on this blog and have personal experience with private student loans. The comment period is open until next Tuesday, January 17, 2012. I plan to submit something and hopefully this post will help… -
Breakfast Cookies + My Quinoa Complex
9 Jan 2012 | 8:37 amQuinoa is all the rage. It seems that each day there is a new recipe using it. Everyone is all oooh and aaah. Yes, it's the best thing since chocolate. Everyone loves it. Well, almost everyone. I tried it before and honestly, I thought it was horrible. I'm very picky about texture and quinoa tasted and especially felt all kinds of wrong in my mouth. But as someone into food, I'm bombarded with constant new recipes and all the praise and love for this pseudocereal, which is part of the beet family. No wonder I can't find any love for quinoa. I don't like beets either! Aaargh!!What 's horrible…
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Average Jane™
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Average Jane Volunteers
24 Jan 2012 | 8:57 amI wrote a post at BlogPaws about some of my volunteer work. You can find it here: Volunteering With An Animal Rescue Organization -
Average Jane Protests SOPA and PIPA
18 Jan 2012 | 7:18 amFor more information, visit SOPAStrike.com. Here's the most detailed post I've seen explaining why this legislation is so bad. -
Average Jane's Sick Person Traveling Kit
9 Jan 2012 | 7:30 amTissues, cough medicine, cough drops and bottled water. Not pictured: inhaler. I am SO ready to be over this case of bronchitis. Here's hoping the antibiotics kick in soon. It would be really nice to sleep through the night without waking up every two hours to take yet another cough remedy. I'm running out of options. -
Average Jane Does A Meme
5 Jan 2012 | 9:56 amI'd write about something new except that I'm a week into a bad cold and I don't have the energy. So instead, I'll spend a little more time revisiting 2011 with this meme I picked up at 3 o'Clock A.M. It's the last line of the last post of each month from the previous year. Ready? January - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll have some wonderful things to talk about. February - Here's hoping that spring is a little easier to bear. March - I know it'll take some work, but I think it'll be well worth it! April… -
Average Jane's Friend-Filled 2011
31 Dec 2011 | 1:26 pmWhen I saw Mocha Momma's photo retrospective yesterday, I immediately knew I wanted to do something similar. Then I started looking through my 1,333 photos from the past twelve months and I could see I had a daunting task on my hands. I obviously needed an angle, so I decided that I would stick mainly to posting photos of friends and family from last year. I immediately realized that in many cases I had done a rather poor job of photographing people while I was out and about (one of my birthday parties is represented solely by two photographs of cupcakes), but that will be a resolution…
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Cindy La Ferle's Home Office
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Facebook party pooper
24 Jan 2012 | 9:26 amI’m a Facebook friend of Bob Dylan, which probably means I have a deeply meaningful relationship with his publicist.” — Daniel A. Farber* NOTE: This essay was picked up for syndication by BlogHer and will be cross-posted on Monday, Jan. 30. Before it became an attractive nuisance, Facebook was fun — really, really fun. At [...] -
Updating my address book
19 Jan 2012 | 9:29 amWe have too little time to waste it in relationships that are not equal and mutually rewarding. Exchanging energy nourishes our souls.” — Sue Patton Theole in The Woman’s Book of Spirit In addition to getting my mother adjusted to assisted living — still a challenge — I’m devoting the month of January to organizing [...] -
Ancestor art
12 Jan 2012 | 10:33 amI found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way — things I had no words for.” ~Georgia O’Keeffe One of the many things I appreciate about my artist-architect husband is that he’s always encouraging me to push my own artwork to the next level. Given that our [...] -
Moving Mom
6 Jan 2012 | 9:22 amLove recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” — Maya Angelou Yesterday, while labeling my mother’s clothing and underwear, I had a surreal moment in which I felt as if I were moving another kid to college. In reality, we’re getting ready to transfer [...] -
The book of 2012
1 Jan 2012 | 8:26 amWe will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day. ~Edith Lovejoy Pierce I’m always cheered by the thought of a new year and another chance to start over. Blank pages used to scare [...]
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Diary of a Midlife Crisis
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Shut up!
25 Jan 2012 | 3:15 amHad a lovely night/day with the Filmmaker last night/today. (SIDE NOTE: I’m really enjoying how many of my blogs are starting with that statement.) Oh, and by the way:Dear Filmmaker,If you’re reading this blog, please don’t freak out. This blog is the unadulterated, unfiltered things going on in my head. I hope you understand that and just take it at face value. I’m happy to discuss any of this with you, should you get past this point. You’re awesome. Luv.Okay, back to the blog. Which, by the way, I had written and decided it was too long and too complicated and too much rehashing… -
"Mastermind" redux
14 Jan 2012 | 7:51 pmSo, in 2010, I made a short film called "Mastermind" that premiered at Comic-Con that summer.I have now taken the 40 minute film and have launched it as a web series. It is one of my favorite directing gigs ever. Check it out. Spread the word. Graphic novel to follow soon...http://youtu.be/0qW03e9W96kThanks! -
Finding normal
12 Jan 2012 | 3:21 pmIs this what normal feels like? After a highly dysfunctional lifetime with my family and two difficult marriages, I suddenly find myself in normal… I don’t know what to do with that.I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the Filmmaker to turn into some raging, crazy, angry person, for my life to just blow up in my face, because that’s what I’ve been taught.I haven’t been taught to accept normal.And normal feels pretty damn good right now.Normal in that I have two jobs that I enjoy, particularly teaching fine art to children at Mission Renaissance. Love this job. Love it,… -
Oh, that's what I wanted...
8 Jan 2012 | 2:48 amOkay, let’s try this again…Started this entry earlier in the evening but it went wildly awry so let’s see if I can wrangle it in.I realize why this whole thing with the Filmmaker is making me just slightly insane.It makes me miss being in a Relationship. That’s Relationship with a capital R.We’re currently in a relationship with a lower case r. Or maybe somewhere in between - a superscript R maybe?What’s the difference?A relationship with a capital R implies commitment, it implies consistency, it implies the idea that that person will always be there for you. They’re the one you… -
Resolutions
5 Jan 2012 | 1:04 amJane at Midlifebloggers.com had a challenge today for those of us who blog. The challenge was to deconstruct at least one of our resolutions for this year. So here we go…Last year, my resolution was to work on having a peaceful heart. That meant not letting the crazy get to me, to try to rebuild my shattered, busted-ass broken heart and try to make it healthy enough, after years of abuse, to maybe be able to let someone else in.And I achieved that. I worked very hard in 2011 to keep focused on my peaceful heart and it’s brought me a very special someone who, through just being his…
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DuchessOmnium - Island to island
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Austerity
20 Jan 2012 | 7:13 amSaturday Long delayed winter has finally come, and the fire is the one chore I cannot neglect. Every few days I heave a 25 kg bag of coal from the roof, carry it the 62 ft length of the boat and drag it onto the covered section of the bow. From there I shovel up several scuttlefuls of coal a day, and, kneeling in front of the stove, pull the riddling arm, fast in and out, in and out. When the grate is clear I swap new black nuggets for the dusty, grey ash. It is my third winter on the boat and the bags feel heavier than they used to. I’m older than most of the people I know living on… -
That powerless feeling
16 Jan 2012 | 5:53 pmI arrived back on Pangolin on New Year’s Eve. I had only intended to be away for two or three days, but in the end I was gone a full week. Whenever I started to say it was time for me to go home, someone asked what was for dinner, and all eyes turned to me. It was alarmingly easy to slide back into jobs I thought I had long ago shed, and once again I found myself in charge of the total nutrition for three overgrown children and an ex husband, along with his mother and uncle, who at the last minute made the almost unheard of announcement that they were joining us for the holidays. The… -
My new urban life
21 Nov 2011 | 4:17 pmWay back last summer I started to blog about how I had a new mooring. “These days,” I wrote, “when the British Waterways inspector strides down the towpath in formal dark trousers and white short-sleeved shirt with navy epaulettes (which I guess someone in HR thought made their employees look proper nautical), I neither duck out of sight nor race out to offer him coffee and biscuits, my former alternating strategies for dealing with Pangolin’s semi-legal mooring status. Now I don’t care when I see him tapping my license number into his hand-held electronic thingy. He can… -
Warning: contains scenes of nudity
3 May 2011 | 3:08 pmI have been away — that is, I have been away from England, from my boaty home, and from my own four foot wide, lumpy, boaty bed. I left in late March, when the crocuses had already almost gone by, the daffodils were in glorious bloom, and even the odd tulip had risked opening to the young sun. I flew across the Atlantic and a few months backwards into a late winter that still lingered when it was almost May and time to think about heading home again. In five weeks I slept in seven beds. In Washington DC I was promoted to the guest bedroom. My father, 86 and frail, insisted on… -
Mooning
21 Mar 2011 | 4:52 pmMy third child, who invariably begins all our phone conversations with the words, Mother! It’s your favourite son! called a couple of weeks ago to congratulate me on my new mooring (of which more later) and to prepare me for his appearance as the Chevalier Danceny in the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses. My son is finishing his final year in drama school, a time when all young aspiring actors hope to find an agent. To that end the school puts on a series of public performances to give its actors exposure. Just a Parental Advisory Warning about the…
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Good & Plenty - Candelaria Silva's Blog
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This may be the last time
21 Jan 2012 | 9:14 pmWhat would you do if you knew this was the last time that everything would be what it was.? Would you choose your clothes differently? Would you change your location? Would you weigh your words carefully? Would you savor each moment and imprint it in your memory because one day this memory would be all that you had? What if the last time you visited your family was the final time in fact you would ever see them again? Would you have done different things knowing it was the last visit? Would you have paid attention more closely to what each one said? … -
Things to Pray for…or not
16 Jan 2012 | 10:00 pmDenver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has been in the news a lot recently because he prays before games. This got me to thinking seriously about something that I’ve been mulling for a while now – what should one pray for? What do I pray for? Why does it bother me when I see what to me are frivolous (or offensive) prayers? Here goes a few of the things I’ve mulled about prayer. Mull # 1 – Faith and the slow cookerThe most recent occasion for me to mull about prayer was when a friend was telling me about finding a slow cooker at Morgie’s* for $14.99. She had… -
An unexpected change in the neighborhood
9 Jan 2012 | 7:03 amAshmont Market and Liquor Store, a short five-minute (if that) walk from my house, is being sold. I first learned of this from my husband, who saw one of the Georgeoulopoulos brothers showing the ropes to a non-family guy – [presumably the new owner). Whine. I like it just the way it is. After returning from my Christmas vacation, I ran up there for something (they have a little bit of everything and always have what you’ve run out of to cook some new concoction) and asked one of the brothers if the rumors was true. He said, “Yes.” (man of few… -
This could be the year
1 Jan 2012 | 9:22 pmThis could be the yearThis could be the year, you know. Right now, you can believe and/or decide that this is the year that: You find the love of your life (or renew the one you have). You get the job you want (or a job that will do). You sign that book/music/movie contract. You snare that scholarship. You forgive the person you need to forgive. You forget the things that aren’t important. You start that exercise program that you know you should. You welcome that new baby who represents new hope for the world. You lay down you weapons. -
Jingle all the way
17 Dec 2011 | 6:01 pmYeah, I’m corny. I admit it. Especially this time of year. I am jingling all the way this holiday season. I adore the Christmas lights and holiday carols. I called them holiday carols because in addition to Christmas carols, I love and sing Seven Principles, the Kwanzaa song (lyrics & music by Bernice Reagon, recorded by Sweet Honey in the Rock*) as well as winter carols like Frosty the Snowman (lyrics & music by Steve Nelson & Jack Rollins) and Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (lyrics by Sammy Cahn, music by Jule Styne). I…
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Granny Sue's News and Reviews
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A Trip to the Doctor=A Trip to Thrift Shops
27 Jan 2012 | 12:37 pmWe have to make our trips count. If we have to go to town, we try to accomplish several things, not just one. It's a habit for country people; if we need gas for the tractor we're going to wait until we need milk or something else. Then we'll add in a stop at the library and whatever else we can to make the most of the money we're spending on gas. I bet most of you do the same thing. Yesterday was Larry's regular appointment with the VA doctor in Charleston. I'd stopped at the ReStore, Habitat for Humanity's resale place, on Tuesday evening and found a little gas heater for the greenhouse… -
A Bread and Beans Kind of Day, and Some Nice People
25 Jan 2012 | 8:46 pmWe had so many things to do today it was hard to decide which one to do first! Larry is working on his little log poutin' house (pics later this week), but he also felt he needed to finish the couch stripping project. I wanted to write more on my novel, work on grants, and cook. And I needed to work on eBay too. What got done? The cabin came first for Larry because the weather is good and he wanted to take advantage of that. I managed about 1000 words on my novel and wrote out the outline for the rest of it. Now I know what is going to happen and why and how it will be resolved. I did a… -
Quick Fix: Homemade Mayonnaise
24 Jan 2012 | 3:31 amIt's one of those days when you seem to be out of everything you need. Like mayo. Chances are, though, that you have everything you need to make it right in your cabinet. When I was a new housewife, lo those many years ago (about 40 or so, to be more precise) I found the recipe for mayonnaise on the side of a can of dry mustard. I tried it and it was so easy that I made my own for several years. We moved, time passed and I just forgot all about it. Then recently I was looking for a recipe and there was my mayonnaise recipe, stained and wrinkled. I pulled it out, and gave it a try. The process…
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Jan's Sushi Bar
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Tired Musings
27 Jan 2012 | 6:36 amI have had trouble sleeping every day this week. It’s not so much that I can’t sleep at all – I have no trouble falling asleep, but if I wake up in the middle of the night for whatever reason (last night it was a killer hot flash), I find it very difficult to go back to sleep. So I’ve been up since 3 a.m., which has pretty much been the norm since Sunday night. Menopause is a wonderful thing. Not. We’re getting all ready to go watch our side of beef be cut this afternoon (hopefully I won’t be too terribly brain-dead from lack of sleep), and tomorrow… -
Lamb Chops with Shallot Sauce
26 Jan 2012 | 8:22 amThis week’s Spin Cycle is “dream jobs.” For me, it totally depends on the time of day and the circumstances. This morning, I wished I could have been an anchor on Good Morning, America so I could tell the world I don’t really CARE why Demi Moore is in the hospital and talk about something that actually matters. Yesterday, I wanted to be a member of the Texas highway patrol so I could at least hand a citation to the moron who continued to drive while filming his wife give birth in the passenger seat of their car. (Am I the only one who thinks that would have been… -
Blackened Tuna with Mango Salsa
25 Jan 2012 | 8:44 amWe’ve been on a “chops” kick lately: lamb chops, pork chops, goat chops, and all with basically the same cooking method and ingredients (yes, they are THAT good). At this point I don’t know which recipe to post – I’m more than willing to take suggestions for what you’d like to see – so I decided that it was time to begin rifling my older, SAD recipes and see which could best be tweaked to fit our present diet. This one? Perfect. Based on two beautiful restaurant recipes and originally posted 2 1/2 years ago, the only thing that kept this… -
Random Tuesday Beef Geekery and Such
24 Jan 2012 | 7:41 amI like Tuesday, because it’s…no longer Monday. At any rate, it’s been awhile since since I’ve participated, so let’s link up to Stacy and get some random on! See G Man. See G Man move. See G Man move to Podunk. MOVE, G MAN, MOVE!! See Poppa and Meema be very happy grandparents. Any questions? This? THIS is GREAT. The guy has great taste in marital ringwear, too. And speaking of engagement rings, look what’s adorning Darling Daughter’s left hand these days: Yes, that would be a honkin’ big opal and diamond engagement ring. Apparently, Mr. -
Grain-Free Blueberry Muffins
23 Jan 2012 | 7:43 amOh, look – it’s that time again! Let’s have some fun – use the Mr. Linky widget at the bottom and link up your real food recipes! I’ve been sitting on this recipe for sometime, but over the course of the last week or two I haven’t really cooked anything that can be made ahead (although, ironically, I am today (for reasons I’ll go into later)). So I decided to pull this out of my cookbook files and post it. Because? These are really, really, REALLY good; very moist, with a tender crumb. They also keep very well, covered, in the refrigerator and…
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Nanny Goats in Panties
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Sticky Readers Now Available in More Formats and More Countries
27 Jan 2012 | 1:09 pmHi Kids! Just a quick update to let you know that my book, Sticky Readers, is now available on the Nook and iBook and Kobo and God knows what else in ebook formats (in addition to the already available Kindle). Also? I Am an Auteur! That’s right – Sticky Readers has spread across the globe. In France, I am an auteur: And in Japan I’m a ペーパーバック. You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to be a ペーパーバック. For a complete list of formats and where to buy Sticky Readers, go to the Where to Buy page on the Sticky Readers website. … -
Hooves on the Ground: Sacramento’s First Baconfest
22 Jan 2012 | 4:07 pmDid that guy ever find out who the man was that put the Bop in the Bop-she-bop-she-bop? And if so, did he shake his hand? And if so, was it a firm handshake, or was it one of those flacid limp fish handshakes? Anyway, yesterday’s storm break (the one that followed nearly five inches of rain in certain parts of the foothills) provided a bright and sunny day for this weekend’s Inaugural Sacramento Baconfest of 2012. Outside the Magpie Cafe on R Street. And a bike rack. Ever since I first got word about the porky event, I shouted and touted and proclaimed I was going to the late… -
Goat Thing: More Baby Goats – Yay!
21 Jan 2012 | 1:37 pmMy husband’s colleague’s wife’s friend’s goat had babies recently and this picture managed to find its way to me by getting forwarded through all those people. And that’s how networking works. Eleven more people in that chain, and this goat picture would have been technically “viral”. Born Jan 10, these babies are one day old in this picture. -
When Parking Backwards is the Law in Sacramento
16 Jan 2012 | 1:41 pmDo you have this crazy notion in your town? The one where the sign tells you that you have to park BACKWARDS???? Yeah, that’s right. You must park backwards. Er, excuse me… “back-in only angled parking”. Who ever heard of such a thing? Nevertheless, I followed the stupid sign. Although, you could totally miss it. Do you see the sign in this picture? Nobody’s going to see the sign and even though the parking spots are angled for you to back in instead of swinging around to pull in forward, and even though a few people get it, many people don’t. … -
Why I Never Change My Refrigerator’s Water Filter
9 Jan 2012 | 2:35 pmI’ve been living with this refrigerator for five or six years now and apparently, you’re supposed to change the water filter every six months–who knew? They must have smelled it from Whirlpool Headquarters because they sent me a new filter, practically forcing it on me, begging me to do my fridgerly duty and replace the filter. Now, before you start gagging at the thought of my not replacing the filter for six years, you might want to think about the guy who lived here before us who may also have not changed the filter another six years before that? Ha! That’ll teach…
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Not What it Seems
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Hot
19 Jan 2012 | 5:01 amI am hot. Really freaken hot. Except when I am freezing cold. My internal thermostat is broken. Yesterday, the furnace at work stopped. Pressing the reset button for 15 seconds as the directions say to didn't work. I eventually called the service guy who held the red button for 45 seconds, as is apparently the correct amount of time. So why does it say 15?And by the by, where is my reset button? And how long do I hold it? Can I hold it or do I need a technician?All day long I usually have my coat on or a yoga blanket wrapped around me and a space heater blasting me in… -
For the Record
17 Jan 2012 | 12:09 pmI am getting very tired of people asking me intimate questions, or commenting repeatedly about my weight loss. It happens all day, every day. Yes, I've lost a lot of weight. No, I don't know why I am losing weight. Yet. No, I do not have anorexia, cancer, a drug problem, AIDS, whatever you are thinking I have...... Would any of these people, most of whom I am sure are well-meaning, talk about this to me if the opposite were true? If I was packing on the pounds instead of shedding them? I doubt it.Not to my face anyway.Do they really want to know that I am having my… -
The Change(s)
7 Jan 2012 | 7:21 amChanges are fast approaching- some I've known were coming;others that have taken me by surprise, and some were only hinted at by a vague sense of discomfort, as though wearing shoes that didn't quite fit. The big change is exactly that- I am thoroughly in the throes of perimenapause- albeit somewhat differently than I expected. In addition to the more typical symptoms, I have lost 50 lbs without trying; my appetite is gone. Even when I force myself to gag something down, I continue to lose weight. (Here you can add whatever rant you choose about unhelpful doctors) Minor… -
The little things
22 Nov 2011 | 5:47 pmAs Dorothy Parker said, " It's not the tragedies that kill us, it's the messes." The past week has been living proof of that. Nearly EVERYTHING I own or need at work has broken. The largest of the messes has been my car which needed more than the tires I had put off buying, but two new axles as well, leaving me trapped on the island- too dangerous to even drive over the causeway. But here is one good thing; one of the routine events that take place here and give me pause when I make plans to leave for a walkable city with bagels and coffee shops and museums and… -
Missing
21 Nov 2011 | 6:19 pm"Where you used to be, there is a hole in the world, which I find myself constantly walking around in the daytime, and falling into at night. I miss you like hell." - Edna St. Vincent MillayI never was a person who missed anyone. Oh, I thought about people far from me and reminisced about things we had done together but I always found the memories sustained me. My mother used to say my birth father was like that; it was obviously a bad trait. For most of my life I had it; genetic or a defense against pain, it worked for me.I rarely felt alone and could go days without…
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Privilege
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The Great Cashmere Bakeoff Of 2012
25 Jan 2012 | 9:04 amLately I’ve been buying, or attempting to buy, a fair number of cashmere sweaters. As I have said, my primary winter uniform at this new job is a cashmere v-neck with button-front shirt underneath. In the old days, i.e. my 40s, I wore cardigans over tees. Something, I can’t quite figure out what, happened to my midsection, rendering my former strategy a good deal less flattering. My shoulders, however, remained broad and overly dominant in crewnecks. Nobody wants to look like an unrelenting rectangle, cashmere or otherwise. On to the glorious v-neck. And on to a sampling from… -
How To Shop Outside Your Comfort Zone
23 Jan 2012 | 8:00 amSales are the perfect time to experiment with clothing outside your comfort zone. Try new colors, shapes, suppliers. (Suppliers? What do we call the places we buy? Vendors? Dang, I really have gone back to the corporate world.) For example, what do you think of this little red peplumed Moschino number from Yoox? Techno-fabric, zippers, motorcycle cuffs. $232.00 down to $79. Over a ladylike pencil skirt, maybe in apricot? With gray yoga pants, on a weekend? One never knows until one tries. At $79, trying is feasible. Or give Brooks Brothers a go. The talented designer on their bag team is a… -
Coda
21 Jan 2012 | 7:57 pmI need to add to my earlier post. Let me hasten to add, it’s nothing specific you all have said, just a set of feeling and thoughts I’ve had since I wrote this morning. Probably unthinkable and unfeelable until I got that first part out of the way. I am not saying that a marriage without children has no meaning. I am not saying there there is no virtue in trying, and hanging in there, and persevering. I am certainly not saying that Kim Kardashian has it right. I am not saying that if you’ve promised to care for someone and you break your promise it’s a good thing. I am… -
Rocket Engines In Glass Housing, Or, Saturday Morning at 9:31am
21 Jan 2012 | 12:24 pmToday I read that Heidi Klum and Seal may be getting a divorce. Not confirmed, but the story’s out there. The other day Dooce, perhaps the most well-known female blogger of all, wrote that she has separated from her husband. On the one hand, why pay attention? Divorce is common. Just because these are famous people? No. No. Because divorce is heady and raw and difficult, and remains one of our most uncivilized processes. You know that we haven’t solved marriage, don’t you? Especially modern marriage. People have been tying the knot for centuries, but only pattern we know now… -
What A Difference A ‘Do Makes
19 Jan 2012 | 9:08 amThis is my new friend. It’s a hair fork. But you knew that. It lets me do this. In case you are thinking, “Oh that looks complicated,” here’s what, it’s not. Behold the instructions. I pull my hair back with one hand, as though for a high ponytail. Then I hold the ponytail and twist. Just before the twist starts to kink, I wrap it around the place where a rubber band would be. If, of course, this were a ponytail, which it isn’t. Then I take the fork in my free hand, turn it upside down with the curve of the prongs facing away from me, dig it into the…
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Out On The Stoop
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Go On and Catch Some Tail for Yoda's Daddy
15 Jan 2012 | 5:22 pmThe man put up 93 million dollars of his own money to make an all black action movie? Or an action movie with a black cast? You can say this has my attention. In a few days, the movie Red Tails will open at the box office. A gentleman by the name of Mr. George Lucas has produced a movie that is inspired by the Tuskegee Airmen of World War 2.As a rule, I do not like war movies, shoot em up bangs bangs or glorified murder. I do like a good story. I am 110% down with encoding our history into the collective but often forgetful memory of this nation.This is a trailer of the movie: Mr. Lucus… -
Broke Folks Eye Candy or Hold On A Little Longer
6 Jan 2012 | 10:27 pmIt is like having poison ivy on the back of you knee. I know that I have wailed about buying cheap stuff (Don't do it!) but there are exceptions.Very limited exceptions. Before I prattle on check out this video from tech site, TheVerge.com, about another Android tablet from China. When I was a teen I wanted with all of my heart a Nikon camera. I felt that I should have one because it was top of the line and my photos would be sooo much better if I had one. It would have meant that I was not as poor or broke as my reality dictated at the time.I had to find a way to be connected to a community… -
Re-invention and Change - The White Hut
1 Jan 2012 | 4:50 pmI needed down time. I have gotten up at 4 a.m. to write or cobble together items of interest for my blogs and others. I want to create and do things but I was force to realize that I need x amount of sleep and nutrition.When one or both get out of balance I am not a happy camper.There is other stuff happening that I can't discuss but that life balance thing is kicking me into submission. I got to find writing time that does not involve the pre-dawn hours. This is a project I've been wanting to finish for chunk of time. I want to mix essays with video. This will not look that different… -
When A Gavel Strikes At Free Speech in Pensacola
25 Dec 2011 | 12:01 pmThe 1st amendment is not something to mess around with. If we lose it by excess chipping away from city, state or federal governments we are lost.Americans have the right to stand up to our government and speak out. Lately our various elected officials seem to grow tired of citizens speech. This is the most recent example. It won't be the last.For the record, he was allowed to come back into the chamber and make his full point.There seems to be some question if he is a priest. I'm not sure I understand but at some point he was a Catholic priest. He then transition to the Orthodox church in… -
There Is Still Much to Say
18 Dec 2011 | 2:58 pmThere was a time when 999 was the highest amount of posts you could upload on Blogger. I wasn't too worried about it because I didn't think I'd reach 999 posts. I don't think about things like that because they intimidate me.Here I am. Number 1,000 according to my post log. Dang! I feel good about it.I wrote long before there was blogging. Use to do an e-mail news letter. Had a old school user page that required HTML. I never warmed up to Dreamweaver but I gave it a go because I had much to say and thought my voice was as valid as some of the others on the World Wide Web.In 2004 I came to…
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SEASONALITY: A Common Sense Approach To Living The Good Life
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MUSHROOM HARVEST TIME!
27 Jan 2012 | 7:29 amA few days ago I finally harvested my first batch of oyster mushrooms from the kit I received for Christmas. The instructions implied that you should just harvest the whole lot of them as soon as the largest ones were an inch to an inch and a half across, before they start to curl up. However, when I realized there were lots of tiny ones hidden behind them, that had never had a chance to grow, I took only the largest ones.That was a mistake. The rest of them just shriveled up within a couple of days. I cut them off and tossed them into the compost. Now I've opened up the other side of… -
WHY HISTORY IS BETTER TAUGHT BY WOMEN
26 Jan 2012 | 8:54 amHistory was always one of my least favorite subjects in school. Mostly is was all about the games men play, to prove who's got the biggest whangle-dangle. We would read about endless battles and maneuvers, regurgitate the names and dates back up onto our exam papers, then forget all about them as soon as we walked out the door.Image from audioeditions.comIt was only by reading memoir and historical fiction -- stories written from a woman's point of view -- that I finally started to learn something. I may have known of the Civil War, but I understood nothing until I read Gone With The Wind. We… -
THAT IRRITATING KID IN THE THEATER
25 Jan 2012 | 9:16 amThe Majestic Theater, Dallasimage from eclairefare.wordpress.comMy parents had the habit of taking the whole lot of us (we were a family of six) to the movies at least once or twice a month -- usually to one of the big, gorgeous downtown theaters in Dallas, where I grew up, like The Tower, The Palace, or my personal favorite, The Majestic, pictured above. Often it was on a Sunday evening, when we probably should have been a few blocks away attending choir practice and evening service at First Methodist Church. But, Sunday evening was "Sneak Preview" night, when you got to see two movies for… -
TIME TO TACKLE UNFINISHED PROJECTS
24 Jan 2012 | 8:41 amWe have owned this house for seven years now. (Is that possible?) I have been living in it fulltime for four, and my hubby for one. We have pared down our belongings, unpacked all our boxes, paved the driveway, installed the water catchment system, put on a new roof, built the Cantina Garden, added a terrace patio, added on a dining room, remodeled the master bath, and replaced the flooring in the kitchen and bath. The only things we still haven't got around to are: 1) rescuing our rather luxurious garage utility room (it even has a shower, a toilet, and a large utility sink in it) from… -
MY COLOR-MAD HIPPY HACIENDA KITCHEN
23 Jan 2012 | 9:42 amWe recently got a call from that talented designer, Ms. Alexis Lane, over at Lane Design Studio (a.k.a. Dear Daughter). She had stumbled across a piece of fabric that she thought might go well in our kitchen shutters. Replacing that black and white toile will be the final step in the kitchen/bathroom redo that we started way last summer. Anyhoo, she wanted to know if we trusted her enough to let her go ahead and buy it for us. We do, so she did.Did she do good, or what? Can you imagine any fabric that could have gone better with these...or these...or these...or these?No, I thought…
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Telling It Like It Is
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Hairstyles for Women Over 40 – Mature Women 40 Plus Color and Long Hairstyle Rules
27 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amJust for fun, I did some online searches on what the best hairstyles for women over 40 are and saw pictures of new hairstyles for women, especially women over forty. The so-called fashion and hairstyle rules about women over 40 years old not having long hair make me laugh. I’m now 51 years old now and my hair is still long, past my shoulders, and shall remain long for as long as I choose. The hairstyle “experts” and fashion gurus offer a plethora of advice for mature women 40 plus years old regarding hairstyles for older women, saying that most women over the age of 40 should not… -
10 Reasons Why People Don’t Go to Church Anymore
25 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amChurches around the US have changed over the years, where multi-site churches mean pastors are able to reach thousands of would-be church attendees on the web, says USA Today. In an interview with pastors Tim Keller, Mark Driscoll and Ed Stetzer, the “old fashioned”, traditional churches from grandma and grandpa’s time are going by the wayside and are being replaced by what is often referred to as the “mega church” with thousands upon thousands of church members. Having visited a few “mega churches” over the years, such as the Potter’s House and a few others, witnessing the… -
It’s The Thought That Counts – Thoughtful Gift Giving
23 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amWhen giving gifts for any occasion, it’s the thought that counts. Being a thoughtful gift giver means we have taken the time to carefully think about the gift recipient’s personal interests, needs, wants, likes and dislikes, in order to find an appropriate gift to give from the heart. Being thoughtful is defined by personal qualities like being kind, giving, considerate, attentive, appreciative, helpful, caring, loving, and giving mindful thought towards the comfort and good of others. Kids learn the thought counts very early in life, and teachers appreciate thoughtful gifts from… -
Fridge Locker Locks Food in the Locker Sized Fridge from Refrig-A Raiders
20 Jan 2012 | 5:30 amHeard of the Fridge Locker yet? The Fridge Locker helps protect your food from “Refrig-A Raiders” at work, college and home, with the Original Personal Food Security System, The Fridge Locker. Have you ever taken your lunch to work and when it came time to go to lunch, you discovered someone swiped your food? College roommates, friends, family and coworkers often complain about people stealing their food, drinks, snacks (and beer) without asking, but if they had the locker sized Fridge Locker, food thieves would think twice. There is no need to keep hiding snacks from friends or family… -
Food Face Dinner Plate for Picky Eaters Makes Eating Healthy a Fun Game
20 Jan 2012 | 5:00 amThe Food Face Dinner Plate makes getting kids to eat healthy foods a fun game to play during dinner, lunch or any meal. Isn’t this a cute plate for kids? From what I’ve heard, Parents Magazine even did a write up on the food face plate as a fun activity, but I haven’t seen that article. If you have problems getting your kid to try new foods, especially healthy stuff like vegetables, they will have fun eating their dinner on this food face plate. The food face ceramic dinner plate measures 8.5 inches in diameter, a perfect size and fun style if there ever was one, to get your picky eater…
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Talk2Bev
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Georgia Teacher Resigns Over Racist Math Problems
21 Jan 2012 | 1:28 pmA third grade math teacher in Georgia has resigned after it was discovered she was using slavery to explain math to her students.One of the math problems read: "Each tree has 56 oranges. If eight slaves pick them equally, then how much would each slave pick?"Another was: "If Frederick got two beatings each day, how many beatings did he get in one week?"Gwinnett County schools spokeswoman Sloan Roach said this week that an investigation had concluded into four teachers who gave out the assignments at Beaver Ridge Elementary. She says the school system accepted the resignation of one teacher… -
Origin Food Group Investing Millions and Creating Jobs in Iredell County
19 Jan 2012 | 2:51 pmSTATESVILLE, N.C. – Jan. 19, 2012 – Origin Food Group, LLC will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony on January 25 at 4:15 p.m. at its new facility in Iredell County where it will produce its new and innovative line of healthy food products, beginning with früsh™ Yogurt & Fruit Shakes.The company is investing more than $7 million to build and upfit its state-of-the-art food processing facility off of Interstate 40. Origin Food Group expects to create 28 jobs initially, and employ as many as 40 - 50 people by 2014.N.C. Gov. Bev Perdue is scheduled to attend and speak at the ribbon cutting, as… -
Helping a Reporter Helps You
25 Sep 2010 | 5:38 pmHelping reporters do their jobs will, in turn, help you achieve your goals. If you make them look good, they will be more likely to give you a some quality air or print time and even keep your name on file as a "go to" person for future reference. You can help a reporter meet a deadline by promptly returning phone calls and being brief and to the point. If you are responsible for a reporter missing a deadline, you can be assured that you won't get a future call back. We like it when people refer to us by name. So do reporters. Take the time to learn the names of the journalists in your local… -
The Best Day(s) to Submit Your Press Release
24 Sep 2010 | 8:25 pmIf you've ever wondered why you didn't get any coverage from your local media for an event or announcement, it may be because you didn't send your press release on the right day.It's true--reporters are always looking for stories but some days are better than others when it comes to getting their attention.Mondays: It's the beginning of the work week for most journalists. They tend to get swamped with releases and announcement that all seemed to have piled up from the weekend. Your announcement may seem like small potatoes in comparison to some others and go unnoticed.Tuesdays: Good Day! -
The Changing Face of Facebook
24 Jul 2010 | 4:29 pmIn just about every report you read about Facebook these days, you will see a trend involving baby boomers. That trend indicates the generation born between 1946 and 1964 is growing by leaps and bounds on the social media site.It wasn't that long ago that Facebook was a site for high school and college kids to connect, but now Facebook, which currently has approximately 500 million users, has become increasingly popular among boomers, who are the social media site's fastest growing group. According to the Internetmonitoring site, comScore, there are more than 16.5 million adults ages 55 and…
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Baby Boomer Talk & other stuff
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If I was the Grandmother of Blue Ivy
11 Jan 2012 | 3:50 pmIf I was the grandmother of Beyonce and Jay-Z's new baby girl, the first thing I would do is sit down and have a long, and not-so-nice Parenting 101 lesson with them.I'd tell them how foolish I think they are to spend over a million dollars to seal off a wing of the hospital to assure their privacy. If they wanted privacy, they could've paid for a PRIVATE facility with PRIVATE everything else.I'd tell them how inconsiderate they are to keep other new parents from having access to their own newborns in the neonatal care unit of the hospital. One father took his complaints to the media---and we… -
Parents Children and Guns Don't Mix
2 Jan 2012 | 3:00 pmWhile preparing for my radio show this morning, I decided to do some research and talk about some of the most bizarre stories of 2011. During my search, I came across what has to be not only bizarre but one of the most ridiculous stories I've ever heard of in my life!A 17-year-old Florida girl reportedly pistol-whipped her mother because the mother refused to sign a car loan for her. On top of that, the daughter held the gun to her mother's head and forced her to drive to the dealership, where her mother decided to sign the car loan. The daughter then drove off in her new Nissan 350Z. -
Holy Cow Batman Santa Claus is Black
5 Dec 2011 | 7:38 amWhen I was growing up, I always believed santa claus was a fat, old white man with a fake beard and a red suit because that's the only image I ever saw at the mall or on TV. You can imagine my surprise when the Hayti Heritage Center announced it was bringing a black santa to Durham, NC for the first time ever. I had to see it for myself. But more importantly, I wanted by five-year-old grandson to see an image that looked more like him.Last year, my grandson asked me if santa claus was going to bring him some presents. Without hesitation, I told him no and then proceeded to explain that his… -
Grandma Learns Her Colors
26 Nov 2011 | 4:30 pmI thought I knew my colors but obviously I didn't know them as well as I thought I did---until today. I received a valuable lesson at the grocery store about color-coding, which I thought was worth sharing.While looking for bread, my grandson quickly noticed that the twists were different colors and he wanted me to explain why. I didn't have an answer but, fortunately, there was an employee standing nearby who was willing to share the information.He said if you want to know how fresh the bread is in your grocery store, look at the tie that is holding the wrapper closed. Bread is delivered… -
Being a Grandma Blogger Has Privileges
29 Oct 2011 | 2:31 pmLast week I received an email from a PR firm out of Chicago, which read: "I wanted to invite you to be a part of an upcoming event in High Point. I’ve been reading your blog Baby Boomer Talk & Other Stuff and saw that you’ve been taking care of your grandson while your daughter is in school and thought this might be great fun for the both of you. On Saturday, Oct. 29 at YWCA High Point community members will team up with Humanato build a multi-generational playground that will benefit children, adults and seniors. For those of you who don't know High Point is about 90 minutes from…
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BOOMER WORLD
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Baby Boomer Obesity and Paula Deen
19 Jan 2012 | 9:57 amIn case you haven't heard, baby boomers are becoming known for more than being the "greatest generation." According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, a unhealthy percentage of us are being treated for obesity. And who might we have to thank for that? Some are now pointing their bellies, hips and thighs to the queen of southern cooking: Paula Deen. This week, Deen announced she has Type 2 Diabetes---even though she continues to promote her high fat, high calorie recipes as the "best tasting, finger-lickin' good" food you'd ever want to eat. It's no… -
Should You Age Disgracefully?
22 Dec 2011 | 11:57 amSpecial Guest Post by Jane BaskinJane Baskin, author of Jane of the Jungle, thinks you should.“People say there’s something to be said for aging gracefully,” says Baskin. “Baloney. Between the longer lifespan and the economy, it’s time to age with attitude.”• If it sags, lift it. 13.1 million plastic surgery procedures were performed in 2010. Why not?• If it’s gray, dye it. • If it’s baggy, throw it out.• If it’s stuffy-sedate, avoid it.• If it’s lonely, check out Meetup.com. (this is not a dating site)• If it’s still lonely, run as fast as you can to the… -
Seniors and Plastic Surgery
14 Dec 2011 | 5:25 pmAt one time about 5 years ago, I thought about having breast implants. My husband, however, convinced me I looked fine just the way I was. That's all I needed to hear to keep me from going under the knife. But what about those women 50 years old and older who don't have anyone to convince them breast implants aren't necessary? What about those women who truly believe breast enhancements will make them look younger and as appealing as they did 30 years ago? Certainly we all want to look as good on the outside as we may feel on the inside but what are we willing to risk in order to do it? -
Baby Boomers Looking to God for a Hook Up
13 Dec 2011 | 3:18 pmIf you're over the age and 40 and still single, chances are you have probably considered online dating as an alternative to finding a good mate. But which site(s) do you consider? The fact that more and more baby boomers have gotten into the online dating game has created a million dollar industry for a number of sites like Match.com and eHarmony.com, to name a couple.Now it appears another dating site has sprouted up and directly targeting the Christian community. In a recent press release, ChristianMingle.com announced that nearly two million singles joined ChristianMingle this year in… -
Baby Boomers at Risk for Hepatitis C
3 Dec 2011 | 12:47 pmIf you're a baby boomer who used heroin in the 60s, you may be at risk for Hepatitis C. Medical experts from the Montefiore Medical Center in New York are urging the general public to be tested for the Hepatitis C virus, especially baby boomers who, they say, could be most at risk for this disease. Baby boomers are more likely to have been exposed to dangerous risk factors decades ago, such as sharing a drug needle, being tattooed or pierced with unsterilized tools or receiving a tainted blood transfusion. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the most common chronic blood borne infection in the United…
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Boomer Diva Nation
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Meet Featured Diva Kathleen Engel
3 Jan 2012 | 3:56 pmWhat is the name of your business and a description of what you do? FabFit50s.com. I’m a certified personal trainer (through the National Strength and Conditioning Association). I maintain a site and write eBooks devoted to helping women in midlife get and stay fit and healthy. I also freelance health and exercise pieces for several [...] -
Say No Without Feeling Guilty
25 Nov 2011 | 11:49 amSpecial Guest Post by Janice Russell, Productivity Strategist Many people tell me that they don’t have enough time each day to complete the tasks they “need” to finish. While we all have 24 hours each day and there isn’t anything we can do to increase the number of hours, there are some techniques and [...] -
Meet Featured Diva Reba Charleston
17 Nov 2011 | 6:13 pmWhat is the name of your business and a description of what you do? My business is ‘Your Mind and Body Coach’. I help women find their mojo again, whether they are going through a life transition (career change, divorce, empty nester, etc.) or want to find their passion. My sessions are fun [...] -
Boomer Diva Nation Seeks Most Inspiring Boomer Woman
16 Nov 2011 | 3:17 pmBoomer Diva Nation is looking for the woman who inspires herself and others to greatness. She could be your girlfriend, someone you met on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, your mom or other relative. She could even be YOU! Boomer Diva Nation wants to recognize an Inspiring Boomer Woman who is on the move and making [...] -
Boomer Women on the Move and Making a Difference
7 Nov 2011 | 2:19 pmNearly 40 years after women first started pouring into the labor force–and trying to be more like men in every way, from wearing power suits to picking up golf clubs–new research is showing that men ought to be the ones doing more of the imitating. In fact, after years of analyzing what makes leaders most [...]
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Zen and the Art of the Midlife Crisis
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New Year Revolution
5 Jan 2012 | 5:28 amWith six loads of laundry folded before the sun was even up on New Years morning, I wish I could say I had felt accomplished. The truth, however, was that in that damp dark dawn we call a holiday, I was awake too early and alert with fear and worry about what may or may not lie ahead. In the darkness, it is too easy to become overwhelmed by the prospect of matching all that -
Breathing In, Breathing Out
28 Dec 2011 | 5:25 amIn a few days we begin the year that some believe will be the end of the world. I prefer to add the phrase "as we know it" and join in the celebrations around the world that predict a marvelous transformation of fear into love. The energy is mounting. More and more, I find myself in cosmic conversations that blissfully dance around images of joy. Beatific smiles grace the voices -
Good Cheer
25 Dec 2011 | 7:28 amChristmas morning early around the world children are waking up with visions of wrappings torn from their packages. Parents hold hands and are proud, joyful and loving to hear the delighted screams. The day of peace on earth and good will seems abundant with truth and beauty. Other religions have their celebrations of light in this time of short days and dark nights. -
Heart-centered Holidays
7 Dec 2011 | 7:07 amAs the days of December darken into winter, holidays ignite magic into our hearts, creating light to find our way. Be it Christmas, the Solstice festivals, Hanukah or Kwanzaa, the time is of celebration and gratitude for all the gifts material and metaphysical that we have received. Tinsel and glitter, red cheeks and candles, song and festivities create sparkling energy -
Love Over Gold
18 Nov 2011 | 7:04 amThe test of my true faith has come upon me. Far later than is healthy for any man, I have accepted one last parting gift from my father and step out into the world once again on my own. No longer tested like some Job broken-hearted on my sofa with a tube in my belly and dreams in my head, today I go forth strong, healthy, and loved to find my way, earn my keep and leave no
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AARP.org :
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Gay Marriage Debated in Washington State
22 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmWashington could very well become the seventh state plus the District of Columbia to legalize same-sex marriage. -
GOP Candidates Last Debate Before South Carolina-AARP
19 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmGOP candidates have last debate showdown before South Carolina Primary. -
Spy Agency Named Gay-Friendly-AARP
19 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmBritain's domestic spy agency MI5 was named as one of the country's most gay-friendly employers. -
TSA Admits Errors in Searches-AARP
18 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmSecurity screeners violated procedures when they asked two elderly women to show them medical devices concealed beneath their clothing. -
Many Women Can Skip Bone Scans -AARP
17 Jan 2012 | 6:00 pmNew research could mean millions of older women can skip frequent screening tests for osteoporosis.
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BoomerCafé ... it's your place
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It’s worth putting memories on paper
24 Jan 2012 | 2:00 amRemember drive-in movies? James Comey does, especially one he saw one night from a graveyard! In fact he has written a book that begins in that graveyard, which he says you might call American Graffiti meets A Prayer for Owen Meany. It’s actually called, Uncommon Glory. When I was in third grade, my brother John and I watched a movie from a graveyard. The graveyard was behind St. Charles Church in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. James Comey We had both just served 40 hours “devotion” inside the church, a job that required us to kneel ramrod straight for an hour before the right… -
A Baby Boomer Plunges into the World of E-Publishing
20 Jan 2012 | 6:05 amKathleen Norton is an award-winning newspaper columnist in upstate New York. But neither awards nor experience can prepare you for some of the shocks of the 21st Century … at least not if you’re a baby boomer and a writer. Kathleen has now learned about the highs and lows of taking the big plunge into the world of e-publishing. Which is why she has written, for BoomerCafé, Ready, Set, Publish! Depending on how you look at it, this boomer has either crossed to the dark side or walked into the light. Kathleen Norton After some harrowing, hair-pulling experiences in front of the… -
Jay Hunter Morris: Baby Boomer Reaches Stardom at The Met
17 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amIt’s never too late for baby boomers to blossom. Take the case of Jay Hunter Morris. He has labored in the fields of operatic song for decades, but has only in the past year risen to the starring role for which he long prepared himself. BoomerCafé publisher and co-founder David Henderson has gotten to know not just Morris’s work, but the man himself, and writes this tribute to a baby boomer’s hard work and patience. Jay Hunter Morris knows that talent alone does not necessarily lead to success. And, it certainly will not land you in a starring role at New York’s… -
Reverse Mentoring for Baby Boomers. A Novel Idea
15 Jan 2012 | 3:25 pmHere’s a new one: as boomers we set the pace, but we also know when to let others lead! That’s what Marcia Barhydt finds when she looks at a fairly new feature in our lives: Reverse Mentoring. Marcia Barhydt As far back probably as Year 1 in the workplace, there’s been a conflict between senior management and hot young cannibals new to corporate life. Traditionally, the older, more seasoned employees have been the ones to train new faces. That was then and this… it seems… is now. Traditional roles are being reversed and we Boomers need to (in Ted Turner’s famous phrase)… -
Dress for Success in a Culture of Youth
10 Jan 2012 | 4:26 pmWe have seen a lot of change in our lives, but none more visible on a daily basis than clothing. Yes, clothing! Remember when you wouldn’t get on an airplane without a dress if you’re female, a suit if you’re a man? Well, the workplace has gone the way of the airplane: casual! Baby boomer Kate Forgach has wrestled with this and finally figured out how to Dress for Success in a Culture of Youth. Kate Forgach If you’re a boomer, you might remember back in 1988 when John T. Molloy published his book “Dress for Success.” I was working in a male-dominated culture at…
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Baby Boomer Going Like Sixty
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Game Shows That Would Be Infinitely Better if Host Was Drunk. And Some That I Think ARE Drunk.
27 Jan 2012 | 1:37 pmNow that Pat Sajak has announced that he and Vanna White used to toss back some Margaritas while taping Wheel of Fortune, here are some game shows that I thin would be infinitely better if the host was drunk. Sajak said they would drink: “Two or three or six” during a two-and-a-half hour break they had on days when they were shooting. In interview with ESPN 2′s “Dan Le Batard Is Highly Questionable,” Sajak said he and White would “then come and do the last shows and have trouble recognizing the alphabet.” This was back in the day when fake money was… -
Geeky Animated Gif Monday – Star Trek Moobs
22 Jan 2012 | 11:22 pmYou might like these too...Geeky Animated Gif Monday – Out With The OldGeeky Animated Gif MondayGeeky Animated Gif MondayGeeky Animated Gif MondayGeeky Animated Gif MondayPowered by Contextual Related Posts -
A Year Ago We Set Foot in Costa Rica for the First Time. And Now We Live Here.
22 Jan 2012 | 6:43 pmJanuary 20, 2011 we landed in Costa Rica for the first time. And now we live here permanently and are on our way to becoming residents. Here’s the timetable: January 20, 2011 we arrived. January 22, 2011 we took TheRealCostaRica.com tour. Sometime in March Nancy and a friend returned for a week to look at homes. They found one and made an offer which was accepted. We listed our home in Bowling Green, Kentucky with a real estate agent. April 2011, I came down to make the purchase of the house. Left Thursday, closed on Friday and returned on Sunday. Sunday evening when I walked in, Nancy… -
Best Coffee Tour in Costa Rica is in Atenas at El Toledo Organic Coffee Finca
19 Jan 2012 | 8:18 pmAs with a lot of things, the best are close to home. We wanted to take our Kentucky guests, Sally and Mary Kay on a tour of a coffee farm. (Wandering around our coffee plants next to the house didn’t qualify because we don’t process coffee, only grow it.) In asking around “Long Tall” Sally, our friend who lives here too, said that the El Toledo Organic Coffee tour was the best. And it was only minutes from our house. It only took a few phone calls and Gabriel had us booked to tour the farm and have lunch. We met him at 10 a.m. and immediately started learning about… -
“Think Big, Eat Smart” Is Message from World’s Largest Chocolate Bar
16 Jan 2012 | 11:53 pm“Think Big, Eat Smart.” This just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever. The slogan works. But taken in the context of who is promoting the idea just boggles. World’s Finest Chocolate, the candy maker who loves to convince your rugrat grandchildren that unless you buy their milk chocolate, the school will won’t be able to fund art, or music, or math, or lunch. In order to make it possible for school administrators to allow their product to be pushed by mini-dealers with the endorsement of schools, World’s Finest Chocolate decided to…wait for it……
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Family Relationships
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Gabby Giffords as an Inspirational Role Model
25 Jan 2012 | 10:20 amThe courage and dignity shown by Gabrielle Giffords over the past year as she struggled to cope with the results of her horrific shooting were repeated this week as she made the announcement that she will step down today from her position as the United States Representative from her district in Arizona. It was inspiring to watch her smiling face and listen to her halting but strong voice declare her thanks for the support of her constituents and her pledge to return to the people of Arizona. Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Giffords Congressional Office/Handout/ReutersWhen Gabby Giffords was first… -
Role Model for Bad Behavior
23 Jan 2012 | 11:45 amUsually it's celebrities who provide the bad role models for our teenagers. But now Francesco Schettino, captain of the grounded cruise ship Costa Concordia, has pushed the athletes and all the Kardashians off the Internet home pages and become the poster boy for bad behavior. Photo by Rvongher, Wikimedia Commons As we wait to learn the fate of passengers and crew still missing after the disaster, are there lessons from Schettino's actions we can discuss with our kids?Consider the consequences of your behavior. For personal reasons, Schettino purposefully diverted his ship from its… -
Virtual Book Tour: Mother Daughter Show
18 Jan 2012 | 9:16 amToday we’re delighted to welcome Natalie Wexler to our Virtual Book Tour. Her recently published novel, The Mother Daughter Show, is both hilarious and poignant. We know it will appeal to anyone who's ever had a daughter, and to anyone who's ever been one. So let’s get started:Nourishing Relationships: What inspired you to write The Mother Daughter Show?Natalie Wexler: I wrote The Mother Daughter Show partly to try to maintain a sense of humor about a situation I found myself in - the real Mother Daughter Show, a longstanding tradition at Sidwell Friends School, where my daughter was a… -
Martin Luther King and Willpower
16 Jan 2012 | 7:53 amOn Martin Luther King Day, we pay tribute to the civil rights movement and Dr. King’s quest for equality. He had a clear purpose, persevering through hardship and frustration in order to reach his goals. Courage, willpower and tenacity were his strengths, and they can be yours too.Photo by Caboindex - Flickr.comYou may not be facing the same struggles Dr. King did. But in January we make New Year’s resolutions and try to find the courage to engage our willpower. Who hasn’t, at the beginning of one year or another, put eat less or work out more at the top of their ‘to do’ list? -
Breaking the Inertia and Beginning Your Walks
11 Jan 2012 | 10:31 amNow that you've taken the time for some honest self-reflection about your New Year's resolutions, have you identified what's holding you back? Until you recognize what's causing the obstacles, you can't begin to map out a plan to implement your walking program. Here are some things to consider: Photo courtesy of graur codrin at FreeDigitalPhotos.netHave you actually committed to a walking plan? Your family and friends can provide a sounding board as well as the motivation to begin and stay with your stated objectives. Putting your goals in black and white gives them credibility and helps you…
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RetirementRevised
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Low-cost entries shake up market for small 401(k) plans
26 Jan 2012 | 8:19 pmIf you own a small business, the time to comparison-shop for 401k plans has never been better. Low-cost plans are cropping up, as new federal regulations kicking in this year call for greater disclosure of fee information to plan participants and sponsors. The numbers should be a real eye-opener. Fees vary widely among retirement plans [...] Related posts:Schwab plan to cut costs, add advice points to changing 401(k) marketAutomated retirement plans can help, but watch for these pitfallsFive ways to make 401(k) plans more like pensions -
Workers fight switch to church plan pensions
26 Jan 2012 | 8:14 pmMary Rich worked for a hospital in northern New Jersey for 25 years, first as a registered nurse and later as an executive. One of the job’s benefits was a traditional pension that she expected to receive at retirement. Now that benefit seems unlikely to be around by the time she retires. Rich’s financially troubled [...] Related posts:Obama plan to bolster pension insurance fund stirs controversyWhy federal insurance for pensions needs shoring upWisconsin fight points to importance of traditional pensions -
Big penalties await if you delay Medicare filing
20 Jan 2012 | 12:39 pmMost seniors on Medicare will pay $99.90 per month this year for Part B outpatient coverage. But how would you like to pay 10 percent more for that coverage, or 50 percent more? Failing to sign up for Medicare at the right time can cost you – big time. The monthly Part B premium jumps [...] Related posts:Reader mailbag: Stay on COBRA or enroll for Medicare?Reader mailbag: IRA beneficiaries and Medicare first payorsMedicare will cut into big Social Security COLA in 2012 -
To boost Social Security benefits, know the rules
18 Jan 2012 | 4:06 pmWhen the oldest baby boomers start turning 66 this year, they’ll be eligible to file for full Social Security benefits. But pollsters say many Americans plan to work well past that age, reflecting tough economic times and a general desire to reshape the idea of retirement. What will working longer mean for the Social Security [...] Related posts:Social Security may tighten do-over loophole rulesSocial Security Administration tightens do-over rulesHow to maximize your Social Security benefits -
Six steps young investors can take to build retirement security
12 Jan 2012 | 2:28 pmYou’re young and lucky enough to be gainfully employed, but it’s a hard time to be starting out in life – the job market is perilous, financial markets are volatile and the housing market’s direction is anyone’s guess. Is this any time to be thinking about saving for a secure retirement? Absolutely. Top retirement experts [...] Related posts:This weekend: Are young retirement investors abandoning stocks?How working longer helps build retirement securityReuters: How working longer helps build retirement security
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themidlifegals.com
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Why February??
27 Jan 2012 | 10:17 amFirstly, whom do you know who actually pronounces this word, Feb-roo-erry? Maybe easterners do or Canadians, but Texans have their own language, set of rules on pronunciation and stubborn sensibilities about how things should be. And, secondly, is February really necessary? Okay, there’s Valentine’s Day, which, if your single, is the suckiest day of the year. Although, there is something to be said for being single on Valentine’s Day because there is no pressure to ‘put out.’ If you’ve been married for many years that pressure has probably long been put to bed anyway, if you’ll… -
Way Westward Ho, 8. Showing The House
23 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmShowing a house when you still live in it is just inconvenient. Sometimes, they don’t show up at all! We’re not complaining though, but it sounds like it, doesn’t it? Buy or DIE!KK and SalGal -
Things that are Different Now
9 Jan 2012 | 9:59 amHave your sneezing patterns changed over the years? Be honest. Are they now accompanied by slight urinary leakage? Do you sneeze at least 7 times? Do your coughs turn into stupendous sneezes? Have you finally learned to let ‘em out without caring what your face looks like or whether your palm might end up containing either a dollop or a mound of whatever-it-was-that-was-in-there?Things change, don’t they? I have actually counted 18 sneezes at one sitting. Although that number is high, mine usually come in the two digit figures. Sally grew up trying not to draw attention to herself so she… -
Out With The Old...In With The New!
31 Dec 2011 | 8:31 amI don’t know about you all, but I don’t like those new light bulbs. They are bulbous and heavy and throw off the kind of lighting that does not enhance my facial features. And, you have to worry about tossing them in the trash lest they contaminate the environment. If I had a nickel for every environmentally questionable item I’ve thrown in the trash, I’d be, yes...Bill Gates rich. And, I challenge anyone to say that they’ve never thrown away a dangerous item. That is what the trash is for.Sal and I are heavily into ‘Out with the Old and In With the New’ these days as we sort,… -
Way Westward Ho, 7. Going Away Party
22 Dec 2011 | 4:47 pmEveryone should have friends and neighbors like THESE! Or should they??
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MenopauseMafia
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Burning bridges so assholes cannot follow
22 Jan 2012 | 6:56 pmI burned a bridge today I had been dreaming of torching that mutha’ for four years. Oh, the relief! I have worked these last few years with the biggest bunch of dickheads I’ve ever met. It was a place where you can only succeed if you’re male and brown nose the boss. Work ethic and performance do not count. Some people need to be left behind I heard from a few people the usual career advice “Don’t burn those bridges you might want to go back across.” But what if the company is the industry joke? What if your career suffered by association? There are some… -
Punch up dinner with this new recipe site
29 Dec 2011 | 12:15 pmI stumbled upon a new web site the other day that aggregates (brings info from many sources together in one place) recipes from sites all over the internet, it’s called Punchfork. This site visually appealing and it has an amazing amount of variety. Of course it does pull the recipes off of a ton of sites, creating a place with a wide variety of tastes and styles. I think my favorite thing about Punchfork is the convenience. I don’t have to visit all of my favorite sites, I just go to one and see all of the latest post and more. I’ve also found a few new sources for great… -
Pregnancy at the Menopause Mafia
27 Dec 2011 | 5:14 pmDid I ever tell you that this site is named after my two older sisters who suffer from hot flashes and sticky spots left by those hormone patches? In fact one of them is old enough to be out of the menopause by now. I’m explaining, because if not it will cause some confusing when I say…..I’m pregnant!!!!!! It’s about freakin’ time! Captain Wentworth and I had been work, work, working at this for a little while (TMI moment). I had gotten to the point where I wasn’t obsessing over getting my period or not and BANG! I’m finally going to be a parent,… -
Prositution or Compromise?
17 Aug 2011 | 8:32 amQuote of the day from the offices in Sunny Cleveland Ohio: The exchange of goods for sex within a monogamous relationship is not considered prostitution, it’s just a compromise. -
2 Sangria recipes to die for
6 Aug 2011 | 4:19 pmFor summer sippin nothing beats a cold glass of Sangria. Here are two recipes you’ll love. The red Sangria has a hint of cinnamon and the Blackberry is a sweeter version rich with berries. This is one of my absolute favorite drinks, a fruity Sangria with a little splash of cinnamon. Delicious! It’s easy to make, but it does work best with a particular brand of Sangria mix. Monin makes a few different kinds of Sangria mix, this recipe calls for the Red. Sangria 1 1/2 liters red wine 2 1/4 cups orange juice 1 1/4 cups Monin Red Sangria mix 5 oz. brandy 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon Mix the…
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The Mid Life Opportunity
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Where Have All the Jobs Gone?
21 Jan 2012 | 10:24 amDo you ever wonder where all the jobs have gone? Where Have All the Jobs Gone? -
Top 4 Reasons Why Most Career Dreams Fail
2 Jan 2012 | 6:28 amGuest Post by Kathy Caprino In my work as a career coach and speaker, I interact with thousands of highly functional, achievement- oriented professionals with fantastic gifts, talents and skills who have BIG career dreams. But despite their talent, intellect and enthusiasm for building an awesome career, many won’t get there, not even close. In today’s challenging times, professionals are longing too to discover their “life purpose” – the one unifying theme they think will bring them the joy, fulfillment, and meaning they desperately yearn for. But a vast majority… -
5 Life Lessons to Learn from Sharks
29 Dec 2011 | 12:31 pmWhat life lessons can we humans learn from the predator of the deep? Apart from the obvious ‘don’t go swimming with them’, here are some other thoughts: 1. Sharks form Symbiotic Relationships Fish called Remoras and Pilot Fish both form symbiotic relationships with sharks – relationships in which both parties benefit. The Remoras eat any of the shark’s leftovers that they can find (the Remoras benefit) and also eat the parasites off of the shark’s skin (the shark benefits) The Pilot Fish cleans the sharks teeth and skin (the shark benefits) whilst being protected from predators by… -
Does Job Security Matter to You?
21 Nov 2011 | 1:08 pmGuest Post from Simon Stapleton: It feels like our jobs have been under threat for years… doesn’t it? With the recession starting back in 1998 with no improvement since, job security is something that many of us are feeling unsure about. How do you feel? Take a look at this table of top ten jobs of 2010 in the US (from CNN). Note the top job roles, and levels of perceived job security. Then take a look at the table from the year before. Spot the differences? You’ll see a major drop in job security figures in 2010 from 2009, and a whole different set of top ten jobs. So how will it look… -
The new Mid Life Opportunity website is now live...
7 Nov 2011 | 1:53 pmStimulation, Advice, Guidance and Support for people in midlife everywhere ... with a dash of humour along the way. The Mid Life Opportunity blog will soon be moving to the new blog on the website - more details to follow. Come and see for yourself and why not register while you're there.. www.MidLifeOp.com
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Over 40 Style
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Pippa Middleton's Red Flats
26 Jan 2012 | 5:29 pmThe British fever continues....here's Pippa Middleton wearing her red London Sole ballet flats, and a few look for less alternatives: Flats by Nine WestFlats by All Black -
My new favorite UK retailer
25 Jan 2012 | 1:02 pmI fall in love with foreign labels on a regular basis. I brought back a suitcase full of clothes from Marks and Spencer in London (decades ago when the dollar was strong) and I once spent one day of a two day trip to New York at H&M. This was when there was only one store in the country, instead of in every mall like today. Zara, Topshop---I've had flings with them too. I know they are mass market brands, but with a non-US label, you still get a unique, cosmopolitan look---at GAP prices! My latest fave is Dorothy Perkins, a UK based retailer. They've been around for a long time, but I've… -
A blouse wardrobe--- nothing over $50
24 Jan 2012 | 12:33 pmThe one thing I can never have too many of---blouses and tops! I don't know why, but when I'm out shopping, I never think of shopping for blouses. I have the requisite amount of white button front blouses and black turtlenecks, but whenever I want a "cute" top, I never seem to have one. This selection would be a good start: nothing is too casual, and everything can be paired with jeans or a work skirt. Longsleeve Tops at ModClothCardigans at Loehmann's -
The Year of the Dragon
24 Jan 2012 | 2:01 amSCS Pendant Dragon Celebrating the Year of the Dragon 2012, this stunning pendant represents emperors, success, passion, strength, and good fortune. It sparkles in clear crystal pavé with vibrant Light Siam crystal eyes. The perfect good luck talisman. -
Grown up plaid
22 Jan 2012 | 12:44 pmI love plaid, but my jeans/plaid shirt combos makes me look too grunge, or like a six year old boy. Here's an outfit with a decidedly grown up plaid pattern, and a feminine, fitted cut. Wide Leg Pants by GapPumps by Lauren Ralph Lauren
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Hot Flashes Blog by Arlene Lassin
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My Fearless Oscar Predictions
26 Jan 2012 | 9:32 pmOscar Nominations were announced! And we all have an opinion, don’t we? When I recommend something like a good book or a movie, it comes from my heart. I have to really like something deeply to encourage others to enjoy it too. So it is with that in mind that I give you my Oscar Predictions. These are based both on my heart, my critical eye, and of course hedging my bets on shoo-ins as most people do. Best Picture: I am going out on a limb here because there are some great choices as well as some throwaways. Despite being moved by The Help – an early favorite, amused by Midnight in… -
You Won’t Have a Farbissina Punim After You Read This Blog
22 Jan 2012 | 10:48 amWhat’s your favorite Yiddish word and why? You’ll hear mine in a bit. Lately I have been reading more and more mainstream news items and features with a Yiddish word thrown in. Very common is chutzpah, (nerve) schtik, (sales pitch) yenta, (a gossip) klutz, (clumsy) tchotchke, (nik-nak) zaftig, (plump, and nosh (snack.) In Austin Powers, Mike Meyers used one of my favorite words – farbissina (sourpuss) in a character with a perpetually down-turned mouth. Isn’t Frau Farbissina exactly how you imagine the word? Pretty good coverage for a dying language. I have long been a… -
Nazi Was the Ugliest Word to My Grandfather
19 Jan 2012 | 8:26 pmI saw the movie The Reader recently and thought it shocking that the character Kate Winslet played had far more shame for her illiteracy than for her time as a murderous Nazi guard. Nazi – it’s a word that means pure evil and should bring shudders to everyone. I first learned the word Nazi was when I was very very young. I must have been about five or six, but the memory stays with me and will always haunt me. My maternal grandfather took me out every Saturday for a special day together. He loved to spoil me and many days he took me to a local amusement park to ride the Carousel… -
Remember Those Cheesy TV Theme Songs of the 60′s?
16 Jan 2012 | 12:42 pmI was a child of the 60′s and a mainstay of growing up in that era was watching way too much cheesy television. From Gomer Pyle to Gilligan’s Island to the Brady Bunch – we spent hours watching a bunch of silly fluff. We didn’t have videos, gaming, computers, facebook, and the like so we had to make due with outdoor play and bad TV. The jingles introducing these songs were so addictive – catchy and lame at the same time. Many told the story of the show. Somehow instrumental themes that introduced shows like Bonanza and I Love Lucy gave way to catchy ditties with… -
Our First Modern Miss America
14 Jan 2012 | 10:01 pmThere she is, Miss Orange Palms – Thank you High Def TV and read on to find out why: The theme this year of our exciting pageant is “this is a NEW Miss America.” Well, for someone who has been watching since I was a toddler, THAT’s still to be decided. Will someone with starched hair, an operatic voice, and a phoney smile, who looks to the heavens to thank her maker frequently, win? Or will a more modern prototype be victorious this year? The semi-finalists included an ex-fat person (“I lost over 110 pounds!”) who has received a lot of press, and a girl who…
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The Redhead Riter - Witty, Intelligent & Addictive
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A Tiny Home In A Big Landscape
27 Jan 2012 | 12:25 amThe structures are very tiny when compared to most homes and extremely small in comparison to the expansive landscape where the tiny homes have been built. While researching different types of homes... ø¤º°♥ This is your reminder to come on over to my lovely blog and finish reading the rest of the post! It's worth the click!!! ♥¨°º¤ø„¸ ❤ •.•´¯`•.• ❥ See you over there! -
How To Make Homemade Apple Sauce - Quick, Easy, Small Batch
26 Jan 2012 | 1:10 amThere is nothing like the smooth texture of homemade apple sauce especially when it is fresh and still warm.Mmmmmmm.....This recipe is small enough to make every week. It is definitely super easy and... ø¤º°♥ This is your reminder to come on over to my lovely blog and finish reading the rest of the post! It's worth the click!!! ♥¨°º¤ø„¸ ❤ •.•´¯`•.• ❥ See you over there! -
Jesus Says The Redhead Riter Is The Devil
25 Jan 2012 | 1:00 amWorking as the General Manager of large hotel ended most of my naivety and gave me a whole new perspective on people, life and the workplace. Most people check-in at a hotel using a credit card,... ø¤º°♥ This is your reminder to come on over to my lovely blog and finish reading the rest of the post! It's worth the click!!! ♥¨°º¤ø„¸ ❤ •.•´¯`•.• ❥ See you over there! -
Man-Eating Germs At Driving School
23 Jan 2012 | 10:51 pmLooking back, it is definitely a bit comical.... During the worst part of my PTSD meltdown, I found it very hard to drive. Actually, I let other people drive me around as much as possible, however,... ø¤º°♥ This is your reminder to come on over to my lovely blog and finish reading the rest of the post! It's worth the click!!! ♥¨°º¤ø„¸ ❤ •.•´¯`•.• ❥ See you over there! -
My Mother, The Glamorous Model
23 Jan 2012 | 12:00 amAfter years and years of begging and prodding, my mother finally gave in...When Mom turned fifty years old in 1994, she surprised my sister and I with updated photos of herself. We were both... ø¤º°♥ This is your reminder to come on over to my lovely blog and finish reading the rest of the post! It's worth the click!!! ♥¨°º¤ø„¸ ❤ •.•´¯`•.• ❥ See you over there!
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The Midlife Woman
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The Best Meals Happen at Home with Publix
26 Jan 2012 | 7:53 pmThe Best Meals Happen at Home is a true statement and one that I personally support for a variety of reasons. I love to cook and believe there is nothing finer than a home cooked meal. After all, Food is a universal language. Many a problem has been solved around the dinner table. In fact, Hubby and I insisted the family eat dinner together. This afforded everyone time to share daily experiences. My boys, and the other youngsters that we helped raise, support family dinners now even though they protested at the time. It is rewarding and amazing to discover the true impact of our dinnertime… -
How to Start Customising your own Clothes
22 Jan 2012 | 3:17 pmMake-do-and-mend has taken on a whole new meaning in recent years. Fast throw-away fashion made the original make-do-and-mend culture virtually obsolete. Why get the sewing machine out to fix a hem when we could pop out to the shops and buy a new dress for the same price as a trip to the movies? Now though a growing number of people are going back to basics and taking responsibility for their own style. Customising clothes and making new from the old is a great way to save money and get your creative juices flowing. Whether you get involved out of necessity to make your money go further, or… -
Budget Travel? Not an Oxymoron
19 Jan 2012 | 2:00 pmTraveling on a budget usually gets a bad rap. When people hear the words “travel” and “budget” sandwiched next to each other, their minds immediately flash to eating potato chips and gas station hot dogs for dinner, staying at a hotel that looks like it’s straight out of Hitchcock’s Psycho and watching other tourists partake in exciting tasks like helicopter tours and zip lining. Sure, that might be the portrayal of traveling on a budget, but it definitely doesn’t have to be the reality. There are ways to be budget savvy and still travel like a high…
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Groovy After 50
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Get a Midlife – NYTimes.com
8 Jan 2012 | 9:58 amGet a Midlife – NYTimes.com. The most recent research on middle age, by contrast, has looked at gains as well as deficits. To identify the things that contribute to feeling fulfilled and purposeful, Carol Ryff, the director of the Institute on Aging at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, developed a list of questions to measure well-being and divided them into six broad categories: personal growth (having new experiences that challenge how you think about yourself); autonomy (having confidence in your opinions even if they are contrary to the general consensus); supportive social… -
The Process of Dying
11 Dec 2011 | 10:03 amThe other day in my little community, an elderly woman died in her house alone with her husband and I thought, I hope someone had prepared him for the process because it’s so helpful to know. I felt so badly for him – I’d have offered to sit with him if he’d needed help as his wife passed. This spring I was alone with my mom in hospital as she died, and a nurse just gave me a pamphlet about it and left the room. The next week, I had to have a dog put to sleep and the vet took me through it step-by-step before he gave the final injection. And two weeks later, I was with… -
30 Celebs Who Are Aging Gracefully
12 Nov 2011 | 9:52 am30 Celebs Who Are Aging Gracefully. My ex adores many on this list and so do I – have done for decades. How nice to see people non-plastic-surgeried ! Compared to a recent photo of Demi Moore, who at 49 looks, dare-I-say, quite awful with her surgeries and skinniness. And she used to be so gorgeous. Here’s the link to the unfortunate photo of Demi – and heaven-knows, most photos of me are “unfortunate” so I can’t really be the judge – but in terms of aging, I’d rather be me than her right now:… -
7 Design Secrets for a House You Can Live in Forever | Caring.com
11 Nov 2011 | 9:15 pm7 Design Secrets for a House You Can Live in Forever | Caring.com. -
The Kit – Fall Trends For Every Body
25 Oct 2011 | 5:25 pmThe Kit – Fall Trends For Every Body.
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Clarence Worly's South East Idaho
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Idaho Falls: The Coolest Un-hip Town in the West
23 Jan 2012 | 11:06 pmMy favorite watering hole used to be the Woodside Inn, a roadhouse type bar in Pine Junction up in the mountains a few miles west of Denver. It was kinda like Pond’s Lodge, but with attitude. One Labor Day, after … Continue reading → -
It’s Good to be Alive!
21 Jan 2012 | 11:05 amThis morning Alabama asked me if I was still on my period. She is of the opinion that I have been in a state of depression for some time now. She cites my sudden negativity and overall disgust with everything … Continue reading → -
Things I Do Not Understand
17 Jan 2012 | 7:39 pmI thought it time to make a list of some of the things I simply do not understand. I hope to make this kind of a semi-regular installment so when events pop up I find puzzling, I can try and … Continue reading → -
Is Mitt Romney the Anti-Christ?
13 Jan 2012 | 7:08 amI spent the last week enduring the first head cold I’ve had in several years. I had nearly forgotten how miserable a severe cold can be. I had many hours to ponder where I might have contracted the dreadful disease … Continue reading → -
Be my Facebook Friend – PLEASE???
7 Jan 2012 | 12:54 pmI got a friend request on Facebook last week. I can honestly say I have never turned down a friend request on Facebook. I liken internet social networking to the folks I used to meet back in my rock & … Continue reading →
